The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) has announced a funding opportunity to support counterterrorism programming in the criminal justice and civilian governance sector of Cameroon.
In West Africa, the threat posed by Boko Haram, ISIS-WA and other violent extremists in the region continues to evolve. Despite increasing marginalization and diminished territorial control, Boko Haram and ISIS-WA continue to pose a threat to Lake Chad Basin countries.
Cameroonian communities, particularly rural communities in the Far North Region, continue to be targeted for attack. These communities rely on traditional leaders and local Cameroonian government officials to ensure security and stability. Central to improving security and countering the threat posed by terrorists, civilian governance and access to justice for these communities will ensure long-term stability and security.
Modeled after the French system, Cameroon’s National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) trains nearly all Cameroonian civil servants and administrators, including magistrates, sub-prefets, prefets, and some gendarmerie. While ENAM has well-trained personnel and leadership eager to modernize curriculum, they have limited capacity to do so.
Recognizing the need to prepare civilians for governance in complex situations, ENAM has initiated some innovations in curriculum, including establishing several courses designed to help prepare administrators and magistrates for working in communities vulnerable to terrorism and conflict.
CT seeks to develop Cameroon’s institutional capacity to train civilian government officials and law enforcement to better serve communities vulnerable to terrorism and conflict. The specific project goal is for ENAM to function as an effective convening and training space for the spectrum of civil servants who provide access to justice and administer governance to communities in regions vulnerable to terrorist activity, particularly in the North and Far North Regions.
This assistance will enable the professional educators and training staff at ENAM to have more practitioner-targeted training curriculum based on best practices.
CT seeks proposals to build capacity within ENAM, this Cameroonian-led convening forum and center for training on governance, to improve security and access to justice in communities vulnerable to terrorist activity. CT seeks proposals to improve curriculum on administration, governance, and human rights in terrorism-affected communities; to improve curriculum on the application of Cameroon’s Law on the Repression of Terrorism; to provide training designed for practitioners based on best practices; to improve civilian administrators and magistrates on the application of Cameroon’s terrorism laws; and to train these officials work with law enforcement and other security officials to prevent or mitigate terrorist activity and inversely to train law enforcement in how to better engage with these communities.
Subject to the availability of funds, CT intends to issue an award in the amount of $500,000 in FY 16 funds for a project period of 24 months. The anticipated start date for this activity is September 2017, and CT intends to support one award as a result of this NOFO.
Successful applicant will be issued a Cooperative Agreement, with substantial involvement from CT in the grantee’s management of this program and will be expected to coordinate closely with the DC-based program manager and the CT-funded Resident Legal Advisor (based in Yaoundé), supporting her/his guidance on implementation.
U.S. based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; overseas non-governmental organizations; and Public International Organizations (PIOs). For-profit and commercial firms are not eligible to apply in response to this NOFO
Complete proposal packages must be submitted by June 2, 2017; 11:59 PM Eastern. Further details are available via FOA: DOS-CT-CA-CAMEROON-17-004.
