Project Name: Evaluation of USIP Grantmaking and Grants in Afghanistan Response Deadline: Friday, August 2, 2013 at 3:00pm EST

I. General Instructions

A. The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) requests proposals to evaluate USIP’s grantmaking and a set of seven USIP grants in Afghanistan.

B. The project will require the evaluation firm to facilitate consultations with USIP staff, conduct fieldwork in Afghanistan, develop an evaluation report, and brief USIP staff on findings and recommendations.

C. The response must be submitted by email to bsloan@usip by Friday, August 2, 2013 at 3:00pm EST.

D. The Institute is not liable for any costs incurred by the responding firms prior to issuance of an executed agreement with the Institute.

E. Submissions must be typed or printed, and must follow the organization of the requests for information in the Submission of Proposals section below. No changes or corrections to a response will be allowed after the deadline.

F. Any questions concerning this Request for Proposals should be directed to bsloan@usip.org. Pertinent responses will be made available to all proposers by e-mail. No inquiries will be accepted or responses given after Friday, July 26, 2013 at 3:00pm EST.

G. Proposed schedule:

• July 1 – Issue Request for Proposals
• July 26 – Responses to all questions concerning this RFP will be sent by 3:00pm EST
• August 2 – RFP submissions due by 3:00pm EST
• August 5 – Review submissions and selection of evaluation firm
• August 12 – Announce results of selection process
• September 2 – Full performance of contract begins

II. Scope of Work

A. USIP began operating in Afghanistan in 2002, focusing primarily on strengthening the rule of law following the collapse of the Taliban regime in 2001. Grantmaking in Afghanistan has supported projects designed to promote public understanding of peaceful alternatives to the violent resolution of conflict, the rule of law, transitional justice, and local capacities for dialogue and peacebuilding. To date, USIP has made 24 grants in Afghanistan. The current RFP is being issued to identify an evaluation firm to evaluate USIP’s grantmaking processes and a set of seven of these grants, funded by a combination of USAID and non-USAID grant funds.

B. The seven grants are as follows:

1. Afghanistan Watch (AW), Kabul, Afghanistan
   Project Title: Media Monitoring, Analysis and Dialogue Group on Transitional Justice, Reconciliation and Corruption
   Project Duration: 5/1/2012 - 4/30/2013
   Impact Area: All Afghanistan
   AW will bridge the information gap between Afghans and the international community working in the country by organizing a series of dialogue groups among Afghan civil society, other key actors, and international organizations working in the field. The project will produce a monthly English newsletter that will translate Afghan print media with a thematic focus on justice and reconciliation, negotiations and political settlement, corruption, and lack of transparency in the Afghan government. The dialogue groups will focus on discussing the above themes in the context of the ongoing military transition and reconciliation with the armed insurgent groups. The project will also produce a 10,000 word paper in Dari, Pashtu, and English providing a comprehensive analysis of Afghan print media on the priority project themes across its implementation period of 12 months.
2. BBC Media Action, Kabul, Afghanistan
   Project Title: Encouraging Conflict Resolution
   Project Period: 6/1/2012 - 5/31/2013
   Impact Area: All Afghanistan
   Three decades of continuous armed conflict have taken a serious toll, leaving the Afghan people devastated. Communities need to be informed, and understand the benefits of, peaceful alternatives to resolving conflict, as well as the costs of continuing with violent methods. BBC will produce of a total of 90 scenes of 'New Home, New Life' and produce 20 'Learning for Life' educational feature programs in Pashto and 10 in Dari. The specific objective of this project is to raise awareness and create a better understanding among rural audiences of the peaceful alternatives to the violent resolution of conflict.
3. Bond Street Theatre Coalition, Ltd., New York, NY: (SG-137-10) $95,000
   Project Director: Michael McGuigan and Joanna Sherman
   Project Title: Theatre for Social Development
   Project Period: 9/1/2010 - 8/31/2012
   Impact Area: Herat Province, Kabul Province, Nangarhar province (Jalalabad), and one more area to be selected
   The project provides creativity training and a platform for youth to promote peaceful alternatives to violence through: 1) Collaboration with four Afghan theatre organizations as Arts Partners to develop joint performances; 2) Conducting theatre-based workshops with Arts Partners that serve as outreach to both women and youth; 3) Training educators, NGO staff, and other stakeholders to use theatre-based methods; and 4) Presenting performances that illuminate peacebuilding issues. Drawing on best practice in theatre and peacebuilding, the project will undertake youth training in conflict prevention and reconciliation through a series of workshops and collaborations with Arts and NGO Partners. It will disseminate best practice by developing a training manual for artists and NGOs, revitalizing Afghan theatre as an effective means for bringing information to isolated and illiterate communities, and assisting in building the organizational capacity of local theatre art groups.
4. Development and Humanitarian Services for Afghanistan/The Killid Group (DHSA/TKG), Kabul, Afghanistan
   Project Title: Fostering Transitional Justice in Afghanistan
   Project Period: 3/1/2012 - 6/30/2013
   Impact Area: All Afghanistan
   As Afghanistan's and other countries history teaches, vengeance is the too often inevitable alternative in the absence of effective and competent rule of law and judiciary systems. The Killid Group will build the capacity of Transitional Justice (TJ) communication/advocacy officials, investigative reporters, and civil society organizations to improve their interactions with media, decision makers and the Afghan population. The project will create better international awareness about the importance of a transparent and efficient TJ process for Afghanistan‘s reconciliation and peace.
5. Future Generations Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan
   Project Title: Engaging Community Resilience for Security, Development and Peacebuilding in Afghanistan
   Project Period: 5/1/2010 – 9/30/2013
   Impact Area: Nangarhar Province, Ghazni Province, and Laghman Province
   The project will bring community councils, NGOs, researchers, UN agencies, and government ministries to study "positive deviant" communities at the nexus of effective security, development & peace. In partnership with organizations that have field programs, the project will collect, validate, and develop a typology of principles and practices on treated and controlled communities, present the data at a workshop of practitioners and policy makers, and establish a network of Afghan organizations. The primary goal of the project is to identify positive deviant communities in conflict regions and discern what makes them successful. Its specific objectives are to a) test new approaches based on this knowledge through field applications; b) evaluate field experience, and publish and disseminate the results; and c) to create an Afghan-led network committed to amplifying successful community strategies for security, development, and peace.
6. Help the Afghan Children (HTAC), Fairfax, VA
   Project Title: National School-Based Peace Education Program for Afghanistan
   Project Duration: 4/6/2012 - 11/30/2013
   Impact Area: Farah Province (Southwest Afghanistan), Laghman Province (Eastern Afghanistan), and Sare-e-Pol Province (Northwest Afghanistan)
   HTAC will: 1) accelerate HTAC’s initial work in identifying curriculum standards and learning competencies; 2) with a team of peace educators and other professionals, identify subject material for courses at each grade level; 3) develop and assemble learning materials and teacher guides; 4) test the efficacy of the material at several targeted schools; 5) evaluate and refine current peace education parental guides; 6) develop a basic guide to orient local community Shuras; 7) develop a peace education delivery model in collaboration with the Ministry of Education; and 8) evaluate and possibly refine HTAC’s existing metrics and methods in measuring peace education performance.
7. Sanayee Development Organization (SDO), Kabul, Afghanistan
   Project Title: Community Based Peace Building and Dispute Resolution in Badghis Province
   Project Period: 9/1/2011 - 8/31/2012
   Impact Area: Badghis Province
   The project aims to establish 10 local Peace Shuras, (7 male, 3 female, and 1 Central Peace Shura), targeting 310 community leaders and 20 government officials in Qala-e-Naw district in Badghis province. The members of these Shuras will be trained in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation, communication, and other necessary skills so that they are enable to peacefully manage conflicts at local and district level. Furthermore, the project will facilitate a series of meetings and dialogues between Peace Shura members and district government officials in order to increase positive interactions between them. Moreover, training opportunities will be provided to government officials on conflict management skills, leadership, and communication to improve their capacity to positively contribute to the peacebuilding and stabilization efforts.

C. Key evaluation questions are as follows:

• To what extent did the grantees achieve their proposed objectives?
• To what extent did the Afghanistan grantmaking team achieve the objectives proposed in its grantmaking strategy?
• To what extent did USIP’s grantmaking improve the capacity of the grantees to conduct peacebuilding activities? What, if any training or assistance, did USIP provide in order to help grantees better meet their objectives? Are there additional technical resources or support that USIP could have provided?
• What lessons should USIP draw about effective ways to conduct grantmaking to civil society organizations in Afghanistan?

D. The project will require the evaluation firm to: 1) facilitate consultations with USIP staff to hone evaluation questions and methodologies; 2) conduct a desk review of available contracting, grant-making, and monitoring documents; 3) conduct fieldwork in Afghanistan, including trips amounting to approximately two weeks in Kabul, Shebergan, and Jalalabad for data collection with grantees as well other key informants; 4) write and edit a draft and final evaluation report; 5) brief USIP staff on findings and recommendations.

E. The evaluation firm should be able to convene a team with technical evaluation expertise as well as subject matter expertise in grantmaking and philanthropy.

F. The methodologies for the evaluations will be finalized in consultation between the contractor and USIP; however, it is envisioned that the guidelines developed by OECD-DAC will be used as a framework for developing the methodology, http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/evaluating-donor-engagement-in-situations-of-conflict-and-fragility_9789264106802-en.

. The evaluation firm will be responsible for managing all travel arrangements and related expenses, including for visas, security, and insurance. Preference will be given to evaluation firms capable of managing all travel-related logistics without USIP support. Please note that while grant projects are being implemented across multiple provinces, the evaluation firm will only be expected to travel to Kabul, Shebergan, and Jalalabad, contingent on current security.

H. Each report is expected to include the following sections:

• Executive summary
• Background/Context
• Methodology
• Findings
• Recommendations

I. Level of effort is estimated as follows:

• 7 person days preparation for fieldwork
• 30 person days fieldwork
• 10 person days report writing
• 3 person days presentation and consultations with USIP

J. Timeline for deliverables is as follows:

Note: Exact dates for deliverables are negotiable and will be finalized no later than September 2, 2013.

III. Submission Requirements:

To be considered under this RFP, please submit the following:

Technical Proposal (5-10 pages)

The narrative proposal should include the following sections:

1. Past Experience: Describe at least three projects of similar scope and complexity you have worked on previously. Provide a point of contact with telephone number and email address at the client of each of described projects.
2. Overall Approach and Methodology: Based on the information provided, describe your proposed approach to field research, data collection, data analysis, research methodology, and development of conclusions. As noted above, the final research methodology will be developed in consultation with USIP.
3. Specific Expertise: Describe your level of knowledge and expertise in grantmaking and philanthropy.
4. Key Personnel and Staffing: Describe the key personnel as well as information on the overall staffing plan for the project. Please note that staff may be non-US citizens and do not require a security clearance.

Curriculum Vitae

For each of the key personnel, please provide a CV of no more than three pages. CVs will not count as part of the 5-10 pages of the technical proposal.

Cost Proposals

The cost proposal should include a budget summary, detailed budget, and budget narrative. The budget should include travel costs (including for visas, security, and insurance) for fieldwork.

IV. General Terms and Selection Process

1. The Selection Committee will review all submissions received on time using the selection criteria established for the project.
2. The Selection Committee reserves the right to reject any submission or to reject all submissions in the best interests of the Institute. The Institute may cancel this Solicitation at any time prior to contract award if it is in the best interests of the Institute.
3. The successful firm shall not discriminate against any person in accordance with Federal, state, or local law.
4. Proposals will be judged as follows:

   a. Technical Proposals will be judged on the following factors in descending order of preference: Factor 1. Overall Approach and Methodology Factor 2. Staffing and Key Personnel Factor 3. Specific Expertise Factor 4. Past Experience b. Cost Proposals are a determinate factor whose value is equal to that of sum of the elements of the technical proposal.