PRM is Offering a Grant for NGO Programs Benefiting Afghan Refugees in Pakistan

(a) Proposed activities should primarily address the long-term needs of Afghan refugees in Pakistan as well as their host communities.

(b) Although over five million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2002, approximately 1.7 million remain in host communities and camps in Pakistan. As in past years, PRM is seeking proposals that will provide essential services to Afghan refugees in the following sectors: health (focus on maternal/children’s healthcare preferred), primary education, livelihoods, and protection (in particular, prevention of and/or response to gender-based violence or GBV). These programs should address needs not covered by UNHCR, other international organizations (IOs), or the Government of Pakistan.

(c) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the above mentioned sectors, although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

• a working relationship with UNHCR, current UNHCR funding, and/or a letter of support from UNHCR for the proposed activities and/or overall country program (this letter should highlight the gap in services the proposed program is designed to address);

• A proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location;

• Evidence of coordination with IOs and other NGOs working in the same area or sector as well as – where applicable – local authorities;

• A concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound and trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and at least one outcome or impact indicator per objective;

• A budget that is appropriate for meeting the objectives and demonstrates co-funding by non-U.S. government sources;

• Appropriate targeting of beneficiaries in coordination with UNHCR and other relevant organizations;

• Adherence to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance. See FY2010 General PRM NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards.

(d) Country Specific Instructions:

In FY10, PRM’s funding priority is to support Afghan refugee communities through healthcare, primary education, and protection services and to provide refugees with the skills and connections to find jobs in Afghanistan or to achieve self-reliance in Pakistan if return is not yet possible. The following activities are priority areas for PRM in FY2010:

a. Provision or improved access to basic health services, including maternal/child health care.
b. Provision or improved access to primary education with coursework to support eventual repatriation/reintegration in Afghanistan (e.g. proficiency in Dari).
c. Vocational training in marketable skills and, as necessary, provision of the required tool set for the profession (standalone vocational training not linked to income-generating activities will not be considered for funding in FY10). Programs should seek to identify skills that would be marketable in either Pakistan or Afghanistan.
d. Protection: all projects should seek to address the particular needs of women and girls. Organizations are encouraged to include a component addressing prevention of and/or response to GBV as part of their assistance programming for Afghan refugees.

Projects must include a thoroughly developed transition strategy that outlines a clear and effective plan for moving from relief to sustainability under local or national structures; this component of proposals will be scored higher than in previous years. PRM will also give higher consideration to projects that reinforce or fit into the joint UN-Government of Pakistan Refugee Affected and Hosting Area (RAHA) Initiative.

NGO partners that have received separate cooperative agreements from PRM in Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 for stand-alone assistance and GBV pilot programs should seek to combine these program elements when submitting proposals under this funding opportunity announcement.

IOs that are engaged in programs relevant to the assistance addressed by this PRM funding announcement should ensure that these programs are made known to PRM on or before the closing date of this funding announcement so that PRM can evaluate all IO and NGO programs for funding consideration.
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For more details on this specific announcement, please click the “Full Announcement” Grants.gov link. For PRM’s general NGO guidelines, please go to the Funding Opportunities page of PRM’s website: http://www.state.gov/g/prm/c27111.htm. After you have read both documents, please contact Program Officer Michelle Monsegur at 202-663-3683 (MonsegurM@state.gov) with any questions. Funding opportunity announcements and PRM’s general NGO guidelines are also on PRM’s website.