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Vienna, 9-10-11 October4 2006
Development Education Partnership Fair
Writing successful co-financing applications
D
By Angelo Caserta
Basic questions (valid for any donor)B1
Why are you writing a co-financing application?
Do you know the donor?
You write a funding proposal to persuade the donor to give your organisation or project money. The purpose of a funding proposal is persuasion, NOT description. So, while you will need to describe the proposed project, you need to do so in a way that will convince a donor to give you money.
You are writing for a funding agency and for someone in particular who will read the proposal.
Your project must match interests and priorities of the donor and, at the same time, the amount of money the donor is ready to give.
Remember that donors are “buyers”, they have their own agenda and they are entitled to have one!
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Basic questionsB2
Do you know yourself?
You cannot hope to “sell” or promote a project if you do not know yourself and cannot present, a picture of your organisation as a “good risk”.
For this, strategic planning, financing strategy and project planning are important tools which determine the success of a financing proposal.
Why should the donor finance your proposal?
Many organisations apply for funds. So, why should the donor finance YOUR proposal?
Is your proposal going to make a difference? What is its added value?
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
MappingM
Problem
Competitors
Enemies
Allies
Context
Target groups
BeneficiariesDonors
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Causes
Effects Problem tree
ProblemP
Clearly define the problem
What the problem is? What the solutions are? Try to visualise the problem with a “problem analysis diagram”.
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
BeneficiariesB
Who are the beneficiaries? Who are the stakeholders?
What do beneficiaries need?
It is important you are able to prove that you know what the beneficiaries need.
The best way is to include the beneficiaries in the design phase, so that you can be sure that their needs are duly taken into account.
Define clearly the beneficiaries (direct, indirect, end-).
1. In a project which aims to change the attitude of consumers so that they consume more fair trade products, who are the beneficiaries?
Of course FT producers, not the consumers!
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Target groupsT
Who are the target groups?
1. In the previous example, “consumers” are the target group, while “producers” are the beneficiairies.
Target groups can coincide or differ from beneficiaries
• “A group of people who will benefict directly and in a measurable way from the project/intervention. (MFA, Denmark).
• “A group of people which are the focus of a specific intervention” (ccd.net)
• A group of people whose change in attitude or opinion will have a positive impact on the beneficiaries of an intervention.
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
ContextC
You must place yourself and the issue in the broader context
Is there public/media attention on the issue?
There might have been recent summits/meetings with political commitments
There might have been natural or human-related events/disasters
Look at all factors and forces which might influence the results of your project (risks and assumptions)
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Allies, competitors, enemiesA1
Networking is important
¿ What are their interests? Their agendas? Why do you think they are competitors or enemies?
Do you have competitors in the area or on the issue?
Do you have enemies?
No organisation is strong enough not to need networking. By networking you gain access to the resources and knowledge of others with similar goals.
The project will be probably more interesting and you will probably get more money from the donor.
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
DonorsD1
What do donors want?
Know the donor
• Interests• Objectives• Mission and mandate• Perception of the problem• Limits and Potential• Means• Rules and timing
•To make an impact or a difference, to influence or solve what they identify as a problem
•To acquire and share knowledge, understanding, information.
•They want their money to count, they want the work they fund to be successful, they want to be seen to be successful and to add value to their chosen interventions.
•Increase/improve their public image
•Share values and support the organisation’s development
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
DonorsD2
Your proposal must convince the donor that supporting your project is likely to lead to a successful intervention, one it can be proud to claim involvement with, and one the donor, and those the donor wants to influence, will identify with.
What shall the donor gain?
Most donors will also want to feel that they can add value by sharing what they have learned from other projects and interventions with which they have been involved
Some donors also seek to prove that they were able to spend the money they had been given.
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
YouY
Problem
Competitors
Enemies
Allies
Context
Target groups
BeneficiariesDonors
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Who are you?
Rows present information in different stages of the project’s execution.
Logical frameworkL1
Intervention strategy
Objectively verifiable indicators
Verification means
Risks/Assumptions
Overall Objective
Specific objectives
Products/results
Activities
Impact inficators
Purpose indicators
Product indicators
Process indicators/Mea
ns
Monitoring and evaluation
systemContext
Coherence/consistency (cause-effect relation)
RealismEvaluability
1
2
3
4 5
6
7
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Problem treeP1
1Select the “main problem” and write it on the central part of a board
2Look for related problems to the starter problem
3Problems which are directly causing the starter problem are put below. Problems which are direct effects are put above
4If there are two or more causes combining to produce an effect, place them at the same level in the diagram
5Connect the problems with cause-effect arrows – clearly showing key links
6Make sure that the diagram make sense
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Problem treeP2
Lack of sufficient clean water
High rate of diseases
High rate of infant mortality
Low productivity of workers
Low income
Deteriorated water system
Few service connections
Insufficient maintenance funds
Bureaucratic water administration
Effects
Causes
Main problem
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Lack of sufficient clean water
High rate of diseases
High rate of infant mortality
Low productivity of workers
Low income
Deteriorated water system
Few service connections
Insufficient maintenance funds
Bureaucratic water administration
ObjetivesO
Availability of sufficient clean
water
Lower rate of diseases
Lower rate of infant mortality
Hiher productivity of workers
Higher income
Improved water system
Increased service connections
Sufficient maintenance funds
Efficient water administration
Results/impact
Specific Objectives/activities
Overall objective
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Turn positive what was negative in the problem tree
ResultsR
Know what you want to achieve
• Results are changes, goods, services that the project aims to produce to achieve the specific objectives.,
• They refer to actions which are under the control of the team executing the project.
• Results define also the baseline strategy. They are the minimum set of elements necessary (and sufficient, if assumptions hold true) to achieve the specific objectives.
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Logical frameworkL
Intervention strategy
Objectively verifiable indicators
Verification means
Risks/Assumptions
Overall Objective
Specific objectives
Products/results
Activities
Impact inficators
Purpose indicators
Product indicators
Process indicators/Mea
ns
Monitoring and evaluation
systemContext
If this have been achieved
And assumptions hold true
1
2
3
4 5
6
7
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
IMPACT!
ActivitiesA
What activities are needed to achieve the results?
• Group activities in blocks
• Activities included in a block are all those needed to achieve a specific result
• In each block, list the activities in chronological or sequential order.
• There can be different combinations of the chosen activities. Select the most cost-effective combination.
• Include in the logical framework only the main activities (do not include tasks or sub-activities)
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
AssumptionsA1
Assumptions
Every project is executed in a context that we have to know to ensure success
Conditions out of project managers’ control
Assumptions are external factors that have the potential to influence (or even determine) the success of a project, but lie outside the direct control of project managers.
They are the answer to the question: “What external factors may impact on project implementation and the long-term sustainability of benefits, but are outside project management’s control?”
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
AssumptionsA2 Is the external factor important?
Will it hold true?
Is it possible to redesign the project in order to influence the
external factor?
YES NO
Almost certainly
Likely
Very unlikely
Do not include
Include as an assumption
NOYES
Redesign the project by adding Activities or
results; reformulate the Project purpose if
necessary
The project may not be feasible
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
RisksR1
Have a clear vision of risks
It is important to have a clear idea of possible risks and on strategies to neutralise them.
Risks
Risks are external factors which are not under the control of the project managers and that, if hold true, can undermine success.
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
RisksR2 Is the risk important?
Can you neutralise it?
Explain how
YES NO
YESNO Do not include
Redesign the project adding activities or
rephrasing the objectives
The project is not feasible
Plan alternatives
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Indicators and verificationI1
How do you verify success?
• Indicators allow you to understand whether the intervention has been successful or is on-track.
• They are formulated in response to the question: “How would we know whether or not what has been planned is actually happening or happened?
• The guiding principle should be to collect the minimum amount of information required to help project managers and evaluators determine whether objectives are being/have been achieved.
How to select indicators
• They must be significant and relevant
• Indicators should be measurable/assessable in a consistent way and at an acceptable cost, within the capacity of the executing organisation
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Indicators and verificationI2
Source of verification and monitoring system
• How the information should be collected (e.g from administrative records, special studies, sample surveys, observation, etc ) and/or the available documented source (e.g. Progress reports, project accounts, official statistics, engineering completion certificates etc.)
• Who should collect/provide the information (e.g. field extension workers, contracted survey teams, the district health office, the project management team)
• When/how regularly it should be provided. (e.g. monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.)
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Key elementsK
Justification
Methodology
Partners
Impact, multiplier effect, sustainability
Budget and financing sources
Duration and action plan
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
JustificationJ
Persuade the donor
The justification of your proposal is where you do your main “selling job”. It is here that you persuade the donor that your project will make a difference (therefore is necessary and worthwhile). The key areas to be covered are:
• Problem
• Context
• Objectives including clarification of beneficiaries and target groups;
• Implementation strategy.
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
LanguageL
Shops in Brussels close at 6pm
If you want to go shopping in Brussels, you have to go before 6pm!
You have to use a language which the donor is able/ready to understand
If you want to convince the donor...
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
KISS – Keep It Short and SimpleK
Write clearly and synthetically
Avoid jargon and explain all acronyms
Do not use a too academic tone
Use short sentences
Write for a non-technical reader.
Let the human story come through, but do not overdo
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Impact and follow-upI
What impact shall the project have on the identified problem?
Shall the project have a multiplier effect?
What will you do when the donor’s money ends?
How will you ensure the follow-up?
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
Duration and action planD
Activities Organisation in charge
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Activity 1 Org 1
Activity 2 Org 1 + Org 3
Activity 3 Org 1 + Org 2
Activity 4 Org 3 + Org 1 + Org 2
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
BudgetB
Use the format proposed/imposed by the donor
Be detailed and realistic
Respect max and min amounts allowed
Make a clear link between actions and costs
Have a fundraising strategy
Do not ask too much nor too little
1
Make calculations understandable
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
FormalitiesF
Read carefully guidelines, application form, any relevant document
If you have doubts, ask!
Respect format and length proposed/imposed by the institution
Prepare well in advance all the required documents, duly signed
Do not annex unrequired documents
Send all required documents in time and to the right address
Be sure you fill in all relevant sections of the project application
Vienna, 9-10-11 October 2006Writing successful applications
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