Capacity Building and Coordination for Community-Led Monitoring 2021 | DOS MSU PEPFARCLMCB FY21

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS MSU PEPFARCLMCB FY21

The Capacity Building and Coordination for Community-Led Monitoring 2021 opportunity is a U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to Lesotho, Embassy Maseru Special Projects Office) grant competition that funds a single, countrywide coordinating organization to strengthen and organize the work of smaller community-led monitoring (CLM) grantees under the PEPFAR Small Grants Community-Led Monitoring Program for 2020-2021. The project centers on rolling out and supporting use of the Lesotho PLHIV Facility Feedback Tool, which is meant to capture the lived experiences and service feedback of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and other service recipients at health facilities. The broader intent is to support Lesotho's Ministry of Health and PEPFAR efforts to achieve HIV epidemic control by making HIV services more evidence-based and client-centered, and by identifying practical, site-level fixes to problems that keep people from getting quality prevention, care, and treatment.

The grant is designed to address a common gap in monitoring programs: smaller community groups may have access to clients and facilities, but often need hands-on support to collect data consistently, manage funds properly, and report results in ways that decision-makers can use. Under this award, the selected coordinating organization is expected to train, support, and equip the selected CLM sub-grantees on community-led monitoring approaches, data collection, grant management, and reporting. A key coordination requirement is to prevent duplication by ensuring the various CLM grantees are not monitoring the same facilities unnecessarily. The coordinator also plays the central aggregation role: it must compile the data gathered across grantees and share findings and recommendations semi-annually with PEPFAR (through the Special Projects Office) and with relevant national and local stakeholders, including Health Facility Committees, District Health Management Teams, the Ministry of Health as appropriate, civil society organizations, and others who can act on the feedback.

Funding is capped at USD 50,000, with one expected award, and a planned 12-month project period. Applicants are asked to propose an anticipated start date of March 1, 2021, and the program is explicitly subject to the availability of funds. While only one award is anticipated, the Special Projects Office notes it retains broad discretion during the selection process, including rejecting applications, negotiating changes, and requesting clarifications or modifications to budgets and workplans before making a final award.

Eligibility focuses on established, legally registered non-governmental actors in Lesotho that can credibly operate at a national scale and support multiple community grantees. Applicants must have been in operation for at least five years and must be able to demonstrate strong internal controls and financial monitoring systems, since routine financial and narrative reporting is required. The opportunity is open to NGOs, networks representing key populations, PLHIV networks, and other affected groups that gather observations and data on HIV service delivery with an emphasis on direct input from treatment recipients. One major restriction is that organizations currently funded by PEPFAR to deliver health services in the community or at health facilities are prohibited from applying, to avoid conflicts of interest between service provision and independent monitoring. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, but organizations or partners listed on the SAM Excluded Parties List (debarred/suspended entities) are not eligible to apply or participate in award activities.

The application package is document-heavy and compliance-driven. Submissions must include the completed and signed federal forms SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B, plus a cover page with a clear summary table (organization name, project title, target districts/locations, and primary contact details) and a table of contents that lists all attachments. The proposal narrative can use the applicant's own format, but it must clearly explain the organization and the planned program in plain terms, including goals and objectives, strategic approach and tools, detailed activities, measurable results, timeline and schedule, key personnel, and a monitoring and evaluation plan. The budget must be presented in U.S. dollars and also estimated in Maloti using an exchange rate of 1 USD = 15 Maloti, and it must not exceed the USD 50,000 ceiling; a budget narrative is also required. Additional required attachments include a copy of the organization's constitution, a list of committee/board members with names and addresses, and project bank account details (bank name, account name, account number, and account type). The solicitation is clear that incomplete applications or applications missing required documentation will not be reviewed.

The submission window ran from December 1, 2020 through January 29, 2021. Applications could be submitted by email to grantsmaseru@state.gov or delivered/mailed to the U.S. Embassy Maseru Special Projects Office in Maseru. Late applications, incomplete packages, or submissions missing documentation are rejected. The Special Projects Office also reserves the right to request additional documentation beyond what is listed in the announcement, and finalists should be prepared for steps such as interviews, clarifications, and a possible pre-award site visit. After an initial eligibility screening, proposals are scored against how responsive they are to the NOFO, whether the implementation plan is realistic and achievable within 12 months, the clarity and measurability of objectives and timelines, and whether the budget is reasonable and aligned to the proposed activities and expected results.

Applicants are also required to obtain standard U.S. government registrations at no cost: a DUNS number, an NCAGE code, and SAM.gov registration, with a warning that SAM registration can take up to four weeks, so organizations are expected to start early. If selected, the award is formally issued and administered by a Grants Officer, and the final assistance award agreement governs reporting schedules and other administrative terms. Program and financial reports are mandatory, and fund disbursement is tied to timely submission of those reports, reinforcing that this opportunity prioritizes both community engagement and disciplined grant management.

• The Department of State, U. S. Mission to Lesotho in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Capacity Building and Coordination for Community-Led Monitoring 2021" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.029.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 03, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 29, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for DOS MSU PEPFARCLMCB FY21

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