Danish Disability Fund

APPLICATION

To be filled in by DPOD
Disability Fund ref. no.
Date received

B2: medium scale development project

(UP TOdkk 3 mill DKK)

B3:major development project

(UP TO dkk 12 mill dkk)

1. Cover Page
Grant modality
(insert X) / B2: Medium scale development project / B3: Major development project
Danish applicant organisation (financially responsible):
Contactperson for the project: / Name:
Email:
Phone:
Other Danish partner(s):
(if relevant)
South partner(s):
Project title:
Country(ies): / Country’s GDP per capita:
Project period: / Commencement date: / Completion date: / Total number of months:
Total amount applied for:
Is this a new project? / [ ] A. Yes, a new project.
[ ] B. A project in extension of a project that has been supported (by the Danish Disability Fund or others), indicate Disability Fund ref. no. if it applies: ______
Is this a re-submission? / (i.e. a revised version of a previously submitted application).
[ ] No
[ ] Yes, date/year of previous application:
Do you want a response letter in / [ ] Danish or
[ ] English
Insert synthesisof the project in Danish
(max. 200 words. This will be used as a presentation of the project on DPOD’s website)

Guide to the application form

The application form consists of five parts:

Part 1.Cover page: Basic information about the application and applicant(s).

Part 2.Narrative application: Description of the project, its background and future perspectives. The narrative application should follow the structure of the format, and must be written in a manner which can be understood by an external reader without prior knowledge of the context, project or applicant.

The application must be able to stand on its own. For instance, when explaining which learning took place in a previous project phase it is not sufficient to simply refer to an evaluation. The application must highlight the main learning points, and then possibly refer to the annexed evaluation (or other background document) for further details.

The narrative application is divided into four main sections. Each question comes with a guiding text and/or sub-questions written in italics, on a coloured background, and demarcated by square brackets [...].This guiding text must be deleted before the application is submitted. Alternatively, the application can be written in a ‘CLEAN’ version of the application format which does not contain any explanatory text.

Please note that the higher the amount applied for, the stricter the requirements as to the project’s professional quality as well as the applicants’ and Southern partners professional and organisational capacity.

Part 2 of the application should not exceed more than the following number of standard pages: B2 application 20 pages andB3 application 25 pages.

Part 3.Budget summary: Summary of the main items of the budget drawn up for the project. Please note that the budget summary must be elaborated upon in an Annex usingthe ‘B-E “Budget format”.

Part 4.Cross-cutting issues:An estimate of what percentage of the budget applied for is allocated in pursuit of one or several of the cross-cutting issues as defined by Danida.

Part 5.List of annexes: A list of the obligatory as well as supplementary annexes underpinning the application.

Please also note that:The application should be drawn up in cooperation between the South partner(s) and the Danish applicant organisation. An application document must therefore be available in a language understood by the South partner. The actual application to the Danish Disability Fund, however, can only be submitted in Danish or English. Please note that in the case of applications for more than DKK 3 million, the application can only be submitted in English due to the subsequent assessment process at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Submit application to:

The signed application, annexes and checklist must be emailed to:

2. Aplication text
  1. WHAT IS THE CONTEXT AND THE PROBLEM? (suggested length: B2 applications 4-5 pages, B3 applications 4-6 pages)

[The purpose of Section 1 is to outline the context in which the project will take place, as well as to lay the groundwork for a brief but ftargettedproblem analysis. Particularly in Section 1.a, replies must be concise. They should not aspire to provide an exhaustive introduction to the country and its disability issues, but focus on the information that is most relevant to the problems addressed in the application.]

1.a The overall context(max. 1 - 2pages*)

[Briefly describe:

  • Overall conditions in the country at the national level (e.g. political, social, human rights, legal, economic, cultural and organisational matters), which are useful to know in order to understand the context in which the project will take place.
  • General conditions concerning legislation, human rights, economy, sociocultural practices, organisation, etc. which apply to persons with disabilities and their next-of-kin, as well as to the disability movement or to selected disability organisations in the country concerned.]

*If the project is intended to take place in several countries, the context analysis can be expanded by up to 2 pages.

1.b Specific challenges faced by those groups of persons with disabilities, or their organisations, for whom the project aims to bring about change

[Elaborate upon:

  • The specific conditions, challenges and violations that affect the group of persons with disabilities targeted by the application.
  • The specific challenges faced by the disability organisation(s) targeted by the application.
  • What are the underlying reasons behind the challenges?

Focus in particular on the main problem(s)/challenges which the project will address. ]

1.c General response to the challenges - who has done what until now?

[Describe which measures have been taken or planned thus far in relation to the issues which the project addresses, including:

  • The responseof the government, the disability movement, and other actors.
  • What are the prospects as regards the challenges mentioned above? Are political, economic or some other changes underway?

It is particularly important to include knowledge of projects/programmes that bear resemblance to the project applied for in order to ensure coordination and avoid duplication.]

  1. WHICH EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS DOES THE PROJECT BUILD UPON?(suggested length: B2applications 2-4 pages, B3 applications 3-5 pages)

[The purpose of Section 2 is to identify which relevant experience – good and bad – underpin the project application and the project cooperation.When grants of this size are applied for, the project is expected to spring from previous cooperation, and hence the questions in Section 2 are primarily expected to be answered based on experiences of such cooperation. However, it may also be relevant to include experiences from other projects and with other partners.

(It is possible to combine Section 2b-2d into one.)]

2.a Previous cooperation experience with the partner

[Briefly describe previous experiences of cooperation, including:

  • Whichprojects hasthe Danish organisation carried out with the South partner(s) before (indicate Disability Fund ref. no.)?
  • Which subjects and/or areas of intervention has the previous cooperation addressed? To what degree does the current application build upon that previous cooperation and to what degree are new measures, subjects or strategies being pursued?]

2.b Results

[Briefly describe:

  • The main results(understood as positive social/economic/organisational changes, which have been achieved in your previous cooperation or in similar interventions) of relevance to the present project (be as specific as possible).
  • What has been decisive in achieving these results?
  • How have the results been documented?]

2.c Challenges

[Briefly describe:

  • The challenges that the Danish organisation and South partner have come across in your previous cooperation (in relation to the various types of interventions, your partnership in general and/or the internal capacity) of relevance to this project.
  • How will you seek to address potential challenges in the present application?

Please attach an assessment of the partner(s) that may serve to substantiate possible support for organisational development.]

2.d Assessment of partner capacity

[Please briefly explain]

  • On which basis do you assume that your partner has the required capacity to implement and monitor this project? (Has your partner previously managed projects of this type or size? How big is this project compared with their existing portfolio? Etc.)

2.e Learning of relevance to this application

[Briefly describe:

  • Given your experience, what are the main learning points which you bring into the design of this project, i.e. in relation to both the project (its content, approach and methodologies) and the partnership/cooperation?Answer these questions as precisely and thoroughly as possible.
  • If there has been a mid-term review, final evaluation or other form of systematisation of experiences from previous projects with the same partner(s), what havethen been the main conclusions?]

2.fPreparatory process

[Briefly outline the preparatory process.

  • Who has taken part in the planning, including what has been the role of the project’s target group, the South partner and the Danish organisation?
  • Have specific analyses been conducted (e.g. of conditions for persons with disabilities and their next-of-kin, gender analysis, capacity assessment of partner or the like)?

In the event that:

  • A pre-study has been conducted prior to this application, please describe its main conclusions.
  • This is a re-submission, please describe which initiatives and studies have been conducted in response to the rejection of the previous version of the application.]
  1. WHAT CHANGE WILL THE PROJECT ACHIEVE AND HOW? (suggested length: B2 applications 8-10 pages, B3 applications 10-14 pages)

[The purpose of Section 3 is primarily to explain the project’s objectives in terms of the positive change which the project sets out to achieve for specific target groups, as well as the specific methods/approaches to be used. The assessment of the application will place emphasis on the project design being realistic, and on a clear consistency between the change that you aim to bring about and the approaches and methods that you intend to use.]

3.a Change(max. ½ page)

[Describe briefly and concisely which positive change the project will seek to bring about for the target group within the given project period and budgetary framework. The change must be explained as a concrete future situation compared with the situation before the project. Be as precise as possible.Avoid general formulations, such as “contribute to compliance with the rights of persons with disabilities”.

This narrative description of the change pursued by the project is supplemented in question 3.c by more specific objectives and indicators. ]

3.b Stakeholder analysis(which stakeholders are relevant to involve in the project and how?) and target groups (among whom will you achieve change?)(1-2 pages)

[Describe which groups the project is targeted at. Focus first and foremost on the primary target group, which the project will specifically benefit, both rights-holders (the group of persons with disabilities), who will be involved in the project and benefit directly from the change achieved, and duty-bearers, who will play an important and direct role in bringing about the desired change. Also define the secondary target group, which will be affected by the project in a more indirect manner.

Be as specific as possible, and distinguish between target groups for different aspects of the project, e.g.:

  • If the project encompasses organisational development, who in the organisation will be targeted (which structures/positions within the partner organisation)?
  • If the project includes strategic servicedelivery or empowerment, which rights holders do they then target (expected number of persons, breakdown by gender, age, geographical distribution and /or other relevant background characteristics), and which duty bearers are involved?
  • If the project entails advocacy or more general awareness-raising efforts, at whom will it be targeted (which duty-bearers, communities, population groups)?]
  • At whomareawareness raising efforts targeted (which type of duty bearers, communities or population groups)?

Note: If you have several partners in the country, each of which has its separate interventions and target group(s), these should be described one by one.]

[Furthermore, a stakeholder analysis should be drawn up and annexed to the application. (You are welcome to use the DPOD template.) The stakeholder analysis must contain:

  • Alistof the organisations, traditional institutions, authorities and other groups of relevance to the project and the issues being addressed.
  • Anassessment of each of the various stakeholder group’s:
  • role in the project, i.e. how they will be specifically engaged and how important they are to the success of the project;
  • incentives to support or resist the project;
  • strengths and weaknesses as regards their contribution to the realisation of the project.]

3.c Objectives and indicators(attach a logframe)

[Attach a logframe(or similar results framework)as an annex to the application. Use, for instance, the template recommended by DPOD. The log frame must contain the following information:

  1. Thelong-term change in society (impact), that you want to contribute towards(max. two lines).
  1. The more short-term social/economic/organisational changes (outcomes), which you expect that the target group and partner will experience as a result of the project (and which, over time, will contribute significantly to the desired long-term change). The outcomes should address the problems identified anddescribed in Section 1, especially Section 1.b.
  1. The tangible and direct results (outputs), which you can control and feel certain that the project will produce, and which you have compelling reasons to assume will lead to the desired outcomes.

(As a rule of thumb, no more than 3 outcomes and 3-5 outputs for each outcome).

For each outcome and associated outputs you must define:

  • One or several indicatorswhich you can use to measure and judge the extent to which you are achieving your goals,ideally a mix of qualitative and quantitative ones, as appropriate,.
  • Information on the situation at the beginning of the intervention(baseline), one or several milestonesduring the course of the project, and what should be achieved by the end of the project.]

3.d Strategy(suggested length: B2 applications 5-7 pages, B3 applications 6-9 pages)

[The strategy describes how the intervention will be approached overall, and how and with what methods the project is to be carried out so as to be very likely to lead to the defined objectives and hence to the desired change. In addition, you should set out a timeschedule outlining when the various parts of the intervention will take place. The text must set out the following:

  • The project’s primary areas of intervention/components (e.g. advocacy, capacity building, organisational development, strategic service deliveries, awareness raising, etc.), including:
  • Which approach (methods and activity types) will the project use within the various areas of intervention?
  • How will the individual areas of intervention contribute strategically to the desired change, and which assumptions must hold true for this to happen?
  • How will persons with disabilities, their next-of-kin or their organisations be strengthened to demand their rights, and how do you envisage duty bearers will be equipped with knowledge and capacity that motivates and enables them to ensure these rights are met?
  • How will the project secure support from important stakeholders? And possibly how will the partner(s) take part in relevant networking or alliances to boost or ensure compliance with objectives?

(You are welcome to prepare a simple drawing showing the project’s primary areas of intervention and how they are interconnected, using it as a starting point for your explanation of the strategy above).

  • An implementation plan describing which phases the project is to be divided into. It may help to annex the implementation plan to the application, so as to leave the description here rather brief. (This is not intended to be a detailed activity schedule, but more of an overviewof which phases or main components the project is divided into, their sequence and when roughly they expect to take place.)]

3.e Risks

[Risks are potential internal or external hindrances that may jeopardise or complicate the project.

Describe:

  • The main risks (potential internal and external factors) that might prevent the project from reaching its objectives or delay implementation significantly.
  • Your plan for how to take these factors into account (i.e. limit or mitigate them) in project implementation.]

In the case of B3 applications, an actual risk assessment must be drawn up and annexed to the application. You are welcome to use DPOD’s risk tool, which has been developed in cooperation with a series of member organisations based on Danida’s risk management tool.]

3.f Monitoring, documentationand learning

Describe as specifically as possible which measures you will take to ensure continuous monitoring and documentation of the project’s results, as well as to ensure new learning and its utilisation in the course of the project.

  • How will you monitor the project on an ongoing basis – how will data on indicator status specifically be collected, how often, who is responsible and how will the data be used? (It is a good idea to attach a monitoring plan or to add columns in the right-hand side of the LFA matrix where such information is inserted for each indicator.)
  • When and to what extent are there any plans for internal or external evaluation and/or reviews? (Note that projects costing more than DKK 2 million must be externally evaluated).
  • How will you ensure that important experiences and results are utilised?
  • How will experiences and results be documented? Who will be responsible for documentation and sharing of experiences/results in the course of the project?
  • How will decisions be taken regarding any adjustments in the project caused by new insights and/or changes in the context?
  • Who will be responsible for subsequently utilising and sharing experiences and results, feeding them into the design of new future projects, into other partner relations, etc.?]

3.g Information work

[Please answer:

  • How do you intend to share informationand/or tell the Danish organisations own members about the project and the changes it brings about (e.g. travel articles in your magazine, a blog, website photos, etc.)?]

[On top of that, have you considered sharing your experiences and results more widely? Since it is an important part of Danish development aid to inform about development cooperation implemented in the South and to create interest in it among people in Denmark, it is possible to apply for an amount equivalent to 2% of project costs (items 1-7 in the budget) for information work. The target group may be the member organisations’ own constituencies or the Danish public in general.