Applications Invited for Long-term Exceptional Technical Assistance Project (LEAP) Local

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About the Organization

USAID leads international development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance and help people progress beyond assistance.

USAID transforms. It transforms families, communities, and countries – so they can thrive and prosper. Whether by preventing the next global epidemic, responding to a devastating earthquake, or helping a farmer access tools to grow her business.

About the Grant

Since 2013, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided funding to embed senior advisors in National Tuberculosis Programs (NTPs) in USAID’s tuberculosis (TB) priority countries. Typically, National Infectious Disease programs in countries where USAID works confront a multitude of human resource challenges that limit their ability to plan, execute and account for national strategic objectives. The National Infectious Disease programs and other health priorities in high-burden disease countries need support developing technical expertise that can build more efficient and effective systems to prepare for, mitigate, and implement national infectious disease responses. USAID plays a critical coordination role in each country by working closely with a wide range of multisectoral stakeholders including the Ministry of Health, academic institutions, local organizations, communities and civil society, and international partners such as the World Health Organization, the Stop TB Partnership, Global Fund Principal Recipients (GF), other U.S. government (USG) Departments and Agencies, and others.

Inherent in the coordination role, USAID has long recognized the importance of engaging local organizations in responding to ID and other health program needs and partnered with them to resolve challenging issues. As the ID landscape continues to evolve, individuals and organizations in USAID partner countries are increasingly taking on leadership roles not only within their own countries, but also within the broader global health community. Technical exchange between and among low and middle-income countries is critical, not only to share knowledge and experience, but also to learn from the experiences of other countries regarding successful approaches to implementing new tools, technologies, and approaches that may be applicable more broadly. The role of individuals and (local) nongovernmental organizations partnering up with the government in USAID countries to respond to and advise on viable solutions to resolve major health threats has grown dramatically over the past decade, creating the next generation of global health leaders. The proposed project would partner with local entities to place ID technical leadership in USAID-supported MOHs and other national health entities to improve infectious disease programs and other health priorities. LEAP-Local also encourages integration of capacity building efforts to strengthen long-term institutional partnerships and systems to facilitate communication and collaboration between local entities, the MOH and other national health authorities, and USAID.

The Applicant will need to understand the relationship between high disease burden and demand for ID technical leadership. Furthermore, a strong linkage between ID technical expertise and ongoing human resource needs at the national health entity (Ministry of Health) for the betterment of the population is critical. Fulfilling a recognized gap in technical leadership will be fortified by integrating capacity building and mentorship to strengthen long-term institutional partnerships and systems to facilitate learning and technical excellence. Accordingly, USAID-supported MOHs operate in a range of social, cultural, and environmental contexts which in turn necessitate fluid approaches in provision of technical expertise in areas directly related to infectious diseases. USAID currently supports 70 technical experts across the globe.

Objectives

LEAP-Local aims to strengthen MOH systems and structures through a deliberate, longterm, provision of high-quality senior level infectious disease (ID) and other health technical experts who will help guide, strengthen, and enhance the national infectious disease programs. LEAP-Local aims to build efficient, effective, and self-reliant infectious disease and other health programs at the MOH or national health entity. Inherent in LEAP-Local’s design is capacity building and mentorship where experts embedded at national infectious disease programs will strengthen key aspects of the health portfolios, including improving coordination between disease program stakeholders involved in the country and the host government and improving quality of overall health programming.

LEAP-Local will contribute to the following objectives:

• Increase the capacity of the MOH or national health entity infectious disease and health programs to build an efficient, effective, and self-reliant system.
• Improve programming that will strengthen the overall quality of infectious disease and health services for the entire population.
• Improve coordination between infectious disease and health program stakeholders involved in the country including USAID.

Anticipated Program Activities –

• Increase the capacity of the MOH or national health entity infectious disease and health programs to build an efficient, effective, and self-reliant system
• Improve programming that will strengthen the overall quality of infectious disease and health services for the entire population.
• Improve coordination between infectious disease and health program stakeholders involved in the country including USAID

Expected Results

• Increase the capacity of the MOH or other health entity infectious disease and health programs to build more efficient, effective, and self-reliant systems.
• Improve infectious disease and health programming to ensure quality services for all populations.
• Improve coordination between infectious disease program stakeholders involved in the country including USAID.

Eligibility

Eligibility for this NOFO is restricted.

Eligibility is restricted to Non-U.S. local organizations (see definition below).

Local actors are critical players in the global health field. Engaging with local organizations can double our impact - not just deliver appropriate results but build self-reliant national infectious disease programs using local resources providing a platform for potentially greater opportunity to exist long after LEAP has ended. Additionally, LEAP-Local will facilitate a linkage between local technical expertise and a recognized human resource gap within the infectious disease portfolios at the national health entities. By targeting local entities in USAID focus countries, to provide expertise as the prime partner solutions will be locally driven with local priorities being central to an inclusive country-driven programmatic approach. Furthermore, the technical assistance will be able to engage in a meaningful, culturally appropriate, local solution driven and technically sound approach that permits continuous direct mentoring and quality improvements within the national health entity. Furthermore, applicants must meet the below conditions in a country within the region they are applying for (see section B.1 of the NOFO).

Only local organizations as defined below are eligible for the award. USAID defines a “local entity” as an individual, a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that:

• Is legally organized under the laws of; and
• Has as its principal place of business or operations in; and
• Is majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of; and
• Is managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the country receiving assistance:

For purposes of this section, ‘majority owned’ and ‘managed by’ include, without limitation, beneficiary interests and the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization's managers or a majority of the organization's governing body by any means. These eligibility requirements apply to both the principal applicant and to any sub-awardee(s).

USAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.

Local Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for federal financial assistance on the same basis as any other organization and are subject to the protections and requirements of Federal law.

How to Apply

Applications in response to this NOFO must be submitted no later than the closing date and time indicated on the cover letter, as amended. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed nor considered. Applicants must retain proof of timely delivery in the form of the email submitted.

Applications must be submitted by email to tbleap@usaid.gov. Email submissions must include the NOFO number and applicant’s name in the subject line heading. In addition, for an application sent by multiple emails, the subject line must also indicate whether the email relates to the technical or cost application, and the desired sequence of the emails and their attachments (e.g., "No. 1 of 4", etc.). For example, if your cost application is being sent in two emails, the first email should have a subject line that states: "[NOFO number], [organization name], Cost Application, Part 1 of 2".

USAID’s preference is that the technical application and the cost application each be submitted as consolidated email attachments, e.g., that you consolidate the various parts of a technical application into a single document before sending it. If this is not possible, please provide instructions on how to collate the attachments. USAID will not be responsible for errors in compiling electronic applications if no instructions are provided or are unclear.

After submitting an application electronically, applicants should immediately check their own email to confirm that the attachments were indeed sent. If an applicant discovers an error in transmission, please send the material again and note in the subject line of the email or indicate in the file name if submitted via grants.gov that it is a "corrected" submission. Do not send the same email more than once unless there has been a change, and if so, please note that it is a "corrected" email.

Applicants are reminded that email is NOT instantaneous, and in some cases delays of several hours occur from transmission to receipt. Therefore, applicants are requested to send the application in sufficient time ahead of the deadline. For this NOFO, the initial point of entry to the government infrastructure is the USAID mail server.

There may be a problem with the receipt of *.zip files due to anti-virus software. Therefore, applicants are discouraged from sending files in this format as USAID cannot guarantee their acceptance by the internet server. File size must not exceed the 20MB limit per email.

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