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Selection, implementation and evaluation

Selection

The approval process contains five steps.

Step 1 is receipt of the application by the STDF.

Projects are subject to review at three stages:

1. On receipt by the STDF Secretary (Step 2);

2. By an STDF partner with expertise in the technical subject area and/or by an independent expert/consultant (Step 3); and

3. By the Working Group (Step 4).

The preliminary review by the STDF Secretariat at step 2 considers inter alia (Standard evaluation format):

• The eligibility of the project and applicant;

• The technical and professional capacity of the applicant to undertake the actions described in the project proposal;

• A technical evaluation of the proposal to judge its feasibility, practicability and sustainability, including an assessment of the likelihood that the project will achieve its expected outcome and impact;

• An assessment of the development dimension of the project, in particular any measurable impacts on market access, the domestic, and where applicable the regional, SPS situation, and poverty reduction;

• Linkages to past, present or planned bilateral or multilateral donor programmes;

• Financial analysis of the project budget; and

• Verification of supporting documentation on the financial and economic standing of applicants and letters of support.

At Step 5, the Working Group formally decides on those projects which shall be funded by the STDF. The Working Group may only approve projects within the limit of the financial resources of the Facility for that year's operations. The Working Group aims to devote at least 40 per cent of Facility project resources to beneficiaries in LDCs or OLIEs.

Implementation

A six months period is allowed between the date of approval and the start of implementation of Project Preparation Grants. For Project Grants implementation should occur within a one year period from the date of their approval. If implementation has not begun within these time periods the Working Group may withdraw approval of funding and re-allocate funds to other approved initiatives.

Evaluation and monitoring

The systematic monitoring and evaluation of projects undertaken by the Facility is one way in which information can be gathered about the relative effectiveness of different approaches to SPS capacity building.

The eligible beneficiary organization, STDF partner or third party implementing or overseeing the project ensures quality control, consistency of implementation against the objectives and outputs established in the project document, and other criteria as outlined in the contract.

All projects funded by the STDF shall include provision for an independent ex post evaluation. The basis for evaluation of the project is the activities and outputs described in the project document in particular, a measurable impact on market access, improved domestic, and where applicable regional, SPS situation, and poverty reduction.

Site Last Updated on February, 2008