Deadline: 10 January 2020

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a Cooperative Agreement from qualified entities to implement the Resilient Governance in Niger (RGN) Activity.

Objectives and Anticipated Results

While RGN’s focus will be at the commune level, its ability to achieve results demands navigating the political economy of power dynamics between municipal governments, traditional authorities, deconcentrated line ministries, other national level government bodies. RGN’s programmatic objectives and anticipated results have been intentionally drafted in a broad frame.

• Objective 1: Communal authorities, traditional leaders, and regional representatives of the GON understand their respective local governance roles and responsibilities, and engage in more effective intergovernmental communications and collaboration to address community needs, especially those of women, youth, and other marginalized populations.
  • Anticipated Results
    • Municipal governments, traditional leaders, and regional representatives of the GON understand their division of responsibilities and respective authorities for communal governance
    • Municipal governments coordinate with traditional leaders, other tiers of government, donors, CSOs, and private sector service providers and take ownership of the provision of essential services
    • Municipal government staff and elected/appointed officials demonstrate knowledge of local government policies and regulations, and of their administrative and management duties
    • Regularized channels for intra- and inter-governmental dialogue on budget planning, execution and oversight are institutionalized and the voices of women, youth, and other marginalized populations are elevated
    • Mandated fiscal flows from national to municipal government are more transparent, rational, and regular
• Objective 2: Municipal governments more accountably plan, manage and execute budgets, ensure provision of basic services, and mobilize financial and human resources in support of locally-determined development priorities.
  • Anticipated Results
    • Municipal budget management and administrative policies, procedures, and regulations are transparent, institutionalized, and implemented by commune officials and staff
    • Municipal governments have greater capacity and cooperate more effectively with to provide essential services and respond to locally-determined community needs,
    • Municipal governments pro-actively engage local civic groups, traditional leaders, and community structures (with a strong focus on the inclusion of women, youth and other marginalized populations), in planning and budget processes, and provide regular information on the use of public resources
    • Municipal governments mobilize increased own-source revenues for priority infrastructure and service needs
    • Procurement processes are more transparent and follow competitive bidding rules and regulations
    • Municipal governments partner with government agencies, the private sector, civil society, traditional leaders, and other actors to find local solutions to address priority community needs
    • Municipal governments demonstrate greater agency in advocating for communal priorities in national level policy and budget processes
    • Sub-national government officials (communal and regional) have access to professional development, peer-learning, and training opportunities, including literacy and numeracy
• Objective 3: Citizens and local civil actors know their rights, have greater agency to engage in communal governance processes, and actively exercise these rights through institutionalized and ad-hoc mechanisms
  • Anticipated Results
    • Municipal governments have formal, activated structures for citizen participation
    • Citizens have increased knowledge of the services municipal governments are responsible for, and of mechanisms for community participation
    • Citizens more actively engage in community planning, budgeting and local government oversight processes
    • Municipal services and infrastructure investments better reflect citizen priorities, in particular those of youth, women, and other marginalized populations
    • Women, youth and other marginalized populations have greater voice and agency in communal governance processes
    • Community and civil society organizations, exercise increased capacity to advocate on behalf of their constituencies and hold government accountable for delivering public services.

Award Information

• Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID intends to provide $19,800,000.00 in total USAID funding over a five (5) year period.
• The award will include a $2 million set aside for a crisis modifier that allows the Implementer to undertake additional early actions or shock response in the event of a projected or current shock.
• The anticipated period of performance is five years. The estimated start date will be on/or about April 2020.

Eligible Applicants

• Qualified U.S. and non-U.S. organizations (other than those from foreign policy restricted countries) are eligible to apply under this NOFO. Potential for-profit Applicants should note that, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.400(g), profit, which is any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs, is not an allowable cost for Recipients of USAID assistance awards, and cannot be part of the activity budget. However, the prohibition against profit does not apply to procurement contracts made under the assistance instrument when the Recipient procures goods and services in accordance with the Procurement Standards found in 2 CFR 200.317 to 326.
• USAID welcomes applications from organizations which have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.
• Applicants must have established financial management, monitoring and evaluation processes, internal control systems, and policies and procedures that comply with established U.S. Government standards, laws, and regulations. The successful Applicant(s) will be subject to a responsibility determination assessment (possibly including a pre-award survey) by the Agreement Officer (AO).
• The Recipient must be a responsible entity. The AO may determine a pre-award survey is required to conduct an examination that will determine whether the prospective Recipient has the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills – or ability to obtain them – in order to achieve the objectives of the program and comply with the terms and conditions of the award.

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=322673