Civil Society Partnership Program: Building Organizational Capacity (Papua New Guinea)

Deadline: 14/06/24
The U.S. Embassy to Papua New Guinea of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition to submit a statement of interested (SOI) to implement the Civil Society Partnership Program: Building Organizational Capacity program focusing on empowering non-profits and civil society organizations (CSOs) in Papua New Guinea.

This Program will emphasize holistic interventions that address fundamental inequalities and empower vulnerable groups, paving the way for a more peaceful and prosperous nation. By investing in the leadership development and public engagement capacity of these organizations, this program aims to drive positive social change and create a more equitable and thriving future for all Papua New Guineans. The Program will follow principles laid out by the United States Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, which orients U.S. foreign assistance towards three broad objectives: 1. Strengthen community capacity to prevent, mitigate and respond to violence, 2. Support sustainable and economic growth, and 3. Improve justice systems and professionalize security forces. This effort will also support women’s meaningful engagement in society, and increase the resilience, inclusion, and capacity of civil society actors and marginalized populations to fully participate in PNG’s political processes and economic growth.

Program Objectives

The program will work with an experienced implementing partner to support CSOs by providing capacity building on including, but not limited to compliance with national non-profit regulations, best practices for CSO operations, improving staff competency Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, and coalition building. The Civil Society Partnership Program: Building Organizational Capacity aims to complete the following objectives:
- Objective 1: Building Organization Capacity – Empower CSO leaders and drive organizational change through an immersive multi-week training program in Papua New Guinea.
  - Multiple rounds of cohorts of 20 to 25 CSO leaders (total training minimum 60 participants) will engage in a multi-week intensive CSO capacity training program in Papua New Guinea. This program aims to empower participants from Papua New Guinea by equipping them with essential skills in organizational management, fundraising, strategic planning, and effective advocacy. Alongside the intensive training, CSOs should be engaged in a long-term distance training opportunities and mentorship throughout the life of the award.
  - The comprehensive training will cover a range of critical areas, including:
    - Long-Term Planning and Governance: Participants will be better prepared to plan for organizational growth, increase transparency, and essentially administer their operations.
    - Financial Management for CSOs: Intensive training sessions will delve into budgeting, financial planning, and effective resource allocation. CSO leaders will gain practical insights to optimize financial sustainability.
    - Program Design and Implementation: Participants will gain skills needed to effectively plan, execute, and evaluate projects in line with individual CSOs’ objectives.
    - Resource Enlistment: Participants will have the opportunity to improve their grant proposal writing skills while exploring various funding mechanisms.
    - Adaptive Change Management: Participants will learn methodologies and practices that enable them to effectively adjust strategies, operations, or processes in response to new information, changes in the environment, or unexpected challenges. This type of training is crucial in fields where conditions are dynamic and unpredictable, such as environmental management, project management, and business strategy.
    - Tools to leverage media platforms effectively: Dedicated workshops on media literacy and promotion will train and equip CSO leaders with essential tools to effectively leverage media platforms, enhance communication strategies, and reach broader audiences to promote their valuable work.
- Objective 2: $500,000 Rapid Small Grants Program – Reinforce the training through small grants (maximum of $50,000 for individual awards) to select CSO’s within the cohort.
  - The small grant will support CSO’s operational governance in a range of critical areas, including:
    - Project logistics: CSOs can leverage training to launch new and small-scale projects within the organization that address ongoing operational challenges.
    - Communicating with Local Communities Effectively: CSOs can more effectively engage with local communities through workshops, awareness campaigns, and community-driven initiatives.
  - Ideally, the small grants will be awarded to those that take part in the CSO capacity training program in objective one (1). The applicant will be responsible for grants management including selection, award design, monitoring, and closeout of all grants. Selection and final design of the individual grants will be done in coordination and with pre-approval from US Embassy Port Moresby.
  - Small grants can be awarded throughout the period of performance and should be selected from cohorts that attend the trainings. The training components in objectives 1 and 3 should prepare grantees for applying for these U.S. government grants. There is no minimum or maximum number of grants expected. Grant award amounts should be appropriate for the scope of project and capacity of the grantee. Fixed-amount grants can be utilized to provide grant assistance to CSOs that have not yet established the financial systems to monitor larger grants. They expect the applicant to prioritize an initial round of small grants within the first six months of the award. $500,000.
- Objective 3: US-based Leadership Training – Empower CSO leaders, enhance their impact, and contribute to positive change through a multi-week intensive program in the United States.
  - Select CSO leaders from each cohort (target of 5 per cohort) will embark on a transformative journey through a multi-week intensive program in the United States. This program aims to equip participants from Papua New Guinea with essential skills in organizational management, fundraising, strategic planning, and effective advocacy. By acquiring these skills, CSO leaders will be better positioned to drive their organizations toward greater impact and long-term sustainability. Participants will be selected from cohorts in Objective 1 that demonstrate indicators of success at a localized scale such as sustainability, resilience, efficiency, or innovation.
  - The comprehensive leadership training will cover a range of critical areas learned during Objective 1 activities in Papua New Guinea, including:
    - Holistic Leadership and Capacity Building: Participants will explore a holistic approach to leadership, emphasizing personal growth and training in line with the areas covered under Objective 1, team dynamics and gender and minority inclusivity, and fostering resilience.
    - Additional Financial Management for CSOs and NGOs: Intensive training sessions will delve into budgeting, financial planning, and effective resource allocation. CSO leaders will gain practical insights to optimize financial sustainability.
    - Navigating Government Processes: Understanding the intricacies of government processes is essential for CSOs. The program will provide practical guidance on navigating bureaucratic hurdles and compliance requirements.
    - Engaging with International Partners: Participants will have the opportunity to connect with international organizations, fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and cross-cultural understanding.

Goals

In alignment with the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, the overall goal of this project is to strengthen local civil society capacity, focusing on women and marginalized groups, in order for them to more meaningfully participate in conflict prevention, governmental reform, and peace building efforts. The Program will also bolster the capacities of organizations and institutions in monitoring, countering, and mitigating the impact of disinformation and propaganda and increase ability to engage with the media.
The U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability is a long-term initiative that redefines how the United States works to advance development goals. The program seems to specifically align to the following:
- Goal 1: Journalists, activists, and civil society organizations are able to hold public and private institutions accountable through accurate reporting and to build coalitions around the fight against corruption, abuse of power, and other conflict dynamics without fear of retaliation.
- Goal 2: The PNG government, private sector, and targeted community leaders improve and increase skills training, local entrepreneurship, and innovation to improve livelihoods, promote adaptability, and generate economic development, including through targeted support to women and youth.

Funding Information

Total Funding: $1,973,000 (FY 2023 Economic Support Funds)
Period of Performance: 18-24 Months
Number of Anticipated Awards: One (1)

Participants and Audiences

For the purposes of this program, “participants” are defined as citizens of the Papua New Guinea selected through a merit-based, open competition to participate in the Program. Participants should be leaders at CSOs and NGOs within Papua New Guinea who are eager to strengthen their skills as a leader for their organization. Applicant should ensure all phases of the program include women and at-risk populations. Too encourage participation, training participants should receive a stipend that covers the costs associated with missing work and incidentals.

Eligibility Criteria

The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
- U.S. and foreign educational institutions
In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet).
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy to Papua New Guinea.