Deadline: 23-Jun-23
The British Embassy Kyiv is accepting bids from NGOs for project work to support defence and security reforms in Ukraine under the UK Special Defence Advisor Programme in 2023 to 2024.
War is a catalyst for change; however such change is not limited to military development. Government structures, processes and policies must also develop at pace. UK Special Defence Advisor Programme is seeking to sponsor projects aimed at supporting Ukraine’s efforts in Security Sector Reform, which has become an increasingly important activity during Ukraine’s armed conflict with the Russian Federation.
Logic of the sought intervention in 2023-2025
SDA programme is seeking projects which will use tailored Ukraine-appropriate processes and mechanisms that draw on Euro-Atlantic/NATO standards and best practices to ensure the sustainability of the results and efforts of the above-mentioned previous projects as well as building on them and expanding reforms efforts under three major delivery objectives:
- Institutional Resilience and Good Governance in U-MOD, General Staff and affiliated entities
- Institutional resilience and good governance has been the heart of the Defence Reform activity aimed at ensuring that the U-MOD has systems and processes in place to successfully manage its response to the invasion as well as functioning transparently and in compliance with civilian oversight rules necessary for a democratic society in wartime and peace alike. Moreover, Defence Reform needs to be conducted in light of the ongoing conflict, but with an eye on the post-conflict dividend, ensuring that Ukraine can not only win the war, but also ‘win the peace’.
- During the proposed financial cycle successful project(s) will assist U-MOD and other relevant authorities to make progress with significant changes to their approach to Policy, Project Management and Evidenced-based decision making in order to better situate the Ukrainian State for future security challenges and military operations that have been started already.
- Thus, the requested capacity support must include, but not limited to:
- Provide U-MOD with additional embedded capacity to help adapt and implement current policies, processes and organisational structures to meet NATO standards
- Building permanent in-house analytical capacity for MoD’s leadership, which would include a methodology for data gathering, analysis and drafting policy options for a particular issue of interest
- Design of an evidence-based process for NATO standards implementation across MoD and AFU
- Support Ukraine with its transition from a Soviet-style command authority, to one aligned with NATO systems. Including, but not limited to: Democratic Civilian Control of the AFU, embedding the distinction between defence policy and operational management, and reinforcing delegated command and decision making
- Continue providing support to the Verkhovna Rada Defence Committee in developing the new laws on Democratic Civilian Control of the AFU and military justice reform
- Re-assessment and a policy design for Ukrainian post-war defence industry
- Fighting disinformation and creating verified source of military information for local and international audiences, such as a military information hub or a platform
- Support and coordinate UK efforts in the creation of a U-MOD strategic analytical and lessons-learned centre
- Assisting U-MOD with the conceptual analysis and potential planning for post-conflict activities, including: the transition away from Martial Law, improved integration with the wider Security Sector, and analysis (gaps/needs) for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration.
- Transparency, Accountability, Anti-corruption
- Recent highly-publicised corruption scandal in defence procurement system triggered a series of dismissals and a renewed appetite within U-MOD for progressing with transparency and anti-corruption mechanisms in defence procurement and management processes. The Defence Minister has acknowledged flaws in defence procurement and vowed to return civilian control over it, which was in turn reflected in adoption in the first reading of a draft bill on changes to the Law on Defence Procurement to add transparency and accountability measures, the work on which was sponsored by the SDA Programme.
- This presents a unique opportunity to leverage political will and ensure U-MOD and the wider security sector progress towards adopting transparent governance approach, reforming its secrecy approach, and reducing corruption practices in supply chain on the whole.
- Thus, the requested capacity support must include, but not limited to:
- Continue providing U-MOD with assistance in continuing reform of the Internal Audit Department in accordance with the recommendations by NATO Building Integrity and results of independent evaluations, accepted by the U-MOD (including implementation review, auditor accreditation, improved IA tracking and audit)
- Provide support to the National Defence University’s ‘Building Integrity, Transparency, and Ending Corruption’ (BITEC) team related to their awareness and delivery of ‘best practice’ training, central position within the GoU anti-corruption efforts, and coordination with UK MOD related institutions
- Continue providing support to the Verkhovna Rada Defence Committee in developing the new law on secrecy which would reduce current secrecy approach in order to decrease classification and provide for transition into peacetime regulations
- Continue development of by-laws of the law on secrecy in form of legal acts in the field of defence procurement, which require changes to reduce the level of secrecy
- Perform functions of watchdog in area of anti-corruption in defence area through:
- continued participation of independent experts in the Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine; and
- providing independent monitoring of reporting on the public part of defence procurement after this becomes possible;
- Continued consultation and support of the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption in the implementation of the State anti-corruption program for 2023-2025.
- Reputational and Human-centred Security
- Inequality in peacetime is not the same as inequality in times of war. Immediate threats to the State’s survival shifted Ukraine’s focus away from questions of social inclusion and equality, while at the same time, war has put them in an increasingly scrutinised position. Implementation of the National Action Plan for the Resolution of the UN Security Council 1325 “Women, Peace, Security” (NAP) is falling behind the suggested plan, and efforts need to be undertaken by civil society to advance the implementation, as well as intensify efforts in promoting Human Rights, Accountability for War Crimes, Women, Peace & Security and Gender Equality agenda.
- Thus, the requested intervention must include, but not limited to:
- Support in creation of an efficient human-centred democratic control over Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and providing independent monitoring of the problematic issues (identified through a gap analysis) in social and gender inclusion
- Support U-MOD, General Staff and AFU in establishing an efficient system to ensure accountability for violation of the International Humanitarian Law in AFU, including drafting necessary by-laws and regulations and training NCOs and other relevant groups
- Support for U-MOD, General Staff and AFU in ensuring that the right policies, doctrines and training provisions are in place for Ukraine to meet its IHL obligations and requirements
- Continued assistance to U-MOD and AFU in implementing NAP in order to ensure better opportunities for women and minorities, welfare support, as well as protection of minority personnel across defence
- Work with U-MOD and the British Embassy’s strategic communication Advisor, on support for successful and far-reaching STRATCOMs plans, to pre-empt communications risks, counter disinformation, and reinforce unity in relation to the conflict and Euro-Atlantic alignment.
Funding Information
- Budget limit for initial phase (August 2023 to March 2024):
- minimum £ 1 400 000 (one million four hundred thousand pounds sterling) maximum: £ 1 650 000 (one million six hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling)
- Budget limit for second phase (April 2024 – March 2025):
- minimum £ 2 000 000 (two million pounds sterling) maximum: £ 2 300 000 (two million three hundred thousand pounds sterling)
Ineligible Funding
Funding cannot be used to finance the following:
- procurement of medical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), vaccines, diagnostic tests/materials and COVID-19 related medicines
- procurement of land or property
- construction works
- purchase or maintenance of IT and capital equipment
- fundraising efforts of the organization
Competencies
The implementer will have:
- strong operational experience of working in Ukraine or in similar environments in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECAD) region
- a constructive and close relationship with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence
- strong knowledge of Ukraine’s informal and formal political structures, and must have access and influence within the relevant government bodies
- the ability to source appropriate expertise to support the mapping, capacity building and advocacy components, both in-country and if necessary, from outside
- experience of successful delivery across the Security Sector Reform space
- project and budget management skills, experience, capabilities and capacity
- experience of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning processes
Bidding Guidance
- Project(s) will be funded in two stages: while they are seeking to sign Grant Agreement with the successful bidder(s) for the full period of August 2023 to April 2025, the initial funding will be secured for 8 months from August 2023 to April 2024 with the funding for April 2024 – April 2025 to be confirmed in March 2024 (due to CSSF funding cycles).
- The Grant Agreement will be signed for the full duration (August 2023-March 2025) and it will have a break clause, and the bidders will need to present their contingency planning for this eventuality.
- This also means that each bid must have two budgets attached – budget for the initial phase (August 2023 to March 2024) and budget for the second phase (April 2024 – April 2025).
- Successful implementers must receive project funding in GBP.
- Each of the budgets for project bids should demonstrate 60% spend by 31 December of the respective year.
- The Programme is aimed at supporting best quality Ukraine-specific and tailored interventions and empowering local civil society. To this end successful bid will show at least 33.33% of the funding to be attributed to local CSOs, delivery partners and subcontracted experts.
- All current programmes currently administrated and run by the SDA office are expect to be maintained and supported for the duration of this agreement.
- Potential implementers are encouraged to combine efforts and, if possible, submit their project proposals in a consortium of several organisations (implementers). Those could be both international and local non-commercial organisations or multilateral organisations, working in the Ukrainian context. If this option is chosen, one entity should be the main Partner/Contractor, which will coordinate efforts of the joint initiative and will be primarily responsible for the project implementation, finance and reporting.
- All programmes are to be delivered with the support and in agreement with Ukraine MOD.
- Subcontracts are allowed as long as the main Partner bears all responsibility for delivery by the subcontracted party.
- Partnership agreements/MOUs/subcontracts are expected to be signed not later than 1 (one) calendar month after the Grant Agreement with the Embassy is signed.
- Governmental institutions may act as project co-funders or beneficiaries only.
- For-profit organisations may only act as service providers/subcontractors, however the embassy is not responsible for any tax implications and will not increase budget to accommodate tax payments for for-profit companies.
- bids must be in English
Assessment Criteria
Bids will be assessed against the following criteria:
- sustainability: bids will build on the successes that the U-MOD, GS and AFU already demonstrate
- alignment with the above mentioned thematic priorities and outcomes
- realistic outcomes which are achievable within both funding periods: the initial phase and the second phase
- evidence they have the capability to adapt and flex to the unfolding situation in Ukraine, potential shifts capability and logistical needs
- project design includes clear monitoring and evaluation procedures, as well as risk and financial accountability procedures
- evidence of impact – demonstrating the positive impact that projects have had against the pre-determined SDA objectives
- evidence of sustainability – demonstrating that project benefits accrued continue after the funding ends
- alignment of the project budget with requirements and recommendations listed in CSSF activity-based budget template and the project proposal
- alignment with the Paris Agreement, demonstrating that a climate and environmental risk and impact evaluation was done and no environmental harm will be done
- the organisations have robust safeguarding policies and implementation plans in place to ensure the protection of beneficiaries and to safeguard against sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH).
For more information, visit British Embassy Kyiv.