Supporting Local Governance and Essential Services in Syria

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination seeks to partner with local governance actors to address stabilization challenges in northeast Syria and potentially in areas of northwest Syria outside the control of the Syrian regime. Communities continue to suffer from political, social, and economic deprivations following eleven years of conflict and local governance plays a vital role in serving local needs in ways that align with U.S. policy interests. Project activities to be supported through this funding opportunity will broadly aim to improve essential services in target communities while strengthening the capacity of local governance actors (e.g. civic councils) as administrators of those services. Proposals should pay particular attention to inclusion of marginalized and underserved groups such as women, youth, and religious and ethnic minorities. They should also consider the challenges a changing climate poses to essential services programming and propose means to address them.