UNDEF received 2,868 project proposals for its Sixth Round of Funding by the deadline of New Year’s

UNDEF received 2,868 project proposals for its Sixth Round of
Funding by the deadline of New Year’s Eve 2011 – the second highest
number in the history of the Fund. The project proposals originated
from applicants in 138 countries, the vast majority being local civil
society organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The
proposals are now being assessed by independent consultants, a
process in which each proposal will be judged on its inherent quality
and scored against 10 set criteria:
• Does the proposed project advance the objectives of UNDEF?
• Does the applicant organization have a strong track record?
• Is the proposal technically sound in conception and presentation?
• Does the proposal make use of the UN’s and UNDEF’s comparative
advantage?
• Would the proposed project have significant impact?
• Would the proposed project represent good value for money?
• Does the proposed project have strong prospects for successful
implementation?
• Does the proposed project have strong prospects of sustainability
beyond the project duration?
• Does the proposed project encourage inclusiveness?
• Would the proposed project enhance gender equality?

 

Because of the large number of proposals, the assessment process
will be highly rigorous and competitive. In the following stage, a
long list will be reviewed by the UNDEF Programme Consultative
Group -- comprising the Department of Political Affairs, the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights, the Peacebuilding Support
Office, the UN Development Programme, UN Women and the
UN Office on Drugs and Crime. This will result in a short list to be
reviewed by the UNDEF Advisory Board and ultimately submitted
to the Secretary-General for approval.
Only those who advance to the short list will be contacted by
UNDEF. This is expected to be in mid-2011, at which stage,
short-listed applicants will be required to compose a draft project
document to be negotiated with UNDEF -- the final stage of the
selection process.
In its first five Rounds of Funding, UNDEF supported more than
400 projects in over 150 countries. They all reflect a focus on
strengthening the voice of civil society, ranging from exchanging
electoral best practices and empowering marginalized
communities to conducting training in new media and
establishing grassroots schools for democracy.

 

The Secretary-General has finalized the
composition of the new UNDEF Advisory Board
-- the body which gives him policy guidance and
recommends funding proposals for his approval.
The Board is appointed for a period of two years
and includes the Governments of the seven
largest UNDEF donors as measured by
cumulative contributions received 2009-2011:
the United States, India, Sweden, Germany,
Australia, Spain and France; and six Member
States reflecting geographical diversity and
commitment to democratic principles: Jamaica,
Lithuania, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tunisia and
Uruguay.
The Board also includes three individual
members: Michael Doyle, Professor of
International Affairs, Law and Political Science at
Columbia University and former UN Assistant
Seceretary-General for Strategic Planning, who
remains as Chair of the Board; Shazia Rafi
(Pakistan), Secretary-General of Parliamentarians
for Global Action, a non-partisan international
network of over 1,300 elected legislators from
131 countries. The network aims to promote
peace, democracy, the rule of law, human rights

and sustainable development. Ms. Shazia is en
eloquent voice on all these issues and would
contribute a welcome connection between
UNDEF and parliamentarians around the world;
Jeffrey Wright (USA), actor and founder of the
Taia Peace Foundation
The Board includes two civil society
organizations chosen for their expertise beyond
a single country: Third World Network, an
independent, international network of
organizations and individuals working for the
rights of peoples in the Global South, a fair
distribution of world resources, and forms of
development which are ecologically sustainable
and answer to human needs; and WEDO, the
Women’s Environment and Development
Organization, which works to ensure that
women’s rights, social, economic and
environmental justice, and sustainable
development principles -- as well as the linkages
between them -- are at the heart of global and
national policies, programmes and practices.

 

 

http://www.un.org/democracyfund/Docs/UU13.pdf