CIPE Africa Call for Concept Note

CIPE Africa Concept Call PDF

Abstract

CIPE is calling for concept notes from the Africa Anti-Corruption Network (AACN), Civil Society Organizations, and Business Membership Organizations working collaboratively or independently to mitigate corruption and ensure business and government accountability during the current COVID-19 emergency in Sub-Sahara Africa.

CIPE Overview

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy and an affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce.

Since 1983 CIPE has been working from the ground up with partners to find locally driven solutions to problems that affect the lives of millions of people. CIPE believes democracy is at its strongest when the private sector is flourishing. Working with local partners that include business associations, chambers of commerce, think tanks, universities and advocacy organizations, CIPE is helping create the enabling environment for business to thrive.

What CIPE Does

https://www.cipe.org/what-we-do/

Organization Background

CIPE is headquartered at 1211 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036. CIPE currently has over a hundred employees in the headquarters and in field offices around the world. CIPE has a global presence in the following regions of the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean and the Middle East.

Project Focus

Following the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the deadly CoVID-19 infection, governments in countries around the world have taken drastic action to stem the spread of the virus and protect lives. Such actions include total lockdowns in cities and regions causing significant economic uncertainty and instability.

Economic activities in most countries in Africa have slowed, placing significant strain on the business community and the economy. Following the government directives to prevent the spread of the virus and keep employees safe, most businesses have transitioned to remote working status which has disrupted regular management procedures. Businesses in designated value chains may remain active but must coordinate effectively and transparently with government institutions. Governments in Africa are offering palliative measures to cushion the impact of the reduced economic activity on the citizens while donor organizations and business communities are making donations to support relief efforts in Africa.

The pressure on governments to coordinate these health and economic relief efforts and the pressure on businesses to adapt to an economic downturn create significant risks. Increased vigilance is required in the face of public and private sector de-prioritization of anti-corruption efforts and accountability mechanisms.

Nevertheless, to contain the spread of the virus and minimize the economic impact on Africa, governments must be transparent and accountable to citizens to reduce the opportunities for corruption and boost citizens’ trust.

At the same time, businesses must remain socially responsible and uphold the values of ethics and integrity within their activities, even as they are forced to make difficult management, operations, and oversight decisions in order to balance generating profits and ensuring safety.

Therefore, CIPE is inviting members of the Africa Anti-Corruption Network (AACN), Civil Society Organizations, and Business Membership Organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa to submit concept notes that address and offer solutions to corruption problems and business accountability gaps during a time of crisis.

The concept should include activities pertinent to problems identified during the current COVID-19 crisis and could be a guide for future reference in emergency situations. CIPE will select one or more concept notes to develop into a project for a grant of up to twenty thousand US dollars ($20,000 USD). The purpose of the grant is to support efforts to promote transparency and business accountability in the current COVID-19 emergency and tackle corruption through business-led interventions. The concepts should identify problems and propose interventions that leverage organized business and CSO collaboration, are business-centered, and implementable during and after the emergency period.

Who Can Apply?

All member organizations of the Africa Anti-Corruption Network (AACN), Civil Society Organizations, and Business Membership Organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Concept Note Goal and Objectives

Goal – To implement activities that address the growing risk of a decline in business and public sector commitments to accountability, integrity, social or fiduciary responsibility during the current emergency. Projects could focus on a specific industry, value chain or could be broadly focused and explore collaboration between civil society and organized business to achieve the objectives.

The grant proposal may include activities that achieve one or more of the following objectives:

1. Address the need for the business community to promote transparency and mitigate corruption during an emergency and tailored to the current crisis. Activities could include capacity building in response to the crisis, raising awareness relevant to the crisis e.g. developing risk mitigation tools, videos, games, online training or providing other services that can address an unfulfilled need. Activities need not be limited to these examples.

2. Support transparency efforts in ensuring that relief reaches underserved communities and small to mid-sized businesses. This support could include equipping businesses with the required knowledge and tools to obtain and fully take advantage of relief packages, tracking disbursement of relief, and supporting audit efforts surrounding these additional funds. This can be achieved in several ways to be determined by the partner.

3. Document the gaps in crisis management that enabled businesses to engage in corrupt activities or violate the laws during the emergency period, then provide short and/or long-term solutions to ensure accountability for those businesses or to generally educate the business community about business accountability and responsibility in emergency. This can be achieved in a number of ways to be determined by the partner. 

Duration

To be determined by the applicant organization based on the proposed activities.

Concept Note Structure

Eligible organizations interested in this grant program should submit to CIPE concept notes with the following structure:

• Brief introduction of the Applicant Organization
• Description of the problem / need that will be addressed through this project
• Proposed goal and objectives
• Brief project description – specific actions that the applicant will undertake to meet the need or address the problem
• Expected outcomes
• Budget overview and timeline

The concept notes (in Word or PDF) should not exceed 8 pages (in Times New Roman, font 12) and 5 MB.

Evaluation Process

CIPE will review all the concept notes and will make a decision regarding the qualifying bids based on the following criteria:

• Innovation – The project outcome should lead to a change in corporate practice or in governance related to identified corruption problems. It should add value to companies or change the way companies and the public sector respond to corruption in the applicant’s country.
• Impact – The project will encourage, enable, create or reinforce business and social incentives for ethical behavior in the applicant’s country.
• Value to Network – CIPE will consider favorably projects that aim for the development of deliverables that the members of the AACN can adapt and use in their countries.

Selected organizations will be invited to develop project proposals and will receive guidance from CIPE on the format, eligible expenses and other relevant aspects.

Below is a general timeline outlining the process steps with estimated dates for each step of the process. These dates may be adjusted through the process as long as the adjustments don’t endanger the final completion date.  By participating in the Request for Concept Notes, potential winners agree that they adhere to the following general timeline.

 TIMELINE

Deadline for Submission

The deadline for submitting the concept note applications is May 25th, 2020.

How to Apply

Interested organizations are invited to submit a complete grant application by e-mail at the following addresses: ACAfrica@cipe.org and cstanila@regionalcenter.ro (Carmen Stanila).

Questions regarding the concept notes and grant process should also be directed to Carmen Stanila, Senior Consultant, CIPE.