[MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: Hello, and welcome to the Department
of State's Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons fiscal year
2017 annual grants process tutorial, stage two.
Request for full proposals, for RFP.
This continues the TIP Office's step-by-step tutorial
regarding its programming cycle and grants process.
This video is intended for organizations
that have completed stage one, and that the TIP Office has
invited to move to stage two, which is a request
to submit a full proposal.
In this video tutorial, we will provide you with information
about the stage two fiscal year 2017 process, starting
with the results of stage one, an update on the statements
of interest received and the proposals requested
for stage two, who is eligible to apply,
deadlines, technical requirements, the review
process, and everything you need to know to write
a successful full proposal.
This year, the TIP Office received 213 statements
of interest requesting over $150 million
to combat trafficking in persons worldwide.
During stage one, each statement of interest
underwent a review to determine which
applicants would be invited to submit full proposals.
The TIP Office received statements of interest
from applicants worldwide.
The statements of interest underwent technical review,
and a percentage of them were selected
for further consideration.
This is an opportunity for selected organizations
to provide additional detail about the proposals described
in the original statements of interest.
Only those organizations whose statements of interest
were selected for further consideration
are eligible to submit a full proposal.
The TIP Office has contacted those organizations directly.
Selected applicants that submit full proposals
must follow the detailed instructions
provided in the limited solicitation, which
is available on grantsolutions.gov.
If you encounter any issues, please open
a help desk ticket by emailing help@grantsolutions.gov.
Please note that grantsolutions.gov
is the only place you can view the solicitation
and submit your full proposals.
The deadline for full proposals is January 3rd, 2017,
at 11:59 PM Eastern standard time.
All applicants must submit their full proposals
before the deadline.
Full proposals submitted after this time
or through any other system other
than Grant Solutions will not be considered for funding.
Do not submit proposals to grants.gov.
If you encounter technical issues,
a help desk is available.
Submitted proposals will undergo thorough technical and
interagency reviews.
The technical requirements are listed
in the request for full proposals document,
and include uploading a project narrative no longer than eight
pages, submitting a logic model and project timeline,
identifying common performance indicators,
completing summary budget, line item budget, and budget
narrative, providing the resumes and qualifications
of key positions, and uploading letters of intent
to cooperate in partnerships, if applicable.
,
Remember, the full proposal requires more detail
than the statement of interest submitted in October.
Please refer to the limited solicitation
for step-by-step instructions on meeting
all specific application requirements.
After the technical review, each full proposal
is reviewed by TIP Office staff, Department
Of State bureaus and offices, and other U.S. Government
partners, such as USAID, and the Department Of Labor.
During this rigorous assessment, the TIP Office
looks for several key qualities in successful proposals.
First, the detailed project narrative, no longer
than eight pages, should describe
how proposed activities address the TIP office's programming
objectives as listed in the 2017 funding announcement.
This section should build upon and provide additional detail
about the project description in the statement of interest.
Second, the logic model should demonstrate the relationship
between the project goals, objectives,
and proposed activities to achieve specific results
with performance measurement indicators for outputs
and outcomes.
Remember, an output is the direct product or service
that results from the completion of your proposed activities,
while an outcome is the result of the project as a whole.
Think of it as the impact of your combined outputs,
the ultimate result of those products and services.
Third, you must outline a plan for data collection
and reporting on specific comment performance measurement
indicators.
Performance indicators include quantitative tools
to measure progress toward achievement of objectives.
You must complete and submit as a separate attachment,
the quantitative common performance indicator
sheet, which is included in the request for full proposals
kit on grantsolutions.gov.
Next, organize a timeline to demonstrate implementation
of planned activities.
Once again, a template is provided for you
in the application kit on grantsolutions.gov.
Also, be sure to include a summary budget, line item
budget, and budget narrative.
The budget must specify the total amount of funding
requested, must specify the amount spent per year,
and must be in U.S. dollars.
Each is described in detail in the request for full proposals
limited solicitation.
If you have a copy of the current Negotiated Indirect
Cost Rate Agreement, or NICRA, with a U.S. Government agency,
be sure to include it as part of your application.
Indicate the type of indirect rate used.
For example, provisional, pre-determined,
final, or fixed.
A submitted copy of the NICRA will not
be counted in the page limit.
Organizations that do not have a NICRA
will not be disqualified or penalized.
Don't forget to submit resumes for key project staff already
identified and committed to the project.
If you have not identified key staff members,
please submit a brief description
of the required qualifications and key responsibilities
for the position.
Key staff is defined as the individual position
or positions necessary to complete the project,
such as the program director.
A certification of training is an absolute requirement
for programs that intend to provide assistance
to trafficking victims.
Your organization must submit an attachment containing
a document stating that the individuals who
intend to provide assistance to trafficking victims
are certified.
This document must be signed by an official authorized
to submit the proposal.
Your organization should engage other anti-trafficking partners
to strengthen your proposal and proposed activities.
Applicants whose proposed projects
include one or more partnerships with NGOs, universities,
government agencies, or others, should submit letters of intent
to cooperate from the entity or entities
that indicate their willingness to form a partnership
for the purpose of the project.
These letters must be in English.
This is particularly important with respect
to proposals that include significant partnership
with one or more government institutions.
Additionally, you should highlight
other public or private donor funding
related to your proposal.
Successful proposals will address a key human trafficking
issue or issues, and describe appropriate goals, objectives,
and activities.
They will demonstrate a logical approach and present objectives
that are measurable and achievable during the project
period.
Proposed projects should address long-term institutional and
organizational development with an emphasis
on moving toward sustainability.
Your project's output and outcome indicators
should also be linked clearly to project goals and objectives.
Make clear your organization's capacity
for engaging in evaluation, including the potential impact
of project activities on the overall anti-trafficking
response within the target country.
In drafting your budgets, please ensure
that all identified costs are necessary and appropriate
to the execution of the project.
Proposals should keep overhead and administrative components
of the proposal reasonably low.
Competitive full proposals will also
demonstrate an organization's strong knowledge
of human trafficking issues, and the trafficking context
in the country or region where the project would take place.
This proposal will also provide evidence of an organization's
ability to implement anti-trafficking programs
in the specific country or region.
The TIP Office will consider the past performance
of prior recipients of both TIP Office and other U.S.
Government funding, as well as the potential of new applicants
to successfully implement a grant project.
Proposals will be evaluated on the extent to
which activities promote sustainable intervention
practices, and build the capacity of local communities,
including both local government institutions and civil society
to address human trafficking challenges in the future.
Proposals will also be evaluated on how well they promote,
strengthen, and build the capacity of local institutions,
and on the extent to which activities are supported
by sustainable local organizations that
can effectively combat trafficking
beyond the life of the award.
If your organization is not based in the country or region
where you propose to work, describe and identify
existing or proposed partnerships
with thematic or in-country partners and stakeholders.
Your proposal must demonstrate a clear understanding of the role
that local organizations and institutions are playing,
or can play, in combating human trafficking.
And describe how you plan to engage with local partners
to increase sustainability.
If you are unable to partner with a local organization
or institution, or do not consider partnership
to be in the project's best interest,
you must clearly explain why.
Your proposal must also identify related projects or activities
that your organization or others may already
be implementing or planning.
Include a brief description of existing programming,
its source of funding, and how the proposed
project would complement current or planned activities.
You should identify a proposed cost, share, or joint funding
by other public or private donors for your project,
if applicable.
We strongly encourage coordination
among donors and implementers, and we'll
evaluate more favorably those proposals that
support broader anti-trafficking strategies,
and feature a cost share with other funders.
To upload the full proposal, go online to grantsolutions.gov,
select View Grant Opportunities, select The Office
To Monitor And Combat Trafficking In Persons Programs
Announcement, and upload each section
of the application in the corresponding online section
of the application kit.
Again, only invited applicants will be permitted access
to submit full proposals to this funding opportunity.
Grantsolutions.gov is the only website
the office will use for this solicitation.
For assistance with grantsolutions.gov,
please contact customer support at help@grantsolutions.gov.
For your awareness, we anticipate awarding grant funds
to successful applicants no later
than September 30th, 2017.
However, a small number of projects
may be deferred for possible funding,
and awarded as late as September 30th, 2018.
Should your proposal be selected for funding,
your organization will be required
to submit quarterly program progress and financial reports
at pre-determined intervals throughout the project period.
And final reports 90 days after the end of the project period.
Access to funds may be suspended if reports
are late or incomplete.
Grantees should also expect to have their programs visited
and reviewed by a grants and/or program officer,
at least once during the project's performance period.
Onsite reviews include a program assessment and determination
of overall administrative effectiveness.
In addition to planned program monitoring,
some programs may be selected for independent evaluation.
Projects testing new or innovative programming
approaches are TIP Office evaluation priorities.
But any project may be selected for evaluation.
Leahy vetting applies to all non-U.S.
security forces that receive training and technical
assistance.
Non-U.S. Security forces include law enforcement personnel,
border guards, customs police, militaries,
and any other units or individual members of units
authorized to use force.
The vetting process may take considerable time,
so if your proposal includes activities
with any of the individuals or units just named,
be sure to plan training activities with sufficient time
for vetting to be fully completed.
For more information, visit humanrights.gov,
and click Leahy Law.
This concludes the video tutorial for the TIP
Office's fiscal year 2017 annual grants process tutorial,
stage two, request for full proposals.
We hope it was informative, and we look forward
to receiving your innovative anti-trafficking program ideas.
If you have any questions, please
email jtipgrants@state.gov.
Thank you.
Full transcripts of this video are
available by contacting jtipgrants@state.gov.