Call for Expression of Interest (EOI) for selection of
GPE Grant Agent (GA) for
GPE 2025 Systems Transformation Grant (STG)

Date of issue of call for EOI: April 5^th , 2024
Deadline for submission of EOI: April 19^th, 2024

The National Department of Education (NDOE) of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) wishes to invite eligible applicants to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) to be considered for the role of Grant Agent (GA) for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Systems Transformation Grant (STG). Organisations should indicate if they are applying:

• • Individually
  • In collaboration with another agency as twin grant agents

The GPE Task Force GA Selection Committee will consider EOIs at the GA Selection discussion provisionally scheduled for 23^rd April 2024 and will contact successful agencies regarding scheduling, timing and modalities of work.

Once a GA/s has been selected, the agency will be expected to work with NDOE, in consultation with the LEG, to develop a proposal and application for the requested grant. NDOE and the GA should work closely with the Co-ordinating Agency (CA, PREL) on workplans and timelines. The proposal/application package should be submitted to the GPE Secretariat at the latest within six months of GA selection endorsement. Candidate agencies should familiarise themselves with all the appropriate documentation prior to application; documents can be located at https://www.globalpartnership.org/funding/applying-for-grants

1.      Context

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) announced a new Strategic Plan and accompanying operating model (GPE2025) in December 2020.

The new model uses four ‘principles of effective partnership’ which are:

• • Increase decentralized mutual accountability
  • Drive national government ownership and strengthen its capacity
  • Rebalance the country-level model to focus on implementation and sector policy dialogue.
  • Reduce GPE processes and transaction costs

FSM will be eligible for four new grants under GPE2025. These are:

1. System Transformation Grant (STG)        US$2.5m            
2. Multiplier Grant                                           US$5m             (max.)
3. System Capacity Grant (SCG)                     US$1m

Total:                                                                   $8.5m               (max.)

This call is for EOI for the application for STG, according to the focus of the recently developed Education Partnership Agreement. NDOE is eligible to take this step as the EPA direction is agreed.

The LEG is required to select the GA for this grant. Under the overall leadership of NDOE, a selection panel with senior representatives from NDOE and Partners will be identified to make the selection in a transparent and efficient manner.

2.      Timelines for selecting a grant agent (indicative)

3.      Conditions to Apply

Only submissions that comply with the requirements of the eligibility criteria outlined below will be permissible for evaluation.

Agencies require a Financial Procedures Agreement (FPA) with the GPE; in the case where this is not in place, the agency is required to create an FPA, supported by GPE. For GAs requiring to develop an FPA, those agencies will be required to reach the Minimum Fiduciary Standards Assessed through the Accreditation Process as listed in Appendix 2 of the GPE Selection Process for Grant Agents.

The GPE Secretariat will assess risk and ability for the international NGO to carry out its fiduciary responsibilities as part of the application assessment.

4.      Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Interested agencies must demonstrate experience and expertise in fulfilling the selection criteria elaborated below. The selection criteria follows the standard selection process (linked above) set out by GPE for the selection of GAs. The list below is from the relevant document, with minor changes to reflect new terminology and to enable a logical ordering to an application process that is relevant to the situation in FSM.

5.      How to Apply

Interested agencies  that wish to participate in this Call for EOI are requested to complete the template overleaf:

Introduction

Please complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) application by giving your achievements of the assessment criteria in no more than four pages (not including annexes, for which the timeline should be one). Please submit the completed EOI electronically with the subject line  “Call for Expressions of Interest for Grant Agent in FSM [STG]” to Mr. Wayne Mendiola, Acting Secretary, NDOE at email: wayne.mendiola@national.doe.fm and copy to Nigel Jaynes, Executive Director, Micronesia Productions, Co-ordinating Agency, email: jaynesnigel@gmail.com, by 17.00 19^th April 2024.

Organisational details

Organisation name: …………………………

Designation and contact details of focal point: ……………………………………………………………………………………

Assessment criteria

Annex 1: Selection process

GPE Grant Agent (GA) for
GPE2025 STG

Proposed GA Selection Process – forming the GA Selection Committee

• • • LEG prepares a roadmap for the process

Once it is clear which DPs are not interested in the role of GA for any grants:

• • • NDOE invites LEG partner members to nominate to sit on the GA selection committee, with preference given to representatives of DP agencies that already fund the GPE.
    • NDOE confirms the composition of the GA Selection Committee, with endorsement by Acting Secretary of NDOE.

• • • NDOE prepares a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for selection of the GPE Grant Agent.
    • NDOE invites EOIs of no more than 4 pages (not including annexes) from organisations interested to become the Grant Agent – giving a clear deadline for submission.
    • All EOIs received are shared with the LEG.
    • The committee meets once to select a GA, using agreed selection criteria.
    • The selected GA is notified according to the agreed time schedule.

Proposed GA Selection Process (2): Evaluation of Candidates

Committee will consider all EOIs and score on listed seven criteria (as listed previously).

Each EOI will be scored out of five in each category according to the ratings:

5. Significant Strengths: An outstanding, or exceptional aspect of an application that has merit and exceeds the specified performance or capability requirements in a way beneficial to PSS and greatly increases the likelihood of successful performance (can only be awarded to up to one candidate for each category)

4. Strengths: An aspect of the application that increases the likelihood of successful performance

3. Weaknesses: A flaw in the application that increases the risk of unsuccessful performance

2. Significant Weaknesses: A flaw in the application that appreciably increases the risk of unsuccessful performance. All significant weaknesses discovered will be identified to the organization after the final decision has been made.

1. Deficiencies: A material failure of an application to meet a requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in an application that increases the risk of unsuccessful performance to an unacceptable level.

The scores will be totaled, and a selection made based on the scores.

For each category, a reviewer may only allocate the maximum score of 5/5 to a single candidate.

The candidate achieving the highest total score will be selected by the committee as long as:

• • The difference between the first and second choice is 2 points or more
  • There are no ‘significant weaknesses’ assessed.

In the case that either of the above criteria are not fulfilled, the Chair has the right to call an additional meeting for further discussion.