SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT
SUB SAHARAN AFRICA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Q & A
Process
Q. Can an organisation submit a concept note for one programme and also be included in a second concept note for a different programme as part of a consortium?
A. Yes. Any individual organisation may submit up to two concept notes under their own name or as a lead applicant for a consortium. However, at the full application stage, an organisation will only be invited to submit one full application form with themselves as the lead applicant. Officials will discuss this directly with applicants where this applies.
In addition to an individual concept note or full application, an organisation can be named as a partner in a concept note or full application submitted by a consortium, as long as the organisation is not the lead applicant.
Q. How is a 'consortium' defined? What is the role of a lead partner?
A. A consortium can be any grouping of organisations, but must have a lead organisation with a Scottish presence that is responsible for the delivery and management of the block grant.
Q. How big does the Scottish 'footprint' need to be? That is, what proportion of the programme and its management needs to be delivered by the applicant's Scottish Office rather than other UK offices?
A. The concept note and full application form must be submitted by an organisation or consortium with a clear presence in Scotland, i.e. an office in Scotland that will be responsible for the grant. The concept note and application form must show how the programme will be delivered using Scottish expertise and the role of all partners in this respect.
Q. Can the block grant funding be used to raise awareness of international development issues in Scotland?
A. This is not the priority for the programme. Funds should not be used directly for awareness raising in Scotland, although organisations may wish to do this in addition to the programme using their own funds.
Q. Is the application form for the SSA Development Programme likely to mirror the application form used for the Malawi Development Programme?
A. Yes. The form is similar in format, although given the differences in funding amounts and objectives, there are some additional sections. These forms will be issued directly to successful applicants following the concept note stage.
Q. Will you publish the full assessment criteria for this programme?
A. Yes. The assessment criteria for concept notes was published on 27th June 2008 on the Scottish Government (SG) website. Further details on the assessment process were also published on 8th August 2008.
Q. Will the assessment process be based solely on the strength of the application or will thematic priorities be ranked or scored differently?
A. The assessment of concept notes and applications will be based on the how well the application meets the published criteria.
Q. Will there be another call for funding of this programme after the initial three year funding period?
A. We cannot predict programmes beyond the life of the current Parliament.
Q. How will this funding help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?
A. As stated in the new international development policy, published on 7th May 2008, this programme will contribute to the achievement of the MDGs. Applicants will have to demonstrate this in their applications.
Q. If there are a large number of concept notes which score highly enough to meet the criteria to be invited to submit full application forms, who will take the final decisions as to which are invited to do so?
A. LTSI assessors will provide the SG with copies of all concept notes, with full scoring for each and a narrative explaining how the scores were arrived at. These will be reviewed by officials in the International Development team and all applicants that meet the criteria will be invited to submit a full application. The only exception is where a sole organisation or lead consortium organisation has more than one successful concept note. In this instance, the organisation or lead consortium organisation will only be invited to submit one full application. Officials will discuss this directly with applicants where this applies.
Q. How far have discussions with DFID and FCO and other countries gone? Are they all aware of this programme?
A. Discussions have taken place with DFID and FCO in the UK. DFID country offices have also been alerted to this programme. Discussions have not taken place with governments in the four countries as this programme is not based on a government to government relationship and so it is the responsibility of the established NGOs already operating in these countries to do so, as appropriate.
Q. Each African Government has to account for all funding within its programmes in its own country. How can they do this when you don't have government to government relationships? How can we address their priorities without the government relationship?
A. The funding will be supporting organisations in Scotland to work with established NGOs in-country. Any information required regarding activity in-country will be the responsibility of the organisation operating in that country and the grant holder. It is for applicants to demonstrate their knowledge of relevant Government development priorities and to identify how they will address them.
Consultation
Q. How soon will the SG/LTSI wish to see evidence of consultation with the Government in-country?
A. Written evidence of consultation is not required until the full application stage, although we ask applicants at the concept note stage to indicate if they have undertaken consultation.
Q. Is there a minimum number of partners that the SG expects to be consulted? What kind of information is required?
A. The number is dependent on the nature of the proposed programme and the scope and extent of its delivery. The evidence should indicate the role of partners and their respective contribution to the design of the programme.
Q. Many countries in this area subscribe to the East, Central and Southern African Health Community (ESCA). Would their endorsement be useful alongside government consultation?
A. Yes.
Q. Is the SG looking for evidence of consultation or agreement from the relevant African government?
A. Evidence of consultation is required for Zambia, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Finance
Q. Should organisations submit their whole proposed budget where money has been leveraged in or just the SG budget required?
A. We need to see clear evidence of what the SG grant will deliver alongside information on what others sources have been secured and what added value is provided by the SG contribution.
Q. Will the applicant have to show how much of the grant is going to the beneficiary organisation?
A. Information will be required on how and where the grant will be spent and by which organisation, alongside a clear rationale for the allocation. It is expected that the focus of the grant will be on in-country delivery.
Q. Will the SG stipulate what percentage of the grant should be spent on administration?
A. No. While it is accepted that the majority of the grant will be used to directly deliver the programme, it is anticipated that a small proportion of administration costs will be required in supporting the consortium and/or setting up the programme. However, we would expect administration costs to be kept to a minimum and the rationale for the allocation to be outlined at the application stage.
Q. If a programme is designed to include cross-border activity, what proportion of the funding must be spent in the main country to receive the block grant?
A. Cross-border work is not the main focus of the programme although it will be considered if clear benefits can be demonstrated for the other countries. The majority of the block grant must be directed to the needs of the main country. However, if a small proportion of funds can be used to enable cross-border activity, the rationale and benefits that this will bring to the main country and the others countries must be clearly stated. To note, cross-border work should only involve the four countries identified in this programme and/or Malawi.