Revised January 24, 2010
Guidance Note
for preparation of a JSDF Grant Funding Request (GFR) application
Preliminary feedback. Before starting the formal application, the TTL may seek preliminary feedback on proposals by submitting a concept note (hyperlink) by email to the JSDF Unit, briefly describing the activities to be funded. Upon receiving the note, the JSDF Unit will provide guidance to the task team on the consistency of the proposed activities with the JSDF criteria and make suggestions for improvement before the team commits its time to preparing a full-scale application for submission to the JSDF Steering Committee.
In preparing proposals, please note the following:
Grant Name. In creating your proposal, please use the following protocol for the title, in the following order:
1. Round #, e.g. Round 30
2. Country, e.g. India
3. Name of Project
Brevity. Write concisely to convey the essential information and description of activities, and note the character limit in the GFR.
Country eligibility. Make sure that the country is eligible to receive a JSDF grant. See (hyperlink) which lists the countries currently eligible.
JSDF criteria. Review the Annual Policy Document (hyperlink) to get a good sense as to whether the proposal envisioned fits the JSDF criteria. The JSDF is not a technical assistance facility. Funding of consultancies should be kept to a minimum and will be subject to careful review.
Creating a new JSDF Activity Code -- RE-P0#. All grants now require creation of a new RE-P0#. JSDF grants are no longer “linked” to an ongoing Bank operation (linked meaning using the same LEN-P0# and TTL of the operation). JSDF grants may be free standing. The TTL for the Recipient Activity (RE-P0#) must be the same as the TTL of the JSDF grant. JSDF grants are still preferably “aligned” with and operation but the TTL of the JSDF grant does not need to be the TTL of the Bank lending operation. The RE-P0# must have an approved AIS by the time the grant is activated, but the AIS is not necessary for grant approval.
Alignment with Existing Bank Operation and CAS. JSDF grants normally complement an operation with which the grant is “aligned” . Alignment of Trust Funds with Bank lending operations or with Bank work is a fundamental Bank policy and should be clearly discussed. JSDF grants are required to be aligned with the CAS and, preferably, also aligned with a Bank operation. However, alignment with a Bank operation is not required as JSDF grants may be free-standing RE activities (see below -- Creating JSDF Activity Code). The JSDF should not, however, fund project preparation activities, and a clear case must be made for the allocation of scarce grant resources in the section on Rationale for Grant Funding versus Bank lending.
Grant execution arrangements. Grants must be recipient-executed. Recipients of JSDF Grants may be governments (central or local), international or local NGOs, or other local community groups which the Task Team Leader has determined are financially sound, have a strong track record, and employ satisfactory arrangements for use and accounting of grant funds. In case the recipient or the implementing agency is an NGO or a local community group, it is required that the central or local government gives its agreement to the arrangement. The letter from the government needs to be received before the grant proposal is formally submitted to the JSDF Unit, and should be an attachment to the GFR.
Consultations with the Government of Japan. Consultations with the Government of Japan are required, except for India and Pakistan where special procedures are in use. Consultations with JICA are not a substitute for consultations with the Embassy of Japan.
Reasons for rejection. The "Case Law" (hyperlink) gives, for reference, specific reasons for rejection of past applications by the JSDF Steering Committee.
Technical Reviewers' Comments. In order for comments to be objective, Technical Reviewers should be Bank staff members who are not associated with the proposed grant. (For example, if s/he has advised the team on the proposal, the review is not independent.) To ensure the technical quality of proposals, the directions for the Technical Reviewers request that they comment on the technical feasibility and appropriateness of the grant based on their own experience. The task team should incorporate into the proposal any of the Technical Reviewers' comments deemed appropriate. The text of the Technical Reviewers' comments should be annotated to show where the comments were incorporated in the body of the proposal to facilitate the JSDF Steering Committee's review and review by the Japan Ministry of Finance. There exists a list of pre-approved technical reviewers for social development issues from which the TTL should select (hyperlink). For the second, thematic review, the TTL should send an email to the JSDF Unit suggesting 2-3 names of possible reviewers at level GG or above. The JSDF Unit will advise the TTL of which reviewer the TTL should contact directly. The TTL will insert the Technical Reviewers' names in the designated fields in the GFR, and will send the GFR to the Technical Reviewers for comments using the GFR "Email" function. The Technical Reviewers will insert their comments in the designated fields in the GFR, and will notify the TTL using the GFR "Email" function. The TTL will then address the Technical Reviewers' comments in the GFR, and annotate them as described in the GFR guidance and instructions, before submitting the proposal for clearances. The Technical Reviewers would be able to charge up to 0.5 day for the technical review of a JSDF proposal to a special charge code. The charge code will be provided to the task team once the names of the Technical Reviewers have been sent to the JSDF Unit.
Monitoring and Evaluation. M&E has an important role to play in the context of JSDF grants not only as part of sound management practice but also as a central element to learning lessons from pilot projects and innovative approaches. Indicators (linked to objectives) should be clearly articulated, paying particular attention to development and articulation of outcome-level indicators and quality standards for M&E, as well as audit of grant funds. Also, attention needs to be paid to lesson learning and communication mechanisms, as well as improving governance and accountability. Lessons learned should be reported in a manner to enable dissemination nationally and sharing learning across projects within the JSDF portfolio of projects. Please make provision for the latter under the proposed JSDF grant.
Closing Date. JSDF grants are now required to have free standing RE Project Activity Codes (PO#), and are no longer linked/mapped to other projects (meaning using their PO# code). Thus, there is no need for grants to close six months before than the project with which a grant may be aligned. Sufficient SPN budget needs to be secured by TTL through completion and to prepare the completion GFR. If the TTL changes/departs before closing, designate a new TTL in SAP before the closing date to prevent being locked out of the GRM.
Total/Maximum Grant Amount includes Bank Costs. The total amount in the cost table includes the Bank incremental supervision costs. The combined total may not exceed the maximum grant amount of US$3 million for regular JSDF grants, or other maximum thresholds