Deadline: 29 February 2020
The Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy in Rabat has announced the open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out three separate professional development seminars for the alumni of U.S. Government exchange programs during Calendar 2020 as part of post’s new “80 Years of Exchanges” initiative.
The Public Affairs Office invites proposals to organize and implement seven Alumni professional development seminars on three separate subjects: leadership, project management, and digital engagement.
Leadership—Three day-long seminars in Rabat, Fes, and Tangier in early April will teach Moroccan alumni (both young alumni and more established professionals) how to be more effective leaders. Each seminar will engage approximately 30 participants. The seminars will be led by a visiting American speaker and other Moroccan alumni trainers identified by the Public Affairs Office and the grantee. The grantee will develop the program for each seminar and provide logistical support, including transportation or reimbursement to cover travel and accommodation (as needed) for program participants, renting a conference space, furnishing meals and coffee breaks, and any necessary supplies. The Public Affairs Office will cover travel and logistics for the U.S. Speaker. The grantee will work with the Public Affairs Office to design the seminar program, identify the Moroccan trainers, and recruit the participants.
Project Management—A day-long seminar in early July will teach approximately 30 Moroccan alumni (both young alumni and more established professionals) the best practices of project management. This seminar will be led by Moroccan alumni who are professional project management trainers or who run local or international NGOs. The grantee will develop the program for each seminar and provide logistical support, including renting a conference space, providing for meals and coffee breaks, and any necessary supplies. There will be no travel expenses provided to participants for this seminar. The grantee will work with the Public Affairs Office to design the seminar program, identify the Moroccan trainers, and recruit the participants.
Digital Engagement—Three one-day seminars in October in Casablanca, Marrakech, and Agadir will teach Moroccan alumni (both young alumni and more established professionals) how to more effectively communicate using digital platforms. Each seminar will engage approximately 30 alumni. This seminar will feature a U.S. Speaker, as well as Moroccan trainers who are experts in social media and digital marketing. The grantee will develop the program for each seminar, and provide logistical support including transportation arrangements or reimbursement to cover travel (as needed) and accommodation for participants, renting a conference space, providing for meals and coffee breaks, and any necessary supplies. The Public Affairs Office will cover travel and logistics for the U.S. Speaker. The grantee will work with the Public Affairs Office to design the program and recruit the participants.
These Alumni Professional Development Seminars will be part of a wider U.S. Embassy initiative titled “80 Years of Exchanges,” which seeks to build the capacity of the U.S. Government exchange program alumni, enhance interaction among alumni and between alumni and the Embassy, promote applications for future youth Exchange Programs, and highlight the impact of U.S Government exchange programs in Morocco. The Alumni Professional Development Seminars will be branded as 80 Years of Exchanges activities and will use a common logo and hashtags.
Funding Information
- Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $20,000 to a maximum of $40,000
- Total available funding: $40,000.00
- Length of performance period: 6 to 12 months, renewable for up to 3 years
Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement. The Public Affairs Office will be actively involved in the award’s implementation. The Public Affairs Office will provide input on the process of selecting workshop participants, as well as approving the final invitees; Public Affairs will provide input on the program and speakers of each workshop; and will consult with the awardee on venues and other logistical details.
Organizations are encouraged to submit proposals with a detailed budget for the total of seven seminars. These proposals should outline how the applicant will provide the following:
- Logistical Support: Guarantee transportation arrangements or reimbursement to cover travel to and from the workshops, hotel accommodation for participants, conference space, meals, and supplies for a total of 7 Professional Development Seminars (3 on Leadership in Rabat, Fes, and Tangier, 3 on Digital Engagement in Casablanca, Marrakech, and Agadir, and 1 in Rabat on Project Management). The Grantee should estimate covering the travel and lodging expenses for about 15 alumni for each seminar, except for the project management seminar in Rabat.
- Recruitment: Design a recruitment plan and online platform to select 30 alumni participants for each of the 7 seminars, in collaboration with Public Affairs Office. The Public Affairs Office will approve the final participant list for each event.
- Program design: Work closely with Public Affairs staff to design and implement the 7 Alumni Professional Development Seminars, including developing the seminar content and agenda, preparing U.S. and Moroccan speakers, assembling all training materials, and implementing the seminars.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Develop a monitoring and evaluation plan (to be approved by the Public Affairs Office) to measure the impact of the 7 Alumni Professional Development Seminars using before and after surveys as well as qualitative feedback.
- Photography/Videography: Provide a professional photographer/videographer who can create social media content for use by the Public Affairs Office, and produce a wrap-up video (to be approved by Public Affairs Office) from all 7 Alumni Professional Development Seminars.
Eligibility Criteria
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- The Public Affairs Office encourages applications from all sectors: committed and organized civil-society organizations, local representatives of civil society, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, cultural institutions, academic institutions, and individuals. All grantees must have a non-profit status.
- Applicants should carefully review all elements of the 80 Years of Exchanges Training Program Implementation Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and be sure to fulfill all “Eligibility Requirements” – including obtaining a DUNS and NCAGE numbers – before applying.
- All applicants must have the following registrations: Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number; NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code; and 10- System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (If you have applied and have not yet received the registration number, provide proof of application).
Review and Selection Process
The Public Affairs Section will evaluate all eligible applications. The evaluation process will consist of two stages. First, a technical review will be completed to ensure that proposals meet the technical eligibility requirements. Second, a Grant Review Committee comprised of personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Rabat and the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca will evaluate eligible proposals based on the criteria identified above.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=323935