FAQs FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND
GENERAL
Q. When can we expect the first funding round in 2009 to be held?
A. Decisions on the next funding round will await the results of the current round and the outcome of the funding allocations made.
MALAWI
Q. Can you please explain more about what is involved in the 'Clinical Assessment' under the health sector strand?
A. The clinical assessment will involve an independent medical panel assessing health applications which have met all of the other criteria, with particular regard to the points below:
- Is the work proposed in the project in line with current NHS Scotland guidelines and regulations?
- Do the applicants have suitable clinical skills, experience and qualifications to carry out the project?
- Are applicants registered with the relevant professional body in Scotland?
Q. Are capital purchases allowed for e.g. computers, vehicles or physical infrastructure?
A. We will not fund predominantly capital projects. However, as part of an application for a wider programme of work we will consider applications which include an element of capital expenditure, without which the project in its entirety would not be able to proceed. The capital costs should be kept as low as possible, and consideration should be given to local sourcing of capital resources, and of sustainability of the capital element once the project ends.
Q. How can sustainability be achieved for civic governance/social development projects such as a youth justice diversion project?
A. Long term sustainability of a project or programme can be achieved in many different ways. Project applications should clearly set out how the work that they will be funded to undertake will be able to continue when Scottish Government funding ends. Projects which include building or raising capacity of the participants in-country or aim to deliver training (either in personal or human skills, or in technical or vocational skills) are by their nature, leaving a legacy behind when the project funding ends - thereby achieving a sustainable outcome. Projects which aim to work with young people in terms of governance or social development might be assumed to include these kinds of project objectives.
Q. What are you classifying as per diems? Does it include travel and subsistence allowances for those attending training workshops?
A. We would classify 'per diems' as sums of money paid in recompense for attendance at events, over and above travel and subsistence expenses. We have taken the decision not to pay per diems. However, when putting together a funding schedule, an organisation will wish to include all costs that they legitimately expect to incur in delivery and implementation of their project. This would include reimbursement of appropriate travel and subsistence costs for those attending training or other events that they will fund in-country.
Q. With regard to organisations demonstrating their financial credibility, can you clarify what you mean when you say that a project will not be provided funding unless "audited/independently verified accounts are available", and are there any other means that financial credibility could be demonstrated, such as going through a third party organisation?
A. We would expect that the organisation applying for funding should be able to provide at least draft Management Accounts which have been independently verified by an accountant. Final accounts can be forwarded when available. If the information that is given in the final accounts is substantially different to that provided initially or in a material way alters the financial situation under which grant was awarded, the Scottish Government reserves the right to retrieve any grant that is shown to have been paid incorrectly.
Q. What are the payment schedules should the project application be successful?
A. We expect to begin payment of grant funding on conclusion of the grant offer process in late September/early October.
Q. Can an organisation submit 2 applications?
A. There is no set limit as to how many applications an organisation can submit for the Malawi Development Programme.
Q. Is the Scottish Government looking for applications from new projects or a continuation of projects that received funding in the last round?
A. Scottish Government will accept both: applications for new and the continuation of existing projects.
Q. Match funding - can you explain what you are looking for?
A. Applicants can apply for up to 100 per cent of the total project cost. However we welcome proposals where match-funding is provided. The Scottish Government is looking for value for money and clearly there is added value if additional funding, matching the Scottish Government grant can be levered in.
Q. Hypothetically - if the total amount of applications exceeded the total years funding what would be the priority? i.e. small organisations, rural projects etc?
A. Each and every application will be assessed on an individual basis against the agreed assessment criteria.
Q. Is it government policy to have 2-3 funding rounds per year?
A. The Scottish Government has undertaken to hold a maximum of two targeted grant rounds per year. The actual number of funding rounds held in any year will entirely depend on the amount of money available for funding, year on year. In the hypothetical event that all funding for one year was allocated during one funding round, no further rounds would be held that year.
Q. Is there a place for small projects/community groups to apply for funding within this funding round?
A. Yes. We will consider all types of good quality projects that meet the assessment criteria.
Q. In the guidance it states that you can apply for up to £400,000 for a project. Is this per year or over three years?
A. The total funding that will be allocated to any one project will be £400,000 whether it will run for one year or three. If a project application was submitted that bid for funding of £400,000 for only one year it would be considered. However it would have to show how it intended to deliver long term benefit on the ground, that would justify such a large expenditure over a short time span/one year delivery period as well as describing how the issue of sustainability had been addressed in taking forward the development delivery in future years.
Q. The deadline for handing in applications is very tight. Can you explain why this is so?
A. The call for funding for the Malawi Development Programme opened on 4 July, the closing date for applications is 18 August. This gives over 6 weeks for the funding round. This is not a new funding programme and the Guidance alerting potential applicants that a new funding round was imminent was published on 26 June, 10 days before the call for funding was launched. Given past experience the time scales are deemed appropriate.
Q. Can the evidence of consultation with the Government of Malawi be sent via e-mail and can it be scanned?
A. Yes.
Q. Have you discussed the evidence of consultation requirement with the Malawi Government, and have they agreed to co-operate?
A. The rationale for all applicants to show evidence of consultation with the Government of Malawi (GoM) was rooted in the Government of Malawi's expressed desire to be better informed about what was happening in their country. They have indicated to us that they are not always up-to-date with information on the work that is being done and the projects being delivered in Malawi. This makes it difficult for them to formulate their own plans for development.
The Scottish Government's relationship is with the Government of Malawi: it is founded in the Co-operation Agreement and in our mutual agreement for collaborative work between our two countries. The work that we engage in must be set within the context of the GoM's own assessment of its needs and priorities. Set against that background, it makes sense that the projects funded by the Scottish Government must have been discussed with the Government of Malawi.
We are prepared to accept evidence of engagement in Malawi at Local, District or National Government level. However we must work with the GoM to ensure that any organisation supported by Scottish Government's International Development Fund in Malawi has ensured that they are working with their hosts and are keeping the GoM, at whatever level is appropriate, informed of their action.
Q. Should you postpone this requirement until the next round given the tight deadline?
A. No. Many organisations have informed us that this requirement is perfectly feasible. Ideally all evidence, including evidence of consultation with the Government of Malawi, should be submitted by the deadline for applications on 18 August. However, in recognition that correspondence may have been requested but not received by the deadline, we will accept applications which show that evidence from the Government has been requested, with the proviso that it will be submitted by 7th September. No funding will be awarded without evidence of co-operation with the Government of Malawi.
Q. What do you mean by letter of support? What level of Government do we need to seek support from, i.e. is a letter from a junior official acceptable?
A. We are not looking for letters of support, we are looking for evidence of consultation/engagement with the Government of Malawi and are prepared to accept evidence of engagement in Malawi at Local, District or National Government level. However we must work with the Government of Malawi (GoM) to ensure that any organisation supported by Scottish Government's International Development Fund in Malawi has ensured that they are working with their hosts and are keeping the GoM, at whatever level is appropriate, fully informed of their action.
Q. Is it acceptable to receive a letter of support from a TA (Chief of Tribe)?
A. Whilst organisations may wish to make contact with Traditional Authorities in Malawi, this alone would not constitute sufficient evidence of consultation with the Government of Malawi.
Q. By seeking a letter of recommendation we are open to corruption from the Government of Malawi and are creating a difficult environment for NGO's wanting to work in Malawi.
A. We are not preventing NGOs or other organisations from working in Malawi. They are free to act as they wish. However, as a Government we must act responsibly and honour the wishes of the Government of Malawi.
LTS INTERNATIONAL
Q. Who are LTSI and what is their relationship to the Scottish Government?
A. Since it was established in 1973, Penicuik-based LTS International has been supporting sustainable development worldwide. Operated on strong ethical principles, LTSI provides policy advice, project management, fund management and consultancy. LTSI has been responsible for management of grant assessments and project evaluation processes for the Scottish Government, UK-Defra, UK-DFID, DANIDA, European Union and others. LTSI has an experienced in-house team who undertake project evaluation and project management but it also has extensive networks of expertise that cover a broad range of sectors which it uses on its assignments. They also have strong Malawi experience with several members of staff who have lived and worked there. Based on that experience, they have identified several Malawians who will be involved in the assessment process.
An open and transparent tendering process was carried out to identify which organisation could best carry out the assessment of grant applications relating to International Development. LTSI won that contract based on their previous experience working with other governmental organisations (both Scottish, UK and Internationally).
Q. Will LTSI be assessing applications in a country wide proportion? i.e. - will projects based in Lilongwe have more weight than projects based in rural areas?
A. Each project will be judged on its own merits. No particular Region (North, Centre, South, or urban/rural) will have more weight or preference than any other.
Q. If a project is technically complex will LTSI still consider it?
A. All projects will be considered based on the criteria outlined by the Scottish Government, however technically complex they are. Technical complexity levels will be assessed as part of the assessment process. If LTSI cannot source expertise to advise on an application where technical levels are too complex, it will consult the Scottish Government to enable access to further expertise if required.
Q. Will you base the assessment of applications on the assessment criteria or a points based system?
A. The criteria outlined by the Scottish Government will form the basis of the assessment.
Q. How will LTSI be scoring the applications?
A. LTSI will score the applications using the criteria outlined by the Scottish Government.
Q. Will feedback be provided to all applicants?
A. Written assessment feedback will be provided to all applicants.
Q. How many Malawians are on the assessment panel?
A. There are 3 Malawians currently on the assessment panel, with the provision of bringing on more/others depending on the number and range of technicalities of applications received.
Q. Are LTSI able to cope with the high volume of applications?
A. LTSI has made provision for assessors to cover the expected volume of applications.
Q. Will specific grades be awarded for each area of the application form?
A. No. There are certain criteria which are essential. For the other criteria the application will be assessed to see to what extent the applicant has met those criteria. We will publish more detail on the assessment criteria shortly.
Q. Are LTSI going to accept or reject proposals or will there be room for discussion?
A. LTSI will provide an assessment of each application according to the criteria outlined by the Scottish Government. All applications and assessments will be delivered to the Scottish Government with a detailed assessment and a final score with a recommendation as to individual eligibility for funding. Officials will review the recommendations and put advice to Ministers.
Applicants may be contacted if the assessors require further clarification on particular issues, but applicants are reminded that the Scottish Government provide detailed information on how to apply and what information to include and application forms should be completed taking account of the published funding guidance and assessment criteria.
Final decisions on which proposals will be accepted for funding will be made by the Scottish Government.
SUB SAHARAN AFRICA
Q. When will the funding for approved proposals start? Will it be January 2009?
A. We will inform successful applicants for the Malawi Development Programme grants by end of September 2008 and successful applicants for the Sub Saharan African Block Grants Programme of funding decisions by early November 2008. We expect that the funding will begin as soon as the grant offer process is completed so that the different projects and programmes can begin to be implemented in-country and money available in this financial year can be spent.
Q. In your guidelines it mentions that 'a block grant for Zambia may involve some work with Malawi. Equally, a block grant for Rwanda may involve some work with Tanzania and Zambia'. What exactly is meant by some work?
A. The Block Grant must be allocated to one named country - either Rwanda, Zambia Tanzania or the Darfur Region of Sudan. If in the course of the work to be supported by the block grant for say Zambia, there was additional or complementary work taking place in one of the other Sub Saharan African countries that added value to the main country's work, then that could be considered as part of the whole project. However the rationale and the benefits for the inclusion of the additional country must be clearly stated, and must only compose a small proportion of the overall grant. The main or major part of the work must take place in the named country for which the Block Grant has been allocated.
Q. In the Funding Criteria (1.4) it states that for Block Grants 'administration costs must be kept to a small proportion of the overall costs'. Can you define administration costs, if this includes core costs, and give a percentage proportion of the grant which would be considered to meet the criteria of 'a small proportion'?
A. Administration costs are those tasks/functions without which the project would not be able to progress. They do not include the core running costs of an organisation, only those costs which relate directly to the running of the block grant programme. We do not intend to stipulate a percentage or amount for administration costs however, they must not form a significant percentage of the funding proposal, and the rationale for all administration costs must be clearly stated.
Q. Is it legal to specify that you will only provide funding for Scottish based organisations - thereby excluding UK organisations, when DFID does not do this?
A. All UK tax payers, including those in Scotland, contribute to the funding of the Department for International Development (DFID) whose funds are distributed according to UK Government policy. The Scottish Government International Development budget is over and above the amount that Scottish taxpayers already contribute to DFID and is distributed according to Scottish Government policy. As such it is only right that our policy stipulates that eligible organisations must have a presence in Scotland to enable them to utilise Scottish experience and expertise in delivering Scottish Government International Development priorities.
Q. What constitutes a presence in Scotland?
A. We would expect organisations applying for funding to be able to access the skills and experience of Scottish civil society, and to make links between Scotland and countries in the developing world. In order to do this we stipulate that organisations must have a presence in Scotland. We would assume that in order to build links and access Scottish resources that organisations at least have an office, and presumably designated personnel in Scotland who could access Scottish expertise and encourage participation in the relevant programme or project.
INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT
Q. Can you give an indication of when the funding round for the Indian Subcontinent Development programme might begin?
A. This policy is being developed at present and decisions on the funding process will be informed by discussions with relevant communities in Scotland, Consul Generals, NIDOS, and others, to assess how best Scotland can add value. Further information will be available in due course.