RFP USIPROL003
Request for Proposals
United States Institute of Peace – Civil Society Legislative Monitoring and Advocacy
August 23, 2015
Project Name: Civil Society Legislative Monitoring and Advocacy
Reference: USIPROL003
Response Deadline:
Concept notes by September 3, 2015 (1-3 pages recommended by not required)
Full proposal by September 17, 2015
I. General Instructions
A. The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) requests proposals for a project to
strengthen civil society participation in legislative developments. Proposals
should seek to address gaps in civil society understanding of the legislative
development process; promote forward-looking civil society advocacy for law
reforms through capacity building, and develop platforms for civil society
feedback and input into legislative developments. Proposal should suggests
activities with a particular focus on monitoring legislative developments
impacting the criminal justice system including the reform of the Penal Code.
Recognizing, that the Criminal Law Review Working Group (CLRWG) is
currently consolidating the Penal Code, proposals should suggest activities to
improve civil society engagement in the Penal Code consolidation and other
ongoing law reforms efforts.
B. If you would like feedback on your proposal, applicants are encouraged to submit
a concept note by September 3, 2015 to ldang@usip.org.
A. Final proposals must be submitted by email to info-kbo@usip.org no later than
5:00 p.m. (17:00) Kabul time, September 17, 2015.
B. When submitting your full proposal to info-kbo@usip.org please use the
following subject line – ‘USIPROL003: Civil Society Legislative Monitoring
and Advocacy’.
C. The Institute is not responsible for any costs incurred by the responding firms
prior to issuance of an executed agreement with the Institute.
D. Submissions must be typed and submitted in a word file, 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.
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E. Any questions concerning this Request for Proposals should be directed to
ldang@usipo.org or nkhpulwak@usip.org. Pertinent responses will be made
available to all proposers by e-mail. No inquiries will be accepted or responses
given after September 3, 2015.
F. Proposed schedule:
August 23, 2015 – Issue Request for Proposals
September 3, 2015 – Concept Notes *HIGHLY ENCOURAGED* due by 5 p.m.
(17:00) Kabul time to ldang@usip.org.
September 17, 2013 – RFP submissions due by 5 p.m. (17:00) Kabul time.
September 17-October 1, 2015 – Review submissions and discussion of any
project adjustments with top applicant(s)
October 4, 2013 – Announce results of selection process
II. Scope of Work
Proposals should seek to strengthen civil society input or feedback into legislative
developments. Proposal should suggests activities with a particular focus on reforms
impacting the criminal justice system including the Penal Code reform. Recognizing, that
the Criminal Law Review Working Group (CLRWG) is currently consolidating the Penal
Code, proposal should suggest activities to improve civil society engagement in the Penal
Code consolidation and other ongoing law reforms efforts by:
a) addressing gaps in civil society understanding of the legislative development and
law reform process;
b) promoting forward-looking civil society advocacy for law reforms through
capacity building (e.g. training on research and legal analysis, technical legal
drafting, comparative studies, media outreach and engagement, and gender justice
analysis).
c) developing platforms for civil society feedback and input into legislative
developments, including organized consultations with CLRWG, the Justice
Sector Support Program funded by INL as CLRWG Co-Secretariat, MOJ as the
Chair of CLWRG, parliamentarians or technical committees.
A. Legislative monitoring
Proposals should seek to address gaps in civil society understanding of the legislative
reform process.
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Activities that may advance the above objective may include:
- Legislative monitoring to track and analyze current and upcoming law reform
efforts including presidential decrees;
- Dissemination of legal commentary or issues briefs (quarterly or bi-annual) to
inform key civil society stakeholders of ongoing legal developments;
- Public seminars to disseminate findings from legislative monitoring activities;
- Identify through monitoring specific subject matter or areas of law for which
additional capacity building for civil society advocates, legislators, or legislative
staff may be needed.
Proposal should ensure activities are coordinated with the Afghanistan Justice Sector
Support Program (JSSP) which is also currently undertaking legislative monitoring
activities.
B. Capacity building of civil society to effectively engage in law reform
Proposals should seek to promote forward-looking civil society advocacy for law reforms
through capacity building. Civil society for the purpose of this project can include the
media, legal professionals, legal drafters, human right activist, religious leader and other
non-state actors.
Activities that may advance the above objective may include:
- Training needs assessment of current knowledge and skills gaps for civil society
to engage in law reform advocacy;
- Design training program to provide civil society with technical knowledge and
skills to effective to engage in law reform advocacy;
- Deliver training program including topics such as legal research and analysis from
both Islamic and secular legal traditions, technical legal drafting, writing
submission, conducting comparative legal researching, conduct gender analysis of
draft laws;
- Conduct pre and post training assessment to evaluate training impact and adjust or
redesign training program.
Technical assistance for the above activities will be supported by USIP’s International
Network to Promote the Rule of Law (http://inprol.org/) including an initial training of
the trainers (TOT) session to the implementer.
C. Supporting dialogues between civil society and law reform bodies
Proposals should seek to promote platforms for civil society feedback and input into
legislative developments.
Activities that may advance the above objective may include:
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-
Public seminars and workshops to inform civil society actors of legislative
development and to promote advocacy;
Preparation of written submissions to government bodies, public consultations,
and media outreach and advocacy campaigns;
Development of background documents or commentary to inform debate on drafts
laws and advocacy;
Advocacy campaigns on particular law reforms;
Dialogue of Islamic legal principles and interpretations in the Afghan state, and
their relevance to existing or draft laws;
Dialogue to promote increase gender analysis of draft laws;
Networking amongst stakeholders including lawmakers, civil society
representatives and ulema members.
Proposal should suggests activities to ensure consultations with the Criminal Law Review
Working Group (CLRWG), the Afghanistan Justice Sector Support Program funded by as
CLRWG Co-Secretariat, the Ministry of Justice as the Chair of CLWRG,
parliamentarians or technical committees.
D. Illustrative outputs
The following are examples of possible activities to achieve the project goals:
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Training needs assessment of civil society knowledge and skill gaps to engage in
law reform process including development of baseline indicators;
Establishment of civil society legislative monitoring pilot at the national level
including regional or provincial coverage;
Training program designed based on needs assessment in collaboration USIP;
Capturing of lessons learned from legislative monitoring and training activities;
Research paper or brief on some of the specific issues monitored or observed.
Civil society legislative monitoring pilot project transition to sustainability
planning;
National conference to share lessons learned to inform establishment of regular
civil society legislative monitoring program or watchdog body for law reform.
III. Submission Requirements
A. Concept note – Optional but strongly encouraged
Those who wish to be considered for this RFP are highly encouraged to submit a concept
note to USIP by September 3, 2015. The concept note should be no more than 2 pages of
length and should include:
 Brief description of project objectives, activities and deliverables
 How your organization is well suited to implement this activity
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USIP will review these concept notes and promptly reply as to whether this is the type of
activity and concept that is likely to be successful, or to give feedback on adjustments or
elements that would make it more likely to be successful.
All of those who submitted concept notes will then have the option to develop the
concept into a full proposal for submission. The concept note is not required – those who
do not submit one may still submit a full proposal by the submission date of September
17 2015. However, the concept note is strongly encouraged.
B. Formal Proposal – required by September 17, 2015
Technical Proposal
The narrative proposal should be no more than 8 pages in length must address all the
criteria below. Proposal that do not adequately address the selection criteria will not be
reviewed.
Your proposal will be scored out of 100 marks based on the following criteria:
A.
Description of Project: Describe how you would seek to strengthen civil society
input or feedback into legislative developments. Propose activities that seek to
address the following objectives:
i. address gaps in civil society understanding of the legislative reform
process;
ii. promote forward-looking civil society advocacy for law reforms
through capacity building (e.eg. research and legal analysis, technical
legal drafting, comparative studies, media outreach and engagement,
and gender justice analysis).
iii. develop platforms for civil society feedback and input into legislative
developments.
[Total 40 available marks]
B. Theory of Change: Outline the theory of change for your project approach. The
theory of change should demonstrate a causal link between project activities and
project outcomes.
[Total 5 available marks]
C. Past Experience: Describe at least two 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 (example only).
[Total 10 available marks]
D. Current Capacity to Successfully Implement Project: What is your current level of
knowledge on the proposed subject matter? Where do you currently have field
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staff, offices, or personnel? What relationships do you currently have with local
communities, the Afghan government, and other NGOs in the area in which you
are proposing to work? What is your plan to ensure that the community supports
the project? What is your plan to prevent harm to any of your staff or
participating members of the project?
[Total 10 available marks]
E. Sustainability Plan: How does this project fit into the broader work of your
organization? How will you use the lessons learned from this project to shape
your future programming? How will you work to ensure any successes from the
project are continued?
[Total 10 available marks]
F. Key Personnel and Staffing Describe the key personnel as well as information on
the proposed staffing plan for the project.
[Total 10 available marks]
G. Budget: Provide an itemized budget with cost estimates for project activities,
personnel and 15% overhead/admin rate. The total budget ceiling for this project
is 600,000USD for a three-year implementation period.
[Total 10 available marks]
H. Implementation schedule: The implementation period will be over three years
(projected implementation from November 1, 2015 to November 1, 2018). Please
provide implementation timeframe for delivery of all activities over the
implementation period.
[Total 5 available marks]
Curriculum Vitae
For each of the key personnel, please provide a CV of no more than two pages. CVs
will not count as part of the 8 pages of the technical proposal.
IV. General Terms and Selection Process
A. The Selection Committee will review all submissions received on time using the
selection criteria established for the project.
B. 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
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Solicitation at any time prior to contract award if it is in the best interests of the
Institute.
C. The successful applicant shall not discriminate against any person.
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