WUNRN
Fund for Women’s Property and Inheritance
Rights in the Context of HIV/AIDS
Call for Proposals 2010
I.
Introduction
With funding from
the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), UNIFEM (a part of UN
Women) is launching the Fund for Women’s
Property and Inheritance Rights in the Context of HIV/AIDS. The Fund will
implement a small grants programme in sub Saharan Africa aimed at facilitating
strategic action to secure women’s right to property and inheritance in the
context of HIV/AIDS by providing catalytic resources to NGOs or networks
working at the community and grassroots levels.
Women’s property
ownership and inheritance rights can play a significant role in potentially
breaking the cycle of AIDS and poverty. There is growing evidence to suggest
that where women’s property rights are upheld, women acting as heads and/or
primary caregivers of HIV/AIDS affected households are better able to mitigate
the impact of AIDS on their families and communities. Promoting and upholding women’s rights to
inheritance and property may also help prevent the further spread of
HIV/AIDS.
Realistic and
workable strategies at the grassroots level have demonstrated that increasing
women’s economic security and empowerment, enhances their negotiating power in
the household and is a means to reducing their physical and social
vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
Through this Fund, UNIFEM aims to support
several community-based strategies and interventions in sub-Saharan Africa to
reduce or mitigate the impact of women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS by supporting
women’s enhanced access in securing and claiming their property and inheritance
rights. In 2010, the Fund will provide small, catalytic grants totaling
$700,000 to grassroots and community-based organizations or networks. Projects
will address the structural inequalities that make women more vulnerable to
HIV/AIDS, specifically those that emphasize access to rights and resources
related to property and inheritance.
II. About UNIFEM (part of UN Women)
UNIFEM (now part of UN Women)
is the women's fund at the United Nations, dedicated to advancing women’s
rights and achieving gender equality. It provides financial and technical
assistance to innovative programmes and strategies that foster women's
empowerment. UNIFEM works on the premise that it is the fundamental right of
every woman to live a life free from discrimination and violence, and that
gender equality is essential to achieving development and to building just
societies.
UNIFEM brings gender
equality and human rights perspectives to its work on women and HIV/AIDS. It
works to:
·
Amplify the voices of
HIV-positive women, using strategies that promote the leadership and
participation of HIV-positive women in decision-making;
·
Integrate gender equality in
national HIV planning, budgeting, and M&E
·
Strengthen national institutions
to deliver on commitments to HIV-positive women; and
·
Address the intersections
between HIV/AIDS and violence against women
III. Purpose of Guidelines
These guidelines are
intended to assist applicants through the Call for Proposals. They contain in
detail the scope of potential projects, eligibility criteria, application
procedure, the review and selection process as well as the monitoring,
reporting, evaluation and communication requirements for the implementation of
the selected projects.
IV. Call For Proposals
The current call for
proposals will open on 20 September 2010 and close on 20 October 2010. In 2010,
a total amount of US$ 700,000 will be awarded to successful community-based and
grassroots NGOs and/or networks. Applicants may request funding up to US$75,000 for a one-year project.
Attention should be given to justifying the scale and duration of the proposed
work relative to the grant objectives and the requirements of the proposed
program of work.
Through this call
for proposals, relevant organizations, with priority being given to grassroots
and community-based organizations, especially those working at the intersection
of women’s property and inheritance rights and HIV/AIDS, will be
identified. Projects that demonstrate
innovative and promising approaches will be selected.
V.
Scope of Potential Projects and Expected Results
Project proposals
should address at least one of the three outcome areas but do
not necessarily have to address all three as outlined:
Priority areas of work include:
·
Increasing women’s access to
legal support services and legal aid;
·
Interrogating the various legal
systems (statutory, customary and shari’a) which discriminate against women in
the context of HIV/AIDS and deny their rights to property and inheritance in
order to implement gender responsive language or eliminate gender discriminatory
provisions.
·
Monitoring experiences of women
infected and affected by HIV and AIDS who face dispossession, economic
insecurity, and discrimination in accessing their rights to property and
inheritance.
·
Reducing barriers at the community
level to transform informal systems and customary practices to create the
necessary environment for dialogue and action to promote women’s rights.
·
Transforming and supporting the
implementation of existing legal frameworks through policy advocacy.
·
Strengthening the capacity of
coalitions and networks to amplify their collective voices in national,
sub-regional and regional fora.
·
Facilitating policy dialogue
between and amongst organizations to demand accountability of national
governments to deliver on internationally agreed commitments.
·
Building the capacity of legal,
judicial and law enforcement actors, including informal justice service
providers to protect and promote women’s rights with respect to property and inheritance.
Expected results/outcomes:
· More enabling legal frameworks and processes
that reflect women’s property and inheritance rights requirements in the
context of HIV/AIDS.
· Greater understanding and awareness of women,
especially those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, of their legal rights with
respect to property and inheritance as well as strengthened capacity to claim
their rights and entitlements in the context of HIV/AIDS.
· Increased and improved access of women to
legal services and support to secure property and inheritance rights in the
context of HIV/AIDS through a strengthened cadre of community and legal service
providers, including lawyers, paralegals, and judges.
· Better
data with respect to
violations of women’s property and inheritance rights in the context of
HIV/AIDS; as well as the number of cases filed and/or contested by women in
formal and informal justice systems.
· An evidence
base documenting and testing community interventions to secure women’s
property and inheritance rights as a means toward reducing or mitigating the
impact of HIV/AIDS on women.
VI.
Eligibility
Eligible organizations
Organizations
eligible to receive funding through the Fund for Women’s Property and
Inheritance Rights in the context of HIV/AIDS must meet the following criteria:
· The organization must be a non-governmental,
not-for-profit organization
· The organization must be duly registered in
the country where the main project activities take place, either at national or
local government level.
· The organization must be engaged in
promoting, advocating, or implementing initiatives on women’s inheritance and
property rights for a minimum of three years and as suggested by previous
experience and reputation.
· The organization must obtain a letter of
endorsement from an international NGO, UN Agency, or other development partner.
(See Annex 4 for Guidelines for
Letter of Endorsement).
Proposals from more
than one organization or entity as co-applicants will be considered so long as
both organizations meet the organizational criteria above. Proposals must also
clearly indicate which organization will take lead responsibility for project management
and contractual obligations.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects
under the current Call for Proposals will have a duration of one year. Projects will focus on different levels of
action, including but not limited to service delivery, outreach and
awareness-raising, capacity development, partnership building, advocacy, and
accountability/monitoring mechanisms.
Proposals should have the potential to contribute to the growing body of
evidence which links secure property and inheritance rights to a reduction in
women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
Eligible Costs
The proposed costs
of the project must be reasonable and in line with budgetary guidance provided
in Annex 3. Applicants may request up to $75,000 for a one-year project.
Applicants should identify appropriate resources to achieve expected results
within the project’s limited timeframe.
Eligible costs include:
· The cost of staff assigned to the project,
corresponding to actual staff salaries and other remuneration-related costs.
· Travel costs for staff taking part in the
project
· Costs for carrying out project activities and
be incurred by the applicant within implementation period.
· Costs of equipment, excluding vehicles.
· The cost of consumables and supplies.
· The aggregate cost of personnel and
administrative salary costs should not exceed 20%.
An estimate of all activity costs need to be provided using the budget
template in Annex 3.
Ineligible costs include:
· Indirect costs (overheads) as a lump sum
· Debts and provisions for losses
· Interest owed
· Items already financed in another framework,
project or by another donor
· Currency exchange losses
· Preparation costs in relation to the project
proposal
· Contingency reserve
VII.
Application Procedure
Schedule
20 September 2010 |
Call for Proposals
Launched |
20 October 2010 |
Deadline for
proposal submission by 11:59 PM EST |
20 October – 15
November |
Proposals
evaluated and short-listed |
30 November |
Successful
applicants notified / Awards announced |
Proposal Requirements
The project proposal
must be developed using the proposal template provided in Annex 2 as well as the project budget template in Annex 3. Application materials can also
be found on UNIFEM’s website www.unifem.org.
Applications must be
submitted by email to WPIR-HIV@unifem.org with a signed cover letter from the primary
applicant and any organization listed as a co-applicant by 11:59 PM EST Wednesday, 20
October 2010. In addition,
applicants should include a letter of endorsement from a UN or international
development partner as part of their application package. (Refer to Annex 4 for
Guidelines for Letter of Endorsement). Applications can only be submitted in
English at this time. All correspondence, including grant agreements, between
UNIFEM and applicants will also be conducted in English.
Once the proposal
has been submitted, no further changes will be possible. Proposals received
after the deadline will not be considered. Applicants must meet all information
requirements in order for project proposals to be reviewed.
VIII.
Deadline and Review Process
Proposals must be received
by 11:59 PM EST on Wednesday, 20 October 2010. Proposals
will be evaluated through the following stages:
Administrative
check: Proposals will be initially screened for completeness of the
information. Proposals will not be considered if:
·
The application is incomplete;
·
The applicant, project or costs
are not eligible;
·
Project request exceeds
US$75,000;
·
Project duration exceeds 12
months;
·
The application is received
after 11:59 PM EST on 20 October 2010.
Evaluation of the projects: An internal Technical Review Group will be
constituted at a sub-regional level to evaluate the overall quality,
results-oriented nature and technical quality of proposals, including the
budget, and the capacity of the
applicant vis-à-vis the following eight, equally-weighted technical criteria
(Further explanations on each criterion can be found in Annex 1):
The Technical Review Group will develop a
short-list of recommended projects, based on each applicant’s technical score
and forward to the Programme Appraisal Committee for final awards
determination.
Final Selection and
Notification: A
regionally-based Programme Appraisal Committee, consisting of 7-9 experts and
representing government, civil society organizations, HIV positive women’s
organizations and networks, UNIFEM and other UN agencies, CIDA and academia,
will make the final selection of projects by end November 2010 based on the
recommendations of the Technical Review Group. Selected organizations will be
notified at that time and offered a contract to be signed with UNIFEM.
Financial details and terms
of payment: The grant amount will be released in three
tranches in a ratio of 70:20:10.
Grantees will receive 70% of funds at signing of the agreement; 20% after
receipt and approval of mid-term project report and the final 10% after UNIFEM
has received the final project report.
IX.
Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Learning
Reporting, Monitoring and
Evaluation: Organizations
selected will be responsible for monitoring and evaluation of progress made
according to the indicators outlined in the project document. Furthermore,
organizations will need to submit a mid-term and end of project narrative and
financial report, using reporting templates provided by UNIFEM.
Learning and Knowledge Sharing:
UNIFEM’s Gender and HIV/AIDS
web portal (http://www.genderandaids.org/) will provide a space online for grantees to
communicate with each other, to share the learning from their efforts, to
network with one another and to showcase their activities to the international
community.
X. Further Information
It will not be
possible to provide direct support to the preparation of applications, however
the Fund for Women’s Property and Inheritance Rights in the Context of HIV/AIDS
will endeavor to respond promptly to any queries received. Any questions regarding the application process and the Call for
Proposals may be sent to inquiries.WPIR-HIV@unifem.org. Please also note that UNIFEM
is not in a position to entertain or respond to any individual inquiries
regarding project selection.
Annexes:
1.
Grant Technical Criteria
2.
Proposal Template
3.
Budget Template
4.
Guidelines for Letter of Endorsement
Annex 1: Grant Technical Criteria
The following eight criteria will serve as the dimensions on which proposals will be scored. Technical Review Committee members will rate each dimension on a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being lowest and 5 being highest). Criteria are equally considered with no one criterion outweighing the other.
Technical Criteria
Annex 2: Proposal Template
FUND FOR WOMEN’S PROPERTY AND INHERITANCE RIGHTS IN THE
CONTEXT OF HIV/AIDS
1. Contact Information
a. Organization contact |
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Organization name* |
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Organization Acronym |
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Address |
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City,
State or Province |
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Postal
Code |
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Country |
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Website |
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Telephone number |
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Fax number |
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*Name of the applicant organization. In case
there is more than one organization applying, only include the name of the
organization that will be responsible for project management and contractual
obligations. There will be an opportunity to list names of co-applicants later.
b. Head of Organization/ Primary contact person |
c. Secondary contact person |
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Title |
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Title |
Ms. Mrs. Mr. Dr. |
First Name |
First Name |
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Last Name |
Last Name |
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Telephone number |
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Telephone number |
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Fax number |
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Fax number |
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E-mail |
E-mail |
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Skype (if applicable) |
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Skype (if applicable) |
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Address |
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Address |
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2. Organizational Information
a. Type of organization (select one) |
Women led NGO Women’s Cooperative Women’s
Fund/Human Rights Organization Network
/ Coalition Membership
Association Faith-based |
b. Level at which the organization operates (select all that apply) |
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c. Year the Organization was
established. |
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d. Mission Statement of
Organization |
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e. Annual Organizational Budget |
2009 |
2010 |
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f. Primary Sources of Funding |
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g. Does the organization have a
bank account? |
Yes |
No |
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h. Does
the organization have previous work experience with UNIFEM, other UN agency,
international donor or development partner? |
Yes |
No |
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If
so, please state name of agency, year, amount, fund or programme title and
use of funds received. |
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i.
Affiliation (Please indicate any affiliation or cooperation with national,
regional or international associations, networks or organizations) |
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3. Project Information
a. Title |
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b. Project Location (please
specify where in country (i.e. cities, regions, whole country) |
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c. Project Summary (In 3-4
sentences, describe what your project is aiming to achieve) |
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d. Requested Grant Amount |
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e. Total budget of proposed
project, if different from above. |
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f. Main Feature of the Project
(select all that apply) |
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Increase in number of legal framework and processes that protect
women’s rights and eliminate gender inequality in the context of HIV/AIDS, in
relation to women’s property and inheritance rights. Capacity strengthened to implement adequate legislation or remove
gender discriminatory provisions in existing legislation relating to HIV and
AIDS toward promoting and protecting women’s rights to property and
inheritance. Gender equality experts, advocates and their organizations, including
organizations of women living with HIV enhance their capacity and influence
to ensure that there are national HIV/AIDS laws, policies and strategies that
uphold and promote women’s rights, particularly in relation to women’s
property and inheritance rights. |
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g. Who are the primary beneficiaries of this project
and in what ways will their lives change as a result of the intervention? |
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h. Main characteristics of primary beneficiaries (check all that apply) |
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Age |
Socio-economic
level |
Location |
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Girls (0-9) |
Low |
Urban |
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Adolescents (10-19) |
Medium |
Rural |
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Young Women (20-24) |
High |
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Adult Women |
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Elderly women (60 and above) |
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i. With
whom will this project seek to influence and/or engage in order to change the
lives of the primary beneficiaries? (Select all that apply) |
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Government
(decision makers, policy implementers) |
Community-based groups |
Faith-based
organizations/religious leaders |
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Legal actors (informal and formal, such as paralegals,
lawyers, judges, prosecutors, traditional leaders and institutions) |
Journalists/media |
General
public/community at large |
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Parliamentarians |
Teachers/educators |
Networks |
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Social/welfare workers |
Men
and/or boys |
Other
(please specify) |
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j. Strategies/areas
of intervention (Select all that apply) |
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Advocacy |
Capacity
Development |
Service
Delivery |
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Data collection and research |
Public
outreach/awareness-raising |
Accountability/Monitoring
Mechanisms of Policies/Laws |
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Partnership/Coalition building |
Community
mobilization |
Other
(please specify) |
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4. Project Description, Rationale and Analysis
a. Describe the problem your project is attempting to solve or the issue or
opportunity your project will be addressing. Specify the needs of beneficiary
target group. Include relevant statistical information to illustrate the
problem and justify the need for the intervention. Please be sure to cite
references where applicable. (½page) |
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b. Objective(s)
State the overall goal of
the project. Indicate how the project will contribute to enhancing women’s
capacity and access to property and inheritance rights in the context of
HIV/AIDS. (one paragraph) |
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c. Describe in a clear manner
the strategies and activities for
the project you are proposing. (½ page) |
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d. Describe in a clear manner
the outputs/deliverables to be
produced by the activities. (½ page) These should be measurable
products or events. |
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e. Describe the intended results or outcomes expected. (¼ page) The results or outcomes
should look beyond the project outputs and describe what the project is
expected to change or achieve vis-a vis women’s property and inheritance
rights in the context of HIV/AIDS. |
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f. Sustainability (¼ page) Describe how the
achievements of the project will be maintained beyond the funding period |
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g. Innovation (one paragraph) Elaborate on the promising,
innovative aspects of the project. Include information regarding any new
knowledge expected to emerge from this intervention and how it will be
documented and disseminated. |
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5. Organizational Capacity
a.
Technical expertise (¼ page) Describe the capacity and
relevant areas of expertise of the applicant organization and implementing
organizations (if applicable). Include information on proven record on
programming to address women’s property and inheritance rights in the context
of HIV/AIDS. Explain technical assistance arrangements for the project’s
implementation. |
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b. Partnerships
and Coordination (¼ page) Describe the partnerships
and coordination strategies and arrangements needed to achieve project
results. If applicable, identify key project partners and indicate the roles
and responsibilities of each one, as well as specific components of the
project they will implement. Explain synergies and coordination with existing
initiatives on women’s property and inheritance rights in the context of
HIV/AIDS. |
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6. Monitoring and Evaluation
a.
Monitoring & Evaluation (½ page) Provide details of how
baseline data will be collected to measure progress, and how the project will
be documented and monitored. Indicate what oversight mechanisms will be in
place. Describe how project results/outcomes will be measured, what
measurements will be used and who will be responsible for measuring them. |
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7. Project budget
Include budget according to the budget summary in Annex 3.
8. Commitments
a. Commitments
(Boxes that must all be checked off by applicants) |
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The Applicant aims and purposes are in conformity with the spirit,
purposes, and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. |
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The Applicant is duly registered in the country where the main
project activities take place, either at national or local government level. |
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The Applicant has statutes/by-laws providing for a transparent
process of decision-making, election of officers and members of the Board;
the CSO has authority to speak for its members through its authorized
representatives identified above. |
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The Applicant will provide narrative and financial mid-term and final
progress reports (that will include a participatory feedback process
involving key project stakeholders). |
Annex 3: Budget Summary Template
Project Title:
Applicant
Organization:
General Category of
Expenditures |
Amount Requested
from WPIR-HIV Fund |
Contributions
and/or other sources of funds from applicant |
Total Cost |
PERSONNEL |
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TRAVEL |
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CONTRACTUAL SERVICES |
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TRAININGS & WORKSHOPS |
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MEETINGS & SEMINARS |
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PROJECT EQUIPMENT |
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OUTREACH |
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MONITORING (including baseline collection, other) |
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MISCELLANEOUS |
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OTHER (please specify) |
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TOTAL |
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Budget
Notes/Explanations:
1) Personnel: Please include all professional project personnel, administrative personnel and/or other staff costs. Personnel costs for managing the project should not exceed 20% of the total budget. This does not include costs related to technical assistance which can be budgeted under contractual services.
2) Travel: Travel and per diem (meals and accommodation) for project management team. Note: participants traveling to workshops, training courses should not be listed here but included under workshop category.
3) Contractual services: this includes commercial services (translators, consultants, providers).
4) Trainings & Workshops: this line item includes rental of premises, refreshments, banners, public address systems, interpretation, travel, hotels and meals (per diem), as well as resources (human resources)
5) Meetings & Seminars: this line item includes rental of premises, refreshments, banners, public address systems, interpretation, travel, hotels and meals (per diem), as well as resources (human resources)
6) Project Equipment: IT equipment, project support equipment
7) Outreach: publications, pamphlets, brochures, print material, websites, etc.
8) Monitoring (including baseline): Projects should ensure that 3-5% of the total budget is allocated to ongoing monitoring implementation and progress of project, as well as for baseline and end line studies.
9) Miscellaneous: Stationery, communications, postage, courier plus fuel, utilities, etc. Please limit this line item to 1-2% of the total budget.
10) Other: Applicant must specify what this budget category includes.
Successful applicants will be expected to submit a detailed budget at the time of the signing of a grant agreement with UNIFEM (now part of UN Women).
Annex
4: Guidelines for Letter of Endorsement
Organizational Letter Head
[ Date ]
Fund for Women’s Property & Inheritance Rights
c/o UNIFEM (part of UN Women)
304 East 45th Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA
To whom it may concern:
In my capacity as [Title of Endorser and name of Endorsing
Organization], I am pleased to offer my support of [Name of Applicant Organization’s] project: [Project Title].
Second paragraph: Endorsing organization should provide reasons for its endorsement (i.e. in what capacity has Endorsing Organization worked with Applicant Organization; how Applicant Organization has been influential in the community or the ways in which its constituents have benefited from Applicant Organization’s services) and how this project will result in strengthening women’s access or capacity to property and inheritance rights in the context of HIV/AIDS.
Last paragraph: Should you have further questions, please
do not hesitate to contact me at [Endorsing
Organization to provide contact information].
Sincerely,
Name
Title
Endorsing
Organization