| ECBP Call for Proposals FAQ |
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| 2006-09-12 13:50 文章来源：商务部国际司 | | 文章类型：原创 内容分类：新闻 |
Note: We will keep this FAQ updated as necessary and needed.
I General
II Budget & Financial Management
III Evaluation and Selection
IV Implementation
I General
1. Q: Do we send the application to the UNDP-COSU directly or through our parent organizations, e.g. through the parent ministries/commissions at central government for local government organizations?
A: As the Applicant you must send the application to UNDP-COSU directly. The eligibility of an Applicant is set out in the Guidelines. As long as you meet the requirements of Applicants, you may apply in your own name and take on all the relevant responsibilities.
2. Q: Should we put down the words of “ECBP Project Application” on every page of the application?
A: No, you don’t need to put the words: “ECBP Project Application” on every page. However, you should write the words: “ECBP Project Application – not to be opened before the opening session” on the envelope containing the applications as well as write on it the full name and address of your organization.
3. Q : Is an international non-profit organization which has not been registered as NGO with the Chinese Government eligible to apply as an Applicant?
A: International NGOs will not need to be registered as NGOs with the Government of China in order to apply as Applicants under the ECBP Call for Proposals. Unfortunately, this is not formulated very clearly in the Guidelines (top page 8).
However, to be an eligible Applicant, international NGOs shall still meet all other criteria in the guidelines and regulations. Amongst such criteria is an adequate track record of biodiversity conservation work in China and sufficient financial capacity including operational capacity, and the capacity to open a bank account in China for the receipt of the ECBP grant. The Applicants will be assessed in this respect by both the IGRC and UNDP during the evaluation and before grants agreements are signed.
4. Q: Who should be put down as the "contact person" in the Applications form section 2 - the leader of the organization or the person in charge of the project?
A: It should be the person in charge of the project proposed.
5. Q: Shall the “supporting letter from the relevant Provincial Government Department” be provided by the Provincial Government or the environmental departments?
A: The supporting letter may be from “Provincial People’s Government” or from an environmental department, but it can as well be provided by another provincial department. The supporting letter should come from the most relevant local government department to the project. If, for instance, the proposals concern biodiversity friendly agriculture, the provincial agricultural department could provide the supporting letter.
6. Q: Some organizations, such as government departments or institutes maybe cannot provide a financial report certified by external auditors. Can the financial report they provide to their upper authority be the supporting document in this regard?
A: Yes. The financial report provided to your superior authority can serve as “other relevant certification” and should be sealed and signed by the responsible head of your superior authority.
7. Q: Is it possible to have both a Chinese and a foreign Partner at the same time?
A: Yes. The Applicant can have more than one Partner. Please make reference to Guidelines 2.1.
8. Q: What is the difference between the Results and Resources Framework (RRF) and the Work Plan and Budget in the Application Form?
A: The RRF and Work Plan must be seen as both interlinked and at the same time different tools. The RRF focuses on the higher level of project logic and description (overall outcome, outcome indicators and planned outputs which will help to achieve the wanted outcome), while the Work Plan focuses on the definition and description of the operational level of the project (outputs, outputs indicators, activities and budget).
9. Q: Shall the Applicant and its Partners all sign on the same Partnership Statement (re section III of the Application Form)?
A: No, each Partner shall sign a separate Partnership Statement co-signed by the Applicant.
10. Q: Should Applicants give a reference number for the project application?
A: No. During an Opening Session in COSU, each application will be assigned a reference number.
11. Q: Is it possible for an Applicant to make more than one project application?
A: Yes，please note, however, that an Applicant can only receive one project grant if successful.
12. Q: If an Applicant provides more than one application, shall these then be forwarded to COSU in separate sealed envelopes?
A: Yes. Please use separate sealed envelopes for each project application.
13. Q：Can an Applicant of one application be a Partner in another other application?
A: Yes, please make reference to Guidelines section 2.2.
14. Q: Can a Chinese research institution apply under the call?
A: Yes, a Chinese research institute can act as either Applicant or Partner under ECBP Call for Proposals. Please note, however, that the ECBP grant will not be awarded to proposals for pure research oriented projects.
15. Q: What is the difference between “responsible party(s)” and “executing agent” in the Application Form, Section 9, Work Plan and Budget?
A: “Responsible party(s)” in this context just means the organization directly responsible for the implementation of certain activities. The “responsible party” would be the Applicant or the Partner(s).
The “Executing agency” is here another word for the Applicant.
After a Grant Agreement is signed applicant will be called the “Cooperating Agency”.
16. Q：Can projects which promote conservation and sustainable use of marine ecosystem，and can wetland ecosystem be supported in this Call for Proposals?
A: It is not the intension to include marine ecosystems under this Call for Proposals. However, freshwater wetland ecosystems can be included.
17. Q: Can other UN organizations than UNDP be Applicants or Partners under the ECBP Call for Proposals?
A: Yes, in principle such organizations can apply as international non-profit organizations as long as they also fulfill all other requirements in the guidelines and conditions and regulations.
18. Q: If the original versions of Partner organization’s Financial Reports, Articles of Associations and Annual Reports are in English, is it then necessary to also provide a Chinese translation?
A: Chinese translation or summary maybe useful, but not compulsory. The English version of the application will take precedence in event of inconsistency between the two language versions.
II Budget & Financial Management
1. Q: How should we interpret the term "eligible indirect costs"?
A: “Eligible indirect costs” is a management fee/overhead to the Applicant and Partners. The size of this overhead will be 7% of the total ECBP granted eligible direct costs. The overhead will be paid to the Applicant pro rata (quarterly in accordance with actual costs incurred). The payment of the overhead does not require provision of documented expenditures. The Applicant and Partners must decide how to distribute the overhead amongst them and this shall be formulated in their Memorandum of Understanding. Please, see Guidelines 2.4 and Annex II on General Terms and Conditions, pages 4 & 5).
2. Q: Could the 50% matching funds be provided by the Applicant together with its Partner(s)?
A: Yes.
3. Q: Will the matching funds from different sources have to be transferred to a special bank account?
A: No, there is no requirement to transfer the matching funds into a special bank account. The matching funds may typically be in form of staff salaries, office costs etc and these will be monitored and audited along with all other direct eligible project costs. In common cases, the project need a separate bank account, however, to receive the ECBP grants.
4. Q: Can the administrative support staff hired by the project be covered by the project, if yes, which budget line?
A: Yes, expenses to administrative support staff hired by the project to conduct specific and necessary project activities can be included in the project. The costs for this must be broken down in relevant categories, such as salaries for national or international support staff, expected travel costs, etc. (Please note also the specific requirement for Chinese Government staff, please reference to Guidelines 2.4 and Annex II General Terms and Conditions, page 13.)
5. Q: Is there a ceiling on how much equipment projects can procure – like a percentage of the total project budget?
A: There is no a defined specific maximum-% for procurement costs for equipment or other items. Due to the overall objectives of the ECBP projects and the request of cost-effectiveness, it is envisaged, however, that only a limited amount of the projects total costs should be spent on equipment and other procured items.
6. Q: Can matching funds from Applicants and Partners be in the form of grants provided by other on-going projects supported by other donors?
A: Matching funds should typically be provided by the Applicants or Partner(s) own sources as in kind and cash contributions. At least part of the matching funds should be provided by the local or national Applicant or Partners in order to strengthen ownership and long term sustainability. The matching funds can be in the form of in kind contributions (for instance office costs and power costs), or as cash contributions (such as for example staff salaries). Matching funds shall be used only to finance activities that are defined in the final Project Grant Agreement with UNDP. The use of the matching funds must be reported and will be audited during project implementation.
Possible utilization of funds from other on-going donor supported projects as matching funds must be assessed according to the intensions and regulations described above.
7. Q: What kind of evidence is needed for the matching funds from Applicant and Partner(s) in the applications?
A: The matching funds from the Applicant and the Partner(s) will be defined in the work plan and budget and the capacity to provide these matching funds will be declared by the Applicant and the Partners in the supporting documents. The use of the ECBP co-financing as well as the continuous provision and use of the matching funds will further be monitored and audited through the project implementation.
8. Q: Will staff from the Applicant and Partners be able to receive remuneration from the ECBP co-financing?
A: Yes, however, salaries for personal with Applicant(s) and Partner(s) undertaking project activities may also be paid by the Applicant or Partner(s) organization as cash matching contributions. Further, Chinese Government further personnel can only receive remuneration from the ECBP grant if a) his/her employer agency is not an organizational unit of the Cooperating Agency, and b) s/he obtains an approved leave of absence from the employer agency (please refer to Guideline 2.4 and Annex II. General Terms and Conditions, page 3).
9. Q: According to Annex II General Terms and Conditions, the procedures for cash transfer will be based on a micro-assessment of the financial management capacity. Will this assessment be applicable to Applicants only? Can part of the grant be directly transferred to the Partner’s account?
A: During the evaluation of applications, the IGRC will assess both the Applicant’s and the Partners’ financial and operational capacity. A micro-assessment of the Applicant may be conducted by UNDP prior to the awarding of the Grant Agreement to the Cooperating Agency. The Cooperating Agency will take full responsibility of managing the project funds.
III Evaluation and Selection
1. Q: Is there a mechanism to avoid the conflict of interests in the evaluation process?
A: Yes. UNDP and COSU pay great attention to ensuring fair competition, transparency and value for money in the Call for Proposals. Mechanisms to avoid any potential conflict of interests include, amongst others:
1) There are strict criteria of qualification and professional experience for IGRC members.
2) Before the evaluation the members of IGRC are required to sign a Declaration of Objectivity, Impartiality and Confidentiality to avoid potential conflict of interests.
3) EC, UNDP, MOFCOM and SEPA will monitor closely the whole process and will approve the recommendations by IGRC only when/if they are satisfied that selection procedures have been carried out properly.
IV Implementation
1. Q: How long is the project implementation period? Must all activities must be closed before February 2010?
A: Projects start date will be defined in the final grant agreements, and all the operational project activities must end before 1st March 2010. Final reporting, approval and final financial settlements will take place immediately thereafter.
2. Q: Who owns the property rights of the equipments purchased by the grants?
A: Please refer to Annex II - General Terms and Conditions, page 11 “Procurement of Equipment”. Usually, equipment procured under UNDP-assisted projects remains UNDP property until formally transferred or disposed of, at the end of the project.
3. Q: Can an Applicant or a Partner also be a “subcontractor” during project implementation?
A: No. The Applicant and Partner(s) cannot be sub-contractors in the projects. Sub-contractor must be selected according to procedures stipulated in the Annex II, General Conditions and Regulations.
4. Q: Can the number of Partners increased or decreased during project implementation?
A: Generally, the Applicant and Partners must be identified during the project preparation and must be defined in the Grant Agreement. During project implementation, if a change of Partners is unavoidable or preferential, the Cooperating Agency can make a written application to UNDP to seek approval for such a change and, if approved, this will be further described in an addendum to the Grant Agreement.
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