CIVIL SOCIETY CHALLENGE FUND Overview of DFID

CIVIL SOCIETY CHALLENGE FUND

Overview of DFID

1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HEAbercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA


An Overview Of DFID

Potted history of DFID

Structure of DFID

Where the CSCF Fits In

DFID Country Offices

Policy Division

DFID Funding Departments


Potted History of DFID

1929: UK Government recognised responsibility for developing its

colonies

1970: Overseas Development Administration (ODA) formed

1997: The Department for international Development – headed by a

Secretary of State with Cabinet rank

1997: White Paper, “Eliminating World Poverty – A Challenge for the

21st Century”

2000: White Paper, “Making Globalisation Work for the Worlds Poor”


Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Achieve universal primary education

Promote gender equality and empower women

Reduce child mortality

Improve maternal health

Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Ensure environmental sustainability

Develop a global partnership for development


DFID Structure: Leadership

Hilary Benn MP

Secretary of State for International Development

Gareth Thomas MP

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Suma Chakrabarti

Permanent Secretary


DFID Structure: Organogram


Where Does CSCF Fit In

Director General for Corporate performance and Knowledge SharingMark Lowcock

Knowledge and Communications DivisionJoy Hutcheon

Information and Civil Society DepartmentMike Green

Civil Society TeamGuy Mustard

Civil Society Challenge FundEilidh Simpson



Country desks were based in London Office

Development Divisions were opened in-country

Number of Development Divisions increased over the years

Eventually Development Divisions broken down into Country Offices


Previous Development Divisions


Current Overseas Offices


Role of DFID Country Office

Wherever DFID has a country office we will also have a sizeable

country programme.

Country Programme – the amount of DFID support allocated to be

spent in that country


Roles & Responsibilities of the Overseas Office

Head of Office

(Usually a Senior Civil Servant)

Country Programme Manager

Advisory Staff

Health, Education, Social Development, etc

Team of Admin staff


Policy Division

Previous Structure of Policy Division

When it changed / Why it changed

Current Structure of Policy Division


Structure of Policy Division

Central team

Development Effectiveness

Governance and Social Development

Human Development

Growth and Investment

Sustainable Development


Role of Policy Division

Not a funding department

Develop new Policy

Apply and disseminate existing knowledge


DFID Funding Departments


Information & Civil Society Department (ICSD)

Central Research Department (CRD)

Conflict & Humanitarian Affairs Department (CHAD)


DFID Expenditure Through UK CSO’s 2003/04


Development Awareness Fund (DAF)

Introduced to help build support in the UK for international

development

Aims to raise public awareness of international development issues

To develop a global dimension in the school curriculum

£10,000 – £100,000 over maximum 3 years

Annual budget of £6.5m (70% goes to Formal education sector)


Strategic Grant Agreement (SGA)

Introduced in 2002

To enable wider civil society in the UK to make a contribution to

international development

Up to £300,000 up to a maximum 3 years

Annual budget £1.2 million


Project Partnership Agreement (PPA)

Set up in 2000 to replace Block Grants

Current Annual Budget of £54m

Strategic Funding – not linked to projects

PPAs last for 6 years – funding for 3 years

18 CSOs currently have PPAs - e.g. Oxfam, ADD, VSO and Helpage


Central Research Department

Long term research initiatives

Cut across individual countries or regions

Must be clear opportunity and mechanisms for research to have a

significant impact on poverty


DFID Website



www.dfid.gov.uk


Useful Information On The Website

List of countries who receive funding from DFID

Country profiles

Country/Regional Assistance Plans

DFID publications

Speeches/Press Releases

Sign up to free fortnightly e-bulletin


www.dfid.gov.uk/funding/


www.dfid.gov.uk/funding/civilsocietycf.asp


www.dfid.gov.uk/funding/civilsocietycfinfo.asp


CSCF Pages of the Website

CSCF Guidelines

List of CSCF Funded Projects

Funding round deadlines

Reporting Guidelines

Payment of Funds section

Annual Audited Accounts requirements


History of CSCF



Where Did It All Start?

Joint Funding Scheme

Open only to UK registered NGOs

Provided funding up to £250,000

Required additional funding – normally 50:50 support

Funded service delivery


What Changed?

Consulted civil society sector in 1999

CSCF born in 2000

Opened to all Civil Society ie any not for profit organisations

Initial budget of £10m

Funded on a 50 / 50 basis

Initially concentrated on rights based approach


Where Are We Now?

DFID’s main central channel of support to UK based Civil Society

Organisations

Almost 300 projects supported

Projects can receive funding for up to 5 years

Can fund projects up to £500,000

Willing to consider 100% funding

One funding round per year


Recent Changes

Budget increased to £14m

Widened criteria


Meet the Civil Society Challenge Fund Team



Management

Eilidh Simpson

CSCF Programme Manager

Steve Nally

CSCF Deputy Programme Manager

Guy Mustard

Head of Civil Society Team


Project Officers

Colin McGinty Maggie Di Maio Robert Morrison

Pauline Scott William Taylor Karen Feechan


Project Assistants

Jim Galloway Trisha Richardson

Anneliese Gannon Janette Kirk


Head of Civil Society Team

Responsibility for the whole Civil Society team

Senior Management responsibility for teams managing PPAs and co-

ordination and coherence team

Consults with Ministerial team to agrees and set out CSCF policy

Chairs the CSCF decision making team


CSCF Programme Manager

Overall management responsibility for the CSCF

Overall management responsibility for the sectorial PPA agencies

Advising and setting policy

Ensuring policy is implemented


CSCF Deputy Programme Manager

Day to day management responsibility of the CSCF Team

Day to day management of the CSCF


Project Officer

Responsibility for portfolio of Civil Society Organisations

Responsibility for day to day management of CSCF projects

Liaise with External Consultants on CSCF funding decisions and

Project Completion and Evaluation Reports

On-going development of CSCF processes


Project Assistant

General support to Project Officer

Monitor the application processes and receipt of reports

Discussion on team policy

Payment of funds


The Application Process

Concept Note



Concept Note: Process

Applicant submits concept note to [email protected]

Concept note passed to Consultants

Applicant receives decision letter containing feedback

Can submit 1 every 4 weeks

No official deadline for concept notes


Concept Note: Format

3 sides of A4 in length

Font size to be no smaller than Arial 12

Series of set questions to be answered

Must include 1st column of the logframe

New applicants must send Articles of Association and Accounts


Concept Note: Content

Section A

Applicant details

Applicant background

Section B

Project details

Project background

Project approach


Concept Note: What We Look For

Is the applicant based in the UK?

Is the applicant new to DFID?

Does the applicant have a track record in this activity?

Are the applicant’s goals consistent with the Challenge Fund?

Does the applicant have the capacity to manage the level of

funding?

Does the concept note meet the basic challenge fund criteria?


Concept Note: Basic Criteria

Rights based approach (RBA)

Advocacy, empowerment, capacity building

Participation, inclusion, fulfilling obligations

Innovative Service Delivery

Must include a key component of RBA

Service Delivery in a Difficult Environment

Must include an element of RBA


Concept Note: What is a Difficult Environment?

Where government service provision is small or non-existent

Areas not reached by government services and unlikely to be

reached in the foreseeable future

Post conflict environments, particularly where systems have been

destroyed

Communities whose lifestyle does not conform to a universal service

delivery system


Concept Note: Venn Diagram

Advocacy & Empowerment

Service Delivery in Difficult Environment

InnovativeService Delivery

1st Assessment

2nd Assessment

3rd Assessment

A

A

A

A

A = Accept


Concept Note: Decision

Successful applicants will receive

Invitation to submit a full proposal

Feedback on concept note

Details of how to submit

Unsuccessful applicants will receive

Letter confirming decision

Feedback on concept note

Details of next steps


Concept Notes: Common Problems

Too long

Added value of UK organisation – lack of convincing arguement

Project partnerships – not detailed or explained adequately


The Application Process

Proposal



Proposal: Process

Applicant submits proposal to [email protected]

Proposal passed to DFID Overseas Offices, Country Desks and Policy

teams

Also passed to Consultants

Consultants approach applicants with questions

Decision meetings

Applicant receives decision letter containing feedback


Proposal: Format

10 sides of A4 in length

Font size to be no smaller than Arial 12

A more detailed set of questions to be answered

Must include a fully completed log frame and budget


Proposal: Content (1)

Section I: Basic Data Sheet / Summary

Applicant Details and basic project information

Section II: Project Rationale

What problem the project will address and why

Section III: Project Approach

How the project will address the problem

Section IV: Project Management and Implementation

Who is involved and who does what


Proposal: Content (2)

Section V: Project Monitoring, Learning and Dissemination

Reporting mechanisms and sharing experience

Section VI: Risks

Potential problems and how you intend to deal with them

Section VII: Project Budget

Detailed breakdown of cost

Section VIII: Log Frame

Fully completed log frame


Proposal: What We Look For (1)

Approach

RBA or Service Delivery

Poverty eradication

Targeting the poorest

Inclusion, participation, fulfilling obligations

Coherence with DFID strategy

Country Assistance Plans

Link to MDGs



Feasibility

Clear, achievable objectives, which contribute to the project's goals

Explanation as to how achievement will be assessed

Lesson learning & sharing

Clear focus on learning showing that lessons learned will be effectively

disseminated

Show how the approaches could be adapted in similar situations

Sustainability

Show how financial and institutional sustainability will be secured



Partnership

Demonstrate the role of southern partner

Show added value of UK based organisation

Cross cutting issues

Gender, Disability and HIV/AIDS

Completed log frame

Accurate budget


Proposal: Log Frame (1)

Clear, concise and accessible statement of all of the key components

of a project

Clarifies how the project is expected to work and what it is going to

achieve

Identifies the main factors related to the success of the project

Provides a basis for monitoring and evaluation

The framework should develop and change as the project develops.


Proposal: Log Frame (2)

PLAN IMPLEMENT

GOAL

PURPOSE

ACTIVITIES

OUTPUTS


Proposal: Budget

Must be in DFID financial years

Must be in pounds sterling

Majority of expenditure should be on project activities

Monitoring & evaluation

UK Administration Costs

No unacceptable expenditure


Proposal: Decisions (1)

DFID colleagues in country offices/desks/policy teams provide assessments

Consultants pool these assessments with their own and make overall

assessment

CSCF team review assessments

CSCF team meet with consultants

CSCF team draft list of projects to fund passed to Head of CSD

CSCF team meet with Head of CSD – funded projects agreed

List of funded projects sent to Secretary of State for information


Proposal: Decisions (2)

Successful applicants will receive

Provisional offer of support

Unsuccessful applicants will receive

Letter confirming decision

Feedback on proposal


Proposals: Common Problems

Too Long

Illogical Frameworks

Lack of knowledge of other work in project area

Lack of clarity on added value of UK organisation

Project partnerships not in place or poorly explained

Arguement on sustainability not convincing

Poverty targeting questionable


2004 Funding Round



2004 Funding Round

388 Concept Notes

170 Proposals


Geographical Split

149

5335 32 31

7 7

AFRICA INDIAN SUB CONTINENT

ASIA CENTRAL AMERICA

LATIN AMERICA

EUROPE OCEANIA


Some Interesting Facts

170 proposals were submitted by 117 different CSOs

85 CSOs had only 1 proposal under consideration

34 CSOs had a CSCF under consideration for the first time

6 organisations had 4 separate proposals being considered

Only Just World Partners had more than 4 proposals – they had 5

We considered proposals covering 75 different countries


What We Funded

How many projects did we fund

54 projects out of 170

How much money did we allocate

Our budget is £14m

We already had commitments of £9.24m

This left us with £4.76m to allocate

We actually agreed £7.01m

How does this compare to Comic Relief and Big Lottery

Using their accounting system we have agreed £22.57m in new support


Rights Based or Service Delivery?

49

6 5

RIGHTS BASED INNOVATIONDIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT


BOND

(British Overseas NGOs for Development)



www.bond.org.uk


What Is The Function of BOND?

Performance: BOND seeks to improve the quality of UK NGOs

performance in International Development

Advocacy: A central point where member organisations have a

common view and would benefit from having a common voice

Training & Learning: BOND promotes workshops that support both

members and NGOs in meeting their development needs


Useful Information on BOND Website

Directory of Members and NGO Networks

Guide to Funding

Information on Events


DFID and BOND

DFID was instrumental in setting up BOND

DFID has a Strategic Agreement with BOND

Each year DFID gives a presentation to BOND on the results of the

CSCF funding round

CIVIL SOCIETY CHALLENGE FUND Overview of DFID

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