Eligible Applicants: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"

Description:

USAID/YEMEN

Issuance Date: December 7, 2018

Closing Date:  January 7, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. local Frankfurt time (noquestions will be entertained)

Opportunity Number: 72027919RFA00001 (RFI)

Subject:  Request for Information: Inclusive Peace and PoliticalTransition Processes (PPTP) Strengthened

The U.S Agency for InternationalDevelopment Mission in Yemen requests information concerning possible development activities, ideas and approachesin support of inclusive peace and transition processes appropriate to theYemen environment to be implemented over the next two to three years withestimated funding $3 mn - $6.5 mn.  Itshould be noted that funds are currently not available for any proposedinterventions proposed under this RFI. 

The intent of thisRequest for Information (RFI) is to gain information on how best to positionUSAID/Yemen to rapidly respond to swift changes in the Yemeni environment particularlythose that might be needed to support peace and political transitionprocesses. 

This announcement is aRequest for Information, not a Request for Applications or a Notice of FundingOpportunity (NOFO) and it is not a commitment by USAID/Yemen to issue asolicitation – cooperative agreement or grant or otherwise compensate anorganization or individual for any information submitted to the U.S.Government.  

The issuance of this RFIdoes not obligate USAID/Yemen to pay for any costs incurred in the preparationand submission of the requested information. Please do not submit applications or statements of qualifications inresponse to this request.  USAID/Yemenwill not provide answers to any questions submitted in response to thisrequest.

USAID/Yemen may usefeedback and comments from this RFI to develop future program(s) and/orsolicitations.   It should be noted that responding to this RFI will notgive an advantage to an organization should there be a subsequent solicitation. Proprietary information must not be sent in response to this RFI.

Please submit theinformation requested by the closing date and time shown at the top of thiscover letter to usaidyemensolicitations@usaid.gov.

Please include in thesubject line of the email:  RFI: PPTP. Responses must be submitted in Times New Roman 11pt font in English andlimited to no more than 3 pages total (including any cover page). If yourdecides to include organizational information, please limit this to a shortparagraph of less than 600 characters inclusive of spaces.  Thisinformation is not required and will be included in the 3 page count. You willreceive electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response, butwill not receive feedback.

Sincerely,

Craig Smith

Agreement Officer

Background Information

Yemen’s currentconflict, ongoing since March 2015, is complex and multifaceted.  In 2018,fighting continues between those aligned with the Houthis and forces allied tovarious degrees with the internationally recognized Yemeni government and theSaudi-led Coalition. Going beyond this binary lens is the added issue ofsouthern separatists, the status of the General People’s Congress andungoverned spaces permitting extremism and furthering fracturing of the Stateto take root. The protracted conflict is leading to growing fragmentation andpolitical instability. A security vacuum and fractured governance have allowedAl Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Islamic State-Yemen (ISY) andother extremist groups to expand their areas of control and influence. Duringthe conflict, Yemen’s social fabric has frayed, polarizing communities anddeepening societal divisions in ways that will create significant obstacles forpeace and reconciliation processes and challenge Yemen’s stability for years tocome.

In 2012, the UnitedNations Secretary-General established a Special Political Mission for Yemen. The Mission focuses on supporting Yemen’s return to peaceful politicaltransition in accordance with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the outcomes of theNational Dialogue and Security Council resolutions.  

In February 2018, theUnited Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, appointed Martin Griffithsas the new UN Special Envoy for Yemen (UNSEY).  Since taking on thisposition, in March 2018, Special Envoy Griffiths has made a strong commitmentto reinvigorating the political process through shuttle diplomacy between thevarious stakeholders to the conflict.   Whilerecent efforts to convene the parties for proximity talks in September 2018 inGeneva did not proceed, the UNSEY continues efforts for another round of proximitytalks before the end of 2018.

On October 31, 2018 the Special Envoystated:  “I urge all concerned parties toseize this opportunity to engage constructively with our current efforts toswiftly resume political consultations to agree on a framework for political negotiationsand confidence building measures…Dialogue remains the only path to reach aninclusive agreement.”

In addition to UN efforts, on October 30, 2018,the U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated:  “The United States calls on all parties to supportthe UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, in finding a peaceful solution to theconflict in Yemen based on agreed references…It is time to end this conflict,replace conflict with compromise, and all the Yemeni people to heal throughpeace and reconciliation.”

This RFI is intended toassist USAID/Yemen with identifying the appropriate development responses (e.g., tools, activities, etc.) to women,peace and security activities, pre-peace talks, peace talks, a peace agreement, peace agreement monitoring, politicaltransition processes, reconciliation and reintegration initiatives, and associateddevelopment technical fields, which will aid Yemen and its citizens with Laying a Stronger Foundation for DurablePeace. 

Anypotential solicitations resulting from this RFI will be in support ofUSAID/Yemen’s -- Yemen Programming Approach’s Objective 2:  Yemen’s ability tomanage conflicts enhanced and more specifically, Outcome 2.3 Inclusive Peace and Transition Processes Strengthened. 

Background: Theinternational community must remain prepared to support viable national-levelpeace processes as soon as they emerge. Given the array of local conflicts andgrievances in Yemen and the fracturing of power since 2015, the success of apeace and transition process will depend largely on its ability to engage abroad array of Yemeni constituencies and the degree to which it addresses thosevarious conflicts and grievances.

Information Sought

USAID/Yemen is seeking short concise and relevant responses to the belowquestions, in order to help USAID/Yemen with identifying the appropriate typesof development interventions and activities. 

1.      What development strategies andapproaches (activities) might USAID/Yemen employ to advance peace in Yemen andassist a UN-led peace process?

2.      What development strategies andapproaches (activities) might ensure UN-led peace discussions and processes areinclusive and transparent in Yemen?

3.      What development strategies andapproaches (activities) might USAID/Yemen deploy, in the future, to support transitionalpolitical processes in Yemen? 

4.      What methodologies (activities)should USAID/Yemen utilize to ensure civil society and grassroot voicesincluding minority ethnic, tribal and religious, women and youth arerepresented in peace or political transition processes?

5.      What development methodologies(activities) should USAID/Yemen utilize to support possible reconciliation andreintegration processes?

6.      Recognizing that transitionalprocesses are established to address deep-rooted grievances, which entry pointsor opportunities exist to contribute to sustainably mitigate and addressconflict drivers to ensure a peaceful and sustainable transition process?

7.      How can localized conflict driversbe addressed through national level transitional processes?

END OF RFI