Deadline: 2-Jun-23
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announce an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to implement the Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program – Training and Technical Assistance Support through Central America.
G.R.E.A.T. is a school-based, life-skills competency program taught by uniformed law enforcement officers and helps youths foster positive attitudes toward law enforcement, avoid conflict, resist peer pressure, and develop a strong sense of personal responsibility.
G.R.E.A.T. lessons focus on providing life skills to students to help them avoid delinquent behavior and violence to solve problems. The G.R.E.A.T. program consists of four components: a 13-week middle school curriculum, an elementary school curriculum, a summer program, and family training. The middle school component is the core, mandatory component. Training certifications are offered in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Costa Rica, to sworn law enforcement officers to teach the G.R.E.A.T. curriculum in elementary and middle schools across the country.
The purpose of this grant is to continue to provide G.R. E.A.T. Instructor Certifications to Central American Officers plus overall management and coordination of the Program, including scheduling of trainers and training; regular review, revision, and updating of curricula and training processes; publication and production of materials and resources needed for training and for instructors in the field; maintenance and enhancement of a dual-language G.R.E.A.T. web site; continued development of program curricula and materials to improve accessibility for Central American audiences; and monitoring and evaluation of Program implementation to ensure fidelity to the Program design and effective delivery of services.
Goals
- Provide training courses, materials, and resources to Central American police officers to deliver the G.R.E.A.T. Program throughout Central American schools and communities.
- Support at-risk youth to have the necessary life skills and problem-solving toolsto help them avoid delinquent behavior and violence.
- Improve the relationship between law enforcement personnel and the communities they serve.
Objectives
- Objective 1: Certify new G.R.E.A.T. instructors through delivery of G.R.E.A.T. Officer Training (GOT) classes.
- Objective 2: Provide ongoing instructor development through in-service training classes and the families’ component to broaden and improve instructors’ skills and knowledge.
- Objective 3: Provide a “train the trainer” course to selected officers who can become instructors in G.R.E.A.T. certification courses and other development activities.
- Objective 4: Plan and execute a training conference to update participants, share best practices, and broaden the knowledge and skills of active instructors in the region.
- Objective 5: Provide all printed materials for program implementation and online resources to certified officers throughout Central America.
- Objective 6: Monitor and evaluate G.R.E.A.T. instructorsto ensure continued fidelity to the program design.
- Objective 7: Contribute to operational effectiveness by working with partner country police institutions to promote the meaningful and sustained integration of policewomen into the G.R.E.A.T. program, including as leaders and decision-makers.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $5,485,000
- Award Ceiling: $1,350,000
- Award Floor: $735,000
- Length of performance period: 36 months
Participants and Audiences: The target audience is active national police and municipal police officers in El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica who are eligible to work in prevention programs.
Priority Region/Countries
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Panama
- Costa Rica
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
- U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code;
- U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section 26 US 115 of the US 115 of the U.S. tax code;
- Applicants must also meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply to this NOFO:
- Legally authorized or certified to use and replicate the G.R.E.A.T. Program curricula, trainings, handouts, logo, and/or any other copyrighted element required to successfully implement the program.
- Demonstrated experience implementing similar education or capacity building programs, preferably in the Central American Region. INL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering similar programs and/or federal awards.
- Ability to produce course materials, deliver training, and conduct evaluations in Spanish and English. The applicant should have dedicated staff that should be proficient in English to fulfill reporting requirements and in Spanish in order to interact directly with the hosts governments and police liaisons in each country.
- Existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with stakeholders in order to successfully carry out the proposed program.
- Able to respond to the NOFO and be able to mobilize in a short period of time.
- Other Eligibility Requirements
- Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal, however one organization should be designated as the lead applicant and other organization(s) listed as sub-recipient partner(s).
- To be eligible to receive a federal assistance award, organizations must have a commitment to non‐discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. INL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. INL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.
- Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the recipient to ensure compliance with these Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in any sub‐awards issued under this grant award.
- Note: Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to INL grant/cooperative agreement announcements.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.