Request for Proposals: The Implications of Climate and Environmental Change on Migration and Displacement (Sectoral and Country Analyses)

Jul 31, 2022 | United States Institute of Peace

USIP is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. For more information, please visit http://www.usip.org.

The Climate, Environment, and Conflict (CEC) program at USIP aims to advance applied research and policy development on migration and displacement related to climate and environmental change. USIP is currently supporting research on climate, migration, and security through three projects: 1) Examining the pathways of climate-related migration to urban areas; 2) Proposing a new socio-economic agenda to connect climate, environment, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding in urban areas; and 3) Developing recommendations for how U.S. government agencies and the military should approach the risks posed by slow-onset climate impacts.

The U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) has hosted two symposia on the security implications of climate change (SICC). The first event (SICC1), held in Stuttgart, Germany, at the USAFRICOM base in late January 2022, focused on helping USAFRICOM staff get up to speed and identified the most critical climate-related challenges. The second event (SICC2), co-hosted with the U.S. Institute of Peace and held in Washington, D.C., in May 2022, served to validate the climate challenges; continue to expand a community of stakeholders and experts, including among the interagency; and inform the 2022 Theater Strategy, follow-on tabletop exercises, and future
Campaign Plans and Orders.

The U.S. Institute of Peace is currently partnering closely with USAFRICOM around applied research focused on helping define AFRICOM’s strategic terrain. USIP’s approach to a Strategic Terrain Analysis for AFRICOM related to climate security will involve three approaches: 1) identification of AFRICOM’s key climate security interests in the Africa region and 2) development of a Climate Security Alert Tool that includes climate and environmental inputs as well as other security-related indicators (covered in a separate RFP); and 3) deep dives into key sector and/or countries of focus (covered by this RFP). These deep-dives will serve as inputs to further refine the Tool, but also to further understanding of different climate security sectors and to develop a methodology of case studies that provide useful feedback to AFRICOM’s understanding of its Strategic Terrain. These deep-dives should help AFRICOM better understand how climate security risks play out in ways that may shift the sectors of their Strategic Terrain, alter priority geographies, or identify climate risks where AFRICOM may request other U.S. Agencies or international partners to play an expanded role.

II. Purpose of the RFP

The CEC Program seeks proposals for the development of up to four sectoral and/or regional deep-dive papers to help guide the integration of climate-related security risks into USAFRICOM’s Strategic Terrain Analysis. These papers will also serve as inputs to USAFRICOM’sstrategic planning, which is focused on countering malign actors and transnational threats, responding to crises, strengthening security forces in order to advance U.S. national interests and promoting regional security, stability, and prosperity.

These papers seek to further understanding of different climate security sectors and/or to develop a methodology of case studies that provide useful feedback to USAFRICOM’s understanding of its Strategic Terrain. These deep-dives should help USAFRICOM better understand how climate security risks play out in ways that may shift the sectors of their Strategic Terrain, alter priority geographies, or identify climate risks where USAFRICOM may
request other U.S. Agencies or international partners to play an expanded role. Those interested in in submitting a proposal should have demonstrated experience in research and strong scholarship related to peace and conflict studies, defense issues, the Africa region, and/or climate change. Scholars at all levels, from early career to the more established, are encouraged to submit proposals. Proposals should clearly describe the importance of the issue to be addressed, research objectives, and policy significance. Proposals should also demonstrate knowledge of the research subject and relevant literature.

USIP expects to award up to four contracts for sectoral and/or regional deep-dive papers, with timelines dependent on scope and research demands. USIP invites researchers at universities, research institutions, or implementing organizations that include research efforts, as well as unaffiliated researchers, to submit proposals that address one of the issues outlined below.

III. Scope of Work

These papers may be used internally to guide discussions within USAFRICOM and/or its partners. If there are aspects of the work that are relevant beyond USAFRICOM, USIP may also consider publication as USIP Peaceworks or Special Reports. Peaceworks publications target peacebuilding practitioners or academics (although not necessarily both at the same time), and range from 8,000 to 20,000 words, including endnotes. Peaceworks publications emphasize tools to support the peacebuilding community and include detailed policy recommendations and conclusions. Special Reports are short, timely, policy-relevant reports that range from 2,500-10,000 words. Special Reports offer policymakers, practitioners, and scholars a distillation of expert research, lessons learned and problem solving in the topic field and/or through case studies. The publications should offer recommendations, with a focus on the changing nature of conflict, to help guide the agenda for policy and practice-relevant research.

Potential themes of interest include:

A. Sector themes:

• Evolving risk of humanitarian assistance demands, with a focus on complex emergencies in megacities;
• The impact of global and regional agricultural drought upon food security, particularly the ways in which food prices shape local dynamics;
• Risks of political instability and conflict over green minerals and other natural resources (e.g. forests), decarbonization, and implementation of renewable energy;
• How slow-onset or sudden onset climate change may alter patterns of political unrest and/or active conflict through changes in recruitment for violent extremistorganizations and/or through changes in migration and displacement (stranded populations; potential for urban conflict);

• Implications of the evolving role of African militaries as they increasingly respond to climate risks and climate emergencies;
• Role of other international partners in Africa and the potential for geopolitical tensions or exacerbation of the risks of instability or violence (China, Russia);
• Implications for demand on USAFRICOM’s peacekeeping operations and for USAFRICOM’s mil-mil partnerships.

B. Country case studies:

• Development in partnerships with local experts;

• Exploration of local trends in public opinion or commentary (e.g. from on-the-ground surveys and/or social media posts);
• Exploration of underlying resilience or capacity that allows some countries to effectively address and/or overcome climate security risks that other countries fail to tackle;
• Development of a replicable methodology and/or approach to case studies focused on AFRICOM’s key Strategic Terrain decisions.

The selected offeror(s) will be awarded a fix-priced contract for up to eight months for research and writing. The selected offeror(s) will receive the final payment of their contract when the publication is approved by USIP and USAFRICOM.

Submission Requirements

To be considered under this RFP, please submit the following:

Technical/Narrative Proposal (no more than eight pages)

The narrative proposal should be five to eight pages, excluding the bibliography, and adhere to standard formatting practices. It should include the following sections:

• Description of proposed sectoral and/or regional deep-dive: Please describe the sectoral and/or regional deep-dive topic and the significance of your proposed contribution.
• Overall Approach and Methodology: As relevant, please describe the proposed approach to research, data collection, data analysis, and development of policy-relevant conclusions, and an implementation timeline. As noted above, the final research methodology and publication outline will be approved in consultation with USIP.
• Key Personnel, Specific Expertise, and Past Experience: Describe the key personnel, their role, their level of knowledge, and how their experience is related and beneficial. Describe the overall staffing plan for the project. Please note that staff may be non-US citizens. Describe at least two projects of similar scope and complexity the offeror has worked on previously. Provide a point of contact with telephone number and email address for at least one of the described projects. Also, please include whether the offeror and/or essential personnel have received funding from USIP in the past and if so, include a short description of the project, the name of the USIP main point of contact, and the grant or contract number, as applicable.

Curriculum Vitae

For each of the key personnel, please provide a CV of no more than three pages. CVs will not count as part of the insert number pages of the technical proposal.

Cost Proposal

The cost proposal shall include a detailed budget and a budget narrative. Budget must be in U.S. dollars and in a spreadsheet format (e.g., Excel). USIP allows organizations to include up to 12% indirect cost recovery on total direct costs for contracts.

Financial Management Assessment Form

Organizations must complete the Financial Management Assessment Form unless they have received Federal grants, contracts or cooperative agreements in the past two years and can provide their audited financial statement from their most recent fiscal year.

Certification Page

Complete and sign the Certification Page and submit with the proposal.

Refer questions to Tegan Blaine, tblaine@usip.org

Submit proposals to Tegan Blaine, tblaine@gmail.com

For More Information and the full RFP, see RFPReport.pdf