Deadline: 7 January 2019
The United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is seeking applications from qualified overseas non-governmental organizations (NGOs), for a cooperative agreement to implement a program entitled “Enhancing Transparency and Accountability in Prosecutors’ Offices”.
The main goal of the project is to make state Attorneys General’s Offices (AGOs) more transparent and accountable through direct interaction, on-the-ground monitoring and evaluation of services. Grantee will oversee and assess the quality, transparency, and conduct of public prosecution authorities and officials. This project will develop and implement a well-informed and high-quality criminal complaint-filing process; resulting in removal and sanction of official misconduct, including acts of corruption; and create measured improvements in policies, procedures, and structures for the above.
Project Goals
The grantee will need to gain access to Attorney General Offices (AGOs) to implement a monitoring system that will:
- Monitor and evaluate the functionality and quality of the Attorney General Office criminal complaints filing process, including: monitoring and evaluation of procedures, processes, irregularities, deficiencies, time to resolution, service provided by AGO officials, and other related issues.
- Compile findings and measurements of AGO performance in the complaints filing process.
- Monitor and Identify potential administrative or criminal violations by AGO officials in the criminal complaints process; identify AGO process for referral of those cases.
- Evaluate findings to produce best practices and specific suggestions to Attorneys General to better/increase criminal complaint filings, referrals of violations by AGO officials. Measure implementation of suggestions.
- Develop national framework for criminal complaints filing that can be inculcated into Mexico’s legal /regulatory framework.
Project Objectives
- Monitor and improve standard operating procedures, documentation, and service provided by officials to victims who present criminal complaints.
- Produce specific recommendations for Attorneys General to improve the AGO criminal complaints process and measure their implementation and impact.
- Encourage citizens to present official complaints to AGOs on violations and misconduct by AGO officials during the criminal complaints process.
- Develop draft guidelines and a framework for the criminal complaints process that could be adopted as national standards for all AGOs.
- Coordinate activities under this grant by linking with other INL grantees working in the same geographic or subject areas.
Funding Information
- The anticipated total federal funding amount is not to exceed $3,000,000.00.
- The period of performance is three (3) years with an anticipated start date of February 2019.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants that qualify to receive U.S. grants (specifically overseas not-for-profits/nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), with the ability to develop and successfully implement a project in Mexico and meet INL’s reporting requirements. Organizations must also be able to demonstrate current (or pending) country registration in Mexico, if required by the country of project implementation.
- Applicants must have demonstrated experience implementing similar transparency, legal, or capacity building programs, preferably in Mexico. INL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering similar programs and/or federal grant awards.
- Applicants must have the ability to produce course materials, deliver training, and conduct evaluations in Spanish and English. The applicant’s staff should be proficient in English in order to fulfill reporting requirements.
- Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with stakeholders in order to successfully carry out the proposed program.
- Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant.
- Applicants must be able to respond to the NOFO and be able to mobilize in a short period of time.
- Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2DAln7o