[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 114 (Thursday, June 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32869-32914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11526]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Bolivia, 
Cambodia, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican 
Republic, Indonesia, Morocco, the Philippines, Togo, and Uganda

June 14, 2007.
AGENCY: Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Department of Labor.
    Announcement Type: New. Notice of Availability of Funds and 
Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement Applications.
    Funding Opportunity Number: SGA 07-10.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: Not 
applicable.
    Key Dates: Deadline for Submission of Application is July 25, 2007.
    Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of 
International Labor Affairs, will award up to USD 46.494 million 
through 10 or more Cooperative Agreements to one or more qualifying 
organizations and/or Associations to combat exploitive child labor in 
the following 10 countries: Bolivia (up to $3.344 million), Cambodia 
(up to $4 million), Colombia (up to $5.1 million), Democratic Republic 
of the Congo (up to $5.5 million), the Dominican Republic (up to $4 
million), Indonesia (up to $5.55 million), Morocco (up to $3 million), 
the Philippines (up to $5.5 million), Togo (up to $5 million), and 
Uganda (up to $5.5 million). Projects funded under this solicitation 
will seek to sustainably withdraw and prevent children from entering 
exploitive labor through the provision of direct educational services 
and other project interventions, and ensure direct beneficiaries' 
enrollment, retention, and completion of the education and/or training 
program(s) in which they are enrolled. Projects will also seek to build 
capacity in target countries to eliminate exploitive child labor and 
promote educational alternatives for children. Projects funded aim to 
complement and expand upon existing projects and programs aimed at 
eliminating exploitive child labor, particularly the worst forms of 
child labor, and improving basic education in the target countries. 
Applicants must respond to the entire Scope of Work outlined in this 
solicitation for each country for which an application is submitted.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International Labor 
Affairs (ILAB), announces the availability of funds to be awarded by 
Cooperative Agreement to one or more qualifying organizations and/or 
Associations (hereinafter referred to as ``Applicant(s)'') for the 
purpose of promoting the elimination of exploitive child labor, 
particularly the worst forms of child labor (for additional information 
on these key terms, see Appendix A), in target countries. Projects 
funded under this solicitation will seek to achieve this goal by 
withdrawing children from, and preventing children from entering, 
exploitive child labor through the provision of direct educational 
services, including education and/or training programs, and improving 
the capacity of target countries to address exploitive child labor.
    ILAB is authorized to award and administer Cooperative Agreements 
for this purpose by Section 20607 of the Revised Continuing 
Appropriations Resolution, 2007, Pub. L. 110-05, 121 Stat. 8 (2007). 
Cooperative Agreements awarded under this solicitation will be managed 
by ILAB's Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking 
(OCFT). The duration of the projects funded by this solicitation is 
three to four years. The start date of program activities will be 
negotiated upon award of the Cooperative Agreement, but will be no 
later than September 30, 2007.
    Please note that Appendix A provides USDOL's definitions for all 
key terms denoted in italics throughout the text of this solicitation. 
For ease of reference, the term ``child(ren)'' and ``child labor'' have 
not been denoted in italics, though definitions of each are included in 
Appendix A. Child(ren) are defined by USDOL as individuals under the 
age of 18 years. For section I.3.B., Applicants should note that there 
may be some differences between USDOL definitions of certain key terms 
and the definitions used by foreign governments. For example, 
definitions used by USDOL in this solicitation do not necessarily 
correspond to a foreign government's own definition of terms such as 
``youth'' or ``hazardous work.

1. Background: USDOL Support for the Global Elimination of Exploitive 
Child Labor

    The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that 218 
million children ages 5 to 17 were engaged in child labor around the 
world in 2004. Children engaged in exploitive child labor on a full-
time basis are generally unable to attend school, and children engaged 
in exploitive child labor on a part-time basis balance economic

[[Page 32870]]

survival with schooling from an early age, often to the detriment of 
their education.
    Since 1995, the U.S. Congress has appropriated $595 million to 
USDOL for efforts to combat exploitive child labor internationally. 
This funding has been used to support technical cooperation projects to 
combat exploitive child labor in more than 75 countries around the 
world. Technical cooperation projects funded by USDOL range from 
targeted action programs in specific sectors of work to more 
comprehensive programs that support national efforts to eliminate the 
worst forms of child labor as defined by ILO Convention 182. USDOL-
funded projects seek to achieve five major goals:
    1. Withdrawing or preventing children from involvement in 
exploitive child labor through the provision of direct educational 
services;
    2. Strengthening policies on child labor and education, the 
capacity of national institutions to combat child labor, and formal and 
transitional education systems that encourage children engaged in or 
at-risk of engaging in exploitive labor to attend school;
    3. Raising awareness of the importance of education for all 
children and mobilizing a wide array of actors to improve and expand 
education infrastructures.
    4. Supporting research and the collection of reliable data on child 
labor; and
    5. Ensuring the long-term sustainability of these efforts.
    By increasing access to basic education, USDOL-funded projects help 
nurture the development, health, safety, and enhanced future 
employability of children engaged in or at-risk of entering exploitive 
labor in geographic areas or economic sectors with a high incidence of 
exploitive child labor.
    Projects funded by USDOL-OCFT are subject to the provisions of the 
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), which was passed by 
Congress in 1993 to establish strategic planning and performance 
measurement in the federal government to ensure that taxpayers' dollars 
were being used efficiently and effectively for the public good. GPRA 
requires federal agencies to develop and submit strategic and annual 
performance plans that include performance goals and indicators. Each 
year federal government agencies receiving appropriated funds are 
required to submit to Congress a performance and accountability report. 
Congress uses these reports to make informed assessments of program 
effectiveness for future funding decisions.
    For GPRA purposes, ILAB falls under USDOL's Strategic Goal 2: A 
Competitive Workforce: Meet the competitive labor demands of the 
worldwide economy by enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the 
workforce development and regulatory systems that assist workers and 
employers in meeting the challenges of global competition. 
Specifically, OCFT is required to measure Indicator 2K: Contribute to 
the elimination of the worst forms of child labor internationally. The 
GPRA indicators that OCFT measures across all of its child labor 
elimination projects, are: (1) The number of children withdrawn or 
prevented from exploitive child labor and provided education and/or 
training opportunities as a result of a USDOL-funded child labor 
elimination project; and (2) The number of countries with improved 
capacity to address child labor as a result of USDOL-funded child labor 
elimination projects. For more comprehensive definitions of USDOL-
OCFT's GPRA Indicators, see Appendix A. For additional information on 
GPRA, please visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/mgmt-gpra/gplaw2m.html.
    In addition to its GPRA indicators, OCFT also collects information 
on two other non-GPRA, common indicators related to direct 
beneficiaries' retention in, and completion, of education and/or 
training programs (hereinafter referred to as ``direct educational 
services;'' for additional information on this key term, see Appendix 
A).

2. Factors Contributing to Exploitive Child Labor and Barriers to 
Education

    There are complex factors contributing to children's involvement in 
exploitive labor, as well as barriers to education for children who are 
engaged in, or at-risk of entering, exploitive child labor. These 
include poverty; education system barriers; infrastructure barriers; 
legal and policy barriers; resource gaps; institutional barriers; 
informational gaps; demographic characteristics of children and/or 
families; cultural and traditional practices; tenuous labor markets; 
and weak child labor law enforcement. While these factors and barriers 
tend to exist throughout the world in areas with a high incidence of 
exploitive child labor, they manifest themselves in specific ways in 
the countries of interest in this solicitation.
    Some factors unrelated to education that contribute to children 
entering exploitive labor include their families' need for extra 
income, children's need to provide a livelihood for themselves and/or 
their siblings, lack of parent(s) or caregiver(s), cultural practices, 
and lack of awareness of the hazards associated with exploitive child 
labor, including the worst forms of child labor. In addition, children 
have a variety of educational needs and encounter different barriers 
depending on their work status (e.g., children withdrawn from 
exploitive labor, underage children at risk of dropping out of school 
and joining the labor force, children engaged in exploitive labor in a 
particular sector).

3. Scope of Work

A. General Requirements
    Each project must promote the five goals for USDOL-funded projects 
outlined in section I.1. Applicants should propose an innovative 
project strategy that will build on existing efforts to withdraw 
children from, or prevent children from entering, exploitive child 
labor. Applicants should identify and address the specific needs of 
proposed direct beneficiaries' to ensure (1) their long-term withdrawal 
from, or prevention from entering, exploitive child labor; (2) their 
involvement in acceptable work--for direct beneficiaries of legal 
working age, this may be accomplished through a reduction in the number 
of hours worked and/or improvement(s) in their working conditions in 
accordance with national labor laws and international standards, such 
as ILO Conventions 138 (Minimum Age Convention, 1973) and 182 (Worst 
Forms of Child Labor Convention, 1999); and (3) their enrollment in, 
retention in, and completion of, a direct educational service.

    Note: For a child to be counted as a direct beneficiary for the 
purposes of USDOL's GPRA reporting requirements (see section I.1 
above for more information on the GPRA), the Cooperative Agreement 
awardee (hereafter referred to as ``Grantee'') must have completed 
the following three (3) steps:
    (1) Assess the specific needs of each child targeted by the 
project in order for the child to (a) be withdrawn from, or 
prevented from entering, exploitive labor and (b) be enrolled in an 
educational activity;
    (2) Develop and implement an appropriate strategy for the child 
that provides a direct educational service; and
    (3) Monitor and report to USDOL on the child's work status 
(e.g., is the child working in an exploitive labor situation?) and 
educational status (e.g., is the child still attending an 
educational or training program?).

    USDOL considers strengthening legal frameworks and law enforcement 
practices that prohibit exploitive child labor and promoting adherence 
to national educational requirements that support universal access to 
basic education as critical strategies for achieving long-term impact 
in

[[Page 32871]]

combating exploitive child labor. Applicants are encouraged to propose 
creative ideas that address the nexus between better enforcement of 
child labor and education laws and the improvement of educational 
opportunities for children. Applicants are expected to consider the 
economic, social, and cultural contexts of the target country (ies) 
when formulating project strategies and to recognize that approaches 
applicable in one country may not be relevant to others. Applicants 
must take into account country-specific issues that could affect 
project results, including those outlined in section I.3.B. for each 
target country, and meaningfully incorporate them into the proposed 
strategy, either to increase opportunities for, or reduce obstacles to, 
successful implementation. Applicants should demonstrate a thorough 
knowledge of previously piloted interventions and good practices to 
eliminate child labor in each target county and seek to build upon 
progress achieved by such past projects.
i. Focus on Action Research and Data Collection
    In order to identify gaps, unmet needs and opportunities that could 
be addressed through a USDOL child labor elimination project, 
Applicants must conduct a needs assessment in preparing their 
application(s) to make a preliminary identification of the current 
working and educational status of the children that the Applicant 
proposes as direct beneficiaries of the project. It is expected that 
the information gathered during this assessment will be refined after 
award, although the application should present a clear indication of 
the criteria that will likely be used to select proposed direct 
beneficiaries. These criteria should be based on the target country's 
legislation related to child labor, including the worst forms of child 
labor; the minimum age for work; acceptable hours and conditions for 
children's work; and national policies related to child labor, such as 
a country-specific list of hazardous work for children that has been 
submitted to the ILO. The assessment, with data sources, must include 
information on the incidence and nature of exploitive child labor, 
particularly the worst forms of child labor, among proposed direct 
beneficiaries, hours and conditions of work, age and sex distribution 
of the proposed direct beneficiaries, educational performance relative 
to other children, if available, and any research or other data that 
might indicate correlations between educational performance and child 
labor. In the proposed strategy, Applicants must consult and make 
reference to relevant literature and documents relating to child labor 
and the education of proposed direct beneficiaries. Applicants are 
encouraged to propose strategies for collecting further data on 
exploitive child labor and children's participation in schooling in the 
early stages of the project's baseline data collection. In addition, 
Applicants are encouraged to conduct small-scale research projects in 
support of the project's overall objectives, in particular on the 
unconditional worst forms of child labor where there is often a lack of 
systematic and reliable data. Applicants are encouraged to disseminate 
findings from such research and to use this information in formulating 
more targeted and coordinated responses to exploitive child labor, 
including the unconditional worst forms of child labor.
ii. Withdrawal or Prevention From Exploitive Child Labor Through Direct 
Educational Services and Other Project Interventions
    Projects funded under this Cooperative Agreement solicitation must 
provide for the long-term withdrawal of children from, and prevention 
of children from entering, exploitive child labor through the provision 
of direct educational services. USDOL recognizes that the provision of 
direct educational services alone may in some cases be insufficient to 
ensure the complete or sustained withdrawal of children from exploitive 
child labor. For this reason, Applicants are also encouraged to propose 
other project interventions as part of a package of services for direct 
beneficiaries. Applicants are encouraged to be creative in proposing 
comprehensive cost-effective interventions that will have a 
demonstrable impact in eliminating exploitive child labor and promoting 
direct beneficiaries' enrollment, retention in, and completion of 
direct educational services in the geographic areas and/or sectors in 
which children are engaged in, or at-risk of engaging in, exploitive 
child labor. Applicants should address low rates of school enrollment; 
availability of and access to direct educational services, particularly 
in rural areas; and the quality of such educational services. 
Applicants should develop strategies to increase the perceived 
relevance of education and training for children engaged in, or at-risk 
of engaging in, exploitive labor, their families and their communities 
with an aim toward increasing school enrollment. Applicants should also 
address the unique barriers to education for girls, particularly in 
rural areas, and incorporate these into the proposed interventions. 
Applicants may propose solutions for education delivery, such as non-
formal schools, including multi-grade programs in rural areas where 
formal schools may be unavailable, especially at the secondary level. 
Projects may also support professional training for teachers and 
provide incentives to children, such as books and uniforms, in-school 
feeding programs, school supplies, and transportation assistance to 
remove educational barriers.
    For individual target countries, Applicants must demonstrate 
knowledge of the school calendar and the requirements of basic, non-
formal, and vocational education systems; develop an approach that 
successfully enrolls children in educational programs with minimal 
delay and without missing an academic year or program cycle; and 
address the non-education factors contributing to children's 
involvement in or risk of entering exploitive labor. If cultural 
traditions and norms impact decisions about schooling, Applicants must 
show how education programs would be sensitive and responsive to these 
traditions, particularly as they relate to girls' education.

    Please Note: For the purposes of GPRA, enrollment in a direct 
educational service is not the sole criterion that defines a child 
as withdrawn from exploitive child labor. For example, a child who 
attends a USDOL-supported non-formal education program in the 
morning and works under hazardous conditions in mining during the 
afternoon and evening should not be counted as withdrawn or 
prevented from exploitive child labor. That is, if before program 
intervention, a child is not going to school and is working in a 
worst form of child labor, and, after program intervention, the 
child is now enrolled in school but continues to work in a worst 
form of child labor, then that child is not, by definition, 
withdrawn from exploitive child labor and should not be counted in 
the withdrawn/prevented indicator. The process of withdrawing a 
child from exploitive child labor may take some time. Children 
should only be counted as withdrawn at the point at which the child 
is no longer working in exploitive child labor (this includes no 
longer working at all or working under improved working conditions 
such as shorter hours and/or safer conditions) and is benefiting 
from the education and/or training program(s) provided by the USDOL-
funded project. For more information on GPRA, see section I.1 
Background: USDOL Support for the Global Elimination of Exploitive 
Child Labor.

iii. Clear and Specific Outcomes
    Within the countries identified in this solicitation, the Applicant 
must identify

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the geographic areas and/or sectors of greatest need, and establish (1) 
the number of children that the project is targeting for withdrawal 
from exploitive child labor, and (2) the number of children the project 
is targeting for prevention from exploitive child labor through the 
provision of direct educational services and other project 
interventions. Applicants must use the definitions provided in Appendix 
A when establishing these targets. Applicants' strategies should 
address the specific and contextual factors that contribute to children 
engaging in exploitive labor and the barriers to education that they 
face in target countries. Brief background information on these issues 
for the target countries is provided in section I.3.B. Country-Specific 
Requirements. Applicants must be able to identify the specific needs of 
proposed direct beneficiaries in order to ensure (1) their long-term 
withdrawal or prevention from exploitive child labor; (2) their 
involvement in acceptable work--which for direct beneficiaries of legal 
working age, may be accomplished through a reduction in the number of 
hours worked and/or improvement(s) in their working conditions in 
accordance with national labor laws and international standards, such 
as ILO Conventions 138 and 182; and (3) their enrollment, retention in, 
and completion of a relevant direct educational service.
    Expected outcomes/results of the project include: (1) Reducing the 
number of children engaged in, or at-risk of entering, exploitive child 
labor; (2) increasing and/or improving educational opportunities for 
children who are engaged in, or at-risk of entering, exploitive child 
labor, particularly the worst forms of child labor; (3) ensuring direct 
beneficiaries' enrollment, retention in, and completion of direct 
educational services; (4) facilitating the successful transition of 
direct beneficiaries from non-formal education programs into formal 
schools, vocational programs, or acceptable work; and (5) ensuring the 
sustainable, long-term withdrawal and prevention of direct 
beneficiaries from exploitive child labor.
iv. Collaboration and Leveraging Resources
    Due to the limited resources available under this award, Applicants 
are expected to implement programs that complement existing efforts 
and, where appropriate, replicate or enhance successful models to serve 
a greater number of children and communities. In order to avoid 
duplication, enhance collaboration, expand impact, and develop 
synergies, the Grantee must work cooperatively with national 
stakeholders in developing project interventions, including the 
Ministries of Labor, Education, and other relevant ministries or 
government bodies. Applicants are encouraged to work with other key 
stakeholders, including international organizations; nongovernmental 
organizations (NGOs); national steering/advisory committees on child 
labor and education; faith and community-based organizations; trade 
unions, employers' and teachers' organizations; and children engaged in 
exploitive child labor and their families. Furthermore, Applicants are 
strongly encouraged to collaborate with existing projects, particularly 
those funded by USDOL, including other EI projects, Timebound Projects 
of Support (TBP) and other projects implemented by ILO-IPEC. For 
additional information on collaboration, see section VIII.1.
    Applicants are encouraged to leverage project resources by 
collaborating with entities engaged in efforts that could contribute to 
the elimination of exploitive child labor, including efforts that 
promote children's access to educational and training opportunities and 
that address poverty--a major factor that increases the likelihood that 
children will engage in exploitive child labor. Applicants are also 
encouraged to secure concrete commitments from business entities and 
individual business leaders to engage in partnerships to reduce child 
labor and increase educational opportunities for direct beneficiaries. 
Ideas for business involvement could include, but are not limited to 
the following: scholarships, donations of goods, mentoring and 
volunteering by employees, assistance in awareness raising, provision 
of internships for children/youth and/or teachers during vacation 
periods that would help them improve leadership and other skills for 
implementing programs to address exploitive child labor. Please note 
that applications that propose non-U.S. Federal Government resources 
that significantly expand the dollar amount, size, and scope of the 
project, in the form of matching funds or other cost sharing 
arrangements, are eligible for up to five (5) extra points, as 
discussed in section V.1.F. However, Applicants must not duplicate the 
activities of existing efforts and/or projects and are expected to work 
within host government child labor and education frameworks and 
priorities. Applicants are advised that there are specific requirements 
associated with proposing matching funds and cost sharing arrangements, 
outlined in section III.3, which do not apply to leveraged resources.

    Note to Applicants: USDOL has notified host government ministry 
officials of the proposed project. During the preparation of an 
application for this Cooperative Agreement solicitation, Applicants 
are encouraged to discuss proposed interventions, strategies, and 
activities with host government officials and other key stakeholders 
noted above.

v. Sustainability
    USDOL considers the issue of sustainability to be of paramount 
importance and recognizes that questions of sustainability must be 
addressed at all stages, including project design, implementation, and 
evaluation. From their inception, project strategies should foster 
sustainability. To USDOL, sustainability is linked to project impact 
and the ability of individuals, communities, and a nation to ensure 
that the activities or changes implemented by a project endure. A 
project's impact is manifested at the level of individuals, 
organizations, and systems. For individual children and their families, 
this would mean a positive and enduring change in their life conditions 
as a result of project interventions. At the level of organizations and 
systems, sustained impact would involve continued commitment and 
ability (including financial commitment and policy change) by project 
partners to continue the actions generated by the project, including 
enforcement of existing policies that target child labor and schooling. 
Applicants are encouraged to develop approaches that support child and 
youth participation in project efforts to eliminate the worst forms of 
child labor. Applicants are encouraged to identify local organizations 
in the target country, including type of local organizations (e.g., 
NGO, community-based, rural, indigenous), which could potentially 
implement or contribute to a future project. In addition, as child 
labor elimination projects tend to be implemented in resource-poor 
environments where government education and labor inspection systems 
may be limited, Applicants are encouraged to work with local 
stakeholders to develop sustainable child labor and education 
monitoring systems, including community-based systems, that can 
complement government efforts to monitor children's work and 
educational status beyond the life of the project and enforce the 
country's child labor and education laws.

[[Page 32873]]

B. Country-Specific Requirements
Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Bolivia
i. Background
    Bolivia is a country with numerous socio-economic disparities and 
challenges, particularly for members of indigenous groups who, 
according to the 2001 Census, constitute approximately 62 percent of 
the population. Bolivia has one of the highest rates of poverty and 
child labor in the Americas, with over 23 percent of children ages 7 to 
14 years working in 2002. Bolivia's socio-economic challenges are made 
more acute by natural disasters such as the recent severe flooding and 
resulting humanitarian crisis in the Departments of Santa Cruz, Beni 
and Cochabamba.
    Bolivian children work in agriculture, including in the production 
of sugar cane and Brazil nuts in Santa Cruz, Beni, and Pando. In cities 
such as Oruro, Potosi, and La Paz, children are engaged in activities 
such as begging, street vending, shining shoes, and assisting transport 
operators. Children work in industry, construction, small businesses, 
hotels and restaurants, and traditional small-scale mining. In the 
valleys, children smuggle goods and traffic drugs. The commercial 
sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a problem in Bolivia, 
particularly in the Chapare region and in urban areas. A study 
sponsored by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the 
Organization for American States (OAS) of urban centers in Bolivia 
found commercial sexual exploitation of girls from Argentina, Paraguay, 
Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. In some cases, indigenous girls are 
brought or sent by their parents from rural to urban areas to work as 
domestic servants for higher-income families in exchange for education, 
clothing, room, and board. These girls often end up in situations that 
amount to indentured servitude and/or forced labor. Bolivian children 
are trafficked internally for the purpose of CSEC, agriculture and 
mining. In the south of Bolivia, child labor has been observed among 
debt-bonded, landless families living on haciendas (large farms).
    In January and February 2007, unprecedented rainfall totals nearing 
3 times the annual average resulted in severe flooding of the highlands 
and the Amazon River, affecting, in particular, the Departments of 
Santa Cruz, Beni, and Cochabamba. Rural families working in subsistence 
farming were particularly hard hit, and it is likely that the number of 
children at-risk of involvement in exploitive child labor has risen in 
these areas as a result of the flooding. This natural disaster caused 
extreme damage to houses, crops, roads, and other basic infrastructure 
including schools, many of which closed down or are being used as 
shelters for the displaced. The disaster has also affected the national 
debate on land reform and autonomy at the regional, departmental and 
municipal levels.
    Bolivian law sets the minimum age for employment at 14 years, 
except in the case of apprenticeships. Children ages 14 to 18 years 
must have the permission of their parents or of government authorities 
to work. The law requires employers to grant ``adolescent'' workers 
time off to attend school during normal school hours. The 1999 Child 
and Adolescent Code defines ``adolescents'' as persons ages 12 to 18 
years. The Ministry of Labor is responsible for enforcing child labor 
provisions in the formal sector, but only employs 15 labor inspectors 
to work throughout the country to enforce child labor regulations and 
other labor issues.
ii. Relevant Policies, Programs, and Projects
    The Government of Bolivia's policy framework to address child labor 
is the National Plan for the Progressive Eradication of Child Labor 
(2000-2010). A three-year sub-plan (2006-2008) to combat child labor 
prioritizes the elimination of the worst forms of child labor, the 
development of national policy against child labor, and inter-
institutional and inter-ministerial coordination. Although resources 
for implementation have been limited, the plan focuses on children 
working in the mining, sugar cane, and urban sectors of the country. A 
2003 Domestic Worker's Law addresses some of the abuses committed 
towards child domestic workers. In 2005, the UN Committee on the Rights 
of the Child identified hazardous domestic work, the sugar cane and 
mining industries, CSEC, and the trafficking of children for CSEC and 
other purposes, as the child labor sectors in Bolivia that are in 
greatest need of special attention. The Bolivian Congress has approved 
reforms to address CSEC, and has criminalized and set penalties for all 
types of trafficking in persons.
    Bolivia also faces challenges in providing education to its 
children and youth under 18, who constitute 45 percent of the country's 
population. The Constitution of Bolivia establishes free and compulsory 
primary education for children, yet because of the high rate of child 
labor and other education and non-education system barriers, many 
Bolivian children fall behind in their education. In 2002, despite a 
high rate of enrollment in primary schools, only 81 percent of students 
were likely to reach grade 5. Although UNESCO estimates a primary to 
secondary transition rate of 91 percent in Bolivia, UNICEF estimates 
that only 39 percent of working children continue with their schooling.
    In order to facilitate children's access to social services such as 
health and education, the Government of Bolivia is working with UNICEF 
to provide free birth and identity documents to the estimated 12 
percent of children ages 0-9 years who lack birth certificates. In the 
past, the government instituted programs to benefit both working 
children and indigenous children, including the development of a 
flexible curriculum designed to keep working children and adolescents 
in school by offering night classes through the Ministry of Education's 
Vice-Ministry of Alternative Education.
    Bolivia's 1994 education reform program led to the creation of 
special programs to train teachers in bilingual instruction and 
publication of texts and other teaching materials in indigenous 
languages. There have been programs, such as those implemented by 
UNICEF, to improve educational infrastructure and to increase the 
relevance and learning of indigenous children through intercultural 
bilingual education. Currently, the Government of Bolivia focuses on 
universal literacy, improving access to basic education in rural areas, 
and incorporating indigenous languages and cultures into the school 
curricula. In the past, the government also supported previous USDOL-
funded programs to combat child labor in small-scale traditional mining 
in the Andean region, and to improve access to and quality of basic 
education. Given the high rates of poverty and low levels of 
involvement in schooling, children in Bolivia, particularly indigenous 
children, have historically been highly vulnerable to exploitive forms 
of child labor. The Government of Bolivia has identified the importance 
of addressing the issues of labor exploitation and education reform. 
The government has recently proposed an education reform law that 
entails a curriculum change to address historic exclusion and 
discrimination of indigenous children, embracing the linguistic 
diversity of Bolivia's Quechua, Aymara, and Spanish-speaking 
populations.
    The enforcement of these plans and laws is challenging because of 
limited resources, citizens' lack of faith in the justice system, 
corruption, a slow judiciary system, and political divisions

[[Page 32874]]

and turmoil. The OAS Justice Center of the Americas notes that those 
who suffer most from this legal situation are the poor indigenous 
population and workers in the informal economy.
iii. Scope of Work
    Taking into account the challenging implementing environment in 
Bolivia and the current government's attention and priority to the 
unmet needs of the most disadvantaged sectors of the population, 
Applicants must propose a creative and innovative approach to address 
the challenges of reintegrating and educating children who have been 
engaged in the worst forms of child labor. Applicants must also take 
into account any cross-cutting themes (discussed below) that could 
affect project results in Bolivia and meaningfully incorporate them 
into the proposed strategy, either to increase opportunities for, or 
reduce obstacles to, successful implementation.

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    In support of the National Plan for the Progressive Eradication of 
Child Labor (2000-2010), Applicants are encouraged to target children 
working under hazardous and/or exploitive conditions in urban domestic 
service, agriculture, mining, and CSEC. Applicants should pay special 
attention to children who may have been trafficked for exploitive labor 
and/or engaged in forced labor. Applicants may identify other target 
sectors where children are at-risk or involved in other worst forms of 
child labor, but should provide a convincing justification for 
inclusion of such target sectors. Since indigenous children are the 
largest population involved in the worst forms of child labor, the 
project should pay special attention to their needs and provide a large 
share of benefits to these children. Given the recent humanitarian 
assistance needs in the Departments of Santa Cruz, Beni, and 
Cochabamba, Applicants may choose to focus on child labor issues that 
existed prior to, and/or may have been exacerbated by, the severe 
flooding in these areas.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    Applicants should support the Government of Bolivia's policy 
framework to address child labor, the National Plan for the Progressive 
Eradication of Child Labor 2000-2010, and consider the three-year sub-
plan (2006-2008) that focuses on children working in the mining, sugar 
cane, and urban sectors of the country. If focusing on domestic 
service, or CSEC and trafficking, Applicants should work to strengthen 
the implementation and enforcement of recent legal reforms in these 
areas of domestic workers and the commercial sexual exploitation of 
minors. If working in areas of the recent floods, Applicants should 
coordinate with other donors providing assistance, and complement 
rather than duplicate existing efforts.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    Bolivia has experienced recurrent political and economic unrest and 
instability, which has an impact on the implementation of development 
projects. The government has committed itself to deep political, 
economic and social transformations, and the country is engaged in 
intense debate on themes including cultural identity, education reform, 
judicial reform, land reform, and decentralization and political 
autonomy. Furthermore, the severe flooding in January and February 2007 
has had a major impact in the highlands and the Amazon River, 
affecting, in particular, the Departments of Santa Cruz, Beni, and 
Cochabamba, and rural families working in subsistence farming in these 
areas. Applicants should consider how these factors might affect the 
project in the geographic areas where the project would be implemented 
and propose a design that would contribute to mitigating the effects of 
these factors.

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    Applicants must propose a strategy for strengthening the capacity 
of Bolivian government and civil society organizations to identify and 
assist children engaged in or at-risk of exploitive labor, particularly 
the worst forms of child labor. The complexity of the issue of child 
labor requires inter-institutional coordination among many public and 
private agencies and institutions. Applicants should identify how the 
project will productively engage existing public and private service 
programs in the intervention area(s) to ensure that project goals will 
be met, and project efforts will become sustainable. Evaluations of 
USDOL projects in the Andean region have noted incidents of weak local 
organizational capacity and recurring social unrest (e.g., strikes, 
demonstrations, work-stoppages, road closures). Applicants should 
indicate to what extent these challenges might be significant in the 
areas where the project would be implemented, how they would be 
addressed, and how relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous 
organizations working for the benefit of children, leaders, and groups 
could be promoted to address the problem of exploitive child labor. 
Given the current debates in Bolivia on decentralization and autonomy 
at the regional, departmental and municipal levels, Applicants should 
also consider how this could lead to changes that might affect 
implementation of the project, and focus on building capacity to 
promote sustainability.
    Since indigenous children represent the largest population involved 
in exploitive child labor, it is likely that they will constitute a 
significant proportion of the direct beneficiaries served by this 
project. Given the current priorities of the government to provide 
programs to the benefit of these groups, Applicants should demonstrate 
considerable knowledge of Bolivian indigenous culture and movements and 
indigenous values regarding education and child labor. This knowledge 
should be incorporated into the project design to ensure ownership and 
involvement of indigenous groups. Applicants must develop a strategy 
that will increase the relevance of education for indigenous children, 
their parents, and the urban, rural, and/or peri-urban communities 
where they live. Applicants should develop a program that can operate 
in the context of the government's emphasis on the use of indigenous 
languages and culture as part of the larger education and curricula 
reform efforts. Applicants should also identify and address additional 
social, cultural, or other factors that should be taken into account in 
designing the project. In no way, however, should project strategies 
exclude or marginalize non-indigenous children who could also qualify 
as direct beneficiaries of this project.
Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labor in Cambodia
i. Background
    After decades of violence and armed conflict, the Government of 
Cambodia has experienced positive economic growth since 1999 due in 
large part to its resilient garment export sector and growing tourism 
industry. The long-term development challenges for Cambodia will be to 
encourage rural development and build basic infrastructure; bridge the 
income gap among citizens; improve access to and quality of education; 
and increase economic growth that spurs job creation, in light of the 
country's demographic transition. At least 50 percent of the population 
is under 21 years old, with many children and

[[Page 32875]]

youth lacking appropriate education and productive skills.
    Key to accomplishing Cambodia's development goals will be to remove 
and prevent children from the worst forms of child labor, especially 
hazardous work in agriculture. Children begin working at a very young 
age, some as early as age six, with many dropping out of school to work 
exclusively. According to the Understanding Children's Work (UCW) 
Project, approximately 45 percent of children ages 5 to 14 years were 
found working in 2001. The majority of working children were found in 
the rural agricultural sector (76.5 percent), followed by services 
(17.7 percent), manufacturing (4.9 percent) and other sectors (0.9 
percent). Economically active children in Cambodia work an average of 
22 hours per week, which increases to 31 hours when household chores 
are taken into account. Non-Khmer children, such as Vietnamese migrant 
children, are more likely to be working than Khmer children.
    Child labor is most prevalent and severe in three provinces: 
Banteay Meanchey, Prey Veng and Siem Reap. However, other provinces 
such as Otdar Meanchey Cham, Phnom Penh, Kandal, and Takeo also show 
high prevalence rates. Working children facing the most obstacles to 
schooling and greatest risk of dropping out are in Kaoh Long, Mondol 
Kiri, and Preah Vihear. Children most at-risk of being trafficked to 
urban areas in Cambodia or outside the country live in the rural 
districts of Kompong Cham, Battambang, Svey Rieng, Prey Veng, Kandal, 
and Takeo.
    Hazardous work by children occurs in both rural and urban areas, 
and includes work on commercial rubber plantations, in salt production, 
fish processing, portering, brick-making, and garbage-picking. Children 
also work in restaurants and in handicrafts and related industries. 
Street children engage in scavenging, begging, and shoe polishing. 
Children, primarily girls, also work in domestic service. Most girls 
working as child domestic workers are 14 to 17 years of age, though it 
is not uncommon to find girls as young as 8 or 9 years of age. Many 
child domestic workers typically work 12 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a 
week, preventing them from going to school and learning productive 
skills.
    Children are also involved in other worst forms of child labor. 
Certain provinces of the country have higher incidence of the worst 
forms of child labor, based on their geographic characteristics, 
proximity to borders, levels of poverty, etc. Areas designated as 
Special Economic Zones may attract workers, including child workers, 
and increase migrant flows and vulnerability. There have been 
documented patterns of children migrating to large cities for work, 
only to find themselves in various forms of exploitive or abusive 
labor. The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a 
problem in Cambodia. Cambodia is reported to be a country of origin, 
transit, and destination for trafficking in children for the purposes 
of CSEC as well as various forms of work, including forced labor and 
begging. Internationally, Vietnamese children are trafficked into 
Cambodia for CSEC and forced labor and Cambodian children are 
trafficked to Thailand and Vietnam.
    Although Cambodia abolished school fees in 2001, the prohibitive 
costs of schooling (i.e., school supplies, uniforms); poor quality and 
relevance of education (i.e., limited availability of instructional 
materials, shortage of trained and motivated teachers); and inadequate 
access to schools (i.e., distance/transportation, primary schools 
lacking full range of grades, no secondary schools in many communities) 
contribute to children entering into exploitive labor, particularly in 
rural areas. School enrollment in the rural areas continues to lag 
behind urban areas. Only about 20 percent of rural children receive 
education in grades 7-9, and rural girls are 47 percent less likely to 
receive an education than boys. As of 2003, 60 percent of children who 
started primary school were likely to reach grade 5. The situation is 
compounded by a shortage of non-formal schools and literacy programs in 
rural areas.
ii. Relevant Policies, Programs, and Projects
    A number of efforts are currently being undertaken by the 
Government of Cambodia, international organizations, and 
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to directly address exploitive 
child labor in Cambodia, as well as the underlying causes of child 
labor such as poverty and lack of resources. In 2006, the Government of 
Cambodia ratified both ILO Convention 182 on the Elimination of the 
Worst Forms of Child Labor and the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, 
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and 
Children. The government has drafted a National Plan of Action for the 
Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, and has set time-bound 
targets for reducing the proportion of children engaging in the worst 
forms of child labor by 2015. The National Steering Committee on Child 
Labor was reconstituted in September 2006 to guide the country's 
efforts toward eliminating child labor under the National Plan of 
Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor. Child 
labor was included as a priority issue in the first two-year Strategic 
Plan of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training for 2007-08. In 
addition, child labor concerns have been incorporated into the 
government's major development frameworks, including the National 
Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2006-2010 and the Education Strategic 
Plan (ESP) 2006-2010.
    In addition to the unconditional worst forms of child labor 
identified under ILO Convention 182, the government has drafted a 
ministerial order, known as a Prakas, identifying 16 other categories 
of worst forms of child labor to be targeted for elimination. They are: 
Portering; domestic service; waste scavenging/rubbish picking; work in 
rubber and tobacco plantations; fishing; work in agricultural 
plantations; brick making; salt production; handicrafts; processing sea 
products; stone and granite breaking; quarrying; coal mining; 
restaurant work; and begging. The Ministry of Labour and Vocational 
Training has the primary responsibility for enforcement of child labor 
laws and regulations. Cambodia's Labor Law defines 15 as the minimum 
age for work (18 for hazardous work), although children between 12 and 
15 may do light, non-hazardous work that does not prevent regular 
attendance at school or other training programs. Employers who violate 
the law may be fined 31 to 60 days of the base daily wage. The Labor 
Law prohibits work that is hazardous to the mental and physical 
development of children under age 18 and prohibits all forced or 
compulsory labor, including in agriculture and domestic work. However, 
the Labor Law currently applies only to the formal sector, while child 
labor exists mostly in the informal sector.
    Addressing trafficking in persons is a priority for the Government 
of Cambodia, which drafted a National Plan of Action Against 
Trafficking in Persons and Sexual Exploitation 2005-2009. The National 
Plan of Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Sexual Exploitation 
expands the scope of a previous plan to include trafficking for both 
sexual and labor exploitation purposes. Along with Burma, Laos, the 
People's Republic of China, Thailand, and Vietnam, Cambodia is 
signatory to the ``Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against 
Trafficking (COMMIT).''

[[Page 32876]]

    Cambodia is currently participating in several USDOL-funded 
projects designed to combat exploitive child labor and provide 
educational opportunities for children. The ``Support to the Cambodian 
National Plan of Action on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child 
Labor: A Timebound Approach,'' implemented by ILO-IPEC, aims to 
withdraw 4,260 and prevent 5,650 children from working in exploitive 
conditions in several sectors: Brick-making (Shanoukville, Siem Riep, 
Kampong Cham); portering (Banteay Meancheay); rubber-making (Kampong 
Cham); domestic service (Phnom Penh); salt production (Kampot and Kep); 
fish processing (Shanoukville, Kampot, Kep); services such as hotel 
work, restaurant work, and beer promotion (Siem Riep and Phnom Penh); 
and trafficking (Shanoukville, Banteay Meancheay, Prey Veng). In 
addition, the project is building a robust enabling environment for the 
development and implementation of policies and programs on child labor 
and increasing the knowledge and capacity of the government and 
stakeholders on child labor.
    USDOL is currently funding three child labor and education projects 
in Cambodia, implemented by Hagar International, World Education, and 
Winrock International. The Hagar International project assists 
trafficked women and children by providing temporary shelter, 
rehabilitative and counseling services, literacy and vocational 
training classes, and assistance with reintegration into their 
communities of origin or new communities. The World Education project 
works in Prey Veng, Kompong Cham, Banteay Meanchay, and Phnom Penh to 
reduce the number of children trafficked and/or involved in CSEC and 
domestic labor. As of September 2006, the project had prevented 15,749 
children from being trafficked through provision of educational and 
other services. Cambodia is also part of CIRCLE, a global project 
implemented by Winrock International and funded by USDOL that aims to 
reduce the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labor by 
funding small-scale projects carried out by community-based 
organizations. CIRCLE project strategies in Cambodia have included 
awareness-raising among children at high risk of dropping out of 
school, and strengthening education systems to better serve children 
who have been trafficked and/or involved in CSEC, out-of-school youth, 
and child migrants. In addition, external funding to target poverty 
reduction, increase access to basic services, and strengthen 
institutions from partners such as the World Bank, the Asian 
Development Bank, and several other UN agencies continues to support 
programs in Cambodia.
iii. Scope of Work
    Applicants should design a creative project strategy to build 
partnerships to combat exploitive child labor and improve education for 
children engaged in, or at-risk of entering, exploitive labor, taking 
into account the socio-economic conditions in Cambodia. Applicants must 
also take any cross-cutting themes (discussed below) into account that 
could affect project results in Cambodia and meaningfully incorporate 
them into the proposed strategy, either to increase opportunities for, 
or to reduce obstacles to, successful implementation.

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    The Government of Cambodia has identified priority sectors for 
attention under its draft National Plan of Action for the Elimination 
of the Worst Forms of Child Labor. In line with the draft National Plan 
of Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, USDOL 
has identified hazardous child labor in agriculture as the primary 
sector of focus for this project. Specifically, Applicants should 
prioritize children engaged in hazardous work on commercial farms and 
subsistence agriculture, where children's work prevents them from going 
to school, exposes them to harmful chemicals, and places them at risk 
of injury from heavy loads, agricultural tools, or machinery. Specific 
sub-sectors within agriculture should be clearly identified by 
Applicants. Applicants should also propose additional sectors of focus 
that are in accordance with the draft National Plan of Action for the 
Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor and can include but are 
not limited to, mining, CSEC, scavenging/garbage picking, brick making, 
portering, stone quarrying/breaking, fishing, begging, work in 
restaurants, hotels, and karaoke bars, and domestic service. A 
convincing justification must be included for selection of target 
sectors, and justifications should clearly demonstrate knowledge of 
existing interventions in those sectors and how the proposed project 
will build off of or complement existing or past interventions.
    In determining provincial targets, Applicants should take into 
consideration priority areas outlined in the draft National Plan of 
Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, as well 
as the location of current USDOL-funded activities and ensure that 
efforts are not duplicated and that efforts/resources are leveraged 
where possible. At a minimum, Applicants should propose four provinces 
for project interventions and provide a clear justification for 
choices. Applicants are encouraged to target populations that are 
particularly disadvantaged, such as girls.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    Applicants should demonstrate a thorough knowledge of ongoing and 
previously piloted interventions and good practices to eliminate child 
labor in Cambodia and the Mekong region, at the local, national and 
regional levels. Proposals should support and/or build upon the efforts 
of past and existing projects to withdraw children from, and prevent 
children from entering, the worst forms of child labor in agricultural 
and other sectors in rural areas; children's involvement in 
prostitution and begging in urban areas; as well as the trafficking of 
children for exploitive labor, without duplicating ongoing or previous 
efforts. Interventions and activities should support the government's 
National Plan of Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child 
Labor. At minimum, collaborations should take place with the MOLVT; the 
Ministry of Social Affairs; Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSAVY); 
the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MOEYS); the National 
Steering Committee; provincial and local-level government officials; 
ILO-IPEC; World Education; United Nations agencies and other 
International Organizations working in Cambodia; the Civil Society 
Network Against Child Labor; and other NGO's and local groups working 
on child welfare and social service provision.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    Over the past decade, Cambodia's economic growth has improved, but 
its history of conflict and resulting negative socio-economic effects 
have left the country with significant development challenges that must 
be considered when designing project interventions. Applicants should 
consider the specific challenges of a lack of basic rural 
infrastructure; low capacity of civil society and governmental 
institutions; lack of access to quality and relevant

[[Page 32877]]

education, especially in rural areas; and the lack of a skilled 
workforce. In addition, Cambodia is a country of origin, transit, and 
destination for trafficking in persons. Given children's vulnerability 
to being trafficked due to lack of economic resources, lack of 
education, and migration patterns in the region, internal and cross-
border trafficking of children should be addressed in the application. 
However, the primary focus of the project should not be on trafficking; 
rather, trafficking should be addressed within the overall context or 
as a project component.

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    Applicants must propose a strategy that supports the government's 
National Plan of Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child 
Labor and contributes toward Cambodia's targets for reducing the 
incidence of the worst forms of child labor by 2015. In order to 
address the inadequacies of the current education system, the proposed 
strategy should assist in increasing the capacity of the Ministry of 
Education offices nationally and in target provinces to ensure improved 
service delivery, increased budgetary commitments and management, and 
awareness of child labor. Service delivery and management should be 
further enhanced in both the formal and non-formal system through 
teacher and administrator trainings and other approaches as proposed by 
the Applicant. Given the lack of alternatives to formal schooling in 
rural areas, the Applicant must also design a strategy to assist 
children who are not able or are unwilling to attend formal school, by 
providing access to non-formal education and vocational training. If 
cultural traditions and norms impact decisions about schooling, 
Applicants must show how education programs would be sensitive and 
responsive to these traditions, particularly as they relate to girls' 
education.
    Enforcement of existing labor laws is inadequate in Cambodia. To 
address this issue, Applicants should propose a strategy for increasing 
the capacity of labor inspectors on enforcement of legal provisions 
relating to child labor in the formal workplace, and contribute to 
ongoing efforts to expand legislation to cover children working in the 
informal sector. This strategy should demonstrate how efforts would be 
coordinated with, and complementary of, existing efforts of the ILO-
IPEC-supported Timebound Program and the government's National Plan of 
Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor. In 
addition, Applicants should design activities to support the government 
in its review of its current list of hazardous child labor and 
finalization of the new list, efforts to raise awareness of the list, 
and improve compliance and enforcement of regulations surrounding the 
list.
    There is a lack of systematic and reliable data on the 
unconditional worst forms of child labor in Cambodia. These forms of 
child labor are often culturally sensitive and/or illicit, making 
information difficult to gather. Applicants are encouraged to conduct 
small-scale research projects and disseminate findings on the 
unconditional worst forms of child labor in Cambodia, especially on 
products made from exploitive child labor or forced labor. This 
information should also be used in formulating more targeted and 
coordinated responses.
Project of Support to the Colombia Timebound Program on the Elimination 
of the Worst Forms of Child Labor
i. Background
    In Colombia, 10.4 percent of children ages 5 to 14 years were found 
working in 2001. The majority of working children were found in the 
services sector (49.9 percent), followed by agriculture (35.6 percent), 
and manufacturing (12.6 percent). Approximately 14.1 percent of all 
boys 5 to 14 were working compared to 6.6 percent of girls in the same 
age group. Children mine and process emeralds, gold, clay, and coal 
under dangerous conditions. Some work in aspects of the illegal drug 
trade, such as harvesting coca. Child labor is also a problem in the 
informal sector, where children work in agriculture, commerce, 
industry, and services. Many girls work in domestic service.
    Child pornography and commercial sexual exploitation of children 
(CSEC), including prostitution and sexual tourism, are reported in 
Cartagena and at resorts on the Caribbean Coast. Colombia is a major 
source of girls trafficked for the purpose of CSEC. Children are 
trafficked internally from rural to urban areas for sexual 
exploitation, and are also trafficked abroad. Children in Colombia are 
also recruited, sometimes forcibly, by insurgent and paramilitary 
groups to serve as combatants in the country's ongoing conflict.
ii. Relevant Policies, Programs, and Projects
    There are a number of efforts by the Government of Colombia, 
international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) 
to address exploitive child labor. The Government of Colombia's policy 
framework to address child labor has been the National Plan for the 
Elimination of Child Labor and the Protection of Working Youth (2003-
2006). The government and other relevant actors are drafting a new 
national plan, which has not yet been officially approved.
    In November of 2006, a new legal framework was put into effect, the 
Childhood and Adolescence Code, which replaces most all provisions of 
the 1989 Minor's Code, and includes provisions related to child labor. 
The 2006 Code establishes the government's obligation to eliminate the 
worst forms of child labor. The Ministry of Social Protection (MSP) is 
responsible for enforcing child labor laws in the formal sector and 
protecting adolescent workers authorized by the government to work. 
Labor can only be performed by those under the legal working age of 14 
under special circumstances. Various legal provisions regulate the 
conditions under which minors may work to ensure that their education 
is not compromised. Employers must enroll 12 to 17 year olds who have 
not completed basic education in school and allow them sufficient time 
to pursue their studies. Schools must report cases to authorities in 
which children are involved in the worst forms of child labor. The 
National Police is also responsible for detecting and investigating 
these cases.
    Other important policy frameworks and legal instruments that 
address exploitive child labor in Colombia include the National Plan of 
Action for the Prevention and Eradication of Commercial Sexual 
Exploitation of Boys, Girls, and Adolescents Below 18 Years of Age 
(2006-2011), and Colombia's Ten-Year Plan for Children (2004-2015). A 
Ministry of Social Protection Resolution prohibiting children under 18 
from certain forms of dangerous work was published in December 2005. In 
compliance with Colombia's ratification in 2005 of ILO Convention 182 
on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, the law prohibits those under age 18 
from the worst forms of child labor.
    The Government of Colombia participates in several programs to 
eliminate exploitive child labor that are funded by international 
organizations and foreign governments including the United States. 
These programs include a USDOL-funded project implemented by World 
Vision to withdraw and prevent children from exploitive labor in the 
municipalities of Funza and Madrid. Colombia also participates in a 
regional project in four South American countries to withdraw and 
prevent

[[Page 32878]]

children from CSEC and child domestic labor, and was part of a global 
project on child soldiers, both funded by USDOL and implemented by ILO-
IPEC. Another ILO-IPEC project, funded by the Canadian government, aims 
to improve national, regional, and municipal government cooperation to 
address child labor.
    Various Colombian government entities carry out activities related 
to the elimination of exploitive child labor. The Colombian Family 
Welfare Institute administers programs to provide rehabilitation 
services to children who have been recruited into armed groups, 
children engaged in CSEC, and children who live on the streets. The 
Colombian Institute of Geology and Mining implements a project with the 
United Nations Development Program to eliminate child labor in the 
mining sector. Other ministries working in this area are the Ministry 
of Social Protection, the Ministry of Communication, the Inter-
institutional Committee against Trafficking in Persons, and the 
National Police.
    The Government of Colombia supports education and other programs 
that may indirectly contribute to the elimination of exploitive child 
labor. The Ministry of Education's Policy Guide for Vulnerable 
Populations includes strategies to address child labor, and the 
Ministry of Defense distributes educational kits to schools in areas 
where children are at-risk for recruitment into armed groups. Through 
World Bank loans, the Government of Colombia is working to improve 
education in rural areas, and funds a ``Families in Action'' 
conditional cash transfer program to encourage school attendance. The 
government assists needy families to pay for education costs including 
books, supplies, transportation, and other fees. The World Food Program 
and the Colombian government also operate a primary school feeding 
program. The government participates in, and makes financial 
contributions to, a project implemented by the International 
Organization for Migration that provides services to vulnerable groups, 
including education and job-training for displaced youth. This project 
is funded by the United States Agency for International Development and 
Italy. All of these programs help to promote the retention of children 
to grade 5 and beyond, since education is compulsory in Colombia to age 
15. As of 2003, however, only 77 percent of students were likely to 
reach grade 5.
iii. Scope of Work

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    Applicants should identify target sectors and specific beneficiary 
groups in line with Colombia's new National Plan for the Elimination of 
Child Labor and the Protection of Working Youth, with a particular 
focus on sectors that the government has identified as a priority under 
a Timebound Program as part of its commitment to implement ILO 
Convention 182. Applicants may, however, identify other sectors where 
children are at-risk or involved in other worst forms of child labor, 
but must present a compelling reason for such a choice. Since many 
Colombian children are affected or displaced by conflict, the project 
should pay special attention to their needs.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    Applicants should support Colombia's new National Plan for the 
Elimination of Child Labor and the Protection of Working Youth and 
sectors that the government has identified as a priority under a 
Timebound Program. Since a Timebound Program is complex, in addition to 
the Ministry of Labor, the project should include coordination with 
other ministries working in areas related to combating exploitive child 
labor and child protection, including the Ministry of Social 
Protection, the Ministry of Communication, the Inter-institutional 
Committee against Trafficking in Persons, the Colombian Family Welfare 
Institute, and the National Police.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    Colombia has endured more than 35 years of conflict by rival armed 
groups. This conflict affects the implementing environment in areas 
such as security and the existence of a high number of internally 
displaced persons with reduced access to health care, education, or 
employment. Displaced persons are particularly vulnerable to labor 
abuse and exploitation, including the worst forms of child labor. Armed 
groups also recruit and use children as soldiers, and there has been a 
high degree of violence against organized labor. Applicants should 
consider to what extent these challenges might affect the project's 
implementation. Project strategies should account for the continued 
conflict, and the relationship between the armed conflict and 
exploitive child labor. Changes in the political environment, including 
those at the national, regional, and local level, may also affect 
project implementation. These changes may be a result of elections or 
also of changes in policy and personnel in cooperating government 
agencies. Applicants should design strategies that minimize disruptions 
when such events occur.

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    Applicants must propose approaches that assist Colombia in 
developing and implementing a Timebound Program to eliminate the worst 
forms of child labor. This program will assist the Government of 
Colombia in fulfilling its obligations under Articles 1 and 7 of ILO 
Convention 182. Specifically, the Applicant's strategy should 
strengthen the capacity of the Colombian government and civil society 
organizations to take immediate, effective, and timebound measures to: 
(a) Prevent the engagement of children in the worst forms of child 
labor; (b) provide the necessary and appropriate direct assistance for 
the withdrawal of children from the worst forms of child labor and for 
their rehabilitation and social integration; (c) ensure access to free 
basic education, and, wherever possible and appropriate, vocational 
training, for all children removed from the worst forms of child labor; 
(d) identify and reach out to children at special risk; and (e) take 
account of the special situation of girls. In support of a Timebound 
Program to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor, the Applicant's 
proposal must focus both on withdrawing and preventing children from 
exploitive child labor through the provision of direct educational 
services, as well as improving country capacity to address child labor, 
including the policies and capacities of relevant government and civil 
society institutions. Timebound Programs to Eliminate the Worst Forms 
of Child Labor have been implemented in several countries around the 
world. Lessons learned from these Timebound Programs should be used to 
improve the design of a Timebound Program in Colombia.
    Applicants must also propose a strategy to strengthen the ability 
of Colombian government and civil society organizations to improve 
relevant policies and institutional capacity to eliminate the worst 
forms of child labor. In addition, Applicants should seek to strengthen 
the capacity for inter-institutional coordination given that the 
complexity of child labor issues requires the collaboration of many 
public and private institutions in what are currently often disparate 
programs. Applicants' proposals should clearly

[[Page 32879]]

identify the institutions with which they intend to conduct capacity-
building activities; each organization's specific role in relation to 
the project's strategy of support to the Timebound Program; the 
expected result of technical assistance to be provided by the 
Applicant; and the means through which the organizations will receive 
technical assistance (i.e., specified number of trainings or 
consultancies). These efforts could involve building organizational 
capacity in the following areas: To withdraw children from, and prevent 
children from entering, exploitive child labor; to plan, implement, and 
monitor activities to eliminate exploitive child labor; and to identify 
and effectively respond to cases of the worst forms of child labor. 
They could also include improvements to laws and law enforcement in an 
environment of constrained resources and ongoing armed conflict; to 
education policies; to quality of service provision to children and 
social support for families; and to awareness raising. Applicants 
should identify how the project will productively engage existing 
institutions such as Inter-institutional Committee for the Eradication 
of Child Labor and the Protection of Young Workers and the Inter-
institutional Committee against Trafficking in Persons in the 
intervention area(s) to ensure that project goals will be met and 
project efforts will become sustainable.
    In their proposed strategy, Applicants should demonstrate a 
thorough knowledge of previous and on-going interventions and good 
practices to eliminate child labor in Colombia, including those funded 
by USDOL, those occurring as part of National Plans for the Elimination 
of Child Labor and the Protection of Working Youth, and the National 
Plan of Action for the Prevention and Eradication of Commercial Sexual 
Exploitation of Boys, Girls, and Adolescents Less than 18 Years of age. 
The proposal should build upon the efforts of past and current efforts 
to withdraw and prevent children from engaging in exploitive labor. 
Education strategies should take into account successful existing 
Colombian educational programs including Accelerated Learning and New 
Schools (Escuela Nueva). When appropriate, Applicants should identify 
intervention strategies that link direct beneficiaries to these 
educational services.
Promoting Education and Appropriate Youth Employment in the Dominican 
Republic Through Public-Private Partnerships
i. Background
    An economic crisis in 2003 led to increased poverty rates 
throughout the Dominican Republic, which has disproportionately 
affected the poorest segments of society, including children and youth. 
In 2000, approximately 14.5 percent of children between the ages of 5 
and 14 years were working in the country, as compared to 5.9 percent in 
Costa Rica, 9.2 percent in Honduras, 10.2 percent in El Salvador, 10.9 
percent in Nicaragua, and 16.1 percent in Guatemala. In the Dominican 
Republic, approximately 21.6 percent were boys ages 5 to 14 were 
working as compared to 7.3 percent of girls in the same age group. The 
Government of the Dominican Republic estimates that 41 percent of 
working children ages 5 to 17 work in services, 21 percent in commerce, 
19 percent in agriculture, and 11 percent in manufacturing industries. 
Most work performed by children takes place in the informal sector. In 
urban areas children work in the streets, markets, garbage dumps, and 
repair shops. They wash cars, shine shoes, and carry heavy loads. Many 
urban child workers are migrants from other regions. Children also work 
as domestic servants in third-party homes. In rural areas, children 
work mostly in agriculture and services, and most child agricultural 
workers are boys. Haitian and Dominican children plant and cut sugar 
cane. Child labor has been found to be a problem in Haitian sugar cane 
worker villages, or ``bateyes'' that lack basic services such as water, 
electricity, and schools.
    The Dominican Republic is also a source, transit, and destination 
country for children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual 
exploitation (CSEC) and forced labor. Children are trafficked 
internally from rural to urban and tourist areas where CSEC is a 
problem, especially in Boca Chica, Puerto Plata, and Sos[uacute]a. 
Haitian children are trafficked to the Dominican Republic for work in 
the streets, in agriculture, and also for the purpose of CSEC. 
Children, particularly Haitian children, are sometimes ``adopted'' by 
families who register the child as their own and provide some form of 
payment to the birthparents. Such children are often exploited as 
domestic workers or as workers in family businesses.
    Although education is free and compulsory to age 14, nearly half of 
all Dominican children do not complete school through the primary 
level, and at the secondary level, 50 percent of students are over age, 
and up to 20 percent are 3 or more years behind their cohorts. High 
repetition rates contribute to school abandonment and, in rural areas, 
barely 50 percent of schools go beyond the fourth grade. More than 50 
percent of rural schools operate on a multi-grade system.
    The Government of the Dominican Republic defines ``youth'' as 
individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 years. Article 15 of the 
General Youth Law focuses on promoting the successful integration of 
youth into the job market and the Ministry of youth, under the 
direction of the Administrative Secretariat of the Presidency, works to 
promote the development and societal integration of Dominican youth to 
allow them to contribute to national welfare. The economic crisis has 
contributed to increased school drop-out rates, an increase in the 
number of youth who resort to crime, violence, and gang activity, and 
high rates of youth under- and unemployment. The unemployment rate for 
youth ages 15 through 24 years is 31 percent, nearly double that of the 
average population (17 percent). Many adolescents of legal working age 
(14 years) with low school attainment and few marketable skills find 
work in the informal sector and work under hazardous conditions, 
receiving much lower pay than work in the formal sector would offer.
    In addition, the traditional vocational and skills training 
institutions have only been partially accessible to low-skilled youth 
with low levels of education, and a significant number of youth who do 
not have official identity documentation are not allowed to participate 
in national training programs. Many of these youth lack the information 
necessary to help them obtain the required documentation.
ii. Relevant Policies, Programs, and Projects
    In 2005, the Dominican Congress signed the Central American Free 
Trade Agreement (CAFTA) which commits the government to labor 
provisions, including the elimination of the worst forms of child 
labor. In 2006, the government launched a National Plan to Eliminate 
the Worst Forms of Child Labor (2006-2016). The Secretariat of Labor 
(SET), in coordination with the National Council for Children and 
Adolescents (CONANI), is responsible for protecting minors against 
labor exploitation. The SET operates provincial and municipal 
committees on child labor. The government has been working to increase 
its efforts to protect children from exploitive child

[[Page 32880]]

labor, such as by making monthly labor inspections to sugar cane worker 
villages. It has effectively enforced child labor laws in the formal 
sector; however, has been less successful in the informal sector. Also, 
the legal requirement that CONANI receive a minimum of two percent of 
the national budget is not being met.
    Dominican law sets the minimum age for employment at 14 years and 
provides guidelines for acceptable work practices for minors between 
the ages of 14 and 18. Employers of minors are required to pay them at 
least the legal minimum wage. Fines have been established for 
violations of legal provisions involving child labor. National laws 
establish penalties of imprisonment and fines for assisting in or the 
trafficking of minors for the purposes of forced labor; CSEC, including 
prostitution and pornography, or other degrading activities in exchange 
for compensation; and the making, distributing, or publishing of 
pornographic photographs of children is also punishable by 
incarceration and fines. Laws are also in place that prohibit forced 
labor and the use of children in drug trafficking.
    The government is implementing an Action Plan for the Eradication 
of Abuse and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Boys, Girls, and 
Adolescents. The Armed Forces provides educational and recreational 
programs for working and at-risk children and runs a shelter for such 
children. The government also supports several child labor, 
trafficking, and CSEC awareness campaigns, workshops, and trainings, 
and provides funding to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that work 
with trafficking victims. The anti-trafficking unit of the Office of 
the Attorney General investigates and prosecutes trafficking crimes. 
The government has shut down several businesses involved with CSEC, 
rescued children, and obtained related convictions. However, according 
to the U.S. Department of State, the Dominican Republic lacks effective 
trafficking law enforcement and victim protection programs, due in part 
to a lack of resources. The border with Haiti is not sufficiently 
monitored, according to the U.S. Department of State. The Technical 
Institute for Professional Development provides training to individuals 
who have been trafficked and to children at risk of being trafficked, 
especially those in the Boca Chica area. The Tourism Police provides 
counseling services to abused children, including trafficked children. 
CONANI operates a referral center for children in Boca Chica who have 
been involved in CSEC, and runs seven shelters for children.
    The Government of the Dominican Republic also supports education 
and other programs that may indirectly contribute to children's 
withdrawal from, or prevention from entering, exploitive labor. In 
2005, the government developed an inter-ministerial social sector 
policy that focuses resources for the poor. The Secretariat of 
Education (SEE) provides some stipends for poor families who keep their 
children in school and out of exploitive work. A World Bank USD 23 
million loan will be used to expand a SET program that provides job 
training and internships to individuals age 16 and above, as well as to 
expand an SEE program that provides school deserters with the 
opportunity to complete their education.
    Several projects funded by USDOL have supported the government's 
Timebound Program to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and were 
designed to remove or prevent over 22,000 children from exploitive work 
in agriculture, urban work, CSEC, and trafficking. These projects, 
implemented by the ILO-IPEC and DevTech Systems, Inc., have several 
interesting components that include the development of a community-
based child labor monitoring system (CLMS) and the engagement of the 
academic and business sectors, including the Dominican foundation EDUCA 
(previously the recipient of USAID assistance to develop business-
education partnerships). These efforts aim to combat child labor and 
promote better educational opportunities for children involved in child 
labor. The Office of the First Lady also administers a program to 
provide income generating opportunities to families of children at-risk 
for CSEC, including beneficiaries of ILO-implemented projects. The 
government has participated in a USDOL-funded regional project 
implemented by ILO-IPEC to eliminate CSEC and hazardous agricultural 
child labor in Central America and the Dominican Republic, and a USDOL-
funded regional project implemented by CARE to strengthen government 
and civil society's capacity to address the educational needs of 
working children, and improve the quality of, and access to, basic 
education.
iii. Scope of Work
    Applicants will design a project strategy that involves social 
partners such as, but not limited to, employers, industry 
organizations, worker organization, NGOs, community-based organizations 
(CBOs), and academia, to combat exploitive child labor and improve 
education for children engaged in, or at-risk of entering, exploitive 
labor. The project should take into account the socio-economic 
conditions in the Dominican Republic that include inter-generational 
poverty; early school desertion, and premature employment by children 
in the non-formal labor sectors, including in the worst forms of child 
labor; and under- or unemployment of youth in the formal sectors of the 
economy.

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    The project should target children engaged in, or at-risk of 
entering, exploitive child labor, including the worst forms of child 
labor, and taking into account the priorities identified by the 
Government of the Dominican Republic in its 2006 National Plan to 
Eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Applicants will identify 
priority geographical areas and primary target groups of children: (1) 
Children under age 14, and (2) youth between the ages of 14 and up to 
18. Applicants will design different but complementary programs for 
each target group, providing equal opportunities for both males and 
females. Each program's design should be developed in part by those who 
will benefit from its services in the targeted regions.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    The project should support the Dominican Republic's National Plan 
to Eliminate the worst forms of child labor and build upon other USDOL-
funded efforts and projects supporting the Dominican Republic's 
Timebound Program to Eliminate the worst forms of child labor. It 
should build links with Secretariat of Education programs to improve 
the quality of basic education. It should also coordinate with the 
World Bank-financed youth job training and internship project, taking 
into account the spirit and provisions of the country's General Youth 
Law. The project's job/vocational training component targeted to the 
older age group should support national policies, but should also be 
adapted to the specific characteristics of the project's regions.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    Exploitive child labor in the Dominican Republic is both a 
consequence and cause of recurring poverty, which is exacerbated by a 
low-quality education system. While the rate

[[Page 32881]]

of child labor for children under 15 is higher in the Dominican 
Republic than in Central America, the unemployment rate for individuals 
ages 15 through 24 years is 31 percent, nearly double that of the 
average population (17 percent). Thus, paradoxically, premature child 
labor and school desertion, and high ``youth'' unemployment represent 
two sides of the same coin; the challenge of overcoming economic and 
social inequalities and of accessing high quality education and 
employment opportunities.
    In addition, the traditional vocational and skills training 
institutions have only been partially accessible to low-skilled 
``youth'' with low levels of education. National training programs also 
have not necessarily taken into account the specific social and 
productive contexts in which the knowledge transferred would be 
applied. The country's opening up to trade and flow of people migrating 
and returning provide many opportunities to make reforms. The country 
also has an engaged business and academic sector eager to address these 
challenges, and is ripe for the development of such social 
partnerships.

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    This project should focus on strengthening sustainable networks, 
consortiums, or working groups composed of both public and private 
sector entities in order to implement actions to eliminate exploitive 
child labor in the Dominican Republic. These actions should also 
promote educational and training opportunities, particularly those 
leading to improved future employability for youth in jobs that are 
more likely to combat the cycle of poverty that often results in 
exploitive child labor. The project should pay special attention to 
promoting corporate social responsibility, developing codes of conduct 
in specific sectors targeted (e.g., agriculture, tourism, or other 
proposed sectors of project focus), and expanding the emerging role of 
the business sector in combating exploitive child labor.
    Applicants should propose demonstration projects that develop 
partnerships with social partners such as, but not limited to, the 
following: employers, industry organizations, worker organization, 
NGOs, CBOs, and academia to (1) improve the quality of basic education 
for target children under age 14, and (2) enhance educational, 
vocational and job training and job placement opportunities for target 
youth between the ages of 14 and up to 18 years. Each of the two 
demonstration projects should forge links between education and 
practical experience, and promote leadership, entrepreneurship, and 
citizenship relevant to the Dominican context.
    Activities of these partnerships may include, but are not limited 
to, the following: action research designed to inform demonstration 
projects and proposed policies that would benefit children involved in 
exploitive child labor in the Dominican Republic. These activities 
would center on expanding awareness of public and private sector 
entities regarding exploitive child labor, improving coordination 
between the public and private sector to combat exploitive child labor, 
and the adoption of policies and practices by both public and private 
organizations to improve educational and employment opportunities for 
youth that have low income and low levels of schooling, no technical 
training, and work experience only in exploitive child labor.
    The project may also focus on increasing the number and quality of 
individual private sector initiatives to eliminate and prevent 
exploitive child labor. Examples of these types of initiatives include 
the provision of direct educational services to children, the adoption 
of policies or development of innovative initiatives by programs by 
private sector organizations to combat or monitor exploitive child 
labor, and the development of private sector mechanisms to detect and 
respond to cases of exploitive child labor.
Preventing Exploitive Child Labor and Reintegrating War-Affected 
Children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
i. Background
    The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) concluded a brutal civil 
war in 2003 that lasted 5 years and took the lives of nearly 4 million 
people. In 2006, for the first time in more than 40 years, the 
government held parliamentary and presidential elections. Despite these 
achievements, armed groups operate outside of the government's control, 
and fighting continues in different regions of the country, 
particularly in Ituri District, North and South Kivu, and northern 
Katanga. Violent conflict, widespread poverty, and a lack of basic 
services contribute to the exploitation of children.
    In the DRC, children work in the informal sector and in subsistence 
agriculture, which constitute the largest parts of the economy. Some 
parents make their children hunt, fish, engage in prostitution, or beg 
in the streets to support their families instead of attending school. 
Children also work in the extraction of natural resources. In Katanga 
province, children reportedly dig holes and wash, sift, and transport 
minerals to pay school fees and support their families. While recent 
child labor statistics are unavailable, the Understanding Children's 
Work (UCW) Project, an interagency collaboration among the ILO, UNICEF, 
and World Bank, estimates that approximately 39.8 percent of children 
ages 5-14 years were found working in 2000. At the height of the 5-year 
civil war, an estimated 30,000 children were fighting or living with 
armed groups. While there are no official statistics, reports indicate 
that 3,000 to 11,000 children still need to be demobilized. Amnesty 
International (AI) notes that, while girls represent 40 percent of 
child soldiers, they only represent two percent of the children 
released by armed groups in some areas of the country. According to AI, 
this discrepancy has occurred because service providers falsely assume 
that female child soldiers are the ``wives'' of adult fighters. Armed 
groups in the DRC continue to abduct and recruit children to support 
violent conflict. Children associated with armed groups are used as 
combatants, laborers, and sexual slaves or forced to mine natural 
resources. Many children remain vulnerable to recruitment or re-
recruitment due to a lack of economic alternatives and inadequate 
community support.
    Children are trafficked within the DRC for forced labor and sexual 
exploitation. Most trafficking occurs within the eastern provinces of 
the country where government control is weak and armed groups continue 
to abduct and forcibly recruit children.
    In October 2005, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian 
Affairs (OCHA) reported that 1.6 million people remained displaced due 
to violence and instability. According to UNICEF, displaced children 
are frequently separated from their parents, removed from school, and 
exposed to disease and malnutrition.
    The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a significant problem in the DRC for all 
children and their families. According to UNAIDS, there are 
approximately 120,000 children living with HIV/AIDS and an estimated 
680,000 children who have been orphaned by AIDS in the DRC. The HIV/
AIDS prevalence rate ranges from 1.7 to 7.6 percent, but it is thought 
to be as high as 20 percent among women in conflict areas due to 
widespread sexual abuse and violence.

[[Page 32882]]

ii. Relevant Policies, Programs, and Projects
    There are a number of current efforts by the Government of the 
Democratic Republic of the Congo, international organizations, and NGOs 
to combat exploitive child labor, including child soldiering, and 
address the country's lack of resources. With the support of the World 
Bank, the government is implementing a national plan for the 
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of adult and child 
ex-combatants. In 2006, the government created a national committee to 
combat the worst forms of child labor, adopted the National Plan for 
the Protection of Children, and finalized a poverty reduction strategy 
paper that addresses the problem of child labor. In collaboration with 
UN agencies, the World Bank, the European Commission, and other donors, 
the government also finalized a Country Assistance Framework (CAF) to 
coordinate strategies for the reform, reconstruction, and development 
in the DRC from 2007 to 2010.
    The government participates in a 4-year, global project, funded by 
USDOL and implemented by ILO-IPEC to reintegrate war-affected children. 
Ending in May 2007, this project aimed to withdraw 2,000 children and 
prevent another 2,000 children in the DRC from child soldiering and 
other forms of exploitive labor. With government support, UNICEF 
disarms and reintegrates child soldiers, rehabilitates classrooms, 
trains teachers, and distributes school supplies. USAID promotes 
community infrastructure projects and micro-credit schemes to 
facilitate the reintegration of ex-combatants. USAID is also partnering 
with select international mining firms to reduce the number of child 
miners in Katanga province.
    The Ministry of Labor is responsible for implementing and enforcing 
child labor laws and regulations. The law provides for legal sanctions 
against employers who actively recruit children under the age of 15, 
and employers who are found employing children under 15 may be punished 
with a fine. Legal remedies to enforce child labor laws include 
criminal penalties, civil fines, and withdrawal or suspension of one or 
more civil, national, or family rights, including denial of legal 
residence in the country for a period of 5 to 10 years. The law also 
enables inspectors and the police to bring charges against employers of 
children under age 15 in all sectors, including apprenticed children 
and family businesses.
iii. Scope of Work
    Applicants must take into account cross-cutting themes (discussed 
below) that could affect project results in the DRC and meaningfully 
incorporate them into the proposed strategy, either to increase 
opportunities for, or reduce obstacles to, successful implementation. 
In the DRC, specific considerations for project strategies and program 
activities should include the following components:

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    The proposal should target children who are engaged in exploitive 
child labor, with a focus on children who have been affected by armed 
conflict. Applicants are encouraged to include war-affected children 
compelled to work in mining, mining-related activities, or exploitive 
labor in mining areas as a target group of the project. Applicants are 
also encouraged to identify target other groups for intervention, but 
must provide convincing reasons as to why they merit funding.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed project activities 
support the National Plan for DDR and the National Plan for the 
Protection of Children, and complement existing policies and programs 
that address the underlying causes of poverty. At a minimum, 
collaborations should take place with the Ministry of Labor and Social 
Security; the Ministry of Primary, Secondary, and Professional 
Education; the Ministry of Mines; the National Commission for 
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration; ILO-IPEC; and UNICEF. 
Applicants must also demonstrate that the project will work 
collaboratively with local, regional, and national institutions and 
organizations already engaged in addressing exploitive child labor and 
education issues in the DRC. Applicants should also support the efforts 
begun under the USDOL-funded, ILO-IPEC Child Soldiers project to 
withdraw children from, and prevent them from entering, exploitive 
labor in the DRC. In addition, the project should also collaborate and 
coordinate with the projects reintegrating ex-child combatants being 
implemented by USAID and UNICEF, as well as the USAID-funded mining 
project in Katanga province.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    USDOL seeks to fund a sustainable project that provides for the 
emerging educational needs of war-affected children at-risk of, or 
engaged in, exploitive child labor in the DRC as the country 
demobilizes. Applicants should take into consideration the fluidity and 
constantly changing nature of the security situation in the DRC and 
related migrations flows. Applicants must also address the cross-
cutting theme of HIV/AIDS.

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    In developing the project strategy, Applicants must provide a 
definition of ``war-affected children'' that will be used in 
identifying potential direct beneficiaries under the project and should 
account for the demographic and social characteristics of such children 
and youth. Applicants should keep in mind interventions for hazardous 
work, particularly for children between 15 and up to 18 years who meet 
the minimum age requirements for work. If Applicants propose to target 
children working in agriculture, they must demonstrate knowledge of 
injury prevention strategies for children who continue to work under 
the supervision of their parents. In addition, Applicants should 
incorporate HIV/AIDS awareness activities into their proposed strategy 
to withdraw children from, and prevent them from entering, exploitive 
labor.
Project of Support to the Indonesian Timebound Program on the 
Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor
i. Background
    Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country, with an 
approximate population of 245 million, and has the world's largest 
Islamic population. Indonesia's economy is still recovering from the 
effects of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the December 2004 
earthquake and tsunami, but has regained macroeconomic stability and is 
achieving modest progress in pursuing poverty reduction and growth 
strategies. Major development challenges include improving access, 
efficiency, and quality in the delivery of education and basic social 
services; strengthening democratic reform after the country's first 
direct Presidential elections in 2004; increasing the capacity and 
resources of recently decentralized government agencies; and 
accelerating employment opportunities for the estimated 2.5 million new 
entrants into the workforce each year. In addition, Indonesia continues 
to battle periodic

[[Page 32883]]

natural disasters, such as the 2004 earthquake and tsunami.
    Key to accomplishing Indonesia's development goals will be to 
remove and prevent children from the worst forms of child labor. Based 
on a review of available survey information, in 2002 the ILO estimated 
that 7.5 percent of children age 10 to 14 years, or 1.6 million 
children, were working in Indonesia. It was also estimated that 3.4 
million children age 15-17 were working, for a total of 4.87 million 
working children in the country. In both age groups, boys represented 
approximately 60 percent of working children, while girls represented 
40 percent. Localized studies and unofficial estimates put the number 
of working children much higher.
    The majority of child work in Indonesia occurs in rural areas. 
Children work under hazardous conditions in agriculture on palm oil, 
cacao, tobacco, and sugar plantations. Children also work in fishing, 
construction, manufacturing, footwear production, food processing, and 
the small-scale mining sector. Other children work in the informal 
sector selling newspapers, shining shoes, street vending, scavenging, 
and working beside their parents in family businesses or cottage 
industries. There are also large numbers of street children in urban 
centers. Children, primarily females, are also exploited in domestic 
service, often under conditions resembling forced labor. Within 
Indonesia, girls typically enter domestic service between the ages of 
12 and 15 and typically work 14 to 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. They 
do not have access to education, and often employers forbid them from 
leaving their workplaces or withhold their wages. In addition, in an 
attempt to migrate to Malaysia and the Middle East to work as domestic 
servants, many girls end up being trafficked or exploited in a system 
of debt bondage by traffickers and recruiting agencies. Easy access to 
illegal documents and poor regulation of employment recruiting agencies 
exacerbate the problem.
    Indonesia is a source, transit, and destination country for 
individuals trafficked internationally and internally, including 
children. Children, primarily girls, are trafficked both internally and 
internationally for commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC) and domestic 
service. There are also increasing reports of children being trafficked 
to work in organized begging rings. In addition, children are exploited 
in the production of pornography and in the international sex industry. 
Children are also known to be involved in the production, trafficking, 
and/or sale of drugs. Indonesia's decentralization policy has placed 
primary responsibility for provision of education services at the 
district level. This has contributed to the decline in education 
standards, especially at the secondary levels, as district governments 
are ill-prepared to manage the decentralized education systems. There 
are shortages of teachers in many areas, existing teachers are often 
poorly trained, and school curricula do not include relevant vocational 
training. Public funding for education in Indonesia is one of the 
lowest in South East Asia. By law, education is compulsory and free for 
nine years in Indonesia. Children are required to attend school until 
age 15. The law provides for government provision of education 
services, but also stipulates that families are expected to provide 
financial contributions supporting educational programs, with the 
exception of children meeting the ``impoverished'' guidelines 
determined by district regulations. For both the impoverished children 
who receive a government education subsidy and the other children, the 
additional fees and informal levies, plus the cost of books and 
uniforms, are often more than families can afford. In addition, 
transportation costs are many times prohibitive for poor families. 
USAID estimates that only 40 percent of children who enroll in primary 
school complete 9 years of basic education. The lack of access to 
schools beyond the primary level contributes to low transition rates 
to, and high drop-out rates from, junior secondary schools. Children, 
especially girls, in this grade level and age group are particularly 
vulnerable to dropping out of school and entering the worst forms of 
child labor. For children who drop out of school, the re-entry to the 
formal school system can be difficult due to the psychological and 
emotional trauma that children involved in the worst forms of child 
labor have suffered.
ii. Relevant Policies, Programs, and Projects
    There are a number of current efforts by the Government of 
Indonesia, international organizations, and NGOs to address exploitive 
child labor in Indonesia and also the underlying causes of poverty and 
lack of resources. Recent reform efforts and statements by the 
government reflect an increased willingness to openly acknowledge and 
fiscally support programs to tackle child labor. The government is in 
the process of completing its first phase of activities under its 20-
year National Plan of Action to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child 
Labor, which focuses on five sectors including fishing, mining, 
footwear production, trafficking, and the drug trade. The government, 
coordinated through the National Steering Committee on Child Labor, is 
reviewing progress of the National Plan of Action to Eliminate the 
Worst Forms of Child Labor to identify priority sectors and activities 
for the second phase. The State Planning Board, with support from the 
World Bank, is currently piloting a Conditional Cash Transfer program 
in six provinces with reduction of child labor as one of the targets 
for the program. The National Plan of Action to Combat the Trafficking 
of Women and Children and the National Plan of Action to Combat 
Commercial Sexual Exploitation are in place, aimed at reducing child 
trafficking and CSEC. In addition, the Government of Indonesia has 
incorporated eliminating child labor into its national development 
policy, including child labor-specific targets and goals in its 
National Medium Term Development Plan (2004-2009), the Poverty 
Reduction Strategy (2005-2009), and the National Plan of Action of 
Human Rights in Indonesia (2004-2009).
    The law sets the minimum age for work at 15. Employing and 
involving children under the age of 18 in the worst forms of child 
labor are prohibited under the law and failure to comply can result in 
criminal sanctions of two to five years imprisonment. The law defines 
the worst forms of child labor as slavery; use of children in 
prostitution, pornography and gambling; use of children for alcohol, 
narcotic, and addictive substance production and trade; and all types 
of work harmful to the health, safety and morals of the child. The law 
identifies a list of such harmful activities and provides detailed 
descriptions and examples of these activities, including jobs requiring 
children to work with machines; jobs where physical, chemical, or 
biological hazards are present; jobs with inherent hazards such as 
construction, offshore fishing, and lifting heavy loads; and jobs that 
harm the morals of the child including in bars, massage parlors, 
discotheques, or in the promotion of alcohol or drugs. The law contains 
an exception for employing children ages 13 to 15 years in light work 
that does not harm their physical, mental, and social development. A 
set of requirements is outlined for employment of children in this age 
range, including a maximum of three hours of work per day, parental

[[Page 32884]]

permission, and no disruption of schooling.
    Additional legal sanctions are laid out for the offenses of CSEC, 
child trafficking, involving children in the production or distribution 
of alcohol or narcotics, and involving children in armed conflict. A 
newly passed anti-trafficking bill criminalizes all types of human 
trafficking domestically and internationally, prescribes harsh 
penalties for violators of the bill, and mandates victim services and 
compensation.
    The Government of Indonesia is participating in a USD 4.1 million 
USDOL-funded ILO-IPEC project in support of the National Plan of Action 
to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Timebound Program to 
progressively eliminate the worst forms of child labor, as well as a 
USD 1.4 million addendum to address vulnerable children in tsunami-
stricken areas. In support of the national Timebound Program, USDOL 
also funds a USD 6 million Child Labor Education Initiative project 
implemented by Save the Children to combat child trafficking in 
Indonesia, and a USD 2.5 million project implemented by Save the 
Children to prevent children from entering exploitive labor in tsunami-
affected areas. In 2006, the Government of Indonesia also participated 
in a regional USDOL-funded anti-trafficking project and a regional 
awareness-raising project to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. 
In addition, in 2006 a Netherlands-supported USD 1.2 million project to 
eliminate exploitive child domestic work in Indonesia and 7 other 
countries in the region was completed. Sweden continues to support a 
project on child labor and youth employment in Indonesia, Pakistan, 
Tanzania, Egypt, and Guatemala.
iii. Scope of Work
    Applicants must propose a creative and innovative approach to 
address the challenges of educating and assisting children engaged in, 
or at-risk of entering, the worst forms of child labor. Strategies must 
be in alignment with the government's current efforts to design and 
implement the second phase of its National Plan of Action to Eliminate 
the Worst Forms of Child Labor, and must also build on efforts 
initiated under the first phase. Applicants must demonstrate knowledge 
of Phase I National Plan of Action to Eliminate the Worst Forms of 
Child Labor activities and, where applicable, propose strategies to 
continue or build off those efforts. Applicants must take into account 
cross-cutting themes (discussed below), specific considerations, and 
additional activities that could affect project results in Indonesia, 
and meaningfully incorporate them into the proposed strategy, either to 
increase opportunities or reduce obstacles to successful 
implementation.

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    Proposed direct beneficiaries should be children working in sectors 
identified by the government as priority areas within Phase II of the 
National Plan of Action to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor. 
Applicants do not need to propose direct beneficiaries for all sectors 
identified in the National Plan of Action to Eliminate the Worst Forms 
of Child Labor, but at a minimum, children working in domestic service, 
on plantations, and trafficked for CSEC should be included in the 
project's target groups. Applicants should also propose strategies for 
assisting urban street children, as a high risk group for trafficking 
and involvement in the drug trade. Applicants may identify other 
sectors where children are engaged in, or at-risk of engaging in other 
worst forms of child labor, but should present a compelling reason for 
this choice. Geographic target areas should also be consistent with 
Phase II of the National Plan of Action to Eliminate the Worst Forms of 
Child Labor and take into account previous activities or new areas that 
need urgent attention. Given the recent humanitarian assistance needs 
as a result of the natural disasters on Java and Sumatra islands, 
Applicants may choose to focus on child labor issues that already 
existed or may have been exacerbated in these areas.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    Applicants should support the Government of Indonesia's Timebound 
Program to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor and its efforts 
under Phase II of the National Plan of Action to Eliminate the Worst 
Forms of Child Labor. In particular, at the national level, close 
collaboration with the National Action Committee on Child Labor, 
chaired by the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, is necessary. 
Since a Timebound Program is complex, in addition to the Ministry of 
Manpower, the project should include other ministries working in the 
area of child labor and protection including, but not limited to, the 
following: The Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Social 
Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry for Women's Empowerment, the 
National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), and the National 
Police. Applicants should also collaborate with other national and 
international institutions carrying out child labor projects including 
ILO-IPEC, Save the Children, IOM, and UNICEF. Additionally, due to 
Indonesia's policy of decentralization, strong collaboration with 
relevant ministries and action committees at the provincial and 
district levels is imperative. Applicants should also be involved in 
the government's efforts to implement the Conditional Cash Transfer 
program. If working in areas of the recent natural disaster, Applicants 
should coordinate with other donors providing assistance, and 
complement rather than duplicate existing efforts. Applicants are also 
encouraged to demonstrate how their organization's previous efforts to 
combat child labor or promote education have led to the mainstreaming 
and sustainability of project initiatives.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    Since the late 1990's, Indonesia has undergone recurrent political 
and economic unrest and instability, which has an impact on overall 
country development. The country held its first direct presidential 
elections in 2004 and recently, the government has committed itself to 
political, economic and social transformations. The country is engaged 
in debate on development themes including education reform; economic 
growth and employment creation; good governance and democracy; and 
continued strengthening of decentralization. Policy decisions in these 
areas directly affect many of the factors that lead children to enter 
exploitive child labor. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country 
and while the government is secular, religious traditions, 
organizations and institutions play an important part in the cultural, 
political, and societal environment in Indonesia. In addition to Islam, 
there are a multitude of minority religions and ethnic groups existing 
within the country and in some areas, there are inter-religious/ethnic 
conflict and tension.
    Furthermore, over the past 3 years, Indonesia has been plagued by a 
series of large-scale natural disasters in both rural and urban areas, 
including the December 2004 tsunami, the May 2006 earthquake in central 
Java, the 2007 earthquake in Yogyakarta and flooding in Jakarta, as 
well as a series of more localized, small-scale disasters. Indonesia 
continues to be at high risk for future natural disasters due to its 
location and geography. The past

[[Page 32885]]

disasters have caused extreme damage or destruction of houses, 
livelihood equipment, crops, roads and other basic infrastructure 
including schools. Due to families' loss of income, destruction of 
homes, and deprivation of education opportunities, children in 
disaster-stricken areas are more vulnerable and at-risk of entering the 
worst forms of child labor. Applicants should consider how the above 
factors of political and economic instability, religion, and natural 
disasters might affect the project in the geographic areas where the 
project would be implemented. Applicants should propose a design that 
would contribute to lessening the effect of macro level instability, 
minimize disruptions when such events occur, and address responses in 
any project sites affected by disaster.

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    Applicants must propose a strategy to assist the Government of 
Indonesia to implement Phase II of the National Plan of Action to 
Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor to eliminate the worst forms 
of child labor. Specifically, the Applicant's strategy should 
strengthen the capacity of the Indonesian government, civil society, 
employers, and trade unions to take immediate, effective, and time-
bound measures to: (a) Provide the necessary and appropriate direct 
assistance for the withdrawal of children from the worst forms of child 
labor and for their rehabilitation and social integration; (b) provide 
the necessary and appropriate direct assistance for prevention of the 
worst forms of child labor; (c) ensure access to free basic education, 
and, wherever possible and appropriate, to non-formal and vocational 
training, for all children withdrawn from, or at-risk of entering, 
exploitive child labor; (d) identify and reach out to children at 
special risk; (e) improve design and implementation of relevant 
policies and programs to exploitive child labor; and (f) raise 
awareness on the dangers of exploitive child labor and the importance 
of education.
    In addition to prioritizing provision of direct educational 
services to children engaged in, and at-risk of entering, exploitive 
child labor, the proposed strategy should have a strong focus on 
upstream policy-level work, supporting the appropriate government and 
non-government agencies in implementing Phase II of the National Plan 
of Action to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor. Applicants must 
demonstrate their existing linkages and relationships with the relevant 
agencies and organizations, or demonstrate how these linkages will be 
quickly formed, to ensure a smooth transition of activities from Phase 
I to Phase II of the National Plan of Action to Eliminate the Worst 
Forms of Child Labor. Specific proposed activities can include, but are 
not limited to, the following: technical support and guidance to the 
National Action Committee on the elimination of the worst forms of 
child labor; support in the formation and functioning of provincial and 
district action committees on the elimination of the worst forms of 
child labor; assistance in raising awareness on and implementing the 
provisions of the new anti-trafficking bill as it relates to children; 
developing legislation and policy related to child domestic workers; 
technical assistance in data collection and mapping of worst forms of 
child labor; development of a national or provincial level child labor 
monitoring system (CLMS); increased coordination and involvement of 
civil society, employers, and trade unions with government efforts to 
eliminate exploitive child labor; capacity building for labor 
inspectors and law enforcement to improve enforcement of existing law 
and regulations on child labor; and technical guidance to BAPPENAS as 
it undertakes the implementation of the conditional cash transfer 
program to ensure continued attention to child labor concerns.
    The lingering effects of the financial crisis and decentralization 
of education services have caused deterioration in the education 
system. The proposed strategy should increase the capacity of the local 
Ministry of Education offices in target district and provinces to 
ensure improved service delivery, increased budgetary commitments and 
management, and awareness of exploitive child labor. Service delivery 
and management should be further enhanced in both the formal and non-
formal system through teacher and administrator trainings and other 
approaches. Applicants must also develop a strategy that will improve 
the relevance of, and access to, education, especially at the junior 
secondary levels. Applicants must also design a strategy to assist 
child laborers who are unable or unwilling to attend formal school, by 
providing access to non-formal education and vocational training 
through community learning centers or other appropriate service 
providers.
    Applicants should exhibit an understanding of existing efforts to 
promote youth employment in Indonesia and in the South East Asia region 
and design interventions to support public/private partnerships to 
promote job training programs and youth employment for children of 
legal working age. Applicants are encouraged to propose interventions 
to increase vocational training opportunities for youth and support 
alternative income generating activities for parents to reduce their 
reliance on their children's labor to supplement family income and to 
encourage school enrollment. Where such programs already exist and are 
functioning, Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate existing linkages 
to implementing agencies and to propose strategies for collaboration 
and coordination of efforts.
    Migration of families and individual children for work in Malaysia 
and the Middle East, as well as within Indonesia, has led to increased 
levels of child trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced 
labor, and vulnerability to additional types of exploitation. Lack of 
access to education, non-relevant and low quality curriculum content, 
lack of employment opportunities, poor regulation of employment 
recruiting agencies, and easy access to false passports and identity 
papers have all exacerbated this phenomenon and increased children's 
vulnerability for ending up exploited by the worst forms of child 
labor. The proposed project strategy should incorporate this phenomenon 
into its education services design, as well as propose activities to 
increase awareness on safe migration and reduce the risk of being 
trafficked.
    Applicants are encouraged to work with the government to improve 
labor data collection to include child labor, as well as conduct rapid 
assessments and disseminate findings on exploitive child labor in 
Indonesia, especially in sectors identified by the National Plan of 
Action to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor and where data has 
not been systematically collected and is lacking. In sectors selected 
for research, attention should be given to the characteristics of 
hazardous work in each selected sector, steps to reduce or eliminate 
the hazards, and recommendations for government action.
Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labor in Morocco
i. Background
    Morocco continues to face a variety of challenges as it seeks to 
improve education and basic social services, provide economic 
opportunities for its citizens in both rural and urban areas, and 
incorporate its large youth population into educational systems and the 
job market. While recent statistics are unavailable, the Understanding 
Children's Work (UCW)

[[Page 32886]]

Project, an interagency collaboration among the ILO, UNICEF, and World 
Bank, estimates that approximately 13 percent of children ages 7-14 
years were found working in 1998-1999. Children are found working in a 
variety of sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, trade, and 
service establishments. The majority of working children were found in 
rural areas (87 percent), where they work to supplement family 
earnings. In fact, children in rural areas are six times more likely to 
be working than those in urban areas. Many parents of rural children 
did not receive an education, and therefore, often do not value sending 
their children to school. Eighty-four percent of children who work do 
so in the agricultural sector, most in subsistence agriculture, which 
includes preparing fields, planting, tending crops, harvesting, herding 
livestock, and other activities. Most of these children do not attend 
school, in part because of living long distances from school 
facilities. Most work for their families, but a small percentage also 
works on commercial farms. Whether in subsistence agriculture, medium-
scale enterprises, or commercial farms, children are vulnerable to 
hazardous environments and unhealthy working conditions. The Moroccan 
government has designated several forms of agricultural work as 
hazardous for children, including the application of pesticides; 
operation of farm machinery and dangerous tools; tending herds near 
areas of heavy traffic; agricultural production line work; working at 
heights such as in olive harvesting; and work in slaughterhouses.
    Children work in industrial and artisan sectors in the production 
of textiles and carpets, and other light manufacturing activities. A 
large number of children work as junior artisans in the handicraft 
industry, many of them working as apprentices before they reach 12 
years of age and under substandard health and safety conditions. Boys 
are also recruited to work as apprentice mechanics in urban areas with 
little supervision or instruction.
    Children also work in construction, food production, and in the 
hospitality industry. In urban areas, many girls working as ``petites 
bonnes,'' or domestic servants, can be found in situations of 
unregulated ``adoptive servitude,'' in which girls from rural areas are 
``sold'' by their parents, trafficked, and ``adopted'' by wealthy urban 
families to work in their homes. Although awareness raising programs 
have targeted urban centers, this practice is still commonly accepted. 
Children are also ``rented'' out by their parents and other relatives 
to beg.
    Also in urban areas, thousands of street children work in the 
informal sector. Street children engage in diverse forms of work, 
including selling cigarettes, begging, shining shoes, and washing and 
polishing cars. While most street children are boys, an increasing 
number of girls are now seen on the street as well. Many of these girls 
had worked as household maids before fleeing from abusive employers. 
Street children are vulnerable to sexual and physical abuse and 
substance abuse. Many are forced into illicit activities such as 
prostitution, drug-selling and theft as means for collecting money for 
gang leaders.
    The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in Morocco 
involves both boys and girls. There are official reports of child 
prostitution in the cities of Agadir, Casablanca, Mekn[egrave]s, 
Tangier, and Marrakech. Morocco is a country of destination for 
children trafficked from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and Asia and 
serves as a transit and origin point for children trafficked to Europe 
for the purposes of forced labor, drug trafficking, and CSEC. Children 
are also trafficked internally for exploitation as child domestic 
workers and beggars, and for prostitution. A growing number of girls 
are trafficked to El-Hajeb in the Middle Atlas mountains, where they 
are forced into prostitution.
ii. Relevant Policies, Programs, and Projects
    There are a number of current efforts by the Government of Morocco, 
international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) 
to address exploitive child labor in Morocco and underlying causes 
related to poverty. The Government of Morocco has put in place a number 
of programs that contribute to achieving its National Action Plan to 
Eliminate Child Labor (2005-2015). The National Action Plan to 
Eliminate Child Labor focuses on improving implementation of child 
labor laws, raising awareness of these laws, and improving basic 
education. Sectoral plans target children in agriculture and herding, 
the industrial sector (carpets and stitching), metal and auto work, 
construction, the hospitality industry, and food production, as well as 
children working in the informal sector, such as street children and 
children engaged in CSEC.
    The Government of Morocco's major development challenges include 
achieving sustainable macroeconomic growth; accelerating employment 
opportunities for the adult and youth labor market; improving access, 
efficiency, and quality in the delivery of education and basic social 
services; and reducing poverty and inequalities in rural areas and 
among poor, marginalized groups by raising living standards. Since the 
1990s, the Moroccan government has emphasized addressing social and 
economic issues to reduce poverty and the development gap between the 
rural and urban areas. Some of these efforts have included the increase 
in development of rural infrastructure (roads, electricity, potable 
water), education reform, emergency programs for rural areas, and 
extension of medical services to the poor. The government has also 
established key measures to improve labor conditions and boost job 
prospects. A new Moroccan Labor code instituting reforms in the 
country's labor laws was enacted in 2003, and the government signed a 
Free Trade Agreement with the United States in 2004, which came into 
effect on January 1, 2006.
    The minimum age for employment in Morocco is 15 years. The Ministry 
of Employment and Vocational Training (MEVT) is responsible for 
implementing and enforcing child labor laws and regulations. In 
February 2006, the MEVT created a Child Labor Unit. Morocco's laws 
provide for legal sanctions against employers who actively recruit 
children under the age of 15. Employers who are found employing 
children under age 15 may be punished with a fine. Legal remedies to 
enforce child labor laws include criminal penalties, civil fines, and 
withdrawal or suspension of one or more civil, national, or family 
rights, including denial of legal residence in the country for a period 
of 5 to 10 years. The law also enables inspectors and the police to 
bring charges against employers of children under age 15 in all 
sectors, including apprenticed children and children working in family 
businesses. The government's National Observatory for Children's 
Rights, a multi-sectoral body chaired by Princess Lalla Meriem, held 
its eleventh conference in June 2006 where the National Plan for the 
Protection of Children was adopted and emphasis was placed on 
implementation achievements and problems.
    The Government of Morocco is participating in two USDOL-funded 
projects to eliminate child labor by providing educational 
opportunities for children engaged in or at risk of engaging in 
exploitive child labor. In 2003, USDOL funded a 4-year, USD 3 million 
Child Labor Education Initiative project implemented by Management 
Systems International (MSI). The MSI project, ``ADROS'', aims to 
eliminate the

[[Page 32887]]

practice of selling and hiring child domestic workers by creating 
educational opportunities for those vulnerable to, or working in, 
domestic servitude. As of March 2007, the program had withdrawn 9,862 
children from exploitive labor in domestic service and placed them in 
training and educational programs. USDOL funded another 4-year project 
in 2003, which is being implemented by ILO-IPEC. This USD 2.25 million 
project aims to strengthen national efforts against the worst forms of 
child labor in Morocco and, as of March 2007, has withdrawn or 
prevented 9,222 children from work, primarily in the agricultural 
sectors of the Gharb and Taroudat regions.
iii. Scope of Work
    Applicants must take into account cross-cutting themes (discussed 
below), specific considerations, and additional activities that could 
affect project results in Morocco, and meaningfully incorporate them 
into the proposed strategy, either to increase opportunities for, or 
reduce obstacles to, successful implementation. Proposed strategies 
must address mechanisms for withdrawal of children from, and prevention 
of children from entering, exploitive labor and development of 
educational or training programs for children under 18 years. Proposed 
strategies should enable children to enroll in appropriate educational 
programs and successfully transition them into the formal education 
system or into vocational or other training that will allow them to 
improve the livelihood of their families and themselves.

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    Applicants must focus their proposals on combating exploitive child 
labor in both rural and urban areas, and must propose specific efforts 
to address CSEC, trafficking of children for exploitive labor, domestic 
servitude, and exploitive child labor and hazardous work in 
agriculture. Where applicable, Applicants should specify how direct 
interventions for children below the minimum age of employment (14 and 
under) and children of employable age (15-17 years) differ. In rural 
areas, Applicants should specifically target exploitive child labor in 
agriculture, especially on commercial farms, where children's work 
prevents them from going to school and they are exposed to harmful 
chemicals, are forced to carry heavy loads, and may be injured by 
agricultural tools or machinery. In urban areas, Applicants should 
target children (mostly girls) sent from rural areas to work as 
domestic servants, and children working in formal enterprises such as 
factories and workshops. Consideration may also be given to street 
children engaged in, or at-risk of entering, the worst forms of child 
labor. Applicants are also encouraged to identify other areas/sectors 
for intervention, but must provide convincing reasons why the targeted 
sector merits funding.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    Interventions and activities should support the Government of 
Morocco's 2005-2015 National Action Plan to Eliminate Child Labor. At 
minimum, collaborations should take place with the Ministry of National 
Education, Higher Education, Staff Training, and Scientific Research; 
the MEVT, including the Office for Vocational Training and Employment 
Promotion; the Ministry of Social Development, Family, & Solidarity; 
other government agencies overseeing vocational and apprenticeship 
programs relevant; ILO-IPEC; MSI; and relevant NGOs. Where applicable, 
Applicants are also encouraged to collaborate with the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Rural Development, and Sea Fisheries.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    Applicants must propose a design that would take into consideration 
Morocco's major development challenges described in section (i). 
Background, of this portion of this solicitation. The strategy proposed 
by Applicants must reflect a strong understanding of Morocco's new 
Labor code and take advantage of macro-level trends and events such as 
those related to the Free Trade Agreement signed with the United States 
in 2004. Applicants should support government efforts to provide 
economic opportunity to the poor and rural groups, as well as efforts 
to enhance educational services and decent employment prospects for the 
country's growing youth population.

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    Applicants must propose a strategy that supports the government's 
National Action Plan to Eliminate Child Labor (2005-2015). The project 
should support the broad objectives of the National Action Plan to 
Eliminate Child Labor: (a) Ensuring conformity of national child labor 
laws with international conventions and promoting their application 
through enforcement mechanisms and awareness raising activities, (b) 
expanding and strengthening of education and vocational training, and 
(c) development and strengthening of social protection mechanisms. 
Applicants' proposals must also support at least one of the 
government's sectoral action plans targeting children in agriculture 
and herding, the industrial sector (carpets and stitching), metal and 
auto work, construction, the hospitality industry, food production, 
street work, and CSEC.
    In addition, Applicants should propose to strengthen the capacity 
of the Moroccan government and civil society organizations to identify 
and assist children engaged in, or at-risk of entering, the worst forms 
of child labor. Applicant should propose ways to improve the capacity 
of the Moroccan government to enforce existing labor laws. To address 
this issue, Applicants may propose activities to strengthen the 
Ministry of Social Development, Solidarity, and Labor's Child Labor 
Unit, improve the capacity of Morocco's labor inspectorate to identify 
cases of exploitive child labor and enforce the labor code, and expand 
piloted systems to monitor and identify child laborers and link them 
with social protection services.
    Applicants should address low rates of school enrollment, high 
drop-out rates, and limited availability of schools, especially in 
rural areas where the majority of working children live and school 
attendance is the lowest. Projects may support professional training 
for teachers and implement capacity-building activities for Ministry of 
Education offices nationally and in targeted provinces to ensure 
improved service delivery, increased budgetary commitments and 
management, and awareness of exploitive child labor. Strategies may 
also include the direct provision of support costs to children, such as 
books and uniforms, in-school feeding programs, school supplies, and 
transportation assistance to remove educational barriers. Applicants 
are encouraged to develop creative solutions for education delivery, 
such as non-formal schools, including multi-grade programs in rural 
areas where formal schools may be unavailable, especially at the 
secondary level.
    Applicants must develop a strategy that will increase the perceived 
relevance of education and training for children engaged in, or at-risk 
of engaging in, exploitive labor, their families and their communities 
with an aim toward increasing school enrollment. Applicants must show 
how education programs and awareness raising campaigns will be 
sensitive to, and respond to, cultural traditions that

[[Page 32888]]

have led to lower school enrollment rates in rural areas of Morocco. 
Strategies should support government efforts to remove barriers that 
lead to gender disparities in enrollment, whether these are physical 
barriers, such as transportation obstacles, or attitudinal barriers, 
such as a perceived lower value amongst parents and communities of 
educating girls. Applicants may provide, as appropriate, support 
services such as psychosocial counseling and health care to direct 
beneficiaries and implement awareness-raising activities that highlight 
the hazards of exploitive child labor and the benefits of education for 
children.
    Applicants should exhibit an understanding of current efforts to 
promote youth employment in Morocco and design interventions to 
strengthen the education system and support public/private partnerships 
to promote job training programs and youth employment. Applicants are 
encouraged to propose interventions to increase vocational training 
opportunities for youth of legal working age and support alternative 
income generating activities or skills training for parents to reduce 
their reliance on their children's labor to supplement family income 
and to encourage school enrollment.
    Applicants are encouraged to conduct small-scale research projects 
and disseminate findings on the unconditional worst forms of child 
labor in Morocco. Reports suggests that the trafficking, commercial 
sexual exploitation of children, and other worst forms of child labor, 
do exist in the country, but more systematic information is needed. In 
considering projects in hazardous sectors, Applicants are encouraged to 
undertake action research on improving the occupational safety and 
health situation and developing injury prevention strategies to promote 
safe, acceptable work for children ages 15-17 years.
    Applicants are also encouraged to demonstrate how previous child 
labor or education efforts of their organization have led to the 
mainstreaming and sustainability of project initiatives.
Support for the Philippine Timebound Program To Eliminate the Worst 
Forms of Child Labor
i. Background
    The Republic of the Philippines has experienced positive 
acceleration and sustained Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 
recent years. Yet, in light of a worsening poverty situation, the 
government faces tremendous fiscal constraints in its ability to 
finance poverty alleviation programs and provide for the most basic 
social services for its citizens. Rapid population growth and unequal 
income distributions continue to exacerbate the number of families and 
children living below the poverty line, and the increase in the 
incidence of children working in exploitive forms of work. The 
Philippines National Statistics Office estimated that approximately 4 
million children 5 to 17 years, or 16.2 percent, were economically 
active in 2001. This represents a 12 percent increase in the number of 
working children since 1995.
    An estimated 70 percent of working children are found in the rural 
economy. Approximately 53 percent of working children in rural areas 
are engaged in agriculture, hunting, and forestry. Children work as 
``sakadas'' or farm workers on plantations or subsistence agriculture, 
and in both crop and livestock production while being exposed to 
various occupational safety and health hazards. Children are found 
working in variety of agricultural sectors: Coconut, corn, flower, 
livestock, pearl, rice, rubber, sugar, tobacco, and other fruit and 
vegetable farms. Many children are also involved in forestry-related 
activities, such as hunting and logging. Children involved in crop 
cultivation work under extreme heat; suffer from farm injuries caused 
by the use of sharp knives, ``bolos'' (machetes), sickles, and grain 
threshers; and are exposed to chemical, biological, and other agents 
found on the farm.
    Children are also found working in a variety of industrial sectors 
and occupational activities, with many working under hazardous 
conditions. Some of the worst forms of child labor in the Philippines 
include the forced and bonded labor of children; the use of children in 
local drug trades; the commercial sexual exploitation of children 
(CSEC), including prostitution; the recruitment and use of children as 
soldiers in armed opposition groups; and the use of children in 
hazardous work in the agricultural industry, especially in growing 
sugar cane. Children in the commercial sex industry are used in the 
production of pornography and are exploited by sex tourists. Children 
are also found working in pyrotechnics production, deep-sea fishing, 
mining, and quarrying. Children living on the streets engage in 
informal labor activities such as scavenging or begging. Child domestic 
workers, primarily girls, or ``kasambahays'' are the backbone of many 
Filipino households working an average of 15 hours a day and on-call 24 
hours a day, 7 days a week. Children are reportedly trafficked 
internally from rural areas to major cities, such as Bacolod, Cebu, and 
Metro Manila, and abroad to work in prostitution, domestic service, and 
other areas of the informal sector.
    The Asian Development Bank has identified increases in disability 
in the general population as a contributing factor to poverty in the 
Philippines. Research on injuries among adults and children in the 
country's general population shows that injury fatality rates have 
increased 196 percent in the Philippines over a 35 year period (1960-
1995). The Government of the Philippines, in consultation with Safe 
Kids Worldwide, has revealed that fatal and non-fatal injuries are 
among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Filipino 
children below the age of 15 years. In the last 30 years, childhood 
fatality rates attributed to injuries increased threefold in the 
country. In 2003 alone, approximately 420,000 Filipino children 
experienced an injury. At least 24 percent of economically active 
children 5-17 years working in the Philippines experienced a work-
related injury in 2001. Children living in urban slum communities and 
distant rural villages have the highest prevalence of disabilities, 
which is compounded by limited access to health care services and 
unsanitary living conditions.
    In rural areas, limited employment opportunities and low wage jobs 
for adults lead many children to work to supplement family income. 
Parents who perceive the education available to their children to be of 
low quality or lacking relevance for their children's future are more 
likely to opt that their children enter the workforce early. Also 
problematic is the lack of secondary schools in remote parts of the 
Philippines, leaving numerous children, especially girls, unable to 
continue their education past the primary school level and forcing them 
to seek early employment. Regrettably, this is the case for many girls 
from poor rural and farming communities in the Visaya and Mindanao 
regions who migrate or are trafficked from rural to urban areas for the 
purposes of domestic service or commercial sexual exploitation. In 
addition, rural to urban migration has increased the number of urban 
poor families and children contributing to high numbers of children 
working on the streets and scavenging.
ii. Relevant Policies, Programs, and Projects
    Even prior to its ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights 
of the Child (CRC) and ILO Conventions 138 and 182, the Government of 
the Philippines began efforts to combat child labor in

[[Page 32889]]

earnest around the mid-1980s. The Government of the Philippines 
intensified actions against child labor by entering into a partnership 
with UNICEF in 1988; creating a National Child Labor Program Committee 
in 1992; joining ILO-IPEC in 1994; conducting the first national child 
labor survey in 1995; launching the historic Global March Against Child 
Labor in 1998; and collaborating on three sub-regional programs of 
child labor in the fishing, footwear, and mining industries.
    These efforts continue today, where the Philippine National 
Strategic Framework for Plan Development for Children, 2000-2025, also 
known as ``Child 21,'' and the National Program Against Child Labor 
(NPACL) Framework serve as the primary government policy instruments 
for the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of 
programs designed to prevent and eliminate child labor in the 
Philippines. Child 21 sets out broad goals to achieve quality of life 
for Filipino children by 2025, and the NPACL lays out the blueprint for 
reducing the incidence of child labor by 75 percent by 2015.
    The NPACL has a committee chaired by the Department of Labor and 
Employment (DOLE) with assistance from ILO-IPEC and UNICEF. Other major 
partners involved in fulfilling the mission of NPACL include government 
agencies, workers' groups, employer organizations, nongovernmental 
allies, and international development institutions. To carry out NPACL 
objectives in communities, Regional Child Labor Committees (RCLC), 
Program Implementation Committees Child (PIC) and Barangay Councils for 
the Protection of Children (BCPC) have been established at the 
regional, local, and village levels. Child labor concerns have also 
been mainstreamed into the following key policy documents: Medium Term 
Philippine Development Plan (2004-2010), National Plan of Action for 
Decent Work (2005-2007); and Education for All National Plan (2004-
2015).
    On June 28, 2002, the Government of the Philippines became the 
first country in Southeast Asia and fourth country in the world to 
launch a Timebound Program to eliminate the worst forms of child labor 
in targeted sectors over a specified period of time. The Philippine 
Timebound Program (PTBP) embodies the strategic framework and 
implementation plans of the NPACL. The initial phase of PTBP seeks to 
prevent or withdraw 40,000 children from exploitive work in 6 sectors 
and in 6 regions spanning a total of 8 provinces. The priority sectors 
include children working in (1) deep-sea fishing, (2) mining/quarrying, 
(3) pyrotechnics production, (4) sugar cane farming, (5) domestic work, 
and (6) commercial sexual exploitation. Initial target areas were 
located in Bulacan, Metro Manila, Camarines Norte, Iloilo, Negros 
Occidental, Negros Oriental, Cebu, and Davao. USDOL has provided USD 
10.7 million in funding for projects in support of the PTBP, which are 
being implemented through ILO-IPEC, World Vision, and Winrock 
International. In addition, the Philippines was part of an ILO-IPEC 
inter-regional project to prevent and reintegrate children involved in 
armed conflict, with a geographic focus in Mindanao.
    The NPACL is currently undertaking an assessment of the PTBP, which 
will inform the target sectors for Phase II of the PTBP. The new phase 
will likely expand existing sectors and identify new sectors where 
children are working in exploitive conditions for priority elimination. 
Based on their initial research, partners of the NPACL have proposed to 
expand agricultural sectors to possibly include children working on 
rubber farms. In addition, scavenging and waste recycling have been 
recommended as future sectors for consideration. Finally, an increase 
in the trafficking of children for domestic labor and prostitution has 
received attention as possible future sectors for interventions. 
Additional sectors in agriculture where children are also involved in 
hazardous work and are at risk for occupational injuries include 
forestry and logging activities, livestock and hog farming, and other 
crop-related activities.
    The Government of the Philippines and its nongovernmental partners 
have demonstrated commitment to children by ratifying key UN 
conventions on children's welfare; passing national legislation against 
the worst forms of child labor; and implementing programs to prevent 
and remove children from hazardous and exploitive work. However, 
government resources available for programs to combat exploitive child 
labor are modest in comparison to the magnitude of the problem.
    The Government of the Philippines continues to run its flagship 
program through DOLE, ``Sagip Batang Manggagawa'' (SBM--Rescue the 
Child Laborers). SBM uses community-based mechanisms for detecting, 
monitoring, and reporting children working in abusive and hazardous 
situations; provides immediate relief through search and rescue 
operations through Quick Action Teams (QAT); offers legal, health, and 
psychosocial services to children rescued from exploitive labor and 
sexual exploitation; and facilitates the reintegration of children into 
their communities of origin.
    The Government of the Philippines also has a long history of 
instituting legislative reforms to protect the welfare of children and 
regulate the employment of minors. The Labor Code of the Philippines 
and Republic Act (R.A.) 7658 of 1993 sets the basic minimum age for 
employment at 15 years, with the exception that a child may be 
permitted to work under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian 
as long as the work does not interfere with school or place the child's 
life, safety, health, morals, or normal development in danger. In 
accordance with R.A. 7658 and the Labor Code, DOLE Order No. 4 of 1999 
outlines major areas of work and related occupations regarded as 
hazardous for children.
    R.A. No. 9231 of 2003, An Act Providing for the Elimination of the 
Worst Forms of Child Labor and Affording Stronger Protection for the 
Working Child, codified into domestic law the worst forms of child 
labor as specified in ILO Convention 182. The Act also regulates hours 
of work; delineates the management and disbursement of the working 
child's income; guarantees access to education, health, and legal 
services; and includes more stringent penalties for those in violation 
of the law.
    To address issues of trafficking in persons, the Government of the 
Philippines passed R.A. 9208 of 2003, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 
of 2003, which criminalizes and establishes penalties for the 
trafficking of children and adults for the purposes of exploitation, 
including trafficking for adoption, sex tourism, prostitution, 
pornography, the recruitment of children into armed conflict, or under 
the guise of arranged marriage.
iii. Scope of Work
    Taking into account the challenging implementing environment in the 
Philippines and the current government's attention and priority to the 
unmet needs of the most disadvantaged sectors of the population, 
Applicants must propose a creative and innovative approach that 
addresses the challenges of reintegrating and educating children who 
are in the worst forms of child labor. The application must also take 
any cross-cutting themes (discussed below) into account that could 
affect project results in the Philippines and meaningfully incorporate 
them into the proposed

[[Page 32890]]

strategy, either to increase opportunities for, or to reduce obstacles 
to, successful implementation.

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    Applicants must focus their proposals on combating prostitution of 
children, exploitive child labor in agriculture, especially in the 
sugar cane industry, and exploitive labor in domestic service. Children 
trafficked from their home communities for domestic service or 
prostitution should be given priority consideration. Applicants should 
make the withdrawal and prevention of children 15 years and under from 
exploitive labor a priority. In determining other target sectors and 
geographic areas for priority elimination, Applicants should consult 
with NPACL and provide a justification for the proposed sectors and 
geographic areas. At minimum, Applicants must target four sectors and 
work in at least five regions. In instances in which proposed sectors 
or geographic areas may fall outside the priority areas of the NPACL, 
Applicants must offer a convincing justification for this choice. 
Project interventions may be carried out in both urban and rural areas, 
however, the geographic focus of the project should be on regions where 
there is a high incidence of exploitive child labor. In considering the 
distribution of children for target sectors and geographic areas, 
Applicants should take into account that a majority of working children 
in the Philippines is in rural areas and in agriculture.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    Applicants should propose a strategy to collaborate with the NPACL 
and ensure the effective enforcement of recent legal reforms through 
the proposed project of support to the PTBP. In developing its approach 
to strengthen the national policy framework on child labor and 
integrate strategies into already existing government programs, 
Applicants should coordinate with key government agencies, such as the 
DOLE; Department of Education (DepEd); Department of Social Welfare and 
Development (DSWD); Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR); and the 
Department of Health (DOH). Within the DOLE, Applicants should 
specifically coordinate with the Bureau of Women and Young Workers 
(BWYW) and Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), and the Work 
Improvement in Neighborhood Development program. In addition to 
government agencies, Applicants should collaborate with key 
stakeholders working to fulfill the mission of the NPACL (i.e., 
relevant nongovernmental organization, employers' and workers' groups, 
and international institutions).
    Applicants should also build upon and not duplicate activities from 
the first phase of the PTBP and ensure the sustainability of effective 
project strategies by previously funded USDOL projects to support the 
PTBP.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    The Philippines' longstanding macroeconomic policies have resulted 
in large budget deficits with debt interest payments as a percentage of 
the national budget increasing from 19.5 percent in 1998 to a high of 
27.4 percent in 2003. In order for the Government of the Philippines to 
see sustained improvements in the economic forecast and achieve its 
2015 goal to substantially decrease the number of children in hazardous 
occupations, poverty alleviation and child labor elimination strategies 
must take into account (1) slow economic development, especially in the 
agricultural sector; (2) unequal distribution of incomes among 
citizens; (3) high unemployment, elevated underemployment, and low wage 
rates for adult workers; (4) rapid population growth; (5) reduction of 
the federal deficit and improved governance; (6) lack of resources and 
access to education and basic social services; and (7) political 
instability and armed conflict, particularly in Mindanao.
    Applicants should consider how the macroeconomic factors might 
affect the project in the geographic areas where the project would be 
implemented and propose a design that would contribute to addressing 
the implementing environment. In addition, Applicants should propose a 
strategy that addresses the hazardous labor conditions that lead to 
injuries among working children, especially those working in 
agriculture (see information on injury and disabilities among children 
in the Philippines in section (i) Background).

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    Applicants must propose a strategy to support the Government of the 
Philippines in fulfilling its goals under Phase II of the PTBP within 
the NPACL framework. Applicants must work with NPACL's following 
programmatic areas: (1) Action research; (2) advocacy and mobilization; 
(3) children's participation; (4) community organization and 
empowerment; (5) law and policy; (6) surveillance and rescue; (7) 
workplace monitoring and inspection; (8) capability building; (9) 
documentation, monitoring and evaluation; (10) direct services; and 
(11) institutionalization.
    At the policy level, Applicants must demonstrate how its approach 
carries out the strategic framework and implementation plans of the 
NPACL to reduce the number of children in the worst forms of child 
labor, especially hazardous occupations, by 75 percent by 2015. 
Applicants should demonstrate how it intends to effectively support 
implementation and enforcement of R.A. No. 9231, An Act Providing for 
the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Affording 
Stronger Protection for the Working Child and R.A. 9208, Anti-
Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. In addressing the hazardous work 
activities for children, Applicants should support the NPACL efforts to 
update DOLE Order No. 4 of 1999, Hazardous Work List. Applicants should 
also consider how to further the enactment of the ``Batas Kasambahay'' 
or Domestic Workers Bill. Finally, Applicants should develop a strategy 
that addresses the broader development goals eliminating child labor as 
specified in the following key policy documents: Medium Term Philippine 
Development Plan (2004-2010), National Plan of Action for Decent Work 
(2005-2007); and Education for All National Plan (2004-2015). In 
carrying out the project to withdraw children from, and prevent 
children from entering, exploitive child labor through direct action, 
Applicants should develop a strategy that builds the capacity and 
reflects the institutional organization at the NPACL at the regional, 
provincial and village levels. Applicants should work with implementing 
agencies to reach the community through RCLC, PIC and BCPC.
    Applicants must develop a strategy that addresses the opportunity 
costs of schooling for parents in the Philippines that currently sway 
them to allow children to enter the workforce prematurely, especially 
when they weigh the expense of schooling, access to schools, and the 
perceived irrelevance of education. Applicants should coordinate with 
the DepEd to prioritize regions and ensure that primary schools (formal 
or non-formal), secondary schools, and vocational training centers 
offer quality, relevant instruction. The establishment of alternative 
educational delivery mechanisms is also encouraged, such as multi-grade 
schools in remote rural areas are also encouraged, especially in farm 
communities with high pockets of

[[Page 32891]]

child labor. Furthermore, Applicants should ensure the effective 
decentralization of educational administration and policies, such as 
the no-fee policy, in a way that supports the integration of current or 
former working children.
    Finally, in considering projects in the sugar cane industry or 
other agricultural sectors, Applicants are encouraged to undertake 
action research on improving the occupational safety and health 
situation and developing injury prevention strategies to promote safe, 
acceptable work for children 15-17 years, building on the efforts of 
the USDOL-funded ILO-IPEC, World Vision, and Winrock projects of 
support to the PTBP that worked to eliminate hazardous work for 
children in the sugar cane industry.
Combating Exploitive Child Labor in Togo Through Education
i. Background
    An estimated 64.5 percent of children ages 5 to 14 were found 
working in Togo in 2000, according to the Understanding Children's Work 
(UCW) Project. Children work in both rural and urban areas, especially 
in family-based farming and small-scale trading. Children are also 
found working in factories, as domestic servants, and in commercial 
sexual exploitation (CSEC).
    Togo is a country of origin, destination, and transit for children 
trafficked for the purposes of domestic labor, sexual exploitation and 
agricultural work. Trafficked children also work as produce porters and 
roadside sellers. Four primary routes for child trafficking in Togo 
have been documented: (1) The domestic trafficking of Togolese girls, 
particularly to the capital city of Lom[eacute]; (2) the trafficking of 
Togolese girls to Gabon, Benin, Niger, and Nigeria; (3) the trafficking 
of girls from Benin, Nigeria, and Ghana to Lom[eacute]; and (4) the 
trafficking of boys to Nigeria, Benin, and C[ocirc]te d'Ivoire. There 
are also reports of children being trafficked to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, 
and Europe. Children represent a majority of those trafficked, and 
children of Kotocoli, Tchamba, Ewe, Kabye, and Akposso ethnicities are 
particularly at-risk of being trafficked. Most of these children come 
from poor rural areas, primarily the Maritime, Plateau, and Central 
regions.
    HIV/AIDS is a factor that may contribute to the incidence of 
exploitive child labor in Togo, including the worst forms of child 
labor. According to UNICEF, some 88,000 children have been orphaned in 
Togo due to HIV/AIDS.
    By law, education is free and compulsory in Togo until age 15. 
However, parents are increasingly responsible for both direct and 
indirect costs of education, and secondary education is not affordable 
for many families. School fees ranging from 4,000 to 13,000 CFA (USD 7 
to 24) are often required, though the fees for girls and economically 
disadvantaged children may be reduced or waived entirely. Togolese 
schools are overcrowded, have crumbling infrastructures, and lack basic 
supplies. Teachers are poorly trained, and the government has 
difficulty in paying teachers' salaries, resulting in a shortage of 
teachers in Togo. Other deficiencies in the education system include 
low educational quality in rural areas, high repetition and drop-out 
rates, and sexual harassment of female students by male teachers.
ii. Relevant Programs, Policies, and Projects
    The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Population, Social 
Affairs, and Promotion of Women have primary responsibility for 
enforcing the country's child labor laws. These ministries and the 
Ministries of Justice, Health, and Security, including Togo's police, 
army, and customs units, are involved in anti-trafficking efforts. In 
addition, the Ministry of Tourism is working to combat sexual tourism, 
including CSEC. The government has taken initial steps to combat the 
worst forms of child labor.
    Togolese law sets the minimum employment age in any enterprise at 
15 years, unless an exemption is granted by the Ministry of Labor after 
consulting with the National Council on Work. Children, however, may 
not begin apprenticeships before completing the mandatory level of 
education, or before the age of 15. In 2006, Togo's National Assembly 
adopted a new Labor Code, which includes provisions on child labor, 
including the worst forms of child labor. Under the new law, the 
``worst forms of child labor,'' parallel the definition from ILO 
Convention 182, and exposing a child to a worst form of child labor is 
punishable by imprisonment. The government also is implementing a 
National Plan of Action on Child Abuse, Child Labor, and Child 
Trafficking that includes activities such as strengthening border 
controls, awareness-raising campaigns, and establishing community 
structures for prevention of child trafficking and reintegration of 
trafficked children.
    In 2005, the government passed a law prohibiting child trafficking, 
with a penalty of up to 10 years in prison for traffickers, though 
inconsistencies in the law have made implementation and prosecution 
difficult. In 2006, Togo was 1 of 24 countries to adopt the 
Multilateral Cooperative Agreement to Combat Trafficking in Persons, 
especially Women and Children, in West and Central Africa and the Joint 
Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and 
Children in the West and Central African Regions. As part of the 
Multilateral Cooperative Agreement, the governments of West Africa 
agreed to put into place a child trafficking monitoring system; to 
ensure that birth certificates and travel identity documents cannot 
easily be falsified or altered; to provide assistance to each other in 
the investigation, arrest and prosecution of trafficking offenders; to 
protect, rehabilitate and reintegrate trafficked children; and to 
improve educational systems, vocational training and apprenticeships.
    In recent years, the Government of Togo has supported two USDOL-
funded projects to eliminate exploitive child labor and provide 
educational opportunities for these children. Since 2001, the 
government has actively participated in a USD 9 million regional 
project, funded by USDOL and implemented by ILO-IPEC, to combat 
trafficking in children for labor exploitation in West and Central 
Africa, known as ``LUTRENA''. Ending in June 2007, the LUTRENA project 
has created a network of local vigilance committees to monitor and 
prevent child trafficking in communities throughout Togo and has 
launched a central database on trafficked children, which includes 
information from the government (customs, police, etc.), NGOs, and the 
community. From 2002-2006, CARE Togo implemented a USD 2 million 
project funded by USDOL to combat child trafficking through education, 
directly serving over 6,000 children who were withdrawn or prevented 
from being trafficked. The project targeted 6 prefectures and 60 
villages in the Maritime and Central regions, based on the high 
incidence of child trafficking and poor provision of educational 
services in these regions. Interventions included mobilizing and 
empowering communities to protect children from being trafficked, 
awareness-raising campaigns through radio broadcasts and door-to-door 
sensitization efforts, involvement of parents and communities in school 
management, support to reintegration centers, and improvements to 
school infrastructure.
    Togo also participates in an ILO-IPEC project to combat child labor 
in Francophone Africa, funded by France,

[[Page 32892]]

and an ILO-IPEC project concerning the social reintegration of minors 
involved in illicit activities, which is funded by the Italian 
government. The Government of Togo also works in partnership with 
UNICEF, Terre des Hommes, Plan International, and other NGOs on child 
labor and trafficking issues.
iii. Scope of Work
    Applicants must take into account cross-cutting themes (discussed 
below) and specific considerations that could affect project results in 
Togo, and meaningfully incorporate them into the proposed strategy, 
either to increase opportunities for, or reduce obstacles to, 
successful implementation. In Togo, specific considerations for project 
strategies and program activities should include the following 
components:

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    The project should focus direct interventions on withdrawing 
children from, and preventing children from entering, exploitive child 
labor, including trafficking in persons.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed project activities 
support the Government of Togo's National Plan of Action on child 
abuse, child labor, and child trafficking. The project must also assist 
government efforts to implement the Multilateral Cooperative Agreement 
to Combat Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, in 
West and Central Africa and the Joint Plan of Action against 
Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children in the West and 
Central African Regions. Collaborations should take place with the 
Ministry of Labor; the Ministry of Population, Social Affairs, and 
Promotion of Women; the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Justice; 
the Ministry of Security; the Ministry of Health; the ILO; and UNICEF. 
Applicants should have a thorough knowledge of the USDOL-funded anti-
trafficking project implemented by CARE in 2002-2006 and must 
collaborate with the USDOL-funded, ILO-IPEC LUTRENA project in 
addressing of trafficking in children in Togo. The proposal must also 
demonstrate that the project will work collaboratively with local and 
regional institutions and organizations already engaged in child labor 
and education issues in Togo.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    Applicants must propose strategies that address issues related to 
trafficking of children for exploitive child labor and the impact of 
HIV/AIDS in increasing the number of children engaged in, or at-risk of 
entering, exploitive child labor.

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    Applicants should demonstrate an understanding of the underlying 
sensitivities involved in returning children trafficked, sold, or 
abducted for exploitive child labor, or withdrawing children from CSEC, 
and propose strategies for addressing these situations, which may 
include the provision of psychosocial counseling. Applicants should 
also consider and seek to address the increased incidence among, and 
apparent vulnerability of, certain ethnic groups to child trafficking.
Combating Exploitive Child Labor Amongst War-Affected Children in 
Northern Uganda
i. Background
    Child labor is common in Uganda, especially in the informal sector. 
Children sell small items on the streets, work in shops, beg for money, 
and are involved in the commercial sex industry. Children also work in 
agriculture, brickmaking, charcoal burning, quarrying, and 
construction. An ILO-IPEC report based on the 2000-2001 Uganda 
Demographic and Health Survey estimated the total number of working 
children aged 5 to 17 years in the country at 2.9 million, accounting 
for 34.2 percent of all children in this age group.
    HIV/AIDS is a significant factor contributing to the incidence of 
exploitive child labor, including the worst forms of child labor in 
Uganda. According to UNICEF, almost two million children have been 
orphaned in Uganda, primarily due to HIV/AIDS.
    In northern Uganda, there are enormous barriers that prevent 
children from accessing and completing a quality education. Since 1986, 
the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has abducted approximately 25,000 
children from Uganda and southern Sudan to serve as porters and 
soldiers. Abducted girls often suffer the added trauma of rape, and are 
frequently given to rebel commanders as sexual slaves. Twenty years of 
war between the government and the LRA has forced approximately 1.6 
million people (a majority of whom are women and children) to seek 
refuge in Internally Displaced Persons' (IDP) camps or, alternatively, 
in the towns of Gulu and Kitgum. With the signing of a peace agreement 
between the government and the LRA in August 2006, some families have 
left the IDP camps to return to their land. In the Karamoja region, 
drought and ethnic conflict over cattle has put thousands of people at 
risk. The government's forced disarmament program has also led to 
violent clashes between the Ugandan military and the agro-pastoralist 
Karimojong people, particularly young men.
    Children in northern Uganda face an increase in stress from war, 
violence, and displacement. Displaced and formerly abducted children 
must cope with the psychological effects of this trauma. Moreover, in 
many cases, they return to school after a long absence to find 
themselves in the difficult position of being older than their 
classmates and having missed years of schooling. Formerly abducted 
girls have additional challenges as they often return from captivity as 
new mothers of young children.
    Despite government incentives to local teachers and a teacher 
training college located in Gulu, northern Uganda is suffering from a 
shortage of educators. The teachers are often unequipped to accommodate 
the special needs of students adversely affected by conflict in the 
region and/or impacted by HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, for many children, the 
financial costs of attending school in northern Uganda are too great. 
In 1997, the Ministry of Education instituted a policy of Universal 
Primary Education (UPE) to make formal schooling more affordable and 
thus more available to students in Uganda; however, families must pay 
for school materials, uniforms, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) fees, 
and lunch and building fees. At the secondary education level, families 
are also required to pay tuition. Although some youth have an interest 
in learning skills or a trade, most technical training colleges require 
a level of academic achievement that former child soldiers and other 
war-affected youth have not attained.
ii. Relevant Policies, Programs, and Projects
    The Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development (MGLSD), 
charged with enforcing Uganda's child labor laws, investigates child 
labor complaints through district labor officers. The MGLSD houses a 
Child Labor Unit and implements the government's 2006 National Child 
Labor Policy and National Plan of Action to Eliminate Child Labor. The 
MGLSD also

[[Page 32893]]

coordinates Uganda's Orphans and Vulnerable Children Policy, which 
extends social services to groups that include children who participate 
in the worst forms of child labor. In addition to the MGLSD, local 
governments are empowered to investigate child labor complaints. The 
National Council of Children, the Family Protection Unit in the police 
department, and the Uganda Human Rights Commission gather and act upon 
reports of child abuse.
    The Ministry of Education and Sports has developed strategies for 
working with children living in areas of conflict in a Basic Education 
Policy and Costed Framework for Educationally Disadvantaged Children. 
The policy aims to increase community participation in education, 
strengthen linkages between formal and non-formal education, improve 
education quality by ensuring appropriate infrastructure and curriculum 
content and methodology, and provide appropriate learning materials. 
The Ministry of Education and Sports and the MGLSD have established a 
multi-agency working group to address the needs of children who have 
suffered from armed conflict.
    The law sets the minimum age for employment at 14 years and 
prohibits persons below the age of 18 from engaging in hazardous labor. 
The Constitution of Uganda states that children under 16 years have the 
right to be protected from social and economic exploitation and should 
not be employed in hazardous work; work that would otherwise endanger 
their health, physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social 
development; or work that would interfere with their education. The law 
prohibits compulsory and forced labor. While trafficking in persons is 
not a specific violation under Ugandan law, related offenses cover 
detaining a person with sexual intent, which is punishable up to 7 
years of imprisonment; trading in slaves, which is punishable by up to 
10 years of imprisonment; and ``defilement,'' defined as having sex 
with a minor, which is a punishable offense with a range of sentences 
leading up to the death penalty.
    The Government of Uganda supports three USDOL-funded projects to 
eliminate child labor and provide educational opportunities for 
children engaged in or at risk of engaging in exploitive labor. The 
government is participating in the USD 3 million ``Opportunities for 
Reducing Adolescent and Child Labor through Education (ORACLE)'' 
project funded by USDOL and implemented by the International Rescue 
Committee and the Italian Association for Volunteers in International 
Service. Ending in September 2007, the ORACLE project contributes to 
the prevention and elimination of the worst forms of child labor 
amongst conflict-affected children in northern Uganda through the 
provision of transitional and non-formal education and family-based 
poverty reduction strategies. As of September 2006, the project has 
withdrawn or prevented 4,047 children from exploitive labor in Kitgum 
and Pader, updated the skills of 716 teachers, and conducted public 
awareness campaigns on the problems of child labor and the value of 
education. The government is also participating in a USD 3 million 
USDOL-funded, ILO-IPEC regional project to combat and prevent HIV/AIDS-
induced child labor in Uganda and Zambia. To reduce vulnerability to 
participation in child labor, this project provides vocational and 
basic education, psychosocial rehabilitation and social protection to 
children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The ``Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and 
Ethiopia Together'' (KURET) Project is also being implemented in Uganda 
by World Vision, in collaboration with the International Rescue 
Committee and the Academy for Educational Development. This USD 14.5 
million project, funded by USDOL, provides educational alternatives to 
children living in HIV/AIDS-affected areas who are especially 
vulnerable to engaging in the exploitive child labor, and has 
activities in the northern Uganda districts of Arua, Lira, and Gulu.
    In collaboration with the government, UNICEF provides funding for 
early childhood development, girls' education initiatives, and 
infrastructure improvements. USAID supports training for School 
Management Committees, develops HIV/AIDS education for primary school 
students, and promotes teacher training. Several NGOs have also 
developed programs focusing on the rehabilitation and reintegration of 
former child soldiers and war-affected children, as well as HIV/AIDS-
affected children.
iii. Scope of Work
    Applicants must take into account cross-cutting themes (described 
below), specific considerations, and additional activities that could 
affect project results in northern Uganda, and meaningfully incorporate 
them into the proposed strategy, either to increase opportunities for, 
or reduce obstacles to, successful implementation. In northern Uganda, 
specific considerations for project strategies and program activities 
should include the following components:

1. Specific Target Groups, Sectors, and/or Geographic Focus

    The project should focus direct interventions on withdrawing and 
preventing war-affected children and youth from exploitive child labor, 
with particular emphasis on the worst forms of child labor, in northern 
Uganda, including the Karamoja region.

2. Collaboration With Specific Programs and/or Links to Specific 
National Policies

    Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed project activities 
support the Government of Uganda's National Policy on Elimination of 
Child Labor and National Plan of Action on Elimination of Child Labor. 
Collaborations should take place with the MGLSD and the Ministry of 
Education and Sports, and the Applicants must also demonstrate that the 
project will work collaboratively with local and regional institutions 
and organizations already engaged in child labor and education issues 
in northern Uganda. The proposal should support the efforts begun under 
the USDOL-funded ORACLE project to withdraw and prevent children from 
engaging in exploitive labor in northern Uganda. Applicants should also 
demonstrate collaboration and coordination with the USDOL-funded KURET 
and ILO-IPEC Regional HIV/AIDS projects in addressing the cross-cutting 
theme of HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Given the complex social situation of 
children in northern Uganda, Applicants are also encouraged to 
collaborate with other existing programs working on issues of poverty, 
health and nutrition, community development, reintegration, and 
conflict resolution.

3. Implementing Environment/Cross-Cutting Themes

    USDOL seeks to fund a sustainable program that provides for the 
emerging educational needs of war-affected children engaged in, or at 
risk of engaging in, exploitive child labor as northern Uganda 
transitions towards peace. Applicants should take into consideration 
the fluidity and constantly changing nature of the security situation 
in northern Uganda and related migrations flows. Applicants must also 
incorporate the cross-cutting theme of HIV/AIDS into the project 
strategy.

4. Project-Specific Strategies

    In developing the project strategy, Applicants must provide a 
working definition of ``war-affected children/youth'' that will be used 
in identifying potential direct beneficiaries under the

[[Page 32894]]

project and should account for the demographic and social 
characteristics of such children and youth. Applicants should also 
exhibit an understanding of current efforts to promote youth employment 
in northern Uganda.

II. Award Information

    Type of assistance instrument for projects to be awarded under this 
solicitation: Cooperative Agreement. USDOL's involvement in project 
implementation and oversight is outlined in section VI.2. The duration 
of the project(s) funded by this solicitation is three to four (4) 
years. The start date of project activities will be negotiated upon 
awarding of the Cooperative Agreement, but will be no later than 
September 30, 2007.
    Up to USD 46.494 million will be awarded under this solicitation. 
USDOL may award 10 or more Cooperative Agreements to one or more 
organizations and/or Associations that may apply to implement projects 
to combat exploitive child labor in the following 10 countries: Bolivia 
(up to $3.344 million), Cambodia (up to $4 million), Colombia (up to 
$5.1 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (up to $5.5 million), 
the Dominican Republic (up to $4 million), Indonesia (up to $5.55 
million), Morocco (up to $3 million), the Philippines (up to $5.5 
million), Togo (up to $5 million), and Uganda (up to $5.5 million). The 
Grantee may not subgrant any of the funds obligated under these 
Cooperative Agreements, but may use subcontracts. See section IV.5.E 
for further information on subcontracts and Appendix D for additional 
clarification on the differences between subgrants and subcontracts.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit 
organization(s), including any faith-based, community-based, or public 
international organization(s) capable of successfully developing and 
implementing educational programs that aim to withdraw children from, 
or prevent children from entering, exploitive child labor in the target 
country is eligible to apply. However, the Grantee (or Lead Grantee, in 
the case of an Association) is not allowed to charge a fee (profit). 
Neutral, non-religious criteria that neither favor nor disfavor 
religion will be employed in the selection of Cooperative Agreement 
recipients. Applications from foreign governments and entities that are 
agencies of, or operated by or for, a foreign state or government will 
not be considered. An Applicant must demonstrate a country presence, 
independently or through a relationship with another organization(s) 
with country presence, which gives it the ability to initiate program 
activities upon award of the Cooperative Agreement (see section 
V.1.C.ii). Please Note: Applicants may apply for more than one 
Cooperative Agreement under this solicitation; however, separate 
applications must be submitted for each country. If applications for 
more than one Cooperative Agreement are combined, they will not be 
considered.
    If it is deemed the most effective and efficient strategy for 
achieving the goals outlined in the Scope of Work, USDOL may award one 
or more Cooperative Agreements to an Association, which is a 
partnership of more than one organization(s). Any such Association must 
submit to USDOL, as an attachment to the application, an Association 
agreement, reflecting an appropriate joint venture, partnership, or 
other contractual agreement and outlining the deliverables, activities, 
and corresponding timeline for which each Associate will be 
responsible. Copies of such agreements will not count toward the page 
limit.
    If any entity identified in the application as an Associate does 
not sign the Cooperative Agreement, the Lead Grantee must provide, 
within 60 days of award, either a written subcontract agreement with 
such entity, acceptable to USDOL, or an explanation as to why that 
entity will not be participating in the Cooperative Agreement. USDOL 
reserves the right to re-evaluate the award of the Cooperative 
Agreement in light of any such change in an entity's status and may 
terminate the award if USDOL deems it appropriate.
    For the purposes of this proposal and the Cooperative Agreement 
award, the Lead Grantee will be: (1) The primary point of contact with 
USDOL to receive and respond to all inquiries, communications and 
orders under the project; (2) the only entity with authority to 
withdraw or draw down funds through the Department of Health and Human 
Services--Payment Management System (HHS-PMS); (3) responsible for 
submitting to USDOL all deliverables, including all technical and 
financial reports related to the project, regardless of which Associate 
performed the work; (4) the sole entity that may request or agree to a 
revision or amendment of the award or the Project Document; and (5) 
responsible for working with USDOL to close out the project. Note, 
however, that each Associate is ultimately responsible for overall 
project performance, regardless of any assignment of specific tasks, 
but Associates may agree, among themselves only, to apportion the 
liability for such performance. Each Associate must comply with all 
applicable federal regulations and is individually subject to audit.
    In accordance with 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 98, 
entities that are debarred or suspended from receiving federal 
contracts or grants shall be excluded from Federal financial assistance 
and are ineligible to receive funding under this solicitation.

2. Other Eligibility Requirements

    Applicants must include their Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS) in 
the organizational unit section of Block 8 of the SF 424. For 
Associations, Block 8 of the SF 424 should contain the DUNS number of 
the proposed Lead Grantee, and a list of the DUNS number(s) of all 
proposed members of the Association should be included as an attachment 
to the SF 424. DUNS is an acronym which stands for ``Data Universal 
Numbering System,'' and a DUNS number is a unique nine-digit number 
used to identify a business. Beginning October 1, 2003, all Applicants 
for Federal grant funding opportunities are required to include a DUNS 
number with their application per the Office of Management and Budget 
Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 68 Federal Register 38402 (June 27, 
2003). The DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number that 
uniquely identifies business entities. There is no charge for obtaining 
a DUNS number. To obtain a DUNS number call 1-866-705-5711 or access 
the following Web site: http://www.dnb.com/us/.
    Requests for exemption from the DUNS number requirement must be 
made to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Federal 
Financial Management at 202-395-3993. If no DUNS number is provided in 
the application, and the Applicant does not provide evidence of an OMB 
exemption from the DUNS number requirement, then the application will 
be considered non-responsive.
    After receiving a DUNS number, Applicants must also register as a 
vendor with the Central Contractor Registration through the following 
Web site: http://www.ccr.gov or by phone at 1-888-227-2423. Central 
Contractor Registration (CCR) should become active within 24 hours of 
completion. For any questions regarding registration, please contact 
the CCR Assistance Center at 1-888-227-2423.

[[Page 32895]]

    After registration, Applicants will receive a confirmation number. 
The Point of Contact listed by the organization will receive a Trader 
Partnership Identification Number (TPIN) via mail. The TPIN is, and 
should remain, a confidential password.

3. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds

    This solicitation does not require Applicants to share costs or 
provide matching funds; however, Applicants are encouraged to do so, 
and this is a rating criteria worth up to five (5) additional points 
(see section V.1.F.). Applicants who propose matching funds, in-kind 
contributions, and other forms of cost sharing must indicate their 
estimated dollar value in the Standard Form (SF) 424 and SF 424A 
submitted as part of the application. Grantees should note that they 
will be responsible for reporting on these funds quarterly in financial 
reports (SF 269s) and are liable for meeting the full amount of these 
costs during the life of the Cooperative Agreement.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Application Package

    This solicitation contains all of the necessary information, 
including information on required forms, needed to apply for 
Cooperative Agreement funding. This solicitation is published as part 
of this Federal Register notice. Additional copies of the Federal 
Register may be obtained from your nearest U.S. Government office or 
public library or online at: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/index.html.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Applications may be submitted to USDOL in hard copy or 
electronically at http://www.grants.gov. Applicants electing to submit 
hard copies must submit one (1) blue ink-signed original, complete 
application, plus three (3) copies of the application. Applicants may 
submit applications for one or more countries. However, Applicants 
applying for a Cooperative Agreement for more than one target country 
must submit a separate application for each country. The application 
must consist of two (2) separate parts, (1) a cost proposal and (2) a 
technical proposal, as described below. Applicants should number all 
pages of the application. All parts of the application must be written 
in English, in 10-12 pitch font size.
    Part I of the application, the cost proposal, must contain the SF 
424, Application for Federal Assistance, and Sections A-F of the Budget 
Information Form SF 424A. Applicants are also required to submit a 
detailed outputs-based budget that links costs to project design and an 
accompanying budget narrative. The SF 424, SF 424A, and a sample 
outputs-based budget are available from ILAB's Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm. The individual signing the SF 424 on 
behalf of the Applicant must be authorized to bind the Applicant.
    The cost proposal must contain information on the Applicant's 
indirect costs, using the form provided on ILAB's Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm. Applicants should note all 
instructions outlined on this form and include one of the following 
supporting documents, as applicable, in their application: (1) A 
current, approved Cost Allocation Plan (CAP); (2) a current Negotiated 
Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA); or (3) a Certificate of Direct 
Costs. In the case of Associations, each member of the Association must 
submit a copy of the aforementioned documents.
    All Applicants are requested to complete the Survey on Ensuring 
Equal Opportunity for Applicants (OMB No. 1890-0014), which has been 
provided in Appendix D.
    Part II, the technical proposal, demonstrates the Applicant's 
capabilities to plan and implement the proposed project in accordance 
with the provisions of this solicitation. The Technical Proposal must 
not exceed 45 single-sided (8\1/2\'' x 11''), double-spaced pages with 
1-inch margins. The technical application must identify how Applicants 
will carry out the Scope of Work in section I.3. of this solicitation. 
The following information is required:
     A two-page abstract summarizing the proposed project and 
Applicant profile information including: Applicant name, contact 
information of the key contact person at the Applicant's organization 
in case questions should arise (including name, address, telephone and 
fax numbers, and e-mail address, if applicable), project title, 
Association members and/or subcontractors (if applicable), proposed 
project activities, funding level requested and the amount of leveraged 
resources, if applicable;
     A table of contents listing the application sections;
     A project design description as specified in the 
Application Evaluation Criteria found in section V.1.A. of this 
solicitation (maximum 45 pages) and a corresponding Logical Framework 
matrix as described in section V.1.A;
     A Sustainability Plan
     A Work Plan identifying major project activities, 
deadlines for completing the activities and person(s) or institution(s) 
responsible for completing these activities that is linked to the 
Logical Framework matrix.
    Please note that the abstract, table of contents, Logical Framework 
matrix, Sustainability Plan, and Work Plan are not included in the 45-
page limit for the project design description.
    Any applications that do not consist of the above-mentioned parts 
and conform to these standards will be deemed unresponsive to this 
solicitation and may be rejected. Any additional information not 
required under this solicitation will not be considered.

3. Submission Dates, Times, and Address

    Applications must be delivered (by hand, mail, or electronically 
through www.grants.gov) by 4:45 p.m., Eastern Time, July 25, 2007 to: 
U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Room S-4307, Washington, DC 20210, Attention: Ms. Lisa 
Harvey, Reference: Solicitation 07-10. Applications sent by e-mail, 
telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted. Applications sent by 
non-Postal Service delivery services, such as Federal Express or UPS, 
will be accepted; however, Applicants bear the responsibility for 
timely submission. The application package must be received at the 
designated place by the date and time specified or it will be 
considered unresponsive and will be rejected. Any application received 
at the Procurement Services Center after the deadline will not be 
considered unless it is received before the award is made and:
    A. It is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due 
solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at USDOL at the 
address indicated; and/or
    B. It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the 
fifth calendar day before the deadline; or
    C. It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place of 
mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays, 
prior to the deadline.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. 
Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. The only acceptable evidence to 
establish the date of mailing of a late application sent by U.S. Postal 
Service Express Mail Next Day Service-

[[Page 32896]]

Post Office to Addressee is the date entered by the Post Office clerk 
on the ``Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee'' label 
and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper on the original receipt 
from the U.S. Postal Service.
    If the postmark is not legible, an application received after the 
above closing time and date shall be processed as if mailed late. 
``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped, or otherwise placed impression 
(not a postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable 
without further action as having been applied and affixed by an 
employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the date of mailing. Therefore, 
Applicants should request that the postal clerk place a legible hand 
cancellation ``bull's-eye'' postmark on both the receipt and the 
envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at 
USDOL is the date/time stamp of the Procurement Service Center on the 
application wrapper or other documentary evidence of receipt maintained 
by that office. Confirmation of receipt can be obtained from Ms. Lisa 
Harvey (see section VII. for contact information).

    Please Note: All Applicants are advised that U.S. mail delivery 
in the Washington DC area can be slow and erratic due to concerns 
involving contamination. All Applicants must take this into 
consideration when preparing to meet the application deadline.

    Applicants may also apply online at http://www.grants.gov. 
Applicants submitting proposals online are requested to refrain from 
mailing a hard copy application as well. It is strongly recommended 
that Applicants using http://www.grants.gov immediately initiate and 
complete the ``Get Registered'' registration steps at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. These steps may take 
multiple days to complete, and this time should be factored into plans 
for electronic submission in order to avoid facing unexpected delays 
that could result in the rejection of an application. It is also 
recommended that Applicants using http://www.grants.gov consult the 
Grants.gov Web site's Frequently Asked Questions and Applicant User 
Guide, which are available at http://www.grants.gov/help/faq.jsp, and 
http://www.grants.gov/assets/UserGuide_Applicant.pdf, respectively.
    If submitting electronically through http://www.grants.gov, 
Applicants must save the application document as a .doc, .pdf, .txt or 
.xls file. Any application received on http://www.grants.gov after the 
deadline will be considered as non-responsive and will not be 
evaluated.

4. Intergovernmental Review

    This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

5. Restrictions, Unallowable Activities, and Specific Prohibitions

    USDOL-ILAB would like to highlight the following restrictions, 
unallowable activities, and specific prohibitions, as identified in OMB 
Circular A-122, 29 CFR Part 95, 29 CFR Part 98, and other USDOL policy, 
for all USDOL-funded child labor technical cooperation projects. If any 
Grantee has questions regarding these or other restrictions, 
consultation with USDOL-ILAB is recommended.
A. Pre-Award Costs
    Pre-award costs, including costs associated with the preparation of 
an application submitted in response to this solicitation, are not 
reimbursable under the Cooperative Agreement (see also section VI.2.E).
B. Alternative Income-Generating Activities
    USDOL funds awarded under all USDOL-OCFT Cooperative Agreements may 
not be used to provide micro-credits, revolving funds, or loan 
guarantees. Permissible costs related to alternative income-generating 
activities for parents and children may include, but are not limited 
to, vocational or skills training, incidental tools and equipment, 
guides, manuals, and market feasibility studies. USDOL reserves the 
right to negotiate the exact nature, form, or scope of alternative 
income-generating activities and to approve or disapprove these 
activities at any time after award of the Cooperative Agreement.
C. Direct Cash Transfers to Communities, Parents, or Children
    As a matter of policy, USDOL does not allow for direct cash 
transfers to target beneficiaries. Therefore, Grantees may not provide 
direct cash transfers to communities, parents, or children. USDOL, 
however, would support the purchase of incidental items in the nature 
of ``participant support costs,'' as defined in OMB Circular A-122, 
Attachment B, No. 34, which are necessary to ensure that proposed 
direct beneficiaries are no longer working in exploitive child labor 
and that these children have access to schooling, as part of the 
overall strategy to withdraw children from, and prevent children from 
entering, exploitive labor. Participant support costs are direct costs 
that may include such items as uniforms, school supplies, books, 
provision of tuition (i.e., in the form of stipends), and 
transportation costs. If approved by USDOL, these items are expected to 
be purchased or paid for directly by the Grantee or its 
subcontractor(s) in the form of vouchers, or payment to the service 
provider, as opposed to handing cash directly to children or other 
individuals. This insures that the money goes for its intended purpose 
and is not diverted or lost.
    If Applicants propose the provision of participant support costs, 
they must specify: (1) Why these activities and interventions are 
necessary, and how they will contribute to the overall project goals; 
and (2) how the disbursement of funds will be administered in order to 
maximize efficiency and minimize the risk of misuse. The application 
must also address how participant support costs will be made 
sustainable once the project is completed.
D. Construction
    Construction with funds under the Cooperative Agreement is subject 
to USDOL approval and ordinarily should not exceed 10 percent of the 
project budget's direct costs and is expected to be limited to 
improving existing school infrastructure and facilities in the 
project's targeted communities. USDOL encourages Applicants to cost-
share and/or leverage funds or in-kind contributions from communities 
and local organizations when proposing construction activities in order 
to ensure sustainability.
E. Subgrants
    The funding for this program does not include authority for 
subgrants. Therefore, the Grantee may not subgrant any of the funds 
obligated under the Cooperative Agreement. Subgranting may not be 
included in the budget as a line item or in the text of the 
application. However, subcontracting may be included as a budget line 
item. Subcontracts must be awarded in accordance with 29 CFR 95.40-48 
and are subject to audit, in accordance with the requirements of 29 CFR 
95.26(d). Subcontracts awarded after the Cooperative Agreement is 
signed, and not proposed in the application, must be awarded through a 
formal competitive bidding process, unless prior written approval is 
obtained from USDOL.
    The determination of whether a Grantee's relationship with a 
subrecipient would constitute a

[[Page 32897]]

subgrant or subcontract is determined primarily with reference to an 
agreement's general purpose, programmatic functions, and 
responsibilities given to the subrecipient. These three elements should 
be closely examined, together with the usual characteristics (terms and 
performance standards, scope of work, etc.). In case of doubt, 
consultations are expected to be held between USDOL and the Grantee 
with a view to ensuring proper determination of the particular 
agreement. As a reference tool in determining whether an agreement is a 
subgrant or a subcontract, see Appendix D. The table in Appendix D is 
for reference only and does not create any legally binding obligation.
    See also section IV. I-K for related references on Grantee and 
subcontractor prohibitions related to Prostitution, Inherently 
Religious Activities, and Terrorism. In addition, the debarment and 
suspension rule, as outlined in 29 CFR 95.13 and 29 CFR 98, applies to 
all subcontracts issued under the Cooperative Agreement. Grantees are 
responsible for ensuring that all subcontractors meet this requirement. 
More detailed information on subcontracts may be requested by USDOL 
during the Best and Final Offer (BAFO) process.
F. Lobbying and Intent To Influence
    Funds provided by USDOL for project expenditures under Cooperative 
Agreements may not be used with the intent to influence a member of the 
U.S. Congress, a member of any U.S. Congressional staff, or any 
official of any Federal, State, or Local Government in the United 
States (hereinafter ``government official(s)''), to favor, adopt, or 
oppose, by vote or otherwise, any U.S. legislation, law, ratification, 
policy, or appropriation, or to influence in any way the outcome of a 
political election in the United States, or to contribute to any 
political party or campaign in the United States, or for activities 
carried on for the purpose of supporting or knowingly preparing for 
such efforts. This includes awareness raising and advocacy activities 
that include fund-raising or lobbying of U.S. Federal, State, or Local 
Governments. (See OMB Circular A-122). This does not include 
communications for the purpose of providing information about the 
Grantees and their programs or activities, in response to a request by 
any government official, or for consideration or action on the merits 
of a federally-sponsored agreement or relevant regulatory matter by a 
government official.
    COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT APPLICANTS CLASSIFIED UNDER THE INTERNAL 
REVENUE CODE AS A 501(c)(4) ENTITY (see 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4)), MAY NOT 
ENGAGE IN ANY LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. According to the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act of 1995, as codified at 2 U.S.C. 1611, an organization, as 
described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 
that engages in lobbying activities directed toward the U.S. Government 
is not eligible for the receipt of Federal funds constituting an award, 
grant, Cooperative Agreement, or loan.
G. Funds To Host Country Governments
    USDOL funds awarded under Cooperative Agreements are not intended 
to duplicate existing foreign government efforts or substitute for 
activities that are the responsibility of such governments. Therefore, 
in general, Grantees may not provide any of the funds obligated under a 
Cooperative Agreement to a foreign government or entities that are 
agencies of, or operated by of for, a foreign state or government, 
ministries, officials, or political parties. However, subcontracts with 
foreign government agencies or entities that are agencies of, or 
operated by or for, a foreign state or government may be awarded to 
provide direct services or undertake project activities subject to 
applicable laws, but only after a competitive procurement process has 
been conducted and the Grantee has determined that no other entity in 
the country is able to provide these services. In such cases, Grantees 
must receive prior USDOL approval before awarding the subcontract.
H. Miscellaneous Prohibitions
    In addition, USDOL funds may not be used to provide for:
     The purchase of land;
     The procurement of goods or services used for private 
purposes by the Grantee's employees;
     Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social 
activities and any costs directly associated with entertainment (such 
as tickets, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities). 
Costs of training or meetings and conferences, when the primary purpose 
is the dissemination of technical information, are allowable. This 
includes reasonable costs of meals and refreshments, transportation, 
rental of facilities and other items incidental to such meetings and 
conferences. Costs related to child labor educational activities, such 
as street plays and theater, are allowable; and
     Alcoholic beverages.
I. Prostitution
    The U.S. Government is opposed to prostitution and related 
activities which are inherently harmful and dehumanizing and contribute 
to the phenomenon of trafficking in persons. U.S. nongovernmental 
organizations (NGOs), and their subcontractors, cannot use funds 
provided by USDOL to lobby for, promote or advocate the legalization or 
regulation of prostitution as a legitimate form of work. Foreign-based 
NGOs, and their subcontractors, that receive funds provided by USDOL 
for projects to combat trafficking in persons cannot lobby for, promote 
or advocate the legalization or regulation of prostitution as a 
legitimate form of work while acting as a subcontractor on a USDOL-
funded project. It is the responsibility of the Grantee to ensure its 
subcontractors meet these criteria, and this provision must be included 
in any applicable subcontract that the Grantee awards using USDOL funds 
and the Grantee will obtain a written declaration to that effect from 
the subcontractor concerned.
J. Inherently Religious Activities
    The U.S. Government is generally prohibited from providing direct 
financial assistance for inherently religious activities. The Grantee 
and/or its Associates may work with and subcontract with religious 
institutions; however, Federal funds provided under a USDOL-awarded 
Cooperative Agreement may not be used for religious instruction, 
worship, prayer, proselytizing, other inherently religious activities, 
or the purchase of religious materials. Neutral, non-religious criteria 
that neither favor nor disfavor religion will be employed in the 
selection of Grantees and must be employed by the Grantee and/or its 
Associates in the selection of subcontractors. This provision must be 
included in all subcontracts issued under the Cooperative Agreement. 
Any inherently religious activities conducted by the Grantee must be 
clearly separated in time or physical space from activities funded by 
USDOL. Additionally, direct beneficiaries of the project must have a 
clear understanding that their enrollment in a USDOL-funded project is 
not conditioned on their participation in any religious activities and 
a decision to not participate in any inherently religious activity will 
in no way impact, or result in any negative consequences to, their 
project standing. For additional guidance, please consult USDOL's 
Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives' Web site at http://

[[Page 32898]]

www.dol.gov/cfbci. In addition, for any matters of uncertainty, USDOL 
should always be consulted for prior approval.
K. Terrorism
    Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law 
prohibit transactions with, and the provision of resources and support 
to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the 
legal responsibility of the Grantee to ensure compliance with these 
Executive Orders and laws. It is the policy of USDOL to seek to ensure 
that none of its funds are used, directly or indirectly, to provide 
support to individuals or entities associated with terrorism. 
Applicants responding to this solicitation and Grantees subsequently 
awarded funding by USDOL under this solicitation must check the 
following Web sites to assess available information on parties that are 
excluded from receiving Federal financial and nonfinancial assistance 
and benefits, pursuant to the provisions of 31 U.S.C. 6101, note, E.O. 
12549, E.O. 12689, 48 CFR 9.404: http://www.epls.gov/ and http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sdn/t11sdn.pdf.
    This provision must be included in all applicable subcontracts 
issued under the Cooperative Agreement.

V. Application Review Information

1. Application Evaluation Criteria

    This section identifies and describes the criteria that will be 
used to evaluate applications submitted in response to this 
Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement Applications. Applications will 
be evaluated on a 100 point scale. Applicants are required to address 
all of the following rating factors in their technical proposal: 
Project Design/Budget Cost-Effectiveness (40 points), Sustainability 
Plan (15 points), Organizational Capacity (25 points), and Key 
Personnel/Management Plan/Staffing (20 points). Applicants should note 
that additional points may be given to applications feasibly proposing: 
(a) To withdraw or prevent more than 200 children from exploitive child 
labor through the provision of direct educational services and other 
project interventions for every $100,000 in project funding awarded 
(Additional Direct Beneficiaries 5 points) and (b) To include committed 
non-Federal resources as described below in sections V.1.E. and V.1.F 
(Cost Sharing 5 points).
    Please note that all information and requirements presented in 
section I.(3) Scope of Work and Appendix A: USDOL's Definitions of Key 
Terms will be taken into consideration when evaluating applications on 
the basis of the technical rating criteria outlined in this section. 
Applicants' cost proposals will be considered when evaluating the 
rating criteria Project Design/Budget Cost-Effectiveness/Budget Cost-
Efficiency (see section V.A.iv. for further information on requirements 
related to Budget Cost-Effectiveness). When preparing the technical 
proposal, applicants must follow the outline provided in Appendix B and 
ensure that the technical proposal does not exceed the maximum length 
of 45 pages.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Design/Budget Cost-              40 points.
 Effectiveness/Budget Cost-Efficiency.
Sustainability Plan....................  15 points.
Organizational Capacity................  25 points.
Key Personnel/Management Plan/Staffing.  20 points.
Additional Direct Beneficiaries........  5 extra points.
Cost Sharing...........................  5 extra points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A. Project Design/Budget Cost-Effectiveness/Budget Cost-Efficiency (40 
Points)
    This part of the technical proposal constitutes the ``preliminary 
project design document'' and serves as the basis of the final Project 
Document to be submitted and approved by USDOL after Cooperative 
Agreement award. The Applicant's preliminary project design document 
must describe in detail the proposed approach to comply with the 
requirements listed below and be linked to a supporting Logical 
Framework matrix. The supporting Logical Framework matrix will not 
count in the 45-page limit, but should be included as an annex to the 
preliminary project design document. To guide Applicants, a sample 
Logical Framework matrix for a hypothetical USDOL child labor 
elimination project is available at: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm.
i. Background and Justification
    Applicants will be rated based on their knowledge and understanding 
of: (a) The child labor and education context in the country(ies) of 
interest and in the targeted sectors; (b) the issues, barriers, and 
challenges involved in providing education to children engaged in, or 
at-risk of engaging in exploitive child labor, as a strategy for 
ensuring their long-term withdrawal or prevention from such labor; (c) 
best-practice solutions to address their needs; and (d) the policy and 
implementing environment in the selected country (ies).
    Additional factors for consideration include:
     Assessment of the incidence and nature of exploitive child 
labor, particularly the worst forms of child labor, in geographic area 
and/or sector(s) targeted, including hours of work, conditions of work, 
age and sex distribution of the target group, educational performance 
relative to other children, and if available, any research or data that 
might indicate correlations between educational performance and child 
labor;
     Identification of the sources of the relevant literature 
and documents used to analyze the child labor and educational context;
     Demonstrated familiarity with existing child labor, 
education and social welfare policies, plans and projects and the 
sector in which the children work, which Applicants are using to inform 
project design for proposed direct beneficiaries; and
     Demonstrated knowledge of other relevant programs as they 
pertain to child labor or education of proposed direct beneficiaries in 
Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the 
Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Morocco, the Philippines, Togo, and 
Uganda.
ii. Proposed Strategy
    Applicants must discuss their proposed strategy to address the five 
goals of USDOL-funded child labor elimination projects outlined in 
section I.1, as well as their proposed strategy for ensuring direct 
beneficiaries' enrollment, retention in, and completion of, project-
supported direct educational services. Applicants will be rated based 
on the quality and relevance of their proposed strategies.
    The proposal must: (1) Identify how many children the Applicant 
expects to withdraw from exploitive child labor and prevent from 
entering exploitive child labor through the provision of direct 
educational services and other project interventions. Based on the 
specific cost-efficiency measures USDOL-OCFT has established with OMB, 
a minimum of 172 direct beneficiaries must be served for each $100,000 
of project funding. Applications that propose to serve less than 172 
direct beneficiaries per $100,000 of project funds will be considered 
non-responsive; (2) describe the specific gaps/educational needs of the 
children targeted by the project and explain how the project will 
address those gaps/needs/barriers of the children targeted; (3) provide 
detailed information on the forms of direct educational services that 
will be provided to the proposed direct beneficiaries, including the 
type(s) of

[[Page 32899]]

educational and/or training programs in which the children will be 
enrolled, as well as the types of training opportunities and technical 
assistance that will be provided to project staff, host country 
nationals, community groups, and other stakeholders involved in the 
project; and (4) provide a detailed Work Plan that identifies major 
project activities, deadlines for completing these activities, and 
person(s) or institution(s) responsible for completing these 
activities. (The Work Plan may vary depending on what is the most 
logical form. It may, for example, be divided by project component, 
country, or region.)

    Please Note: The number of children targeted for withdrawal from 
exploitive child labor and the number of children targeted for 
prevention from exploitive child labor should be reported 
separately. Applicants are strongly encouraged to propose a balanced 
number of children targeted for withdrawal from exploitive child 
labor with the number of children targeted for prevention from 
exploitive child labor. Detailed information on the proposed direct 
beneficiaries, including demographics, sectors of work, geographical 
location, type(s) of educational activities to be provided, type(s) 
of other project interventions to be provided, and other relevant 
characteristics and strategies must be provided. Applicants are 
strongly encouraged to begin providing direct educational services 
to at least one-quarter of the children being targeted for 
withdrawal or prevention (i.e. direct beneficiaries) during the 
first year of project implementation. Applicants should also provide 
information on how many children are expected to be indirect 
beneficiaries of the project (i.e., children benefiting solely from 
project interventions other than direct educational services).

    To support their strategies, Applicants are encouraged to leverage 
project resources by collaborating with entities engaged in efforts 
that could contribute to the elimination of exploitive child labor, 
including efforts that promote children's access to educational and 
training opportunities and that address poverty--a major factor that 
increases the likelihood that children will engage in exploitive child 
labor. Applicants are also encouraged to include concrete commitments 
from business entities and individual business leaders to engage in 
partnerships to reduce child labor and increase educational 
opportunities for direct beneficiaries. Ideas for business involvement 
could include, but are not limited to the following: scholarships, 
donations of goods, mentoring and volunteering by employees, assistance 
in awareness raising, provision of internships for children/youth and/
or teachers during vacation periods that would help them improve 
leadership, skills, and efficiency for implementing programs for 
children engaged in exploitive child labor.
    Additional factors that will be considered include:
     Demonstrated knowledge of the school calendar and the 
requirements of basic, non-formal and vocational education systems to 
develop an approach that successfully enrolls children in educational 
programs with the shortest delay without missing an academic year or 
program cycle;
     The extent to which country-specific issues that could 
affect project results, including those outlined in section I.3., were 
meaningfully incorporated into the proposed strategy, either to 
increase opportunities for, or reduce obstacles to, successful 
implementation;
     Incorporation of the economic and social context of the 
target country in the proposed strategy, recognizing that approaches 
applicable in one target country may not be relevant to others;
     The creative and innovative nature of the Applicant's 
approach to promote policies and services that will enhance the 
provision of educational opportunities for children engaged in, or at-
risk of entering, exploitive child labor;
     The extent to which the number of children targeted by the 
project is commensurate with the need in the geographical area and/or 
sector(s) where the project will be implemented, and how this number 
relates to the project's goals for broader impact in the country and/or 
sector(s);
     The feasibility and sensibility of the timeframes for the 
accomplishment of tasks and the proposed outcomes;
     The clarity and quality of the information provided in the 
Work Plan; and
     The extent to which the proposed approach will build upon 
existing activities, government policies, and plans, thereby avoiding 
needless duplication.
iii. Project Monitoring and Evaluation
    Applicants must describe how management will ensure that: (1) All 
goals, objectives and deliverables of the project will be met; (2) 
information and data will be collected and used to demonstrate the 
impacts of the project; and (3) self-assessment, evaluation, and 
continuous improvement will occur (including a description of the 
systems that will be put in place for this purpose).
    Applicants must design and implement a project monitoring system 
that allows for the monitoring of direct beneficiaries' work and 
educational status throughout the period of service provision 
(including type of work; working conditions, such as hours of work and 
hazardous conditions; and school attendance). Applications should 
describe in detail the methodology that will be used to monitor the 
above for all direct beneficiaries of the project. The proposal should 
identify who will be responsible for monitoring the children (i.e., 
teachers, project staff, community members, parents, employers), what 
data will be used (i.e., school attendance records, work attendance 
records, counseling information), and at what frequency (i.e., weekly, 
monthly, quarterly, semi-annually). Proposals must also describe the 
Grantee's quality control procedures, including how the Grantee will 
ensure that all implementers use the same definitions and reporting 
procedures and how the Grantee will conduct validation checks (i.e., 
sample-based checks, school and workplace site visits). In an effort to 
avoid duplication, build on existing synergies, and increase 
sustainability, projects should, to the extent possible, coordinate 
their direct beneficiary monitoring system with existing ILO-IPEC or 
other country-level monitoring systems. In cases where direct 
beneficiaries will complete their direct educational service(s) prior 
to the end of the project period, Applicants are encouraged to monitor 
and report on the work and education status of these direct 
beneficiaries beyond the period of service provision and ideally 
through the end of the project.
    As project funds are often limited, the Grantee will need to 
identify the criteria that they intend to use to determine which 
children will receive direct educational services from the project. In 
addition, the Grantee will need to determine at what point in the 
provision of such services the project can reasonably and with 
confidence count a child as withdrawn or prevented from exploitive 
labor.
    USDOL-OCFT has developed common indicators related to its child 
labor elimination projects: (1) The number of children withdrawn or 
prevented from exploitive child labor and provided education and/or 
training opportunities; (2) the number of countries with improved 
capacity to address child labor; and direct beneficiaries' (3) 
retention in and (4) completion of an education and/or training 
program. The first two indicators, as noted in section I.1., represent 
GPRA indicators for USDOL international child labor programming.
    Further guidance on USDOL-OCFT's common indicators will be provided 
after award; thus, Applicants should focus their program management and

[[Page 32900]]

performance assessment responses toward the development of their 
project's monitoring strategy to ensure children are: (a) Withdrawn or 
prevented from exploitive child labor; (b) provided a direct 
educational service(s); (c) able to be retained in and complete their 
direct educational service(s); and (d) able to remain out of exploitive 
labor. Due to the potentially significant links between hours worked, 
working conditions, and school performance, Grantees must collect 
information to track this correlation among its direct beneficiaries.
    Applicants should describe their proposed internal project 
monitoring strategies for measuring their performance in meeting the 
five goals of USDOL's child labor elimination projects outlined in 
section I.1. and assessing the impact of proposed direct educational 
services on direct beneficiaries and other project interventions on 
indirect beneficiaries, including a limited number of additional key 
indicators of project performance. These indicators will serve as a 
basis for Grantees' Draft Performance Monitoring Plan (see section 
VI.4.E.).
    Additional factors for consideration in the monitoring strategy 
include:
     The Applicant's plan for collecting baseline data; and
     The Applicant's proposed methodologies for evaluating the 
correlation between the type of work and conditions of work (including 
hours of work and workplace conditions) of direct beneficiaries and 
their school attendance and performance.
iv. Budget Cost-Effectiveness
    This section will be evaluated on the basis of information 
contained in Applicants' cost proposals in accordance with applicable 
Federal laws and regulations. The budget must comply with Federal cost 
principles (which can be found in the applicable OMB Circulars). The 
requirements for cost proposals, including an outputs-based budget, are 
listed in section IV.2. A budget summary must be included in the 
application and must include a detailed breakdown of the Applicant's 
cost. In the detailed budget, Applicants must (a) show how the budget 
reflects program goals and design in a cost-effective way and (b) link 
the budget to the activities and outputs of the Work Plan discussed 
above. USDOL will evaluate Applicants on the degree to which the cost 
of activities will lead to the outputs they have identified. 
Consequently, Applicants should carefully construct their outputs-based 
budget to ensure that costs are both realistic and reasonable to 
achieve the results they propose. The evaluation of this section will 
focus on budget-performance integration, including the extent to which 
the budget supports a cost-effective plan for providing direct 
educational services. The link between the allocation of resources in 
the budget and the project's strategy should be evident.
    The largest proportion of project resources should be allocated to 
direct educational services and activities aimed at targeted children, 
rather than direct and indirect administrative costs. Higher ratings 
may be given to Applicants with low administrative costs and with a 
budget breakdown that provides a larger amount of resources to project 
activities. All projected costs should be reported, as they will become 
part of the Cooperative Agreement upon award. In their cost proposal 
(Part I of the application), Applicants must provide a breakdown of the 
total administrative costs into direct administrative costs and 
indirect administrative costs. The Grant Officer reserves the right to 
negotiate administrative cost levels prior to award.
    In addition to calculating the number of direct beneficiaries that 
a project will serve per $100,000 of project funding, Applicants must 
also identify the cost per direct beneficiary for withdrawal or 
prevention from exploitive child labor based on the Applicant's package 
of direct educational services and other project interventions, as well 
as the monitoring of direct beneficiaries' work and educational status. 
In addition to providing the cost per direct beneficiary, Applicants 
must also provide an explanation of how such costs were calculated, and 
how they compare to the costs of similar services in the target 
country. When developing this calculation, Applicants should refer to 
the definitions of key terms presented in Appendix A.
    This section of the application must explain the costs for 
performing all of the requirements presented in this solicitation and 
for producing all required reports and other deliverables (see section 
VI.4.). The project budget must therefore include funds to plan, 
implement, monitor, report on, and evaluate programs and activities 
(including mid-term and final evaluations and annual single audits or 
attestation engagements, as applicable); conduct studies pertinent to 
project implementation, including baseline studies; and finance travel 
by field staff and key personnel to meet annually with USDOL officials 
in Washington, DC or within the project's region (e.g., Africa, Asia/
Pacific, Latin America, Caribbean, and Middle East and North Africa). 
Applicants based both within and outside the United States should 
budget for travel by field staff and other key personnel to Washington, 
DC at the beginning of the project for a post-award meeting with USDOL.
    Applicants should set aside a total of at least USD 70,000 in the 
proposed budget to cover the costs of a mid-term and a final 
evaluation, including: (1) Labor costs, particularly those associated 
with hiring an independent external evaluator and other staff time; (2) 
costs associated with conducting a stakeholders' meeting, including 
meeting facilities, interpreters (if necessary) and travel costs of 
meeting participants; and (3) site visits including travel to and 
within the country (airfare, ground transportation, meals and lodging, 
interpreters (if necessary), etc.).
    Applications are expected to allocate sufficient resources to 
proposed studies, assessments, surveys, and monitoring and evaluation 
activities, including costs associated with data collection. This 
includes but is not limited to costs associated with meeting the 
reporting requirements discussed in section V.1.A.iii., including 
collecting and reporting on the common indicators (the number of 
children withdrawn or prevented from exploitive child labor and 
provided education and/or training opportunities, countries with 
improved capacity to address child labor, direct beneficiaries' 
retention in and completion of an education and/or training program), 
data management, and assessing the impact of direct educational 
services and other project interventions on proposed direct 
beneficiaries and the impact of other project interventions on indirect 
beneficiaries.
    In addition, the budget should include a contingency provision, 
calculated at five percent of the project's total direct costs. USDOL 
will not provide additional funding to cover unanticipated costs. USDOL 
has determined that the use of contingency provision funds for USDOL-
funded projects is essential to address circumstances affecting 
specific budget lines that relate to one or more of the following: (1) 
Inflation affecting specific project costs; (2) UN System or foreign 
government-mandated salary scale or benefits revisions; and (3) 
exchange rate fluctuations. USDOL also recognizes that certain 
extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances may arise that will lead to 
a need for exceptions to the aforementioned uses of contingency 
provision funds, related to the need for modifications to budgets or 
time

[[Page 32901]]

extensions. These include but are not limited to the following: (1) 
Changes in a country's security environment; (2) natural disasters, (3) 
civil or political unrest/upheavals or government transitions; or (4) 
delays related to loss of or damage to project property.
    Applicants are also instructed that the project budget submitted 
with the application must include all necessary and sufficient funds, 
without reliance on other contracts, grants, or awards, to implement 
the Applicant's proposed project activities and to achieve proposed 
project goals and objectives under this solicitation. If anticipated 
funding from another contract, grant, or award fails to materialize, 
USDOL will not provide additional funding to cover these costs.
    Additional factors that will be considered in evaluating the 
proposed project budget include:
     The reasonableness and realism of prices/costs suggested 
in the budget;
     The extent to which the proposed budget takes into account 
the type of work in which the proposed direct beneficiaries are 
currently engaged;
     Demonstration, to the extent possible, that the proposed 
cost-efficiencies are designed to withdraw or prevent as many children 
from exploitive child labor as possible through direct educational 
services that support their enrollment in educational activities.
    Applicants are encouraged to discuss the possibility of exemption 
from customs and Value Added Tax (VAT) with host government officials 
during the preparation of an application for this Cooperative 
Agreement. While USDOL encourages host governments to not apply customs 
or VAT taxes to USDOL-funded programs, some host governments may 
nevertheless choose to assess such taxes. USDOL may not be able to 
provide assistance in this regard. Applicants should take into account 
such costs in budget preparation. If major costs are omitted, a Grantee 
may not be allowed to include them later.

    Note to Applicants: After award, Grantees must obtain prior 
approval from USDOL before using unobligated contingency or 
evaluation funds. Twelve months before the project ends, after 
calculating the amounts needed for cost increases in the remaining 
life of the project, forecasted remaining funds in the contingency 
provision funds may be used to augment the number of beneficiaries 
or increase the provision of services to existing direct 
beneficiaries (under the age of 18). Increased services must be 
provided if they relate directly to retention in and completion of a 
direct educational service, to an improvement in academic 
performance, and/or the job placement of direct beneficiaries of 
legal employment age who are involved in vocational or skills 
training programs.

B. Sustainability Plan (15 Points)
    USDOL considers the issue of sustainability to be of paramount 
importance and recognizes that questions of sustainability must be 
addressed at all stages, including Project Design, implementation, and 
evaluation. To USDOL, sustainability is linked to project impact and 
the ability of individuals, communities, and a nation to ensure that 
the activities or changes implemented by a project endure. A project's 
impact is manifested at the level of individuals, organizations, and 
systems. For individual children and their families, this would mean a 
positive and enduring change in their life conditions as a result of 
project interventions. At the level of organizations and systems, 
sustained impact would involve continued commitment and ability 
(including financial commitment and policy change) by project partners 
to continue the actions generated by the project, including enforcement 
of existing policies that target child labor and schooling. The issue 
of sustainability is extremely complex and challenging. It demands 
careful definition in each project, according to the objectives to be 
attained. Distinctions are expected to be made between different types 
of sustainability (e.g., institutional and financial) and it is 
recognized that these differences may affect the likelihood of 
sustaining project improvements (e.g., legislative and policy oriented 
projects, as well as those focusing on institutional strengthening, 
have a greater potential for achieving sustainability than other types 
of projects).
    Applicants must discuss a proposed plan for sustainability of 
project efforts, taking into account the definition of Sustainability 
Plan provided in Appendix A. Applicants must also identify local 
organizations in the target country, including type (e.g., NGO, 
community-based, rural, indigenous), which could potentially implement 
or contribute to a future project. In addition to the above factors, 
Applicants will be rated based on the pertinence and appropriateness of 
the proposed Sustainability Plan. A sample Sustainability Plan/Matrix 
is available from USDOL-ILAB's Web site at  http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm.
C. Organizational Capacity (25 Points)
    Under this criterion, Applicants must present the qualifications of 
the organization(s) implementing the project. The evaluation criteria 
in this category are as follows:
i. International and U.S. Government Grant Experience
    Applicants must have international experience implementing basic, 
transitional, non-formal, or vocational education programs that aim to 
withdraw or prevent children from exploitive labor and address issues 
of educational access, quality, and policy reform for vulnerable 
children, preferably in the country of interest.
    The application must include information on the Applicant's 
previous and current grants, Cooperative Agreements, or contracts with 
USDOL and other Federal agencies that are relevant to this 
solicitation, including:
    1. The organizations for which the work was done;
    2. A contact person in that organization with his/her current phone 
number;
    3. The dollar value of the grant, contract, or Cooperative 
Agreement for the project;
    4. The time frame and professional effort involved in the project;
    5. A brief summary of the work performed; and
    6. A brief summary of accomplishments.
    This information on previous grants, Cooperative Agreements, and 
contracts held by the Applicant must be provided in appendices and will 
not count against the maximum page requirement. USDOL reserves the 
right to contact the organizations listed and use the information 
provided in evaluating applications.

    Note to All Applicants: In judging organizational capacity, 
USDOL will take into account not only information provided by an 
Applicant, but also information from USDOL and others regarding past 
performance of organizations implementing USDOL-funded child labor 
and EI projects, or activities for USDOL and others. Past 
performance will be rated by such factors as the timeliness of 
deliverables and the responsiveness of the organization and its 
staff to USDOL or grantor communications regarding deliverables and 
Cooperative Agreement or contractual requirements. In addition, the 
performance of the organization's key personnel on existing projects 
with USDOL or other entities, whether the organization has a history 
of replacing key personnel with similarly qualified staff, and the 
timeliness of replacing key personnel, will also be taken into 
consideration when rating past performance. Lack of past experience 
with USDOL projects, Cooperative Agreements, grants, or contracts is 
not a bar to eligibility or selection under this solicitation.


[[Page 32902]]


 ii. Country Presence and Host Government Support
    Given the need to provide children engaged in exploitive labor, 
particularly the worst forms of child labor, with immediate assistance 
in accessing educational and training opportunities, Applicants will be 
evaluated on their ability to start up project activities soon after 
signing a Cooperative Agreement. Having country presence, or partnering 
with in-country organizations, represents the best chance of expediting 
the delivery of services to children engaged in, or at-risk of 
entering, exploitive child labor. In their application, Applicants must 
address their organization's country presence; ability to work directly 
with government and NGOs, including local and community-based 
organizations; and ability to start up project activities in a timely 
fashion. Applicants may submit supporting documentation with their 
application demonstrating country presence and/or outreach to host 
government ministries and nongovernmental organizations in the country. 
These attachments will not count toward the page limit.
    Within 60 days of award, a Grantee, either independently or through 
a relationship with another organization(s) with country presence 
(i.e., an Association member or subcontractor), must be formally 
recognized by the host government(s) using the appropriate mechanism, 
i.e., Memorandum of Understanding or local registration of the 
organization.
iii. Fiscal Oversight
    Applicants will be evaluated on their ability to provide evidence 
that the organization has a sound financial system in place. If the 
Applicant is a U.S.-based, non-profit organization already subject to 
the single audit requirements, the Applicant's most recent single 
audit, as submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse, must accompany 
the application as an attachment. In addition, applications must show 
that the Applicant has complied with report submission timeframes 
established in OMB Circular A-133. If an Applicant is not in compliance 
with the requirements for completing their single audit, the 
application will be considered unresponsive and will be rejected. If 
the Applicant is a for-profit or foreign-based organization, a copy of 
its most current independent financial audit must accompany the 
application as an attachment.
    Applicants should also submit a copy of the most recent single 
audit report for all proposed U.S.-based, non-profit partners, 
Associates and subcontractors that are subject to the Single Audit Act. 
If the proposed Associate(s) or partner(s) is a for-profit or foreign-
based organization, a copy of its most current independent financial 
audit should accompany the application as an attachment.
    If the audit submitted by the Applicant reflects any adverse 
opinions, the application will not be further considered by the 
technical review panel and will be rejected. USDOL reserves the right 
to ask further questions on any audit report submitted as part of an 
application. USDOL also reserves the right to place special conditions 
on Grantees if concerns are raised in their audit reports.
    In order to expedite the screening of applications and to ensure 
that the appropriate audits are attached to the proposals, Applicants 
must provide a cover sheet to the audit attachments listing all 
proposed Associates and subcontractors. These attachments will not 
count toward the application page limit.
D. Key Personnel/Management Plan/Staffing (20 Points)
    Successful performance of the proposed work depends heavily on the 
management skills and qualifications of the individuals committed to 
the project. Accordingly, in its evaluation of each application, USDOL 
will place emphasis on the Applicant's management approach and 
commitment of personnel qualified for the work involved in 
accomplishing the assigned tasks. This section of the application must 
include sufficient information to judge management and staffing plans, 
and the experience and competence of program staff proposed for the 
project to ensure that they meet the required qualifications.
    Management and professional technical staff members comprising the 
Applicant's proposed team should be individuals who have prior 
experience with organizations working in similar efforts, and who are 
fully qualified to perform the work specified in the Scope of Work. 
Where Associations, subcontractors or outside assistance are proposed, 
organizational lines of authority and responsibility should be clearly 
delineated to ensure effective implementation and responsiveness to the 
needs of USDOL.
    In order to promote and increase national and local capacity, USDOL 
encourages the hiring of qualified national experts. USDOL also 
encourages Applicants to consider staffing strategies that aim to 
develop capacity of national staff over the course of the project as 
part of a contribution to the development of national capacity for 
combating exploitive child labor. Preference may be given to Applicants 
who propose such strategies which are determined to be effective.
i. Key Personnel
    Applicants must identify all key personnel candidates proposed to 
carry out the requirements of this solicitation. ``Key personnel'' are 
staff (Project Director, Education Specialist, and Monitoring and 
Evaluation Officer) that are essential to the successful operation of 
the project and completion of the proposed work.
    (1) The Project Director will be responsible for overall project 
management, supervision, administration, and implementation of the 
requirements of the Cooperative Agreement. The Project Director will 
establish and maintain systems for project operations; ensure that all 
Cooperative Agreement deadlines are met and targets are achieved; 
maintain working relationships with project stakeholders and partners; 
and oversee the preparation and submission of progress and financial 
reports. The Project Director must have a minimum of three years of 
professional experience in a leadership role in implementation of child 
labor and complex basic education projects in developing countries in 
areas such as: education policy; improving educational quality and 
access; educational assessment of disadvantaged students; development 
of community participation in the improvement of basic education for 
disadvantaged children; and monitoring and evaluation of basic 
education projects. Additional consideration will be given to 
candidates with additional years of experience including experience 
working with officials of ministries of labor and/or education. 
Preferred candidates must also have knowledge of exploitive child labor 
issues, and experience in the development of transitional, formal, and 
vocational education programs for children removed from exploitive 
child labor. Fluency in English is required and working knowledge of at 
least one of the official languages of the target country is strongly 
suggested.
    (2) The Education Specialist will provide leadership in developing 
the technical aspects of this project in collaboration with the Project 
Director. This person must have at least three years experience in 
basic education projects in developing countries in areas including 
student assessment, teacher training, educational materials

[[Page 32903]]

development, educational management, and educational monitoring and 
information systems. This person must have experience in working 
successfully with ministries of education, networks of educators, 
employers' organizations and trade union representatives or comparable 
entities. Additional experience with exploitive child labor/education 
policy and monitoring and evaluation is an asset. A working knowledge 
of English is preferred, as is a similar knowledge of the official 
language(s) spoken in the target country.
    (3) The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer who will oversee the 
implementation of the project's monitoring and evaluation strategies 
and requirements. This person should have at least three years 
progressively responsible experience in the monitoring and evaluation 
of international development projects, preferably in education and 
training or a related field. Related experience can include strategic 
planning and performance measurement, indicator selection, quantitative 
and qualitative data collection and analysis methodologies, database 
management, and knowledge of the GPRA. Individuals with a demonstrated 
ability to build capacity of the project team and partners in these 
domains will be given special consideration.
    The application must include a r[eacute]sum[eacute], as well as a 
description of the roles and responsibilities of all key and other 
professional personnel (as described below) being proposed by the 
Applicant. At a minimum, each r[eacute]sum[eacute] must include the 
following:
     The educational background and previous work experience 
for each key and other professional personnel to be assigned to the 
project, including position title, duties, dates, employing 
organizations, and clearly defined duties;
     The special capabilities of key personnel that demonstrate 
prior experience in organizing, managing and performing similar 
efforts; and
     The current employment status of key personnel and 
availability for this project.
    Applicants must also indicate whether the proposed work will be 
performed by persons currently employed by the applying 
organization(s), and if so, for how long, or is dependent upon planned 
recruitment or subcontracting.
    Applicants must also include a completed salary history form SF 
1420 for each key personnel candidate in their application. This form 
is available from the U.S. Agency for International Development's Web 
site at: http://www.usaid.gov/forms/AID1420-17.doc. A link to this form 
is also available on USDOL's Web site: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm.
    All key personnel must allocate 100 percent of their time to the 
project and live in the target country. Key personnel positions must 
not be combined. Proposed key personnel candidates must sign letters of 
agreement to serve on the project and indicate their availability to 
commence work within 30 calendar days of the Cooperative Agreement 
award. In addition, if either the Education Specialist or Monitoring 
and Evaluation Officer are not fluent in English, the project must 
assume responsibility for ensuring that key personnel have a clear 
understanding of USDOL policies and procedures and that all documents 
produced by key staff for submission to USDOL are in fluent English.

    Please Note: If key personnel candidates are not designated, or 
if letters of agreement to serve on the project or 
r[eacute]sum[eacute]s are not submitted as part of the application 
for each key personnel candidate, the application will be considered 
unresponsive and will be rejected.

    The letters of agreement, r[eacute]sum[eacute]s, and salary history 
forms (SF 1420) must be submitted as attachments to the application and 
will not count toward the page limit.
    Key personnel must be employed by the Grantee, not a subcontractor. 
In the case of an Association, the project director must be employed by 
the Lead Grantee. In cases of Associations where Applicants propose 
that key personnel would not all be employed by the Lead Grantee, a 
clear indication of the following must be provided in the application: 
the rationale for dividing key personnel among the Association members, 
lines of authority among key personnel and other staff, the process of 
supervision and evaluation of personnel who are not members of the same 
organization, the process by which all parties would come to agreement 
on key implementation issues, and mechanisms of conflict resolution 
should the need arise
ii. Other Professional Personnel
    Applicants must identify other program personnel deemed necessary 
for carrying out the requirements of this solicitation. Applicants must 
also indicate whether the proposed work by other professional personnel 
will be performed by persons currently employed by the organization(s) 
or is dependent upon planned recruitment or subcontracting.
iii. Management Plan
    Applicants will be rated based on the clarity and quality of the 
information provided in the management plan. The plan must include: (a) 
A description of the functional relationship between elements of the 
project's management structure; and (b) the responsibilities of project 
staff and management and the lines of authority between project staff 
and other elements of the project.
iv. Staff Loading Plan
    The staff loading plan must identify all key tasks and the person-
days required to complete each task. Labor estimated for each task must 
be broken down by individuals assigned to the task, including 
Association member staff, subcontractors, and consultants. All key 
tasks should be charted to show the time required to perform them by 
months or weeks.
E. Additional Direct Beneficiaries (5 Extra Points)
    As noted above, Applicants are required to serve a minimum of 172 
direct beneficiaries for each $100,000 of project funding, in line with 
the specific cost-efficiency measures USDOL-OCFT has established with 
OMB.
    Applicants may receive up to 5 additional rating points by 
proposing to effectively serve more than 200 direct beneficiaries per 
$100,000 of project funding. Please note that the proposed strategy 
must reflect appropriate services and monitoring mechanisms to ensure 
children are withdrawn from, or prevented from entering, exploitive 
child labor and are benefiting from a direct educational service 
provided by the project.
F. Cost Sharing (5 Extra Points)
    USDOL will give up to five (5) additional rating points to 
applications that include committed non-U.S. Federal Government 
resources that significantly expand the dollar amount, size and scope 
of the project. In awarding points, USDOL will determine whether the 
Applicant's proposal to share costs or provide matching funds is 
allowable and realistic within the context of proposed strategy. These 
programs or activities must complement and enhance project objectives. 
To be eligible for the additional points, Applicants must list the 
source(s) of funds, the nature, and possible activities anticipated 
with these resources under this Cooperative Agreement. For additional 
information on requirements associated with this rating criteria, see 
section III.3.

[[Page 32904]]

1. Review and Selection Process

    The Office of Procurement Services at USDOL will screen all 
applications to determine whether all required elements, as identified 
in section IV.2. above, are present and clearly identifiable. If an 
application does not include all of the required elements, including 
required attachments, it will be considered unresponsive and will be 
rejected. Once an application is deemed unresponsive, the Office of 
Procurement Services will send a letter to the Applicant, which will 
state that the application was incomplete, indicate which document was 
missing from the application, and explain that the technical review 
panel will be unable to rate the application.
    The following documents must be included in the application package 
in order for the application to be deemed complete and responsive:
    1. A cost proposal;
    2. A technical proposal, including the Logical Framework and Work 
Plan;
    3. The Applicant's most recent audit report, and those of any 
proposed Associates or subcontractors (as applicable);
    4. R[eacute]sum[eacute]s of all key personnel and other 
professional personnel;
    5. Signed letters of agreement to serve on the project from all key 
personnel candidates;
    6. Information on the Applicant's previous and current grants, 
Cooperative Agreements, or contracts with USDOL and other Federal 
agencies that are relevant to this solicitation; and
    7. Signed Association agreement(s), if applicable.
    Each complete and responsive application will be objectively rated 
by a technical review panel against the criteria described in this 
solicitation. Applicants are advised that panel recommendations to the 
Grant Officer are advisory in nature. The Grant Officer may elect to 
select a Grantee on the basis of the initial application submission or 
the Grant Officer may establish a competitive or technically acceptable 
range from which qualified Applicants will be selected. If deemed 
appropriate, the Grant Officer may call for the preparation and receipt 
of final revisions of applications, following which the evaluation 
process described above may be repeated, in whole or in part, to 
consider such revisions. The Grant Officer will make final selection 
determinations based on panel findings and consideration of factors 
that represent the greatest advantage to the government, such as cost, 
the availability of funds, and other factors. If USDOL does not receive 
technically acceptable applications in response to this solicitation, 
USDOL reserves the right to terminate the competition and not make any 
award. The Grant Officer's determinations for awards under this 
solicitation are final.

    Note to All Applicants: Selection of an organization as a 
potential Cooperative Agreement recipient does not constitute 
approval of the Cooperative Agreement application as submitted. 
Before the actual Cooperative Agreement is awarded, USDOL may enter 
into negotiations about such items as program components, funding 
levels, and administrative systems in place to support Cooperative 
Agreement implementation. If the negotiations do not result in an 
acceptable submission, the Grant Officer reserves the right to 
terminate the negotiation and decline to fund the application. In 
addition, USDOL reserves the right to negotiate program components 
further after award, during the project design consolidation phase 
and Project Document submission and review process. See section 
VI.4.A.

    Award of a Cooperative Agreement under this solicitation may also 
be contingent upon an exchange of project support letters between USDOL 
and the relevant ministries in the target country.

2. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    Designation decisions will be made, where possible, within 45 days 
after the deadline for submission of proposals. USDOL is not obligated 
to make any awards as a result of this solicitation, and only the Grant 
Officer can bind USDOL to the provision of funds under this 
solicitation. Unless specifically provided in the Cooperative 
Agreement, USDOL's acceptance of a proposal and/or award of Federal 
funds does not waive any Cooperative Agreement requirements and/or 
procedures.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    The Grant Officer will notify Applicants of designation results as 
follows:
    Designation Letter: The designation letter signed by the Grant 
Officer will serve as official notice of an organization's designation. 
The designation letter will be accompanied by a Cooperative Agreement 
and USDOL-OCFT's 2007 Management Procedures and Guidelines (MPG).
    Non-Designation Letter: Any organization not designated will be 
notified formally of the non-designation. However, organizations not 
designated must formally request a debriefing in order to be provided 
with the basic reasons for the determination.
    Notification of designation by a person or entity other than the 
Grant Officer is not valid.

2. Roles and Responsibilities of USDOL and Grantees

    After award, USDOL's involvement in a project focuses on working 
with the Grantee in order to refine the Project Design/Project Document 
and its corresponding budget; to identify project performance 
indicators and develop a Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP); to monitor 
implementation through technical and financial progress reports; and to 
oversee the process of mid-term and final project evaluations. USDOL 
involvement is generally characterized by written comments and oral 
feedback tied to the approval of deliverables outlined in the 
Cooperative Agreement. USDOL staff may also conduct field visits to the 
project.
    Applicable provisions, including those provided for in the USDOL 
Cooperative Agreement with the Grantee, apply to subcontracts entered 
into under USDOL-funded projects.

3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

A. General
    Grantees are subject to applicable U.S. Federal laws (including 
provisions of appropriations laws) and regulations, Executive Orders, 
applicable OMB Circulars, and USDOL policies. If during project 
implementation a Grantee is found in violation of U.S. Government laws 
and regulations, the terms of the Cooperative Agreement awarded under 
this solicitation may be modified by USDOL; costs may be disallowed and 
recovered; the Cooperative Agreement may be terminated; and USDOL may 
take other action permitted by law. Determinations of allowable costs 
will be made in accordance with the applicable U.S. Federal cost 
principles.
B. Project Audits and External Auditing Arrangements
    Applicants are reminded to budget for compliance with annual single 
audits or attestation engagements as applicable (see below). Costs for 
these audits or attestation engagements must be included in direct or 
indirect costs, whichever is appropriate, in accordance with the cost 
allocation procedures approved by the U.S. Federal cognizant agency. 
Please note the following requirements:
    i. U.S.-based non-profit Grantees whose total annual expenditure of 
Federal awards is more than $300,000 (more than $500,000 for fiscal 
years ending after December 31, 2003) must

[[Page 32905]]

have an organization-wide audit conducted in accordance with 29 CFR 
parts 96 and 99, which codify the requirements of the Single Audit Act 
and OMB Circular A-133, and must comply with the timeframes established 
in those regulations for the submission of their audits to the Federal 
Audit Clearinghouse. Grantees must send a copy of their single audit to 
their assigned USDOL Grant Officer's Technical Representative (GOTR) at 
the time it is submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

    Please Note: USDOL generally allows the costs to be allocated 
based on the following (applicable to U.S.-based agencies only): (1) 
A-133 ``single audit'' costs as part of the indirect cost rate/pool 
for organizations with more than one Federal source of funding. 
Organizations with only one Federal source could charge the A-133 
single audit cost as direct costs; (2) A-133 ``compliance 
supplement'' costs--as direct costs for Federal sources only through 
a cost allocation methodology approved by the Federal cognizant 
agency; or (3) A-133 program specific audits as direct costs. Any 
deviations from the above must be explained and justified in the 
application.

    ii. Foreign-based Grantees and private for-profit Grantees that are 
awarded a Cooperative Agreement under this solicitation must arrange 
for the annual performance of an attestation engagement, conducted in 
accordance with U.S. Government Auditing Standards, which includes 
auditor's opinions on (1) compliance with USDOL regulations and the 
provisions of the Cooperative Agreement, and (2) the reliability of the 
Grantee's financial and performance reports. USDOL will provide an 
examination guide to be used by the auditor selected by the Grantee to 
perform the attestation engagement and will provide assistance in the 
event a Grantee is unable to identify an audit firm qualified to 
perform an attestation engagement in accordance with U.S. Government 
Auditing Standards. The Grantee's contract with the auditor to conduct 
the attestation engagement must include provisions granting access to 
the auditor's documentation (work papers) to representatives of USDOL, 
including the Grant Officer, the GOTR, and USDOL's Office of the 
Inspector General. The reports for these engagements are to be 
submitted to the Grant Officer with a copy to the GOTR: (1) 30 days 
after receipt of the auditor's report, or (2) nine months after the end 
of the Grantee's fiscal year, whichever occurs sooner. Please note that 
the attestation engagement should be allocated as a direct cost to the 
project.
    In accordance with 29 CFR parts 96 and 99, USDOL has also 
contracted with an independent external auditor to conduct project-
specific attestation engagements at USDOL's expense to supplement the 
coverage provided by the audits/engagements that Grantees must arrange. 
Grantees scheduled for examination by USDOL's contractor shall be 
notified approximately two to four weeks prior to the start of the 
engagement.
C. Administrative Standards and Provisions
    Cooperative Agreements awarded under this solicitation are subject 
to the following administrative standards and provisions outlined in 
the CFR that pertain to USDOL, and any other applicable standards that 
come into effect during the term of the Cooperative Agreement, if 
applicable to a particular Grantee:
    i. 29 CFR Part 2 Subpart D--Equal Treatment in Department of Labor 
Programs for Religious Organizations; Protection of Religious Liberty 
of Department of Labor Social Service Providers and Beneficiaries.
    ii. 29 CFR Part 31--Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted 
Programs of the Department of Labor--Effectuation of Title VI of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
    iii. 29 CFR Part 32--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in 
Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial 
Assistance.
    iv. 29 CFR Part 33--Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis 
of Handicap in Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of 
Labor.
    v. 29 CFR Part 35--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in 
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the 
Department of Labor.
    vi. 29 CFR Part 36--Federal Standards for Nondiscrimination on the 
Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal 
Financial Assistance.
    vii. 29 CFR Part 93--New Restrictions on Lobbying.
    viii. 29 CFR Part 95--Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals 
and Other Non-Profit Organizations, and with Commercial Organizations, 
Foreign Governments, Organizations Under the Jurisdiction of Foreign 
Governments and International Organizations.
    ix. 29 CFR Part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally Funded 
Grants, Contracts and Agreements.
    x. 29 CFR Part 98--Federal Standards for Government-wide Debarment 
and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for 
Drug-Free Workplace (Grants).
    xi. 29 CFR Part 99--Federal Standards for Audits of States, Local 
Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.
    Copies of all regulations referenced in this solicitation are 
available at no cost, online, at http://www.dol.gov. A copy of Title 29 
of the CFR referenced in this solicitation is available at no cost, 
online, at http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/Title_29/toc.htm.
    Grantees should be aware that terms outlined in this solicitation, 
the Cooperative Agreement, and the MPGs are all applicable to the 
implementation of projects awarded under this solicitation.
D. Key Personnel
    As noted in section V.1.D., Applicants must list all Key Personnel 
candidates. The Grantee must inform the GOTR in the event that key 
personnel cannot continue to work on the project as planned. The 
Grantee is expected to nominate, through the submission of a formal 
project revision, new personnel. (Further information on project 
revisions will be provided to Grantees after award). However, the 
Grantee must obtain approval from the Grant Officer before any change 
to key personnel is formalized. If the Grant Officer is unable to 
approve the personnel change, s/he reserves the right to terminate the 
Cooperative Agreement or disallow costs.
E. Encumbrance of Cooperative Agreement Funds
    Cooperative Agreement funds may not be encumbered/obligated by a 
Grantee before or after the period of performance. Encumbrances/
obligations outstanding as of the end of the Cooperative Agreement 
period may be liquidated (paid out) after the end of the Cooperative 
Agreement period. Such encumbrances/obligations may involve only 
specified commitments for which a need existed during the Cooperative 
Agreement period and that are supported by approved contracts, purchase 
orders, requisitions, invoices, bills, or other evidence of liability 
consistent with a Grantee's purchasing procedures and incurred within 
the Cooperative Agreement period. All encumbrances/obligations incurred 
during the Cooperative Agreement period must be liquidated within 90 
calendar days after the end of the Cooperative Agreement period, unless 
a longer period of time is granted by USDOL.
    Federal Regulations require Grantees to submit annually an 
inventory listing

[[Page 32906]]

of federally-owned property in their custody to USDOL. See 29 CFR 
95.33(a). Such property must be inventoried and secured throughout the 
life of the project. At the end of the project, USDOL and the Grantee 
are expected to determine how to best allocate such, and other, 
property in order to promote sustainability of efforts in the project's 
implementing areas.
F. Site Visits
    USDOL, through its authorized representatives, has the right, at 
all reasonable times, to make site visits to review project 
accomplishments and management control systems and to provide such 
technical assistance as may be required. USDOL intends to make every 
effort to notify the Grantee at least two weeks in advance of any trip 
to the USDOL-funded project site. If USDOL makes any site visit on the 
premises of a Grantee or a subcontractor(s) under the Cooperative 
Agreement, the Grantee must provide, and must require its 
subcontractors to provide, all reasonable facilities and assistance for 
the safety and convenience of government representatives in the 
performance of their duties. All site visits and evaluations are 
expected to be performed in a manner designed to not unduly delay the 
implementation of the project.

4. Reporting and Deliverables

    In addition to meeting the above requirements, a Grantee is 
expected to monitor the implementation of the program; report to USDOL 
on a semi-annual basis or more frequently if deemed necessary by USDOL; 
and undergo independent evaluations of program results. Guidance on 
USDOL procedures and management requirements will be provided to 
Grantees in the MPGs with the Cooperative Agreement. Unless otherwise 
indicated, a Grantee must submit copies of all required reports to 
USDOL by the specified due dates. Exact timeframes for completion of 
deliverables will be addressed in the Cooperative Agreement and the 
MPGs.
    Specific deliverables include the following:
A. Project Document
    Within 90 calendar days of project award, the Grantee must deliver 
an initial draft of the Project Document, based on the application 
submitted in response to this solicitation and including the results of 
additional consultations with project stakeholders, government 
officials in the target country(ies), local partners, and USDOL. Within 
180 calendar days of project award, the Grantee must deliver the final 
Project Document, which must include dates for the mid-term and final 
evaluations, the Logical Framework (logframe), initial Sustainability 
Plan; and Work Plan. In addition, Applicants proposing to issue 
government subcontracts must submit a table of all proposed government 
subcontracts that includes activities to be carried out and a 
justification for why the government is the most suitable party to 
carry out the proposed activities.
B. Baseline Data Collection
    Within 180 calendar days of award, and prior to the finalization of 
the Project Document, USDOL expects Grantees to conduct baseline data 
collection. Baseline data and information measures the existing 
conditions of target areas or sectors and provides information on the 
characteristics of the target population, including their living and 
working conditions. The data should be used to: (1) Develop reliable 
project targets and identify project beneficiaries and (2) inform 
project design and formulate activities including the identification of 
relevant services to children and possible stakeholders. When designed 
with additional periodic data collection exercises, baseline data can 
be used to establish benchmarks and contribute to the measurement of 
project impact. Information can then be used to inform management 
decisions throughout the project cycle.
C. Technical Progress and Financial Reports
    The format for the technical progress reports will be provided in 
the MPG distributed to Grantees after the award. Grantees must submit a 
typed technical progress report to USDOL on a semi-annual basis by 31 
March and 30 September of each year during the Cooperative Agreement 
period. However, USDOL reserves the right to require up to four 
technical progress reports a year, as necessary. Grantees must also 
submit a quarterly financial report (SF 269) electronically to USDOL 
through the E-Grants system, and a Federal Cash Transactions Report 
(PSC 272) to the HHS-PMS.
D. Work Plans
    Within 90 calendar days of award, the Grantee must deliver an 
initial draft of the Work Plan, for the life of the project. Grantees 
must develop a final Work Plan within 180 calendar days of project 
award for approval by USDOL so as to ensure coordination with other 
relevant social actors throughout the country. The final Work Plan must 
include dates for the mid-term and final evaluations. An annual Work 
Plan that updates the initial Work Plan must be submitted to USDOL 
annually with the September technical progress report.
E. Performance Monitoring Plan
    Within 180 calendar days of award, the Grantee must submit a draft 
PMP to USDOL. The PMP must be developed in conjunction with the Logical 
Framework project design and common indicators for reporting selected 
by USDOL. The plan must include a limited number of additional key 
indicators that can be realistically measured within the cost 
parameters allocated to project monitoring. Baseline data collection 
(as referenced in section VI.4.B. is expected to be tied to the 
indicators of the Project Document and the PMP. The final PMP must be 
submitted after completion of baseline data collection but no later 
than one year after award. (See background materials available on 
OCFT's Web site http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm for a sample 
PMP.)
F. Project Evaluations
    As specified in the Cooperative Agreement, mid-term and final 
evaluations must take place for the project. The Grantee must include a 
line item in the budget for funding these evaluations. Mid-term and 
final evaluations are generally conducted by an independent contractor. 
When developing Evaluation Plans, Grantees are expected to tentatively 
schedule mid-term evaluations to correspond with the approximate mid-
point of the project. The date of the final evaluation is expected to 
be tentatively set for approximately two months prior to the project 
completion date.

VII. Agency Contacts

    All inquiries regarding this solicitation should be directed to: 
Ms. Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 
200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-4307, Washington, DC 20210; 
telephone (202) 693-4570 (please note that this is not a toll-free-
number) or e-mail: [email protected]. For a list of frequently asked 
questions on USDOL's Solicitation for Cooperative Agreements, please 
visit http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/faq/faq36.htm.

VIII. Other Information

1. Coordination With the ILO/IPEC, Other USDOL Grantees, and Other U.S. 
Government-Funded Projects

    Recognizing the important work of ILO/IPEC in reducing exploitive 
child

[[Page 32907]]

labor worldwide, and USDOL's substantial funding and support for this 
organization, Grantees are encouraged to establish good relationships 
with ILO and IPEC-specific field offices and other U.S. Government-
funded projects such as those supported by U.S. Embassies, the U.S. 
Department of State's Global Trafficking in Persons (GTIP) Office, and 
the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in the country 
(ies) where they work. Similarly, USDOL intends to inform Grantees of 
other organizations that are working on related issues in countries 
with USDOL-funded projects. Establishing a productive working 
relationship with these organizations is especially important to avoid 
duplication of efforts and to build synergies between organizations 
working in the same issue area. Grantees must also become familiar with 
standard concepts and definitions regarding child labor that are 
currently used by the ILO, including Convention 138 and Convention 182 
and their accompanying recommendations.

2. Privacy and Freedom of Information Act

    Any information submitted in response to this solicitation will be 
subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and the Freedom of 
Information Act, as appropriate.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 11th day of June, 2007.
Lisa Harvey,
Grant Officer.

Appendix A: USDOL's Definitions of Key Terms

    Acceptable Work: Work that is performed by children of legal 
working age, in accordance with national legislation and 
international standards, namely the International Labor Organization 
(ILO) Conventions 138 and 182; work that is non-exploitive and non-
hazardous and does not prevent a child from receiving the full 
benefit of an education. Acceptable work would generally include, 
for example, light work that is compatible with national minimum age 
legislation and education laws.
    Association: An Association is a partnership of more than one 
organization that becomes a Grantee of USDOL. An Association is 
comprised of two or more organizations that do not constitute a 
single legal entity but join in applying for an award under this 
solicitation. Each member of the Association must be individually 
eligible for the award, and must sign, and agree to be bound jointly 
and severally by the Cooperative Agreement. The Association must 
designate one Associate as the Lead Grantee. Specific obligations of 
the Lead Grantee are included in the Cooperative Agreement. All 
references in this solicitation to ``Applicant(s)'' and 
``Grantee(s)'' apply to Associations as well as individual 
Applicants.
    At-risk: An at-risk situation refers to a set of conditions or 
circumstances (family environment or situation, proximity to 
economic activities prone to employ children, etc.) under which a 
child lives or to which it is exposed which make it more likely that 
the child will be in employed in exploitive child labor. A project-
specific definition of ``at-risk,'' clearly articulating the 
defining characteristics of the proposed direct beneficiaries, must 
be provided with the application, though this definition may be 
refined after award in the Project Document as a result of baseline 
data collection. For example, siblings of children formerly engaged 
in exploitive labor could be considered ``at-risk.''
    Basic Education: This comprises both formal schooling (primary 
and sometimes lower secondary) as well as a wide array of non-formal 
and informal public and private educational activities offered to 
meet the defined basic learning needs of groups of people of all 
ages. (Source: UNESCO, Education for All: Year 2000 Assessment: 
Glossary [CD-ROM], Paris, 2001.
    Child: For the purposes of this solicitation, a child is 
considered to be an individual under the age of 18 years. This 
category includes older children, ``youth,'' under the age of 18 
years.
    Child Labor (see definition of Exploitive Child Labor).
    Child Labor Monitoring System (CLMS): CLMS involves the 
identification, referral, protection and prevention of exploitive 
child labor through the development of a coordinated multi-sector 
monitoring and referral process that aims to cover all children 
living in a given geographical area, not just those that are direct 
beneficiaries of a project. The principle activities of a CLMS 
include regularly repeated direct observations to identify child 
laborers and to determine risks to which they are exposed, referral 
of these children to services, verification that they have been 
removed and tracking them afterwards to ensure that they have 
satisfactory alternatives.
    Children Prevented from Entering Exploitive Labor (a common 
indicator): This comprises part of one of USDOL-OCFT's GPRA 
Indicators and refers to children not yet engaged in exploitive 
child labor but who are considered to be at-risk of entering such 
labor, for example, siblings of former working children. In order to 
be considered as ``prevented,'' these children must also have 
benefited or be benefiting from a direct educational service 
provided by the project. USDOL considers children prevented from 
entering exploitive labor and children withdrawn from exploitive 
labor to be mutually exclusive categories. (For more information on 
GPRA, see section I.1. Background: USDOL Support for the Global 
Elimination of Exploitive Child Labor).
    Children Withdrawn From Exploitive Labor (a common indicator): 
This comprises part of one of USDOL-OCFT's GPRA Indicators and 
refers to those children who were found to be working in exploitive 
child labor and no longer work under such conditions as a result of 
a direct project intervention. This category includes:
    (a) Children who have been completely withdrawn from work, which 
is required by ILO Convention 182 for forms (a)-(c) of Article 3, 
and
    (b) Children who were involved in hazardous work (Article 3(d) 
of C.182) or work that impedes a child's education (ILO Convention 
138) but are no longer due to improved working conditions (i.e., 
fewer hours or safer workplaces) or because they have moved into a 
new, acceptable form of work (i.e. acceptable work).
    To be considered as withdrawn from exploitive child labor, each 
child must also have benefited or be benefiting from a direct 
educational service provided by the project. USDOL considers 
children withdrawn from exploitive labor and children prevented from 
entering exploitive labor to be mutually exclusive categories.
    Completion (a common indicator): The percentage of children 
withdrawn/prevented through a USDOL-supported educational or 
training program who complete the program(s).
    Cooperative Agreement: A Cooperative Agreement is a form of a 
grant where substantial involvement is anticipated between the donor 
(USDOL) and the Grantee during the performance of the proposed 
activities. The level of monitoring and accountability required by 
USDOL under a Cooperative Agreement is less than what is required in 
a contract, but more than in a regular grant.
    Direct Beneficiaries: Children and youth who, as a result of a 
USDOL-funded project, are (a) withdrawn from, or prevented from 
entering, exploitive child labor AND (b) are provided with a direct 
educational service that results in their enrollment in at least one 
of the four categories of educational activities listed below under 
the definition of direct educational service.
    Direct Beneficiary Monitoring (see Project Monitoring System).
    Direct Educational Service(s): Direct Educational Services may 
involve either:
    (a) The provision of at least one of the following educational 
activities:
    (1) Non-formal or basic literacy education--This type of 
educational activity may include transitional, levelling, or 
literacy classes so that a child may either be mainstreamed into 
formal education and/or can participate in vocational training 
activities;
    (2) Vocational, pre-vocational, or skills training--This type of 
training is designed to develop a particular, marketable skill 
(e.g., mechanics, sewing); or
    (b) The provision of goods and/or services (if lack thereof is a 
barrier to education) that meets the specific needs of the proposed 
direct beneficiaries and results in their enrollment or in at least 
one of the four categories of educational activities listed below. 
Examples of goods and/or services that may meet the specific gaps/
educational needs of targeted children include tutoring, school 
meals, uniforms, school supplies and materials, books, tuition and 
transportation vouchers, or other types of incentives. The four 
categories of educational activities that qualify are:
    (1) Non-formal or basic literacy education;

[[Page 32908]]

    (2) Vocational, pre-vocational, or skills training;
    (3) Formal education--This is defined as the formal school 
system within the target country; or
    (4) Mainstreaming--This type of educational activity involves a 
project transitioning children from non-formal education into the 
formal education system. Generally, mainstreaming involves the 
provision of goods and/or services that may assist in placement 
testing and enable a child to attend and stay in school.
    Exploitive Child Labor: This term refers to the worst forms of 
child labor outlined in ILO Convention 182, including work which, by 
its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is 
likely to harm the health, safety, or morals of children; all other 
types of work by children in violation of national labor laws and 
international standards, such as ILO Conventions 138 and 182; and 
work that prevents a child from obtaining an education or impede a 
child's ability to learn as outlined in ILO Convention 138. (See 
ILAB's Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm for a 
visual presentation of the categories of exploitive child labor).
    ILO Convention 182, Article 3, defines the worst forms of child 
labor as comprised of:
    (a) All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such 
as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom 
and forced or compulsory labor, including forced or compulsory 
recruitment of children for use in armed conflict;
    (b) The use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, 
the production of pornography or for pornographic performances;
    (c) The use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit 
activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of 
drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties;
    (d) Work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it 
is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of 
children.
    ILO Convention 138, Minimum Age Convention, Article 7.1(b) is 
also used to identify exploitive child labor. Article 7.1(b) states 
that children within a particular age range shall not participate in 
work that will ``prejudice their attendance at school, their 
participation in vocational orientation or training programmes 
approved by the competent authority or their capacity to benefit 
from the instruction received.''
    Exploitive Labor: (see definition of Exploitive Child Labor).
    Hazardous Work: This term refers to work that falls under 
Article 3(d) of ILO Convention 182. ILO Recommendation 190, which 
accompanies ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, 
gives additional guidance on identifying hazardous work. Applicants 
are encouraged to consult Recommendation 190. ILO Recommendation 190 
states in Section II. Hazardous work, paragraph 3, ``In determining 
the types of work referred to under Article 3(d) of the Convention 
[ILO Convention 182], and in identifying where they exist, 
consideration should be given'' to:
    (a) Work which exposes children to physical, psychological or 
sexual abuse;
    (b) Work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in 
confined spaces;
    (c) Work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which 
involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;
    (d) Work in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, 
expose children to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to 
temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health;
    (e) Work under particularly difficult conditions such as work 
for long hours or during the night or work where the child is 
unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer.
    In some cases, the work conditions of children involved in 
hazardous work may be improved so as to make the work conditions 
acceptable for children. This may include, for example, reducing 
hours of work or changing the type of work children perform (i.e., 
disallowing children in agriculture from working with heavy 
machinery or pesticide applications). However, conditions can only 
be improved for children who are legal to work according to the 
specific laws of the target country(ies). If, for example, a child 
is 9 years old and working in hazardous work in a country whose 
minimum age is 15 years, this child should be completely withdrawn 
from child labor since conditions cannot be improved to make it 
legally acceptable for the child to work.
    Indirect Beneficiaries: Individuals who do not receive a direct 
educational service provided by the project but who benefit as a 
result of a project activity, such as awareness raising efforts, 
support for policy change, or institutional capacity building. These 
individuals do not qualify as direct beneficiaries.
    Improved Country Capacity To Address Child Labor (a common 
indicator): This is one of USDOL-OCFT's GPRA Indicators (see section 
I.1. for more information on GPRA) and can be demonstrated if one or 
more actions listed below took place in the target country(ies) 
under one of the following four fields:
    1. The adaptation of the legal framework to international 
standards.
     List of hazardous work activities for children approved 
or revised after tripartite consultation (among government, 
employer, and employee representatives) and officially adopted (e.g. 
through law, presidential decree, etc.);
     Adaptation of labor code or education laws to include 
or modify child labor-related issues;
     Adaptation of criminal code to include or modify child 
labor-related issues;
     Adaptation of existing legislation concerning child 
labor or education to put it in line with Conventions 138 or 182; or
     Approval of new legislation concerning specific forms 
of child labor.
    2. The formulation of specific policies and programs at the 
national, regional, or sectoral level within a country dealing with 
exploitive child labor.
    Progress in this field can be demonstrated by the development of 
a policy, plan or program document on the worst forms of child 
labor, a specific worst form of child labor, or basic education 
reforms which address the worst forms of child labor by one or more 
of the following entities:
     The Government (at any level);
     The National Steering Committee; or
     Social Partners.
    3. The inclusion of child labor concerns in relevant 
development, social and anti-poverty policies and programs
     The elimination of child labor, including through basic 
education reform that benefits child labor elimination, has been 
included as an explicit objective in poverty reduction, development, 
educational, or other social programs;
     Child labor was included as an indicator in poverty 
reduction, development or educational strategies, etc. (e.g., UN 
Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), Poverty Reduction Strategy 
Paper (PRSP), Education for All (EFA), Millennium Development Goals 
(MDG));
     Child laborers have been considered as a priority 
target group in the poverty reduction, development or educational 
strategies, etc.; or
     Ensuring that children go to school and do not work has 
been set as a condition for families that wish to benefit from 
social and stipends programs
    4. The establishment of a child labor monitoring system (CLMS) 
Progress in this field can be demonstrated if one or several of the 
following systems has been established and is in operation:
     A CLMS covering various forms of child labor at the 
national level;
     A CLMS covering various forms of child labor at the 
local level:
     A CLMS in any formal or informal sector, urban or 
rural; or
     A comprehensive plan and/or pilot program to develop 
and establish national, local or sector specific CLMS.
    The characteristics of a comprehensive and credible CLMS can 
include the following:
     The system is focused on the child at work and/or in 
school;
     It involves all relevant partners in the field, 
including labor inspectors if appropriate;
     It uses regular observation to identify children in the 
workplace;
     It refers identified children to the most appropriate 
alternative to ensure that they are withdrawn from hazardous work;
     It verifies whether the children have actually shifted 
from hazardous work to an appropriate situation (school or other); 
and
     It keeps records on the extent and nature of child 
labor and the schooling of identified child workers.
    Logical Framework (Logframe): A tool that summarizes project 
design. The logframe is a matrix that clearly documents the logic 
and causal linkages underlying an Applicant's strategy. In 
developing a logframe, Applicants should document how activities 
will lead to outputs (intermediate results), which, taken together, 
will lead to the achievement of the project's purpose. The purpose 
is the overall result for which the project will be held 
accountable. The logframe matrix also includes a contextual goal 
that reflects the broader societal issue that the project hopes to 
influence. In addition to requiring Applicants to provide a

[[Page 32909]]

narrative summary of this hierarchy of results (activities-outputs-
purpose-goal), the logframe also requires the project to list 
performance indicators for each result and the means by which those 
indicators will be measured. Applicants are expected to select 
appropriate indicators and targets at both the output and purpose 
levels, which are the most critical results for ensuring that the 
project achieves its intended outcomes. Projects have the option of 
monitoring relevant indicators at the lowest, activity level and the 
contextual goal level as well. The final element of the logframe is 
the assumptions column, which Applicants should use to describe 
those conditions outside their control which might affect 
achievement of project results. Applicants must carefully consider 
what might go wrong that would affect the link of activities to 
outputs, the link of outputs to purpose, and the link of purpose to 
goal. Any issues that are outside the Applicant's control which 
might affect the ability to achieve results should be documented in 
the assumptions column so they can be monitored over the life of the 
project.
    Other Project Interventions: This category of interventions may 
include such activities as awareness raising and social mobilization 
campaigns, alternative income generating activities and business/
skills training for parents, psychosocial services for children, 
improvements in curriculum, teacher training or improvements to 
school infrastructure that are also important for withdrawing and 
preventing children from exploitive labor, including by improving 
access to and the quality of basic education. While Grantees are 
encouraged to address the needs of children engaged in, or at-risk 
of entering, exploitive labor and their families in a comprehensive 
manner, these activities will not be considered as direct 
educational services. Therefore, individuals benefiting solely from 
these interventions cannot be counted toward the project's target 
number of direct beneficiaries or in GPRA reporting. USDOL 
recognizes that, in many cases, a combination of services--both 
direct educational services and other project interventions as 
outlined in this paragraph--may represent the most effective 
strategy for prevention or withdrawal of a child from exploitive 
labor. USDOL encourages Applicants to propose the most effective 
package of services for direct beneficiaries to achieve the goal of 
withdrawing children from, and preventing children from entering, 
exploitive labor. Grantees should be able to match a particular 
service or educational or training opportunity to an individual 
child. Therefore, project interventions such as school structural 
improvements, teacher training, construction of latrines, inclusion 
of child labor modules in teacher curriculum, or the provision of 
classroom chalkboards are not considered direct educational services 
as defined above.
    Outputs-Based Budget: Delineates project funds allocated for 
specific activities and outputs, based on the project design.
    Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP): A PMP serves three primary 
functions: (1) To delineate the data collection process; (2) to 
ensure data comparability; and (3) to guide data analysis. A PMP, 
therefore, must contain the following information:
     Definition of each indicator and unit of measurement.
     Description of each indicator data source.
     Method of data collection or calculation.
     Frequency and schedule of data collection.
     Institution(s) or person(s) responsible for ensuring 
data availability.
     Type or frequency of data analysis and person/
institution responsible for data analysis.
     Cost of data collection.
    Appropriate performance indicators are expected to be selected 
during the project design consolidation phase and further defined as 
the PMP is finalized. PMP finalization includes determining precise 
indicator definitions, data collection methodologies, 
responsibilities, and costs. Target setting is also a critical part 
of the PMP finalization process, as targets are listed by time 
period in the PMP's data tracking table. (Further information on 
data tracking will be provided to Grantees after award).
    Prevented from Entering (Exploitive Child Labor): (see 
definition of Children Prevented from Entering Exploitive Child 
Labor).
    Project Design Consolidation Phase: This phase of a project 
lasts no longer than one year after award. During this phase, the 
Grantee outlines the goals and objectives of the project; identifies 
activities of the project that support the stated goals and 
objectives; establishes specific deadlines and responsibilities for 
carrying out the activities of the project; and determines a 
timeframe for measuring the progress and achievements of the 
project. The Project Design Consolidation Phase, therefore, includes 
the development of a Project Document, Logical Framework (logframe), 
Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), Work Plan, Sustainability Plan, 
and evaluation plan. Grantees must also address the minimum 
requirements identified in the Cooperative Agreement, which include 
but is not limited to defining and describing children targeted; 
needs, gaps, and/or barriers; proposed strategies to address the 
needs/gaps/barriers; sustainability and exit strategies; detailed 
description of activities; program management and performance 
assessment; and budget and cost effectiveness. USDOL may provide 
technical assistance to Grantees to refine the Project Document, 
Logframe, PMP, Work Plan, Sustainability Plan, and evaluation plan, 
which, as deliverables, are subject to approval by USDOL.
    Project Document: The Project Document serves a number of 
functions. It describes the situation that gave rise to a particular 
project; explains ``why'' a project was started; establishes the 
plan for what must be done; and outlines what must be produced, by 
when and by whom, and what is expected to happen after the project 
ends. It can serve as a reference point for all of the implementing 
partners involved in a project. The Project Document also provides 
the basis for assessing the success of a project. (The format for 
the Project Document will be provided to Grantees after award). The 
Project Document is supplemented by the Logical Framework (logframe) 
(see definition above). For the most part, Grantees are expected to 
have already presented an essentially complete Project Design 
strategy and logframe as part of their application submitted in 
response to this solicitation. The Project Document (including a 
project budget) is a more refined and revised version of the 
application and sets the technical parameters and reference points 
for the project according to the standardized format outlined by 
USDOL.
    The original proposal is expected to serve as the basis for the 
Grantee's Project Document. The Project Document should clearly 
reflect an accurate understanding of direct beneficiaries and how a 
child can be counted as a direct beneficiary for the purposes of 
GPRA reporting. The Project Document must also clearly describe the 
strategy for monitoring and reporting the working and educational 
status of children who are direct beneficiaries of the project. This 
strategy includes identifying the responsible persons (i.e., 
project/partner staff, school teachers, community members, parents), 
how the responsible persons are expected to collect the information 
(assessment form, door-to-door monitoring, discussions with 
children), and how, and at what frequency, the Grantee will obtain 
the information. The project's monitoring strategy will help inform 
the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP).
    Project Monitoring System: USDOL requires the development and 
use of a project monitoring system that incorporates two components: 
(1) Direct beneficiary monitoring that allows for the monitoring of 
the work and educational status of children directly benefiting from 
the project (i.e. direct beneficiaries), and (2) a project 
Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) that identifies indicators and 
tracks progress regarding the project's major objectives. The direct 
beneficiary monitoring system is a component of the overall project 
PMP, and allows USDOL to report to Congress and other interested 
parties on the number of children that are withdrawn from, and 
prevented from entering, exploitive child labor by USDOL-funded 
projects. Grantees should use their PMPs also to monitor progress in 
achieving capacity building objectives. (The format for the PMP will 
be provided to Grantees after award).
    The project monitoring system can help assess the effects and 
impact of project results to determine if the project activities are 
achieving the intended outcome. Project monitoring systems include 
records of the basic identification information for all direct 
beneficiaries receiving direct educational services (i.e., name, 
address, sex, and age) and their work status (working, withdrawn, or 
prevented), working conditions, and educational status (enrollment, 
retention, and school performance). Project monitoring systems 
should be designed to collect this kind of detailed information for 
all direct beneficiaries that receive and continue to receive direct 
educational services and other project interventions provided by the 
project.
    Retention (a common indicator): The percentage of children 
withdrawn/prevented through a USDOL-supported educational program(s) 
who continue in the program (i.e.

[[Page 32910]]

to subsequent years, periods, and/or levels of the program or who 
stay in the program even if they are not promoted) and who continue 
to be withdrawn or prevented from exploitive child labor.
    Sustainability Plan: A Sustainability Plan provides detailed 
strategies, assumptions, and conditions for sustainability, and 
includes both (1) a Sustainability Plan/matrix, and (2) an exit 
strategy. Strategies are likely to differ by project and by the type 
of sustainability being addressed (i.e., financial, benefits, 
programmatic/institutional, and political). Sustainability Plans 
must also include a clear exit strategy that outlines how a project 
will transfer responsibility for project components to local or 
national stakeholders by the end of the project, if not sooner. 
Activities to address sustainability issues must be identified 
together with a list of (or statement concerning) external factors 
that may impact sustainability. Sustainability Plans must also 
include a clear process for monitoring progress towards achieving 
the different areas of sustainability and key partners or 
institutions involved.
    Unconditional Worst Forms of Child Labor: This term refers to 
those worst forms of child labor specifically identified in Article 
3 parts (a)-(c) of ILO Convention 182. Children involved in the 
unconditional worst forms of child labor must no longer be working 
to be considered as withdrawn from exploitive labor. No improvements 
in the working conditions of children involved in unconditional 
worst forms of child labor, such as slavery or slavery-like 
practices, prostitution or pornography, or illicit activities, can 
create an acceptable environment for children to continue to work in 
an unconditional worst forms of child labor, even for one hour.
    Withdrawn from Exploitive Child Labor: (see definition of 
Children Withdrawn from Exploitive Child Labor).
    Work Plan: A Work Plan must identify major project activities, 
deadlines for completing those activities, and person(s) or 
institution(s) responsible for completing these activities. The Work 
Plan must correspond to activities identified in the logframe. The 
Work Plan may vary depending on what is the most logical form. It 
may, for example, be divided by project component, country, or 
region.
    Worst Forms of Child Labor: This term refers to the forms of 
child labor that fall under ILO Convention 182, Article 3, parts 
(a)-(d); includes the forms of work referred to as ``unconditional 
worst forms of child labor'' [parts (a)-(c)] and ``hazardous work'' 
[part (d)], which, according to ILO Convention 182, ``shall be 
determined by national laws or regulations or by the competent 
authority, after consultation with the organizations of employers 
and workers concerned, taking into consideration relevant 
international standards * * *'' As this suggests, forms of work 
identified as ``hazardous'' for children [part (d)] may differ from 
country to country.
    Youth: While individual countries may define ``youth'' 
differently, for the purposes of this solicitation, direct 
beneficiaries may only include children or youth under the age of 18 
years (see definition of Child).

Appendix B: Technical Proposal Format

Abstract

A. Project Design/Budget-Cost Effectiveness
    i. Background and Justification
    ii. Proposed Strategy
    iii. Project Monitoring and Evaluation
    iv. Budget-Cost Effectiveness Narrative (with cost of activities 
linked to the outputs-based budget in Annex B)
B. Sustainability Plan
C. Organizational Capacity
    i. International and U.S. Government Grant Experience
    ii. Country Presence and Host Government Support
    iii. Fiscal Oversight
D. Key Personnel/Management Plan/Staffing
    i. Key Personnel
    ii. Other Professional Personnel
    iii. Management Plan
    iv. Staff Loading Plan
E. Additional Direct Beneficiaries (optional)
F. Cost Sharing (optional)
Annex A: The Logical Framework Matrix
Annex B: Outputs-Based Budget

    (Examples of a Logical Framework Matrix, a Sustainability Plan, 
an Outputs-Based Budget, PMP and other background documentation for 
this solicitation are available from ILAB's Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm.)

                 Appendix C Definitions and Usual Characteristics of Subgrants vs. Subcontracts,
              [U.S. Department of Labor Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Subgrants                            Subcontracts
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Definitions:
    General Purpose*...............  Subject to an agreement that provides  Subject to an agreement in which the
                                      for the transfer of money or           purpose is primarily to acquire
                                      property to accomplish a public        goods and services.
                                      purpose of support or stimulation as
                                      authorized under Federal statute.
    Focus*.........................  Carries out one or more major          Provides goods and services that are
                                      programmatic functions.                ancillary or supportive to the
                                                                             operation of the Federal program.
Recipient Responsibility*..........  Has responsibility for programmatic    Responsibility for programmatic
                                      decisionmaking, adherence to           decision making rests primarily
                                      applicable Federal program             with the party providing payment
                                      compliance requirements, and is able   and inspecting deliverables. Is
                                      to determine which participants are    subject to procurement regulations,
                                      eligible to receive Federal            but not programmatic compliance
                                      financial assistance.                  requirements.
Usual Characteristics: s
    Recipients.....................  Awarded largely to non-profits,        Awarded largely to commercial
                                      institutions of higher education,      enterprises, although non-profits
                                      and state and local governments.       and state or local governments may
                                      Fewer commercial enterprises are       respond to a bid or negotiated
                                      recipients.                            solicitation.
    Terms & Performance Standards..  Less rigorous according to their       More rigorous according to their
                                      terms and conditions than contracts.   terms and conditions. Performance
                                      Performance is measured against        is measured against the delivery of
                                      whether the objectives of the          goods and services.
                                      Federal program are met (for
                                      example, to eliminate exploitive
                                      child labor).
    Operational Environment........  Less likely to operate in a            Operates in a competitive
                                      competitive environment and usually    environment and provides goods and
                                      provides services for a public         services to many different
                                      purpose.                               purchasers.
    Monitoring.....................  Less regulated. If the task is not     More heavily regulated and more
                                      accomplished, there may be fewer       likely to carry substantial legal
                                      legal and financial ramifications.     or financial risk.
    Scope of Work..................  Scope of work, deliverables and        Scope of work may be less flexible
                                      delivery schedule are more flexible    and more difficult to amend. Firm
                                      and easier to amend when changes are   delivery schedule with deliverables
                                      necessary.                             subject to rigorous inspection.

[[Page 32911]]

 
    Payment Schedule...............  Funds usually drawn down by recipient  Payment is usually made by invoice
                                      or paid in a lump sum. Payments are    only after goods are delivered or
                                      based on budgeted amounts rather       services rendered. Advances are
                                      than the unit cost of services.        made under specific, limited
                                                                             circumstances. Payments are related
                                                                             to goods delivered or services
                                                                             rendered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*The distinction between subgrants vs. subcontracts should be made primarily based on these three definitions.
  Even if an agreement has some or many of the ``usual characteristics'' of a subgrant, project managers and
  auditors should closely examine its purpose, focus, and recipient responsibilities (using the definitions
  provided above) before determining whether it meets the definition of a subgrant or subcontract.

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Paperwork Burden Statement

    According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are 
required to respond to a collection of information unless such 
collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB 
control number for this information collection is 1890-0014. The 
time required to complete this information collection is estimated 
to average five (5) minutes per response, including the time to 
review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data 
needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you 
have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or 
suggestions for improving this form, please write to: The Agency 
Contact listed in this grant application package.

 [FR Doc. E7-11526 Filed 6-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-C