THE CIVIL SOCIETY FUND
DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS
Guide to submission of applications
Applications for Development Interventions are submitted through CISU’s online application facility, which can be accessed through the intranet for member organisations.
An application consists of the following parts:
1. Basic facts about the application
This is typed directly into the application facility, indicating the following information:
- Which local partner(s) is/are linked to the application?
- In which country (or countries) is the intervention to take place?
- Which UN Sustainable Development Goal(s) is/are pursued by the intervention?
- Title of the intervention.
- Other Danish partners, if any.
- Name and email address of contact person for the intervention.
- Commencement date and completion date of the intervention (remember that the commencement date cannot precede the disbursement of a possible grant).
- Amount requested from the Civil Society Fund (in DKK, Danish kroner)
- Whether it is a re-submission.
- Whether it is an application in extension of a former project.
- Whether the intervention is to take place in a stable or a fragile context.
- Synthesis of the intervention.
2. The actual application text
The application text is drawn up adhering to the structure and questions presented in the format set out in the pages below. The application text is uploaded as a Word file to the application facility.
3. Budget for the intervention
The budget is typed into the budget format available at cisu.dk/skemaer. This webpage also links to a thorough guide to the requirements for individual budget items (the Budget Guide).
The budget is uploaded as an Excel file to the application facility.
4. Application cover page
On the application cover page, the applicant organisation and its partner(s) confirm with their signature that they are applying jointly for the intervention concerned. The format to this effect is available at: cisu.dk/skemaer.
The cover page is uploaded to the application facility.
5. Basic facts about the Danish applicant organisation – former Annex A
The basic facts are typed directly into the application facility.
6. Basic facts about the local partner(s) – former Annex B
The basic facts are typed directly into the application facility.
7. The applicant organisation’s statutes, latest annual report and audited annual accounts
Remember to check whether the latest versions of these documents have been uploaded to the intranet for CISU member organisations, and whether the annual accounts have been signed by the auditor and by the organisation’s management and/or governing body.
Formalities regarding the application text:- NUMBER OF PAGES: The application text must not take up more than 25 pages (Arial, font size 11, line spacing 1.0, margins: top 3 cm, bottom 3 cm, right 2 cm and left 2 cm). Applications exceeding this length will be rejected.
- LANGUAGE: The application text must have been drawn up in cooperation between the local partner(s) and the applicant Danish organisation. Accordingly, there must be a document available in a language of relevance to the local partner.
The actual application, however, can only be submitted to CISU in Danish or English.
Structure of application text
1. Relevance of the intervention
Describe:
· Objective of the intervention.
· Relevant aspects of the context in which the intervention is to take place (e.g. social, economic, political, climate-related and environmental conditions).
o If the application is to be assessed based on the criteria for fragile contexts, yet without the country of implementation being on the list of fragile countries, the applicant must make the case for the particular fragility of the context concerned.
o If the intervention is to be implemented in a country that is on the list of fragile countries, yet whose context is not considered by the applicant to be fragile, the special circumstances substantiating this viewpoint must be set out.
· Contribution of the intervention towards strengthening organisational expressions in civil society that promote compliance with rights and equal access to resources and participation.
· The contribution of the intervention towards bringing about lasting improvements for poor, marginalised and vulnerable target groups.
2. Partnership
Describe:
· The experiences, capacities and resources of participant partners (including the Danish organisation) and of other actors, if any, in relation to the intervention’s subject matter and context.
· The contributions, roles and areas of responsibility of all partners and other actors, if any, including each partner’s implementation responsibilities.
· How the intervention applied for will develop relations between the partners.
· How the intervention applied for will contribute to the partners mobilising, building relations and cooperating with other actors (such as authorities, other local, national and international organisations, networks, private businesses and other donors), both in the developing country and in Denmark.
In the case of stable contexts, the following is described:
o The partnership’s experiences and track record of creating outputs and outcomes of relevance to civil society.
o For interventions with a total budget above DKK 1 million: experiences of carrying out advocacy.
In the case of fragile contexts, the following is described:
o The partnership’s networking experiences.
o The partnership’s capacity to boost the potential for civil mobilisation and participation in the context at hand.
3. Target groups
Describe:
· Relevance of target groups in view of the intervention’s subject matter and context.
· Composition of target groups (e.g. gender distribution and social, ethnic or other affiliation). It may well be useful to specify primary/secondary and/or direct/indirect target groups.
· How the target groups view the partnership’s legitimacy in terms of advancing their cause.
o In the case of stable contexts, it is set out how the target groups have been involved in preparations and will exert influence on the implementation of the intervention.
o In the case of fragile contexts, it is set out how the partnership has access to the target groups and knowledge of local and traditional leaders and structures.
4. Strategy and expected results of the intervention
Describe:
· Objectives, activities, expected outputs and indicators to be applied.
Seek inspiration in ’Guide for the formulation of NGO projects’ (Chapter 6).
· How and with which methods the intervention is to be carried out so as to make it likely to lead to the objectives defined, including how the role as a catalyst has been considered.
· The interlinkage and balance between capacity development, advocacy and possible strategic deliveries (the Development Triangle).
o In the case of stable contexts, the potential for advocacy is set out. For interventions above DKK 1 million, a plan for the realisation of actual advocacy is described.
o In the case of fragile contexts, it is described how strategic deliveries underpin capacity development and establish potential for advocacy.
· How priorities, plans and resources existing within the context are taken into account.
· What possible factors (risks) may hinder or delay fulfilment of the intervention’s objective, and conceivable solutions aimed at mitigating the risks concerned.
· The plans with regard to systematising and using experiences both along the way and at the end of the intervention, including planned external evaluations (obligatory for interventions above DKK 2 million).
5. Phase-out and sustainability of the intervention
Describe:
· How it will be ensured that neither local partners nor target groups are left in an inappropriate relationship of dependency when the intervention period expires.
· How the intervention is envisaged to lead to lasting improvements for the target groups.
· How the strengthening of partners’ and other actors’ capacity can be continued when the implementation period expires.
· How the intervention is expected to become politically, organisationally, socially, technically, financially and/or environmentally sustainable.
6. Planned intervention-related information work in Denmark
Information work in Denmark is not a requirement, but an option which applicants are encouraged to take advantage of. The maximum allowable amount is equivalent to 2% of intervention costs (budget items 1-7).
If information funds are applied for, the following points can be reflected upon:
· Purpose of the information work.
· Target groups to be addressed by the information work.
· Means to be used (social media, printed matter, theatre, events or the like).
· Persons who will carry out the information work.
· Outcome expected to be achieved by the information work.
CIVIL SOCIETY FUND, Development Intervention, revised February 2017 1