U.S. Department of State, Bureau of INL announces Haiti Prisons Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Program

Deadline: 13 January 2020

The United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is seeking applications from organizations for its Haiti Prisons Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Program.

The overarching goal of this project is to augment DAP’s capacity to address the health, sanitation, and nutritional needs of Haiti’s prison population. In order to advance these goals, INL Haiti seeks to provide technical assistance, training, and critical equipment to support DAP’s efforts to meet the Haiti prison population’s needs.

This project is designed to meet U. S. Congressional intent to improve conditions at Haiti’s National Penitentiary and other prisons, especially regarding basic health care needs, sanitation, and nutrition.

This project consists of five primary components:

Component 1: Programming to support treatment and eradication of cholera, TB, and the other diseases in Haitian prisons; including but not limited to medical assistance and hygiene-related programming.
Component 2: Procurement and setup of critical medical equipment, including:
- Two mobile digital x-ray machines for the screening, diagnosis, and management of tuberculosis. Procurement must include maintenance agreements;
- GeneXpert machine for screening sputum samples for the presence of drug-resistant tuberculosis and guiding appropriate therapy;
- Infirmary and medical unit beds, office furniture, and supplies.
Component 3: A food production and sustainability pilot project at Mirebalais or Ft. Liberte.
Component 4: Nutritional assessment and nutritional consultant and support for prisons.
Component 5: Semi-annual, defined as twice a year, monitoring of health issues at Haitian prisons.

Project Objectives

Objective 1: This objective will support the Haitian National Police’s (HNP’s) efforts to reduce the number of cases of cholera, tuberculosis (TB), and other communicable diseases within the Haiti prison population, thereby improving the health of people incarcerated in Haitian prisons reducing treatment costs, and lessening the possible spread of diseases outside of the prison population.
- Activity 1.1: INL envisions that the applicant will document the number of cases of cholera, TB, and other communicable diseases within the Haiti prison population that will act as a base line.
- Activity 1.2: INL envisions that the applicant will make specific recommendations to the HNP on actions it can take to reduce the spread of diseases within the Haiti prison population.
- Activity 1.3: INL envisions that the applicant undertake or cause to be undertaken certain corrective actions to reduce the number of cases of cholera, TB, and other communicable diseases within the Haiti prison population.
Objective 2: This objective will provide the HNP with additional tools to combat the spread of communicable diseases, and to treat diseases, whether communicable or not, within the Haiti prison population more effectively.
- Activity 2.1: INL envisions that the applicant will coordinate with the HNP to determine what equipment is most needed and would be most effective in reducing the spread of communicable diseases, and to treat diseases, whether communicable or not, more effectively.
- Activity 2.2: INL envisions that the applicant, in coordination with the HNP, procure and install equipment locations agreed to by the applicant and the HNP.
- Activity 2.3: INL envisions that the applicant will provide, or have provided, any needed training of HNP officials on the newly-installed equipment.
Objective 3: This objective will implement a food pilot project at either the Mirebalais or the Fort Liberte prison to determine if there is a sustainable way to provide nutrition for Haiti’s prison population.
- Activity 3.1: INL envisions that, working with the HNP, the applicant will conduct an assessment of what type of food sustainability pilot project (e.g., aquaponics) has the greatest likelihood of The applicant will work with the HNP to determine whether the pilot project should be located at the Mirebalais or the Fort Liberte prison.
- Activity 3:2: INL envisions that the applicant will implement a food production pilot project at one Haitian prison, either Mirebalais or Fort Liberte.
- Activity 3.3: INL envisions that the applicant will develop metrics to determine success of the pilot project and make recommendations as to whether this pilot project should be expanded to other prisons.
Objective 4: This objective will assist the HNP’s efforts to meet the nutritional needs of its prison population, thereby decreasing the number of cases of cholera, TB, and other communicable diseases that result from a weakened immune system.
- Activity 4.1: INL envisions that the applicant will conduct an assessment of the nutritional needs of the Haiti prison population, and the nutrition actually delivered by the HNP.
- Activity 4.2: INL envisions that the applicant will provide a nutritional consultant to the HNP, who will assist the HNP in meeting the nutritional needs of the Haiti prison population.
- Activity 4.3: INL envisions that the applicant will provide other support, as needed, to assist the HNP in meeting the nutritional needs of the Haiti prison population.
Objective 5: This objective will provide metrics that will allow stakeholders to assess the success, or lack of success, of this project.
- Activity 5.1: INL envisions that the applicant will conduct, or cause to be conducted, assessments 12 and 18 months after the date of the award of this grant and compare the results to the baseline documentation.
- Activity 5.2: INL envisions that the applicant will prepare, or cause to have prepared, and provide a written report documenting the results of the 12- and 18-month assessments.

Award Information

The anticipated total federal funding amount is not to exceed $830,000 for the initial program. The period of performance is 18 months, with an anticipated start date on/before March 2020.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to:
- Applicants that qualify to receive U.S. grants (such as U.S.-based not-for-profit/nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code; foreign not-for-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or foreign-based educational institutions, with the ability to develop and successfully implement a project in Haiti and meet INL’s reporting requirements. Organizations must also be able to demonstrate current (or pending) country registration if required by the country of project implementation.
- Applicants must have experience in corrections, particularly in reviewing and assessing the quality of care for prisoners and implementing programs to help correct deficiencies in a prison system’s delivery of basic needs of prisoners, including their health, nutritional and sanitary needs.
- Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with stake holders relevant to this project.
- Applicants must have experts who have demonstrated experience implementing similar projects at the institutional level, and experience designing project management controls for the end user.
- Applicants, or their partners, should have some experience working in Haiti.
- INL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering similar programs and/or federal grant awards.
- Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant.
- Applicants must be able to respond to the NOFO and be able to mobilize in a short period of time.
- PLEASE NOTE: Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement.
- To be eligible for a grant award, in addition to other conditions of this NOFO, organizations must have a commitment to non‐ discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. INL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. INL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.
- Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism.
- It is the legal responsibility of the recipient to ensure compliance with these Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in any sub‐ awards issued under this grant award.
INL encourages applications from potential new partners.