Shejeh Salam Activity Manual

Activity Manual | Shejeh Salam i

April 2016 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by DT GLOBAL. November 2020

This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by DT Global Inc.

ACTIVITY MANUAL SHEJEH SALAM

Activity Manual | Shejeh Salam i

ACTIVITY MANUAL SHEJEH SALAM

Submitted to:

USAID South Sudan

Prepared by:

DT Global Inc.

DISCLAIMER:

The authors’ views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

Activity Manual | Shejeh Salam ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................... iii

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1

Shejeh Salam Roles and Responsibilities ...................................................................................... 1

Joint Responsibilities .......................................................................................................................................... 1

USAID Responsibilities ...................................................................................................................................... 2

DT Global Responsibilities ............................................................................................................................... 2

Program activities .......................................................................................................................... 4

Online Database ................................................................................................................................................. 4

Grantee Identification and Selection .............................................................................................................. 4

Activity Cycle ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

Activities Pool (AP) ...................................................................................................................... 14

Grants under contract ................................................................................................................................... 14

Non-Grants under contract – STTA / DDGS .......................................................................................... 15

Non-Grants Under Contract – Construction .......................................................................................... 16

rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) .............................................................................................................. 16

Approval thresholds ....................................................................................................................................... 17

Amendments and Modifications ................................................................................................................... 17

Grant Documentation .................................................................................................................................... 17

Branding and Marking .................................................................................................................. 20

Monitoring Evaluation and Learning .......................................................................................... 20

Annexes ......................................................................................................................................... 21

Activity Manual | Shejeh Salam iii

ACRONYMS ADS Automated Directives System AE Activity Evaluation AIDAR Agency for International Development Acquisition Regulations AM Activity Manual AP Activity Pool CLIN Contract Line Item Number CO Contracting Officer COP Chief of Party COR Contracting Officer’s Representative DCOP-STA Deputy Chief of Party-Senior Technical Advisor DDGS Direct Distribution of Goods and Services EMMP Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan ERR Environmental Review Report FAA Fixed Amount Award FAR Federal Acquisition Regulations GIS Geographic Information Systems GPS Grants and Procurement Specialist GUC Grant Under Contract JRE Justification for Restricted Eligibility LCP Local Compensation Plan MEL Monitoring Evaluation and Learning MELP Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Plan POC Point of Contact RPM Regional Program Manager RRM Rapid Response Mechanism SAM System for Award Management SFD Senior Field Director SMT Senior Management Team SOW Scope of Work STTA Short-Term Technical Assistance TOC Theory of Change USAID United States Agency for International Development

Activity Manual | Shejeh Salam 1

INTRODUCTION This Shejeh Salam Activity Manual (AM) will serve as the primary reference point for the development, award, management, and close out of activities under the Shejeh Salam program. Directives provided in this manual are based on DT Global Inc.’s contract with USAID, as well as applicable regulations for acquisitions as found in the Automated Directives System (ADS) Series 300, including the USAID Acquisition and Assistance Regulations under ADS 302 and ADS 303, and the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and USAID Acquisition Regulations (AIDAR). FAR, and ADS clauses are cited throughout the document. The AM will be updated to incorporate any changes to USAID policy or regulations as they occur. On September 30, 2020, USAID launched the Shejeh Salam program to complement overall USAID efforts to support South Sudan’s transition from war to peace through the following four objectives:

1. Local actors are building crossline interdependence and intra-community cohesion to promote peace processes and peaceful co-existence

2. Civil society actors are advocating for peace, justice, reconciliation, and reform; and participating in political and civic processes

3. Key partners are providing trauma awareness services to communities

4. Print, radio, and other media are providing accurate, fair and thorough information to mitigate the destructive impact of rumor and misinformation

This manual contains guidance, policies, and standards for the selection, award and administration of activities under the Shejeh Salam program. These activities will include both in-kind and Fixed Award Amount (FAA) or cash grants to a wide range of partners throughout South Sudan, as well as short term technical assistance (STTA), direct delivery of goods and services (DDGS) and construction activities. Shejeh Salam will also utilize a “rapid response fund” (RRF) to maintain the flexibility to respond to emerging needs, changes in the context, and new opportunities. All activities will be managed in close collaboration with USAID at all stages in the activity cycle.

SHEJEH SALAM ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES DT Global recognizes the importance of the “one-team” approach in the successful implementation of complex and politically sensitive programs. Both DT Global and USAID must work as one team in designing and implementing activities to ensure programmatic success, while maintaining programmatic flexibility.

JOINT RESPONSIBILITIES

USAID and DT Global will function as an integrated team with a shared vision and commitment to the program's success. It is this type of approach that will allow for successful implementation of Shejeh Salam. USAID and DT Global staff will conduct ongoing political analysis, work in a consultative manner on program design and implementation and collaborate with appropriate USAID and embassy staff. USAID and DT Global will regularly re-examine programmatic goals and objectives, roles and responsibilities, lines of communication, and policies and procedures at scheduled strategic planning/team building events. This continual learning approach provides a formal process for strengthening team skills and program focus.


USAID has a distinct, hands-on management style and can be described as an implementing or operational donor. USAID views DT Global as its implementing partner in South Sudan. To facilitate communications, USAID and DT Global commit to a “Triangle” management structure to clearly define the anticipated relationships between USAID and DT Global. The chart below illustrates the relationships between the three corners that manage Shejeh Salam.

Figure 1: Triangle Model

USAID RESPONSIBILITIES

• The USAID team is led by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), working in close collaboration with USAID and the U.S. Embassy. USAID is responsible for program goals and objectives and holds final authority for activity approval. With support from the implementation team, the COR will provide technical direction to Shejeh Salam, driven by program and mission priorities.

USAID is engaged extensively in the activity development phase, meeting with Shejeh Salam field teams and awardees when possible to ensure that the proposed activity can be designed to accomplish the objectives. During implementation, USAID is involved in reviewing products and deliverables, as it sees fit. Shejeh Salam staff are encouraged to work directly with USAID staff when problems arise and work together to find acceptable solutions.

DT GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITIES

DT Global is responsible for implementing the program by managing all administrative, logistical, procurement, recruitment, human resources, and financial aspects, and by providing all required personnel, equipment (office equipment, vehicles, and communications) and facilities to meet program

USAID South Sudan

Led by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

DT Global

Field Corner South Sudan

Led by the Chief of Party (COP)

DT Global

HQ Led by the Home

Office Point of Contact (HOPOC)


commitments as described in this statement of work. The fluid situation requires that DT Global be prepared to expand, diminish, or change operations quickly. This process should be done in coordination and consultation with CO, COR, and USAID DT Global program staff, in close coordination with USAID, play a critical role in actively identifying awardees, developing grant activities with the awardee, entering grant information in the Shejeh Salam Activity Database, and ensuring that the database is updated with grant information as implementation progresses. DT Global will monitor and evaluate the awardee deliverables. The chart below provides an overview of how this partnership contributes to shared responsibilities between USAID and DT Global on Shejeh Salam. Figure 2: Shejeh Salam and USAID-IP Responsibilities

SHEJEH SALAM USAID-IP PARTNERSHIP

USAID RESPONSIBILITIES

SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES

CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Overall Direction and Analysis Effective Strategy and Approach Local Analysis to support USAID Decisions

U.S. Government Relations Donor coordination

Political Vision and Analysis (what do we do and why do we do it) Relations with local political actors

Local Relations

Activity Guidance, Review and Approval Interactive Activity Development Activity Ideas

Activity Development, Procurement (for in-kind), and Execution

Monitoring Overall Program Outcomes

Monitoring Implementation Information Management Evaluating Outcomes Reporting

Activity Outcomes

Handover/USAID Exit Legacy (Success and Failure) Close Out

Working with the USAID, DT Global will be involved in all aspects of the program—providing advice to USAID regarding strategic programming decisions and implementing program activities based on USAID technical guidance and decision-making. The level and quality of this close interaction and one-team approach is critical to overall program success. This approach is important for dealing with the stresses and strains of rapidly implementing a complex and politically delicate program in an uncertain environment while maintaining programmatic flexibility. The regular periodic re-examination of programmatic goals and objectives, roles and responsibilities, lines of communication, policies, and procedures through regular meetings, at scheduled rolling assessments, and at strategic review sessions provides a formal process for strengthening program focus. Given existing limitations as a result of COVID-19, the need for a rolling assessment or strategic review sessions will be determined jointly by USAID and DT Global. Weekly USAID/DT Global Senior Management Team (SMT) meetings ensure that all members of the team are coordinated and have a shared understanding of program status and next steps. During start-up and close-out, meetings are


typically used to coordinate timely completion of tasks and deliverables to start-up and close-out the program effectively. During full implementation, weekly and ad hoc meetings will take place, as needed, to ensure the program is running as effectively as possible, talk through challenges and potential solutions both operationally and programmatically. During quarterly reporting, Shejeh Salam will submit success stories/photos to explain what success looks like. At least one ‘success story’ will be submitted per quarter, beginning in the second year of project implementation. These success stories will be used for USAID communication needs.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

ONLINE DATABASE

Shejeh Salam employs an online database through DevResults to manage activities and monitoring and evaluation processes. DevResults is DT Global’s main tool for managing the activity cycle, including yellow light (or concept approval) and greenlight (grant activity approval) requests, as well as for managing the large amounts of information collected on a day-to-day basis by field staff involved with Shejeh Salam. Staff must maintain activity files according to relevant file checklists and must upload activity notes on a weekly basis during the implementation phase of an activity. Shejeh Salam employees will become familiar with DevResults and receive internal training on effective use. DevResults will also collate Geographic Information System (GIS) information, tracking coordinates for all program activities. DevResults will be able to turn this information into maps that clearly identify where Shejeh Salam’s activities have taken place, disaggregated by objective or beneficiary numbers as desired. DT Global also uses Microsoft Teams for all of its programs as a document repository and internal communication space.

GRANTEE IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION

Prior to entering the activity cycle Shejeh Salam will identify grantees through a combination of competitive, limited identification of grantees, as described in annex 2, the Shejeh Salam Justification for Restricted Eligibility (JRE) Guidelines document which has been written in accordance with the latest updates on open and restricted eligibility in ADS303.

ACTIVITY CYCLE

The Activity Cycle (annex 1) is the process by which activities are identified, designed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated. DT Global expects the Activity Cycle to evolve to reflect the needs of the team and will continually incorporate any lessons learned to ensure the Activity Cycle is as effective as possible. For Shejeh Salam to run effectively, staff are required to understand the various stages of the Activity Cycle and the key requirements of each stage. Five discreet stages compose the Activity Cycle: Concept Phase, Pending Phase, Cleared Phase, Completed Phase, and Closed.

CONCEPT (IDEA DEVELOPMENT) PHASE Identification


Shejeh Salam staff identify potential activities through meetings with local actors, civil society and media organizations. Ideas can come from anyone including from USAID, and the team may look to take it forward so long as it falls within Shejeh Salam’s objectives, available budget and standards. This process will be done in coordination and consultation with CO, COR, and USAID. Concept Note Regional Program Managers (RPM)s or assigned members of the Shejeh Salam team, develop an activity summary (who, what, where, when, why, and how), an estimated budget, and other initial details to be entered in the YL Proposal Template (Annex 5). Once the initial estimated budget, potential awardee(s), activity type, and activity details have been identified, the POC will upload yellow light ideas to Microsoft Teams to solicit feedback from the SMT and the Technical Team. Any feedback will be provided within approximately three days, at which point the POC will incorporate any feedback. Yellow Light Meetings Yellow light meetings will be scheduled as needed for each location, where the program team will discuss the concept (or multiple concepts at once) with USAID to solicit their input. After receiving USAID’s input, the RPM will then upload the yellow light information into DevResults and with the Senior Field Director’s (SFD)’s concurrence officially submits it for approval to USAID. USAID is expected to approve or provide feedback on yellow light ideas in two business days. Fields which will be completed as part of the yellow light submission in DevResults include: Activity Name – Names should be concise and clearly reflect the nature of the activity. Grantee Name Activity Type – In-kind GUC, FAA GUC, STTA, DDGS, or construction CLIN Number/Sub-CLIN (Contract Line Item Number) Activity Summary – Who, what, where, when, why and how of the activity. This section should consist of only two or three concise paragraphs, but they should clearly impart enough information for USAID to understand the scope of what is proposed and to approve or disapprove accordingly. The summary needs to clearly and concisely describe the relevance of the activity and how it will contribute to the overall Shejeh Salam objectives. Activity Objectives – The objectives should serve as the foundation for the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan and are required to tie in directly into the overall Shejeh Salam program strategy. Objectives should clearly reflect the output, outcome, and anticipated results of carrying out this activity. Activity Justification (Theory of Change) – An Activity Justification or Theory of Change (TOC) is used to identify and state the underlying assumptions that the program believes will lead to the anticipated outcome of an activity. By clearly stating these assumptions in an “if [activity output]” – “then [activity


outcome]” – “because [assumptions that connect output to outcome]” format, the assumptions can be tested through the activity to see whether a relationship actually exists. Office – Name of the Shejeh Salam sub-office that will implement this activity. Start Date/End Date Estimated Budget Conflicts of Interest Conflict of interest is clearly defined in DT Global policy, and situations that may constitute the same are clearly defined in the policy, for any staff or persons dealing with DT Global to easily identify. All Staff and persons associated with DT Global are required to disclose actual, perceived or potential conflicts of interest to a manager as soon as they become aware of the conflict. In the event of a conflict of interest involving DT Global staff, grantee or vendor, project managers and contracts personnel shall review all solicitations, proposals, contracts, subcontracts, and task order to identify, evaluate and resolve it. All task orders must undergo due reviews to mitigate any possibilities for conflict of interest.


PENDING (DESIGNING) PHASE Activity Moved to Pending Once approved, the database manager moves the activity to pending in DevResults and assigns an activity number. The date on which the concept was presented to the COR, during the yellow light meeting or otherwise, is considered the ‘Concept Submission’ date. The “Concept Endorsed” date is the date the activity was yellow lit and marks the beginning of the activity’s lifecycle. RPM Designates POC The RPM designates either themselves or a team member to act as the activity Point-of-contact (POC) they are responsible for overseeing all elements of an activity, inclusive of implementation, documentation, and budget management. Vetting To ensure that all parties involved have been comprehensively vetted and are not associated or connected to any ineligible actors (for instance, terrorism, corruption, narcotics, trafficking), the Grants and Procurement Specialist (GPS) completes a vetting process using Visual Compliance for the proposed grantee, All awardees and their representative must be searched on Visual Compliance), including the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List and the UN Consolidated List (Resolution 1267), the Department of State Non-Proliferation Sanctions List, and the Department of State Foreign Terrorist Organization List, the results of which will be saved as a PDF attached to the activity file of DevResults. Awardees who will receive more than $25,000 in an FAA must also register with DUNS and SAM in advance of being awarded a grant. Financial and Management Capacity Assessment The GPS then conducts a brief Financial and Management Capacity (FMC) assessment (annex 6), of the proposed grantee. This assessment identifies if an organization is eligible to receive an FAA, but in all cases is a useful tool for identifying capacity building needs for potential partners. If the proposed activity is an FAA, then the GPS will also complete the FAA checklist (ADS 303mak, annex 11). This clearly demonstrates that the grantee has the proper experience and systems in place to manage a cash award, at low risk to USAID. Sustainability and Capacity building The RPM will work with GPS and programs team to conduct a sustainability and capacity assessment of grantees to determine institutional strengths, weaknesses, and gaps with regards to their ability to manage grants, implement activities, as well as sustain success beyond the duration of the activities as well as securing funding from other sources. The findings from the assessment will be used to develop a sustainability and capacity building action plans that will be a part of the activity if applicable. Shejeh Salam will work with grantees to build sustainability and capacity plans into activity budgets. Areas of capacity improvement may include institutional capacity, financial capacity, personnel and leadership growth, accounting and bookkeeping, social soundness, as well as technical support. As needed, Shejeh Salam will provide technical assistance and mentoring on an as-needed bases as means to continue building grantees capabilities. The sustainability and capacity building tools are contained in the annex 20.


Grantee meeting to develop the implementation plan Following this, the activity POC meets with the grantee to refine the concept, the roles to be played by various actors, the implementation plan, deliverables, and budget lines. Activity Budget The POC, supported by the GPS then drafts the activity budget. In the case of an FAA the POC and GPS will work with the partner to collect sufficient price justification to correctly price an FAA. This documentation may include quotations, market surveys, salary scales, pay slips, and similar which prove that the costs being entered in the budget are allowable, allocable, and reasonable. For in-kind grants, the POC and GPS will work with the Juba procurement and logistics teams to correctly estimate prices for all budget lines required. The detailed budget template is found in annex 8. The budget must detail all anticipated costs associated with carrying out the activity in the following categories:

• Labor

• IT Equipment

• Other Equipment/Supplies

• Services

• Technical Assistance

• Travel and Transportation

• Other Direct Costs

• Indirect Costs Environmental Review The POC with support of the RPM and SFD then completes the appropriate environmental review documentation for the activity and uploads it to the activity file in DevResults. Activity-Level MEL Plan The MEL team works with the program team to develop the MEL plan for each activity. Each MEL plan will clearly designate the outputs that an activity will generate as well as specify the outcome indicators in the MELP that the activity will contribute to. The activity MEL plan will also specify how the activity-specific outcomes will be captured including the exact tools to be used and what frequency. Most of these activity-specific outcomes will be qualitative. Many of the activity-level outputs will be quantitative and these will be entered, & automatically aggregated with other activities’ outputs, within DevResults. Finalize DevResults Entry At this time the POC will finalize the activity summary and fields submitted at yellow light stage and will complete the remainder of the fields required for green light. These fields include: Activity Background – The activity background will contain key background details which highlight the context and the need for the proposed activity, along with any background on previous Shejeh Salam or partner efforts which occurred prior to this activity.


Implementation Plan – This section should include a narrative description of required tasks, events, and deliverables with estimated dates of completion and allocation of responsibilities to ensure that the activity is implemented effectively. For FAAs, this section should reflect the milestone and deliverable table which should be completed separately. This section should be written with action-oriented phrases clearly attributing responsibilities, timeframes and locations to specific actors. For the implementation plan to be successful, this must be done jointly between Shejeh Salam and the grantee. The final implementation plan must have the endorsement of the grantee before proceeding with a clearance request. Reporting Plan – This section will clearly articulate every report the grantee is required to submit during the lifetime of the activity. This will include a final report and may include activity specific requirements such as weekly email or phone reporting, quarterly reporting, or other. Coordination – this section discusses coordination with the awardee, the local community, government, other international donors or USAID programs and partners and with media. Special Instructions to Partner – This field contains any special instructions from USAID to DT Global in relation to the activity. Capacity Building Plan – This field will provide details on what capacity building efforts will be utilized as part of the grant and will be completed in line with the annex 20. Sustainability Plan – This field will discuss the sustainability of activities supported, inclusive of additional steps to be taken to support sustainability. This will be done in accordance with annex 20. Branding and Marking – This section explains how the activity will utilize USAID branding in marking, in line with the approved Branding and Marking Implementation Plan. Outreach Plan – This section details the partner and Shejeh Salam’s roles and responsibilities related to public relations and outreach efforts using local means as well as traditional and online media platforms. It will include information about the activity (before, during or after) that will be shared with a wider audience. Internal Review Once the DevResults fields are all completed (inclusive of MEL plan and indicators) the activity enters the final stages of design and goes through a series of reviews prior to formal submission. For STTA activities, at this time, the POC or assigned staff drafts a scope of work (SOW) and initiates a hiring process. Full policies for hiring STTAs either within or distinct from grants are found in a section below. For in-kind grants and DDGS, the POC and GSP finalize the budgets and send to the RPM for review. The RPM will then complete the JRE tab in DevResults with support of the team, which discusses if the grant was openly competed or if it was limited in any way. Shejeh Salam’s JRE methodology is found in annexes 2 and 3. Once the RPM has completed their review, they then share with the SFD, who reviews and sends on to the Deputy Chief of Party-Senior Technical Advisor (DCOP-STA). The DCOP-STA or


the Chief of Party (COP) will conduct the final review and submit to USAID for greenlight in DevResults, and will send USAID the activity clearance form (annex 7). For FAAs, the same process is followed with the exception that the RPM should thoroughly review the negotiation memo (annex 12) and supporting documentation, before sharing with the SFD for review. The SFD will send the negotiation memo and supporting documents with the COP, who must approve it prior to submitting the green light to the DCOP-STA for review. The DCOP-STA or the COP will conduct the final review and submit to USAID for greenlight in DevResults and submit the activity clearance form. USAID Approval USAID is expected to approve or provide feedback on green light submissions within five business days. The COR has the authority to approve all activities under $250,000. Anything at $250,000 or above will be approved by the Contracting Officer (CO). Activities that involve construction also need to have CO approval. Grants to U.S.-based organizations are capped at $100,000. As part of the grant approval process, the COR may approve IT equipment to be provided to grantees, as it is used in the process of implementing activities. The COR may also approve cooperating country nationals (CCN) STTA so long as they are being hired in line with the Local Compensation Plan (LCP), and a scope of work will be submitted with green light requests to clearly identify the technical assistance required.

CLEARED (IMPLEMENTATION) PHASE Move To Cleared The database manager moves the activity to cleared in DevResults. At this stage, the activity has been approved by USAID and is ready to move forward with the finalization of activity documents and agreement(s) with the awardee(s). Team Meeting The RPM will convene a team meeting with the POC, the GPS, the MEL specialist and other team members to ensure that everyone is clear on their tasks and responsibilities related to the activity, including procurement, finances and cash flow, reporting, and monitoring of activities. Kick-Off Meeting For all Grants Under Contract (GUC), the POC organizes a comprehensive kick-off meeting to brief the partner on the implementation plan, budget, deadlines, meeting and reporting requirements, communication protocols as well as expectations, roles and responsibilities. During this meeting the grant agreement (either in-kind [annex 9], fixed amount award [annex 10], or hybrid) inclusive of all certifications and assurances, and a milestone schedule for FAAs. Once the grant agreement DT Global may begin procurements and spending money against the activity.


Documentation The GPS is responsible for ensuring that all documentation is uploaded to the activity file. This includes the grant agreement, and in the case of STTA it includes the scope of work, CV, biodata and any supporting documentation. Once the grant agreement is uploaded, the GPS will note that it has been signed in DevResults. Initiate Procurement For all in-kind or DDGS activities, after the grant agreement is signed the GPS or POC will complete a purchase request. The purchase request will accurately reflect all of the in-kind lines found in the approved budget and nothing else. Items will be designated as either local procurement or Juba procurement. Contracts (typically Purchase Orders) will be issued following the Shejeh Salam procurement policies and procedures. Once approved, the GPS may initiate local procurements at field sites, while the Juba procurement team will initiate Juba-based or international procurements, with assistance of HO where necessary. Delivery and Handover The GPS will coordinate delivery of goods with the Juba procurement and logistics teams. The GPS will make plans for receiving goods at the field location at the time of delivery and will manage a handover of all goods to the grantee in line with the implementation plan. The GPS will ensure all appropriate paperwork is signed with grantees including goods received notes, and transfer of titles. Monitoring The POC will ensure that all grant activities are being monitored and attended by Shejeh Salam team members when possible. The POC and any staff assigned to help will take the responsibility for collecting information and documents related to output objectives – such as attendance sheets, photographs and the like. The MEL team has responsibility – directly or through assigning the tasks elsewhere – to collect data related to outcome objectives such as key informant interviews (KII) or focus group discussions (FGD). Activity Notes Throughout the implementation period, the POC is responsible for entering a weekly activity note that describes the progress of the activity and provides any updates regarding challenges or successes. The MEL team will also enter MEL activity notes when they have collected new data; every team member should enter lessons learned activity notes when applicable. Activity notes will be utilized to document when an activity has been amended and when it has been moved to completion. The different tags for activity notes are: Approvals, Development, Procurement, Activity, MEL, Lessons Learned, Amendment, Completed, and Security/Political. Notes should be used to capture anything noteworthy that occurs during the development phase of the activity that will help ‘tell the story’ of the activity. FAA Management The POC will monitor deliverables and milestone schedules for FAAs, ensuring that the grantee is meeting the requirements of the grant, and submitting all required deliverables on time. Once milestones are achieved, the POC ensures the awardee submits proper invoices. The POC or GSP will complete a payment request and submit it to finance along with the accompanying grant agreement, milestone schedule, and necessary approvals.


If the awardee is unable to achieve the milestones as planned, the POC will initiate a review of the activity along with the RPM, SFD and the grantee to identify the issues and either amend or cancel the activity if needed. A written justification will be provided to USAID in either event. Move to Completed Once all actions have been completed in an activity, and the GPS confirms all procurements have been delivered to the grantee or the end user, the POC will notify the RPM. The RPM will review the activity, and then notify the database manager to move the activity to completed in DevResults.

SUSPENDED, CANCELLED, OR REJECTED In some cases, it may be necessary to suspend, cancel, or reject an activity. Activity Rejection: At any time before an activity is cleared (or before any funds have been disbursed), it can be rejected by the SMT – before approval - or USAID – after an activity is approved. This could occur because of a sudden change in the political or security context, or because the proposed implementation plan is no longer possible. SMT will notify the database manager to move to Rejected in DevResults. Activity Suspension: Suspension may occur for various reasons – because of a sudden change in the political or security context, or because the program has determined that it wants to put the activity “on pause” or, more likely, because there are implementation challenges that need focused attention. The activity team and SMT will collectively make this decision, typically after several consultations with the awardee. SMT will notify the database manager to move to Suspended in DevResults. In the event the activity is suspended, the COP or designated staff member drafts and sends a detailed notification about the suspended status to the awardee. This also serves to document the suspension process in the activity file as well as capture next steps. Activity Cancellation: If funds have been disbursed on an activity, but the program decides not to move it forward for any reason, the activity should be moved to cancelled status. The GPS facilitates all closeout processes and notifies the SMT that the activity is ready for cancellation, rather than closure. The COP or DCOP-STA requests concurrence from the COR to change the activity status in DevResults. In the event the activity is cancelled, the COP or their designee drafts and sends a detailed notification about the cancellation status to the awardee and adds an Activity Note with the concurrence and reasoning for the cancellation.

COMPLETED (REPORTING / EVALUATION) PHASE Complete All Payments The GPS will send all final paperwork (goods received notes, payment requests) from the field to Juba departments to process payments. Finance prepared vouchers and sends to budget holders for approval according to the approval matrix. All payments are completed. Budget Review The GPS will confirm all payments have been executed. The GPS will request the SFD ensure any Home Office (HO) purchases have been executed and tracked against the grant. The GPS will then review all expenditures against the approved budget, inclusive of any amended budgets, and complete a


expenditure reconciliation report. This is submitted to the RPM for review and send to the DCOP-STA for final approval. Complete Grant Documentation If applicable, the GPS will draft grant completion certificates / disposition of assets documents for COP signature; then they will collect the grantee’s signature. The grantee must submit their final report, which the GPS will attach to the activity file in DevResults. Activity Evaluation The MEL team will draft the Activity Evaluation in coordination with the RPM and POC and enters into the relevant fields on DevResults. The Activity Evaluation follows the narrative flow of the original activity objectives – discussing outputs and outcomes achieved, output and applicable outcome indicators and means of verification, successes, challenges and lessons learned, and recommendations for follow-on or future activities. The RPM and POC will review the Activity Evaluation in DevResults and provide any feedback to assist in finalizing the evaluation. Document Audit When the POC confirms with the GPS, MEL team and the RPM that all payments and documentation are complete, they will notify the database manager. The database manager will then audit the activity in DevResults, ensuring that all required documentation has been uploaded appropriately. The Database Manager will notify SMT/Tech Team of all activities that are ready for closure. Final Review The SMT/Tech Team will provide any final inputs within three days, which the POC/MEL team/RPM will incorporate into the evaluation or reply to as needed. The DCOP-STA will then confirm to the database manager that the activity is ready to close. The database manager will submit a list of grants which are ready for closure to the COR once per week. The COR may review the activities requested to close, provide any feedback or changes needed. When feedback has been incorporated, then they will notify the database manager that they approve closure. USAID is expected to provide approval of closure or feedback to the program within 10 business days of having received the request.

CLOSED (RECORD) Debrief RPMs will coordinate monthly lessons learned meetings with the regional team, in which they will collectively review key lessons learned activity notes and findings from the activity evaluations and discuss the lessons learned, challenges and accomplishments. The minimum requirement is that each activity must have a duly filled Activity Evaluation (AE) that captures, over time, key outputs and outcomes. Periodically, and as needed, the MEL team may then summarize findings across these AEs to bring out issues around certain themes or lessons during quarterly reporting, semi-annual rolling assessments, and for annual reporting. The team would then use these findings to discuss possible follow-on opportunities, ways future activities could be strengthened, and other avenues of improvement.


Higher Level Outcomes Activity outcomes will be further assessed down the road through portfolio reviews and/or cluster reviews – which evaluate larger outcomes achieved across the body of work in a region or within a specific theme. The MEL Manager and MEL Specialists will lead these processes with the support of program team members.

ACTIVITIES POOL (AP) The Activities Pool (AP) contains Grants under Contract (GUC), consisting of Fixed Amount Awards (FAAs – Cash awards), In-Kind awards, and hybrids incorporating both cash and in-kind elements. The Non-GUC AP consists of Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA), Direct Distribution of Goods and Services (DDGS), and construction

GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT

IN-KIND GRANTS DT Global procures the goods and services and provides them directly to the awardee as an in-kind contribution, freeing the awardee to focus primarily on implementation. In-kind grants are well suited to the limited financial management capabilities of many non-US, locally based formal and informal recipients. DT Global will work closely with awardees to gain a clear understanding of their needs to effectively select vendors and procure appropriate commodities and services. Once the vendor selections has been made, DT Global will ensure the procurement includes delivery to the awardee. The awardees will utilize the in-kind support provided to implement the activity as planned during the development phase. Shejeh Salam has the right to terminate the grant in whole or in part, at any time.

FIXED AMOUNT AWARDS (FAA) Fixed Amount Awards (FAA) will provide cash payments to awardees based upon achievement of agreed-upon deliverables [Ref ADS Chapter 303.3.25 & ADS 303.5.c & 302.3.4.8]. Deliverables identified in the grant agreement constitute milestones against which payments are made. The FAA includes a payment schedule that ties deliverables and milestones to specific payments. Awardees must maintain appropriate financial controls and keep their receipts on file but are not required to submit receipts for reimbursements. Before issuing a FAA, Shejeh Salam will make sure that the below conditions are satisfied by conducting financial verification, completing a pre-award FAA Entity Eligibility Checklist, found in annex 11, and defining clear deliverables/milestones in coordination with the grantee:

• The ability to easily identify and quantify programmatic accomplishments or results through pre-determined grant milestones;

• Limited risk that there will be changes to the program;

• Adequate cost information is available to allow determination and negotiation of the fixed price of the grant. The fixed price may include an amount based on the awardee’s demonstrated indirect costs or else it may include the de minimis rate of 10% of modified direct total costs (MDTC)

This type of grant fits within the objectives of the established USAID program, and is considered one of the best mechanisms for investing in the long-term success of an organization. The Negotiation


Memorandum must include a discussion by the DT Global staff of the appropriateness of this type of grant, along with justification of all budget lines against actual costs expected. Shejeh Salam has the right to terminate the grant in whole or in part, or suspend payments, should the awardee become insolvent during performance of the award.

HYBRID GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT In certain circumstances, Shejeh Salam may issue a hybrid grant to an eligible organization and support the awardee’s implementation of the FAA by providing additional in-kind assistance. This type of grant assistance is ideal for established organizations that possess the technical capacity to manage and implement a cash grant, but do not have sufficient financial resources to execute large procurements.

NON-GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT – STTA / DDGS

While no CLIN was specifically assigned for these mechanisms, Shejeh Salam will utilize them when appropriate, billing them as direct implementation.

SHORT-TERM TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (STTA) The use of the STTA mechanism is considered when expertise is required beyond the scope of a specific grant to a partner entity or the only activity will be hiring STTA. The expert(s) will work with Shejeh Salam for a determined period of time and provide support and report on progress as listed in the STTA activity Scope of Work as approved by the COR during the approval process. Shejeh Salam may employ the use of STTA to further develop strategic activities, to support USAID prioritized research, or to identify potential beneficiaries. Illustrative situations in which STTA can be engaged outside of a GUC include the following:

• The STTA is needed to respond to requests for research requested by USAID. Hiring an individual STTA is more financially responsible than hiring them through a third-party grantee who would need to receive resources as well.

• The STTA is needed to develop programmatic aspects of grants. DT Global and USAID may decide that additional specialized expertise is warranted to respond to an opportunity or critical need. The consultant may be asked to conduct an assessment or study, develop material to be used under other grant activities, or play a critical role in developing a series of grants that will respond to program objectives.

• The STTA is required for a period longer than the duration of any one grant. Consultant contracts for services under AP may not exceed the end date of the activity under which they are approved but should not exceed 12 months.

Shejeh Salam has the right to terminate the STTA agreement in whole or in part or suspend payments at any time. When STTA are hired within a GUC, then the activity is still classified as using one of the GUC mechanisms, and not STTA. But all STTA onboarding processes, including COR approval of identified candidate, will remain in place.

DIRECT DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES (DDGS)


DDGS is a mechanism that allows for Shejeh Salam to directly procure goods and/or services to provide directly to beneficiaries. All DDGS activities will be the subject of consultation between USAID and DT Global. Procurement of goods or services will follow established DT GLOBAL policies and procedures. DDGS may be considered in the following instances:

• There is no need for an awardee to carry out the procurement and distribution of goods and/or services. Any goods or services required for activity success can be more readily or easily procured and distributed by Shejeh Salam directly (office materials, ready-made kits, other materials and supplies).

• There are multiple beneficiaries and a number of goods required for distribution to communities or various organizations. In using DDGS, this may be a much more cost and time-efficient method of reaching targeted beneficiaries or could cause conflict amongst the partners when choosing one partner over another.

Under Shejeh Salam’s predecessor program, Viable Support to Transition and Stability (VISTAS), DDGS mechanisms were used when USAID prioritized sharing recently signed peace deals with the public. By utilizing a DDGS, VISTAS could start an activity rapidly to print copies of the peace deal and summary materials, which they were then able to move around the country to be distributed by various staff and existing partners. We anticipate this mechanism to be used only in rare cases. Preference will be given to other mechanisms.

NON-GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT – CONSTRUCTION

Shejeh Salam has a dedicated CLIN for construction activities, and construction may take place to support any of Shejeh Salam’s four objectives. In line with ADS303, Shejeh Salam will not conduct construction under grants, but will directly manage the contracting and oversight for all construction activities. In each case there must be a clearly identified hand over plan, to ensure that the community/organization tasked with managing the infrastructure has the requisite skills. Anticipated construction activities would focus on supporting inter-communal trade, and support for media houses. All construction/infrastructure activities will be done in accordance with USAID environmental guidance and the Shejeh Salam Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP).

RAPID RESPONSE MECHANISM (RRM)

In addition to an annual workplan which will forecast the expected programming over the coming fiscal year, Shejeh Salam also includes funds set aside in a Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), which will be utilized to flexibly respond to a range of potential issues throughout the year. Approximately 25% of the expected activity pool will be set aside for the RRM at the beginning of each year. RRM activities could be generated in response to national or local level peace agreements, providing peace dividends in response to resolutions from local peace or migration conferences, civil society dialogues, and other national, regional, or local dynamics. Ideas can be proposed by USAID, all levels of Shejeh Salam staff, civil society organizations (CSOs), grantees, or community members. In many cases, RRM actions will act as unforeseen follow on activities to build upon success of activities conducted as part of the work plan, and to capitalize on windows of opportunity. Rapid Response Mechanism Guidelines are found in Annex 4.


APPROVAL THRESHOLDS

DT Global’s contract with USAID stipulates the thresholds for approval of activities as follows:.

• Activities under $250,000 – Approved by the COR

• Activities $250,000 and higher – Approved by the CO

• All construction activities – Approved by the CO The contract stipulates that awards to U.S.-based organizations will not exceed $100,00. Per the Activity Cycle, all Shejeh Salam activities will be reviewed and approved by the COP or the DCOP-STA prior to submission to USAID.

AMENDMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS

Activities – GUC, DDGS, STTA, or construction may be modified during the implementation phase for several reasons. Weather, political events, logistical challenges or other factors, such as the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, may require the Awardee/ Shejeh Salam to adjust the timing of activities, make changes to the proposed scope or cost of the activity. Amendments will be created using the amendment template (annex 13), and any amendments for GUC will then be reflected in amendment to grant agreements (annex 14).

TYPES OF AMENDMENTS Amendments require USAID COR and/or CO approval, depending on the initial approval threshold. If an amendment increases the budget of an activity to the approval threshold of the CO, versus the COR then amendments must go to the CO. The types of amendments which may be requested include:

1. Cost Amendment – an increase to the activity budget, beyond the original approved amount.

2. Time Amendment - the activity end date increases beyond the original approved date.

3. Scope Amendment - the scope of the activity requires modification. A scope amendment is necessary if there is a substantive change to the programmatic elements of the activity. For example, a change to the original objectives of the activity, its intended outcomes, or a significant extension that has impacts on the implementation of the activity.

There can also be a hybrid amendment that would include more than one of the types of amendments mentioned above, for instance a Cost / Period of Performance amendment.

GRANT DOCUMENTATION There are a variety of forms, authorizations, and required certifications that need to be completed to document the process and demonstrate the appropriate authorizations have been obtained. Activity File Checklists establish documentation requirements for Activities, and requirements vary depending on the mechanism of award chosen, for instance, GUC, DDGS, STTA, and construction activities.

ACTIVITY CLEARANCE


An Activity Clearance email will be sent to the COR and with the required documents including the Clearance Form (annex 7). Ideally, a fully executed Clearance from will be included in the documentation when closing a grant activity. Occasionally, an email clearance will given and it will be saved as a PDF to the Activity file and serve as a historical record for all original activity documentation and information prior to any subsequent amendments.

ACTIVITY BUDGET The Detailed Activity Budget (annex 8) is used as the basis for cost determination and governs all expenditure allowed under the activity. Budgeting of activities can begin during the concept stage and are refined throughout the design stage. It will serve as a point of reference and tool for monitoring costs throughout the life of the activity and will incorporate any cost amendments or other changes required. It will be uploaded to DevResults and will be submitted with green light and/or budget amendment requests as an excel document.

ACTIVITY AMENDMENT Shejeh Salam will complete activity amendment forms (annex 13) for each amendment required under an activity, which will be approved by either the COP or the COR/CO per the guidelines on amendments above.

ACTIVITY COMPETITION / JUSTIFICATION FOR RESTRICTED ELIGIBILITY The documentation of any competition or exemption from competition must be documented in DevResults in the Custom Field, Justification for Restricted Eligibility (JRE) (annex 3). Shejeh Salam’s methodology for dealing with competition and restricted competition can be found in the annex 2 and is compliant with all ADS303 requirements governing competition.

NEGOTIATION MEMORANDUM Negotiation Memorandums (annex 12) are required for all cash grants. The Negotiation Memorandum will require detailed information such as competition analysis, determination of cost reasonableness, and pre-award discussions. Unless otherwise stated, Negotiation Memorandums should be included in activity files and will be completed once the awardee has been selected.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING AND EMMP IMPLEMENTATION Pursuant to the Shejeh Salam Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and corresponding Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP), each activity will be screened for potential environmental impacts. Shejeh Salam will prepare an Environmental Review Report (ERR) for each screened activity having a Threshold Determination of Negative Determination with Conditions (moderate risk). The ERR will be submitted to the Mission Environmental Officer (MEO) and COR-for approval prior to implementation. The ERR and accompanying EMMP will be uploaded to the activity file in DevResults for each activity. Shejeh Salam will use Environmental Monitoring Checklists included in the ERR to track and verify that the environmental mitigation for each activity is implemented following the EMMP requirements. Staff, grantees and/or partners will be trained on appropriate implementation and monitoring of required environmental mitigation. During annual work planning, Shejeh Salam will conduct an environmental review of all planned activities to screen for any that may pose high environmental risks. If any such activities are identified, Shejeh Salam will consult with USAID on the need to conduct a full Environmental Assessment study.


FIXED AMOUNT AWARD ENTITY ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST A member of the grants team will complete this checklist (annex 11) with each activity to determine whether a potential Grantee has the experience and institutional capacity to manage a cash grant. This should be completed prior to any cash grants and a signed copy, approved by the COP or designate, should be included in the activity files.

GRANT AGREEMENT Once a grant is cleared by the COR or CO, Shejeh Salam issues an agreement to the awardee for review and signature. There are distinct grant agreements for in-kind (annex 9) and FAA grants (annex 10). The document outlines the key conditions, requirements, and requisite information regarding the work to be carried out, the expectations of Shejeh Salam, and conditionals for completion, exemption, and if required, cancellation.

AGREEMENT AMENDMENT In the event an activity requires an amendment to the agreement between Shejeh Salam and the awardee, the corresponding mechanism-specific agreement amendment form (annex 14) will need to be completed by the GPS reviewed by the RPM and COP and sent to the awardee for review and signature. Agreement amendments may be required for various reasons. Refer to the Amendment section above for detail and understanding of approval requirements prior to amending an agreement.

ATTENDANCE SHEETS For all activities that include trainings, dialogues or any other formal activities with small groups, Shejeh Salam will complete attendance sheets (annex 16), as a means of verification for output and beneficiary tracking.

GRANTEE FINAL REPORT Depending on the grant, a final report may be required. During the initial kick-off meeting, the POC will share Shejeh Salam’s Final Grantee Report template (annex 15) to document project impact/outcomes and results, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations.

GRANT COMPLETION CERTIFICATE The Grant Completion Certificate (annex 17) is the final document shared with the awardee confirming all receipt of goods, services, deliverables, and payments. The POC will prepare the document and seek signature from both the awardee and the Shejeh Salam COP.


ACTIVITY EVALUATION The final Activity Evaluation (annex 19) will be done using the Activity Evaluation Form, which will be uploaded to DevResults, and provides activity details, descriptions, success against output and outcome objectives, summary of achievements, and any final comments or indicators.

ACTIVITY CLOSEOUT STATEMENT The activity closeout statement (annex 18) is a checklist which ensures all grant activities have been completed, all good handed over and all final payments have been made. This acts as Shejeh Salam’s certification that an activity can move to closed.

BRANDING AND MARKING Detailed information on branding and marking can be found in the formal Shejeh Salam Branding and Marking Implementation Plan (BIMP) that explains how Shejeh Salam will adhere to all guidance found in ADS202/203 and the USAID Graphic Standards Manual.

MONITORING EVALUATION AND LEARNING Monitoring Evaluation and Learning at the activity and program level is an integral part of the Shejeh Salam activity cycle. Shejeh Salam, like most USAID programs, operates in a dynamic political environment. It therefore requires a MEL approach with sufficient flexibility to assess results and impact at activity levels and comprehensive enough to gauge the program strategy at regional and national levels. MEL systems and processes are the foundation for effective program implementation and should generate lessons learned and information to inform ongoing decision-making to further Shejeh Salam objectives. Shejeh Salam is governed by a separate Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (MELP). This plan documents how the program measures the effectiveness of its interventions, ensures accountability, enables learning, and generates data and analysis at the activity, program, and strategic levels and articulate how feedback loops are created within and between those levels. The MELP describes the requirements and steps for Activity-Level MEL because a significant amount of Shejeh Salam programming is through grants. These grants, individually, need to demonstrate their own outputs and outcomes. At program level, these grants are expected to work together, and synergistically, to generate higher-level (or program level) outcomes and impacts for which the MELP has outlined their relevant measures/indicators. Some of these Shejeh Salam program-level indicators in the MELP are strategic in nature because they are used for decision-making at higher (than Shejeh Salam) levels- these include those adopted from USAID/South Sudan’s Performance Management Plan, USAID Administrator Greene’s “Journey to Self-Reliance", and State Department’s Standard (F) indicators among others. The MELP will be jointly owned by USAID and DT Global, with the latter expected to contribute regular updates to the document. The MEL system is expected to evolve over the life of the program; the written plan is not meant to be a static document.


ANNEXES 1. Activity Cycle

2. Justification for Restricting Eligibility Guidelines

3. Justification for Restricting Eligibility Template

4. Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) Guidelines

5. Yellow Light Proposal Template

6. Financial and Management Capacity Assessment Template

7. Activity Clearance Form Template

8. Activity Budget

9. In-kind Grant Agreement Template

10. Fixed Amount Award Template

11. Fixed Amount Award Checklist

12. Negotiation Memorandum Template

13. Amendment Template

14. Amendment to the Grant Agreement Template

15. Final Grantee Report Template

16. Attendance Sheet Template

17. Grant Completion Certificate Template

18. Activity Closeout Statement Template

19. Activity Evaluation Form Template

20. Sustainability and Capacity Building Plan

21. Relevant FAR, AIDAR, and ADS Regulations


22.

AO/ SAO

U.S. Agency for International Development

www.usaid.gov

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Shejeh Salam Activity Manual

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