Panibagong Paraan, the nationwide search for innovative ideas to address development challenges, is back!

Entries are now being accepted for the Project Grant Competition, where winners will be extended grants of up to PhP 1,000,000 to turn their innovative ideas into action.

Panibagong Paraan 2008 invites ideas for projects that help improve citizens’ quality of life through effective local governance. Proposed projects should build and utilize multi-stakeholder partnerships to:

• improve transparency and accountability in governance,
• broaden and improve quality of citizen participation in governance,
• strengthen collaboration among stakeholders, and
• improve responsiveness and efficiency of public services.

Proposed projects may focus on overall governance or sectoral governance concerns. Projects should fall under any of the following project categories:

• Governance and Administration
• Delivery of Basic Social Services (including health and nutrition, education, housing, energy)
• Economic Development
• Environmental Management
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Rehabilitation
• Special Category: Population and Development. Proposals should demonstrate local application of the link between population dynamics (fertility, mortality and migration) and development concerns. Projects should show how LGUs and other sectors in the community work together to address population and development issues, or how the local government structure, processes and service channels are harnessed for effective planning and implementation of a population management program.

To ensure the sustainability of initiatives, the project proposal may focus on, or integrate an advocacy component for the development of ordinances/ laws or policies at the local or national level that will improve local governance.

Panibagong Paraan welcomes projects that seek to promote, strengthen or institutionalize indigenous mechanisms for participatory governance.

THE PROJECT GRANT COMPETITION IS OPEN TO:

• Civil society organizations (CSOs), including cooperatives and other people’s organizations, non-government organizations, foundations, faith-based and inter-faith organizations, civic organizations, and business/ commerce and industry associations.
• Academic and research institutions, including academic-based foundations and outreach programs.

Local government units, other government agencies, other CSOs or academic and research institutions, and/or private companies may be indicated as co-proponents/ partner organizations. Partnership with the relevant LGU/s is particularly encouraged for projects that will require integration into LGU processes to ensure sustainability.

GRANT AMOUNT AND PROJECT DURATION

Panibagong Paraan provides grants for projects that can be completed within one year.

Project grants of up to PhP 1,000,000 will be awarded for the implementation of winning project proposals. The actual grant amount will be based on the budget submitted for the proposed project. Proposals should provide for counterpart contributions (from the proponent organization and its partner organizations) , in cash or kind, amounting to at least 30% of total project cost.

EVALUATION OF ENTRIES AND SELECTION OF WINNERS

Entries should be submitted in the form of a Concept Paper. (Please see attached Concept Paper format with required attachments. )

From the submitted entries, semi-finalists will be selected and asked to submit full-blown proposals. The proposals will then be evaluated by a group of experts who will select the finalists. The finalist entries will be reviewed by a distinguished board of jurors, who will choose the winning projects. Finalists will be asked to participate in a two-day Exhibit and Culminating Event in April 2008. The Panibagong Paraan 2008 winners will be announced at the close of the Exhibit/ Culminating Event.

Entries will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Innovation (30%)
• Partnership- Building (30%)
• Development Results (20%)
• Sustainability, Scalability and Replicability (20%)

SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES:

Entries should be submitted via e-mail or courier/ mail/ hand delivery, to any of the following addresses:

E-mail: dimp@worldbank.org, cc: dimp2008_wb@yahoo.com. Please indicate Subject as: Project Grant Competition Entry

Delivery: Panibagong Paraan 2008 Secretariat, 23rd Flr., Taipan Place, F. Ortigas Jr. Road (formerly Emerald Avenue), Ortigas District, Pasig City (Please indicate Subject as: Project Grant Competition Entry)

Deadline for Submission of Concept Papers: 5:00 PM, December 22, 2007

February 2008: Notification of Semi-Finalists
March 2008: Notification of Finalists
April 2008: Exhibit/ Culminating Event

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please visit www.panibagongparaan.com, or contact the Panibagong Paraan 2008 Secretariat through:

E-mail: dimp@worldbank. org, cc: dimp2008_wb@ yahoo.com
Tel. No.: 0920-925-1137

PANIBAGONG PARAAN 2008 PARTNERS:

• World Bank
• Department of the Interior and Local Government – Local Government Academy
• Asian Development Bank
• Australian Agency for International Development/ Philippines – Australia Community Assistance Program
• Canadian International Development Agency
• Caucus of Development NGO Networks
• League of Corporate Foundations
• Peace and Equity Foundation
• Philippine Center for Population and Development
• Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement
• Team Energy Foundation
• The Asia Foundation
• United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme

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