USAID/Georgia is requesting applications from Georgian civil society organizations (CSOs) in support of its new Elections and Political Processes project (2019-2023). Proposed CSO activities will aim to improve how Georgian citizens and their diverse interests are represented and satisfied through the political system. USAID intends to provide approximately $4-$5 million in total USAID funding, subject to the availability of funds, to Georgian organizations through approximately 5-7 assistance awards with up to a 42-month period (3.5 years) of performance between 2019 and 2023.
More information can be found in our interview with Peter Wiebler of USAID/Georgia.
- empower and enable the electorate to effectively demand issues-based political party programs and policy agendas responsive to their needs;
- level the electoral playing field to ensure elections are free and fair competitions;
- boost participation and representation of politically marginalized groups (e.g. women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities) to ensure their interests are heard and represented by the political system.
Dear Applicants:
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications from eligible Georgian organizations (see Section C for eligibility requirements) to implement activities under the program entitled “Georgia Elections and Political Processes Support through Direct Awards to Georgia’s Civil Society Organizations (2019-2023)” as fully described in the attached Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The authority for the NOFO is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.
The activities envisioned under this NOFO (and another activity awarded separately) constitute a single project with the purpose that “Georgian citizens and their diverse interests are better represented and satisfied through the political system.” These activities will directly contribute to Development Objective One of USAID’s goal in Georgia, “Democratic checks and balances and accountable governance enhanced,” and indirectly contribute to Development Objective Two, “Inclusive and sustainable economic growth.” Please refer to the Program Description (Section A) for a complete statement of goals and expected results.
USAID anticipates issuing 5-7 awards to Georgian organizations. Subject to the availability of funds, USAID intends to provide approximately $4-5 million in total USAID funding. The period of performance for each award will be within a 42-month period between CY2019 and CY2023.
USAID welcomes applications from organizations which have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.
In order to best support a variety of creative approaches and activities by Georgian organizations that contribute to the attainment of project objectives, this NOFO utilizes a two-stage process for applications:
In the first phase, Georgian organizations may submit a short concept paper outlining their proposed program and its intended results. USAID will evaluate all concept papers received, and the organizations which submitted concept papers that receive a “pass” according to the criteria in the NOFO will be invited to submit full applications in the second phase. (See Section D for complete information on the application process and Section E for the process USAID will use to review applications.)
In the second phase, invited Applicants must submit a full application consisting of a technical portion and a cost portion in separate volumes. The budget must be submitted in unlocked Excel format with all formulas to demonstrate calculations. Applicants are also required to sign the Affirmation of Certifications (see the link on section Cost Application Format 3.2.5 of this NOFO).
All guidance included in this NOFO takes precedence over any reference documents referred to in the NOFO.
USAID/Georgia will hold a pre-solicitation conference for interested applicants on the date and time listed above. Further information regarding the conference can be found in Section D. Any clarifying questions concerning this NOFO should be submitted via email to Justin Gunnoe, Agreement Officer, at jgunnoe@usaid.gov with a cc to Ekaterine Gamezardashvili, Acquisition & Assistance Specialist at egamezardashvili@usaid.gov by the date listed above.
Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government, nor does it commit the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application.
In addition, the final award of any resultant award cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal USAID procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, Applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. The application is submitted at the risk of the Applicant: should circumstances prevent award of an agreement, all preparation and submission costs are at the Applicant's expense.
Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.
Sincerely,
Justin Gunnoe
Regional Agreement Officer
29 Georgian-American Friendship Avenue
Didi Dighomi, Tbilisi 0131, Georgia
Tel: (995 32) 254 4000
Fax: (995 32) 254 4145
www.usaid.gov/Georgia
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION (More details are here)
1. Summary USAID/Georgia seeks to improve how Georgian citizens and their diverse interests are represented and satisfied through the political system. For this purpose, USAID intends to provide approximately $4-$5 million in total USAID funding, subject to the availability of funds, to Georgian organizations through approximately 5-7 assistance awards with up to a 42-month period (3.5 years) of performance between 2019 and 2023.
This NOFO is in support of USAID’s new Elections and Political Processes project, which will be implemented from April 2019 through April 2023. Activities procured under this NOFO will contribute to the following project sub-purposes: (i) empower and enable the electorate to effectively demand issues-based political party programs and policy agendas responsive to their needs; (ii) level the electoral playing field to ensure elections are free and fair competitions; and (iii) boost participation and representation of politically marginalized groups (e.g. women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities) to ensure their interests are heard and represented by the political system.
USAID envisions supporting activities under three separate and distinct components of this program description:
1.) Voter empowerment and voter education
2.) Oversight of elections and political processes
3.) Development of future political leaders
USAID intends to make at least one award under the first component, multiple awards under the second component, and at least one award under the third component.
USAID strongly encourages prospective Applicants to thoroughly review all the additional background materials listed in Section H or included as attachments to this NOFO to gain a more complete understanding of the context and aspirations of this project before preparing their concept notes and applications.
2. Background
In 2003, mounting public discontent over rampant corruption and ineffective government services, followed by an attempt by the incumbent Georgian Government to manipulate parliamentary elections in November of the same year, touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze, who had been president since 1995. In the aftermath of that popular movement, which became known as the Rose Revolution, new elections in early-2004 swept Mikheil Saakashvili into power along with his United National Movement (UNM) party. Progress on market reforms and democratization had been made in the years since independence in 1992, but the progress had been complicated by Russian assistance and support to the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Periodic flare-ups in tension and violence culminated in a five-day conflict in August 2008 between Russia and Georgia, including the invasion of large portions of undisputed Georgian territory. Russian troops pledged to pull back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late-August 2008, Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Billionaire philanthropist Bidzina Ivanishvili’s unexpected entry into politics in October 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the October 2012 parliamentary elections and removed UNM from power.
These parliamentary elections of 2012 ushered in a new era in Georgian politics. The elections marked the first time that an incumbent accepted defeat in elections and agreed to a peaceful transfer of power. In 2013, Giorgi Margvelashvili won the presidential elections, which ended a tense year of power-sharing between Saakashvili and new Prime Minister Ivanishvili. Not long after, Ivanishvili voluntarily resigned and appointed Irakli Garibashvili. Local elections in 2014, together with the 2013 presidential victory, completed the full transition to the Georgian Dream Coalition. These developments looked highly promising for democracy as the former ruling party, United National Movement (UNM), did not disappear from the political stage, but remained the most prominent opposition party. Despite the significant advances that UNM made between 2003 and 2012 related to state building, the eradication of corruption, and the reform of public services, there had begun a growing concern that UNM’s strangle-hold on power had stalled democratic progress in Georgia. The 2012 elections and their consequences changed this outlook and there was renewed hope that the transition in power would help consolidate the democratic gains that had been made in Georgia following the Rose Revolution.
In December 2015, less than a year before the upcoming parliamentary elections, Garibashvili was replaced as Prime Minister by Giorgi Kvirikashvili. Eventually, Georgian Dream (GD) won a constitutional majority in the 2016 parliamentary elections, capturing 115 of 150 seats, compared to UNM’s initial 27 seats (of which 21 MPs would defect in January 2017 to form the new European Georgia party), the Alliance of Patriots’ (AoP) six seats, one seat for Industry Will Save Georgia, and one independent candidate. With the 2016 elections, the expectations for enhanced democratic development and greater political competition were greatly strained.
Following the election, GD re-initiated a constitutional reform process that began with UNM in 2010 in the interest of transitioning Georgia’s presidential republic into a European parliamentary republic. As part of the constitutional reform, changes to the electoral system fostered much discussion among parties and polarized political debate in the country. Parties and civil society organizations did not reach a broad consensus over the amendments. In September 2017, the amendments were adopted, with the parliamentary opposition having boycotted the vote. Nevertheless, the reforms were generally positively assessed by the Venice Commission in their October 2017 official opinion.
The trend towards one-party dominance, which had been previously observed with Shevardnadze’s Union of Citizens and Saakashvili’s UNM, was confirmed with the 2017 local government elections. In the elections, GD won 62 of 64 mayoral positions and 78 percent of city council seats. The resulting overwhelming control of parliament and local government by GD signaled a concerning consolidation
of power, which manifested itself in the polarization of politics and lawmaking without the need for compromise with opposition parties. By May of 2018, popular dissatisfaction with the government began to spill over when police raids of a popular Tbilisi nightclub and the botched investigation of the murder of two minors by the Tbilisi City Court led to large-scale street protests against law enforcement and the judicial system. The protests that continued through June led to the resignation of Kvirikashvili and appointment of Mamuka Bakhtadze as the new Prime Minister, who responded to the situation by shaking up government ministries. Although GD emerged weakened from the spring protests, the embattled and often discredited opposition appeared incapable of taking advantage of the situation.
The 2018 presidential election, while representing little importance in terms of political power due to the diminished role of the president following the constitutional reforms, became highly significant after a competitive first round between the GD-endorsed independent candidate Salome Zourabichvili and UNM candidate Grigol Vashadze. Eventually President Zourabichvili won comfortably in the second round, becoming Georgia’s first female elected president. However, the means employed by both parties during the contest, were characterized as ‘concerning’ and a ‘step backwards’ for many elections and political observers. In particular, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) election observation mission stated that the campaign was overshadowed by “harsh and, at times, violent rhetoric” and that “one side enjoyed an undue advantage” due to the misuse of administrative resources, most especially the announcement of debt relief for 600,000 individuals by a private financial institution linked to the GD party chairperson just days before the second round.
The 2018 election was the last direct election of the president in Georgia as subsequent presidents will be chosen by an electoral college; the 2020 parliamentary election will be the last election under the old mixed majoritarian and proportional electoral system; and the 2024 parliamentary election will be the first election under the new fully proportional electoral system.
3. Problem Statement and Project Purposes
Georgia faces several challenges on its journey towards a stronger, more stable, resilient democracy. Of these challenges, USAID/Georgia’s new Elections and Political Processes project (2019-2023) focuses on the absent or inadequate conditions for political pluralism in Georgian society and how these challenges ultimately limit choice, competition, and the ability of the political system to deliver outcomes responsive to citizen needs.
The overarching problem that this project addresses is that Georgians are deprived of compelling choices between contending, differentiated visions for Georgia’s development when at the polls and are denied the healthy competition of policy options representing their needs in the national and sub-national legislatures. Contributing to this main problem are four sub-problems related to Georgia’s weak political parties, unengaged electorate, uneven electoral playing field, and lack of inclusion of underrepresented groups including women, youth, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
Accordingly, USAID’s project purpose is to improve how Georgian citizens and their diverse interests are represented and satisfied through the political system. This NOFO addresses three of the project’ four sub-purposes. A cooperative agreement with the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), planned for award in March 2019
Deadlines:
Deadline for Phase 1 Submissions: March 18, 2019 at 14:00 Tbilisi Time
Deadline for Phase 2 Submissions: To be provided at notice of Phase 1 completion
Deadline for Phase 2 Submissions: To be provided at notice of Phase 1 completion
If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
Ekaterine Gamezardashvili
Acquisition & Assistance Specialist
