Guidance

Strategic & Bilateral Programme Fund – Guidance Document (Projects worth under £10,000)

Published 28 June 2013

1. Introduction

This guidance is to be followed when completing the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s “Strategic & Bilateral Programme Fund – Project Proposal Form” for projects worth over £10,000.

Project Implementers, who intend to make a bid for funding, should contact the relevant British Embassy or High Commission and refer to the Programme Strategy for the fund to which they are bidding. When completed, the form will be used by the relevant Programme Board to assess whether the project should be approved for funding.

Implementers must complete all relevant sections of the form.

2. Part A (to be completed by the Implementer)

Project Title: This should be short and succinct

Purpose: This should be no more than two sentences, clearly stating the change that the project will deliver. This is the reason the project should go ahead

Cost: Please provide the total cost of the project and, if there are other donors involved, state how much you are bidding to the FCO for

Timing: Please provide the estimated start and end dates for the project

Implementing Agency. Please provide full contact details and the name of the lead officer for this project

Country/Countries covered: Please state which countries the project will run in

Previous Funding: Please provide details of any previous bids you have made to the FCO

What change will this project deliver in the short term: Use this box to describe the short term benefits of running this project

Background: In no more than 200 words, provide background to the issue this project will change and why the UK is the most appropriate donor

Outputs: Please list all the outputs you expect the project to deliver. These are the specific results that will be delivered. The outputs must be sufficient to achieve the project purpose. Outputs are what are delivered as a direct result of the related activities and should be within the control of the project.

Activities: List all the tasks which will need to be carried out to deliver each of the outputs. The schedule of activities should set out in date/delivery order, and linked to the relevant output (ie Output 1 should have its activities listed as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 etc). The activities must be sufficient to deliver the outputs. You must then complete an Activity Based Budget (see below) listing all these activities in the month they will occur and showing the associated cost

Risks: List the key risks involved in running the project and how those risks will be managed. Please note when the risk would need to be escalated to the next level in the management chain. Add more lines as needed. You should consider risks at all levels of the project ie political, administrative, internal etc. Note how likely the risk is, and what impact it will have on the successful delivery of the project (Low/Medium/High)

Activity Based Budget: This must be completed – the project proposal will not be considered without a detailed ABB. Consider all of the Activities listed to deliver the outputs and estimate their individual costs. Enter the costs in the month you expect the activities to be completed. Provide as much detail as possible, (ie do not state just the figure for a workshop, but break that down into venue, catering, travel costs etc.). Administration costs should not exceed 10% of the total project costs

Co-funding: State whether co-funding has been sought and provide details

Monitoring: Implementers will be expected to provide monitoring reports on (at least) a quarterly basis. State here how the project’s progress will be monitored, how often and by whom

3. Part B (to be completed by the Post)

3.1 (From Part A)

Which Programme is the funding being sought from: State the name of the relevant Strategic Programme (eg Human Rights, Prosperity etc) or state whether it is to be funded from the Post’s Bilateral Programme Budget

Which Programme or Country Business Plan Objective does this project help meet: State which objective within the Programme Strategy or CBP this project will help deliver

Is the project ODA eligible: Please refer to the ODA guidance on FCONet and state whether the project is eligible

Contact name and details: Provide information for the lead project officer

The implementer: Please provide background information on the implementing organisation

Human Rights Assessment: Please complete this section after reading the Overseas Security & Justice Assessment guidance on FCONet.

Cross Cutting Issues: Please state any impact (positive or negative) that this project will have on issues such as the environment, diversity, gender and human rights.

Can this project be referred to publicly: Please consider whether there are any constraints to this project being referred to publicly. If the project can be publicised, please provide a form of words for briefing purposes.

Post Programme Board: Provide the details of the Board at which the project is discussed and note any comments/feedback on the project.

Comments from policy desk: Please ensure that the relevant policy desk has been consulted and has the opportunity to comment.