Australia Awards Indonesia. Alumni Grant Scheme Guidelines

Transcription

1 Australia Awards Indonesia Alumni Grant Scheme Guidelines 1

2 Table of Content 1. Background Guidelines Purpose Eligibility and Conditions of Participations Process Call for Applications and Advertising Process of Acquiring an Alumni Grant Application Assessment Standards Priority Considerations Notification and Award Entitlements Budget Guidelines Breaking Conditions and Suspending or Repaying the Grant Fraud Application Submission and Dates Monitoring and Reporting Recognition of Successful Grant Completion Grant Promotion Australian Identity Annex 1 Child Protection Policy Annex 2 Evaluation Criteria Grid

3 Alumni Grant Scheme General Guidelines 1. Background The Alumni Grant Scheme (AGS) is an initiative of the Australia Awards - Indonesia (AAI) to support alumni to contribute in enhancing Indonesia s development and in building strong and positive relationship with Australia. Australia Awards alumni across Indonesia will have an opportunity to access the Alumni Grant to conduct activities that support nine thematic areas of Indonesia s development focus and strengthen Indonesia Australia relationship: a. Bureaucratic Reform & Administration b. Education c. Health d. Poverty reduction, disadvantaged area and post-conflict resolution e. Infrastructure f. Food security, g. Environment and natural disaster h. Energy and innovation of technology i. Investment and business climate The AGS is administered by AAI in accordance with Guidelines approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). These guidelines may be subject to adjustment from time to time depending on funding allocations and program priorities as agreed by DFAT. 2. Guidelines 2.1. Purpose The AGS is designed to assist proactive alumni to conduct activities that have the following Australia Awards - Indonesia development and program outcomes: Australia Awards Program Outcomes Impact Indonesia s development is enhanced by the contributions of internationally qualified professionals and a strong and positive relationship with Australia. Outcome 1 Indonesian alumni use their knowledge, skills and attitudes in their professional fields Outcome 2 Indonesian alumni use their knowledge, skills and attitudes in their communities Outcome 3 Indonesian alumni have, or support, links with Australia, Australian organisations, or Australians Outcome 4 Indonesian alumni have links with other Australia Awards alumni, or their organisations, in Indonesia and worldwide Outcome 5 Indonesian alumni view Australia and Australians in a positive light 3

4 Thus activities funded by the AGS should achieve one or more of the following key indicators in line with the outcomes of the broader Australia Awards Indonesia program: improve alumni work capacity improve conditions in local communities improve teaching programs in a university or institute improve research programs in a university or institute share alumni knowledge, skills with others in the same professional field strengthen professional and institutional linkages between Indonesia and Australia promote gender equality in the institution, professional field or community promote disability inclusion in the institution, professional field or community 2.2 Eligibility and Conditions of Participations 1. Eligible applicants are Australia Awards alumni and constituent programs such as Australian Development Scholarships (ADS), Australian Partnership Scholarships (APS), Australian Leadership Awards (ALA), Australian Development Co-operation Scholarship (ADCOS), Australian International Development Assistance Bureau (AIDAB), ASTASS, Colombo Plan, Endeavour and Australia Awards Short Course alumni, 2. Applicant/s must already be registered at the Australia Awards Alumni Database. Alumni applicants need to maintain up-to-date contacts with the Australia Awards Alumni Network program (Click on this link to update alumni contact details - Contact Details Form) 3. Applications that are carefully targeted to achieve maximum impact and measurable outcomes will be favoured, 4. Eligible group of alumni applying for a Grant i.e. alumni networks and associations are those which: a. Are aligned with Australia Awards, b. Consisting group with one of the alumni (as a leader preferred) are also eligible to apply as long as they commit to the development and implementation of sound policies and practices focused on the achievement of the priority development area of Government of Indonesia and Government of Australia in Indonesia, c. Meet the Australia Award development outcomes (see point 2.1). 2.3 Process Call for applications and advertising In the first year, one round of Alumni Grants will be promoted and announced on Australia Awards Indonesia website to mark the round. There will be two application rounds each year which take place in April and October. Applications may be submitted by an alumnus or, a group of same sector alumni working towards a common development goal. All Applications will be assessed under the defined criteria, standards and procedures aligned with the overall Australia Awards objectives. The proposed activity must be completed within a period of 12 months. An individual or group of alumni can submit more than one application but only one proposal in one Grants cycle will be selected (if the applicant is successful). Applicants may also apply again in the next Grants cycle whether they have been awarded a Grant(s) previously or not. 4

5 2.3.2 Process of acquiring an Alumni Grant The process of acquiring an Alumni Grant is as follows: Submission of application: When the Alumni Grants Scheme is announced, applicants will have a period of approximately two months to submit their online application link of smarty Grant to Australia Awards in Indonesia. The application must be completed, attaching all of the required documentation at the time of submission for it to be considered. Shortlisting of applications: Representative from the Australia Awards in Indonesia office will undertake the first pre-eligilibility check of the applications, reviewed by DFAT. The second shortlisting will be undertaken by the AGS Review Panel using an Evaluation Criteria Grid see Annex 3.. Final sign-off on Alumni Grant applications: Recommended successful applications will be sent to DFAT Development Cooperation Unit for final sign-off Application Assessment Standards Applications will be assessed on the following evaluation criteria that will be used in evaluating proposals: Strategic Purpose Methodology Ownership Applications should address at least one of the 9 thematic areas of Indonesia s development focus (see point 1) with explanation of relevance. This year priority theme is on access and communities in those 9 thematic areas, Applications must demonstrate how the activity will add value to existing systems or processes that delivers developmental benefits to Indonesia, Applications should meet and contribute at least one of the development outcomes (see point 2.1) and relevance should be described, Applications are realistic (clear, feasible) and supported by a well-defined work plan and timeline for execution, Applications should be unique, innovative, sustainable, resource effective and with measurable and tangible impact expected. Applications are linked to the knowledge and skills gained through the study undertaken in Australia and professional work experiences, Ownership by the institution showing a letter of support from institution leadership indicating the institution s commitment to implement lessons / learning that may arise from the activity. Complementarity Applications are complimentary with other initiatives and activities, enhance other investments, Applications are not duplicating of other funded activities, internal initiatives. Financial Investment Applications include budget clarity, completeness and accuracy, 5

6 Applications should be Value-for-money in terms of price, risk, return and cost-efficient options Priority considerations Priority considerations will be given to applications as follows: Applications that include a financial contribution and/or a contribution in kind from the alumnus/group of alumnus. Additional factors assessed in a proposal will include: o Social inclusion factors including gender, rural disadvantaged and disability, o Geographic location of the application Notification and award: Those successful and non-successful applicants are notified via electronic communication. 2.4 Entitlements Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of AUD 10,000 or equivalent to IDR per activity for activities such as: Development activities e.g. community engagement, professional networking engagement funding Australian/s to deliver workshop/ training, join research with Australia, Australian organisation s participation, Knowledge sharing activities e.g. delivery of training, seminar, workshop, white paper development, paper presentation at conferences, journal article publication, Capacity building activities e.g. participation in high quality training, research and professional visits to exchange of expertise, skills and knowledge. The amounts identified above are not automatic. thoroughly the amount that is sought. Applications in each case will have to justify 2.5 Budget Guidelines Successful applicants will agree to acquit funds according to Australia Awards guidelines that will be provided as part of the process of confirming the Grant. a. Funds will be paid in local currency (Rupiah) that are divided into 2 stages, 70% upon project signing and 30% upon final report completion and based on the actual cost; AAI will reimburse the Grantees at cost within the 30% of that remaining budget and the fund will be paid within 30 working days of AAI s receipt of completion final report and a correct acquittal. b. The budget should include all anticipated expenditures in Rupiah, c. Documentations of the expenses listed in the budget such as pro-forma invoices and supplier price quotation or cost estimates need to be included in the reports, 6

7 d. Grant funds may be used for the organisation/implementation of seminars and workshops, but Applications must describe the expected audience, content, and timeframe, and justify the activity in terms of outcome and benefits to Australian national interests, e. Grant funds may be used for the publication of materials, but applications must describe the audience, content and means of distribution, f. Please bear in mind that there are some cost categories that cannot be covered by the Alumni Grant, include: Recurrent costs such as office rental, salaries and allowances, vehicle running expenses, office supplies, transportation costs or vehicle running expenses, spare parts and electricity bills, Purchase of capital equipment such as items which might be term assets, Grants may not be used for any form of partisan political activity, Subsidies for formal studies in-country or in Australia, Participation at an activity for which applicants already receive funding by Australian Government, Any personal items not relevant to the implementation of the AGS-funded activity Breaking conditions, and suspending or repaying the Grant AAI reserves the right to withhold Grant payments on an award at any time, in cases where the Grantee is non-compliant. Such cases include, but are not limited to, failure to submit proper documentation (e.g., expenditure acquittal reports, suspicion of fraudulent activities etc.) and unsatisfactory technical progress. a. If Grantees break any of these conditions, one or more of the following may apply. Grantees may have to pay back all or part of the Grant, AAI may stop any future payments, AAI may end the agreement immediately, Where fraud is detected, a criminal charge may apply in accordance with DFAT requirements and local laws. b. AAI will decide what to do and the amount Grantees will have to pay back (if any). Taking into consideration whether the conditions were broken because of factors outside of Grantees control. c. Unless an exception applies, AAI may also take the actions if any of the following happens. Grantees significantly change the activity of the Grant which they received without getting AAI written approval first, Grantees do not use the Grant for the purpose for which it was awarded, Grantees do not follow AAI reasonable instructions, Grantees do not perform the purpose of the Grant or funded activity with reasonable care, thoroughness, competence and to a standard that would be expected for Grantees level of experience in their practice, profession or line of work, Grantees do not complete the funded activity (unless, in AAI opinion, this was because of factors outside Grantees control), 7

8 Grantees wrote anything significant their application that is wrong or misleading, either by mistake or because they were trying to mislead AAI, Grantees act illegally or negligently at any time during the funded activity, and AAI believe it has significantly affected the funded activity, or is likely to harm AAI or Grantees reputation, and Without first getting AAI approval in writing, Grantees sell or in some other way transfer the Grant, Grantees business or the activity the Grant is funding to someone else. d. Exceptions to condition AAI can decide whether to ask for repayment and whether to keep funding the activity. When deciding these things, AAI will consider whether the problem can be fixed and within a reasonable time. When AAI requires Grantees to repay, AAI will consider how much of the funded activity has been successfully completed before deciding the amount of money to be repaid Fraud AAI has a zero tolerance towards fraud and is committed to minimising the incidence of fraud through the development, implementation and regular review of fraud prevention, detection and response strategies. The Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines 2011 (the Guidelines) define fraud against the Commonwealth - delinesmarch2011.pdf as: Dishonestly obtaining a benefit, or causing a loss, by deception or other means. DFAT expects, regards and treats fraud seriously. Likewise, funding provided by DFAT to its recipients (including Grantees) is Commonwealth funding. Where DFAT has provided funding and the money has been misappropriated, the misappropriation of Commonwealth funds is fraud against the Commonwealth. More information on DFAT Fraud Policy Statement: Any technical and/or financial report submitted by a Grantee that consists of dishonest or false representation will be deemed as fraud. This will include, but not limited to the following: 1. Obtaining tangible benefits which include: a. Submitting false acquittals to obtain cash, b. Assisting a sub-contract to overcharge AAI and receive a payment or other benefit in return, c. Accepting or handing out bribes. 2. Theft, 3. Accounting fraud, 4. Unlawful use of, or obtaining property, equipment, material or services, 5. Misappropriation of the funds, either by way of: 8

9 a. forging cheques, invoices and official documents, b. submitting false information to AAI and DFAT and/or its stakeholders, c. making, or using false, forged or falsified documents and, d. submitting reports with content that is meant to mislead either by way of omission of true facts or addition of false information, e. wrongfully using Commonwealth information or intellectual property. Where AAI have reasonable concerns about how the Grantee(s) manage the Grants, AAI may require explanation and additional supporting documentation. If this does not suffice, AAI may require contacting Grantees to upon seven (7) days written notice to seek information and verify compliance with any of the terms of the Agreement. Grantees must provide all reasonable assistance to the conduct of any such audit. If for any reason, the proposed activity or any activities included in the proposal cannot proceed as originally approved, the AAI office must be informed immediately in writing. Grantees are required to hold on to original receipts, records and other acquittal documents for a period of at least 7 years as per Australia Awards policy and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) Application Submission and Dates Online application forms can be filled in from the Smarty Grants - Australia Awards - Indonesia Alumni Grant Scheme website: The closing dates for submission of proposals will be publicised on the Australia Awards - Indonesia website: Proposals will be approved on a competitive basis by AAI and the AGS Review Panel. The assessment of each proposal will be based on the evaluation criteria in Annex 2. The assessment of all final proposals by AAI should normally be completed within 6 weeks of the round s closing date for submission to the Embassy. Approval by the Embassy should normally be completed 4 weeks after receipt of the summary of appraised proposals and recommendations from AAI. All unsuccessful applicants will be informed on the same day as the announcement of the successful applicants. AAI will not enter into any negotiations on unapproved proposals. More information and Support related to Alumni Grant Scheme please contact: Post Award Team Australia Awards - Indonesia Office Phone , E: postaward@australiaawardsindonesia.org Gedung Wirausaha 7th Floor Jl HR Rasuna Said Kav C-5 Kuningan Jakarta Indonesia 3. Monitoring and Reporting Upon the finalisation of the activity, an Activity Completion Report see point 4, Financial Acquittal Declaration see point 5, copies of scanned original invoices/receipts and other forms of documentation explaining the approved expenditure items as set out in guidelines are to be submitted 9

10 online within one month of activity completion. The project completion has to be within a one year period with a completion date of no longer than 1 February 2016 for the AGS period 1 applied in October 2014 and 1 August 2016 for the AGS period 2 applied in April Grantees must submit all the above documents for each proposal and the forms are available at: Where a group of alumni is the recipient of a Grant, a single Activity Completion Report is sufficient. AAI requests that Grantees include photos of the funded activity as part of these reports. The photographs of activities must be at least 10 photos with captions. If the photos include children, the Grantees should refer to Australian Government Child Protection Policy (see document in Annex 1). AAI encourages that Grantees publishes the achievement of their activities on media and provide hardcopy or softcopy or a link to publication to Post Award Team. Grant recipients may be contacted by AAI at any time during activity implementation to seek information on the implementation and progress of activities. 4. Recognition of Successful Grant Completion When a Grant has been successfully implemented and both the completion and final financial reports have been received, a Certificate of Grant Completion will be awarded to the respective alumnus at appropriate alumni events. 5. Grant Promotion AAI promotion of the AGS will include publicising successful outcomes of Grant activities on the AAI website, Social Media and in other media as appropriate. Grantees will be asked to provide suitable photographs and other relevant materials for AAI promotion activities. Recipients of Grants are encouraged to publicise the Grants through their own networks. 6. Australian Identity Australian funding of any AGS activity should be acknowledged in an appropriate way in publications, reports, at training courses and workshops, and in presentations at conferences. Grantees should contact AAI for appropriate specific guidance prior to publications or public presentations. The Grantee will be solely responsible for any discrepancy that is reflected in the publications, reports of his/ her projects and the result of the projects may not be necessarily the view endorsed by AAI or DFAT. 10

11 Annex 1 Child Protection Policy In accordance with Child Protection Policy, a child is defined as a person under the age of 18 years. Grants applicants are required to use common sense and avoid actions or behaviours that could be construed as child exploitation and abuse in the course of your association with Australia Award Indonesia. When carrying out your activities, you will: treat children with respect regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status; not use language or behaviour towards children that is inappropriate, harassing, abusive, sexually provocative, demeaning or culturally inappropriate; not engage children under the age of 18 in any form of sexual intercourse or sexual activity, including paying for sexual services or acts; wherever possible, ensure that another adult is present when working in the proximity of children; not invite unaccompanied children into your home, unless they are at immediate risk of injury or in physical danger; not sleep close to unsupervised children unless absolutely necessary, in which case you will obtain your supervisor s permission, and ensure that another adult is present if possible; use any computers, mobile phones, video cameras, cameras or social media appropriately, and never to exploit or harass children or to access child exploitation material through any medium not use physical punishment on children not hire children for domestic or other labour which is inappropriate given their age or developmental stage, which interferes with their time available for education and recreational activities, or which places them at significant risk of injury; comply with all relevant Australian and local legislation, including labour laws in relation to child labour; immediately report concerns or allegations of child exploitation and abuse and policy non compliance in accordance with appropriate procedures; and immediately disclose all charges, convictions and other outcomes of an offence, which occurred before or occurs during my association with Australia Awards Indonesia that relate to child exploitation and abuse. When photographing or filming a child or using children s images for work related purposes, you will: assess and endeavour to comply with local traditions or restrictions for reproducing personal images before photographing or filming a child; obtain informed consent from the child and parent or guardian of the child before photographing or filming a child and in doing so, you must explain how the photograph or film will be used; ensure photographs, films, videos and DVDs present children in a dignified and respectful manner and not in a vulnerable or submissive manner. Children should be adequately clothed and not in poses that could be seen as sexually suggestive; ensure images are honest representations of the context and the facts; and ensure file labels, meta data or text descriptions do not reveal identifying information about a child when sending images electronically or publishing images in any form.. Breaches of this child protection code of conduct may result in disciplinary and/or criminal action. 11

12 Annex 2 - EVALUATION CRITERIA GRID Criteria Strategic Purpose Development activities Knowledge sharing activities Capacity building activities 30 % 30 % 30 % Ownership 25 % 10 % 10 % Methodology 10 % 25 % 25 % Complementarity 5 % 5 % 5 % Financial Investment 30 % 30 % 30 % TOTAL 100 % 100 % 100 % Explanation of allocated criteria Strategic Purpose. Allocation of 30% to Strategic Purpose reflects the importance of the activity meeting aid program objectives. Ownership. Ownership has been generally allocated 10% with this percentage increased to 25% in development activities as it is essential that this type of activity is fully supported by the personal and organisation s leadership. Methodology. Methodology in research and training activities has been allocated 25% as it is a key element in the implementation of the capacity building and knowledge sharing activities, since without an appropriate and feasible methodology the outputs/outcomes of the activity may not be achieved. Complementarity. This has been allocated a low 5% in three types of activity, However if the activity duplicates other funded activities or internal activities this low percentage becomes irrelevant would constitute sufficient grounds to reject the activity. Financial Investment. Financial Investment has been given a uniform 30% across all types of activity as all budgets must be clear, acceptable and show value for money. Value for money is about obtaining the maximum benefit over time with the resources available. Most approaches to value for money are framed by the 4 E s: Economy (spending less), Efficiency (spending well), Effectiveness (spending wisely), and Equity (spending fairly). 12

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