Sub-grants for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS RFA SOLICITATION NUMBER: FY17-RFA USAID s Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services in East Central Uganda (USAID RHITES-EC) Sub-grants for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Date of Issue: 13 February 2017 Deadline for Questions: 17 February 2017, 5:00 PM (EAT) Questions by ONLY to rhites-ec@urc-chs.com Deadline for Submissions: 25 February 2017, 12:00 PM (EAT) Issuance of this RFA does not constitute a commitment on the part of URC nor does it commit URC or the US Government to pay for costs incurred in the submission of a proposal. Furthermore, URC reserves the right to reject any and all submissions, or to award a grant without further discussion or negotiations if it is considered to be in the best interests of the project and URC.

2 Subject: Request for Applications FY17-RFA USAID Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services in East Central (USAID RHITES-EC) Sub-grants for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Issue date: 13 February 2017 Closing date: 25 February 2017, 12:00 PM (EAT) Dear Applicants: USAID s Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services in East Central Uganda (USAID RHITES-EC) is a fiveyear project ( ) that aims to increase utilisation of health services through the following result areas: increased availability and accessibility to health services; improved quality of health services; increased availability of resources for public sector health services; improved organisation and management of services delivery; and increased adoption of healthy behaviours and positive child development practices by communities in focus areas and target population groups. USAID RHITES-EC is working with the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Health and 11 Districts in East Central Uganda to strengthen their efforts to reduce preventable child and maternal deaths, reduce unmet needs for family planning, reduce childhood mortality and morbidity from malaria, reduce HIV and TB infections, improve the nutritional status of children under five and pregnant women, promote early childhood development (ECD), promote safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and promote healthy behaviours. We are working to strengthen the building blocks of a vital health system to deliver integrated quality health services, foster strategic social behaviour change communication (SBCC), and target demand generation to maximize service delivery coverage. University Research Co., LLC (URC) and its partners share the vision that, by 2021, East Central districts health system will be sufficiently robust manifested by the capacity of health workforce in partnership with the communities they serve to sustain equitable access to, demand for, and use of high-quality, high-impact health services with high level of sustainability. It is recognized that CSOs, if linked to and supported to work closely with Village Health Teams (VHTs) and other community structures, Community Development Officers (CDOs), Parish Chiefs, political leaders and health workers contribute (through sensitisation, mobilisation and referral and linkages of individuals, families and communities) to increased demand, access to, and utilisation of health services, including: Malaria Prevention and Treatment Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Family Planning Nutrition Early Childhood Development (ECD) HIV Testing Services HIV Care and Treatment Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision for HIV Prevention Tuberculosis, HIV and Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) Tuberculosis Services Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC ii

3 To this effect, USAID RHITES-EC seeks applications from interested and capable local CSOs to implement activities/interventions that will contribute to increased demand, access to and continuous utilisation of high-quality, high-impact health interventions under the following thematic areas; Community-based referral and linkage Social behaviour change communication (SBCC) Gender and youth CSOs are expected to utilise available data and information related to the stipulated scope of work to identify and implement evidence-based, innovative interventions/activities that contribute to community systems strengthening in the 11 districts supported by USAID RHITES-EC (Bugiri, Busia, Buyende, Iganga, Jinja, Kaliro, Kamuli, Luuka, Mayuge, Namayingo and Namutumba). One or multiple sub-grants, one year in duration with possibility of renewal after the first year, will be awarded to successful applicant(s) who respond to this request for applications. USAID RHITES-EC will accept applications that will address one or multiple thematic areas listed above. Specific instructions on the application requirements follow. Applicants must submit questions by only to by 5:00 PM (EAT), 17 February Applications must be received by the closing date and time indicated at the top of this cover letter. Applications should be submitted in hard copy (4) and electronic copy (1). Applications received after 12:00 PM EAT on 25 February 2017 will not be considered. Detailed submission instructions are provided in section 4 of this document. USAID Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services in East Central Uganda (USAID RHITES-EC) Plot 10, Kiira Lane, Mpumudde Division, Jinja, Uganda P.O. Box 5053, Jinja-Uganda rhites-ec@urc-chs.com FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC iii

4 Table of Contents Table of Contents... iv List of Acronyms... vi 1. BACKGROUND Context: Health Systems in Uganda Background: USAID RHITES-EC DESCRIPTION OF CSO GRANTS Statement of Purpose Funding Period of Performance Application Process Grant Scope Overview Priority Thematic Areas for CSO Grants Grant Criteria Scale-up Geographic Scope Results Additional Guidance Monitoring and Reporting Requirements Indicators for Tracking the Performance of CSOs ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Eligibility Criteria Other Relevant Eligibility Information: Cost Share APPLICATION PROCESS Overview Application Instructions Cost Proposal Instructions Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria Scoring Approval and Award ANNEXES FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC iv

5 ANNEX A: Technical Resources ANNEX B: Budget Proposal Instructions ANNEX C: Situational Analysis in East Central Uganda ANNEX D: URC Uganda Per-diem and Lodging Policy ANNEX E: Allowable USG Funding Support for Government of Uganda (GOU) Entities and Staff ANNEX F: Certifications and Representations ANNEX G: Past Performance Reference Form FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC v

6 List of Acronyms CBO Community-based Organisation CHN Community Health Nurse CHPS Community Health Planning and Services CSO Civil Society Organisation CSW Commercial Sex Worker CV Curriculum Vitae DHMT District Health Medical Team EC East Central FBO Faith-based Organisation FP/RH Family Planning/Reproductive Health FSW Female Sex Worker G&A General and Administrative GBV Gender-based Violence GoU Government of Uganda HTS HIV Testing Services LOE Level of Effort MAF MDG Acceleration Framework M&IE Meals and Incidental Expenses MDG Millennium Development Goal MNCH Maternal, Newborn and Child Health MOH Ministry of Health NGO Non-governmental Organisation NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement RFA Request for Applications SBCC Social Behaviour Change Communication SDG Sustainable Development Goal SPWO Senior Probation & Social Welfare Officer URC University Research Co., LLC USG United States Government VHT Village Health Team WASH Water Sanitation and Hygiene FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC vi

7 1. BACKGROUND 1.1 Context: Health Systems in Uganda Uganda has made remarkable advances in the social sector and economic growth in recent years. The Government of Uganda s (GoU) commitment to improving health is manifested by policies and plans to expand access to healthcare for the most underserved, particularly through established of health centre IVs, IIIs and IIs and establishment of Village Health Teams (VHTs) to complement health workers. Over years, USAID has helped the GoU strengthen health systems and support access to essential medicines and drugs for instance ART and TB. However, the demand for and access to quality services must be accelerated if GoU is to achieve sustainable improvements in health outcomes. 1.2 Background: USAID RHITES-EC USAID RHITES-EC is a five-year project ( ) which aims to increase utilisation of health services, by strengthening systems, improving quality of services, increasing availability of, access to and demand for quality services, and supporting the health sector to sustain higher utilisation rates in 11 districts of East Central Uganda (Bugiri, Busia, Buyende, Iganga, Jinja, Kaliro, Kamuli, Luuka, Mayuge, Namayingo and Namutumba). Uganda has made remarkable advances in the social sector and economic growth in recent years. The GoU s commitment to improving health is manifested by policies and plans to expand access to healthcare for the most underserved, particularly through established of health centre IVs, IIIs and IIs and establishment of Village Health Teams (VHTs) to complement Health Workers. Over the years, USAID has helped the GoU make substantial progress in strengthening health systems and supporting access to essential medicines and drugs for instance ART and TB. However, the demand for and access to quality services must be accelerated if GoU is to achieve sustainable improvements in health outcomes. The USAID RHITES-EC key result areas include: increased availability and accessibility of health services (malaria, MNCH, HIV/AIDS, family planning, tuberculosis, nutrition, WASH); Improved quality of health services; increased availability of resources for public sector health; improved organisation and management of service delivery; and increased adoption of healthy behaviours and positive child development practices by communities in focus areas and target population groups. The USAID RHITES-EC project is working with Ministry of Health (MOH) and 11 districts in East Central region to strengthen efforts to reduce HIV and TB infection, reduce preventable child and maternal deaths, reduce unmet need for family planning, reduce childhood mortality and morbidity from malaria, improve early childhood development (ECD), improve the nutritional status of children under five and pregnant women, promote WASH and address gender and youth challenges. USAID RHITES-EC is working to strengthen the building blocks of a vital health system while promoting community health planning and services (CHPS), strategic behaviour change communication, and targeted demand generation to maximize service delivery coverage. University Research Co., LLC (URC) and its partners share Uganda s health vision in the Health Sector Development Plan ( ); To have a healthy and productive population that contributes to economic growth and national development. FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 1

8 The 11 districts in Uganda s EC region host an estimated 4.1 million people. The region faces unique challenges due to its waterside geography, and health-related challenges that vary from district to district. Of the 440 government and private not-for-profit (PNFP) health facilities in the region, 70% are at the Health Center II (HCII) level (compared to 59% nationally). This reflects greater dependence on lower-level health facilities, where infrastructure, resources and services are fewer than in higher-level facilities. Five of the 11 districts (the new districts of Buyende, Kaliro, Luuka, Namutumba, and Namayingo) have no public hospital and require different technical assistance than districts with well-established general hospitals. Availability of adequate human resources for health (HRH) is also a critical determinant of health service delivery, and an integral indicator in annual district ranking of health services. Iganga, Jinja, and Kaliro districts are generally well staffed, with an HRH fill rate more than 70% between 2010 and 2015, while Bugiri, Busia, Luuka, and Namayingo remain consistently at less than 50%. Access to health services is also inequitable across the region due to the varied geography, low educational levels especially among girls, pockets of mobile, marginalized and migrant populations, high levels of unemployment especially among the youth, and limited youth-friendly services despite the fact that the majority of people in this region are less than 25 years of age. Key and marginalized populations are concentrated in some districts, warranting distinctive district-to-district programming. The burden of key health issues HIV, HIV/TB co-infections, and malaria varies greatly amongst districts. Variations exist within districts and between regional and national estimates. To improve on health indicators in the East Central region, USAID RHITES-EC project provides an opportunity to enhance health districts capacity to increase utilisation of proven best practices across priority services to all its people and achieve break-through results. A particular focus of USAID RHITES-EC is to expand and strengthen integrated services for: malaria; HIV/AIDS; TB; family planning and reproductive health; maternal, neonatal, and child health; ECD; nutrition; WASH; gender; and youth at all levels of the health system including district, sub-district, and community levels. Thus, CSOs are sought to be awarded sub-grants to implement activities that will contribute to strengthened community health systems. FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 2

9 2. DESCRIPTION OF CSO GRANTS 2.1 Statement of Purpose USAID RHITES-EC implemented by University Research Co, LLC (URC), and sub-awardee partners The AIDS Support Organization (TASO), Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU), Youth Alive Uganda and INSIGHT Health are committed to partnering with and funding CSOs that mobilize resources, generate creative approaches and use cutting-edge technology to contribute to improved health outcomes in the East Central (EC) region. This Request for Applications (RFA) is announcing URC and USAID RHITES-EC s intention to fund a limited number of CSOs to implement interventions/activities under three thematic areas, which include: (1) community-facility referrals and linkages; (2) social behaviour change communication (SBCC); and (3) gender and youth interventions. The parameters of CSOs contribution to community systems strengthening in year 1 of the USAID RHITES-EC project are described in sections 2.2 and 2.3 below Funding Each awards is expected to range from $20,000-$27,000 per year. Applicants with potential to implement interventions in more than one thematic area in or more districts may be awarded more than the threshold for each CSO if the Grants Selection Committee determines that the proposed interventions and approaches are both beneficial and feasible within the time frame Period of Performance Applications must include activities with an initial period of performance of one (1) year, with details of how activities could be scaled up further if additional funds were awarded for one or more additional year(s) Application Process CSOs meeting the eligibility requirements are invited to submit applications for consideration. This invitation to apply is not a guarantee of award, and USAID RHITES-EC does not commit to pay any expenses incurred in preparation and submission of this application. 2.2 Grant Scope Overview Objectives The funding provided by these sub-grants will contribute to the following objectives: Strengthening community-facility linkages at all levels of the healthcare system; Promoting adoption of positive health behaviours, increased demand, access and continuous utilisation of health services; and Supporting implementation of gender and youth-sensitive interventions that promote involvement of women, men and youth (including adolescent girls and young women) in utilisation and delivery of health services. As USAID RHITES-EC is implemented in close partnership with the MOH and districts, proposals must contain activities that are in line with GoU priorities and strategies for strengthening the health sector. These priorities are contained in the Health Sector Development Plan (2015/ /20). Additionally, activities must align with the priorities outlined in the USAID/Uganda Country Development Cooperation Strategy, Outcomes The key health outcomes that your proposed CSO activities will contribute to include: FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 3

10 Reduced HIV and TB infection Reduced preventable child and maternal deaths Reduced unmet need for family planning Reduced childhood mortality and morbidity from malaria Improved early childhood development Improved nutritional status of children under five and pregnant women Improved WASH Stakeholders and Key Populations CSOs are expected to collaborate with local government structures and community stakeholders such as VHTs, youth and local councils, Community Development Officers, Agriculture Officers, health workers, Parish Chiefs, cultural leaders, religious leaders, USAID RHITES-EC trained mothers in Family Life Schools, health educators, and gender officers to mobilize communities, disseminate information, foster integration, and achieve measurable outcomes. Some key populations of interest to USAID RHITES-EC include: Out-of-school youth Fisher folk Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs) People Living with HIV (PLHIV) networks and champions Expert clients Bar and lodge operators Priority Thematic Areas for CSO Grants A) Interventions to Strengthen Community-Facility Referrals and Linkages At community level, VHTs play a key role in the continuum of healthcare by promoting health services, spreading health promotion messages, contributing to case identification, referring patients to facilities and following up with patients in communities. USAID RHITES-EC will support CSOs to complement the work of VHTs and other active community structures to create awareness, conduct targeted demand-driven mobilization for uptake of health services, and support community-facility referrals and linkages, including follow-up of vulnerable clients in communities. Additionally, CSOs will be expected to mobilize communities to participate and contribute resources towards improving health service delivery. Specifically, the scope of work for the CSOs will include: Supporting VHTs and other community structures to increase access to health services for pregnant women, women of child-bearing age, children under five, PLHIV and their families through mobilization of communities to utilise health services; following up women and their infants during pregnancy and after birth; distributing health commodities, collecting and managing community health service delivery data, sensitization and education of community members on HIV Testing Services (HTS), Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health, PMTCT (Option B+), Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision, ART, Family Planning, Condom, Malaria Prevention, TB control, Nutrition, Early Child hood development, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation(WASH) services. Support USAID RHITES-EC, DHTs, healthcare facility based service providers and other community structures, to conduct community mobilisation and awareness creation campaigns in priority populations, and hard to reach areas to provide information on accessing health promotion and care services. FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 4

11 Supporting VHTs and other community structures to organise community dialogues to address barriers and promote adoption of positive health seeking behaviour Support VHTs and other community structures to identify malnourished pregnant mothers and children and refer them to health facilities for specialised treatment Work with health workers, VHTs and other community structures, Community Development Officers, Parish Chiefs, youth councils, local leaders and cultural leaders in sub-counties with high unmet health needs to conduct integrated health service camps (FP, MNCH, VMMC, HTS, malaria and ART). Support various community structures and healthcare service provider teams to follow up HIVpositive clients who fail to enrol for in the HIV care and treatment services plus tracking HIV//TB patients not adhering to taking drugs especially on islands and remote areas that have not been able to attract health workers. Support VHTS and other community structures and health workers in the identification of hot spots to provide health services targeting mostly key populations. The service package at hot spots will include: HIV testing services (HTS), family planning (FP) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) management condom education and distribution, gender-based violence (GBV) education and sensitization and malaria prevention messages. The CSOs will ensure there is regular refill for condoms and IEC materials to support information giving and education at the hotspots. Female sex workers (FSW) are mobilised, registered and linked/referred by FSW peers to health services and reached to ensure adherence to HIV treatment and retention in care. Form and support psychosocial support groups geared towards FSWs in hot spots. These support groups promote adherence, retention, advocacy for better services and linkages to Income generating activities Work with PLHIV structures to improve coordination and advocacy for quality PLHIV services to improve adherence through psychosocial support activities, retention through peer to peer support, and use of facility level services Work with VHTs and other community structures, Community Development Officers and Locums to identify HIV-positive vulnerable children and adolescents and link them to care and treatment services. At community level, focus will be on hot spots high prevalence and hard to reach places such as landing sites and islands and key populations. At facility level, CSOs will work with VHTs/linkage facilitators and Locums to ensure that children who arrive at health facilities with guardians or for general healthcare also receive HTS services and if diagnosed as HIV positive are linked to care Work with district Senior Probation & Social Welfare Officers (SPWOs), CDOs, VHTs and other Community structures, local leaders, PLHIV support groups to ensure that HIV-positive OVC receive community care and other services from formal and informal community OVC programs B) Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Interventions Adoption of healthy behaviours and positive child development practices by households and communities remains key in improving health outcomes. USAID RHITES-EC will focus on promoting health seeking behaviours for services with low utilisation in the region such as VMMC, family planning, early and 4 th ANC, retention in PMTCT programs and adherence to HIV/AIDS treatment, among others. USAID RHITES-EC will also aim to eliminate such harmful practices as open defection, drinking un-boiled water, early weaning of infants from breast feeding, wife battering, early marriages, early sexual debut, dominance of men in decision making, witchcraft, polygamy, living with domestic animals in the same house, denying women and children certain nutritious foods and self-medication. Your CSO should propose innovative strategies/approaches and activities for motivating changes in knowledge, attitudes, self-/collective- efficacy and behaviours for the accelerator behaviour(s) that you will FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 5

12 be addressing, and that are best suited to the intended audience(s) that you are including. You should be as specific as possible in identifying the intended audience, the accelerator behaviour, and activities proposed to achieve the desired changes within your population of interest. It is expected that your CSO will: Develop or use/adapt existing SBCC materials to promote awareness for positive health behaviours and practices at household, community and institutional levels, with technical support from USAID RHITES-EC. Mentor and support VHTs and other community-level outreach workers/entities and/or Community Development Officers for implementing SBCC activities, including mobilization, with support from USAID RHITES-EC Collaborate with USAID RHITES-EC to conduct a barrier analysis to determine appropriate SBCC messages and materials for key child nutrition and WASH behaviours and practices. Following training from USAID RHITES-EC, organize, facilitate and supervise community outreach activities. Collect data on the impact of SBCC interventions using standard tools provided by USAID RHITES-EC. C) Gender and Youth Interventions The CSOs scope of work for the gender and youth activities will be limited to providing support to USAID RHITES-EC during cascading of interventions/trainings to beneficiaries. For example: youth groups, teenage mother groups, parent support groups and key population groups. The scope of work will be limited to support implementation of gender and youth interventions which include: Promote targeted behaviour change interventions among key populations and youth within the region. To achieve this, CSOs will work with Peer Educators among key populations, youth peer educators and leadership, religious and cultural structures. Specific behaviour change interventions to promote will include; involvement of role models to provide sexual behaviour change messages to youth and young marrieds; snowballing approach to reach-out to key populations and community gatherings and puppetry. With technical support from USAID RHITES-EC, CSOs will be expected to design and implement cost effective activities that address harmful gender norms related to HIV/AIDS, and seek to change traditional, cultural and social norms that contribute to behaviours that increase HIV/AIDS risk in both men and women, including gender based violence that impede access to care and treatment services for those who need them. This could include among others, working with Probation & Social Welfare Officers, Community Development Officers, Children and Family Officers in charge at police stations and VHTs and other community cadres to conduct community dialogue meetings on GBV and availability of services. USAID RHITES-EC will CSOs capacity to use African Transformational Methodology, which empowers men and women to challenge negative gender norms and roles. Facilitate Probation and Social Welfare Officers, Community Development Officers and VHTS and locums to identify cases of GBV, also known as community based-violence screening with the use of standardized set of questions and refer/link the victims to a health facility for a GBV service package. Work with Community Development Officers, Youth Officers, VHTs and other community structures to mobilise adolescent girls and link/refer them to health facilities for prevention interventions/services that include targeted risk reduction, information/ counselling, youth-friendly HTS services, and condom education/distribution Mobilise communities for the trained VHT and other community cadres to provide information on family planning, safe pregnancy and available family planning services to community members and groups. FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 6

13 Facilitate community-based resources persons trained by USAID RHITES-EC to cascade year 1 activities to beneficiaries. (Some trainings have follow up activities to reach beneficiaries.) e.g. District Based Trainers, Locums and Model Couples, Teenage Mothers. Work with Community Development Officers, Local Councils, Parish Chiefs, VHTs and other community structures to mobilise youth in and out of school to engage in voluntary community work that contributes to improvement of health outcomes. e.g. Improving water sources and constriction of pit latrines for critically vulnerable households. 2.3 Grant Criteria While the scope of activities under each thematic area is intentionally left flexible to allow for creative solutions, the project does expect the interventions/activities to a strengthen community structures and systems, which ultimately contribute to implementation of project intervention areas outlined in section Scale-up CSOs with proven successful approaches/interventions under the three stipulated thematic areas for community systems strengthening may apply for funding to increase coverage, expand into new districts, and/or integrate with other technical programs. Proposed interventions for scale-up should demonstrate evidence of benefits, demand for the intervention, compatibility with the existing environment, and sustainability Geographic Scope This request for proposals seeks to fund projects within the 11 districts of East Central Uganda, namely; Bugiri, Busia, Buyende, Iganga, Jinja, Kaliro, Kamuli, Luuka, Mayuge, Namayingo and Namutumba supported by USAID RHITES-EC. CSOs operating in these districts are encouraged to apply. The applications can be for one or multiple districts in the East Central region Results Potential applicants are expected to submit proposals that have the potential for clear and measurable results. Proposals should be cost-effective and sustainable, with clear measurements to demonstrate how the interventions/activities will strengthen community systems for increased access to, demand for and utilise high quality health services and also increase the capacity of districts to plan and manage any future programs and interventions Additional Guidance USAID RHITES-EC will not support the following types of project interventions/activities: Purchase of major commodities for program support or distribution Construction, rehabilitation, or infrastructure activities Discrete, stand-alone workshops, unless the applicant can demonstrate the unique value of the workshop for achieving the project goals Interventions that propose funding that will primarily cover labour costs Activities restricted by US federal government regulations 2.4 Monitoring and Reporting Requirements All grantees are expected to monitor results of their interventions/activities through data collection and submission of regular reports/deliverables to USAID RHITES-EC. Grantees must meet monitoring and reporting requirements in a timely and complete manner. FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 7

14 Selected sub-grantees will be invited to an orientation workshop in which specific instructions for accountability and reporting requirements will be outlined. Briefly, reporting requirements will include: Quarterly Reports: Grantees will be asked to report quarterly during the grant implementation process, providing program activities and results. Quarterly Financial Reports: Grantees will be required to submit quarterly expenditure and costshare reports to USAID RHITES-EC. Final Report: A final program report outlining the goals and objectives for the project planned by the sub-grantee will be required. The report will request a description of activities, challenges, corrective actions taken, and recommendations for future programming. The report should summarize progress made towards reaching overall project goals and results achieved. The report must also include recommendations about the realistic long-term sustainability of project efforts. The final report will also include a financial report of fund management and advance liquidation. Periodic field visits may be conducted by USAID RHITES-EC to monitor project implementation and to verify reporting information submitted by the applicant Indicators for Tracking the Performance of CSOs Proportion of targeted key populations reached with HIV, STI, malaria and TB prevention messages through community dialogues and small group meetings (Key populations categorized by CSWs, fisher folk, truckers) Number of community dialogues, small group meetings on promotion of positive health behaviours and practices (hand washing, hygiene, seeking for health services) conducted Number of school youth and adolescents (10-19 years) reached with sexual and reproductive health messages through entertainment (sports gala, quiz and debates) Number of entertainment sessions conducted in schools Number of mothers reached through family life schools sessions in targeted communities Number of pregnant women and lactating mothers reached with messages on RMNCH and positive health practices through home visits, community dialogues and community awareness campaigns Proportion of key populations referred for HTS/FP/STI/TB services (Key populations categorized by CSW, fisher folk, truckers) Number of HIV-positive vulnerable children and adolescents linked to care and treatment services Number of condoms distributed Number of individuals reached with GBV prevention messages that address harmful gender norms that impede access to care and treatment services for those who need them Number of victims referred/linked to a health facility for a GBV services Number of youth in and out of school (12-30 years) reached with HIV, STI, malaria and TB prevention messages through community dialogues and small group meetings Number of adolescent girls and young women (10-24 years) reached with sexual reproductive health (SRH), malaria, and TB prevention messages through community dialogues and small group meetings FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 8

15 3. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 3.1 Eligibility Criteria Applications from a wide variety of CSOs may be eligible for award under this RFA. Examples of eligible CSOs include: Local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Local Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) Community Based Organisations (CBOs) Prospective applicants should demonstrate ability to manage donor funding and capacity for accountability and program implementation. To receive a grant, a CSO must meet the following eligibility criteria: Be a legally registered CSO recognized under the laws of Uganda (copy of a valid registration certificate) Have demonstrated experience in community system strengthening/stipulated thematic areas Have familiarity with the Ugandan health system Have demonstrated experience in implementing health interventions in the East Central region Have demonstrated capacity to implement, and monitor activities and fulfill reporting and documentation requirements Have demonstrated capacity to manage grant funds, and evidence of a bank account Possess an audited financial statement/audit report for the last one year Be willing to work collaboratively with USAID RHITES-EC and respective district local governments 3.2 Other Relevant Eligibility Information: Cost Share The proposed projects are expected to bring significant new resources whether money, ideas, technologies, experience, or expertise to strengthen community structures and systems. Various types of in-kind contributions can play an important role in providing critical resources. Some examples of in-kind contributions include: Use of training or other purpose-specific facilities necessary to a program s implementation Value of time donated by technical consultants necessary to a project Value of salaries for staff dedicated to a project Innovative technology, communications, and capital assets. Donation of health/medical equipment, supplies and commodities FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 9

16 4. APPLICATION PROCESS 4.1 Overview The proposed timeline for the application and selection process is as follows: Activity Date 1. Release of RFA 13 February Submission of questions 17 February Deadline for receipt of full applications 25 February Award date 30 April 2017 All applications must be in English, using Times New Roman font, regular, size 12, with pages numbered consecutively. Questions must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM EAT, 17 February 2017 to: Please submit one (1) electronic application to and four (4) hard copies to the following address: USAID RHITES-EC, Plot 10, Kiira Lane, Mpumudde Division, Jinja, Uganda P.O.BOX 5053, Jinja-Uganda Applications must be received no later than 12:00 PM (EAT), 25 February Applications that are late, incomplete, or over the page limit will not be considered. The offeror must obtain a valid DUNS number prior to award and provide it to URC. Requirements for obtaining a DUNS number can be found here: Application Instructions The full application is expected to contain the following information and sections and must correspond to the indicated page limits: Cover page (1 page) Executive Summary (1 page) Table of Contents (1 page) Body of Application (up to 16 pages) Attachments (up to 20 pages) FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 10

17 The body of the application should include the following information without exceeding the page limits listed below: Program description (1 page) Background (half page) Problem statement (half page) Goals, objectives and strategies (half page) Explanation of partners (if any) and their expected roles, including partners contributing leveraged resources (1 page) Proposed interventions/technical approach (5 pages), including: o What the activities are o How you will implement them o Districts and beneficiaries under thematic areas o Who specifically will implement them o How you intend to monitor the activities Monitoring and evaluation plan (1 page) Expected results (2 pages) Cost-share strategies including potential sources (1 page) Detailed close-out strategy, including a sustainability plan to show how activities could be continued after award is complete (1 page) Organisational capability (half page) Resumes for key staff (max 3 pages each) The application should include the following as annexes to the proposal: One-year implementation plan (presented in table format) Risks and Mitigation Plan A letter of intent from each partner (if applicable) A letter of recommendation from the Chief Administrative Officer of the targeted district(s) District and community engagement and sustainability strategy Three past performance references (using template in ANNEX G) Three reports of implemented projects in the last 3-5 years Copy of Certificate of Registration to work in Uganda A bank statement and audited books of accounts for the last Financial Year 4.3 Cost Proposal Instructions The Cost Proposal must be submitted in a separate document in Microsoft Excel format (with formulas) at the time the Technical Proposal is submitted, but sent in a separate (for electronic submissions) and in a separate envelope (for hard copy submissions). The Offeror must propose a line item budget submitted according to the instructions in Annex B of this RFA, and using the budgeting template provided at the following link: Budget-Template.xlsx FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 11

18 The detailed budget, once negotiated and approved, will be the Awardee s budget for managing the project. The proposed budget (exclusive of cost share) should not exceed $27,000. A Budget Narrative in a Microsoft Word or searchable PDF document should accompany the Excel portion of the Cost Proposal. The budget narrative should include a description of costs and how they were determined or calculated, for each line item in the budget. Applicants should review and confirm that all amounts and formulas are correct. Budgets should be in Ugandan Shillings (Ug Shs) with a TOTAL column in US dollars and stating the exchange rate on the day of submission. The budget narrative should not exceed 2 pages. Certifications and Representations detailed in Annex F should be completed, signed, and submitted with the Cost Proposal. The Offeror should submit a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable, or other documentation to support indirect cost rates. If the applicant does not have a NICRA, they have the option to select the de minimis 10% rate. See Annex B for more information. Applicants must remain in compliance with US Government regulations regarding allowable expenses. 4.4 Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria To be successful, an application will be expected to meet these basic criteria: Exhibit a creative approach to Community System strengthening, with particular consideration given to access to, demand for and use of high quality health services Demonstrate potential for a significant and sustainable impact in addressing key health challenges in East Central region Offer an adequate mix of shared resources, risks, and responsibilities Show how the activity may be scaled up or replicated Demonstrate the ability to achieve concrete and measurable results Scoring Applications will be scored based on the following components: A) Administrative Compliance Organisation s physical address/location within the district or East Central region and details of the contact person (Name, Title, Telephone Number and ) A copy of a valid registration certificate (from the National NGO Board for NGOs/FBOs and from Districts for CBOs/FBOs). Where applicable, a licence from local authorities e.g. a Town Council, or Municipality to conduct business. Full adherence to requirements stipulated under 4.1 and 4.2 above. B) Technical Application Technical Design (35 points) Technical/innovative approach to strengthen community structures and systems is clearly articulated and presents a thorough understanding of evidence-based innovative approaches and how to operationalize this work in East Central region. Approach shows insight into East Central region culture and alignment with GoU and USAID priorities. Demonstration of how Community Systems Strengthening with focus on stipulated thematic areas contributes to USAID RHITES-EC implementation of project interventions FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 12

19 Technical, economic, and social feasibility of approach, including clarity of plans for replicating and/or scaling up the activity; additionally, the readiness of the proposed activity for immediate implementation Understanding and demonstration of linking and working with VHTs and other Community Health Workers, Community Development Officers, parish Chiefs and political leaders to strengthen community systems Innovative ways of engaging communities to participate in health service delivery Sustainability of approach, including involvement of local partners, districts and communities Potential for impact on key health challenges, including the extent to which activities demonstrate an understanding of gender, youth and equity concerns in the East Central region. This factor includes considering the impact on marginalized groups and gender-based barriers to accessing services. Project Management (20 points) Organisational capacity, including demonstrating that the organisation has the size and scope to handle proposed community systems strengthening interventions/activities Characteristics of proposed partners (if applicable) and appropriateness of designated activities Feasibility of described approaches for managing implementation of community systems strengthening interventions/activities. Institutional Capacity and Past Performance (20 points) Demonstrated capacity, both administratively and technically, to implement the proposed community systems strengthening interventions/activities and report on results. C) Cost Application Cost Appropriateness (25 points) Appropriateness and reasonableness of stated costs, compared with the approach laid out in the technical proposal Established understanding of current costs in Uganda, reflected in the budget narrative by a description of how costs were calculated Approval and Award The recommendation or selection of an application for an award does not guarantee the award. USAID RHITES-EC must be fully satisfied that the applicant is able to perform the activities laid out in the application and to monitor them in accordance with US Government standards. The applicant must also complete any other necessary arrangements pre-award. Selected applications will be submitted to USAID for final approval. FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 13

20 5. ANNEXES ANNEX A: Technical Resources The following technical resources may provide useful context and information for proposals: Uganda Second National Development Plan (NDP II), 2015/ /2020. Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, USAID Vision for Health Systems Strengthening, USAID s Global Health Strategic Framework. Better Health for Development, FY 2012-FY USAID: The Behavior Change Framework, USAID Uganda Country Development Cooperation Strategy, USAID Health Finance & Governance. Engaging Civil Society in Health Finance and Governance. A guide for practitioners, Uganda Ministry of Health Health Sector Development Plan 2015/ /2020. USAID 2015 Report Acting on the Call: Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths. USAID Health Related Research and Development Progress Report: An Update on the Health Research Strategy, USAID Learning Lab: The State of the Uganda Child. An Analytical Overview, USAID Learning Lab: Our Children, Our Future. Ensuring Child Well-being in Uganda. A Call to Action, USAID Learning Lab: Saving Mothers, Giving Life. Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes in Health Facilities, USAID Flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program: Acting to End Preventable Deaths, USAID Acting on the Call. Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths, Star East Central (Star-EC) End-Line Report / Lot Quality Assurance Sampling, Uganda AIDS Commission, Uganda National HIV and AIDS Policy, The National HIV Prevention Strategy for Uganda, National HIV&AIDS Strategic Plan, 2011/ /15. Consolidated Guidelines on the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs for Treating and Preventing HIV Infection, USAID Ending the Tuberculosis Epidemic, Fiscal Year The Uganda Tuberculosis Communication Strategy, Report on Assessing Uganda s Public Communication Campaign Strategy for Effective National Health Policy Awareness, USAID President s Malaria Initiative Strategy, The Uganda Malaria Reduction Strategic Plan, National Communication Strategy for Malaria Control in Uganda, The National Village Health Teams (VHT) Assessment in Uganda, Uganda Food and Nutrition Policy, Uganda Nutrition Action Plan, USAID/Uganda Feed the Future FY Multi Year Strategy, United States Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls, The National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy of Uganda, The National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy Action Plan of Uganda, FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 14

21 Uganda Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan, Uganda Reproductive Transition. Unmet Need for Family Planning in Uganda, Youth MAP Uganda: Navigating challenges. Charting Hope. A Cross-Sector Situational Analysis on Youth in Uganda, USAID Gender, Equity and Female Empowerment Policy, USAID Women s Economic Empowerment and Equality Assessment Report, STAR-EC Technical Brief: Improving Referral Systems to Increase Access to HIV Treatment, Care, And Support Services, UNDP Uganda Gender Equality Strategy, Uganda Gender Policy Community Mobilization and Empowerment Guide by Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Uganda Youth Policy & Action Plan, 2016 USAID Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services in South-Western Uganda (USAID RHITES - SW) Gender and Youth Social Inclusion Baseline Report, FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 15

22 ANNEX B: Budget Proposal Instructions 1. Provide a summary budget in US dollars in EXCEL format using the following link: Template.xlsx Please be sure to review and confirm that all amounts and formulas are correct and in Ugandan Shillings. 2. Provide a detailed line item budget in Ugandan Shilling in EXCEL format as follows: Personnel: Please list each person separately, including their title/position. The personnel line item must clearly indicate a person s salary or daily rate and their anticipated level of effort (LOE) by year. Benefits: Benefits are additional personnel costs that are either required by local law or are provided according to common practice and your organisation s written policies applicable to all staff. Examples include mandatory contributions to National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Insurance (accidents and health). Travel: Please include all costs for travel to be charged under this purchase order including lodging, and M&IE. Per diem rates must be consistent with URC Uganda Per-diem and Lodging Policy (May 2015) provided in Annex D and Allowable USG Funding support for GOU entities and staff (27 April 2015) provided in Annex E. Other Direct Costs and Equipment: Other direct costs of the program include bank fees, printing costs, postage, and telecommunications costs related to completion of the activities detailed in this RFA. The cost proposal should clearly specify what equipment is to be procured under the proposed activities. Indirect Costs: Please include any indirect charges (e.g., overhead or General and Administrative (G&A) showing the rate(s) and the base to which the rates are applied. Please include how the indirect rates were determined. An applicant may opt to use the de minimis rate of 10%; otherwise, all costs should be directly billable and included as appropriate line items in the budget for direct costs. Cost Share: Details are required concerning the level of cost share the applicant s organisation(s) is proposing for this activity. Cost sharing may be proposed from any available and interested local and international funding sources, including but not limited to government and public institutions, individuals, corporations, NGOs, and foundations. Applicants are required to provide a cost share to signal the applicant s commitment to the activity. Higher cost-share amounts are of added advantage. FY17-RFA USAID RHITES-EC 16