ASPIRES

Developing the Evidence Base: Household Economic Strengthening Interventions to Prevent Family Separation and Support Reintegration of Children in Family Care

Request for Applications for Subawards

RFA No:3569-023-106-2015-01Attachments:

RFA Release Date: April 30, 2015A. Certifications

Questions Due: May 7, 2015B. FHI 360 Biodata Form

Response to Questions:May 13, 2015C. Budget Template

Application Deadline:June 10, 2015 at 5:00pm EDT (UTC/GMT-4:00)

1. PURPOSE

The Accelerating Strategies for Practical Innovation and Research in Economic Strengthening project (ASPIRES) is a USAID- and PEPFAR-funded cooperative agreement implemented by FHI 360 that supports evidence-based, gender-sensitive programming to improve the economic security and health and wellbeing outcomes of vulnerable families and children. There is a small but growing body of evidence related to household and child-level economic strengthening (ES) interventions and their effects on multiple dimensions of children’s well-being, but evidence related to how such interventions help prevent family-child separation and support children’s reintegration in family care is almost non-existent.[1] Through ASPIRES, USAID’s Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF) seeks to develop evidence and programming guidance for matching ESinterventions appropriate to specifically targeted households and their contexts in order to support (1) the reintegration of separated children into families as well as (2) toprevent unnecessary separation of children from family care. This process will be informed by operational and evaluation research carried out in field-based projects funded through ASPIRES and intended to demonstrate and assess1) effective approaches for targeting ES interventions appropriately at families reintegrating children and families at very high risk of separation, 2) effective and appropriate ES interventions in those contexts, and 3) models for integrating targeted household ES interventions into programming to reintegrate children in family care and prevent family-child separation, The guidance will also be informed bylearning drawn from other projects addressing reintegration and prevention of separation. This DCOF-funded project contributes to three of the six objectives of the United States Government Action Plan for Children in Adversity:

  • Objective 2: Put family care first
  • Objective 3: Protect children
  • Objective 5: Promote evidence-based policies and programs

The purpose of this RFA is to solicit applications to implement field-based projects linking ES interventions with efforts to prevent and respond to unnecessary[2] separation of children under the age of 18from family care in Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, Rwanda, and/or Uganda. The projects proposed should integrate ESinterventions at the household-level, and, if appropriate, at the child-level, with other interventions to prevent unnecessary separation and support reintegration into family care.The target populations of children are: children who residential care or at risk of unnecessarily entering residential care, street-connected children outside of family care, children outside of parental care involved in exploitative domestic labor, and children in Latin America who are migrating andare outside of family care.

Each application should focus on one country. ASPIRES anticipates making two subawards. Selection is likely to favor one applicant from each of the two regions represented (sub-Saharan Africa and Latin American and the Caribbean). The anticipated project period may run for up to 30 months. The anticipated project subaward value is up to $1,340,000 per project.

These projects are intended to generate evidence on the effectiveness and cost of ES interventions as part of a response to family-child separation and to reach children and families with support and services. The projects should be designed to test a specific theory of change and to contribute to thinking about the sustainability, scalability, gender dimensions, and implications of the types of ES interventions proposed to be used in the project.

Proposed projects should aim to reintegrate[3] in family care or prevent the unnecessary separation of at least 700 children and should include both reintegration and prevention of separation components. Project design should allow for 9-12 months of post-reunification follow up/support for households reintegrating children and give consideration to how children and families that continue to need support after the project period might access it. While it is widely recognized that household poverty is a major contributing factor to the separation of children, it is not generally the only factor, and only a small fraction of poor children eventually separate from their families. Children and families targeted for prevention of separation must be identified through a systematic process that is able to distinguish the families/households in which children are most at risk of separation, not just highly vulnerable in economic terms. ASPIRES recognizes that targeting support and services to specific children and households may expose them to stigmatization, jealousy, or other negative consequences, and welcomes applicants to include implementation approaches that can reduce the risk of their exposure to these threats.

If applicants believe it is neither realistic nor appropriateto achieve this target for the group(s)of children they wish to reach within the project timeframe, the application must clearly explain the reasons why, propose a reasonably ambitious target, and scale the proposed budget appropriately to ensure cost-effectiveness. In some contexts, it may be possible to reach more than 700 childrenwho are reintegrating in families or prevented from unnecessary separation; applicants are also welcome to propose higher target figures, bearing in mind the importance of providing quality programming for children and families that can also enable impact evaluation and other relevant research and the anticipated per project award amount of $1,340,000.

Learning from the projects eventually selected, as well as other projects will inform the development by ASPIRES of practical guidance on best practices in linking families to appropriate ES interventions/services. The ASPIRES team at FHI 360 will be responsible for conducting evaluation research onthe projects, in coordination with the subawardee(s) selected for this award. The subawardee(s) are not expected to include fundingfor implementation of these research activities in their applications, but they are actively encouraged to propose research ideas. Additionally, ASPIRES expects to collaborate with subawardee(s) on development of vulnerability assessments[4] and related tools, calibrated to identify households at high risk of separation, as well as learning that comes from their use. Subawardees are expected to plan, budget for, and implement project monitoring and operational assessments of their projects. After an award is made, a project will be required to submit a project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan for review by the ASPIRES team, and if necessary, revision.

2. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this RFA is to identify up to two organizations or consortia to receive subawards to implement projects in two of the targeted countries, with one subaward anticipated in one country in each of the tworegions.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

While ASPIRES’ primary learning focus relates to the targeting and effectiveness of ES interventions to prevent and respond to family-child separation, proposed projects should ensure, through direct provision or strong links with other programs, appropriate case management and other non-economic supports and services to children and families. These other supports and services may include, for example, linking families with education or health services, psychosocial support, community support, and parenting skills development. This “full spectrum” approach inclusive of non-economic support (via partnerships or direct provision) will be essential to any successful application. Note that appropriate partnerships here may include links to existing government-run services or links to other NGO actors involved in this sector. Projects may involve completely new programming, work building on existing programming, and/or collaboration with partners already providing services.

Projects should be designed to test a clear theory of change and to enable learning about how the ES components work in and of themselves and in interaction with other project components to prevent child-family separation or to support child reintegration into family care.

To the extent possible and appropriate, the selection of economic strengthening interventions included in the proposed projects should give consideration to the sustainability and scalability of those interventions. It should also take into account, to the extent possible and appropriate, the needs and capacities of the families likely to be participating in the project.[5]Applicants should consider the possibility of allowing families some choice of interventions and/or assigning to families intervention packages that are tailored to their households’ needs, and the potential to compare the relative effectiveness and cost of the interventions selected. Though interventions may include the community, targeting for inclusion in the intervention should operate at the household level.

The subawardees will carry out the following list of activities during the period of performance (up to 30 months)for this activity:

  1. Design and implement a project to use ES interventions as part of a package to reintegrate separated children into family care and prevent the unnecessary separation from their families of children at very high risk of separation.The project should facilitate assessment of the effectiveness and cost of those interventions. Projects awarded under ASPIRES will:
  • Provide or ensure case management and other non-economic supports and services to families and children to support reintegration and for those families where there isvery highrisk of the separation of children;
  • In coordination with the ASPIRES team at FHI 360, develop or adapt and use systematic methods of:
  • identifying households most at risk of family-child separation;
  • identifying households from which children have already separated or into which they can be permanently placed (e.g. suitable extended family members);
  • obtaining household-level information to enablea clear understanding of the economic circumstances, capacities, and limitations of households with children at risk of separation and/or with potential for reintegration of children;
  • matching these households with social and economic interventions appropriate to the local context and family circumstances, capacities, and limitations, including facilitating links with relevant social protection programs or other relevant services where they exist.
  • Use at least three household economic strengthening activities as integral components of programming to, appropriately, reintegrate separated children into family care and prevent unnecessary separation of children.[6]
  • Be sensitive/responsive to gender issues within the target population, environment, and program implementation.
  1. Ensure project links with appropriate stakeholders including national and local government, community support structures, and other relevant actors.
  2. Ensure appropriate consultation with national and local government on project design and project progress, making sure that project activities are consistent with relevant laws and policiesand visible to child protection structures. Ensure that children are linked to child protection structuresappropriately.
  3. Throughout the project period, consult with and seek input from male and female children, family members, and community members in meaningful and appropriate ways that strengthen project implementation and support positive outcomes for children and families.
  4. Ensure links with interagency child protection coordination structures and actors.
  1. Ensure high-quality, comprehensive, and context-appropriate project delivery, monitoring, and reporting.
  2. Develop, and update as needed, an M&E plan, M&E systems and gender- and age- disaggregated indicators (as appropriate) in collaboration with ASPIRES team members and in compliance with USAID/DCOF standards and practices.
  3. Prepare, and submit in English,annual workplans to ASPIRES.
  4. Prepare, and submit in English, periodic narrative progress reports to ASPIRES.
  5. Prepare and submit periodic invoices to ASPIRES.
  6. Develop monitoring procedures and conduct operational assessments that address the successes and challenges of the project.
  7. Develop and deliver written reports on best and/or promising practices, based on project experiences.
  8. Engage with the ASPIRES project team to ensure quality technical progress and reporting on project activities in line with USAID regulations.
  1. Facilitate research and learning.
  2. Work with the research team to develop and agree on designs and toolsfor assessments of family vulnerabilities and capacities.
  3. Provide programmatic information and modest planning and logistical support upon request toASPIRES project staff membersand research consultants who will make regular visits to the project communities to implement research and monitor interventions.
  4. Adjust implementation and monitoring plans to support rigorous evaluations at agreed-upon sites and opportunities, as requested.
  5. Maintain open communication with the research team, particularly with respect to changes in implementation, as these may affect research plans.
  6. Work with the research team to document and disseminate lessons learned and soundpractices.

5. Participate in/contribute to ASPIRES’ joint learning activities/events

  • Work with the ASPIRES team to identify relevant and useful joint learning opportunities
  • Budget for and travel to regional hub(in East Africa or LAC) and participate in a symposium on the topic of economic strengthening for family reintegration and prevention of separation, organized and hosted by ASPIRES.
  • Budget for and participate in one or more ASPIRESsymposia in the US.

4. FUNDING AND SUBAWARD MECHANISM

The ceiling for award(s) under thisRFA is $1,340,000 per award for up to two awards. The applicant(s) must propose a minimum cost-share from non US Government funding sources of 10% of the total proposed project value. The mechanism for funding will be a cost-reimbursable sub-award based on receipt of invoices.

5. INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS

This competition is open to US, international or national non-governmental organizations, faith based organizations, and universities. Collaboration with other organizations is welcome, and particularly encouraged in cases in which applicants lack strong technical capacity in either child protection/children outside of family care or economic strengthening. Submitting organizations must have a presence in and be registered to work in the country proposed for project implementation and have a minimum of two years of experience working in that country. They must be able to demonstrate prior experience in leading and implementing projects of $1,000,000 or more in value, supported by appropriate donor references.

Please note that no award will be made without the concurrence of the USAID mission in the country under consideration. ASPIRES will inform successful applicants about the particulars of the concurrence process. Please do NOT seek this concurrence unless ASPIRES requests you to do so.

Each application submitted should propose work in a single country. Applicants may submit up to two applications.

Theory of Change

Technical applications should describe the theory of change that guides the project logicand provide a diagram of a project conceptual framework.Technical applications should provide a clear articulation of the vision and justification for the ES interventionsand other support proposed in the application—why these particular approaches, in these particular combinations, in these particular locations, with these particular partners are expected to yield effective prevention of separation and reintegration.

Attention to Gender

As appropriate, throughout the proposal, the applicant must describe how gender will be addressed in project planning, activities, and measurement.Guidance is provided in USAID’s Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy. In addition to addressing programming issues, applicants should also describe how internal management structures, systems, and personnel processes will ensure that sufficient attention is paid to gender issues.

Attention to Disabilities

Applicants should likewise ensure that appropriate attention is given throughout a proposal to measures that support the inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in ways that are in keeping with the USAID Disability Policy Paper. The objectives of the USAID policy on disability are: (a) to enhance the attainment of United States foreign assistance program goals by promoting the participation and equalization of opportunities of individuals with disabilities in USAID policy, country and sector strategies, activity designs and implementation; (b) to increase awareness of issues of people with disabilities both within USAID programs and in host countries; (c) to engage other U.S. government agencies, host country counterparts, governments, implementing organizations and other donors in fostering a climate of nondiscrimination against people with disabilities; and (d) to support international advocacy for people with disabilities.

Research Potential

The design and implementation of the research plan associated with this project will be the responsibility of the ASPIRES team at FHI 360, not the applicants to this RFA. However, applications should demonstrate the research potential of the proposed project. Specifically, applicants should identify elements of the proposed projectthat present important research questions, well-suited to rigorous evaluation, related to the causal pathways or efficacy of particular approaches and/or the integration of case management, social support, and economic strengthening activities. The narrative should discuss specific locations and points in time when research[7] might be implemented, including any feasibility and logistics concerns, and should discuss how such research would be enabled or supported by the applicant’s rollout and implementation plan.

Organizational Capabilities

Capabilities statements should discuss relevant organizational capabilities, proposed staff, approach, and capacity to complete the work within the period of performance. The individual(s) expected to play the overarching project leadership and lead technical role(s) in this project must be identified as Key Personnel in the technical proposal. Up to three (3) individuals may be specified as Key Personnel. Please include a summary of their relevant qualifications (200 words max) and an explanation of their relationship(s) with your organization (e.g. permanent staff member, short-term consultant). If a key personnel role is designated TBD, please describe the qualifications your organization will seek in a candidate, the candidate identification process, and the timeline for hiring the individual(s). Include a recent CV and signed FHI 360 biodata form for each key personnel candidate in the annexes.Other individuals identified in the personnel section should have their CVs and biodata forms included in the annexes, as well.