| Fact Sheet Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Washington, DC February 11, 2003 FY2003 PRM Guidelines for NGO Projects: Emergency Relief for Afghan Refugees and Returnees
Introduction
The Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM)
The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) has primary responsibility within the U.S. Government for formulating U.S. foreign policy on population, refugees, and migration, and for administering U.S. refugee assistance and admissions programs. In this capacity, PRM has the lead role within the State Department in responding to complex humanitarian emergencies around the world. The Bureau also is responsible for policy leadership on the U.S. Government’s international population policies and programs, and it serves as the focal point within the U.S. Government for multilateral coordination of international migration policies and programs.
PRM’s primary refugee assistance and admissions goals relate to protection and the achievement of durable solutions. A key PRM objective is to guarantee that refugees and returning refugees worldwide have access to basic, life-sustaining resources in ways that meet internationally accepted standards of care in shelter, food supply, nutrition, water supply, sanitation, and public health. PRM’s program priorities include the promotion of refugee and returnee women’s equal access to resources -- and their participation in managing those resources. PRM also focuses considerable attention on meeting the special needs of refugee and returnee children. Security and neutrality of refugee camps and humanitarian structures is also a key concern. PRM relies mainly on UNHCR and other international organizations (IOs) to provide the basic framework of assistance to refugees and returnees, but it traditionally funds a number of NGO programs directly to fill critical gaps.
Afghan Humanitarian Crisis
The situation inside Afghanistan has changed dramatically in the past year and a half, which has given rise to a new set of humanitarian and political priorities. Prior to the demise of the Taliban in late 2001, the UN estimated that between 5 and 7 million Afghans in Afghanistan and neighboring countries were in need of assistance due to decades of armed conflict, three years of devastating drought, and Taliban misrule and oppression. The fall of the Taliban paved the way for the historic Bonn process and the loya jirga, which brought the current transitional government to power. On the humanitarian front, access to critical humanitarian supply routes was regained, UN and NGO offices were opened around the country, and most significantly, 2 million Afghan refugees returned to their homes.
The record repatriation of Afghans since October 2001 represents a major success of the international community’s efforts. Afghan refugees have placed their faith in the efforts of the transitional government and international community to bring stability, peace, and prosperity to Afghanistan. UNHCR expects that refugees will continue to “vote with their feet” beginning in March 2003, predicting that as many as 1.2 million Afghan refugees and 300,000 IDPs will return to Afghanistan during the year. While this represents an overall positive development, most of these returnees, as well as many other segments of the Afghan population, continue to require humanitarian assistance. It is currently estimated that as much as twenty percent of Afghanistan’s population of 26 million remains dependent on some form of humanitarian relief, with persons at risk thought to be about 5.2 million. Moreover, UNHCR estimates that over 3 million Afghan refugees currently remain in Pakistan and Iran. Due to the security situation, ongoing drought, persecution of certain ethnic groups, and a lack of adequate reintegration assistance, a significant number of Afghan refugees likely will remain in Afghanistan’s neighboring countries and will continue to require protection and assistance during the year and beyond.
The U.S. Government has consistently been the leading donor of humanitarian assistance to Afghans and provided over $530 million in fiscal year 2002 alone. Of this amount, PRM contributed over $145 million for programs benefiting Afghan refugees, returnees, IDPs, and conflict victims. While most of PRM’s share of funding goes toward the funding appeals of UN agencies and other IOs, a portion is made available for the direct funding of NGO programs for emergency relief to Afghan refugees and returnees.
NGO Proposals
PRM regards UNHCR as the lead humanitarian agency for Afghan refugee and returnee assistance. Nevertheless, UNHCR cannot cover all refugee/returnee needs and looks to NGOs to fill critical gaps. PRM will begin reviewing proposals from NGOs that address such gaps. These guidelines are intended to help NGOs prepare proposals that target PRM’s current funding priorities and follow the required proposal format. PRM will accept proposals from any NGO that is able to satisfy these guidelines, but priority will be given to proposals from those organizations with an established presence in the region and a proven track record in providing assistance to Afghans. Proposals must present evidence of coordination with UNHCR, and other lead international organizations, as appropriate. Project proposals should also be coordinated with relevant governments. NGOs that have never received PRM funding must be prepared to demonstrate that their organizations meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. Government, before they will be eligible to receive PRM funding. Proposals that are not consistent with the guidance herein may be rejected without review.
Current Funding Priorities
At the present time, PRM seeks to focus its funding for Afghans on the following activities, in general order of priority:
Reintegration assistance for Afghan returnees. PRM will support the efforts of UNHCR and its partners to ensure that the 2 million returnees from 2002, as well as an anticipated 1.2 million returnees in 2003, will become anchored in their home communities. To this end, PRM will support NGO projects that provide reintegration assistance to recent and future returnees and will particularly support projects that complement UNHCR’s activities and fill critical gaps in existing assistance programs. NGO projects should aim to anchor returnees in Afghanistan, enable communities to better support those refugees who have returned home, and build capacity to absorb additional returnees. Within this category, PRM will give priority to NGO projects that provide life-saving, life-sustaining or other critical reintegration support to recent returnees, with emphasis on one or more of the following activities:
Assistance to old-caseload refugees. Over the years, PRM has funded a number of NGO programs targeting old-caseload refugees in camps in Pakistan. The majority of these programs have targeted vulnerable and underserved groups among the refugee population with highly focused activities. PRM is interested in supporting programs for those vulnerable and underserved refugees that continue to require assistance, and will consider proposals for the continuation of activities benefiting old-caseload refugees. Within this category, PRM will give priority to programs that focus on one or more of the following activities:
PRM expects that many NGO projects will target mixed communities composed of refugees (or returnees), IDPs, and members of local populations. Proposed projects should target communities in which at least 50% of the beneficiary population is expected to be refugees or returning refugees. NGOs are encouraged to propose programs that include a mix of elements from the above categories. Although the list is not intended to be exclusive or binding, and PRM remains open to considering a broad range of NGO activities, priority will be given to programs that include one or more of these elements.
Applicants are encouraged to submit concept papers prior to a full proposal if they are unsure whether or not the proposed activity is consistent with PRM’s current priorities.
Submitting Proposals
Proposals will be reviewed and processed in two stages. PRM will review and approve a first tranche of proposals that are received no later than March 15, 2003. Proposals that are received by PRM after the first tranche will be reviewed shortly after May 15, 2003, which is the final deadline for submission of NGO proposals. Proposals should be written in font size no smaller than 11 point and be no longer than 20 pages, including budgets and annexes. Each official submission to PRM must include a signed, dated cover letter on NGO letterhead, and the three USG - required certifications mentioned below (available from PRM/Washington upon request – not included in the 20 page limit). Applicants should mail submissions from their Headquarters to PRM at the Washington, DC address listed below, and send an electronic copy of the proposal by e-mail. The PRM addressee must be made aware that the proposal is on its way by mail, or the package risks being turned away by Diplomatic Security. Questions can also be addressed to the individuals listed below.
Please address proposals or questions to:
Liana Brooks-Rubin Department of State PRM field offices (for questions and coordination):
Afghanistan:
Mark Jackson, Refugee Coordinator Pakistan:
Angie Bryan, Refugee Coordinator Proposal Format
Proposals submitted to PRM must be written according to the following format. Proposals that do not follow the format will be returned to the applicant.
I. Executive Summary
This section should provide the rational and justification for the proposal as follows: A. Background B. Analysis C. Profile of the Target Population D. Need III. Program Goals and Objectives A. Program Goal B. Indicators IV. Program Description This is the core of a proposal. It should clearly and concisely outline the implementation plan for each objective including those elements described below, as appropriate. It should reflect a thorough understanding of the problem described in Section II. A. Implementation Plan B. Suggested Elements 1. Context-Specific Programming 2. Beneficiary Interaction and Capacity Building 3. Coordination Efforts Explain how this program will be coordinated with government ministries. In the case of Afghanistan projects, specify whether or not the NGO is included in the Transitional Afghanistan Program for Afghanistan (TAPA). Explain efforts to coordinate with UNHCR and other international organizations or NGOs to prevent overlap and duplication. Explain how the program will interface with and complement these programs, as applicable. Describe what other NGOs are doing in the same region, identify any links between their programs and yours, and explain how your activities are coordinated. Describe the proposed initiative’s possible regional (cross-border) implications. 4. Proposals must include a copy of the NGO’s Codes of Conduct (which should reflect the IASC’s six core principles), and a discussion of how the codes of conduct will be reflected in project implementation. V. Management and Security A. Program management 1. Describe the organization’s management structure. Describe how this structure will be used to achieve the stated objectives. 2. Provide examples of past performance that demonstrate the organization’s success in implementing similar programs. B. Security VI. Monitoring and Performance Measurement A. Monitoring Plan 1. A time line to help PRM track the program’s progress. B. Performance measurement VII. Budget Include a detailed budget that is broken down by each objective of the proposed program. Staffing and office needs often cannot be easily allotted to specific objectives and can be given for the whole program, if more appropriate. Be sure the budget also includes a breakdown of the dollar amount requested from PRM, the dollar amount(s) coming from other sources (including your own organization) and the dollar amount of in-kind contributions. Indicate clearly the funding source for each activity. The budget must also be accompanied by a summary budget of the major line items and a budget narrative. VIII. Administrative Requirements All submissions must include the following:
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