Election Monitoring and Parliamentary Observation in the Kyrgyz Republic | RFI 72011519RFA00007

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI 72011519RFA00007

USAID/Kyrgyz Republic issued a sources sought (request for information) notice to identify and better understand the interest and capabilities of local Kyrgyz organizations that could potentially implement an Election Monitoring and Parliamentary Observation activity tied to the period before and after the 2020 parliamentary election. This is not an open grant competition or an application request. It is a market research step meant to inform USAID planning and program design, and USAID makes clear that responding does not create any obligation for the U.S. Government to fund an award, nor does it reimburse any costs organizations incur while preparing a response. The full notice was posted on Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number RFI 72011519RFA00007, with a posting date of May 6, 2019 and a response deadline of May 23, 2019.

Eligibility is limited exclusively to local Kyrgyz partners. In practical terms, that means an organization must be registered or legally organized under Kyrgyz law, have its principal place of operations in the Kyrgyz Republic, be majority owned by Kyrgyz citizens or lawful permanent residents, and be governed/managed by a body whose majority are Kyrgyz citizens or lawful permanent residents. USAID is using this sources sought to map the local organizational landscape and to gauge which Kyrgyz entities have the institutional strength, technical experience, and operational systems to manage a nationwide democracy and governance activity of this type.

The intended goal of the potential activity is to strengthen voter confidence in the electoral process and, more broadly, reinforce the citizen-government relationship (often described as the citizen-government contract). USAID frames the desired outcomes around increasing transparency in campaign practices and party platforms, supporting electoral processes that comply with Kyrgyz law and align with international democratic standards, and improving mutual accountability between voters and Members of Parliament. The concept is that more credible information about how elections are conducted and how elected officials perform afterward can reduce mistrust, encourage participation, and raise expectations for lawful and fair political competition.

USAID’s program concept includes robust election observation across multiple election cycles and levels during 2020 to 2022. The envisioned implementer would deploy both long-term observers (who track developments over an extended pre-election period) and short-term observers (who focus on Election Day and immediate surrounding processes). A key emphasis is on the pre-election and campaign period, especially on issues that shape the integrity of elections but are not easy for ordinary voters to evaluate on their own. The notice highlights monitoring topics such as misuse of administrative or other resources, the nature and balance of media coverage, and the influence of social media. The underlying idea is that systematic monitoring and public reporting can help voters make better-informed decisions and feel more confident that problems are being identified and addressed.

The activity concept does not end with Election Day. USAID also anticipates a parliamentary monitoring component after elections to support transparency and accountability between citizens and parliament. This part of the work would focus on practical mechanisms that allow the public to understand parliament’s work, track whether political parties and MPs follow through on campaign commitments, and hold them accountable in ways that strengthen trust over time. The intended long-run effect is a healthier relationship between elected representatives and constituents, with clearer expectations and better access to information on performance.

Geographically, the effort is planned to be nationwide across the Kyrgyz Republic. While the notice does not lay out a finalized implementation model, it implies the need for broad coverage and the ability to recruit, train, and manage observer networks and data collection in multiple regions, as well as the communications capacity to share findings credibly with the public and stakeholders.

For the response itself, USAID requested that interested organizations complete an attached template and keep the total submission to no more than five pages, including any annexes. The template is organized around three capacity areas: organizational integrity, organizational capacity, and past performance. Within those categories, respondents are asked to describe their organizational structure (such as charter/registration status, key personnel, and management arrangements), their operational and technical capacity (including staff experience, resources, relevant budget size/history, and the existence and use of policies and systems for personnel, finance, and procurement), and their past performance in the sector. Past performance examples are expected to relate to similar work, such as policy reform, monitoring activities, and volunteer management or deployment oversight, as well as experience managing subgrants or contracts where the organization provided technical leadership or oversight.

Submissions were required to be sent electronically to AlmatyAASolicitations@usaid.gov by May 23, 2019. Respondents were instructed to include basic identifying information, including a reference line (KR MONITORING SOURCES SOUGHT), the date, affiliation/organization, business address, and a representative name and email. USAID stated that organizations would receive only an electronic confirmation of receipt and should not expect individualized feedback. The notice also specifies that inquiries should be directed only to the listed email address and that the office would not respond to telephone or other informal requests about the notice.

Finally, the opportunity metadata signals how USAID was thinking about the possible future award if it moved forward: it lists a cooperative agreement as the anticipated funding instrument, an estimated award ceiling of $2,500,000, and an expectation of one award. Because this is a sources sought/RFI rather than a formal solicitation, those figures should be read as planning assumptions rather than guaranteed funding.

• The Agency for International Development, Kazakhstan USAID-Almaty in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Election Monitoring and Parliamentary Observation in the Kyrgyz Republic" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 06, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 23, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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