Project cooperation in the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova

 

Guidelines for grants for projects in OSCE ODA-approved CIS countries (budget chapter 164.73). These include: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus.

 

• Guidelines
• Application form - in pdf
• Report form

The forms are based on Windows XP and Acrobat Reader version 7.0.
If you have any kind of problems using the forms, please do the following: Send an e-mail to jnaw@mfa.no attaching the document causing  problems. Also give following information: - Your operating system (Windows type xxx and version) - Version of Acrobat Reader

Applications and other questions to

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Section for Global Security Issues and the CIS countries
Box 8114, Dep.
0032  Oslo
E-mail: CIS-projects@mfa.no
Fax: 22 24 31 86

Send electronic applications to post@mfa.no with copy to CIS-projects@mfa.no. 

 

Contents:

• General information for applicants
• Information sources
• Objectives
• General criteria
• Projects not covered by the grant scheme
• The application process
• Right of appeal
• Disbursement and administration of funds
• Reporting
• The recipient's obligations
• Evaluation
• Other rules

General information for applicants

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for administering the Storting’s allocation for project cooperation with ODA-approved OSCE countries in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova under budget chapter 164.73.  

 

International organisations of which Norway is a member, may as grant recipients be subject to other sets of requirements than listed in these guidelines.  

 

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

For more information please contact:

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Section for Global Security Issues and CIS Countries
P.O. Box 8114 Dep,
NO-0032 Oslo
Norway
Email: s-gsa@mfa.no
Fax: (+47) 22 24 31 86 

Sources of information

 

The main sources of information on this grant scheme are: 

• the Ministry’s budget proposal (Proposition No. 1 to the Storting) for the budget year in question,
• the guidelines for grants for projects in ODA-approved CIS countries,
• the application form. 

 

Objectives

 

The main objectives of the scheme are set out in the Ministry’s budget proposal for the budget year in question. The grant scheme is designed to support stable and sustainable political and economic development that promotes good governance, democracy, human rights and gender equality in the region.  

 

Priority will be given to the following areas:  

 

• Reforms that will facilitate closer regional cooperation and Euro-Atlantic integration;
• efforts to fulfil commitments made under the framework of the UN, the OSCE and other international organisations;
• institution-building, good governance and economic development;
• security sector reform, including reform of the police and judiciary;
• conflict prevention through measures to reduce ethnic tensions and promote regional cooperation;
• efforts to strengthen civil society and respect for human rights, including the role of the media;
• efforts to combat human trafficking, other forms of organised crime and international terrorism;
• women’s rights and gender equality, culture and education; and
• environmental and energy projects.  

 

General criteria

 

The project should comply with the criteria set out in the Ministry’s budget proposal, and should be in line with the recipient country’s overall priorities. The involvement of the authorities is considered important and is required in large-scale projects. Priority will be given to efforts to promote integration into Euro-Atlantic structures and other regional cooperation. Applicants should demonstrate that they have good insight into regional issues and should set clear and realistic aims for the project.  

 

Priority will also be given to projects that qualify for funding and support from other sources at local or national level. The applicant should have considered how the project will fit in with other actors’ activities in the same field, and projects that create synergies will be given priority.  

 

The project should have a long-term perspective and should become self-sustaining within a reasonable period of time, and thus able to continue without Norwegian funding.

 

Applicants must be able to document that they have established close contact with a local cooperation partner or partners in the country in question. If a grant is awarded it will be on the understanding that any partners are made aware of the basis for the allocation. Applicants must also be able to document relevant qualifications and other competence, including results of previous efforts, and must specify the added value that the partner will bring to the project in addition to financial support.  

 

A full, detailed budget and financing plan, including an overview of funding from other sources, must be submitted. The estimated man hours, details of any travel and related costs must be indicated in the budget. The recipient should seek to limit administrative costs. The cheapest form of transport must used if the project involves any travel. Alternatives to hotel accommodation must be sought in the event of longer stays. 

 

The allocation for project cooperation in the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova must be approved by the Storting on an annual basis. It is not therefore possible to guarantee continued funding beyond the budget year in question. However it is possible to apply for funding for projects with a time frame of up to three years subject to the Storting’s annual approval of the budget item in question. In this case, the amount for each budget year must be specified in addition to the total amount for the project as a whole. Payments will be made annually on the basis of the progress reports and accounts, which are normally to be presented and discussed at an annual meeting. The recipient must also present the work plans and budget for the coming year at this meeting.  

 

Consideration of the environment and gender equality is important in all projects. Reference is made in this connection to the Government’s Action Plan for Environment in Development Cooperation; the Government’s Action Plan for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security; and the Plan of Action to Combat Human Trafficking. The balance between women and men in recruitment and training should also be indicated in the application.  

 

Initiatives not covered by the grant scheme

 

Funding cannot be expected for the following activities: 

 

• financing the export or import of goods or services,
• marketing goods or services,
• private sector activities,
• operating costs beyond the start-up phase,
• the establishment or operation of activities in Norway,
• the development or testing of new technology, or
• transport for relief supplies. 

 

The application process

 

The application form and budget template drawn up by the Section for Global Security Issues and CIS Countries are to be used. Full and correct information about the recipient, the project, the budget and funding, etc. must be given. The deadline for applications is 15 February. Applicants should note that the processing time for applications will vary. However, the Ministry will seek to ensure that applications received by the deadline date are processed during the first half year. Applications received after 15 February will be processed during the second half year if funding is still available within the budget.  

 

Applications for projects in different countries must be submitted separately. Applications should preferably be sent by email to post@mfa.no with a copy to s-gsa@mfa.no. 

 

The Ministry follows the following routine for processing applications: 

 

• The application is registered on receipt.
• Once the application has been processed, the applicant will receive written notification of the decision. If funding is granted, an acceptance form will be sent together with the letter of allocation.
• The acceptance form is to be signed by a person authorised to represent the recipient, and must be returned within one month. This indicates that the recipient accepts the grant and the appurtenant conditions.
• The applicant will also receive written notification if the application is turned down.
• The name of the executive officer responsible for dealing with the application will be indicated on the letter of allocation/refusal. 

 

Right of appeal

 

Individual decisions regarding project funding may be appealed against in accordance with Chapter VI of the Public Administration Act. Appeals must be lodged in writing to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within three weeks from the date on which notification of the decision was received. The parties to the case are entitled to acquaint themselves with the documents in the case in accordance with sections 18 and 19 of the Act. The appeal should be based on the information on which the Ministry has based its decision.  

 

Disbursement and administration of funds

 

Grants are normally paid in arrears in the budget year in which the grant was awarded to cover the actual expenses incurred. At the request of the recipient, the grant may be paid in advance.  

 

If the grant is paid in advance, a separate bank account must be set up for the project. All interest on the amount disbursed and any unused funds are to be transferred to the Ministry at the end of the project. 

 

Audited accounts and a final report are to be submitted to the Ministry at the end of the project. It is the recipient’s responsibility to ensure that the auditor is familiar with the guidelines for the grant. 

 

The accounts must be kept in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and the auditor’s report must document that it has been drawn up in accordance with the procedures set out in ISA 800 The Auditor’s Report on Special Purpose Audit Engagements. The audited accounts are to be compared with the approved budget. For grants of over NOK 100 000, a state authorised or registered public accountant is to be used, but for grants of under NOK 100 000, the accountant of choice may be used.  

 

Norwegian governmental recipients are not required to set up a separate bank account for the grant. Neither are they required to submit audited accounts, as their accounts are subject to control by the Office of the Auditor General.  

 

If equipment, fittings or buildings are to be transferred at the end of the project, the recipient and the purchaser must sign a transfer document specifying the items and their value. A copy of this document is to be submitted together with the final report. 

 

Reporting

 

The final report and the audited accounts are to be sent to the Ministry as soon as possible, and at the latest three months after the conclusion of the project. The Ministry’s final report form is to be used.  

 

If the implementation of the project is delayed in relation to the time frame indicated in the application, a status report must be submitted well before the end date for the project.  

 

For multi-year projects, progress reports and accounts must be submitted by 15 February each year. Together with the work plans and budget for the coming year, these will form the basis for further funding.

 

Obligations of the recipient  

 

The recipient is responsible to the Ministry for ensuring that the grant is used in accordance with the objective, activities and budget set out in the Ministry’s letter of allocation.  

 

The recipient and its cooperation partner(s) are obliged to ensure that the project is implemented in the best possible way.  

 

Changes to the original plans or to the basis on which the grant has been given, including substantial changes in the main items of the budget within the total budget framework, may only be made with the prior written consent of the Ministry. 

 

Unused funds are to be returned to the Ministry as soon as possible. 

 

The recipient is obliged to familiarise the cooperation partner(s) with the grounds on which the application was accepted and the grant awarded, and the appurtenant guidelines. 

 

It is the responsibility of the recipient (and where appropriate the cooperation partner) to ensure that any equipment, fittings and posted personnel financed through the grant are properly insured. 

 

The Ministry is to be informed immediately if there is any suspicion of irregularities in connection with the use of the grant. 

 

Evaluation

 

In accordance with section 10.2  of the Appropriation Regulations, and section 12 of the Public Audit Act, the Ministry and the Office of the Auditor General have the right to verify that the funds granted under this scheme are being used as intended. This information will also be taken into consideration in the event of any new applications for funding. 

 

The Ministry may furthermore undertake internal and external evaluations of the grant scheme and individual projects, particularly with a view to determining the actual results achieved in relation to the aims set out in the application and the results reported. The recipient is obliged to contribute to such an evaluation at his or her expense. 

 

Other rules

 

In the event that the project implementation is defective or the grant is clearly mismanaged, the Ministry reserves the right to withdraw the grant with immediate effect. From the moment the recipient receives notice of such withdrawal, no payments may be made from the funds received without the specific approval of the Ministry. 

 

The Ministry reserves the right to disseminate information on the projects it has given support to. These projects will therefore be made publicly known unless a confidentiality agreement has been entered into. 

(Updated January 2008)