Ethiopia Child Labor and Georgia Worker Rights

U.S. Department of Labor

Bureau of International Labor Affairs

Project to Address Exploitative Child Labor in Ethiopia

Announcement Type: Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement Applications (SCA)

Funding Opportunity Number: SCA-14-20

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.401

Total Funding Available for Award: $10,000,000

Number of Anticipated Funding Awards: one or more

Funding Period: Effective date of award through four (4) years

Executive Summary: By December 31, 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (USDOL) Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) will award up to $10,000,000 for one or more cooperative agreement(s) to fund a technical assistance project(s) in Ethiopia to address exploitative child labor by helping youth ages 14 to 17, with a focus on female youth, develop marketable skills to secure decent work that is appropriate for their age and serve as leaders in their communities. The project will promote education and vocational training opportunities for youth and also will seek to enhance livelihoods and access to social protection programs for youth and their households. Eligible Applicants may include any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit organization(s), including any faith-based, community-based, or public international organization(s), capable of successfully implementing the proposed youth programs. See Section III for detailed eligibility requirements.

Key Dates:

Issuance Date:	July 28, 2014
Closing Date and Time:	September 30, 2014
Technical Question Submission Deadline:	August 15, 2014
Date of Web Chat:	Within 30 days after the SCA issuance date
Date of Award:	No later than December 31, 2014

Agency Contacts:

Primary: Bruce Yoon

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 202-693-4876

Applications will be accepted via electronic submission via Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) or by hardcopy (to include electronic copy/CD) hand delivered or mailed to the following address:

USDOL/ Employment and Training Administration (ETA)

Attn: Donna Kelly, Grant Officer

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-4716

Washington, DC 20210

Reference: SCA-14-20

A list of frequently asked questions about USDOL’s SCA for ILAB grants and responses to technical questions received by e-mail will be posted on Grants.gov and www.dol.gov/ILAB/grants/main.htm. Transcripts of web chats will be posted on http://www.dol.gov/dol/chat/.

1. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Background

USDOL/ILAB intends to award up to $10,000,000 for a cooperative agreement(s) to one or more qualifying organizations to address exploitative child labor in Ethiopia by helping youth ages 14 to 17, with a focus on female youth, develop marketable skills to secure decent work¹ and serve as leaders in their communities. The project will promote education and vocational training opportunities for youth and also will seek to enhance livelihoods and access to social protection programs for youth and their households. ILAB’s Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking (OCFT) will technically manage cooperative agreements awarded under this solicitation, and USDOL’s ETA will administer the cooperative agreements. The duration of the project(s) funded by this solicitation is four (4) years. The project start date will be negotiated upon award of individual cooperative agreement(s) but will be no later than December 31, 2014.

ILAB leads USDOL’s efforts to ensure that workers around the world are treated fairly and are able to share in the benefits of the global economy. ILAB’s mission is to use all available international channels to improve working conditions, raise living standards, protect workers’ ability to exercise their rights, and address the workplace exploitation of children and other vulnerable populations. OCFT conducts and funds research, develops strategic partnerships, and funds an international technical cooperation program to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking. OCFT-funded projects target children and youth under age 18.²

USDOL/ILAB is authorized to award and administer cooperative agreements by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, Pub. Law 113-76 (2014).

2. Problem Statement

Child Labor among Youth in Ethiopia³

Due to factors that include household poverty, food insecurity, lack of access to educational opportunities and vocational training, underemployment, and unemployment, youth in Ethiopia are engaged in the worst forms of child labor. Over 68 percent of Ethiopian youth ages 15 to 24are engaged in unpaid family work, half of urban youth are unemployed, and half of employed urban youth work in the informal sector. Many urban youth also work in construction and family farming. In rural areas, youth are overwhelmingly employed in the agricultural sector and experience high rates of underemployment.⁴ Youth ages 14 to 17 are also found working in hazardous child labor in domestic service, mining, fishing, and work on the streets, and forced labor in the traditional weaving industry.⁵ Youth working in these jobs may use dangerous tools, carry heavy loads, risk exposure to toxic substances, and face physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from their employers. These jobs also generally involve low wages and lack benefits. In addition, youth in these jobs have limited opportunities to develop marketable skills.⁶

Barriers to decent employment among youth in Ethiopia include insufficient job creation, high rural to urban migration causing saturated job markets, and negative stereotypes regarding youth, including that youth have a poor work ethic.⁷ Other obstacles to youth finding decent work include limited access to training on entrepreneurship or self-employment, lack of vocational training linked to market needs and demands, and lack of job placement programs.⁸ For example, fewer than 10 percent of unemployed African youth ages 15 to 19 have registered at an employment center to find work, and only 15 percent of youth answer job advertisements.⁹

Even though Ethiopia has established free public education, there is no law establishing compulsory education. The lack of compulsory education may increase the risk of youths’ involvement in the worst forms of child labor, as they are not required to be in school.¹⁰ The lack of compulsory education may also contribute to Ethiopia’s low primary and secondary school completion rates, which are 64 and 37 percent, respectively.¹¹ Access to education is especially limited for young women and girls.¹² For example, over 31 percent of female youth ages 15-19 are illiterate.¹³ This may contribute to the high female youth unemployment rate of 30 percent.¹⁴ Moreover, the education offered in schools is often of poor quality and does not match the needs of labor markets. This disconnect contributes to underemployment and unemployment and reduces youths’ competitiveness within the labor market.¹⁵

Legal Framework and Enforcement

There are gaps in Ethiopian law regarding child labor that increase youth vulnerability to labor exploitation. The Labor Proclamation sets the minimum age for employment at 14 and the minimum age for hazardous work at 18.¹⁶ However, child labor as defined by Article 3.1 of the Labor Proclamation only applies to contractual employment. As a result, youth performing non-contractual work, for example in the informal sector, do not benefit from these protections.¹⁷ Penalties outlined in Article 184 of the Labor Proclamation for violating child labor laws are also low and are not an effective deterrent against violations.¹⁸ In addition, Ethiopia has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, even though youth engage in commercial sexual exploitation.¹⁹

The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has made efforts to enforce child labor laws, including by providing training to labor inspectors and publishing a Labor Inspection Operation Manual that includes child labor issues.²⁰ However, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs lacks sufficient equipment and transportation to conduct an adequate number of inspections.²¹ Ethiopia also lacks a system for referring youth who are identified during labor inspections as being engaged in exploitative labor to social protection services.²² Youth are often not aware of their rights and may result in their being more vulnerable to labor exploitation.

Government Efforts

The GoE has committed itself to eradicating the worst forms of child labor in its National Action Plan to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor (2013-2015), which includes guidelines on child labor identification, withdrawal, and reintegration.²³ Ethiopia’s National Human Rights Action Plan (2013) includes efforts to eliminate child labor and its Decent Work Country Program (2013-2015), implemented by the International Labor Organization (ILO), sets targets for the elimination of child labor, such as the establishment of child labor units at the city administration level.²⁴ The National Youth Policy addresses the worst forms of child labor, including commercial sexual exploitation and illicit work.²⁵ There are also Protocols and Guidelines for Identification, Withdrawal, Rehabilitation, and Integration of Victims of the Worst Forms of Child Labor (Solid Waste Management) and Protocols and Guidelines for Identification, Withdrawal, Rehabilitation, and Integration of Victims of the Worst Forms of Child Labor (Traditional Weaving Sector).²⁶ However, some of these policies and programs, including the National Youth Policy and the Decent Work Country Program, do not have dedicated budgets or detailed action plans related to the worst forms of child labor.

Other GoE policies that address youth issues include the National Employment Policy and Strategy of Ethiopia, which supports self-employed youth and youth working in agriculture by facilitating access to decent work opportunities and vocational training.²⁷ The Growth and Transformation Plan calls for increased secondary school enrollment and provides opportunities for vulnerable households to engage in decent work.²⁸ Finally, the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training Strategy provides school dropouts and youth without formal education with increased employment opportunities through technology and skills training.²⁹ However, Ethiopia’s technical training programs are not tailored to local market conditions and do not adequately reach youth living in rural communities.³⁰

The GoE also is implementing several projects to combat the worst forms of child labor. The GoE participates in the USDOL-funded Ethiopians Fighting Against Child Exploitation Project, which is implemented by World Vision and targets 20,000 children engaged in or at risk of entering exploitative child labor, particularly in the traditional weaving industry and in rural areas.³¹ The GoE also participates in the USDOL-funded Global Action Program on Child Labor Issues Project, which aims to strengthen laws addressing child labor, as well as the USDOL-funded Global Research on Child Labor Measurement and Policy Development Project, which will conduct a national child labor survey in Ethiopia.³² In addition, the GoE pilots child-labor-free zones in the cities of Addis Ababa, Adama, Bahir Dar, Dessie, and Dire Dawa and supports centers that provide services to youth, including health and information and communications technology.³³ Despite these efforts, Ethiopia’s social programs reach only a small number of youth and have not sufficiently targeted sectors with a high incidence of the worst forms of child labor, such as agriculture.

3. Project Objective and Expected Outcomes

The objective of the project is to address exploitative child labor by helping youth ages 14 to 17 develop marketable skills to secure decent work and serve as leaders in their communities. The project will promote education and vocational training opportunities for youth and also will seek to enhance livelihoods and access to social protection programs for youth and their households. Applicants must respond fully to the project objective and the expected outcomes outlined below:

Applicants’ proposals must:

• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of:

  1. the cultural, economic, social, and legal contexts of Ethiopia and the communities where project interventions would be carried out;

  2. contextual factors impacting youth, including poverty, employment, education, leadership, and vocational training;

  3. contextual factors contributing to exploitative child labor of youth ages;

  4. existing efforts to address youth engagement and development;

  5. factors that impede access to decent work opportunities for youth; and

  6. factors that impede access to livelihood and social protection programs for youth and their households.

• Promote sustainability and long-term progress toward addressing exploitative child labor at all stages of project design, implementation, and evaluation.

Applicants must develop a proposal that presents a clear strategy to achieve the following outcomes for the project’s target population:

• Increased percentage of youth attending secondary education or engaged in vocational training;

• Improved ability of youth to secure decent work opportunities, including through formal employment and self-employment (entrepreneurship);

• Enhanced access to livelihood programs for youth and their households;

• Increased engagement of youth in leadership activities in their local communities; and

• Improved access to social protection programs for youth and their households.

4. Targets

Youth targeted by the project must be ages 14 to 17. Applicants must propose strategies aimed at ensuring that at least 50 percent of the targeted youth are female. Applicants must target youth who face one of more of the following factors that contribute to making them vulnerable to or engaged in exploitative child labor:

• engaged in hazardous work;

• deficient in basic literacy skills;

• school dropouts;

• head of households; and

• in need of additional assistance to complete educational programs or to secure and retain employment (including youth affected by a disability).³⁴

Applicants must propose to work in both rural and urban geographic areas. The geographic areas must include at least one of the following four regional states: Amhara, Oromiya, Tigray, and the Southern Nation, Nationalities, and Peoples Region. Applicants must also provide a justification for the geographic area(s) where project interventions would be carried out.

5. Partners

In preparing applications and identifying project interventions, Applicants should consult with key stakeholders and organizations working on youth issues in Ethiopia, including: government (local and national), employer organizations, worker organizations and trade unions, regional organizations, foreign development agencies, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

USDOL encourages Applicants to establish partnerships that advance the goals of the award, especially with local organizations. Efforts should be made to avoid duplication and to build upon previous relevant USDOL-funded activities in the country and other current initiatives that address child labor or target youth. Applicants must also demonstrate efforts to coordinate with other relevant projects and initiatives funded by U.S. Government agencies. Applicants must include a brief description of the consultative process undertaken in preparing their proposal.

6. Project Interventions

In responding to this solicitation, Applicants must propose a strategy to achieve the outcomes referenced above for the project’s target population.

Applicants may also propose other strategies to achieve the outcomes referenced above. Applicants must provide a description and justification for all strategies outlined in their proposal.

A key goal of the project must be for targeted youth to “graduate” from the program by participating in and completing project activities that will achieve one or more of the outcomes outlined above. The project must assess the needs of individual youth who it will serve and develop a plan for the package of services, related to these outcomes, that they are to receive. In order for the project to count direct services provided to youth towards project targets, the project must have begun at least one element of the assessed package of services at least six months prior to the individual youth beneficiary reaching the age of 18.

Applicants must explain the steps the project will take to ensure that livelihood activities offered to youth and their households do not lead to hazardous work situations and to avoid possible and unintended consequences of project interventions related to livelihood promotion (e.g., an increase in household debt burden, greater demand for child labor, decreased participation in schooling). The provision of livelihood services to a household must be contingent upon securing a commitment from the household to ensure their children are not engaged in exploitative or hazardous work and to support the involvement of household youth in activities that will achieve at least one of the project outcomes outlined above.

Applicants must also take gender considerations into account when developing their project strategy.³⁵ Applicants must describe in their proposal the steps they would take to:

1. Promote safety (physical and emotional) for girls participating in project activities, including by conducting a gender analysis to inform decisions about the timing and physical location of project training and project activity areas;

2. Consider how girls will get to and from sites of project activities;

3. Include female trainers;

4. Conduct training for employers on creating a girl-friendly work environment and sensitivity training to improve employers’ responses to incidences of sexual harassment and other gender issues;

5. Educate girls on their rights; and

6. Provide support targeted to the needs of girls, with the goal of increasing participation by girls in the project and their ability to participate fully in project activities (such as by scheduling project activities during times of day when girls are more likely to attend or taking steps to address childcare needs).

Applicants’ strategies must include activities in all areas listed below. Activities may include:

1. Promoting education and training opportunities for youth

Applicants must propose strategies for youth to participate in education and training opportunities that enhance their future employability. At a minimum, Applicants must propose relevant strategies that involve one or more of the following:

1. Providing education support to help youth complete secondary school or access higher education (including through the provision of tutoring, scholarships, etc.);

2. Providing vocational or skills training opportunities for youth that reflect market analyses of skills needed to secure decent work or to initiate new enterprises in areas of market demand to prevent job oversaturation;

3. Promoting links to technical colleges and training institutes offering relevant programs for target youth; and

4. Promoting partnerships with academic institutions (including universities) that provide vocational and other training opportunities for target youth.

2. Promoting decent work opportunities for youth

Applicants must propose strategies to assist youth in securing decent work opportunities. At a minimum, Applicants must propose relevant strategies that involve one or more of the following:

1. Job placement support;

2. Internships;

3. Apprenticeships (on-the-job training and related classroom instruction for youth to learn the practical and theoretical aspects of highly skilled occupations);

4. Entrepreneurship training and support;

5. Assisting youth in the use of job-search methods, including registering at an employment center and/or answering job advertisements;

6. Increasing youths’ awareness of occupational safety and health and other labor standards issues;

7. Linking youth to programs that promote decent work;

8. Transitioning youth from exploitative and/or dangerous work into decent work, including by addressing occupational safety and health issues and/or reducing hours of work or involvement in prohibited types of work or work during restricted periods of the day (such as night work) in conformity with international standards and national laws;

9. Supporting efforts to improve reporting on labor law violations; and

10. Partnerships with employers and unions who promote decent work for youth.

3. Enhancing livelihoods for youth and their households

Applicants must propose relevant strategies to improve livelihoods for youth and their households. At a minimum, Applicants must propose relevant strategies that involve increasing households’ access (either through direct provision of services or by linking beneficiaries to other existing services) to one or more of the following:

1. Savings programs;

2. Micro-insurance;

3. Micro-franchising;

4. Linkages to micro-lending programs;

5. Village savings and loans programs;

6. Life-skills training;

7. Linkages to adult literacy programs; and

8. Linkages to financial literacy programs.

4. Promoting community engagement and leadership opportunities for youth

Applicants must propose strategies that promote leadership opportunities for youth and youth involvement in community activities. Such strategies must support youth engagement in community activities during the period of their participation in project activities. Upon completion of the project, youth should be encouraged to continue to serve their communities at the local or national level.

At a minimum, Applicants must propose relevant strategies that support one or more of the following:

1. Active engagement of youth in community activities and youth-led activities;

2. Leadership training;

3. Mentorship (including through peer mentorship and links with graduates of President Obama’s Young African Leadership Initiative);³⁶

4. Development of community service projects;

5. Establishment of awareness raising campaigns; and

6. Professional networking.

5. Improving access to social protection programs for youth and their households

Applicants must propose relevant strategies to improve access to social protection programs for youth and their households. At a minimum, these strategies should involve one or more of the following:

1. Linkages to government programs that seek to mitigate the impact of economic shocks, promote equity, and reduce poverty;

2. Access to health insurance, cash transfer programs, scholarships, and similar programs; and

3. Linkages to public works programs that promote decent work.

7. Requirements

1. Pre-Application

1. Desk Review

Applicants must read the Ethiopia sections of the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2012 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor Report (TDA), and U.S. Department of Labor’s 2013 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor (TVPRA). Information on previously funded projects in Ethiopia is available at: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/map/countries/ethiopia.htm

Applicants must demonstrate an understanding of child labor and issues impacting youth in Ethiopia. Applicants must also demonstrate an understanding of relevant international conventions and document in their proposal their use of relevant USDOL reports and past project evaluations.

2. Proposal Research

In designing their proposal, Applicants must identify: the types of work and income earning activities in which youth engage, including specific employment sectors; the geographic region(s) for project implementation; available social protection and livelihood services; available education and vocational training services; and available leadership and community engagement opportunities.

Applicants must also research and consider the impact of other factors that may contribute to or otherwise impact youth engagement and development, such as: hours and conditions of work; age and gender distribution of target youth; educational performance of target youth (relative to other youth); economic and social profiles of target youth and their households; and research or other data related to youth engagement and development. In addition, Applicants should research and consider proposing strategies that build upon relevant existing efforts in Ethiopia, including government policies, plans, and/or programs.

Applicants must conduct a market analysis to ensure that education, training, and decent work opportunities offered to youth match market needs and demand. Applicants must also conduct a gender analysis to ensure that the needs of female beneficiaries are included in the project strategy. The gender analysis must include information on the types of work performed by female youth, resources available to female youth, awareness of female youth of their rights, when and where female youth will be most likely to participate in project activities, and how female youth will get to and from project activities.

Research may be conducted in-country. It should inform project design and determine relevant and effective interventions. If preliminary in-country research is conducted, it will serve as a basis for a more detailed baseline survey to be conducted post-award.

3. Host Government Consultations

USDOL has informed host government officials of the proposed award. Applicants must consult with the GoE to ensure that their proposed strategies are relevant to the country’s needs and supportive of the GoE’s efforts to address exploitative child labor in Ethiopia. Applicants should discuss proposed interventions, strategies, and activities with host government officials and work cooperatively with government stakeholders at the national and/or local level, including relevant ministries or government bodies, during the preparation of their applications and in developing project interventions. Efforts must be made to avoid duplication, enhance collaboration, and develop synergies with government efforts. Applicants should seek opportunities to coordinate and/or collaborate, as appropriate, with relevant government ministries at the national, regional, and local level, including the following:

• Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs;

• Ministry of Women’s, Children and Youth Affairs;

• Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture;

• Ministry of Education;

• Ministry of Agriculture;

• Ministry of Urban Development and Construction;

• Ministry of Finance and Economic Development;

• Ministry of Federal Affairs; and

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Applicants must propose strategies that avoid duplication with the following government initiatives and seek to build upon or link to these initiatives, where feasible, in order to leverage project resources and promote national ownership and sustainability or project efforts:

• National Action Plan to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor;

• National Human Rights Action Plan;

• Decent Work Country Program;

• National Youth Policy;

• Protocols and Guidelines for Identification, Withdrawal, Rehabilitation, and Integration of Victims of the Worst Forms of Child Labor (Solid Waste Management);

• Protocols and Guidelines for Identification, Withdrawal, Rehabilitation, and Integration of Victims of the Worst Forms of Child Labor (Traditional Weaving Sector);

• National Employment Policy and Strategy of Ethiopia;

• Growth and Transformation Plan; and

• National Technical and Vocational Education and Training Strategy.

2. Post Award

Winning Applicants (or ‘Grantees’) must comply with the following post-award requirements. Grantees must adhere to all of the post-award requirements in the Management Procedures and Guidelines (MPG), some of which are summarized below.

1. Project Document

Grantees are required to carry out a review of the project strategy and project budget included in their proposal and produce a project document, in consultation with USDOL, within three months of award. Operating within the scope of the approved proposal, the Grant Officer’s Representative (GOR) will be involved in the development, review, and approval of the project document. The final project document (which may include refinements to the project strategy/budget) is subject to final approval by the GOR and GO. Following that review process, if further refinement of the project strategy or budget are determined to be needed by the recipient or USDOL, the Grantee must consult with the GOR in preparing and then submitting a modification to the GO proposing refinements to the project strategy and budget.

2. Subgrants and Subcontracts

Subgrants and subcontracts awarded after the cooperative agreement is signed, and not proposed in the application, must be awarded through a formal competitive bidding process (for subcontracts, this is in accordance with 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 95.40-48). Subgrants and subcontracts are subject to audit.

8. Project Deliverables

Grantees must submit the following project deliverables by the specified deadlines provided. All deadlines specified below refer to calendar days. If a particular deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline will refer to the following business day.

DELIVERABLE	DEADLINE	SUBMIT TO
Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) Proposal	Submit within 90 days of award; Actual Costs: submitted within 6 months of award	Cognizant Agency
Project Document (initial draft): The Grantee is required to carry out a review of the project strategy and budget, in consultation with USDOL’s GOR	Within 90 days of award	GOR
Project Document (final draft)	Within 90 days of Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (CMEP) workshop	GOR
Federal Financial Report (FFR) Standard Form (SF) 425	Quarterly: January 31, April 30, July 30, October 31	E-grants
Technical Progress Report (TPR), with all required attachments including the government subaward table, common indicators, and updated work plan, as described in the MPG	Semi-annually: April 30 and October 30	GOR
Contact information for Grantee provided to USDOL, including name, address, phone, and email of point of contact at Grantee headquarters and in the project country	Within 30 days of award	GOR
Written notification that key personnel have begun to work on the project	Within 45 days of award	GOR
Government Subaward Matrix : Grantees must adhere to requirements on government subawards provided in the Cooperative Agreement and MPG (see MPG for sample matrix)	Within 4 months of award and subsequently if additional government subawards are being proposed.	GOR
Baseline Survey Terms of Reference Submitted	Within 4 months of award	GOR
Market Analysis Sustainability Strategy Gender Analysis Grantee Baseline survey initiated	Within 7 months of award	GOR
CMEP finalized, through collaboration between Grantee, USDOL, and USDOL’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) contractor	TBD based on coordination with USDOL contractor; generally within 9 months of award	GOR
Baseline survey report package	Within 12 months of award	GOR
Child labor referral system developed	Within 13 months of award	GOR
Review of project strategy based on baseline survey report, submitted within 4 weeks of completing that baseline report. Project Revision Request submitted to USDOL, if necessary, to revise the project strategy	Within 13 months of award	GOR
Endline Survey Terms of Reference Submitted	At least 6 to 8 months prior to the end of the Cooperative Agreement period	GOR
Endline survey begun	At least 4 to 6 months prior to the end of the Cooperative Agreement period	GOR
Endline survey report package	At least 1 month prior to the end of the Cooperative Agreement	GOR
Government Property Inventory Disposition Request; inventory list of all real property, equipment, and supplies if aggregate value exceeds $5,000	At least 120 days prior to the end of the Cooperative Agreement period	GOR GO
Closeout Documents Checklist; Final TPR; Final Quarterly FFR/SF-425; Closeout Financial Form; Recipient’s Release Form; Government Property Closeout Inventory Certification	Within 90 days after the end of the Cooperative Agreement period	GOR GO

9. Required Staffing

1. Key Personnel

Key personnel positions are deemed essential to the successful operation of the project and completion of all proposed activities and deliverables. USDOL retains the authority to approve all key personnel changes throughout the life of the cooperative agreement. Key personnel must allocate 100 percent of their time to the project and live in Ethiopia. Applicants must ensure that all proposed key personnel will be available to staff the project within 45 days of award should the Applicant be selected for award (See Section IV.B.1.d(4) for additional details). Proposed key personnel candidates must sign letters indicating their commitment to serve on the project for a stated term of the service and their availability to commence work within 45 days of cooperative agreement award. USDOL encourages Applicants to hire national/local staff for key personnel positions.

Applicants must propose candidates with qualifications to successfully implement the proposed strategy. Applicants must address candidates’ level of competence, past experience relevant to this solicitation and qualifications to perform the requirements outlined in the Funding Opportunity Description and the Project Intervention proposed by the Applicant.

Grantees assume full responsibility for ensuring that all key personnel have a clear and thorough understanding of USDOL policies, procedures, and requirements and that all documents submitted to USDOL are in fluent English.

USDOL has designated the following position(s) as key personnel. Requirements for each individual position follow:

Project Director

• Minimum of five years of experience in project management, supervision, administration, and implementation of cooperative agreement and/or contract requirements (including meeting deadlines, achieving targets, and overseeing the preparation and submission of required reports).

• Must be employed by the Grantee (not subgrantees/subcontractors).

• Establishes and maintains systems for project operations.

• Maintains working relationships with all project stakeholders, and engages in coalition building and public-private partnerships promotion.

• Experience in a leadership role in implementing development projects relevant to this solicitation.

• Fluency in English required. Knowledge of Amharic preferred.

M&E Officer

• Minimum of five years professional experience in a senior M&E position responsible for implementing M&E activities of international development projects.

• Bachelors or Master’s degree in statistics, demographics, public policy, international development, economics, or related field. Master’s degree or Bachelor plus an advanced certificate in M&E, statistics, or economics preferred.

• Proven success in designing, implementing, and operating project M&E systems from project initiation to closeout stages.

• Experience designing and managing beneficiary monitoring and database systems.

• Experience in strategic planning and performance measurement, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing M&E and performance monitoring plans.

• Knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method, and impact) and data collection and analysis methodologies.

• Experience in planning and managing surveys.

• Experience developing and refining data collection tools.

• Experience with data quality assessments and oversight.

• Experience managing and providing ongoing training to M&E field officers.

• Ability to facilitate and serve as a project liaison for externally-managed evaluations.

• Fluency in English required. Knowledge of Amharic preferred.

Vocational Training & Education Specialist

• Minimum of three years of experience in a leadership position responsible for developing vocational training and/or education interventions and the technical aspects related to the Applicant’s proposed strategy, including student assessment, teacher training, educational materials/curriculum development, educational management, educational monitoring and information systems, and labor market analysis.

• Experience in managing projects to address issues related to vocational training and secondary education, including access to higher education.

• Understanding of special educational needs of youth removed from hazardous working conditions when they enter/return to school or are provided with alternative education services.

• Experience working with vulnerable youth ages 14 to 17 and their households, preferably in Ethiopia.

• Experience working successfully with the Ministry of Education and other relevant government agencies.

• Fluency in Amharic required. Knowledge of English preferred.

Leadership Development Specialist

• Minimum of three years of experience in a leadership position responsible for developing youth leadership interventions.

• Experience with the technical aspects related to the Applicant’s proposed strategy, including youth development, community engagement, and leadership skills training.

• Experience with projects that promote youth leadership development.

• Understanding of youth engagement and development issues.

• Experience working successfully with government agencies and private organizations engaged in promoting youth engagement and development.

• Experience working with relevant government agencies and civil society organizations.

• Fluency in Amharic required. Knowledge of English preferred.

Social Protection Specialist

• Minimum of three years of experience in a leadership position responsible for developing social protection interventions.

• Experience with the technical aspects related to the Applicant’s proposed strategy, including programs that seek to mitigate the impact of economic shocks, promote equity, and reduce poverty, as applicable.

• Experience with projects that promote social protection, including by improving access to health insurance, cash transfer programs, scholarships, and public works programs.

• Understanding of social protection issues.

• Experience working successfully with government agencies and private organizations engaged in the provision of social protection services.

• Experience working with relevant government agencies and civil society organizations.

• Fluency in Amharic required. Knowledge of English preferred.

Youth Employment & Livelihoods Specialist

• Minimum of three years of experience in a leadership position responsible for developing youth employment and livelihood interventions and the technical aspects related to the Applicant’s proposed strategy, including life skills training, micro-lending, savings programs, micro-insurance, micro-franchising, village savings and loan programs, financial literacy, adult literacy, employment generation, alternative/additional income generation, youth apprenticeships, internships, job placement support, modern job search methods training, entrepreneurship, occupational safety and health training, and labor market analysis.

• Experience in projects promoting livelihood interventions and youth employment in Ethiopia.

• Understanding of child labor issues, including youth employment.

• Experience working successfully with government agencies and private organizations engaged in promoting improved livelihoods for households and youth employment programs.

• Experience working with relevant government agencies, civil society organizations, employers, and unions.

Fluency in Amharic required. Knowledge of English preferred.

2. Award Information

Award information is provided on the cover page (page 1) of the SCA.

3. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit organization(s), including any faith-based, community-based, or public international organization(s), capable of successfully fulfilling the objectives identified in the Funding Opportunity Description is eligible to apply. Organizations applying for this award must demonstrate a proven ability to manage complex projects in developing countries. This SCA is for the award of a new cooperative agreement with the specific project objectives and outcomes outlined in this SCA. As such, Applicants may not submit applications to renew or supplement an existing project.

Public International Organizations (PIOs) are eligible to apply. However, USDOL requires that PIOs and all other entities that elect to apply for this grant opportunity adhere to the specific requirements outlined in this SCA concerning M&E, audits and counter-terrorism. In negotiating an award with a PIO, USDOL will discuss the inclusion of appropriate language acknowledging the rights and privileges as currently established and afforded to PIOs by the U.S. Government in accordance with U.S. law.

Applicants and any proposed subgrantees or subcontractors must comply with all audit requirements, including those established in the relevant Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular. Applicants must also demonstrate in-country presence and ability to begin implementation of the project in Ethiopia upon award. Applicants may demonstrate this either independently or through a relationship with another organization with country presence that will be directly involved in project implementation (i.e., a subgrantee or subcontractor) (see Section IV. Application and Submission Information).

The following Applicants (including subgrantees/subcontractors) will not be considered:

• Foreign governments and entities that are agencies of, or operated by or for, a foreign state or government.

• Organizations designated by the U.S. Government to be associated with terrorism or that have been debarred or suspended.

• Applicants charging a fee (profit) associated with a project funded by USDOL under this award.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing or matching funds (including in-kind contributions) are not required as a condition for application. However, USDOL welcomes applications that include cost share or matching funds. Applicants that propose cost sharing or matching funds must indicate the nature; source(s) of funds and/or in-kind contributions; the amount in U.S. dollars; and the proposed project activities to be performed with these resources. Applicants must also explain how these activities will complement or enhance project objectives. Grantees that have proposed cost sharing or matching funds will be required to report on those funds in the FFR (SF-425) and are liable for the full amount of the funds.

Cost sharing, including from subgrantees and/or subcontractors, must be used to support the work of the project or defray its costs. Applicants may not award a subgrant or subcontract contingent upon the provision of matching funds from those entities.

3. Other

All applications will be screened for responsiveness. If deemed non-responsive, the Applicant will be notified of the reason(s) for the determination of non-responsiveness.

Applicants will be considered non-responsive and will not be eligible for this solicitation for any of the following reasons:

1. Failure to submit timely application by Grants.gov or hard copy via the U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service, such as Federal Express, DHL, or UPS;

2. Failure to register with and maintain an active account in the System for Award Management (SAM) (http://www.sam.gov);

3. Failure to submit both a complete Technical Proposal and a complete Cost Proposal as specified in Section IV, including all of the required documents and annexes;

4. Submission of an application with an accompanying budget that exceeds the ceiling amount as specified on the cover page (page 1) of the SCA;

5. Failure to designate key personnel candidates, if required under this SCA;

6. Failure to include an English language copy of the opinion letter(s) and a summary of audit findings for the Applicants and subgrantee/subcontractors providing services related to project intervention strategies (see Section I.D.). For U.S.-based non-profit organizations that are subject to the Single Audit Act, failure to submit their most recent single audit or to demonstrate compliance with single audit submission timeframes established in OMB Circular A-133. For non-U.S.-based and for-profit entities, failure to submit opinion letters of the most current independent financial audit and a summary of audit findings in English.

4. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

All information needed to apply for cooperative agreement funding is included in this solicitation. The SCA package and any amendments can be downloaded and viewed from Grants.gov by referencing the Funding Opportunity Number.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Applications must consist of two separate parts: a Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal. Unless specified as “optional” or “as applicable,” all documents identified in this section must be included in the application package for it to be considered complete and responsive.

Applicants’ Technical and Cost Proposals must address the project objectives and requirements outlined in the SCA. Applications must be organized as outlined below. All pages of the application must be numbered. All required documents (including annexes) must be submitted in English. Any additional documentation submitted that is not required or specifically requested under this solicitation will not be considered. Technical Proposals must be no more than 50 single-sided, double-spaced pages (8-1/2” x 11” with 1” margins). Font size must be no less than 12-point Times New Roman. The Abstract, Table of Contents and required annexes to the Technical Proposal do not count toward the page limit.

1. Technical Proposal (50 page limit)

1. Abstract (Executive Summary)

The Abstract must not exceed two pages and must include: project title; name of the Applicant; any proposed subgrantee(s) or subcontractor(s); summary of the proposed project design and key project activities; funding amount requested from USDOL; and total dollar value of cost share (if applicable). If using Grants.gov for submission, this document must be attached under the Mandatory Other Attachment section and labeled “Abstract.”

2. Table of Contents

The Table of Contents must list all required documents and include their corresponding page numbers.

3. Project Design Narrative

The Project Design Narrative must describe in detail the Applicant’s response to the Funding Opportunity Description. At minimum, the Project Design Narrative must contain the following sections:

1. Background and Problem Statement

This section must not exceed three (3) pages. Applicants are expected to describe relevant cultural, economic, social, labor and legal factors contributing to the problem to be addressed by the project. Applicants must identify significant gaps in laws, policies, programs and coordination efforts that contribute to the identified problem and that need to be filled by the project.

2. Objectives and Expected Outcomes

Applicants must outline a project strategy that fully responds to the project objectives and requirements discussed in Section I. Applicants must explain how their proposed strategies will fill identified gaps and achieve project objectives.

3. Targets

Applicants must describe the target populations that are to be direct or indirect beneficiaries of the project (see Appendix B for definitions of direct and indirect beneficiaries). Applicants must provide initial criteria for selection of potential project beneficiaries, if applicable. Applicants must also provide a justification for their selection of a target geographical area(s), as applicable. Applicants must describe how target populations and/or geographic areas reflect the problem to be addressed and the overall strategy being proposed by the Applicant.

4. Partners

Applicants must include a brief description of all project partners (as applicable), including a description of the project partners’ role in implementing the proposed project strategy. Applicants must describe how the partners being proposed for project implementation strengthen the overall proposal.

5. Project Interventions

Applicants must describe all major areas of project intervention. In describing project interventions, Applicants are expected to describe specific activities and how such activities will lead to the project’s expected outcomes and objectives.

6. CMEP Agreement and M&E Capacity Statement

The CMEP is a tool to integrate and guide the project’s monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on project progress toward achieving intended results and outcomes. It is also intended to serve as a management tool and facilitate managing for results. Applicants must confirm in their proposal their commitment to collaborate with USDOL-funded External M&E Experts and USDOL in developing the project’s CMEP. Applicants must also describe, in one page or less, their commitment to M&E and their capacity and approach to deliver the M&E requirements described in this SCA. These requirements include baseline and follow-up surveys, the CMEP, development and implementation of a Direct Beneficiary Monitoring System (DBMS), collaboration on externally conducted midterm and final evaluations, and performance reporting. Applicants may use their own staff, a partner organization, or a sub-contractor to carry out these activities (or components of these activities), except for baseline and follow-up surveys, which must use a sub-contractor (projects may not use their own staff); applicants must describe in the capacity statement how they will carry out these activities and ensure high quality data and deliverables. Applicants also should briefly address how they will safeguard all project data, particularly any personal data on beneficiaries.

Applicants must propose a strategy and methodology for monitoring the project’s direct beneficiaries, including the education and work status of child beneficiaries. Applicants must provide details on the components of their proposed DBMS, including at a minimum, systems/tools for collecting and storing data, sources of data, proposed frequency for data collection, and staff responsible for monitoring and data quality control. The DBMS monitors provision of educational and livelihood services provided to direct beneficiaries and monitors children’s education and work status. Direct beneficiaries must be monitored at 6-month intervals (at a minimum) and for specified periods of time (throughout the period of service provision and/or until the end of the project). Applicants must develop initial indicators to allow them to monitor the work status of each beneficiary child at 6-month intervals. Applicants must also develop monitoring guidelines for all project partners responsible for providing direct services to children and household members and validate monitoring information.

7. Results Framework

The results framework must include outputs, supporting results, intermediate objectives, a project objective, and critical assumptions that may influence the project. The results framework must be no longer than two pages and be included as an annex. The results framework will serve as an input into the CMEP or Performance Monitoring Plan, as applicable, and will be refined and finalized during that process. For a template, definitions, and example, please see the MPG.

8. Work Plan

The Work Plan must identify major project activities, deadlines for completing these activities, and person(s) or institution(s) responsible for completing these activities for the entire life of the project. The work plan must be included as an annex and correspond to activities identified in the results framework and the project design narrative. Applicants may choose an appropriate format for their work plan.

4. Organizational Capacity

This section must describe the qualifications of the proposed Applicant and/or any proposed subgrantees and/or subcontractors to implement the project.

1. International and US Government Grant and/or Contract Experience

Applicants must describe any experience they have with implementing projects relevant to the stated objective(s) of this SCA (see Section I) and provide references for past performance (no more than a total of six (6) references/projects, see Appendices for a sample format). Applicants should prioritize submission of references related to the objectives of the project. References must be included for all the Applicants and subgrantees and/or subcontractors providing services related to project intervention strategies (see Section I.D.). Projects included in the table must have been active within seven years of the issuance date of the SCA.

2. Country Presence and Host Government Support

Applicants must describe their organization’s (or partner organization’s) existing presence and ability to start up project activities in the target area(s) upon signing a cooperative agreement. Applicants should also discuss their ability to work directly with relevant government agencies and NGOs, including local organizations and community based organizations, and their past experience working with these stakeholders. Applicants must submit supporting documentation, which demonstrates country presence and outreach to the host government (including the Ministry of Labor and any ministries from which the host government requires approval to implement technical cooperation efforts related to this solicitation).

Any documents that demonstrate country presence and corroborate host government support may be included as an annex to the Technical Proposal. This Annex will not count towards the page limit. Documentation may include official registration of the Applicant’s organization in the host country, a current Memorandum of Understanding between the Applicant and the host government, and letters of support for the proposed project from the national and/or local governments.

This project is intended to address exploitative child labor in Ethiopia. The SCA states that this work is to be performed in Ethiopia; however, if USDOL and the Grantee determine that performance in Ethiopia has become impossible as a result of withdrawal of host country government support for the project, USDOL and the Grantee may confer to determine whether it is desirable and feasible to implement the project in a different country in Sub-Saharan Africa. This determination will necessitate findings that: 1) based upon available research, a project is warranted to address exploitative child labor in a country different than Ethiopia; 2) USDOL and the Grantee can obtain support from the new proposed host country government to implement the proposed project; and 3) the Grantee has the capacity to implement the project in the proposed country within the legally permissible timeframe for implementation of the project. If the USDOL and the Grantee are unable to make these findings and mutually agree on a modification to the cooperative agreement(s) to implement performance in another country in Sub-Saharan Africa, either USDOL or the Grantee may seek to have the grant suspended or terminated pursuant to the applicable termination clauses.

3. Project Management Plan

Applicants must discuss their project management plan, including a narrative description of the structure of the project’s management team, key personnel roles and responsibilities and the lines of authority between key personnel and other project staff responsible for providing direct services related to project intervention strategies. If any of the project’s personnel would be employed by a subgrantee/subcontractor, the Applicant must provide a rationale for this arrangement and an explanation of the staffing structure.

Applicants must also include (as an annex) a project management organization chart that provides a visual depiction of the project’s management structure and lines of authority among all key personnel, other professional personnel, and other project staff being proposed. Applicants may choose an appropriate format for their project management organization chart.

4. Personnel

Applicants must include (as an annex) signed letters of commitment from all proposed key personnel (as identified in this SCA) indicating their commitment to serve on the project. Applicants must include as an annex a one-page personnel description outlining roles and responsibilities for each key personnel and professional personnel position specified in their proposal. Applicants must also submit as an annex a one-page résumé for all positions designated as key personnel in this SCA and any other professional personnel being proposed by the Applicant in its application. Each résumé must include:

• Educational background, including highest education level attained;

• Work experience covering at least the last five years of employment to the present, including such information as the employer name, position title, clearly defined duties, and dates of employment;

• Special experience, capabilities, or qualifications related to the candidate’s ability to implement the proposed strategy and perform effectively in the proposed position; and

• English and other relevant language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing).

5. Audit Reports

Applicants must include (as an annex) a copy of the opinion letter(s) and a summary of audit findings for the Applicant and all subgrantees/subcontractors providing services related to project intervention strategies. The Applicant must include a cover sheet for its audit attachments. The following audit attachments are required, depending on the organization’s status:

• Applicants from U.S.-based non-profit organizations and all proposed U.S.-based, non-profit, subgrantees and/or subcontractors that are subject to the Single Audit Act must include the summary of audit findings and opinion letter of the most recent single audit and demonstrate compliance with single audit submission timeframes established in OMB Circular A-133. Organizations with audit findings that include qualified or adverse opinions must also include a summary of corrective actions undertaken to address the findings.

• Non-U.S. based and for-profit Applicants must submit an English version of opinion letters and a summary of audit findings from their most current independent financial audit report.

• For all proposed subgrantees and/or subcontractors that are for-profit or non-U.S.-based organizations, Applicants must submit English versions of the summary of their audit findings and opinion letters for their most current independent financial audit.

• Upon request, Applicants/Grantees will be required to submit full audit reports and/or official translations of audit reports.

2. Cost Proposal

Applicants must prepare a cost proposal as Part II of the application. Applicants must provide a narrative description and supporting documentation that demonstrate their organization has a sound financial system in place to effectively manage the funds requested under this solicitation.

The cost proposal must reflect consistency between the proposed costs and the work to be performed as outlined in the project design narrative of the Applicant’s technical proposal. The cost proposal must contain the following: (1) an SF-424 Supplemental Key Contacts Information; (2) an SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance; (3) an SF-424A Budget Information; (4) a detailed outputs-based budget and an accompanying budget narrative; (5) an indirect cost form and supporting documentation; and (6) cost sharing information, if applicable.

1. Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS) Number and SAM Registration

Applicants must include their unexpired DUNS number in the organizational unit section of Block 8 of the Standard Form SF-424. Applicants proposing subgrantees or subcontractors must submit each organization’s DUNS number as an attachment to the Cost Proposal.

Organizations that do not have a DUNS number can receive a DUNS number at no cost by using the web-based form available at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

In addition to having a current DUNS number, Applicants must be registered with the SAM Web site prior to submitting an application to this solicitation. Instructions for registering with SAM can be found at https://www.sam.gov. An awardee must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the Applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or subsequently update its information in the SAM database to ensure it is current, accurate and complete.

2. Required Standard Forms

1. SF-424 Supplemental Key Contacts Information

This form must include name, position title, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address, and other relevant information for the Applicant’s designated key contact person.

2. SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

This form must reflect the entire amount of funds being requested under this solicitation and, if applicable, the amount of any cost sharing proposed by the Applicant must be shown in Section 18.b.

3. SF-424A Budget Information (Non Construction Programs)

This form must include all costs for proposed activities. If applicable, line 6 must include construction activities that are: 1) over $5,000; and/or 2) for the construction of a permanent structure (latrines, wells, etc.)

3. Outputs-Based Budget

The Cost Proposal must include a summary outputs-based budget, along with specific outputs-based budgets for the Applicant and each proposed subgrantee/subcontractor. The outputs-based budget must correspond to the SF-424 and SF-424A. The outputs-based budget (including USDOL funds and any cost sharing funds reported on the SF-424 and SF-424A) must comply with Federal cost principles. Allowable costs include those specifically defined in OMB Circular A-122. The budget will become part of the cooperative agreement in the event of award, and any costs omitted by the Applicant may not be allowed after award. Applicants may not rely on other contracts, grants, or awards to implement the Applicant's proposed strategy. The budget submitted with the application must include all necessary funds to implement the proposed project strategy. USDOL will not provide any additional funding to cover unanticipated costs.

The detailed outputs-based budget must present costs in a manner that is linked to activities, objectives, and outputs reflected in the project design narrative, work plan, and results framework and demonstrate cost-effective allocation of project funds. In addition, it must provide a breakdown of total administrative costs into direct and indirect administrative costs and allocate the largest proportion of project resources to direct intervention rather than to direct and indirect administrative costs.³⁷

Applicants must use the following guidance in preparing their outputs-based budget:

1. Travel

Applicants must allocate sufficient funds to finance appropriate in-country and international travel. At a minimum, applicants must allocate funds for:

• Travel by the Project Director and/or another key personnel staff member to Washington, D.C. to attend a post-award meeting (New Grantee Orientation); and

• Travel by the Project Director and/or other key personnel based in the field to meet annually with USDOL officials in Washington, D.C. or another site determined by USDOL.

2. Project M&E

All USDOL funded projects must allocate funds to cover the costs associated with project M&E activities. Projects must set aside at least 8 percent of the project budget to cover the costs associated with project M&E activities. This 8 percent must be included as its own line item/ category within the outputs-based budget. On the SF-424A, this amount can be included in the category “6h-other.” Allocations associated with M&E must include:

• The development and implementation of a DBMS.

• Regular collection and processing of monitoring data for project beneficiaries at the child and the household level, including any necessary travel to monitor the work status of each beneficiary.

• The development of monitoring guidelines (in multiple languages, as appropriate) for all project partners responsible for providing direct services to children and members of their households.

• The development and implementation of a system and process for validating monitoring information.

• Support to the CMEP process including project staff in-country travel to two CMEP workshops, costs of hosting workshops (meeting rooms, etc.), training partners, and any other logistical/administrative costs (please see Section VI. Award Administration Information).

• Meeting reporting requirements as discussed in the SCA.

• At least $70,000 to support the external interim and final implementation evaluations. Resources permitting, USDOL will directly contract the external evaluators to design and implement the evaluations. However, the project will be responsible for certain support costs for each evaluation such as translation of the evaluation report from English into the local language, providing ground transportation for the external evaluator, hosting an evaluation stakeholders meeting, and in-country transportation and accommodation costs for staff and other stakeholders’ participation in the meeting.

• Conducting a baseline survey, a follow-up survey, and, if relevant, a needs assessment on school conditions.

Note:

Costs associated with M&E personnel must be included under the personnel line item and not be included in this budget section.

Costs associated with any required additional research or special studies, as may be required by the SCA or proposed by the project, should not be included in this M&E budget, and must be budgeted for separately.

This budget guidance establishes a minimum amount of funds that must be set aside for M&E activities; the applicant may propose additional funds as needed, based on cost estimates for required activities. In particular, applicants are encouraged to conduct a cost analysis for baseline and follow-up surveys and budget for these surveys appropriately.

3. Single Audits / Attestation Engagements

Include costs for single audits as direct or indirect costs, whichever is appropriate, in accordance with the cost allocation procedures approved by the U.S. Federal Cognizant Agency (FCA). Attestation engagements are conducted at USDOL’s expense to supplement the coverage provided by the single audits. There should be no costs included in the budget for attestation engagements.

4. Allowance for Unforeseen Costs

Applicants must include five percent of the project’s total direct costs to address unforeseen circumstances beyond the Grantee’s control that affect specific budget lines related to:

• Inflation affecting specific project costs;

• United Nations System or foreign government-mandated salary scale or benefits revisions; and

• Exchange rate fluctuations.

USDOL also recognizes that certain unforeseen circumstances may arise and result in a need for exceptions to these uses of Allowance for Unforeseen Costs funds and a need for budget modifications or time extensions. These include (1) changes in a country’s security environment; (2) natural disasters; (3) civil or political unrest/upheavals or government transitions; or (4) delays related to loss of or damage to project property. Use of these funds must be approved by the GO. The MPG gives guidelines for requesting approval of a budget modification to re-allocate funds under the Allowance for Unforeseen Costs budget line, as well as guidance on the timeline by which such re-allocations should be completed.

5. Value Added Tax (VAT)

Applicants must include costs related to VAT. If VAT costs are applied by the host government but are omitted in an Applicant’s budget, the Grantee will be responsible for paying them. USDOL-funding cannot be used for VAT costs that were not included in the initial budget proposal.

6. Housing

If included in the budget, provide in the budget narrative a justification for any proposed housing costs, housing allowances, and/or personal living expenses. In accordance with federal cost principles, personnel housing and personal living expenses may not be counted as fringe benefits or indirect costs in the project budget. USDOL funds may only be used to pay for housing costs, housing allowances, and personal living expenses (e.g., dependents’ allowance) of project staff if they (1) are separately accounted for as direct costs of the project necessary for the performance of the project and (2) receive prior approval from USDOL. Applicants must provide a brief explanation as to why such costs are considered necessary for the performance of the project, consistent with the organization’s established policies, and reasonable for the country where the staff person will reside.

4. Budget Narrative

The cost proposal must include a budget narrative that corresponds to the outputs-based budget. The budget narrative must include a detailed justification, broken down by line item, of all of the Applicant’s costs included in the outputs-based budget.

5. Indirect Cost Information

According to Federal regulations, indirect costs are those that have been incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. Indirect cost charges must be based on allowable, allocable, and reasonable costs based on the applicable cost principles.³⁸ Indirect cost support for allocated charges to the grant and the closeout process is validated using a federally approved NICRA. The NICRA is issued by the FCA based on annual indirect cost proposal submissions from grantees. Typically, the agency providing the preponderance of direct Federal funds to the organization is the FCA.

1. Indirect Cost Form for the Applicant

The cost proposal must contain information on the Applicant’s indirect costs, using the Indirect Cost Form provided on Grants.gov and on the USDOL/ILAB’s Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/SGAguidelines.htm.

2. Indirect Cost Supporting Documentation

For organizations with a current rate approved by the FCA: Please provide a copy of the NICRA in the proposal.

For organizations with no budgeted/claimed indirect costs: Please provide a Certificate of Direct Costs. See the Indirect Cost Form for details and a sample certificate.

3. Indirect Cost Proposal Submission Requirements

For organizations with an expired rate or a rate not previously approved by the FCA: For evaluation purposes, applicants without an approved NICRA must submit an indirect cost rate or ceiling amount that they propose be incorporated into the resultant Cooperative Agreement award. An indirect cost proposal must be submitted to the FCA within 90 days of grant award to establish a provisional NICRA. This provisional rate may be effective for a period up to two years until a final NICRA is established.

For organizations with a current rate: Indirect cost proposals must be submitted on an annual basis to the FCA to obtain federally approved NICRAs for the life of the grant, unless the FCA instructs otherwise. These proposals are based on incurred costs and are due six months after the end of each fiscal year.

4. Indirect Cost Ceilings

The proposed/approved NICRA rate, or indirect rate proposed in response to the SCA for those organizations with no rates approved, will be used to set a ceiling for indirect costs in the cooperative agreement.

3. Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants

All Applicants are requested, but not required, to complete and include the Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (OMB No. 1890-0014) in their applications; this form is provided on USDOL/ILAB’s Web site at: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/SGAguidelines.htm.

3. Submission Dates and Times

All applications must be received by the closing date and time on the cover page of this announcement. Late applications will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

4. Intergovernmental Review

This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

5. Funding Restrictions

All Applicants must adhere to requirements concerning restrictions, unallowable activities, and specific prohibitions, as identified in OMB Circular A-122, OMB Circular A-21, 29 CFR Part 95, 29 CFR Part 98, and USDOL/ILAB policies outlined in the MPG, for all USDOL-funded technical cooperation projects. Applicants should take particular note of and must adhere to funding restrictions/administrative requirements in the USDOL/ILAB MPG (available on Grants.gov as a document accompanying this SCA).

6. Other Submission Requirements

Applications may be submitted electronically via Grants.gov or in hard copy. Applications submitted by other means, including e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will be not be accepted.

1. Electronic Submission

Applicants electing to submit electronically must submit one electronic copy of the complete application via Grants.gov. Applicants submitting via Grants.gov are responsible for ensuring that their application is received by Grants.gov by the deadline.

Applicants submitting their application electronically through Grants.gov should note the following submission instructions: (1) an individual with authority to legally bind the Applicant must be responsible for submitting the application on Grants.gov, (2) applications submitted through Grants.gov do not need to be signed manually; the form will automatically affix an electronic signature for the authorized person identified, and (3) when submitting on Grants.gov, Applicants must save all attachments as a .doc, .pdf, .txt, or .xls file. If submitted in any other format, the application bears the risk that compatibility or other issues will prevent USDOL from considering the application. USDOL will attempt to open the document, but will not take any “corrective” measures in the event of issues with opening the document. In such cases, the non-conforming application will not be considered for funding.

To avoid unexpected delays that could result in the rejection of an application, Applicants should immediately initiate and complete the registration steps at http://www.grants.gov/Applicants/get_registered.jsp as registration can take multiple days to complete. Applicants should consult the Grants.gov Web site’s Frequently Asked Questions and Applicant User Guide, available at http://www.grants.gov/help/general_faqs.jsp, and http://www.grants.gov/assets/ApplicantUserGuide.pdf. Within two business days of application submission, Grants.gov will send the Applicant two email messages to provide the status of application progress through the system. The first, almost immediate, email will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov. The second email will indicate the application has been successfully submitted and successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors. Only applications that have been successfully submitted and successfully validated will be considered. It is the sole responsibility of the Applicant to ensure a timely submission, therefore sufficient time should be allotted for submission (two business days) and, as necessary, additional time should be allotted to address errors and receive validation upon resubmission (an additional two business days for each ensuing submission). It is important to note that if sufficient time is not allotted and a rejection notice is received after the due date and time, the application will not be considered.

Applicants can contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected] to obtain assistance with any problems related to using Grants.gov, including difficulties downloading the application package; software compatibility questions; and questions on how to assemble electronic application packages. USDOL bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.

2. Hardcopy Submissions

Applicants electing to submit hard copies must submit one (1) signed original, complete application, plus one (1) copy of the application, along with a CD that includes the Technical and Cost Proposals saved as .doc, .pdf, .txt, or .xls files. Hard copy applications must be delivered to the address on the cover page of this announcement. Applicants are advised to submit their applications in advance of the deadline. Applications may be hand delivered or submitted via the U.S. Postal Service or non-U.S. Postal Service delivery services, such as Federal Express or UPS. Regardless of the type of delivery service selected, Applicants bear the responsibility for timely submission. The application package must be received at the designated place by the date and time specified or it will be considered non-responsive and will be rejected. Note: Please be advised that U.S. mail delivery in the Washington D.C. area can be slow and erratic due to security concerns. Applicants must consider this when preparing to meet the application deadline.

Any application received at ETA after the deadline will not be considered unless it is received before the award is made and:

1. It is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at USDOL at the address indicated; and/or

2. It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the fifth calendar day before the deadline; or

3. It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee, no later than 5:00 p.m. at the place of mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays, before the deadline.

4. It was sent by non-U.S. Postal Service Next Day Service-carrier facility to Addressee, no later than 5:00 p.m. at the place of mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays, before the deadline.

The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee is the date entered by the Post Office clerk on the "Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee" label and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper on the original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. For Applications submitted through other delivery services such as Federal Express or UPS, the only acceptable evidence to establish the date of the mailing is the tracking number, which contains detailed information about the mailing.

If the postmark is not legible, an application received after the above closing time and date will be treated as if mailed late. "Postmark" means a printed, stamped, or otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable without further action as having been applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the date of mailing. Therefore, Applicants should request that the postal clerk place a legible hand cancellation "bull’s-eye" postmark on both the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.

5. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Procedures for assessing the technical merit of applications have been instituted to provide for an objective review of applications and to assist the applicant in understanding the standards against which each application will be judged. The evaluation criteria are based on the information required in the application as described in Section IV.

CRITERIA	REFERENCE	POINTS
Objectives, Expected Outcomes, and Project Interventions	IV.B.1.c.2 IV.B.1.c.5	20
Targets	IV.B.1.c.3	10
Partners	IV.B.1.c.4	5
CMEP and M&E Capacity Statement	IV.B.1.c.6	5
Results Framework	IV.B.1.c.7	10
Work Plan	IV.B.1.c.8	10
International and US Government Grant and/or Contract Experience	IV.B.1.d.1	5
Country Presence and Host Government Support	IV.B.1.d.2	5
Project Management Plan	IV.B.1.d.3	5
Personnel	IV.B.1.d.4	10
Budget (Outputs-Based Budget and Budget Narrative)	IV.B.2.c	15
Total =		100

2. Review and Selection Process

A technical review panel will evaluate each responsive application against the criteria described in this SCA. Reviewers will award points based on the extent to which the Applicant’s proposal provides a clear and strong response to requirements in the SCA related to each of the criteria above.

Applicants are advised that panel recommendations to the GO are advisory in nature. The GO may elect to select a Grantee on the basis of the initial application submission or the GO may establish a competitive or technically acceptable range from which a Grantee will be selected.

If deemed appropriate, the GO may call for the preparation and receipt of final revisions of applications, following which the evaluation process described above may be repeated, in whole or in part, to consider such revisions. The GO will make final selection determinations based on panel findings and may consider other factors that represent the greatest advantage to the Federal Government, including cost, the availability of funds, and the Applicant’s past performance on Federal awards. USDOL reserves the right to: (1) solicit information from Federal sources and/or non-Federal sources about the Applicant’s past performance on any awards—including evaluations, audits, attestation engagements, and questionnaires; (2) assess the Applicant’s past performance on awards with respect to its potential effect on grant implementation; and (3) consider this information as part of its selection process. If USDOL does not receive technically acceptable applications in response to this solicitation, it reserves the right to terminate the competition and not make any award. The GO’s determinations for awards under this solicitation are final.

Before the actual cooperative agreement is awarded, USDOL may enter into discussions with one or more selected Applicants for any reason deemed necessary, including negotiating components of the project design/strategy; budget; project duration; staffing; funding levels; and financial and administrative systems in place to support implementation of the cooperative agreement [including relevant issues raised in submitted audit report(s)]. If negotiations do not result in a mutually acceptable submission, the GO reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to fund the application.

Award of a cooperative agreement under this solicitation may also be contingent upon an exchange of project support letters between USDOL and the relevant host government ministries.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Information on the anticipated award date is provided on the cover page of the SCA. USDOL is not obligated to make any awards as result of this solicitation.

6. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

The GO will notify Applicants of designation results as follows:

1. Notice of Award

The notice of award signed by the GO serves as official notice of an Applicant’s designation as Grantee. The notice of award will be accompanied by a cooperative agreement and the most current MPG, which is available on Grants.gov (as a document accompanying this SCA). The MPG provides general management procedures and guidance for recipients of ILAB’s Grants and/or Cooperative Agreements in areas that may not be explicitly detailed in the solicitation.

2. Notice to Unsuccessful Applicants

Applicants not selected for award will be provided notification. Unsuccessful Applicants that wish to be debriefed by the GO must submit a written request within 10 business days after receipt of notification of non-selection. The GO is not required to provide debriefings if written requests are not received within the specified timeframe.

Notification of designation by a person or entity other than the GO is not valid.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

1. General Requirements

Grantees under this SCA shall be subject to the terms outlined in this solicitation, the cooperative agreement, and the MPG. They are also subject to applicable U.S. Federal laws (including appropriations laws) and regulations, Executive Orders, applicable OMB Circulars, and USDOL policies. If, during project implementation, a Grantee is found in violation of any of the foregoing, remedies may include modification of the terms of the cooperative agreement awarded under this solicitation; disallowance and recovery of costs; termination of the cooperative agreement; and any other action permitted by law.

For the purposes of this solicitation and cooperative agreement awards, Grantees will be the sole-entity:

• to act as the primary point of contact with USDOL to receive and respond to all inquiries, communications and orders under the project;

• with authority to withdraw or draw down funds through the Department of Health and Human Services-Payment Management System ;

• responsible for submitting to USDOL all deliverables, including all technical and financial reports related to the project;

• that may request or agree to a revision or amendment of the cooperative agreement or the Project Document; and

• responsible for working with USDOL to close out the project. Each Grantee must comply with all applicable Federal regulations and is individually subject to audit.

2. Project Audits and External Auditing Arrangements

U.S.-based non-profit Grantees whose total annual expenditure of Federal awards is more than $500,000 must have an organization-wide audit conducted in accordance with 29 CFR Parts 96 and 99, which codify the requirements of the Single Audit Act, and OMB Circular A-133, and must comply with the timeframes established in those regulations for the submission of their audits to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Grantees must send a copy of each single audit conducted within the timeframe of the USDOL-funded project to their assigned GOR at the time it is submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

In accordance with 29 CFR Parts 96 and 99, USDOL has contracted with an independent external auditor to conduct project-specific attestation engagements at USDOL’s expense to supplement the coverage provided by the annual audits that Grantees are required to arrange, which are referenced in the preceding paragraph. All Grantees, including non-U.S.-based and private for-profit Grantees, are subject to attestation engagements during the life of the cooperative agreement. Attestation engagements will be conducted in accordance with U.S. Government Auditing Standards, which includes auditors’ opinions on (1) compliance with USDOL regulations and the provisions of the cooperative agreement and (2) the accuracy and reliability of the Grantee’s financial and performance reports.

3. Administrative Standards and Provisions

Cooperative agreements awarded under this solicitation are subject to all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and OMB Circulars. Awards under this SCA will be subject to the following administrative standards and provisions:

• 29 CFR Part 2 Subpart D – Equal Treatment in Department of Labor Programs for Religious Organizations; Protection of Religious Liberty of Department of Labor Social Service Providers and Beneficiaries.

• 29 CFR Part 31 – Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Labor— Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

• 29 CFR Part 32 – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs and Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.

• 29 CFR Part 33 – Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of Labor.

• 29 CFR Part 35 – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.

• 29 CFR Part 36 – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.

• 29 CFR Part 93 – New Restrictions on Lobbying.

• 29 CFR Part 94 – Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance).

• 29 CFR Part 95 – Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and other Non-Profit Organizations, and with Commercial Organizations, Foreign Governments, Organizations Under the Jurisdiction of Foreign Governments, and International Organizations.

• 29 CFR Part 96 – Audit Requirements for Grants, Contracts and Other Agreements.

• 29 CFR Part 98 – Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement).

• 29 CFR Part 99 – Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.

• OMB Circular A-21– Cost Principles for Educational Institutions.

• OMB Circular A-110 - Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations.

• OMB Circular A-122– Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations.

• OMB Circular A-133– Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.

On December 26, 2013, OMB published the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards; Final Rule, 78 Fed. Reg. 78590, which can be found at:  http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-12-26/pdf/2013-30465.pdf.  These new rules will supersede the requirements of OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-110, A-122, A-89, A-102, and A-133, and the guidance on Circular A-50 on Single Audit Act follow-up.  Federal agencies are required to promulgate a regulation applying the rules by December 26, 2014, at which point the rules will be applied to awards to non-Federal entities.  Awards made prior to promulgation of the new regulations will be governed by the terms and conditions contained in that award.

For more information about the Final Rule and uniform guidance, please visit www.cfo.gov/COFAR.  Crosswalks and side-by-sides with old guidance next to the new language are available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_docs.

4. Transparency

USDOL is committed to conducting a transparent grant award process and publicizing information about project outcomes. Posting grant applications on public Web sites is a means of promoting and sharing innovative ideas. For this grant competition, USDOL will publish all proposal Abstracts on the Department’s public Web site or similar publicly accessible location. Additionally, USDOL will publish a redacted version of the Technical Proposal required by this solicitation for all Awardees, on the Department’s Web site or a similar location. Except for the sections listed above, none of the Attachments to the Technical Proposal described in Section IV will be published. The Technical Proposals and Abstracts will not be published until after the cooperative agreements are awarded. In addition, information about Cooperative Agreement progress and results may also be made publicly available.

USDOL recognizes that grant applications sometimes contain information that an Applicant may consider proprietary or business confidential information, or may contain personally identifiable information. Proprietary or business confidential information is information that is not usually disclosed outside an organization and the disclosure of which is likely to cause the Applicant substantial competitive harm. Personally identifiable information is any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, or biometric records; and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information.³⁹

Abstracts will be published in the form originally submitted, without any redactions. Applicants should not include any proprietary or confidential business information or personally identifiable information in this summary. In the event that an Applicant submits proprietary or confidential business information or personally identifiable information, USDOL is not liable for the posting of this information contained in the Abstract. The submission of the grant application constitutes a waiver of the Applicant’s objection to the posting of any proprietary or confidential business information contained in the Abstract. Additionally, the Applicant is responsible for obtaining all authorizations from relevant parties for publishing all personally identifiable information contained within the Abstract. In the event the Abstract contains proprietary or confidential business or personally identifiable information, the Applicant is presumed to have obtained all necessary authorizations to provide this information and may be liable for any improper release of this information.

By submission of this grant application, the Applicant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States, USDOL, its officers, employees, and agents against any liability or for any loss or damages arising from this application. By such submission of this grant application, the Applicant further acknowledges having the authority to execute this release of liability.

In order to ensure that proprietary or confidential business information or personally identifiable information is properly protected from disclosure when USDOL posts the winning Technical Proposals, Applicants whose Technical Proposals will be posted will be requested by the Grant Office to submit a redacted version of their Technical Proposal, with any proprietary or confidential business information and personally identifiable information redacted. All non-public information about the Applicant’s and subgrantee or subcontractor members’ staff (if applicable) should be removed as well.

Submission of a redacted version of the Technical Proposal will constitute permission by the Applicant for USDOL to make the redacted version publicly available. USDOL will also assume that by submitting the redacted version of the Technical Proposal, the Applicant has obtained the agreement of all persons and entities whose proprietary, confidential business information, or personally identifiable information is contained in the Technical Proposal to publish any unredacted information which fits under either category. If an Applicant fails to provide a redacted version of the Technical Proposal by the deadline established by USDOL, USDOL will publish the original Technical Proposal in full, after redacting only personally identifiable information. (Note that the original, unredacted version of the Technical Proposal will remain part of the complete application package, including the Applicant’s proprietary and confidential business information and any personally identifiable information).

Applicants are encouraged to maximize the grant application information that will be publicly disclosed, and to exercise restraint and redact only information that clearly is proprietary, confidential commercial/business information, or capable of identifying a person. The redaction of entire pages or sections of the Technical Proposal is not appropriate, and will not be allowed, unless the entire portion merits such protection. Should a dispute arise about whether redactions are appropriate, USDOL will follow the procedures outlined in the Department’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations (29 CFR Part 70).

Redacted information in grant applications will be protected by USDOL from public disclosure in accordance with federal law, including the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. § 1905), FOIA, and the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a). If USDOL receives a FOIA request for an application, the procedures in USDOL’s FOIA regulations for responding to requests for commercial/business information submitted to the government will be followed, as well as all FOIA exemptions and procedures. 29 CFR § 70.26. Consequently, it is possible that application of FOIA rules may result in release of information in response to a FOIA request that an Applicant redacted in its “redacted copy.”

5. Transparency Act Requirements

Applicants must ensure that necessary processes and systems are in place to comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. Law 109-282, as amended by section 6202 of Pub. Law 110-252). Complete information on the reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, as described in 2 CFR Part 170, Appendix A, can be found at the following Web site: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-22705.pdf.

3. Reporting

Grantees must submit copies of all required reports to USDOL by the specified due dates, unless otherwise indicated. More information on the reports and exact timeframes for their completion will be included in the cooperative agreement and the MPG.

7. Agency Contacts

Agency contact information is available on the cover page of the SCA.

8. Other Information

1. OMB Information Collection

This SCA requests information from Applicants. This collection of information is approved under OMB control number 1225-0086 (expires January 31, 2016). According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 40 hours per response. These estimates include time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, completing and reviewing the collection of information, and drafting the proposal. Any comments about the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, should be directed to the ETA.

This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a cooperative agreement. The information collected through this SCA will be used by the USDOL to ensure that cooperative agreements are awarded to the Applicant(s) best suited to perform the functions of these cooperative agreements. Submission of this information is required in order for the Applicant to be considered for award of a cooperative agreement.

2. Privacy Act and FOIA

Any information submitted in response to this solicitation will be subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and FOIA, as appropriate.

9. Appendices

1. Acronyms

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

CMEP Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

DBMS Direct Beneficiary Monitoring System

DUNS Dun and Bradstreet

ETA Employment and Training Administration

FCA U.S. Federal Cognizant Agency

FFR Federal Financial Report

FOIA Freedom of Information Act

GO Grant Officer

GoE Government of Ethiopia

GOR Grant Officer's Representative

ILAB Bureau of International Labor Affairs

ILO International Labor Organization

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MPG Management Procedures and Guidelines

NGOs Non-governmental Organizations

NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

OCFT Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking

OMB Office of Management and Budget

PIO Public International Organization

SAM System for Award Management

SF Standard Form

SCA Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement Applications

TDA Trade and Development Act

TPR Technical Progress Report

TVPRA Trafficking Victims Protection and Reauthorization Act

USAID U.S. Agency for International Development

USDOL U.S. Department of Labor

VAT Value Added Tax

2. Definitions

1. “Acceptable work,” while not specifically defined in the ILO Conventions, is work that is performed by children who are of legal working age, in accordance with national legislation and international standards, namely ILO Conventions 182 and 138; non-hazardous; non-exploitative; and does not prevent a child from receiving the full benefit of an education. For example, “acceptable work” would generally include light work that is compatible with national minimum age legislation and education laws.

2. A “Child” or “children” are individuals under the age of 18 years. For the purposes of this solicitation, the term “youth” will be used for older children who are age 14 to 17.

3. “Child labor” includes those children (minors under age 18) working in the worst forms of child labor as outlined in ILO Convention 182 and children engaged in work that is exploitative and/or interferes with their ability to participate and complete required years of schooling, in line with ILO Convention 138. ILO Convention 182 defines the WFCL as:

1. all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labor, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict;

2. the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, the production of pornography or for pornographic performances;

3. the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties; and

4. work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.

Grantees are encouraged to consult Recommendation 190 accompanying ILO Convention 182 for additional guidance on identifying hazardous forms of work. According to ILO Convention 182, hazardous work “shall be determined by national laws or regulations or by the competent authority, after consultation with the organizations of employers and workers concerned, taking into consideration relevant international standards…” As this suggests, forms of work identified as “hazardous” for children [Article 3(d)] may vary from country to country. ILO Recommendation No. 190, which accompanies ILO Convention 182, gives additional guidance on identifying “hazardous work.” ILO Recommendation No. 190 states in Section II, Paragraph 3 that, “[i]n determining the types of work referred to under Article 3(d) of the Convention [ILO Convention 182], and in identifying where they exist, consideration should be given, inter alia to:

1. work which exposes children to physical, psychological, or sexual abuse;

2. work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces;

3. work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;

4. work in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, expose children to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health;

5. work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night or work where the child is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer.

ILO Recommendation No. 190 goes on to state in Paragraph 4 that, “[f]or the types of work referred to under Article 3(d) of the Convention and Paragraph 3 above, national laws or regulations or the competent authority could, after consultation with the workers’ and employers’ organizations concerned, authorize employment or work as from the age of 16 on condition that the health, safety and morals of the children concerned are fully protected, and that the children have received adequate specific instruction or vocational training in the relevant branch of activity.”

4. “Children at high-risk of entering child labor” refers to children who experience a set of conditions or circumstances (family environment or situation, proximity to economic activities prone to employ children, etc.) under which the child lives or to which the child is exposed that make it more likely that the child will be employed in child labor (e.g. siblings of working children). The definition of high-risk should be defined by the project and used in the baseline survey.

5. “Cooperative agreement” refers to an award instrument where substantial involvement is anticipated between the donor (USDOL) and the Grantee during the performance of project activities. The level of monitoring and accountability required by USDOL under a cooperative agreement is less than what is required under a contract, but more than what is required under a regular grant.

6. “Cost sharing” means any method by which the Grantee accomplishes the work of the grant, or work that supports or enhances the goals of the grant, with funds or other things of value obtained from the Grantee and/or non-Federal third parties. These methods may include “matching funds” and “in-kind contributions.”

7. “Decent work” is an initiative led by the ILO that promotes higher productivity and fair income for all workers. It is based on four components: (1) job creation, (2) exercise of labor rights, (3) expansion of social protection programs, and (4) social dialogue.

8. “Direct beneficiaries” are children and households that have been provided with educational and livelihood services and leadership training.

9. “Direct beneficiary monitoring system” DBMS monitors provision of educational and livelihood services provided to direct beneficiaries as well as monitoring of children’s education and work status.

10. “Direct educational services” may involve either of the following:

The provision of goods and/or services (if lack thereof is a barrier to education) that meets direct beneficiaries’ specific needs and results in their enrollment in at least one of the four categories of educational activities listed below. Examples of goods and/or services that may meet the specific gaps/educational needs of targeted children include tutoring, school meals, uniforms, school supplies and materials, books, tuition and transportation vouchers, or other types of non-monetary incentives.

The four categories of educational activities that qualify are:

• Non-formal or basic literacy education- This type of educational activity may include transitional, leveling, or literacy classes so that a child may either be mainstreamed into formal education and/or can participate in vocational training activities;

• Vocational, pre-vocational, or skills training- This type of training is designed to develop a particular, marketable skill (i.e., mechanics, sewing);

• Formal education - This is defined as the formal school system within the select country; or

• Mainstreaming - This type of educational activity involves transitioning children from non-formal education into the formal education system. Generally, mainstreaming involves the provision of goods and/or services that may assist in placement testing and enable a child to attend and stay in school.

OR

The direct provision of at least one of the following two educational activities by the project to its direct beneficiaries:

• Non-formal or basic literacy education; or

• Vocational, pre-vocational, or skills training.

Grantees must be able to match a particular service or educational or training opportunity to an individual child. Therefore, project interventions such as infrastructure improvements to schools and other learning environments, teacher training, construction of latrines, inclusion of child labor modules in teacher curriculum, or the provision of classroom chalkboards are not considered “direct educational services” as defined above (see definition of “other project interventions”).

11. “Direct services” are interventions that include educational and livelihood services and leadership training provided by the project.

12. “Educational services” refers to formal or non-formal education:

• Formal education services refer to education provided and/or recognized by the government. Formal education may include government schools, private schools, religious schools, etc. The support of formal education may involve the provision of goods and/or services including direct costs such as school fees and teaching and learning materials and indirect costs such as school uniforms, transportation costs, etc. These goods and/or services are intended to ensure that the child will attend and stay in school.

• Non-formal education services refer to education provided by any organization or body outside of the formal school system. This education may include literacy, mainstreaming education, accelerated learning, community-based education, bridge courses, remedial education, life skills, etc. Non-formal education services may lead to mainstreaming into formal education or equivalent school certificates.

• Vocational education services refer to education and/or training related to a specific vocation, trade or occupation. For the purposes of a project(s) funded under this solicitation, a child under the age of 18 who receives vocational education services will be counted as having received an educational service. Vocational education services may also be provided to individuals 18 years of age and older in a household, including older siblings of working or at-risk children under the age of 18, if the provision of such services is intended to reduce the likelihood of child labor for a child in that household as a result of improvements to the household’s livelihood. In such cases, the Grantee will report this vocational service to USDOL as a livelihood service provided by the project.

13. “Forced labor” refers to all work or service that is exacted from any individual under menace of any penalty for nonperformance of the work or service, and for which the work or service is not offered voluntarily; or the work or service is performed as a result of coercion, debt bondage, or involuntary servitude. This definition is derived from ILO Convention 29 (Forced Labor).

14. “Hazardous work” The worst forms of child labor referred to in Article 3(d) of Convention 182 are known as “hazardous work.” According to ILO Convention 182, hazardous work “shall be determined by national laws or regulations or by the competent authority, after consultation with the organizations of employers and workers concerned, taking into consideration relevant international standards…” As this suggests, forms of work identified as “hazardous” for children [Article 3(d)] may vary from country to country. ILO Recommendation No. 190, which accompanies ILO Convention 182, gives additional guidance on identifying “hazardous work.” ILO Recommendation No. 190 states in Section II, Paragraph 3 that, “[i]n determining the types of work referred to under Article 3(d) of the Convention [ILO Convention 182], and in identifying where they exist, consideration should be given, inter alia to:

1. work which exposes children to physical, psychological, or sexual abuse;

2. work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces;

3. work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;

4. work in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, expose children to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health;

5. work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night or work where the child is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer.”

ILO Recommendation No. 190 goes on to state in Paragraph 4 that, “[f]or the types of work referred to under Article 3(d) of the Convention and Paragraph 3 above, national laws or regulations or the competent authority could, after consultation with the workers’ and employers’ organizations concerned, authorize employment or work as from the age of 16 on condition that the health, safety and morals of the children concerned are fully protected, and that the children have received adequate specific instruction or vocational training in the relevant branch of activity.”

15. “Household” consists of all persons—related family members and all unrelated persons—who occupy a housing unit and have no other usual address. For the purposes of this project a household must include at least one eligible child who is “at high-risk of entering child labor” or “engaged in child labor.”

16. “Indirect beneficiaries” are individuals who may benefit from “other direct services” and/or “other project interventions” provided by the project but who do not receive a “direct educational service.” Such individuals would not qualify as direct beneficiaries.

17. “In-Kind contributions” means goods or services committed to the project by the Grantee and/or a non-Federal third party. A Grantee will be responsible for obtaining such goods or services from the third party and applying them to the work of the grant. Failure to do so may result in USDOL’s disallowance of costs in the amount of the committed in-kind contributions.

18. “Key stakeholders” can include, but are not limited to: parents, educators, community leaders, national policy makers, and key opinion leaders.

19. “Livelihood” is defined as a means of living, and the capabilities, assets (including both material and social resources, such as, food, potable water, health facilities, educational opportunities, housing, and time for participation in the community), and activities required for it. A livelihood encompasses income, as well as social institutions, gender relations, and property rights required to support and sustain a certain standard of living. It includes access to and benefits derived from social and public services provided by the state, such as education, health services, and other infrastructure. Sustainable livelihood programs seek to create long-lasting solutions to poverty by empowering their target population and addressing their overall well-being. USDOL child labor elimination projects focus on ensuring that households can cope with and recover from the stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance present and future capabilities and assets in a way that helps them overcome the need to rely on the labor of their children to meet basic needs.

20. “Livelihood services” may include, but are not limited to, the provision or linkage to education and training, employment services, economic strengthening services, improved access to savings and credit, and social capital services. Definitions of livelihood services include, but are not limited to, the following categories:

• Livelihood education and training services aim to provide adult participants with the basic skills and knowledge necessary to benefit from social services, financial services, and higher education. Education and training services may include the provision or linkage to life skills, leadership training, financial education, and literacy and numeracy programs. Only adults⁴⁰ may be counted in this category as receiving education and training services.

• Improved access to savings and credit aims to mitigate economic shocks by leveling out the income of participants over time. These services may include village savings and loan programs, micro-insurance, micro-savings, (un)conditional cash transfer programs, health services, food programs, housing, and initiatives that aim to diversify the income sources of participants. Adults and children may receive these services.

• Social capital services aim to expand a participant’s connection within and between social networks. Social capital services may include the provision or linkage to support groups and labor sharing arrangements. Adults and children may receive social capital services.

• Employment services aim to increase employment, job retention, earnings, and occupational skills of participants. Employment services may include the provision or linkage to employment assistance programs, vocational and business training, business start-up packages, occupational safety and health training, micro-franchise programs, job placement, apprenticeships and public works programs. Adults and children of the legal working age may receive employment services.

• Economic strengthening services aim to increase the economic well-being of participants. Economic strengthening services may include the provision or linkage to micro-credit, productivity transfers, and cooperatives. Adults and children of the legal working age may receive economic strengthening services.

• Productivity transfers are inputs aimed at improving the productivity and/or efficiency of processes and may include, for example, training, seeds, fertilizers, fuel, and labor-saving technologies.

• Cooperatives are groups owned and operated by individuals, organizations, or businesses for their mutual benefit. For example, agricultural cooperatives or farmers' cooperatives may provide services, such as training, to individual farming members; pool production resources (land, machinery) so that members can farm together; provide members with inputs for agricultural production, such as seeds, fertilizers, and machinery; and engage in the transformation, distribution, and marketing of farm products.

21. “Matching Funds” means cash or cash equivalents committed to the project by the Grantee and/or a non-Federal third party. A Grantee will be responsible for obtaining such funds from the third party and applying them to the work of the grant. Failure to do so may result in USDOL’s disallowance of costs in the amount of the committed matching funds.

22. “Monitoring and evaluation” M&E consists of two basic components —performance monitoring and evaluation— each of which serve distinct purposes. Performance monitoring of changes in performance indicators reveals whether desired results are occurring and whether implementation is on track. In general, the results measured are the direct and near-term consequences of project activities. Evaluation is the systematic collection and analysis of information about the characteristics and outcomes of programs and projects as a basis for judgments, to improve effectiveness, and/or to inform decisions about current and future programming.

23. “Occupational safety and health” encompasses issues related to safe and healthy working environments and efforts to prevent workers from occupational injuries, diseases, and deaths.

24. “Other direct services” are services (1) considered essential for ensuring reduction of children in child labor and (2) provided directly to the project’s direct beneficiaries. Some examples of “other direct services” would include extracurricular activities during school breaks and psychosocial counseling or medical care (e.g., for children withdrawn from commercial sexual exploitation, child soldiering). Another example would be providing direct beneficiaries who meet minimum age requirements for employment (particularly children 14 to 17 years) with occupational safety and/or health interventions that promote safe, acceptable work (e.g., protective masks, goggles, gloves) or job placement services to facilitate children’s transition from a vocational or skills training program into acceptable work. If the project provides children with one or more “other direct services” but does not provide them with a “direct educational service,” then the project cannot count these children as “direct beneficiaries.” However, such children may be considered “indirect beneficiaries.”

25. “Public International Organization (PIO)” is an international organization composed mainly of countries. As defined by the International Organizations Immunities Act, 22 U.S.C. § 288, et seq., PIOs are eligible to apply for award. For a complete list of PIOs, please see http://transition.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/308maa.pdf.

26. “Social protection programs” include government interventions that seek to mitigate the impact of economic shocks, promote equity, and reduce poverty by providing social assistance to vulnerable populations. These can include cash transfers, microloans, health insurance, scholarships, savings, vocational training, and temporary jobs. Some of USDOL-funded projects have worked with governments to include project beneficiaries in social protection programs, provide project services to social protection beneficiaries, or conduct joint initiatives to combat child labor within the social-protection programs’ framework.

27. ”Youth” are individuals between the ages of 14 and 17 for the purposes of this solicitation.

28. “Youth development” is defined as a process which prepares young people to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood through a coordinated, progressive series of activities and experiences which help them to become socially, morally, emotionally, physically, and cognitively competent. Positive youth development addresses the broader developmental needs of youth, in contrast to deficit-based models which focus solely on youth problems.

29. “Youth employment” seeks to provide employment opportunities for youth ages 14 to 17 who currently lack decent work and face underemployment, temporary and involuntary work with few benefits, and limited opportunities for advancement. USDOL projects recognize the value of safe work for youth and their families and may support efforts to (1) promote youth employment opportunities that ensure youth can access educational, developmental, vocational, economic, and social opportunities, and (2) protect working children from hazards in the workplace.

30. “Youth Leadership and Engagement” includes the skills and knowledge gained by youth to lead and participate in their communities.

31. “Working child” is an individual under 18 years of age who engages in paid or unpaid work, whether in the formal or informal sector, for at least one hour during a given reference period. This work includes the production of goods for one’s own use, but does not include household chores carried out in a child’s own home.

3. Sample Past Performance Table

Name of Applicant/ Subgrantee/ Subcontractor	Agency/ Donor/ Organization	Agency/ Donor/ Contact Information (Name, telephone, fax, e-mail)	Name of the Project and Instrument Number	Funding Amount (in $)	Country of Implementation and Period of Performance	Brief Summary of Work Performed and Accomplishments

4. Documents Required for Application Submission

Required Documents	SCA Reference	Applicant	Subgrantee (providing services related to project intervention strategies)	Subcontractor (providing services related to project intervention strategies )
Technical Proposal	Section IV.B.1	√
Cost Proposal	Section IV.B.2	√
Past Performance Table	Section IV.B.1.d..1. Appendix D	√	√	√
Copy of the opinion letter(s) and a summary of audit findings	Section IV.B.1.d.5.	√	√	√
Documentation of Host Country Presence and Host Government Support	Section IV.B.1.d.2.	√
Key Personnel Signed Letters of Commitment	Section IV.B.1.d.4.	√	√	√
Outputs-Based Budget	Section IV.B.2.c.	√	√	√
SAM Registration	Section IV.B.2.a.	√
SF-424	Section IV.B.2.b.	√
SF-424A	Section IV.B.2.b.	√
Indirect Cost Form	Grants.gov and ILAB Web site	√	√	√

5. ILAB Common Indicators and Sub-Indicators

Due to performance reporting requirements under the Government Performance and Results Act, ILAB has developed the following indicators and sub-indicators, which may be relevant to this project:

Indicators

• Number of direct beneficiary children provided education or vocational training services.

• Number of households provided livelihood services.

• Evidence of increased country capacity to address child labor and forced labor.

Sub-Indicators

Education

• Number of children engaged in or at high-risk of entering child labor provided formal education services.

• Number of children engaged in or at high-risk of entering child labor provided non-formal education services.

• Number of children engaged in or at high-risk of entering child labor provided vocational services.

• Number of children trafficked or in commercial sexual exploitation, or at high-risk of being trafficked or entering commercial sexual exploitation, provided education or vocational services. (Note: only applies to projects targeting children in these areas).

Livelihoods

• Number of adults provided with employment services.

• Number of children provided with employment services.

• Number of individuals provided with economic strengthening services.

• Number of individuals provided with services other than employment and economic strengthening.

Country Capacity

• The adaptation of the legal framework to meet international labor standards.

• Formulation and adoption of specific policies, plans, or programs to combat child labor or forced labor.

• The inclusion of child labor or forced labor concerns in relevant development, education, anti-poverty, and other social policies and programs.

• Establishment of a child labor monitoring system (CLMS) or forced labor monitoring system.

• Institutionalization of child labor and forced labor research (including evaluation and data collection).

• Institutionalization of training on child labor or forced labor issues within government agencies.

1 For more information about decent work and youth, see ILO. Global Employment Trends for Youth 2013. http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_212423.pdf

2 To learn more about OCFT, please see http://www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft

3 Depending on the source, youth in this section refers to those ages 14 to 29. Youth are defined as those ages 14 to 17 for the purposes of this solicitation.

4 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Comprehensive Youth and Workforce Development Assessment in Rural Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, June 6, 2012; available from http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/Comprehensive%20Youth%20and%20Workforce%20Development%20Assessment%20in%20Rural%20Ethiopia.pdf. See also USAID, Country Development Cooperation Strategy 2011-2015: Accelerating the Transformation Toward Prosperity, March, 2012; available from http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/Country%20Development%20Cooperation%20Strategy%20-%20Ethiopia%20March%202012.pdf. See also Nzinga H. Broussar and Tsegay Gebrekidan Tekleselassie, Youth Unemployment: Ethiopia Country Study, International Growth Centre, August, 2012; available from http://www.theigc.org/sites/default/files/yunemp_final.pdf.

5 Government of Ethiopia, Working Children in Urban Ethiopia: The Results of the Urban Employment Unemployment Survey 2009, Addis Ababa, June 2011. See also U.S. Embassy- Addis Ababa, reporting, January 24, 2014. See also Tatek Abebe and Anne Trine Kjorholt, "Social Actors and Victims of Exploitation: Working Children in the Cash Economy of Ethiopia's South," Childhood 16, no. no. 2 (May 2009). See also Afri-Tech Consult PLC, Baseline Survey on Child Labor in Gamo Gofa and Wolaita Zones of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State and Gullele Sub-city of Addis Ababa City Administration, World Vision, Addis Ababa, August 2012. See also World Vision, Ethiopians Fighting Against Child Exploitation (E-FACE), Project Document, Washington, DC, October 21, 2011. See also Desta Ayode, Rapid Assessment on Child Protection in Addis Ababa, Arada Sub City, Woreda 08, Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment (FSCE), Addis Ababa, February 2011. See also Cordaid-Tsalke, Survey on conditions of handloom weaving of the Gamo Community of the Gulele Sub city, Addis Ababa, February 2009. See also Kate Orkin, "In the Child's Best Interests? Legislation on Children's Work in Ethiopia," Journal of International Development 22 (2010). See also Yisak Tafere and Laura Camfield, Community Understandings of Children's Transitions in Ethiopia: Possible Implications for Life Course Poverty, 9781904427452, University of Oxford, Oxford, January 2009; available from http://www.younglives.org.uk/files/working-papers/wp41-community-understandings-of-children2019s-transitions-in-ethiopia-possible-implications-for-life-course-poverty.

6 Deon Filmer, Louise Fox, Karen Brooks, Aparajita Goyal, Taye Mengistae, Patrick Premand, Dena Ringold, Siddharth Sharma, and Sergiy Zorya, Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa, The World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014; available from http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/01/22/000333037_20140122103542/Rendered/PDF/840830PUB0v20R00Box382131B00PUBLIC0.pdf.

7 USAID, Comprehensive Youth and Workforce Development Assessment in Rural Ethiopia.

8 Deon Filmer, Louise Fox, Karen Brooks, Aparajita Goyal, Taye Mengistae, Patrick Premand, Dena Ringold, Siddharth Sharma, and Sergiy Zorya, Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa. See also Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings, Top Priorities for the Continent in 2013: Foresight Africa, January, 2013; available from http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2013/01/foresight%20africa/foresight%20africa_2013.pdf. See also Kristen Devlin, Reducing Youth Unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa, April, 2013; available from http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2013/youth-unemployment-africa.aspx.

9 Sara Elder and Koko Siaka Koné, Labour market transitions of young women and men in sub-Saharan Africa, International Labour Office, Geneva, February, 2014; available from http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_235754.pdf.

10 U.S. Embassy- Addis Ababa, reporting, January 24, 2014.

11 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary. Total, [accessed February 4, 2013]; ; available from http://www.uis.unesco.org/Pages/default.aspx?SPSLanguage=EN. Data provided is the gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary school. This measure is a proxy measure for primary completion. For more information, please see the “Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions” section of this report. See also Nzinga H. Broussar and Tsegay Gebrekidan Tekleselassie, Youth Unemployment: Ethiopia Country Study.

12 United Nations, International Year of Youth Regional Overview: Youth in Africa, September 3, 2012; available from http://www.youtheconomicopportunities.org/resource/268/regional-overview-youth-africa.

13 Government of Ethiopia, Ethiopia: Demographic and Health Survey, ICF International, Addis Ababa, March 2012.

14 Nzinga H. Broussar and Tsegay Gebrekidan Tekleselassie, Youth Unemployment: Ethiopia Country Study.

15 Deon Filmer, Louise Fox, Karen Brooks, Aparajita Goyal, Taye Mengistae, Patrick Premand, Dena Ringold, Siddharth Sharma, and Sergiy Zorya, Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa. See also UNESCO, UNESCO SHS Strategy on African Youth: Towards and Enabling Policy Environment for Youth Development and Civic Engagement in Africa (2009-2013), Paris, April 7, 2010; available from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001875/187571e.pdf. See also United Nations, International Year of Youth Regional Overview: Youth in Africa.

16 Labour Proclamation, Public Law Number 377/2003, (February 26, 2004); available from http://chilot.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/proc-no-377-2003-labour.pdf.

17 ILO Committee of Experts, Individual Observation concerning Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) Ethiopia (ratification: 1999) Published: 2011 April 15, 2014; available from http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/iloquery.html. See also Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs official, Interview with USDOL consultant, June 9, 2009. See also Labour Proclamation.

18 Labour Proclamation. See also Jeff Wheeler and Keith Goddard, Assessement of Ethiopia's Labor Inspection System, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC, March, 2013; available from http://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/2013AssessmentEthiopiaLaborInspection.pdf.

19 U.S. Embassy- Addis Ababa, reporting, January 24, 2014. See also U.S. Department of State, "Ethiopia," in Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2013, Washington, DC, February 27, 2014; available from http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/220323.pdf.

20 World Vision, Ethiopians Fighting Against Child Exploitation (E-FACE), Technical Progress Report, Addis Ababa, September 30, 2013.

21 U.S. Embassy- Addis Ababa, reporting, January 24, 2014. See also ILO, Technical Memorandum: Ethiopian Labour Inspection Audit, Geneva, October 29, 2009; available from http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---lab_admin/documents/publication/wcms_119248.pdf.

22 Gondar University official, Interview with USDOL official, February 17, 2014. See also MOLSA official, Interview with USDOL official, February 19, 2014.

23 U.S. Embassy- Addis Ababa, reporting, February 4, 2013. See also World Vision, Ethiopians Fighting Against Child Exploitation (E-FACE), Technical Progress Report, Washington, DC, September 30, 2012.

24 Government of Ethiopia, Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2013-2015., International Labor Organization, November, 2013. See also Government of Ethiopia, National Human Rights Action Plan 2013-2015, Addis Ababa, June, 2013; available from http://www.ehrc.org.et/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=E2YA0XI%2BSHM%3D&tabid=115.

25 Government of Ethiopia, National Youth Policy, Addis Ababa, July 2005; available from http://www.mysc.gov.et/youth.html.

26 Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Procedures, Protocols and Guidelines for Identification Withdrawal, Rehabilitation and Integration of Victims of the Worst forms of Child Labour (Solid Waste Management). International Labour Organization, Addis Ababa, January, 2010. See also Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Protocols and Guidelines for Identification Withdrawal, Rehabilitation and Integration of Victims of the Worst forms of Child Labour (Traditional Weaving Sector). International Labour Organization, Addis Ababa, January, 2010.

27 Government of Ethiopia, National Employment Policy & Strategy of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, December, 2009.

28 Government of Ethiopia, Growth and Transformation Plan 2010/11-2014-15, Addis Ababa, November 2010.

29 Government of Ethiopia, National Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET) Strategy, Addis Ababa, August 2008; available from http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Ethiopia/Ethiopia_National_TVET_Strategy.pdf.

30 USAID, Comprehensive Youth and Workforce Development Assessment in Rural Ethiopia.

31 World Vision, Ethiopians Fighting Against Child Exploitation (E-FACE).

32 USDOL, Global Action Program on Child Labor Issues (GAP), Technical Cooperation Project Summary, Washington, DC, 2011. See also ILO-IPEC, Global Action Program on Child Labor Issues, Technical Progress Report, Geneva, April, 2013. See also ILO, Global Research on Child Labor Measurement and Policy Development, Project Document, Geneva, 2013.

33 Ministry of Women Youth and Children official, Interview with USDOL official, February 10, 2014. See also U.S. Embassy- Addis Ababa, reporting, January 24, 2014. See also U.S. Embassy- Addis Ababa, reporting, February 4, 2013.

34 This could include youth with disabilities or youth who are at risk of exploitative labor as a result of a parent’s disability.

35 For more information, see The World Bank, How to Make Youth Employment Programs More "Girl-friendly", December 2012.

36 U.S. Department of State, President's Young African Leaders Initiative, [n.d.]; available from http://www.state.gov/p/af/rt/pyali/].

37 The GO reserves the right to negotiate project and administrative cost levels before award.

38 OMB Circular A-122, as codified at 29 CFR Part 95, for non-profit organizations or OMB Circular A-87, as codified at 29 CFR Part 95, for State and local organizations; and OMB Circular A-21 for Educational Institutions. These cost principles are available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html. Federal Acquisition Regulations, 48 CFR Part 31, for for-profit organizations are available at: http://www.arnet.gov/far/.

39 Office of Management and Budget, OMB Memorandum 07-16 and 06-19. GAO Report 08-536, Privacy: Alternatives Exist for Enhancing Protection of Personally Identifiable Information, May 2008; available from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08536.pdf.

40 A legal adult is a person who has attained the age of 18.

45