Program Description Priority Region: Zimbabwe This funding opportunity seeks to improve the quality of HIV treatment services in Zimbabwe through client feedback collected by trained community members. The CLM program is funded through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The U.S. Embassy in Harare administers the PEPFAR Small Grants program and is seeking proposals from registered local community-based organizations and other civil society groups, networks of key populations (KP), people living with HIV (PLHIV), people with disabilities, and other affected groups or community entities that gather quantitative and qualitative data about HIV services and whose mission and activities focus on HIV programming. CLM is key to ensuring availability, access to, and delivery of quality HIV care and treatment services. CLM will empower patients and communities to seek out treatment services, increase health literacy, expand engagement with health service delivery, support demand creation, and demand accountability from the health system to improve and deliver these services. Potential grantees should have the capability to collaborate at the national level with PEPFAR and key community-focused stakeholders, and at the neighborhood level with health facility staff and clientele receiving PEPFAR-supported services. Grantees should be able to implement a monitoring program to promote cooperation in addressing HIV-related issues, encourage constituencies to share their experiences, and facilitate joint action that makes a difference in the HIV response. CLM data will be collected using standardized tools and synthesized through a variety of methods that reveal insights from communities about challenges and/or issues identified with HIV service delivery at health facilities. A standard activity of potential grantees will be to conduct CLM of HIV testing services, treatment services (including retention and VL), service provider perceptions, attitudes, and practices, and client satisfaction. Results from CLM will be presented and analyzed in collaboration between community representatives, providers and facility managers to ensure dialogue and help all sides in participating with identification and subsequent implementation and monitoring solutions and action items. More information on PEPFAR’s approach to CLM is available at the following websites: · https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/PEPFAR_Community-Led-Monitoring_Fact-Sheet_2020.pdf · https://www.pepfarsolutions.org/tools-2/2020/3/12/community-led-monitoring-implementation-tools Program Objectives PEPFAR Small Grants recognizes the importance of engaging with communities in the development and implementation of HIV programming. PEPFAR will support at least one community-led monitoring initiative in each of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces. PEPFAR is also supporting an Advocacy Core Team (ACT) to convene a national CLM steering committee and serve as its Secretariat. In partnership with PEPFAR, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, and the National AIDS Council, ACT will conduct quarterly reviews of client feedback collected from all stakeholders (including CLM Small Grant recipients) to help the national health institutions and PEPFAR programs diagnose and pinpoint persistent problems, challenges, and barriers with service uptake of HIV treatment services. To facilitate and ensure all ten provinces and client constituencies are represented, PEPFAR is seeking community organizations from each province, and community groups with high unmet needs, to collect feedback on client experiences. Specific deliverables include: 1. Data collection and documentation of challenges and/or issues identified at facilities across the province(s) and/or specific population groups using standardized tools. 2. Conduct monitoring of HIV testing services (HTS); HIV treatment services (including retention and viral load); service provider perceptions, attitudes, and practices; client satisfaction. 3. Demand creation for HTS and viral load testing. 4. Participate in health facility structure feedback meetings (e.g., health center committees). 5. Establish facility structure feedback meetings in facilities where none exist. 6. Site-level advocacy (social contracts with duty bearers). 7. Monthly sharing of results and feedback with PEFPAR and other key stakeholders and make actionable recommendations. 8. Participate in monthly meetings with the PEPFAR CLM Task Force and quarterly meetings with the national CLM steering committee to provide in-depth discussion of work and results at both the national and provincial level. Grantees will use the following models and tools to carry out their monitoring: • community scoping tool • community treatment observatory model and associated tools • digital app with scorecard and dashboard functionality • dashboard (generated on the back end of app) CLM data collected by potential grantees should reflect an ‘added value’ and not duplicate collection of routine data already available to PEPFAR. This includes information from beneficiaries about their experience with the health facility, information about barriers and enablers to access and retention in services, etc. CLM mechanisms must be routine to ensure follow up and continuous improvement for sustainability. Participants and Audiences: PEPFAR is seeking proposals from registered local community-based organizations and other civil society groups, networks of key populations (KP), people living with HIV (PLHIV), people with disabilities, and other affected groups or community entities that gather quantitative and qualitative data about HIV services and whose mission and activities focus on HIV programming. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION Who can apply? CLM funds are meant for activities that are community-driven and serve the community at large where they are being funded. Not-for-profit organizations including civil society, non-governmental organizations, traditional community groups and faith-based organizations, public and private educational institutions are eligible. PEPFAR-funded implementing partners or sub-awardees who currently work on service delivery at the site level are not eligible to apply. Eligibility Requirements: 1. Only organizations registered with the government of Zimbabwe will be considered eligible organizations. 2. Eligible organizations must have experience of successfully implementing programs. 3. Eligible organizations must have established offices, at least 12 months prior to application submission, in the province for which they are applying to implement the CLM program. 4. An organization may apply for consideration for more than one province, but is only eligible to receive one CLM award. Other Eligibility Requirements Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, it may take weeks to have the registration validated and confirmed. Please begin the registration process immediately to ensure that the process is completed well in advance of the deadline for applications. Until that process is complete, you will not be issued a user password for Grants.gov, which is required for application submission. In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/FUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section 4 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION Instructions: Application forms required below are available at grants.gov and the budget template at the U.S. Embassy website: https://zw.usembassy.gov/education-culture/ambassadors-special-self-help-program/ Content and Form of Application Submission Please follow all application instructions carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible. The follow documents are required: 1. Mandatory Applications forms (these forms are included in the package): a) SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance) b) SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs) c) SF-424B (Assurance for Non-Construction Programs) APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS Selection Process: 1. Criteria: Each application submitted under this announcement will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the criteria enumerated in the evaluation section. The criteria are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project, and to determine the likelihood of its success. 2. Acknowledgement of receipt: Applicants will receive acknowledgment of receipt of their proposal. 3. Review: A technical review panel will review the proposal and based upon the criteria noted in evaluation section. A determination will be made regarding the CLM proposal and activities, and those applications that are the best fit will be given additional consideration. 4. Follow up notification: Applicants will be notified within 30 days after the NOFO deadline regarding the results of the review panel. Criteria: Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below. A. Quality and Feasibility of the CLM Implementation Idea (25 points) 1. Is the CLM program idea well developed with specific details about how the organization plans to implement CLM? 2. Does the implementation plan explain where CLM will be conducted in the province? 3. Is the CLM idea inclusive of all constituencies? 4. Does the proposal include a reasonable implementation timeline? 5. Does the proposal incorporate and how explain how its program builds on already established community health mechanisms on the neighborhood, district, and provincial level? 6. Does the application clearly articulate the organization’s clear understanding of what CLM is and the role of CLM. B. Organizational Capacity and Record of Previous Grants (25 points) 1. Does the organization have the expertise for key staff in its stated field? 2. Does the organization have a proven track record of implementing similar projects? 3. Does the organization have the necessary internal controls in place to manage grant funds? 4. Does the organization have a financial management system in place? 5. Does the organization have a bank account? 6. How many international funding projects has the organization successfully completed? 7. What is total amount of international funding the organization has received in the last 5 years? 8. Recommendations received from previous funders. C. Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives (15 points) 1. Are the goals and objectives clearly stated? 2. Will the proposed program approach provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results? 3. Consideration will be given to proposals that include sub-granting to small neighborhood organizations. D. Budget (10 points) 1. Is the budget justification detailed? 2. Are the costs reasonable in relation to proposed activities and anticipated results? 3. Is the overall budget realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities? 4. Consideration will be given to the applicant with the lowest realistic budget proposal. 5. Does the applicant provide a clear plan to manage the resources of the program and audit expenditures? E. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (15 points) 1. Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to measure program success against key indicators? 2. Does the application provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal? 3. Does the proposed program include realistic output and outcome indicators and shows how and when these will be measured? 4. If the organization has plans to subaward does their M&E plan include how they will monitor the subawards? 5. Does the applicant provide a clear plan to prepare reports, monitor and evaluate activities, and produce collect and analyze performance data of the proposed activities? F. Sustainability and Collaboration (10) 1. Does the organization have the ability to carry on a project beyond the one year mark? 2. Does the organization have a history of working successfully with key stakeholders in Zimbabwe (NAC, MOHCC, UNAIDS, Global Fund and USG, others)? Review and Selection Process A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT For questions and inquiries please contact:
[email protected]