SECTOR: Project Support (SECTOR Grants)

Description of process

Winners meeting
Grant winners should be notified and invited to the country office for a winners meeting. The main goal of the meeting is to review and sign the award agreement (see Annex XX) with the REC as well as to receive training and explanations on the REC grants reporting requirements (see Annex XXI) and reporting forms (see Annexes XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV). Any clarification about the projects, including the way the pre-conditions were addressed, will also be discussed during the meeting. In addition to this, the meeting will provide the opportunity for the NGO to present its project and meet all organisations that were awarded a grant under this call for proposals. NGOs will also meet the grants manager assigned to their project.

A sample of the meeting agenda is following:

09.30–10.00 Welcome and introduction; objectives of the call (COCD)
10:00-12:00 REC grant requirements and reporting forms

Narrative (COGM)
Financial (COGA)

12:00-13:00 Projects presentations and questions (30 min/each)

13:00-14:00     Lunch
14:00-15:00     Projects presentations and questions (30 min/each)
15:00-17:00     Reviewing and signing the award agreements

NGO reporting forms and instruction
As part of the training, the COGM should give a short introduction to the REC’s reporting requirements on grants and reporting instructions. The training should cover both narrative and financial reporting requirements.

Signing of the award agreements
At this meeting, the NGO will sign the award agreement, which serves as a legal contract by stating the disbursement of funds, the reporting schedule and other terms and conditions. The award and sub-award agreements will be reviewed again at the meeting and finalised for signature.
During the meeting, the NGO and COCD will sign the award agreement (which reflects the entire project budget).
The COGM/COGA send the copies of the award agreements to the head office Finance Department.

NGOs presenting the projects
During the winners meeting the NGOs are asked to present their projects. It is suggested that the time scheduled for each project be about 30 min, with 15 minutes for the presentations themselves and the rest of the time for questions and clarifications. The presentation should not exceed six Powerpoint slides and it should address the points listed below:

the problem addressed by the project and the relevance to the scope of the call;
the goal and objectives and how they relate to the Grant’s programme objectives;
the methods for project work and cooperation and the rationale of the partnership;
timeframe of the activities;
expected project outcomes and how they contribute to the particular grant’s programme purpose; and
indicators of success in achievement of the project objectives.

Individual discussions about each project between COGM and the NGO leaders take place at the winners meeting.

Task	Responsibility	Days
Before the meeting: Prepare information on each grant for the winners meeting.	COGM
Organise the logistics.	COGA
Organise training of NGOs in grants procedures and reporting.	COGM
Prepare draft award agreements.	COGM
At the meeting: Provide training to NGOs.	COGM
Sign award agreements.	COGM
After the meeting: Collect award agreement copies.	COGA
Send copies of award agreements to head office Finance Department.	COGA
File the local advisory board minutes in folder (electronic and printed form).	COGA
Update RECtivity	COGM

Related policies

Supporting docs

Financial