2007 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

"Promoting Tactical Innovation and Strategic Thinking in the Global Human Rights Movement"

The New Tactics in Human Rights Project of the Center for Victims of Torture is seeking partner organizations interested to share, adapt and apply New Tactics thinking and materials in their country/region. This opportunity has been provided by a grant from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED): "Promoting Tactical Innovation and Strategic Thinking in the Global Human Rights Movement". 

The grant provides for the New Tactics Project to select and work with six partner organizations in the period from June 15, 2007 and ending March 15, 2008. Each selected partner would receive a grant of a maximum of USD7,500. The selected organizations would use the funds to carry out activities that would enable the distribution of New Tactics concepts, ideas, materials, tools and tactical approaches to address specific local, national or regional challenges identified by the partner and its allies.

The partner organizations will be selected from the pool of organizations that have demonstrated a strong interest in working with the New Tactics project on initiatives in their country or region, and have a demonstrated capacity to strengthen and expand the New Tactics work. These funds are intended to make it possible for human rights practitioners to share the New Tactics materials and resources for tactical and strategic thinking as well as examples of innovative tactics with a broad range of people.

The New Tactics Project will provide the selected partner organizations with materials, training, ongoing guidance and an opportunity to connect with the other partner organizations through the use of technology tools. The grants will cover the costs of holding New Tactics-focused activities and/or translation of New Tactics materials into local languages. Eligible costs for such activities include staff, communication costs, printing/photocopying, translation, and other relevant project activity expenses. 

The SIX selected partner organizations are expected to incorporate at least two of the following areas in their proposal:

(For brief examples from the 2006 NED funded New Tactics grants - see: /2006GrantRecipients).

• Translation and distribution of New Tactics materials (tactical notebooks, tools, website excerpts, etc): Featuring plans to facilitate training on identifying and adapting new tactics to strengthen human rights work for specific local, national and cross-border issues. (For a list of materials use this link: /AboutNewTactics/CurrentMaterials)
• Creation of New Tactics website content: Featuring materials and discussions in cross-border languages (e.g, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, French) to facilitate accessibility of ideas and tactical examples for adapting to regional issues.
• Discussions (in-person or electronically) in local and/or cross border languages on current tactics being used to advance human rights, coupled with a sharing of if and how new ideas may effectively be adapted to strengthen their work. (NOTE: The selected project partners will be provided with support through virtual training opportunities to use electronic communication tools. The New Tactics project will soon be launching and making available these on-line communication tools on our New Tactics website.)
• Local and regional outreach campaigns to media to broadcast stories of tactical innovation to advance human rights, bringing the concepts and concrete ideas to a much broader audience of the public.
• Use of tactical mapping or other project tools: Featuring plans that use the tools to design and manage collaborative campaigns to apply multiple tactics towards a single key rights-related campaign.
• Development and implementation of a system of collection and exchange among human rights activists on practical on-the-ground use of tactics; involving hundreds of advocates in an exchange and dialogue of new approaches.

Throughout the grant period, the New Tactics project will play a role in supporting and sharing the work of the selected partners with other organizations and individuals in the New Tactics network.  The New Tactics project will conduct at least one formal training session for the selected partner organizations. The training will enable each partner organization to become thoroughly familiar with tools, materials and training modules already created by the Project. This initial general orientation will take place via web and/or teleconferencing with targeted dates between June 18 and 22.  A second training, specific to each partner and their implementation plan, will take place via web and/or teleconferencing in July 2007.

Please note, in making its selections, the New Tactics Project will favor activities that demonstrate clear goals and reach a significant audience to share the materials and resources of the New Tactics project.  The budget should reflect realistic costs related to the goals of the activities you intend to carry out.

Proposals will be thoroughly reviewed and the SIX partners will be selected based on the following primary criteria:

•         Clear plan and outline for disseminating New Tactics thinking and resources. (e.g., Number of people and organizations that will be reached with New Tactics ideas, materials and tools.)

•        Organization history of disseminating materials and building networks of exchange.

•         Ability to follow up with a select number of individuals who receive materials to determine impact of involvement with New Tactics ideas, materials and tools.

•         Proposed application of New Tactics tools and resources to a specific situation or issue the organization is addressing.

•         Integration of a dialogue or exchange component on strategy and tactics for participants to share what they found to be inspiring, useful or were able to adapt and implement.

•         Ability to dedicate additional resources to the work (in-kind and financial).

•         A clear evaluation component of the project–(e.g., identify key indicators to know if the project was successfully carried out).

Additional secondary criteria that may also be considered:

•         Assessment plan to determine community needs of new tactics.

•         Plan for continued contact with recipients of the information (face-to-face and/or other communication tools).

At this time, the New Tactics project is able to invite only SIX partner organizations. However, through this Request for Proposal process, the New Tactics Project plans to develop and systematize the selection and establishment of regional distribution partners so that, in the event that additional funds become available, new partner organizations can also be invited and engaged in the project.

Please complete the application form below and submit no later than Tuesday, May 22. Please note that any activities related to the grant must take place between June 15, 2007 and March 15, 2008. You will be notified on or before June 15, 2007 if you are chosen as a partner organization to receive a grant.