Civic Education Project

Funding Opportunity DescriptionThe Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy Port Moresby (PD Port Moresby) announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry implement and manage the youth civic education project program on Papua New Guinea’s constitution for participants in Hela and Morobe Provinces.The Constitution of Papua New Guinea is the core framework document that must guide all legislative, executive, and social principles moving forward. The document is visionary and provides a template for an ideal and humane way of life for all Papua New Guineas. The Constitution must be analyzed and fully understood by youth, translated into local languages, and spread from one village to another so that all Papua New Guineans can have a better understanding of what can be given a full transition to a society ruled by law. The Constitution of Papua New Guinea is a unifying statement in a country with 100 tribes and 850 languages. To bridge the gap between these varied and diverse cultures, the Constitution outlines rights to which all citizens can and should agree to: the right to health, education, and employment; to cultural identity, and the right for women and men to live as equals. An implementing organization will be chosen to create and execute a long-term program that teaches the foundations of Papua New Guinea’s constitution and delivers an interactive mock legislative experience for youth in in Hela and Morobe Provinces. The Civic Education Project will promote the foundations of PNG’s democratic values and participatory citizenship through activities such as mock legislative sessions, mock trials, legislative training sessions, legal workshops, debates, discussions, community service, and cultural events. The Civic Education Project should include meetings with political representatives, such as provincial, regional, and national government officials, judges, health officials and law enforcement officers. The applicant organization should propose a long-term hands-on participatory youth program that teaches the tenants of PNG’s constitution, promotes the democratic practices of proposing legislation solutions followed by discussion, debate, and compromise, and how the most successful participants of the program can lead subsequent iterations of the program in new regions. Civic Education Project should also highlight America’s own constitutional system and post-colonial history, teach the basics of our federal and state structure, and demonstrate the role of the three branches of power. The applicant should indicate the resources to be used for the proposed activities, including partner organizations the applicant wishes to involve in conducting them.In order to successfully implement the project, the grantee must collaborate closely with village, provincial, and national leaders, as well as with the U.S. Embassy Port Moresby and organizations organizing similar youth legislative programs such as UNFPA and others. Proposals that feed into or build off of existing youth legislative programs will have priority. The implementer will be expected to plan for transportation, accommodation, meals and incidentals with attention to all health and safety requirements as well as to cost efficiency, legal and administrative requirements for minors’ participation in educational programs, as well as adult supervision. Cost sharing and in-kind contributions by the applicant organization and partners are welcome but not required, and may include: provision of space or securing a venue on a partner organization’s premises for the camp activities; provision of equipment; obtaining a discounted price for accommodation, room rental, etc., providing transportation and/or meals, etc. The applicant organization should provide details on their experience organizing such events and indicate possible challenges to the proposed activity and how they would address them. The partner must include an evaluation and follow-up metric as part of the program. Applications must follow the instructions outlined below.Priority Region:Project activities may take place in Hela and/or Morobe Provinces.Program Objectives:The objective of the project is to: · Engage at least 4,000 youth in Hela and Morobe Provinces over three years in a long-term (at least six month) program that teaches young adults the basics of PNG’s constitution and legal system. · Youth learn the ability to interpret the constitution and draft basic laws.· Youth improve their ability to debate, reason, and compromise. · Successful participants are given the opportunity take the program to other communities. · Youth have a better understanding of the American constitution and the U.S. federal and state framework.· Youth have a better understanding of the role of the legislative and judicial system, have better access to local and national government officials, and are advocates of PNG’s constitutional framework.· The most active participants are given the opportunity to take part in broader youth legislative programs (such as national youth parliament programs in Port Moresby or model UN programs in the United States). · Participants create their own preamble to the youth constitution in Tok Pisin. · Participants create a written or recorded playbook of legislative best practices for future parliamentarians. Project RequirementsThe project proposal must clearly state how the project beneficiaries (applicants) will be selected, the mode of training and activities, how the project implementer will deliver the proposed curriculum, a sample curriculum, and a clear timeline for implementation. The implementing partner should aim at selecting at least 2,000 participants per province. The following criteria must be met by the participants to be considered for this program:• Young adults between 15-25 years of age;• In good social standing;• Demonstrated leadership and commitment to public service. Criteria for the selection of the implementing partner will include but is not limited to the following:• Established track record for organizing educational activities;• Implementer’s ability to partner with government officials, local leaders, and multinational organizations;• The implementer host civic education programs for youth that address the powers and authorities of local governments and the central government;• Project participants are at least 60 percent female;• The program should teach the participants the basic tenants of civic engagement and assist the participants in designing a civic engagement project within their local community;• Top participants are expected to teach skills to new cohorts of participants and travel to Port Moresby or the United States for participant in nation-wide or international legislative programs. Participants and Audiences: The target audience for the program should be boys and girls with an enthusiasm for leadership and civic engagement ages 15-25 living in Hela and Morobe provinces. Participants must be energetic and available to commit up to participating in the program designed by the grantee, participating in discussions and debates, meeting with officials, taking part in networking opportunities and other events as part of the program.The civic education program must be implemented both in Hela and Morobe Provinces under this award. The budget may include travel for top participants to take part in events in Port Moresby or the United States, or to bring subject matter experts to Papua New Guinea. Proposed Project ScheduleThe grant will be awarded in September 2023. The grantee will hire and train staff in the fall of 2023. The first cohort of civic education programs in Hela and Morobe will begin in February through October 2024. Top participants will take part in nation-wide or international legislative programs in November. Top participants will lead new cohorts in Hela and Morobe February through October 2025. Follow-on activities and the small grants programs should be ongoing through the period of the grant.FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATIONLength of performance period: A maximum of 36 months. Number of awards anticipated: 2 Number of Participants: 2,000 minimum. Total available funding: $250,000 (Subject to availability of funds). Type of Funding: FY2023, funding authority rests in the Fulbright-Hays Act. Anticipated program start date: Fall 2023.This notice is subject to availability of funding.Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement.