Deadline: 30-Jun-22
The U.S. Embassy Niamey / Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program for Expanding Influence and Access of Investigative Journalism in Niger to Counter Financial Corruption and Promote Fiscal Transparency.
Project Objectives: The Government of Niger enhances fiscal transparency measures and more readily investigates and prosecutes corruption as a result of an increase in investigative media reporting into corruption and fiscal malfeasance.
Goal: Decrease the level of corruption, fiscal malfeasance, and budget irregularities in Niger
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 12 months
- Number of awards anticipated: 1 award to a civil society organization or a consortium.
- Award amounts: The funding amount is not likely to exceed $210,000 based on the post’s estimate of needed budget items
- Total available funding: $210,000
- Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months.
Outcomes
- The pool of trained investigative journalists in Niger capable of reporting on corruption and fiscal malfeasance is considerably expanded
- Media reporting by Nigerien journalists on corruption, fiscal malfeasance, and budget irregularities is noticeably increased.
- The Government of Niger enacts necessary fiscal transparency measures as a result of investigative journalists reporting.
- The Nigerien public has a greater understanding of the “watchdog” role of the media regarding corruption and fiscal transparency and can use this information to pressure the Government of Niger for effective prosecutions against known corruption cases.
- Nigerien investigative journalists have enhanced communications with West African and international investigative journalist groups to coordinate on investigations, reporting, and best practices.
- Nigerien investigative journalists are better organized through a formal self-sustainable structure, capable of creating broader outreach to Nigerien media at large, civil society, educational institutions, and government officials.
- Nigerien investigative journalists also have a centralized online platform for support and technical collaboration to distribute published materials for citizen and international consumption.
Participants and Audiences: About fifty (50) journalists will be engaged in the project’s trainings. Some of the project’s activities will involve collaboration with the HALCIA, la Cour des Comptes, and some CSOs performing in the field of fiscal transparency and combatting corruption.
Priority Region: All regions of Niger
Activities
- The Project core activity is to:
- Recruit and train about 50 journalists on investigative best practices and journalistic ethics in Niger’s four largest cities: Niamey, Zinder, Maradi, and Agadez. Journalists selected in other locations will participate in the trainings at the nearest training location.
- If feasible, the project should reach journalists from all regions of Niger.
- The training may be carried out in conjunction with an internationally based investigative journalist organization.
- The aim of the training is to equip journalists for better production of press articles that could serve as a credible basis for the Niger official anti-corruption body: the Haute Autorité de Lutte contre la Corruption et les Infractions Assimilées (HALCIA) to carry out investigations
- The following elements should be considered in carrying out the training:
- Training sessions will be conducted in each location of these four Niamey, Zinder, Maradi, and Agadez, at intervals throughout the 12-month implementation period, with a combination of representatives of West African and international investigative journalist organizations.
- Training will be specific to best practices to investigate government financial corruption, private sector financial corruption, fiscal forensic practices, ethics in reporting on government officials and private citizens, judicial practices on investigating and prosecuting corruption, and adherence to Niger’s privacy and defamation laws.
- Training will be in consultation with the Nigerien High Authority for the Prevention of Corruption (HALCIA) and the National Court of Auditors (Cour des Comptes) to understand legal regulations and government procedures.
- The program implementers will work with the participants and trainers to formalize and register the network of Nigerien investigative journalists in order to provide a platform for support and technical collaboration for the investigative journalists in Niger. This network will be a sustainable resource maintained by members to run training and workshops for future iterations following the completion of the FTIF program. The network will maintain a website to post investigatory pieces and content for the benefit of the public.
- Throughout the project, implementing partners will work to ensure appropriate gender and ethnic representation.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including civil society/non-governmental national and international organizations or consortiums of NGOs
For more information, visit https://ne.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/56/Niamey-FTIF-FY21-NOFO-Investigative-Journalism.pdf