Establish, Develop, and Operationalize the East Africa Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Center of Excellence and Counter-messaging Hub in East Africa

The summary for the Establish, Develop, and Operationalize the East Africa Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Center of Excellence and Counter-messaging Hub in East Africa grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Bureau of Counterterrorism, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.
Establish, Develop, and Operationalize the East Africa Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Center of Excellence and Counter-messaging Hub in East Africa: UMMARY
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for organizations interested in submitting proposals to support the U.S. Government’s countering violent extremism (CVE) objectives in East Africa. Toward this goal, proposal efforts should be directed at supporting the establishment, development, and operationalization of the recently-announced East Africa CVE Center of Excellence and Counter-messaging Hub. The Government of Djibouti has agreed to provide a physical location for the Center. The purpose of the hub (hereafter the “Center”) is to serve as a platform in the region for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the East Africa sub-regional body, and its member states to conduct training and other capacity-building programs, as well as research related to CVE (including counter-messaging) for governments (national and sub-national) and civil society. It will also provide a platform for delivery of CVE training and capacity-building programs by international and multilateral actors for East African government and civil society organizations in the region.

CT invites organizations to submit applications outlining concepts and capacities for developing and providing technical support to promote the CVE center. CT will interface with IGAD, Specific project activities include providing a range of administrative, legal, and technical support for the establishment and staffing of the Center and developing a long-term strategic plan for the Center’s work. Key training topics and areas of focus for the Center include, but are not limited to: the development and implementation of comprehensive national CVE strategies for specific IGAD member states; counter-messaging and promoting alternative narratives; research and analysis on drivers of violent extremism and effective communication methods for countering extremism; strengthening community partnerships with law enforcement and justice sector officials; countering prison radicalization and promoting rehabilitation and reintegration of former violent extremists; and strengthening civil society’s role in CVE.

Organizations should submit applications separately for each project they propose to implement.
All applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov or GrantSolutions.gov by 11:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 2, 2016.

PLEASE NOTE: CT urges potential applicants to register immediately with www.sam.gov and Grants.gov. Applicants are advised that it can take up to one week to complete SAM registration before it is possible to start registering for Grants.gov. Subsequently, it may take up to one week to register with Grants.gov (i.e., to obtain a username and password), for a total time to register of up to two weeks.


BACKGROUND
As military forces in Somalia have degraded al-Shabaab’s organizational structure and territorial control, the group has attempted to increase its regional attacks and attract new recruits throughout the region, especially Kenya. Governments in the region have identified the need to enhance their individual and collective efforts to counter radicalization and recruitment related to al-Shabaab and violent extremism more generally.

Regional leaders have committed to developing a single indigenous East Africa platform to research, develop, network, train, build/ sustain CVE capacity, and allow for the exchange of ideas across the broad range of complex, dynamic issues in the region. Following the February 2015 White House CVE Summit, the Government of Djibouti convened a regionally-focused “Horn and Eastern Africa CVE Experts Workshop” in August 2015. There, governments and civil society welcomed the idea of the establishment of a new CVE Center of Excellence in East Africa to support IGAD and IGAD member states that would help advance the core themes of the White House CVE Summit’s Action Agenda on a sustained basis. Notably, other donor governments and organizations, including the European Union, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Turkey, Italy, Norway, as well as the United Nations also expressed interest in providing concrete (in-kind and/or financial) support for the platform. At the Leaders’ Summit to Counter ISIL and Violent Extremism in September 2015, on the margins of the UN General Assembly, the Government of Djibouti announced that it had agreed to host a new East Africa CVE Center of Excellence and Counter-messaging Hub in support of IGAD, and the Government of Kenya’s Secretary of the Interior and Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs voiced support for the new center.

The IGAD Executive Secretary, IGAD’s Security Sector Program, and governments and civil society partners have since agreed that the Center will focus on advancing CVE understanding and good practices in the following areas: (1) empowering youth, women, and religious leaders and civil society more broadly as CVE actors; (2) countering violent extremist messages, including via social media; (3) generating positive alternatives for young people vulnerable to violent extremist recruitment; (4) improving law enforcement and security-force engagement with local communities; (5) amplifying influential religious voices and critical thinking skills; (6) preventing radicalization to violence in prisons; and (7) rehabilitating and reintegrating disengaged fighters, including foreign terrorist fighters (FTF); (8) planning thematic social media campaigns, (9) providing factual information that counters disinformation, and (10) building capacity for civil society and others to effectively use social media and conduct research and evaluation.

The Government of Djibouti has been a champion of the Center and has committed to identify a physical location for the Center in Djibouti. IGAD’s Secretariat has established two working groups with the participation of government and non-government experts in the region, as well as international partners, including the United States, EU, and UN, to assist with the establishment of the Center. One working group is focused on strategic and organizational development (e.g., mandate, priorities, and curricula), while the other working group is focused on administrative and operations management development (e.g., on administrative, financial, and institutional issues). The working groups held their initial meetings in Addis Ababa in February 2016. Future working group meetings could take place in Addis Ababa, Djibouti, or elsewhere in the region.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Through this NOFO, CT seeks applications that demonstrate organizational and institutional capacity to carry out the following activities in Djibouti (specific location and facility to be determined) and/or throughout East Africa:

1) Development of the Center: Assist IGAD, key IGAD member states, and international donors to facilitate the establishment, development, and operationalization of the Center through dedicated advisory and technical support for the two planning working groups:
o Strategic and organizational development working group (focus on mandate, mission, priorities, and education and training curricula and standards).
o Administrative and Operations Management Development working group (focus on administrative, financial, talent recruitment, and institutional policies and issues).

2) Promote the Center’s role in the delivery and facilitation of CVE training and other CVE capacity-building support involving the international donor community, IGAD, key IGAD member states, and civil society actors in East Africa to:
o Provide dedicated support, research, and initiatives to promote the Center’s role in facilitating and coordinating a range of CVE training and capacity-building programs involving civilian government officials and civil society leaders.
o Ensure that the Center is aware of and involved in the full range of current CVE programming being supported by international donors in East Africa.

Applicants should include their ideas on how to promote the Center’s development as a hub for promoting CVE good practices and training across a wide range of governmental and non-governmental sectors; however, because of legal limitations on these funds, specific training programs and activities proposed by applicants for this funding opportunity should not be targeted to any military participants or for any military purposes. Any assistance for law enforcement should be limited to training on community-oriented policing and any assistance for prison officials should be limited to developing effective rehabilitation and reintegration programs for prisoners.

Each proposal narrative must address the requirements set forth in the “Measures, Monitoring, and Evaluation” section of this document.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
CT will play an active role in project direction and oversight throughout the design and implementation phases, as well as in monitoring and evaluation. In correlation to the above project objectives, each proposal submitted should aim to do the following:

Objective 1: Development of the Center. Support IGAD, key IGAD member states, and international donors to facilitate the establishment, development, and operationalization of the new Center by providing administrative, legal, and technical support for the two IGAD-led working groups:

1a. Strategic and organizational development working group (focus on mandate, priorities, and curricula)
• The applicant would support IGAD staff and IGAD member states in drafting and implementing the mandate, mission statement, goals, education and training curricula and standards, and time-bound priorities for the Center. It would also map existing and planned CVE initiatives across the region and the relevant efforts of Hedayah, the Global Counterterrorism Forum, UN, and other multilateral fora and outline how these efforts can be delivered more effectively and strategically in conjunction with the Center to mutually reinforce and/or complement the design and implementation of activities designed to have the Center. Applicants should explain how they will provide legal support to this working group as required.

1b. Administrative and Operations Management Development working group (focus on administrative, financial, and institutional issues)
• The applicant would assist IGAD staff, IGAD member states, and the international donor community to develop and operationalize the: legal framework, governance structure, budget planning, human resources (including talent recruitment, staffing plans, and personnel management), and the Center’s physical space requirements (e.g., location, training rooms, offices, conference rooms, types of equipment, etc.). Applications should, where appropriate, provide options for each of the above. It will also help develop the necessary legal framework that allows the Center to contract with local vendors, retain its independence from any single government, and ensure its international and independent character, one that allows a range of countries and partners to participate in the Center’s administration and governance and provide funding or in-kind support to the Center. This work will also include creating an administrative structure for the Center and developing an annual operating budget.

1c. Development of a Strategic and Operational Plan for the Center

• The applicant would develop a strategic and operational plan for the Center, IGAD member states, and international partners to finalize the establishment and launch of the Center – in line with the tasks of the aforementioned working groups – and promote the Center’s sustainability over time. The plan would also provide recommendations for sustainability beyond the period of performance.

Objective 2: Promote the Center’s role in the delivery and facilitation of CVE training and other CVE capacity-building support involving the international donor community, IGAD, key IGAD member states, and civil society actors in East Africa to provide dedicated support, research, and initiative to promote the Center’s role in facilitating and promoting a range of CVE training and capacity-build programs involving governments and partner organizations across the region. Applicants should propose their ideas for how best to initiate the Center’s activity in this regard. Training activities may be implemented by IGAD, or by other organizations with the relevant subject matter expertise, including Hedayah, UN agencies and/or experts from national government and non-governmental organizations, including the applicant. Training will primarily focus on audiences from countries in Eastern Africa, but may also include Burundi, Rwanda, and Yemen.

There are four sub-objectives:

2a. Assist the Center’s staff to understand the full range of CVE actors and initiatives in East Africa and promote the Center’s ability to serve as a premiere gathering venue for:
• Horn of Africa/ radicalization awareness network to include: a) local researchers looking at local drivers and effective interventions to build community resilience and b) local CVE practitioners, including civilian government officials and civil society leaders engaged in CVE work;
• Regional actors involved in existing global and regional CVE networks, including the Researching Solutions to Violent Extremism (RESOLVE) Network and the Strong Cities Network;
• East African independent associations of victims of terrorism and violent extremism that represent, support, and empower victims and survivors; and
• A still to be-developed Horn of Africa youth network against violent extremism.

2b. Develop the Center’s capacity to function as a clearinghouse of expert support for helping governments develop:
• National strategies/action plans against violent extremism;
• Strategic communications analysis and plans (involving media practitioners, civil society organizations, and policymakers) that include common approaches to communicating about and engaging at-risk groups, targeting messages to specific audiences, and developing shared counter-narratives.

2c. Develop the Center’s capacity to host, coordinate, and deliver training and other capacity-building programs on topics such as:
• Analyzing and identifying drivers of violent extremist radicalization and recruitment;
• Strengthening the role of civil society actors, especially women, youth, and religious and community leaders in CVE initiatives and partnerships;
• Developing effective media campaigns to counter violent extremist messaging and promote alternative narratives in a range of media contexts; and
• Developing comprehensive disengagement and reintegration programs for former violent extremists.

2d. Develop the Center’s capacity to work with CVE-relevant East Africa civil society networks and promote their participation in activities by the Center:
• Develop a CVE-relevant civil society network and a mechanism that allows CSOs to engage with the Center and associated IGAD member states. The mechanism could include the creation of a NGO committee, with representatives from core constituencies (youth, women, religious entities, etc.).

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Award Period: 18 months

Award Amount: CT expects to award one cooperative agreement not to exceed $1,180,000. Awards are contingent upon the availability of funds, and the Department of State reserves the right to award more or less than the amount stated or issue no award as it might be in the best interest of the Government.

Application Content: Applicants must follow the NOFO instructions and conditions contained herein and supply all information required. Failure to furnish all information or comply with stated requirements will result in disqualification from the competition. Applicants must set forth full, accurate, and complete information as required by this NOFO. The penalty for making false statements in applications to the U.S. Government is prescribed on 18 U.S.C.1001.

Each individual project proposal must include an SF-424 and 424a plus not more than nine pages in 14-point Times New Roman font, single-spaced with 1-inch margins, and one line of white space between paragraphs. The proposal must consist of the following:
Section 1 - Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424 & 424a)
The Narrative Proposal for each project must include:
Section 2 – Project Goals/Implementation Plan
The applicant must specify the goals and objectives envisaged for the project. The proposed activities should be described in sufficient detail to show how objectives and goals will be met. This section should also describe how success will be measured via performance (output as well as outcome) indicators. Finally, this section must include a time-task plan that clearly identifies the objectives and major activities.

Section 3 – Organizational Capability
Applications must include a clear description of the applicant’s management structure; previous experience with related projects (e.g., providing administrative, legal, and/or technical support to a new international initiative); and organizational experience and background in (1) the country and region as these relate to the proposed activities, (2) demonstrated expertise in regional/multilateral settings, (3) demonstrated subject matter expertise in CVE and counter-messaging; and, (4) knowledge of and relationships with key civil society partners in East Africa. Applicants should also have a demonstrated ability to use discretion with regard to their funding sources. Besides information about the organization as a whole, this section must also identify the proposed management structure and staffing plan for
Federal Grant Title: Establish, Develop, and Operationalize the East Africa Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Center of Excellence and Counter-messaging Hub in East Africa
Federal Agency Name: Bureau of Counterterrorism
Grant Categories: Other
Type of Opportunity: Discretionary
Funding Opportunity Number: CTP-CTAQM-16-003
Type of Funding: Cooperative Agreement
CFDA Numbers: 319732
CFDA Descriptions: General Department of State Assistance
Current Application Deadline: May 2, 2016 No Explanation
Original Application Deadline: May 2, 2016 No Explanation
Posted Date: Mar 15, 2016
Creation Date: Mar 15, 2016
Archive Date: Jun 1, 2016
Total Program Funding: $1,180,000
Maximum Federal Grant Award: $1,180,000
Minimum Federal Grant Award: $1,000,000
Expected Number of Awards: 1
Cost Sharing or Matching: No
Category Explanation
Counterterrorism and countering violent extremism
Applicants Eligible for this Grant
Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"
Additional Information on Eligibility
The Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses. CT’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.

For-profit entities should be aware that its application may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process and that the Department of State generally prohibits profit under its assistance awards to for-profit or commercial organizations. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures. Project income, if any, earned by the recipient must be deducted from the total project allowable cost in determining the net allowable costs on which the federal share of costs is based.
Link to Full Grant Announcement
Establish, Develop, and Operationalize the East Africa Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Center of Excellence and Counter-messaging Hub in East Africa
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