public policy and accountability grants (ppag) - rfa

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Civil Society


Civil Society


Civil Society

Request for Applications

Public Policy and Accountability Grants (PPAG) Program

The East-West Management Institute (EWMI) Advancing CSO Capacities and Engaging Society for Sustainability (ACCESS) project is pleased to announce the Public Policy and Accountability Grants (PPAG) program. Georgian civil society organizations (CSOs) or CSO coalitions whose primary work is policy research or monitoring are invited to submit project proposals. PPAGs will focus on increasing government accountability on national level policy issues and will support: (1) think tanks to conduct policy research, analysis, and advocacy, and (2) watchdog organizations to monitor and report on existing policy implementation, or if necessary, advocate for evidence-based changes in policies, legislation or procedures.

PPAG applications that propose to conduct policy research should aim to foster informed public debate and policy-making by conducting comprehensive research and analysis on an important policy issue or process. Policy research projects should offer concrete recommendations to address the issue. Applicants should also propose a broad range of sustained advocacy activities targeting key policy stakeholders and the public to promote the project’s findings and recommendations.

Applications that propose watchdog activities should provide a detailed plan for effectively engaging key government stakeholders and the public, including through citizens’ awareness-raising activities if needed, to ensure project activities result in more effective policy implementation and/or improved policies.

EWMI ACCESS highly encourages projects in which Tbilisi-based organizations partner with their branch offices or other organizations in the regions of Georgia in conducting major project activities. For example, regional partners could assist in conducting research, advocacy, and/or monitoring activities in their respective regions. Region-based organizations might also help build broad-based support in the regions for national policy recommendations by Tbilisi-based think tanks. Coalition projects of this nature can help ensure better results and greater policy influence by providing countrywide evidence.

FUNDING PRIORITIES

PPAGs under this RfA will support projects that propose to address issues of Georgia’s European/Euro-Atlantic integration. Projects could seek to, for example, monitor the Government of Georgia’s progress on implementing specific aspects of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement (AA), including Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area

#5 Marjanishvili St., Third Floor • Tbilisi 0102 Georgia • Tel (995 0 32) 2202 444 • https://www.facebook.com/EWMI.ACCESS/

(DCFTA), or NATO integration processes; research, identify, and advocate for policy solutions to implementing particularly difficult aspects of the EU AA; and/or raise public awareness and mobilize citizen support for reforms that facilitate specific aspects of European/Euro-Atlantic integration. These are illustrative activities intended as examples. Applicants are encouraged to propose other ideas leading to more effective European/Euro-Atlantic integration that fit with the requirements of the PPAG program. As European/Euro-Atlantic integration covers a wide variety of issues (trade, competition, security, good governance, minority rights, health, sanitation, environment, agriculture, intellectual property, and many others), applicants are encouraged to focus on a particularly important, difficult, or overlooked aspect of the European/Euro-Atlantic integration process. In addition to specific subject-matter issues, projects could also address broad, overarching issues or processes that can contribute to European/Euro-Atlantic integration.

ACCESS will prioritize projects that: (1)involve partnerships between Tbilisi-based CSOs and regional

organizations in conducting research, advocacy, citizen mobilization, and/or monitoring activities;

(2)include innovative uses of technology in project activities, particularly in components dealing with problem illustration and citizen engagement;

(3)include a well-thought-through plan to engage with policy- and decision-makers and promote project findings and recommendations;

(4)include a plan to effectively communicate policy research results and recommendations to the broadest relevant audiences.

ACCESS encourages applicants to propose projects that: (1)apply well-established and/or credible rankings, scorecards, and

other policy research evaluation methodologies; (2)apply thorough policy research and analysis methodologies, such as

social experiments, field studies, statistical methods, etc.;(3)take into consideration government action plans and programs in

identifying priorities; (4)reflect priority policy issues and/or concerns identified through

public opinion surveys and/or other credible means;(5)build on a policy window of opportunity;(6)propose to monitor implementation of government programs, action

plans, strategies or policy processes/procedures that directly or indirectly enhance government performance on European/Euro-Atlantic integration (e.g. EU Information and Communication Strategy, AA Implementation Action Plan, DCFTA Implementation Action Plan, Government Policy Planning Reform Strategy and related processes etc.);

(7)research, evaluate and propose best practices and models for the key government institutions involved in the European/Euro-Atlantic integration process.

ACCESS will not fund applications that propose any of the following:

EWMI ACCESS PPAG – RFA Year 2 of 7

Support for or lobbying on behalf of a particular political party; Religious activities. However, EWMI ACCESS may support a religious

organization for non-religious aims if its proposal corresponds to PPAG objectives;

Humanitarian activities; Theoretical research; or Individual and/or group travel as a primary project activity.

GRANT AWARDS

EWMI ACCESS will award a maximum of three grants of up to $50,000 USD under this RfA. Grant funds may be used only for the activities directly related to the implementation of the project, except for any proposed institutional development activities (see “Institutional Support” section below). The duration of project activities should not exceed 18 months. EWMI ACCESS reserves the right to fund one or none of the applications submitted.

ELIGIBILITY

Think tanks, watchdog CSOs, and CSO coalitions in Georgia are eligible to submit proposals for the PPAG program. The applicant organization or organizations must be legally registered in Georgia. Applicants should meet the following criteria: Have at least two years of operational experience. As a rule, EWMI

ACCESS will not provide “start-up” funding, although EWMI ACCESS may make an exception if sufficient evidence is presented to show that the organization’s directors and experts have adequate prior experience and the organization is filling a niche that has been underserved in the past.

Have a governance structure that ensures proper rotation of leadership and delegation of power, including at least a Board of Directors, a Chairperson, and an Executive Director. The same individual should not hold the position of the Board Chairperson and the Executive Director, unless the size of the organization precludes this separation. If the above criteria are not met, the applicant must submit a proposed reform process that will work towards meeting these standards.

Have a transparent system of bookkeeping that is in compliance with Georgian legislation and International Accounting Standards (IAS). If such a system is not in place, the grantee must work closely with EWMI ACCESS to ensure that accurate expense reports are prepared and a transparent bookkeeping system is put in place.

Must not be a debtor, must have cancelled any debt to the state, or have arranged for debt collection prior to receiving the first disbursement of EWMI ACCESS grant funds.

Must operate as an independent, non-politically affiliated organization.


Civil servants, political appointees, members of the current parliament, staff of public broadcasting companies, and/or leaders of political parties cannot participate in a grant project as a director. In most cases, these individuals are also excluded from being grant-remunerated participants in projects.

EWMI ACCESS gives preference to organizations with a strong record in policy research, analysis, and/or monitoring; high institutional capacity; and in-house expertise relevant to the proposed project.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

EWMI ACCESS will offer PPAG grantees the opportunity to benefit from technical assistance on topics including research methodology, collaborative advocacy techniques, communicating policy research to decision makers and the public, and project-based topics as identified by the grantee.

Peer ReviewAll PPAG projects will undergo a peer review process facilitated by EWMI ACCESS. Policy research projects will have their research methodology reviewed before the research begins, and all PPAG grantees will have their draft final reports reviewed before the final versions are produced. ACCESS will rely on its network of Georgian and foreign policy experts in conducting peer review. In conjunction with this requirement, applicants may propose to conduct their own internal and external peer review processes as part of the grant. The project timeline should reflect the additional time needed for peer review.

TrainingPPAG grantees will be eligible to apply for a Non-profit Leadership Program (NLP) conducted by ACCESS implementing partner the Centre for Training and Consultancy (CTC), which will receive new applications in September 2016.

MentoringEWMI ACCESS will also offer local and international mentors for PPAG grantees in areas of need. ACCESS and PPAG grantees will work together to identify potential mentors as needed shortly following the grant award. Mentors will provide on-site consultations and/or long-distance advice and information on a variety of organizational or project-based issues.

Organizational Capacity DevelopmentPPAG grantees have the option to participate in a technical assistance program by CTC that includes the Organizational and Advocacy Capacity Assessment (OACA) of the grantee’s strengths and weaknesses, and the subsequent development of the Capacity Development Plan (CDP), followed by the targeted trainings for the grantee.


Institutional SupportPPAG applicants can include institutional development activities as part of their proposals. The purpose of this optional support is to enable organizations to implement self-initiated organizational strengthening initiatives that will contribute to their effectiveness and sustainability. PPAG applicants can allot up to $5,000 of the total grant amount to implement measurable organizational development activities. Examples of such activities include, but are not limited to: purchasing computer software to assist in accounting or management; local or long-distance professional development training courses for staff; conducting an audit; developing a strategic plan through participatory processes; preparing a fundraising plan; and developing and implementing specific policies and procedures that improve organizational management and/or financial sustainability. Applicants should detail any institutional support activities in their applications and budgets. ACCESS will require all PPAG grantees requesting funding for this purpose to provide specific deliverables (e.g., records to prove the policies and descriptions of the procedures have been developed and implemented).

APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

PPAG applications must be submitted in English. Applications can be mailed, e-mailed, or hand-delivered to the EWMI ACCESS office in Tbilisi. Faxed applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must submit the following documents: 1. A copy of the proposal, proposal cover page, and budget, based on

the PPAG Application Form; 2. A copy of the organization’s most recent Public Registry Record

printed out from www.reestri.gov.ge; 3. A copy of the organization’s most recent Act of Comparison printed

out from www.rs.ge; 4. A copy of the organization’s Annual Report, both financial and

technical (if available);5. A letter of support from relevant public institution(s) or media if the

applicant plans to work with public officials or media staff.

Before making the final decision, EWMI ACCESS may request additional documentation such as:

An auditor’s report; Financial Statements (balance sheet showing profit and loss and

cash flow); Organizational policies.

Proposals must be the original and sole work of the applicant organization. Plagiarism will result in disqualification from the grant competition.

EWMI ACCESS will retain all materials and documents submitted by applicants. EWMI ACCESS will not use this information for purposes other than proposal review and will not share it with other persons or institutions, except when required by Georgian law or requested by


http://www.rs.ge/

http://www.reestri.gov.ge/

USAID. Please note that in order to avoid a duplication of efforts, ACCESS will share a list of received applications with other donors supporting CSOs in Georgia.

EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

A Grants Review Committee (GRC) established by ACCESS will review all proposals and select awardees. The GRC will be composed of ACCESS staff and independent experts. Short-listed applicants may be asked to provide additional information.

EWMI ACCESS will assess proposals based on the following main criteria:

Technical approach, including: o Compliance with PPAG program objectives and criteria;

o Relevance of the proposed project to particularly important, difficult, and/or overlooked European/Euro-Atlantic integration issue;

o Overall effectiveness of the proposed strategies, objectives and activities in addressing the problem/issue;

o Relevance and robustness of the proposed research/monitoring design and methodology;

o Use of comprehensive and extensive public advocacy and outreach campaign to engage citizens;

o Use of effective communication plan to engage with decision-makers;

o Reliability of quantitative and qualitative indicators for measuring and evaluating the project’s impact;

o Innovation and technology used in the proposed approach;

o Level of consideration of issues related to women, girls, youth, ethnic and religious minorities, the LGBT community, or other marginalized groups in the proposed analysis and activities (for example, a project might propose to include an analysis of how the policy issue particularly affects these groups), as well as inclusion of these groups in project implementation as relevant.

Organizational capacity and management, including: o Adequacy of the proposed project implementation team;

o Applicants’ past performance in similar projects as applicable. Budget proposal, including:

o Cost-effectiveness of the proposed budget;

o Proposed co-funding, especially from local business, other donors, and/or government, as well as media and other partner organizations and/or volunteers.

Applicants should respond to all of the requirements of the grant application form. Organizations must clearly demonstrate their experience and expertise with the policy issue and with research, advocacy, and/or


monitoring, as relevant. EWMI ACCESS also expects applicants to propose concrete steps for publicizing their research or monitoring results and galvanizing support for the proposed solutions. All projects must include at least one public discussion with key stakeholders on the project’s policy topic.

TIMELINE

RfA launch date November 24, 2015Deadline for submitting clarification requests to ACCESS

December 7, 2015

Date when ACCESS will issue clarifications December 14, 2015DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS 16:30, December

25, 2015Evaluation of proposals January 22, 2016Grant award notification to successful applicants January 27, 2016Grant agreement signing February 15, 2016

Please note that evaluation and award dates are subject to change

CONTACT INFORMATION

Application Form: To download the application form, please see the PPAG announcement on www.jobs.ge. Alternatively, please contact Nodar Tangiashvili ([email protected]), ACCESS Public Policy and Accountability Advisor, for an application form.

Clarifications: Requests for clarification should be sent to Nodar Tangiashvili at [email protected] by the deadline listed above. EWMI ACCESS will issue clarifications to all interested organizations via e-mail.

Proposals: Applicants should submit their proposal and required documents via e-mail to Temo Danelia, EWMI ACCESS Grants and Finance Manager, at [email protected]. E-mails must have “PPAG PROGRAM” in the subject line. Alternatively, EWMI ACCESS will also accept applications submitted in a sealed envelope to: PPAG Program, Advancing CSO Capacities and Engaging Society for Sustainability (ACCESS) Project, 5 Marjanishvili St., 3rd floor, Tbilisi, Georgia.

Advancing CSO Capacities and Engaging Society for Sustainability (ACCESS) is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by East-West Management Institute (EWMI). USAID administers U.S. foreign assistance

programs providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide.


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public policy and accountability grants (ppag) - rfa

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