Stockholm, Sweden

Primary Health Care Expert Group

Fourth Meeting

Stockholm, Sweden

4 - 5 October, 2007

Reference / PHC4/6.4/Info1
Title / NDPHS Project pipeline – short description
Submittedby / Secretariat
Summary/Note / Thispaper copies the text available in the Project pipeline section of the NDPHS website, which is available at
The new pipeline is available at
The PHC EG Members are invited to also read other accessible pages of the Project pipeline.
It should be noted that the NDPHS Project pipeline has not been publicly announced yet. It is awaiting approval of the NDPHS Committee of Senior Representatives, which the Secretariat hopes to receive during the CSR 12 Meeting on 15-16 October 2007.[1]
Requestedaction / Forinformation

NDPHS Pipeline

About the Pipeline

Introduction

TheNDPHSProjectPipelinehasbeendevelopedtofacilitatecoordinatedandharmonisedprojectinitiativesbetweenfinancingagencies,operatinginthenorth-easternpartofEuropeandtheBarentsRegion.Itoffersfinancingagenciesajointmechanismforstreamliningandimprovementsofprojectapplicationproceduresandprojectapplicantsauser-friendlysystemforapplyingforfinancialsupportfortheirprojects.Theappliedflexibleanduser-friendlytechnologyallowsadjustingthepipelinetothefinancingagencies’variousrequirementsandneeds.

Overallconcept

TheNDPHSProjectPipelineencouragesallactors,activeintheNorthernDimensionAreaanddealingwithissuesrelatedtopublichealthandsocialwell-beingtosubmitprojectproposals.Basedonthethematicandgeographicalcharacteristicsoftheproject,thepipelinewillautomaticallycategorizetheprojectandidentifypossiblesourcesforfunding.Thepipelinewillthenforwardtheprojecttotherelevantfinancingagency(ies),whomayhaveaninterestinfundingtheproject(however,itisaprojectproponentwhochooseswhichoftherelevantagenciestoapproach).Thismeansthatprojectproposalswillonlyneedtobesubmittedonce,butcanreachseveralfinancingagencies,whichwillreviewthem.Itshouldbenoted,however,thattheNDPHScannotguaranteefundingoftheprojectssubmittedtothepipeline,asthefinaldecisionrestswiththefinancingagencies.

Projectapplicantswillbeabletoseewhichfinancingagency(-ies)mayhaveapotentialinterestintheprojectandwhatrequirementsneedtobemetinthatrespect.Theautomatednotificatione-mailsystemoftheNDPHSpipelinewillkeeptheprojectapplicantsandthefinancingagenciesup-to-datewiththecurrentstatusoftheproject.

Howitworks

BeforebeingabletousetheNDPHSProjectPipeline,auserneedstohaveanaccount.Severaltypesofprofilesusedinthepipelinecanbeassignedtooneaccount:

A Project Proponent representative profile – this profile allows you to submit project proposals and seek funding opportunities through the NDPHS Project Pipeline. You may create yourself your own password-protected account with a project proponent representative profile. You are advised to carefully examine the information displayed on page Funding opportunities available in the NDPHS Project Pipeline before applying for financial support through the pipeline;
A Financing Agency representative profile – this profile allows you to display calls for proposals and other funding opportunities by specifying yourself your agency's project funding conditions; review project proposals, interact with the project proponent, other potential financing agencies and experts, and to take and communicate final decision regarding project proposals. Please contact the NDPHS Project Pipeline Management Team if you would like to be assigned this profile;
A Expert Group member profile – this profile allows you to review and comment on project proposals upon an invitation of a financing agency. Please contact the NDPHS Project Pipeline Management Team if you would like to be assigned this profile;
A Temporary Expert profile – this profile has the same functions as an Expert Group member profile, but is created only for individual experts. It is created automatically on an ad hoc and temporary basis when a dialogue with a temporary expert is initiated in the pipeline by a financing agency’s representative.

Onepersonmayhaveseveralprofilesatthesametime,forexampleifhe/sheactsasanExpertGroupmemberoraProjectProponent,dependingoncircumstances.

Fromaprojectproponent’spointofview,applyingforfinancialsupportfromfinancingagenciesinvolvedinthepipelinecanbedescribedasafour-stepprocess(assumingthathe/shehasalreadysetupanownaccount):(1)inputofbasicparametersofaproject,followedbytheselectionoffinancingagency(-ies)relevantfortheproject(2)fillingoutanapplicationformandsubsequentlyitssubmission,(3)reviewbyafinancingagency(-ies)(ifnecessary,assistedbyexperts)–thismaybecombinedwithrevisingofaproposalbyaprojectproponent,and(4)approvalforfunding/disapprovalofaprojectbyafinancingagency(-ies).

1.Projectcategorisationbasedonaninputofbasicparameters,andselectionoffinancingagencies

Basedonashortselectionoftheprojectbasicparameters(projectdurationandbudgetaswellasgeographicalandhealthareascoveredbytheproject),thepipelinewillselectforaprojectproponentthoseofthefinancingagenciesconnectedtothepipeline,whoarerelevantforsuchaproject(i.e.maybeinterestedinfinancingit).Itis,however,uptoaprojectproponenttodecidewhichoftheselectedfinancyagenciestoapplyto.Finally,thepipelinewillcreateforaprojectproponentanon-lineapplicationform.

2.Fillingoutanapplicationform;submission

Insimplewords,registeringofaprojectproposalinvolvesfillingoutanapplicationform,i.e. aquestionnairewithcheckboxesandtextfieldstobefilledoutwithrelevantinformation.Theapplicationformisbasedonaflexibleon-linetemplate,whichisdynamicallycreatedbasedontheparametersspecifiedbyfinancingagencies,whichgivesthemthepossibilitytotailorthewholesystemaccordingtotheirrequirements.Thismeansthattheapplicantneedstoprovideonlysuchinformationthatisrequiredbythefinancingagency(-ies)identifiedbythepipelineasrelevantforagivenprojectproposal.Basedononecomprehensivemodule,multipletypesofapplicationformscanbedynamicallyproduceddependingongivencircumstances.

Userscansavedraftapplicationsoveralongerperiodoftime,andvisittheiraccounts(andviewtheirprofiles)anunlimitednumberoftimes.Inadraftmode,anapplicationisinvisibletootherusersofthesystem.Ifsowished,theprojectproponentcanshareapplicationinformationwithotherselectedusers,whomhe/shecaninvitethroughapipeline’sautomatede-mailsystemtoon-linereviewandrevisehis/herdraftapplication.

Afterhavingsubmittedtheprojectproposal,theprojectproponentisnolongerinapositiontomakeamendmentsintheapplicationunlessrequestedbyafinancingagencytodoso(seethenextstep).Theprocessistakenfurtherbytherespectivefinancingagency(-ies)whois/arenotifiedabouttheprojectproposalthroughapipeline’sautomatede-mailsystemandinvitedtoon-linereviewthesubmittedproposal.

3.Reviewbyafinancingagency(-ies)andexperts;revisionsbyanapplicant

Duringthisphasetherespectivefinancingagency(-ies)andprojectproponentsareabletobenefitfromafeature-reachengineofthepipelinethat,forexample,allows:

Financingagency(-ies)andtheprojectproponenttocommunicateabouttherevisionsneededintheprojectproposal,whichmaybenecessarybeforethesponsor(s)takeafinaldecision;
Financingagency(-ies)toinviteexpertgroupsand/ortemporaryexpertstoreviewtheprojectproposalandcommentonit(itisuptothefinancingagenciestodecideifandhowtheywouldliketousethereceivedcomments).AllfinancingagenciesdealingwithagivenprojectproposalautomaticallyreceiveanExpertGroup’sresponse,evenifitisonlyoneagencythatrequestsareviewbyanExpertGroup.

Asfarasreviewingbyexpertgroupsisconcerned,itshouldbementionedthattheNDPHSExpertGroups,whichincludeexpertsfromPartnerCountriesandOrganisations,canbeviewedasauniquepoolofprofessionalexpertiseinspecifichealthareas.Theycansupportthefinancingagenciesinensuringthatthelatter’sdecision-makerstakeintoaccounttheregionalandcross-cuttingdimensionwhenmakingfundingdecisions.However,financingagenciesmayalsoinviteexperts,onanadhocandtemporarybasis(e.g.non-NDPHSexperts),toreviewagivenproject.Thisisdonethrougha“TemporaryExpert”-profileschemeofferedbythepipeline.

Allcommunicationisdonethroughthepipeline’sautomatede-mailsystemandtherevisionsandcommentsareinsertedintheproject’sprofileon-line,therebyallowingforacleanandtransparentworkandarchivingofallproject-relatedinformation.

4.Finaldecisionregardingfinancing

Thepipelinefeaturesamulti-donormechanism.Itallowsafinancingagencytocommunicateitsfinaldecision(approvaloftheprojectforfundingordisapprovalthereof)totheprojectproponentandotherfinancingagencies.Again,thisisdonewithhelpofthepipeline’sautomatede-mailsystem.

Ifmorethanonefinancingagencyisconsideringagivenproject,thepipelinealsokeepstrackoftheirdecision-makingprocessand,assoonasthelastfinancingagencymakesitsownfinaldecision,thepipelineinformstheprojectproponentandallrelevantfinancingagenciesiftheprojectwasgrantedthetotalrequestedfunding,oronlyapartialfunding.

Projects,whichhavesecuredfullfundingfortheirimplementation,willbeautomaticallyincludedintheNDPHSProjectDatabase(viewallprojectsputthroughthePipeline,whichreceivedfunding).[2]

TermsandconditionsoftheNDPHSAccountSystem

BeforebeingabletousetheNDPHSProjectPipeline,youwillneedtoreadandaccepttheTermsandconditionsoftheNDPHSAccountSystem.

/ This document arises from the project “NDPHS Project Database” which has received funding from the European Union, in the framework of the Public Health Programme

PHC_4-6.4-Info_1__Project_pipeline--short_description1

[1]In late September 2007, in agreement with the CSR Chair, the Secretariat will invite the NDPHS Partners to examine/review the pipeline and will propose that the CSR 12 would approve it for public announcement.

[2]As the NDPHS Database is not finalized yet, this function has been disabled.