GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSALS ABDUL AZIZ AL GHURAIR REFUGEE EDUCATION FUND ROUND II

Transcription

1 GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSALS ABDUL AZIZ AL GHURAIR REFUGEE EDUCATION FUND ROUND II February 2019

2 Table of Contents I. OVERVIEW... 3 What is the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund?... 3 Who Will the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund Benefit?... 4 II. REFUGEE EDUCATION FUND OBJECTIVES... 4 Education Stream 1: Secondary Education... 4 Education Stream 2: Vocational Training / Education... 4 Education Stream 3: Tertiary Education... 5 III. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND PARAMETERS... 5 IV. PROPOSAL GUIDELINES... 7 A. Technical... 7 B. Financial Education Stream 1: Secondary Education Education Stream 2: Vocational Training / Education Education Stream 3: Tertiary Education VI. SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Proposal Component Format Assessment Method Supporting Documents VII. AGREEMENT DURATION VIII. NEXT STEPS IX. CONTACT INFORMATION

3 I. OVERVIEW What is the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund? Between , the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund supports high impact education programs at the secondary, vocational and tertiary levels of education for Syrian and Palestinian refugee youth in Jordan and Lebanon and Arab children and youth affected by wars and disasters residing temporarily in the UAE, with an overall target of reaching 20,000 youth. The overall goal of the fund is to provide young refugees with a pathway to sustainable livelihoods. The Fund is managed by the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education and will provide grants to support education programs that address an acute education gap, are impact-driven and are scalable. Organizations must be able to provide strong evidence for its proposed solutions, use innovative approaches in design and delivery, and build strong local partnerships. In its second round, the Fund prioritizes Innovations in Refugee Education in an effort to explore and identify new solutions to long-standing challenges in refugee education that can improve impact at scale. Although the previous round also focused on identifying innovative approaches in the design and delivery of programs, in this round, the innovative element will be expected to be clearly defined and will as a result be evaluated separately. Innovations in refugee education are defined as any novel or unique approach(es) taken by an organization that contribute to improving the outcomes of their education program(s), i.e. improving refugee student access, completion and/or success. The innovative practices can cover one or more components or processes of the program, including but not limited to financing, outreach, resource management, implementation, or partnership. Please note that innovations do not strictly refer to the use of technology. All interested organizations are expected to clearly describe the innovation in their proposed program, how it addresses a long-standing challenge, and how it is expected to contribute to better outcomes in the program. 3

4 Who Will the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund Benefit? The Fund targets Syrian and Palestinian refugee youth residing in Jordan and Lebanon, who are out-of-school or unable to continue their education. The fund will also consider targeting 30% of the proposed project to vulnerable youth in host communities. The students should be young people in the age range that corresponds to the secondary, vocational and /or tertiary education levels (age group: 13 to 30 years of age). The Fund also targets Arab children and youth of families who due to wars and disasters in their home countries, temporarily reside in the UAE, but are unable to afford school fees. II. REFUGEE EDUCATION FUND OBJECTIVES The Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund aims to equip young refugees with a pathway to sustainable livelihoods. To that end, organizations that submit proposals to the Fund are strongly encouraged to demonstrate how their proposed program contributes to one or more of the below objectives. Organizations must also demonstrate how their proposed approach maximizes outreach, efficiency, resources, etc. It could cover either one or multiple components of any one education stream based on sound experience. Education Stream 1: Secondary Education 1. Support secondary school refugee students (Grades 8 12) in staying in and completing formal school through access to remedial programs, counseling and language support 2. Support drop-out refugee students in returning to school through accelerated learning programs, enabling them to reintegrate into formal education or to access alternative education through innovative approaches that are recognized by local government. Education Stream 2: Vocational Training / Education 1. Support refugee youth in accessing and completing certified vocational technical training programs, certificates or diplomas in specializations that are identified as offering opportunities for employment and improved livelihoods in the host country labour market. 4

5 Followed by internships or apprenticeships or employment (could also be virtual employment) or an entrepreneurship startup track with clear support and guidance. 2. Support students in developing soft skills, employability/career readiness skills, and language skills through innovative platforms. Education Stream 3: Tertiary Education 1. Provide refugee youth support in accessing tertiary technical degrees or diplomas (including online or blended programs) that lead to opportunities for immediate employment and sustainable livelihoods. Priority will be given to low cost technical degrees that are coupled with counselling for the students and followed by internship / apprenticeships and / or employment or an entrepreneurship startup track with clear support and guidance. 2. Support students in developing soft skills, employability/career readiness skills, and language skills through innovative platforms. III. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND PARAMETERS Applying organizations must fulfill the following criteria: Have experience in at least one sound successful program with refugees (Syrian and/or Palestinian) that meet the Fund s specific objective(s) in either Lebanon or Jordan, or both. Able to demonstrate proof of concept, that the program or pilot has had significant impact and has potential to be scaled to benefit larger number of refugee youth in Jordan and/or Lebanon Be a non-profit organization, including educational institutions. The Fund will consider forprofit companies on an exceptional basis and with clear rationale. Be a registered organization in either Jordan and /or Lebanon where the activities would take place or have programs or partners based in either Lebanon and/or Jordan. Not be affiliated with a political party or have political objectives; this applies to applicants and proposed partners (if any) 5

6 Direct project costs are allowable - the fund will cover up to 7% of administrative costs as long as they are related to the project and are supported with strong justification The fund will not cover infrastructure or building costs or building maintenance The fund will consider technology costs that are directly linked to the project; which could include systems, software, equipment, hosting, connectivity, etc, if strong justification is provided that demonstrates they are directly linked to the implementation and resulting n the success of the project Approval/ recognition from relevant local government authorities to implement the proposed project Applicants internal procedures and policies enable it to follow the Fund s reporting requirements (financial and technical) In addition to fulfilling the eligibility requirements, applying organizations must provide evidence, where relevant, of the following: Managing grants for refugee education successfully. Proof that grant request does not exceed the size of the yearly operating budget. Previous evaluations of this or other relevant programs, if available, and explanations of how the monitoring and evaluation of the program was conducted. If no previous evaluations are shared, please explain why. Capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate programs of the scale proposed. Supporting documentation (listed in Section IV). 6

7 IV. PROPOSAL GUIDELINES A. Technical 1. Applicant Contact Information Organization name Legal address Mailing address (if different from legal) Telephone Website Focal Person 2. Status / Registration Please state type of organization (NGO, research center, training center, professional group, etc.) and under which law or regulation it is registered or incorporated. Please indicate the name and title of the person who is the legal representative of the organization. 7

8 3. Overview and background: 3.1. Organizational Background: (Background on the organization and its experience in refugee education, including a brief on current or previous experience in refugee education in the respective educational level(s)) 3.2. Program Overview: (General overview of the proposed program and how it is aligned with the specific objective(s) of the Fund) 4. Program Activities: 4.1. Issue to be addressed: (Identify the issue or need being addressed) 4.2. Evidence of the need: (Provide evidence to demonstrate the need) 4.3. Target population: (Describe the target population to be served and the numbers the proposed program aims to reach) 4.4. Proposed activities: (Describe how the proposed activities address the identified issues, needs and priorities) 4.5. Innovative Approach: (Describe the innovative practice(s) included in your proposal, what challenge(s) they address, and how it is expected to improve the outcome(s) of the program. If these practices have been previously implemented, please provide evidence of their success and/or impact) 4.6. Relevance of proposed activities: (Describe how the proposed activities complement, strengthen or fill gaps in the existing refugee education landscape (within the educational level the proposed program addresses) 5. Outreach 5.1. Outreach activities: (Explain how the proposed program will reach disadvantaged refugee youth) 5.2. Outreach risks and mitigation: (Describe what challenges the program anticipates facing in adequately supporting the target population and how it addresses those challenges) 5.3. Beneficiary selection criteria: (Describe the selection criteria and highlight how the program proposes to ensure selected youth are disadvantaged and do not have other sources of funding) 8

9 6. Implementation Plan and Timeline 6.1. Provide a detailed implementation plan and timeline of the proposed program (including planning phase) 7. Organizational Capacity: 7.1. Previous experience and alignment: (Describe your organization's current capacity and expertise as it relates to the proposed program and its implementation, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting. Also describe how the proposed program is aligned with your organization s mission, goals and strategic directions.) 7.2. Key personnel: (Describe the roles and responsibilities of positions included in the proposal.) 8. Partnerships (if your proposal involves a partner organization or sub-contractors) 8.1. Describe the roles and responsibilities of each partner or sub-contractor Describe how the work flow will be managed Describe how the funding will be administered Describe the results each of the partners or sub-contractors are expected to achieve Include a rationale on how the partnership will add value to the proposed program Describe the selection criteria of how the partners or sub-contractors were/will be selected. 9. Co-Funding (if your proposal involves co-funding or matching funds) 9.1. Identify who the proposed co-funders are and what they will support Demonstrate commitment from proposed co-funder to the project Include a rationale on how the co-funder will add value to the proposed program and support the applicant in reaching targets and meeting objectives. Please Note: the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education will not be responsible, accountable or in any way liable to funds or the management of funds provided by other sources to the proposed project. All responsibilities, liabilities and management are vested in the applicant. 9

10 10. Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and evaluation plan and timeline: (Include a monitoring and evaluation plan and timeline that includes the relevant indicators listed in Section V.) Monitoring and evaluation tools and approaches: (Describe your measurement tools and overall monitoring and evaluation approach throughout the program.) Previous lessons learnt: (Include lessons learnt or evaluation results from current program proposed for growth/scaling. If no previous evaluations are shared, please explain why) 11. Scalability and Sustainability Added value: (If the proposed program is building on an existing program or project, please describe what is the added value of this proposed project. How will it fill gaps or address current shortfalls? If relevant, describe and include numbers of students in your current pipeline that cannot be reached due to funding gaps.) Sustainability beyond the grant: (Describe how the proposed project aims to address sustainability after end of the grant.) B. Financial 1. Budget and Budget Narrative 1.1. Include a full budget breakdown and budget narrative as per the budget template provided List any other sources of funding (if applicable) as well as any in-kind contributions (if applicable.) 1.3. List cost share and give details of source of funds (if applicable) with commitment from co-funders to this project The budget narrative should describe the budget line items in greater detail and provide justification (where relevant). Describe how the cost per student is calculated. Describe justification for any indirect costs in the program and provide a detailed rationale for why it is needed. 10

11 V. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Once organizations are selected for a grant, a timeline for reporting will be shared by the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund with the following reporting requirements: (All applicants must adhere to the Fund s reporting formats and requirements): 1. Monitoring and evaluation plan (that includes the below indicators). 2. Communications plan. 3. Quarterly reports (technical, financial, and monitoring and evaluation). 4. Students academic progress reports, including but not limited to grades, achievements as well as flagging any issues or challenges. 5. Final report (financial and technical). 6. Final evaluation report. There are a minimum number of indicators that organizations are expected to report on as part of their monitoring and evaluation plans (based on their educational stream and type of program they are proposing). These include: Education Stream 1: Secondary Education a. Number of out-of-school students successful in accessing recognized education certificates/ programs b. Number of students completing Grade 8-12 in the formal education system c. Number of drop-out students supported to accessing an accredited education system d. Percentage change in average student performance in academic subjects following enrolment e. Percentage of females enrolled in the program f. Percentage of students who feel better prepared for university/employment as a result of the program 11

12 Education Stream 2: Vocational Training / Education a. Number of students enrolled in accredited / recognized vocational training in a specialization that is identified as a potential opportunity for employment (broken down by specialization or program) b. Percentage of students enrolled in technical colleges in a specialization that is identified as a potential opportunity for employment c. Percentage of graduating students who secured skilled employment relevant to their certificate and /or apprenticeships within 6 months and 1 year d. Percentage of students accessing internships/ apprenticeships relevant to their certificate e. Percentage of students who feel better prepared for employment as a result of the program Education Stream 3: Tertiary Education a. Number of students enrolled in technical degrees or diplomas with potential opportunities for employment (broken down by specialization or program) b. Number of students enrolled who are provided with the necessary pathway to developing employment skills c. Percentage of graduates securing skilled employment in an area relevant to their degree within 6 months, and 1 year d. Percentage of female students e. Percentage of first-generation students 12

13 VI. SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Proposal Component Format Assessment Method MS Word file format, size 12 font, 1.5 space, including at least the following required sections: Overview and Background (max 2 pages) Program Activities (max 3 pages) Outreach (max 1 page) Implementation Plan, Timeline and Approach (max 2 pages) Organizational Capacity (max 1 page) Technical Proposal Partnerships (if applicable) (max 1 page) Narrative Co-funding (if applicable) (max: half page) Monitoring and Evaluation (max 1 page) The Technical Proposal Scalability and Sustainability (max half page) will be assessed by the Organizations may collaborate as a consortium to Fund and will carry equal develop a proposed program and should list all weight to the Financial partners in the consortium within the proposal, Proposal including any signed partnership agreements. Note: Submissions that do not comply with the minimum outlined requirements will not be considered Budget and budget narrative submitted according to template attached. Any other funding sources (if applicable). Organizations must list any other sources of funds Financial Proposal for the proposed project, including names of donors and indicating what they will be funding as well as providing commitment from co-funding sources to the proposed project. 13

14 Supporting Documents Please attach all supporting documents as annexes Legal registration documents Organizational Chart and CV's of key personnel List of Board of Directors A signed letter of intent from partner organization(s) (if applicable) List of donors/funders for this proposed program (if applicable) A signed letter of commitment from co-funding donors/ funders (if applicable) Most recent audited financial statements Banking details List of all donors/funders to the organization for the past 5 years Evaluation of current project/program (if applicable) Additional documents may be requested during the process Organizations must provide all supporting documents (where applicable) to be considered for a grant VII. AGREEMENT DURATION The agreement will commence between June and September Projects demonstrating successful outcomes may be considered for renewal based on duration of courses and successful outcomes. 14

15 VIII. NEXT STEPS The Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund will announce results in June The table below outlines the timeline and key milestones for the proposal submission, review and award process. Based on the proposals received, the Fund will shortlist a number of organizations to be considered for grant and with whom direct further discussions will take place. Milestone Deadline Proposal guidelines sent to organizations February Organizations invited to submit a full proposal to the Foundation by e- mail to refugeeeducation@alghurairfoundation.org On or before March 19 Organizations will be contacted for follow up questions, clarifications and any amendments needed and organizations submit revised proposals April Q4 Selected organizations contacted for further discussions on MOU May Q Contracts/ agreements finalized and signed May Q3, 2019 Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund Round II Announcement Week of June 20, 2019 Planning and preparatory phase begins July 1, 2019 Refugee Education Fund Round II grantees attend communications workshop to become familiarized with the communications toolkit and guidelines Refugee Education Fund Round II grantees attend an M&E workshop to introduce the M&E guidelines and jointly design plan Implementation begins August / September 2019 TBC TBC IX. CONTACT INFORMATION For any further questions or clarifications prior to submitting a proposal, please us on: refugeeeducation@alghurairfoundation.org 15