Demystifying EC Funding Opportunities

1
Demystifying EC Funding Opportunities

• Joëlle NOIRFALISSE
• EC Funding Coordinator - WWF European Policy
  Office
• ENP Policy Seminar 2006, Brussels 1 December 2006

2
Overview of the Presentation

• Who handles EC external funding opportunities?
• Where to find the information?
• The Cycle of the Calls for Proposals
• What to remember when preparing a proposal?

3
Who handles funding ?

• EuropeAid Cooperation Office was officially set
  up on 1 January 2001
• Mission to implement EC external aid instruments
  funded through the EC budget and the European
  Development Fund
• Does NOT deal with pre-accession, humanitarian
  activities, macro-financial assistance, the
  Common Foreign and Security Policy or the Rapid
  Reaction Facility
• Wider objectives of the programmes are
  established by DG External Relations and DG
  Development (approved by the Commission)
• EuropeAid forms part of the portfolio of Ms B.
  Ferrero-Waldner (Commissioner for External
  Relations and ENP)

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Who handles funding? (continued)

• Since 2001, significant transfer of
  responsibilities to Delegations (Deconcentration
  Process)
• "Anything that can be better managed and decided
  on the spot, close to what is happening on the
  ground, should not be managed or decided in
  Brussels
• Delegations now responsible for key operational
  tasks
• project identification and appraisal
• contracting and disbursement
• project monitoring and evaluation

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Organigram of EuropeAid
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Calls for ProposalsThe main funding instrument
for NSAs

• Calls for Proposals are most often used for
  financing activities aimed at NSAs
• Can be launched by EuropeAid (not country
  specific) or by a Delegation or by designated
  authority within the country/region
  (country/region specific)
• Yearly planning of calls and calls for proposals
  are (normally!) published on the EuropeAid
  Website before 31 March of each year
• http//ec.europa.eu/europeaid/tender/index_en.htm
  
• Local calls can sometimes only be published on
  the website of the EC Delegation
• http//ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/deleg
  ations/intro/web.htm

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Calls for ProposalsThe main funding instrument
for NSAs (continued)

• In your country
• Find out from the delegation if and when calls
  will be launched.
• Check the websites regularly!
• Keep in touch with the Delegation!

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Cycle of the Call for Proposals

• Cycle of the Calls for Proposals is always the
  same
• Templates for the documents are always the same
• But content of the documents is always different!
  Eligibility, amounts, co-financing, partnership
  requirements (...)

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Cycle of the Call for Proposals (continued)
Publication of Call for Proposals Receipt of
Concept Note Letter of acknowledgement to
applicants Technical Evaluation of Concept
Note Letter of rejection to unsuccessful
applicants Letter of notification to successful
applicants Receipt of Full Application Deadline
for submission of Full Application Date of
Publication at least 90 days (or at least 60
days if grant ? 100.000EUR) Letter of rejection
to unsuccessful applicants Technical
Financial Evaluation of Selected full
Application Letter of rejection to unsuccessful
applicants Letter to applicants on the Reserve
List Letter requesting supporting documents to
provisionally successful applicants Administrativ
e Eligibility Compliance Letter of rejection to
unsuccessful applicants Projects recommended for
funding Notification to successful
applicants Preparation and signing of contracts
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When Applying

• Make sure to respect the format! Including font
  type and size (!!!)
• Look for the list of FAQs and ask if in doubt
  (mailbox!)
• Dont miss the support tools provided in the
  Guidelines...
• Evaluation grid for the Concept Note
• Maximum total score 50 points
• Relevance (25 points)
• Methodology and Sustainability (15 points)
• Operational Capacity Expertise (10 points)
• Evaluation grid for the Application Form
• Maximum total score 100 points
• Financial Operational Capacity (20 points)
• Relevance (25 points)
• Methodology (25 points)
• Sustainability (15 points)
• Budget Cost Effectiveness (15 points)

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Relevance of your Proposal

•  RELEVANCE is particularly important (25
  points)
• Make sure to align to at least one of the
  priorities of the Call
• Use other relevant EC documents including
  Country/Regional Strategy Papers
  http//ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/sp/ind
  ex.htm
• Illustrate a thorough understanding not only of
  the existing needs and constraints (providing
  facts and figures) but also of what is already
  being done by the government (central/local), the
  EC, other NGOs...
• What will be the added value of what YOU PROPOSE
  TO DO compared to what is ALREADY BEING DONE?

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Relevance of your proposal (continued...)

• Differentiate between Overall and Specific
  Objectives Overall objectives can be SEVERAL,
  specific objective is SINGLE!
• Be as precise as possible in the definition of
  you specific objective!
• Differentiate between the target groups and the
  final beneficiaries (qualify/quantify)
• Target Groups directly targeted by the action.
  Their situation will improve as a direct result
  of the intervention
• Final Beneficiaries benefits will trickle down
  to them...
• Dont forget gender and equal opportunity. But
  dont just through the words around!!!
• Pre-feasibility study is always a definite plus!

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Methodology of your proposalThe Activities

• The Activities, a central element! What will
  concretely be done to meet the proposed specific
  objectives?
• Step by step approach (tasks) eg. Activity 1, 2,
  3 etc
• Include the title and a detailed description of
  each activity
• Provide narrative detail
• Who? What? Where? When?
• Include means of each activity (materials,
  personnel)
• Deliverables of each activity (outputs)
• Correspond to Plan of Action
• Allow for cross-check with Budget

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Methodology of your proposalThe Activities
(continued...)

• Strongly recommended to include
• A Kick- off meeting between partners
• Preparation of a partnership agreement
• Communication strategy (internal and external)
  website!
• Activities that offer the possibility for
  replicating/sharing with others the outcome
  (participation in conferences, workshops)
• Detailed monitoring and evaluation activities by
  managers, including update of Logical Framework...

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The Logical Framework

• Preparation and signing of contracts
• Project Implementation

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The Logical Framework

High overall objectives to which the project
contributes
Overall Objectives
The projects specific objective (there should
be one only)
Project Purpose
The products of the undertaken activities
Expected Results
Actions/tasks executed as part of the project to
produce the results
Activities
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The Logical Framework (continued)
Overall Objectives
What are the overall broader objectives to which
the project will contribute? Examples By 2012,
the natural resource base in the Zebra forest of
Waziland is managed sustainably to improve the
livelihoods of remote rural communities ()

What is the specific objective which the project
shall achieve? Example By 2010, improved
livelihood options and enabling conditions
deliver at least a 50 increase in income for the
three target communities of Wabi, Zabi and Xeba,
leading to better access to social services ()
Project Purpose
What are the concrete outputs envisaged to
achieve the specific objectives? What are the
envisaged effects and benefits of the project?
What improvements and changes will be produced by
the project? Examples (1) 30 sustainable
development plans are developed and implemented
by target communities with assistance from local
authorities (2) Government Development Planning
in the Zebra forest is integrated, participatory
and supports the needs of resource reliant
communities (including marginalized groups),
civil society and the private sector through
effective natural resource management
Expected Results
What are the key activities to be carried out and
in what sequence in order to produce the expected
results? Example (1) Organisation of six monthly
stakeholder steering committees for forest
management in the Zebra Forest (2) Organisation
of 1 training workshop for 20 government
representatives
Activities
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The Logical Framework (continued)
OBJECTIVELY VERIFIABLE INDICATORS OF ACHIEVEMENT
What are the key indicators related to the
overall objectives? Example National level
funding allocations and development plans reflect
government recommendations for improved
management of natural resources by 2012
OVIs provide a measure of project progress -
Must be measurable - Time period, target group
and location may need to be specified - Include
more than one indicator for a particular aspect
if a single one does not provide full picture of
the expected change
What are the quantitative or qualitative
indicators showing whether and to what extent the
projects specific objective is achieved?
Example By end of 3rd Yr, 50 of 30 selected
communities apply improved community led natural
resource livelihood strategies, leading to at
least a 50 increase in household income
What are the indicators to measure whether and to
what extent the project achieves the envisaged
results and effects? Example (1) 20 government
personnel trained in good governance,
participatory assessments and planning by Yr 2
(2) A representative forest management
institution to monitor, regulate and enforce
sustainable management of natural resources in
the zebra forest area is funded, legally
recognised and operating effectively by year 3
()
What are the means required to implement this
activity (materiel, personnel, financial means
etc.) Example Community Facilitators will
conduct staff training for resource planning. The
WWF Forest Coordinator and team will identify
current needs, resources and actions to assist
the establishment of community development plans
that will feed into the district planning process
and district level.
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The Logical Framework (continued)

• SOURCES AND MEANS OF VERIFICATION - What are the
  sources of information for these indicators?
• Official Reports
• Satellite imagery and ground verification
• Baseline, mid-term and final socio-economic
  surveys
• Baseline, mid-term and final surveys of forest
  cover and species
• Community attitude survey
• Questionnaires
• Assumptions Risks Dont overlook them!
  Present remedies
• Run a thorough check before sending!

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Thank You and Good Luck