Mercy Corps - Call for GBV Partnership in the Beqaa

About Mercy Corps:

Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. The agency pursues its mission through emergency relief services, sustainable community development, civil society and economic development initiatives. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently works in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.

Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country. In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Governance and Conflict, and Livelihoods.

Program overview:

Under the BPRM Program funded by the US government, Mercy Corps is implementing the second year of its “Holistic Humanitarian Assistance to Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon” (HHAP II). The HHAP II program aims to provide multi-sector humanitarian assistance to improve the wellbeing of conflict affected Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in Lebanon through integrated WASH services and facilities, livelihood opportunities and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) prevention and response services. The project is being implemented in the Governorates of Bekaa, Hermel-Baalbek, South Lebanon, and Nabatieh, funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM). The program takes a multi-faceted approach to achieve this goal by: (1) improving access to water and sanitation facilities and promoting improved hygiene practices; (2) creating short-term livelihood opportunities through Labor Intensive Projects (LIP); and (3) reducing SGBV through increased awareness and improved access to quality services, this is where Mercy Corps will rest on strong local partnerships to complete this SGBV component. This program will be accomplished through carefully sequencing and integrating activities, with WASH and livelihood activities integrating SGBV risk mitigation in their design and implementation.

Overview of SGBV activities within the program:

In line with LCRP protection sector, Mercy Corps will reduce SGBV-related risks and increase safe access to quality services. Mercy Corps will work with a local service provider in the Beqaa to ensure availability of confidential, survivor-centered care. Community engagement, outreach and awareness-raising will accompany interventions in all locations to ensure community members know how and where to access safe services.

 The SGBV component aims to:

• Increase awareness to address and reduce SGBV risks;
• Increase community members’ safe access to available and quality services;
• Ensure access to effective and comprehensive case management;
• Ensure men and boys’ engagement in reducing SGBV risks;
• Ensure and increase participation of gatekeepers, stakeholders, and local authorities in the approach to respond and prevent SGBV risks;
• Maintain sustainability and ensure availability of confidential, survivor-centered care, by providing capacity building to local service providers and local partners.

In collaboration with Mercy Corps, local partners will implement activities in the Beqaa Region to improve service delivery, run safe spaces for consultations with survivors, provide case management services, conduct GBV awareness raising activities and provide capacity building to local non-specialized service providers. This initial phase of partnerships is expected to run from the 2nd of January 2020 to the 24th of August 2020.

Sub-awards partners planned activities:

In coordination with Mercy Corps, the partner organizations will:

• Provide case management services to 30 cases;
• Conduct PSS and GBV awareness-sessions for 500 individuals;
• Conduct GBV awareness raising events for 1500 individuals;
• Conduct inclusive consultations which result in strategies for protection risk mitigation;
• Support community members, especially SGBV survivors to access the available services in safe and confidential manner by making referrals;
• Train 50 members of local non-specialized service providers on recognizing and responding to protection incidents and concerns;
• Engage in community outreach activities;
• Participate in Mercy Corps capacity building plan as needed.

Sub-award period and Budget:

Sub-award Budget: 67,030 USD

Sub-award Agreement Expected Starting Date: 2nd of January 2020. Expenses incurred prior to the start date are not eligible.

Sub-award Agreement End Date: 24th of August 2020.

 Eligibility Criteria for Interested Partners:

• Experience in managing communal and safe spaces;
• Experience working in informal settlements;
• Strong relationship and connections within the community, especially with refugee and other populations;
• Experience working with different age-groups including men, women, girls and boys;
• Experience managing SGBV and protection programs including case management;
• Working in the Beqaa area;
• Strong connection with community stakeholders;
• Good connection with local authorities;
• Experience managing budgets and tracking spending, forecasting, etc;
• Officially licensed from the Ministry of Social  Affairs;
• Established for at least two years.

Budget currency, budgeting instructions and any budget format requirements:

• Budget Currency: USD
• The applicant is responsible for developing the budget, based on expected actual costs to implement and support the proposed sub-award program activities.
• The funds awarded shall be used for the purposes the program description and shall be expended in accordance with the approved budget. The funds provided shall be expended within the amounts funded for the categories of expenses.
• All expenditures made with funds provided shall be for costs incurred in carrying out activities during this period.
• The Sub-recipient shall not transfer or assign any part of any funds made available under this Sub-award to any other institution or organization for the performance of the functions, duties, or obligations assumed herein unless specifically identified in the approved program description or with the prior written approval of Mercy Corps. This prohibition is not intended to restrict or limit the ability of the Sub-recipient to: rent or lease office facilities, vehicles, or other equipment specifically identified in the approved program description and budget; or enter into contracts for facility and/or equipment maintenance, protection services or for other necessary operational services required to meet the objectives of the approved program description.

Description of eligible (or ineligible) costs:

Eligible costs include any reasonable program or project costs that are needed to effectively and efficiently carry out an approved program project or community event:

·         “Direct Costs” are costs which can be identified specifically as supporting the implementation of the program activities or which can be allocated to such activities relatively easily with a high degree of accuracy.

·         “Indirect Costs” are costs which are incurred to support the general operations of an organization and are not directly attributable to a particular project.

Description of any procurement rules that flow down to sub-recipients:

All procurement transactions shall be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, open and free competition. The recipient will have or establish written procurement procedures, attendance tracking and asset management is mandatory. Procurement records and files shall include the following information at minimum:

• Basis for contractor or vendor selection;
• Justification for lack of competition when competitive bids or offers are not obtained;
• Basis for award cost or price.

The recipient shall be alert to organizational conflicts of interest as well as noncompetitive practices among contractors that may restrict or eliminate competition or otherwise restrain trade.

If the Sub-grantee uses any of the money transferred to it by Mercy Corps under this Sub-grant to buy supplies or equipment, it will buy them from local manufacturers in Lebanon (unless otherwise agreed by Mercy Corps), through an open and transparent process reflecting the principles of quality, economy and efficiency. Those supplies and equipment will be bought on the basis of competitive bids or quotations received from local manufacturers that accept the standard UNICEF contractual provisions relating to anti-personnel mines and child labor. Those supplies and equipment will be used, as far as possible, exclusively for implementation of the Program.

Description of financial reporting requirements:

The Sub-recipient shall submit a Financial Report to Mercy Corps by the 10th day of the following month. Expenses to be charged against this Sub-award must be for actual costs incurred (on a cash basis only) for authorized activities that are adequately documented.

Financial Reports shall include as an attachment a detailed schedule of the amounts being reported in the current period. The detailed schedule shall be supported by copies of invoices, receipts and other supporting documentation for each transaction.

The format of the financial report template will usually follow the budget categories used for financial reporting under the prime award. The financial report must include the following:

• The period being reported on;
• The currency of the report;
• A comparison of actual expenditures to budget estimates by summary line items for both sub-award funding and match funding;
• Columns for the current reporting period, the cumulative total for prior periods and the grand total for all expenditures through that reporting period.

Host government taxes are not allowable where the Subrecipient has an exemption from such taxes.

Requirement to submit registration document(s) and other standard documentation to show applicant is in good standing with local laws, if applicable for the country:

The applicant should submit the Ministry Of Interior and Municipalities registration and MOF registration. The applicant must have a bank account registered by the name of the organization.