Deadline: 01-Jul-21
The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia is pleased to announce an open competition for Evaluations of Public Affairs Foreign Assistance Programs in Georgia.
The primary audiences for this evaluation are staff members of the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section, and policy makers at the Embassy and in the European Bureau of the U.S. Department of State.
They will use the results for the following purposes:
- Understand how effectively the current program designs achieve the desired results of building skills, developing attitudes, and increasing awareness among participants;
- Understand the extent to which participants maintain the skills, attitudes and awareness six months after the program’s completion, or twelve months in the case of teacher training program;
- Understand the extent to which participants implement activities that make use of the expertise they developed through the program beyond its scope; and
- Understand the extent to which students taught by alumni of the teacher training program achieve higher teaching outcomes in their classroom the following year.
This evaluation will be a joint effort conducted in collaboration with Embassy staff, program implementer, and selected evaluation partner(s), who will have primary responsibility for survey design, data collection, analysis, and report generation.
The evaluation partner will need to address geographic and linguistic barriers in data collection. The program evaluations are expected to take two years to fully complete.
They will include surveys of program participants and control groups before the new cohorts of participants begin activities around October 1, 2021, when the program activities are concluded, and six months after the program ends.
Specific schedules will be developed in consultation between the U.S. Embassy, the program implementor, and the evaluator.
Potential partners may propose to evaluate one or more of the following programs.
- Youth Journalism Program
- Theory of change: Georgia’s diverse religious and ethnic minority (REM) communities are often excluded from social, political, and economic systems that are geared towards ethnic Georgians, making them more vulnerable to malign influences and disinformation. If they teach English language and multi-media journalism skills to youth in REM communities, they will develop the skills to participate in future education, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as increasing their skills and interest in civic engagement and educating them about reliable sources of news and information. These youth will then participate in Georgia’s social, political and economic systems, thereby making them less vulnerable to malign influences and disinformation, and promoting a more inclusive country.
- Program participants: 75 youth, ages 15-20, from ethnic-Azeri and ethnic-Armenian communities in Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda, Mameuli, Khuldara, and Kvemo Sarali.
- Program activities: Each student will participate in approximately 273 hours of structured activities over the course of nine months, including: 129 hours of multi-media storytelling and journalism classes; 24 hours of pitch training; and 120 hours of English lessons.
- National Security Studies Program
- Theory of change: If they strengthen the professionalism of mid-level government officials by exposing them to Western approaches to public policy development, then they become leaders within their chosen fields and better implement the changes required to achieve Western integration.
- Program participants: 25-30 mid-level government officials working in roles related to national security.
- Program activities: Participants attend seminars, participate in discussions, and write opinion papers on non-military aspects of national security.
- Media Education Program
- Theory of change: If U.S.-based workshops and reciprocal visits/trainings are implemented to help support the professional development and teaching capacity of media educators from Georgia, the Georgian educators will develop the skills and knowledge to help establish an updated, vibrant journalism workforce in Georgia, as well as increase the ability for the country to maintain a free, open press and accountable democracy.
- Program participants: 18 administrators and educators from Georgian universities with journalism and media education programs.
- Program activities: Participants will travel to the United States and engage with U.S. media educators on a two-week study tour. US Media professors will pay a reciprocal visit to Georgia to assess the progress of the MEP and provide additional consultations/trainings.
Funding Information
- Award amount: The maximum amount of the cooperative agreements is $120,000 for evaluation of three projects.
- Length of performance period: up to 24 months with possibility of cost extension
- Anticipated program start date: September 2021
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility is limited to U.S. and Georgian non-profit/non-governmental organizations, universities and educational institutions.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333877