The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is offering this grant to fund NGO programs supporting Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

(a) Proposed activities should primarily equip Afghan refugees with the skills to earn livelihoods in Afghanistan and secondarily address the long-term needs of Afghan refugees and their host communities in Pakistan if return is not yet possible.

(b) Although over five million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2002, approximately 1.7 million remain in host communities and refugee villages in Pakistan. PRM is seeking proposals that will provide essential services to Afghan refugees in the following sectors: livelihoods, protection (in particular, prevention of and response to gender-based violence or GBV), health (including comprehensive reproductive health, with a focus on maternal/child healthcare preferred), and primary education. 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 FY2010, PRM’s funding priority is to provide Afghan refugees with the skills and connections to find jobs in Afghanistan, and to support Afghan refugee communities in Pakistan through livelihoods, protection, healthcare, and primary education services in order to achieve self-reliance in Pakistan if return is not yet possible. The following activities are priority areas for PRM in FY2010:

a. 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 FY2010). Partners should conduct market and income surveys before initiating training/livelihoods activities and should seek to identify skills that would be marketable in either Afghanistan or Pakistan.

b. Protection, including, but not limited to: gender equality and protection of women (combating GBV, working inclusively with men and boys, civil and political empowerment of women and girls, economic empowerment and livelihoods for women, etc.) and activities to support extremely vulnerable children, older persons, and persons with disabilities. All projects should seek to address the particular needs of women and girls.

c. Provision or improved access to basic health services, including comprehensive reproductive health and maternal/child health care.

d. Provision or improved access to primary education with coursework to support eventual repatriation/reintegration in Afghanistan (e.g. proficiency in Dari).

Now that the UN-Government of Pakistan (GOP) Refugee Affected and Hosting Area (RAHA) program is underway, one component of PRM’s assistance strategy for this year is to begin transitioning to sustainable solutions for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The RAHA program seeks to harmonize humanitarian services in the education, health, and water and sanitation sectors with the government sector to remove the current parallel, and unsustainable, UN-supported services or to assist GOP officials with training or coordinated service delivery to prepare for mainstreaming of refugee services into full community services. The focus of the Refugee Hosting Areas component to date has been on community-driven development projects that benefit both Afghan refugees and local Pakistanis. PRM will give higher consideration to projects that reinforce or fit into this initiative and plans to fund at least one project in this category.

PRM cannot guarantee funding for more than a 12-month project period. Therefore, 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.

NGO partners that have received separate cooperative agreements from PRM in Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 for stand-alone assistance programs and GBV 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 opportunity, 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’ve read both documents, please contact Program Officer Michelle Monsegur at MonsegurM@state.gov, 202-663-3683 (or at 202-453-9280 after May 17) with any questions. Funding opportunity announcements and PRM’s general NGO guidelines are also on PRM’s website.