Call for Proposals


Objectives
Phase 2 of the Global ICCA Support Initiative (GSI) has been extended to provide support to territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities (ICCAs), with a focus on forty-five (45) countries participating in the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The ICCA GSI is funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry of the Environment and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

In alignment with the SGP Country Programme Strategy (CPS) in Afghanistan for the SGP 7th Operational Phase (OP7) running from 2020-2024 and relevant National COVID-19 Response and Recovery Plan, applications from qualified organisations are invited to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. National and local civil society organisations (including community-based organisations, NGOs, and Indigenous Peoples organisations) are encouraged to apply based on the list of eligible criteria presented below.

ICCA-GSI thematic categories COVID-19 response: examples
Communication and lessons sharing through culturally appropriate means Translating and communicating medical and sanitary information on COVID-19 into local and vernacular languages.
Food production systems: agroecology and agroforestry Strengthening sustainable and biodiversity-friendly food production systems in ICCAs focused on agroecology and agroforestry techniques.
Sustainable and well governed wildlife consumption Promotion of sustainable and regulated wildlife consumption through good governance, customary regulation, and awareness raising.
Prevention of zoonoses and future pandemics Strengthening of ICCAs to provide barriers for zoonotic disease transmission and habitat conservation through reduced fragmentation.
Transmission of traditional medical knowledge Documentation and transmission of sustainable techniques for harvesting, quality control, and transmission of traditional medicinal practices.
Territorial mapping and demarcation for self-isolation and conservation Mapping and demarcation to increase territorial zoning, self-isolation procedures, buffer zones and defence of conserved areas.
Deployment of traditional knowledge of fire control and management Techniques to control bushfires (adapted to different savannah, forest and other ecosystems) leading to green recovery and employment opportunities.
Local bio-circular economy approaches based on reciprocity
Income-generation activities, reciprocal food exchange networks, community-based ecotourism-based ventures, provision of food to at-risk populations, locally-made personal protective equipment.

Criteria
Civil society organizations (CSOs) wishing to apply to the ICCA COVID-19 initiative will be expected to submit an application in line with the prevailing socio-economic, cultural and sanitary context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan.
The CSOs must be registered, with government of Afghanistan, with an established presence within the boundaries of the landscape. The CSOs must have a valid registration certificate and a valid bank account. A permanent location/office at the project site will be an advantage, but not mandatory.
Individual ICCA COVID-19 projects will be expected to last for a duration up to 18 months and to have a maximum budget of US$50,000. All proposals will be reviewed and approved by the SGP National Steering Committee (NSC). The organisation will compile a plan of action to respond to the COVID-19 crisis affecting either individual or multiple ICCAs in Afghanistan. As part of the submission, the applicant must include the following elements:
a. A work plan and justified budget about when and how it will take action to fulfil an appropriate combination of activities, indicating but not limited to: (i) overall context on the specific ICCA, or group of ICCAs; (ii) information on previous grants and partnerships to strengthen the ICCAs; (iii) proposed activities to be undertaken to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

b. The list of expected activities and timing of delivery for a period of up to 18 months, starting in early 2021 through to mid-2023, should be in line with and respond to the SGP OP7 Country Programme Strategy in Afghanistan. The applicant will be expected to work closely with the SGP National Coordinator (NC) in Afghanistan, as well as other partners such as the national ICCA network and/or global ICCA Consortium.

c. Details on the specific experience and capacities of the applicant civil society organisation, including with respect to (i) community-based conservation; (ii) facilitation of networks and joint learning; (iii) monitoring and evaluation of conservation and/or governance initiatives; and (iv) capacity to work with spatial and monitoring data.
To be eligible for SGP support, a project proposed for funding must meet the country-specific eligibility criteria laid out in the relevant SGP Country Programme Strategy approved by the NSC. The proposal paper format and SGP Country Strategy can be obtained from the link https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nI7cHrqwscDXh76fe7c28GeeUoimTc2d?usp=sharing
For further reference, SGP global programme document, SGP operational guidelines, case studies and other documents can be obtained from http://sgp.undp.org
Qualifications
• Demonstrated commitment to protect and defend territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities (ICCAs);
• Knowledge and awareness of biodiversity conservation efforts at the national level;
• Experience in organizing and hosting consultations and capacity development activities with indigenous peoples and local communities;
• Capacity to produce high quality written reports according to deadlines;
• Familiarity with key issues related to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), especially as they relate to indigenous peoples and local communities, considered an advantage
Deadline
Please send your proposal by 15 January 2021, by email to aimal.khaurin@undp.org
Contact Person
More details on SGP together with further guidance for application could be obtained by contacting:
Aimal Khan Khaurin
National Coordinator
UNDP – GEF Small Grants Programme
UNDP Country Office, UNOCA Complex, Jalalabad Road, Kabul, Afghanistan
Email: aimal.khaurin@undp.org