REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA
Contracting authority: Ministry of Labour & Home Affairs
Empowerment of Non State Actors in Botswana – Medium Size Grants scheme
Guidelines for Applicants
Reference: ENSA/MSG/2016
Deadline for submission of applications: 20 October 2016
This Call for Proposals is funded by the European Development Fund
1. BACKGROUND 3
1.1 Socio-economic context 3
1.2 The role of NGOs in national development 4
1.3 The Empowerment of Non State Actors programme 5
2. OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITY AREAS 5
3. FINANCIAL ALLOCATION PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY 7
4. RULES FOR THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS 7
4.1 Eligibility Criteria 7
4.1.1 Institutional Criteria 7
4.1.2 Financial Criteria 8
4.1.3 Project related criteria 9
4.1.4 Supporting documents 10
4.2. Application Procedures 10
4.2.1 Application Form 10
4.2.2 Submission of Applications 11
4.3 Evaluation and Selection of Applications 12
4.4 Contracting and Disbursement of Funds 14
4.5 Indicative timetable 14
LIST OF annexes 14
1. BACKGROUND
1.1 Socio-economic context[1]
Botswana is a landlocked country in southern Africa covering a land area of 600,370 km2 with a total population of approximately 2 million people. Botswana has made significant social and economic progress since it gained independence in 1966. In recent years, the global crisis slowed down Botswana overall economic performance, mainly as a result of significant contraction in the mining sector. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth bounced back in 2013 with a growth of 9.9 %, although it decelerated again in 2014 (3.4 %) and became negative in 2015 (-0.3%)[2]. Projections for the coming years estimate a growth of approximately 3.7 % in 2016 and 4.3% in 2016, driven mainly by increase in diamond prices. Nevertheless, the GDP growth remains well below the required 7.5 % required to achieve the objective of Vision 2016 ‘Prosperity for all’.
Despite significant improvements during the 2000s, with poverty reduced from 30.6% to 19.4% and extreme poverty from 22.7% to 13.8%, striking disparities in income, wealth, and living standards endure among various socioeconomic groups. Half of Botswana population remains either poor or vulnerable. Vulnerable groups (31%) are those just above the poverty line with high risk or falling back into poverty, particularly in rural areas. The level of inequality is the world’s third highest, behind South Africa and Seychelles; and HIV Aids prevalence remains one of the world’s highest.
The large majority of the poor live in the South-East and North-East regions, with children less than 15 years old representing 46.2 percent of the poor in 2009. Extreme levels of poverty are found in hard to reach areas, particularly in the Ngamiland region, Chobe and in the west and southwest (Gantsi and Kgalagadi). Pockets of very high poverty are also found in the South-East, particularly in Kweneng and parts of the Central district.
In terms of Botswana’s human development performance, the Human Development Index (HDI) for 2014 was 0.683, which is in the medium human development category, positioning the country at 109 out of 187 countries and territories. Between 1980 and 2013, Botswana’s HDI value increased from 0.470 to 0.683, an increase of 45.4 % or an average annual increase of 1.14 %. But when the value of HDI is discounted from inequality, the HDI falls to 0.422, a loss of 38.2 % (UNDP Human Development Report, 2014).
Quality and access to essential public services is also improving, but unequally and not in line with the targets set in NDP10. In 2009/10, Botswana’s electrification rate was 45.4 percent, far below the 2016 target of 80 percent nationally and 60 percent in rural areas, set by the National Development Plan. Sustainable access to water and sanitation remains uneven across income groups and affects socio-economic outcomes, such as health, worker productivity, income, and education. Educational outcomes remain uneven, with reading ability and numeracy rates higher in urban areas than in rural areas. Health indicators remain low among the poor, particularly child malnutrition and mortality. Chronic malnutrition constitutes a substantial challenge.
1.2 The role of NGOs in national development
Government recognises and appreciates the important role played by NGOs, as partners in development. Government’s desire and commitment to work with NGOs was enshrined in Vision 2016[3] and it is reiterated and reinforced in the new Vision 2036. Under Pillar 4, “Governance, Peace and Security”, the new Vision states that “Civil society organisations will be equal partners and legitimate actors in the national development process. We will empower and support our civil society organisations to undertake those functions that are complementary to government development efforts. Our civil society will be vibrant, representing the voices of the community, especially the disadvantaged”. Moreover, “Civil society organisations, including trade unions and faith based organisations, act as watchdogs and play a pivotal role in identifying gaps and advising government on key socio-economic and political issues”.
The NGO Policy
The Government of Botswana adopted the national NGO Policy in 2012. The aim of the NGO Policy is to build an effective partnership between government and NGOs towards a more meaningful and accountable participation and contribution of NGOs in national development. More specifically the NGO Policy implementation “will lead to improved legislation, coordination, Codes of Conduct, modalities for development partnerships between Government and NGOs and formulation of strategies and programmes which are more responsive to the needs of the population, particularly the poor and marginalized” (NGO Policy, section 1.2.4). The objectives of the policy are further detailed, prioritizing promotion of dialogue and partnership, participation in national development planning, financial sustainability and capacity building.
The NGO Policy is designed around four principles. The first principle of the NGO Policy is related to building of an enabling environment for NGOs. This is referred to in the policy as “a stable political and socio economic as well as a competitive environment in which the playing field is even; appropriate legislation and statutory provisions; and supportive programme and policy frameworks” (NGO Policy, section 2.4.1). The other principles refer to effective participation in policy dialogue; autonomy and independence of NGOs; accountability and financial prudence with regard to the values and goals of NGOs as well as adhering to the highest standards of sound financial management.
The Policy Guidelines for Financial Support to NGOs
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) introduced the Policy Guidelines (PG) for Financial Support to NGOs in 2004, and then reviewed in 2016. The main purpose of the Policy Guidelines for Financial Support to NGOs is to harmonize and strengthen administrative and management procedures across all public entities providing funding to NGOs. The Guidelines are based on a set of principles among which the most important are the improvement of transparency and accountability across all the financing cycle; ensuring free and fair competition and equal treatment of all applications; guaranteeing independence of NGOs, including the right of NGOs to raise any concerns related to Government policy and practice, whatever relation may exist with Government. Together with the NGO Policy, the Policy Guidelines represent the basis of the new partnership for development between government and NGOs.
The Policy Guidelines form the regulatory framework for this call for proposals.
1.3 The Empowerment of Non State Actors programme
In line with Botswana’s Vision 2016 and National Development Programme 10 (NDP 10), the European Union in partnership with Government of Botswana and other key stakeholders is implementing a programme to make the Non State Actors environment more enabling thereby increasing NSA contribution towards the overall development goals of the country. The holistic capacity development approach is enabling Non State Actors (NSAs) to contribute more effectively to the development processes, diversifying the economy, creating job opportunities and promoting sustainable livelihoods particularly of disadvantaged groups.
The project will be implemented through two components;
· Component 1: Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) Empowerment will aim at enhancing structural dialogue between Government and the NGO Sector.
· Component 2: Support to the Private Sector Development Strategy (PSDS).
This Call for Proposals falls under Component 1, whose aims are to a) enhance structural dialogue between Government and the NGO Sector, b) strengthen the operational and financial framework in government for the attribution and administration of public funds to NGOs, c) capacitate and strengthen coordination and cooperation mechanisms among NGOs.
2. OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITY AREAS
The overall objective of this Call for Proposals is to contribute to poverty eradication and sustainable development through the empowerment of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), particularly CBOs and NGOs. More specifically, the purpose of the Call for Proposals is to foster the role of CSOs to become catalysts for inclusive economic development[4], especially in regions characterized by high levels of poverty, including hard to reach and depressed peri-urban/urban areas.
This Call for Proposals aims at supporting actions with particular emphasis on the following thematic areas and related strategies:
i. Women empowerment:
a. Women empowerment: Actions aimed at enhancing the extent, sustainability and self-resilience of existing economic empowerment initiatives, particularly those targeting young women.
ii. Environment:
a. Community-based natural resource management: Actions aimed at leveraging and multiplying the linkages between management of natural resources, conservation of wildlife and community-based economic initiatives, including eco-tourism and climate-friendly activities;
b. Sustainable livelihood: Actions aimed at improving livelihoods based on sustainable use of natural resources, water and land, including climate smart agriculture.
iii. Orphans and Vulnerable Children:
a. Children protection: Actions aimed at ensuring that the child is protected from all forms of abuse and exploitation, such as child labour, emotional, physical and psychological abuse, including child trafficking, and the adversities faced by the girl child, street children and children with disabilities.
iv. Arts and Culture
a. Creative industry: Actions aimed at promoting the growth and sustainability of the creative industries, stimulating creativity and entrepreneurship among artists, particularly young artists, reinforcing existing initiatives and promoting linkages to other sectors of the economy.
Preference will be given to those proposals that, while addressing the specific problems identified in the selected priority areas with adequate strategies, will embrace the following approaches:
i. Foster collaboration with local and/or national authorities and other relevant stakeholders to promote ownership and sustainability of the actions.
ii. Promoting a culture of participation, transparency and accountability to citizens, particularly the beneficiaries of the intervention, thereby contributing to more open and accountable governance.
iii. Participation of young people enabling them to take an active part at all stages and decisions related to the project development, implementation and monitoring.
iv. Test and pilot initiatives with a potential for replication, therefore including some degree of independent monitoring, evaluation or impact assessments to measure if such models or interventions are effective and how best to scale them up.
v. Capacity building, particularly action-learning activities targeting the applicant and/or co-applicant(s) and any other partner in project implementation aiming at improving strategies and approaches around the priorities and objectives of the Call for Proposals.
vi. Research and action-research, monitoring and evaluation oriented towards documenting best practices and lessons learnt from this action and/or other initiatives of the applicant and/or co-applicant(s) and/or other partners around the priorities and objectives of the Call for Proposals.
Proposals shall incorporate at least one of the following value-added elements:
· Strengthening networking and/or coordinated action and partnership among CSOs, particularly NGOs and CBOs;
· Enhancing accountability of CSOs to communities, VDCs and Kgotlas, strengthening linkages, effectiveness and responsiveness to development challenges;
· Promotion of feedback mechanisms from communities and citizens to CSOs, local and national authorities, public services deliverers to improve policy and programmes, essential public services delivery (access and quality);
· Promotion and creation of spaces for dialogue between CSOs and authorities around policy/programme design, monitoring and evaluation;
· Promotion of relevant partnerships (between CSOs, private and public sectors) in order to achieve greater impact and outreach;
· Creation of lasting job opportunities and promotion of sustainable income generation activities benefitting the youth.
Value added elements referred above will be given weight in the evaluation of proposals (see evaluation grid).
3. FINANCIAL ALLOCATION PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY
The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is BWP 4,000,000 (Four million Pula).
4. RULES FOR THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS
These guidelines set out the rules for the submission, selection and implementation of the projects financed under this Call, in conformity with the Policy Guidelines for the Financial Support to NGOs, which are applicable to the present call (available in Annex I).
4.1 Eligibility Criteria
4.1.1 Institutional Criteria
i. Applicant
In order to be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:
• Be registered with the Registrar of Societies or constituted under the Deeds of Trust in the Deeds Registry of the Attorney General’s Chambers or the relevant authority at the time of application;
• Comply with the legal requirement of reporting to the relevant authority;
• Have adequate governance structures and operational systems in place, in line with best practices;
• Have relevant experience of at least three years in the sector to which they are applying for.
The potential applicant may not participate in the call for proposals or be awarded grants if it is in any of the exclusion situations listed in Section 18 and 19 of the Policy Guidelines. The applicant must declare that the applicant himself, or any partner in the project, is not in any of the exclusion situations. To this purpose, the applicant shall submit a “Declaration by the applicant” together with the application form (see Annex E).
ii. Co-applicant(s)
Co-applicant(s) participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the applicant.
Co-applicant(s) must satisfy the institutional eligibility criteria as applicable to the applicant itself.
Co-applicant(s) must sign the “Declaration by the co-applicant” (Annex F) and submit it together with the application form.