Guidelines. Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund Country Projects Edition

Transcription

1 Guidelines Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund Country Projects Edition

2 3 Substantive emphasis for 2012 Edition... 4 Applying to the DGTTF... 4 Nature of propo Project selection/allocation p 4 Steps for approved EoIs... 6 Checklist for release of funding Key background information on the Web...10 Contact information...11 Annex 1: Eligible Countries...12 Annex 2: Strategic Plan Key Result Areas...14 Annex 3: Criteria for Innovative and Catalytic Proposals...15 Examples...15 Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 1

3 List of Acronyms APR ASL AWP BCPR BDP CO CPAP DG DGG DGTTF DIM EAD EoI GMSOT HDRO HQ KK LDC LIC LPAC MDG NIM PB ProDoc RBA RBAP RBAS RBEC RBLAC RBx RCF RR RSC SC TRAC TTF Annual Project Report Authorized Spending Limit Annual Work Plan Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery Bureau for Development Policy Country Office Country Programme Action Plan Democratic Governance Democratic Governance Group (BDP) Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund Direct Implementation Electoral Assistance Division (UN Dept. of Political Affairs) Expression of Interest General Management Support Off Top Human Development Report Office Headquarters Commitment Control (in ATLAS) Least Developed Country Low Income Country Local Project Appraisal Committee Millennium Development Goals National Implementation Partnership Bureau Project Document Regional Bureau for Africa Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Regional Bureau for Arab States Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Bureaux Regional Cooperation Framework Resident Representative Regional Support Centre Steering Committee Target for Resource Assignment from the Core Thematic Trust Fund Questions? for assistance 2

4 Schedule October Meeting of Steering Committee. Review status of 2009, 2010 and 2011 Editions and discuss 2012 strategic priorities 28 October Call for Expressions of Interest (EoI) 22 November Deadline for EoI submission 23 November 9 December Review of EoIs by Regional Service Centers, Regional Bureaux, BDP/DGG/HQand BDP Practice Areas as required. Meeting of Steering Committee for analysis of EoIs (date to be determined) 12 December Announcement of allocations and invitations to submit ProDocs January Deadline for submission of draft ProDoc for Advisor review 16 March Deadline for submission of final ProDoc, LPAC minutes, AWP and ATLAS budget January Deadline for submission of 2012 APR and 2013 Work Plan for release of 2013 funds. NOTE: These deliverables may be submitted as early as end December 2012 based on provisional 2012 expenditures January Deadline for submission of 2013 APR and 2014 Work Plan for release of 2014 funds. NOTE: These deliverables may be submitted as early as end December 2013 based on provisional 2013 expenditures. 30 June Deadline for completion of 2012 Edition project Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 3

5 Substantive emphasis for 2012 edition Following the SC meeting of 13 October 2011, it was agreed that youth empowerment and democratic governance will be the global strategic priority area for the 2012 DGTTF Call for Proposals. The DGTTF seeks innovative and potentially catalytic proposals that can contribute to youth empowerment in democratic governance processes, for example, in the context of enhancing public service delivery and government performance;; increased dialogue between youth and public officials and elected representatives, participation in electoral processes;; turning the challenge of the economic and social exclusion as manifes supporting good governance, etc. Applying to the DGTTF Who can apply The DGTTF is open to all UNDP non-liaison country offices in developing countries. A complete list of eligible countries is available in Annex 1. Country offices are encouraged to discuss their proposals in the concept stage with national counterparts. In the process, country offices are encouraged to make clear the highly competitive nature of the fund in order to manage expectations. EoI focus area To be eligible, the EoIs need to strengthen national development strategies aimed at the attainment of the MDGs and fall within the following Democratic Governance key result areas as established by the UNDP Strategic Plan These areas are: Fostering inclusive participation; Strengthening responsive governing institutions; Supporting national partners to implement democratic governance practices grounded in human rights, gender equality and anti-corruption. Specific democratic governance outcomes corresponding to each of the key result areas, are available in Annex 2. Funding scope The DGTTF has made US$ 7,000,000 available for the 2012 edition. Funding per project is established at a maximum of US$ 300,000. A country office may submit one EoI only. Selection of proposals Project selection criteria The principal criteria for project selection remains the innovative and catalytic nature of the proposal. The DGTTF strives to fund projects that are not "business as usual" (CO TRAC funds should be used to support regular programming). DGTTF proposals/projects should be creative and innovative in design, for example, initiatives that allow governance Annex 3 contains criteria for innovative/catalytic proposals and example projects. themes to interface with other UNDP practices, serve as a staging point for larger programmes or probe into un/underexplored territories/topics of democratic governance such as interface of formal systems with indigenous/traditional governance practices. Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 4

6 The DGTTF SC seeks proposals that seize emerging opportunities and foster innovation by exploring new approaches in enhancing youth empowerment within the context of democratic governance, especially in politically sensitive areas where the use of core funds is not feasible. These projects should also fill critical gaps not addressed by governments, civil society or other donors. Similarly, proposals should explore new ways for UNDP to do business and lead to significant breakthroughs in Democratic Governance. It is recognized that DGTTF may carry risks when new topics and areas of work are being explored. Finally, the DGTTF projects should be catalytic in nature, i.e. with a high potential to lead to further expanded activities with the targe overall goals and objectives. impact in decision making processes. Proposals that demonstrate UN system coherence such as through Joint Programming and with co-funding from other partners will be given special consideration. Performance under previous DGTTF projects will be taken into account. Under-spending without timely and appropriate adjustments and/or non-compliance with reporting requirements as well as substantive under-achievement in past edition(s) will result in negative consideration by the SC for the 2012 allocations. Earlier receipt of allocations in will be neither an advantage nor a handicap. Roles and responsibilities within EoI review process Regional Bureaux The Regional Bureaux shall: Assess RCF and Country Programme alignment Assess the innovation and feasibility of EoI from a regional/local perspective Evaluate the strategic contribution to advancing innovation in Democratic Governance programming RSC Democratic Governance Policy Advisors Policy Advisers in the RSC will contribute to the allocation process and shall: Assist the CO in the conceptualization of the EoI from a substantive perspective Assist the SC i, as requested Assist the CO in the drafting of the project document Participate in the LPAC (virtually or in person) Support the implementation of the projects as required Support lesson learning activities for DGTTF financed projects in their respective region HQ Policy Advisors Policy Advisers based in HQ will also contribute to the allocation process and shall: Assess the EoI from a global and practice perspective, in line with general criteria and taking into consideration strategic focus Review the draft and final ProDoc from a global and practice perspective Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 5

7 Support the implementation of the projects as required Support lesson learning activities for DGTTF financed projects in their respective democratic governance thematic area. The HQ Electoral Systems and Processes Policy Advisor will coordinate consultation with EAD for political and technical advice, as outlined in the UNDPA/UNDP Note of Guidance on Electoral Assistance. DGTTF Steering Committee The Steering Committee (SC) is chaired by the Democratic Governance Practice Director and composed of one representative from each of the Regional Bureaux; Partnership Bureau; BCPR; HDRO; BDP Directorate; BDP advisers; the Trust Fund Coordinator and the DG Practice Manager. The SC will convene to: Discuss and suggest improvements to the guidelines of the 2012 DGTTF Edition; assess Strategic Plan/DGTTF alignment and feasibility of EoI from a strategic perspective Review EoIs received, provide initial feedback with particular consideration to achieving balance across regions, thematic areas, typologies Propose and finalize allocations Functions of the SC are outlined in the corporate TTF guidelines found via the following link: Collaboration-Space/ DGTTF Management Team The DGG Practice Director, Practice Manager and DGTTF Coordinator are accountable to the BDP Director for the implementation of the TTF guidelines. Steps for approved EoIs This section of the guidelines details the steps following notification of approved allocation and leading up to the issuance of an ASL to enable the start of implementation. Steps for preparing your project 1. Schedule the TTF Process (drafting the ProDoc, holding the LPAC) with your Regional Service Center policy adviser 2. Draft the ProDoc according to the Simplified ProDoc format 3. Review the draft with your RSC policy adviser and submit the draft to HQ via the DGTTF web application. Budget preparation guidelines: All budget lines should reference account codes in the 7xxxx series. Staff may not be retained under DGTTF projects. Please ensure that sufficient allocation (minimum 5% of approved budget) is provided for end-of-project evaluation as well as an allocation (approx $2,500) for one monitoring mission of the RSC Advisor. Please keep MISC (74500) expenses to less than 10% of the total allocation. In instances where travel expenses exceed 15% of the total allocation, please include a note of explanation as an annex to the budget uploaded to the web application. For budgets which contain a training event, do not charge any expenses to account code as this is associated with training costs for personnel. 4. Convene and hold the LPAC ensuring participation (virtual or physical) of RSC policy adviser, finalise the minutes and amend the ProDoc as appropriate based on LPAC recommendations 5. Obtain in-house approval to submit project documentation (final ProDoc, AWP, ATLAS budget and LPAC minutes) to Headquarters Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 6

8 6. Submit all documentation no later than 16 March 2012 via the DGTTF web application. 7. Begin implementation once HQ has confirmed that all documentation is in order and ASL has been issued. Execution modalities DGTTF fully supports the use of funds in either National Implementation (NIM) or Direct Implementation (DIM). There is no preferred modality. However, COs choosing to use DIM execution must obtain the requisite clearance from the respective Regional Bureau before project implementation can begin. Drafting the ProDoc The DGTTF projects use the same simplified project document format as other UNDP projects. It is essential that you contact the appropriate RSC advisor to make sure he/she has the opportunity to input into the formulation of the project document. Note that the Results Management section project management in extensive detail. As part of the ProDoc drafting process, you will also need to create a budget for the project and an accompanying work plan. All funds must be assigned to a specific, discernable set of results. 1. There are three ways in which this can take shape: The DGTTF funds can cover 100% of the project budget. In this instance the DGTTF funded budget is separate from other project budgets. 2. The DGTTF funds can be used for specific, distinct result(s) for a multi-sponsored project or AWP which has not yet begun. In this instance, the signed project document must include the parent award, and the TTF funded results/activities. 3. The DGTTF funds can be used for specific, distinct result(s) for a multi-sponsored, multiyear project or AWP which is ongoing. In this instance, the signed project document must be amended and cleared with the relevant parties to include the new activities for the DGTTF funds, and if the activities substantially change project scope, a PAC must be convened. Please note that results achieved with the TTF funds under a multisponsored, multi-year ongoing project must be clearly attributable to the DGTTF at the end of the two year project period. After the draft is complete In order to facilitate the project document review process, you are asked to notify HQ of the draft ProDoc by uploading a copy to the DGTTF web application. This allows the RSC and HQ advisor to share any outstanding comments with you and the DGTTF management team. Finalizing the ProDoc In order to finalize the ProDoc, you must convene an LPAC (actual or virtual), and then amend the ProDoc the following: National counterparts UNDP and other funding agencies Subject matter experts UNDP expert on finance and management (eg, member of PSU or Finance Officer) Relevant RSC policy advisor Relevant country level participants, such as bilateral/multilateral donors Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 7

9 Please ensure that the final project document corresponds to the EoI in terms of anticipated innovation and results. Budgeting in ATLAS If you do not already have a project in ATLAS, your CO must create a new DGTTF project in Atlas with budget activities equivalent to the approved amount. This budget can either exclusively draw on the DGTTF allocation as its funding source, or the TTF funds can complement other funds. There are three ways in which you can reflect your project in ATLAS: 1. Create a new Project in ATLAS The TTF contribution finances 100% of the Project Document or AWP (for CPAP countries): The TTF funded budget(s) remains separate. The signed project document will only cover TTF funded results/activities. 2. Create a new Activity(ies) in an existing Parent project TTF contribution is part of a multi sponsored Project document (or AWP) but has distinct result (which can be captured as activity(ies) in ATLAS): The TTF Award is tied to a Parent Award through the Parent and Child Award Structure. The signed project document will include the parent award, and the TTF funded results/activities. ASL will be issued separately (separate activity(ies)) for DGTTF portion and other funding sources. 3. Create a child project (sub-project) tied to an existing Parent Award TTF contribution is part of a multi sponsored Project document (or AWP) but has distinct result: The TTF funded budget(s) remains separate but the Award is tied to a Parent Award through the Parent-Child contract structure, using additional contract functionality. The signed project document will include the parent award, and the TTF funded results/activities. Required information for your ATLAS budget in ATLAS, please use the following information for DGTTF-Funded activities: Step-By-Step GL Unit: UNDP1 Account: Budgetary Account (e.g. Dept. ID: Budgetary Department ID of the country office (e.g. B0318 for Comoros) Operating Unit: the country office (e.g. COM for Comoros) Implementing Agency: (e.g UNDP Direct Execution) Donor (Chartfield2): (UNDP as donor) Fund: A table of the DGTTF fund codes is provided in Annex 2. Preparing your project in ATLAS - Formulate a Proposal (Grants > Proposal) - Award the Proposal - Complete the Project Funding/Budget page - Do not send to KK at this stage - Upload your Project Document, LPAC minutes, and any other supporting documents - Submit the required ATLAS information via the DGTTF web application. Note: Your ATLAS project details must be sent to HQ via the web application for consideration prior to sending the project through the KK process. GMS and cost recovery All the funds allocated to your project is to be spent on project activities. The amounts allocated are net of administrative costs. A 7% General Management Support (GMS) cost has already Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 8

10 been withheld at HQ, so please do not include it in your ATLAS Project budget. GMS will be distributed by the Programme Support Unit of the Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) shortly after the tranche closes. In order to reflect this in Atlas, you will need to specify the GMS options More can be read about this in Atlas Building Block 6. ISS as a transaction-based recovery fee should not be included in project budgets. Country offices are to treat the direct costs of providing these services as an integral part of project delivery, and hence these costs should be charged to the same budget line as the project input itself. You are encouraged to identify all the necessary support elements and to establish corresponding budget lines in designing the project. For more information on GMS and cost recovery, please refer to the TTF Financial Guidelines and the Cost Recovery Guidelines. Funds must be spent within two calendar years When preparing the budget, please keep in mind that funds must be spent within two years of project commencement (effectively, two years as of the date of ASL issuance). Please distribute funds accordingly across budget years based on planned activities. While we recognize that planned annual disbursement rates will vary per project, please bear in mind the necessity for DGTTF to report on healthy project implementation and corresponding delivery rates upon completion of Year 1 of the 2012 Edition. It is suggested that project budgets and work plans be prepared to reflect a minimum of 50% of the total project budget in Year 1. Checklist: Release of funding Funds will only be released if: Minutes of the LPAC reflect that the relevant policy advisors have participated (in situ or remote) in the Project Appraisal Committee meeting; confirmation that LPAC recommendations have subsequently been taken into account in the final version of the ProDoc. The final ProDoc, LPAC minutes, AWP and ATLAS budget have been received through the web application and DGTTF management has confirmed that all documentation is in order For COs who received funding in the prior year DGTTF Edition, all reporting requirements must have been met before funds may be released under the 2012 Edition. In the case of Project Documents falling under the Elections output of the Inclusive Participation Key Result Area, funds will only be released after the Electoral Adviser at BDP Headquarters is satisfied that the provisions contained in Note of Guidance for UNDPA and UNDP have been observed, and in particular, that the EAD has been consulted on the political and technical aspects of the project and given the opportunity to provide input or advice within 10 working days. Verifying ASLs To verify the issued ASLs log into ATLAS, and follow these steps: Go to Commitment Control Click on Review Budget Activities Click on Budget Inquiry Click on Budget Details Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 9

11 Under Fund Code: type in the DGTTF fund code (eg B0318 for Comoros) Budget Period: 2011 or 2012 Click on the Search button Reporting There are three types of reports which must be submitted during the DGTTF project lifecycle. The first and second reports are the Annual Project Reports (APR), due injanuary 2013 and APRs are used to prepare the Annual Report on the DGTTF, which are the cornerstone of fund. We cannot do this without your help, and the report is prepared on a very tight schedule, so please be sure to submit the APR on time. Reports are used by the management team to ensure that the allocated projects are on track, assist COs with any challenges that may have arisen during the first stages of the project, and report to donors on the utilization of DGTTF funds. The third report is the end-of-project evaluation report. Guidelines for project evaluation may be found at Timely submission of this report is critical to the evaluation, organizational learning and knowledge generation framework of the DGTTF and are critical to our understanding of whether DGTTF projects are producing the intended results and impact on-the-ground. Templates for all reports may be found on the DGTTF web application. In preparing your reports, you may find the ATLAS project management module helpful for tracking expenditures, progress and problems encountered. However, this is not required. The module can be accessed through ATLAS by following these steps: Go to UN reports Click on Project management reports Click on Portfolio analysis Click on Quarterly Progress Report It cannot be over-stated that quality reporting on the APRs, mid-term report, and project evaluation are essential to DGTTF management, planning, administration and accountability within UNDP and to donors and partners. Sharing photos, reports and other attachments You have the option to include extra attachments to your project record in the web application. If the DGTTF allocation produces any products such as publications or papers, please be sure to upload a copy so that it can be archived by the management team, and shared with UNDP colleagues. Copies of photos, news clippings or other press coverage of project activities are also welcome, particularly in the context of potential inclusion in the DGTTF Annual Report. Key background information on the web The Thematic Trust Funds are regulated by the following: 1. BDP TTF Guidelines 2. TTF Objectives, Management Arrangements and Approval Procedures Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 10

12 3. ERP Supported Project Document with Annual Work plan 4. Clearance Slip for Amendment of Cost Recovery The DGTTF also offers useful documentation: 1. DGTTF Web Application Substantive and financial information on the DGTTF allocation process, monitoring and evaluation by Region, Country, Year and Service Line 2. Terms of Reference of the DGTTF (signed by the Associate Administrator) 3. Amendments to the ToR Guide for the Web Application and a DGTTF Q&A is available on the UNDP Wiki (access using your UNDP intranet credentials): Contact information Questions regarding the DGTTF can be sent via to margaret.chi@undp.org The DG Practice Manager & Trust Fund Manager is Jamshed Kazi and may be reached at jamshed.kazi@undp.org or by telephone at The DGTTF Coordinator is Margaret Chi and may be reached via at margaret.chi@undp.org or by telephone at Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 11

13 Annex 1: Eligible Countries Alphabetically (by Country) Africa Ethiopia Niger Angola Gabon Nigeria Benin Gambia Rwanda Botswana Ghana Sao Tome and Principe Burkina Faso Guinea Senegal Burundi Guinea Bissau Seychelles Cameroon Kenya Sierra Leone Cape Verde Lesotho South Africa Central African Republic Liberia Swaziland Chad Madagascar Tanzania Comoros Malawi Togo Congo (Democratic Republic of) Mali Uganda Congo (Republic of) Mauritania Zambia Côte d'ivoire Mauritius Zimbabwe Equatorial Guinea Mozambique Eritrea Namibia Arab States Kuwait Sudan Algeria Lebanon Syria Bahrain Libya Tunisia Djibouti Morocco United Arab Emirates Egypt Palestinian Programme Yemen Iraq Saudi Arabia Jordan Somalia Asia-Pacific Iran Papua New Guinea Afghanistan Korea, DPR Philippines Bangladesh Laos Samoa Bhutan Malaysia Solomon Islands Cambodia Maldives Sri Lanka China Mongolia Thailand Fiji Myanmar Timor-Leste India Nepal Viet nam Indonesia Pakistan Europe & CIS Kazakhstan The former Yugoslav Republic Albania Kosovo* of Macedonia Armenia Kyrgyzstan Turkey Azerbaijan Moldova Turkmenistan Belarus Montenegro Ukraine Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbia Uzbekistan Croatia Tajikistan Georgia *as per UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) Questions? for assistance 12

14 Latin America & The Caribbean Dominican Republic Panama Argentina Ecuador Paraguay Barbados El Salvador Peru Belize Guatemala Suriname Bolivia Guyana Trinidad and Tobago Brazil Haiti Uruguay Chile Honduras Venezuela Colombia Jamaica Costa Rica Mexico Cuba Nicaragua Questions? for assistance 13

15 Annex 2: Strategic Plan Key Result Areas There are three outputs under each of the three Democratic Governance Key Result Areas, for a total of nine areas of support: Fostering inclusive participation; Outcome: Civic Engagement Outcome: Effective Elections Outcome: Inclusive Communication Strengthening responsive governing institutions Outcome: National, Regional and Local Governance Outcome: Legislatures and Assemblies Outcome: Justice 1 Support national partners to implement democratic governance practices grounded in human rights, gender equality and anti-corruption. Outcome: Anti-Corruption Outcome: Human Rights The fund codes for the different SP Outcomes are presented in the table below: DGTTF fund codes Civic engagement Electoral laws, processes and institutions E-governance, independent media and access to information National and local governance; public administration Legislatures, regional elected bodies and local assemblies Justice systems Human Rights Gender Equality Anti-corruption 1 The Justice Outcome also includes all work on Security Sector Reform Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 14

16 Annex 3: Criteria for Innovative and Catalytic Proposals Expressions of Interest that meet the majority of the criteria listed below will qualify as innovative and catalytic. This list is not exhaustive. It is meant to guide you in defining your proposal to the DGTTF. Innovative projects are characterized as: Addressing a critical democratic governance issue, an issue the resolution of which may lead to substantial improvements in some aspect in DG Recognized as a critical issue by the Government and other donors or partners An initiative never before attempted in the country concerned, either in the problems addressed or the approach taken. Potentially risky. DGTTF projects are not necessarily a guaranteed success. Although it is expected that a proper risk analysis will be undertaken, the DGTTF project is expected to there was some reluctance on the part of the Government or other governance institutions to fund such an initiative without pilot testing or proven results. Carrying out the innovation help to position UNDP as a key player in DG in terms of "pushing the frontier." Catalytic projects are characterized as: Having a high likelihood of receiving support from Government or other governance institutions (including other donors) for scaling up or following up, if the project is successful. Please refer to the examples provided below when considering the criteria outlined above. Examples The Philippines A series of three DGTTF projects in the Philippines promoted collaboration among departments in planning and delivering basic services to meet MDG targets in thirteen cities in the Philippines. The first, documented the existing situation vis a vis the MDGs at city level; second examined threats to the MDGs and how to eliminate or minimize the impact of these threats; e MDGs at city level. The effect of these three MDG-focused projects is that they have raised awareness of city laws, ordinances and policies were improved to make them more responsive to the MDGs, human rights and gender. The project improved accessibility to public goods and services by the poor and disadvantaged groups. The success drivers included poverty profiles and development baselines form the basis for setting local MDG targets, twinning cities with local resource institutions, and knowledge-based constituency feedback mechanisms that made the local government units more accountable. This model has been documented and is being disseminated through the Philippines. These projects are a harbinger of how the UN will work in future in common effort. The key partner for these projects is UN Habitat and the effort has brought several other UN agencies, viz. UNESCAP, UNICEF, UNAIDS and UNIFEM. Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 15

17 Mozambique Despite being one of the African success stories in terms of sustained economic growth about rising levels of corruption. Other donors and the Government had held anti-corruption conferences, carried out surveys of perceptions of corruption and prepared anti-corruption strategies, but with little practical effect. The UNDP country office decided that the key to making progress was for the Mozambican governance agencies themselves to articulate corruption issues and prepare and implement plan that would involve actions on their part to reduce corruption. The DGTTF funded an anti-corruption workshop that was so successful in identifying practical steps to address key issues that the governors of the provinces asked that similar workshops be organized throughout the country. The DGTTF then funded a survey of judges, magistrates and staff in the Office of the Attorney General that helped to identify weakness in the administration of justice and will lead to the preparation of an action plan that would be implemented by leaders of legal and judicial sectors. Substantial donor funding is available to support these reforms. This series of DGTTF-funded projects established UNDP as a key player in the sector. Kyrgyzstan In Kyrgyzstan, natural and man-made disasters take many lives and cause substantial damage each year. While disasters happen at a community level, the government's response, limited by scarce resources and low capacity, is managed from the national level. Relatively little donor attention to the problem is also focused mainly at the national level. Yet, local leadership and the ability to identify threats, seek local solutions and engage in prevention are crucial factors in effective risk management. Identifying this critical gap, a 2006 DGTTF project sought to increase local capacity for disaster risk reduction by incorporating disaster management issues into local governance in 10 selected villages. This approach has been innovative not only for Kyrgyzstan, but for the entire region, where decentralization processes are still in their early stages. The activities supported by this project included risk-mapping conducted in a participatory manner at the community level, which later fed into the development of disaster risk maps on the district and national levels; the establishment of voluntary village rescue teams; and the training of local authorities and populations in community-based response to disasters. Although initially uncertain about the merits of the bottom-up approach to disaster management, parts of the country with support from other donors attracted by the success of the DGTTFfunded activities. The methodology applied for this project has been considered as best practice by BCPR and presented at numerous international conferences. The CO continues to work in the area of disaster risk reduction within a larger programme. Questions? margaret.chi@undp.org for assistance 16