August 29 2019 Webinar Transcript

GAC Representative 1: Vaughn Lantz, Director of the Business Intelligence and Process Division, Partnerships for Development Innovation Branch, Global Affairs Canada (ENGLISH)

Subject: Global Affairs Canada webcast - “Call for Proposals – Health and Rights for Women, Adolescent girls and Children” from Thursday, August 29, 2019.

GAC Representative 1: Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the webinar for the Health and Rights for Women, Adolescent Girls and Children Call for Proposals. My name is Vaughn Lantz, and I am the Director of the Business Intelligence and Process Division of Partnerships for Development Innovation Branch. Please note that this is a bilingual presentation. For each slide, we will repeat the same information in each official language, and we will proceed in the same way for the Qs & As at the end.

Some logistical information before we begin. We have a large number of people online today. We have placed all of you on mute to ensure that everyone can hear without noise or interruptions. Later in the webinar, we will be having a questions and answers session. To ask a question, please follow these steps.

First, click the waving man icon on the top right of your screen. When your cursor is over the icon, it will say “participate”. After clicking the icon, you will be brought to a new screen. Enter your email and your question. Press submit. If your question was received, you will see the following words: “question submitted”. This will appear on your screen. If those words do not appear, please refresh your screen, check your internet connection and try again.

We will receive your questions directly in our inbox and we will seek to answer as many questions as possible, but we will not have time to answer all questions during this webinar. Those questions that we do not get to will be answered on the questions and answers section of the webpage for this call for proposals. A transcript of this webinar will also be posted in both official languages on the call page.

GAC Representative 1: This call for proposals will support projects that improve the quality of, access to and demand for integrated health services. At least 50% of the funding will be allocated to projects that address sexual and reproductive health rights, SRHR. This slide shows the critical gaps that we are hoping to address through projects supported by this call. Priority will be given to proposals targeting or fully integrating gender equality and women's and girls' empowerment.

GAC Representative 1: There are several steps to be taken to submit your proposal. Given that the call was launched on July 22nd, you should already have reviewed the call page and available resources in detail and requested the budget template. You should also already be registered in the Partners@International portal and have done most of your project consultations and design work. At this point, your focus should be on reviewing the questions and answers for additional information, drafting your proposal and filling out the additional forms such as the attestation form and declarations. Please read and fill out these and the other required forms carefully.

GAC Representative 1: We will not accept any late submissions. Please read the portal instructions carefully and plan to submit your application at least three business days in advance of the call deadline to ensure that technical difficulties do not prevent you from submitting your application by October 10, 2019, 12:00 p.m. noon Eastern Standard Time. This is important advice. In each call for proposals, we see some organizations starting their submission an hour or two before the deadline, running out of time to submit and being disappointed at not being given an extension. Do not be that organization. You have been given 11 weeks to prepare your application. Please do not leave it to the last day.

GAC Representative 1: Going through the steps and the criteria, the first important thing that we will be looking at is what we call organization eligibility. It is really important for you to invest the time and reading carefully what is on the call page because the department establishes specific eligibility criteria for each call and you must meet each requirement. In other words, if you have applied to a call with us before, do not expect that the criteria that you are seeing for this call will be the same criteria as what you have seen before.

To be eligible, you must meet each requirement and where stipulated, provide supporting documentation. If your organization is submitting a proposal on behalf of a group of organizations that would sign the funding agreement with Global Affairs Canada, each organization – in other words, each co-signatory – must meet the requirements and provide documentation. For this call, there are five eligibility requirements. These requirements are outlined on the slide and must be met by the organization, or organizations, that will sign the agreement with Global Affairs Canada.

GAC Representative 1: Required project parameters – carefully review the parameters of this call and judge whether your project idea will fit. We will not respond to questions about the eligibility of your project idea. You must be able to answer “yes” to all of the following statements in order for your application to be considered for funding under this call.

Value – You are requesting Global Affairs Canada funding of at least $5 million and no more than $50 million.

Duration – Your proposed project will last at least five but no more than seven years.

Geographic Alignment – Your proposed project would take place in one or more official development assistance eligible countries.

Cost Share – Your organization will ensure the provision of at least 5% of the total eligible direct project costs over the life of the project in cash and/or in kind in accordance with Global Affairs Canada's policy on cost sharing for grants and non-repayable contribution agreements.

Beneficiaries – A minimum of 60% of direct beneficiaries of the proposed project will be women and adolescent girls, taking into account the needs and rights of those most marginalized and most vulnerable. This percentage must be identified in the Organization Attestation Form.

Not-for-Profit Project – Your proposed project will not generate a profit for you or any other implementing organization in the project.

Language – Your application package documents are complete and presented in either English or French.

If your proposed does not conform to the above statements, it will not be assessed because it cannot be considered for funding under this call. Please note that approximately 75% of the funding from this call will be allocated to projects that include activities taking place in Sub-Saharan Africa. Your organization and any other Canadian involved in signing the agreement with Global Affairs Canada must attest to meeting the 5% cost share requirement in the Organization Attestation Form. These forms must be signed by the organization's Chief Financial Officer, Financial Director or President and submitted as part of your application package.

GAC Representative 1: Construction activities – Construction of new facilities/structures will not be considered. Refurbishment and minor structural works will be considered where necessary, but cannot exceed 20% of the total proposed budget. Organizations that wish to undertake these types of works must demonstrate at least three years of construction experience in developing countries for applicants seeking to undertake structural works, including water, sanitation and hygiene in Section 5.1 of the application form.

Engagement Activities – Your project may include up to 5% of project direct costs that may be allocated to Canadian public engagement activities aimed at strengthening Canadian support for and participation in international assistance. Ineligible public engagement activities include fundraising, annual general meetings, partisan, political advocacy or lobbying and activities that take place outside Canada. Again, these are ineligible public engagement activities.

GAC Representative 1: Project experience is a key part of our assessment process. If your proposal includes refurbishment work, your experience must include at least three years of construction experience. Please ensure that your project examples outline experience relevant to the type of programming you are proposing and the criteria outlined on the slide. Please note that projects that you have not yet implemented do not qualify as experience.

GAC Representative 1: The eligibility check is to verify that the projects meet all the organization eligibility requirements, the required project parameters and the required project experience. It is not a question of scoring, it is simply a question of do you meet or do you not? Proposals that meet these requirements will proceed to the merit assessment stage. During the merit assessment, proposals will be evaluated based on the full proposal assessment criteria that can be found on the How We Assess Your Proposal webpage.

We will assess your proposal in relation to each of the merit criteria and assign an overall rating to the proposal. Because we usually receive more proposals than we can fund, we identify a package of proposals at this step that together best meet the objectives of the call.

GAC Representative 1: There are a number of resources available online to help you develop your application package. We strongly encourage you to read all of the following tools and guidance before beginning your application process. Links to these resources are all available at the bottom of the call page.

GAC Representative 1: We are looking forward to any questions that you might have and will answer as many as possible during this call. We will also provide answers later in writing on the call page. Please check the Q&A page frequently as we will be posting the responses to questions as they are received.

GAC Representative 1: We will now begin the question and answer portion of the webinar, and we begin with the first question. “What is the definition of head office under 1.5.6 in the budget template?” The answer to that question is: The office of the Canadian organization in Canada.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Do partner organizations outside of Canada also need to register on the Partners@International website or just the primary institution applying?” The answer is: No. Only the signatories need to be registered in the portal.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “When will the transcript of this webinar be available on the call page?” The answer is: Global Affairs Canada will make the transcript available as soon as possible.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Are non-profit organizations eligible to apply?” The answer is: Yes, non-profit organizations are eligible as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “The call page states that the amount of funding will be $325 million over five years. However, in the required project parameters, it is stated that the proposed projects will last at least five years, but no more than seven years. Could you please clarify?” The answer is: Global Affairs Canada will support projects of at least five years, and up to seven years under this $325 million call.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Please share your expectations for Column K (Details/Comments) in the (budget) template regarding any specific information you expect agencies to provide in this column.” The answer is: Giving additional information that can help us understand, first the calculation and secondly, the nature of the cost or costs.

GAC Representative 1: The next question: “Are universities eligible to apply?” The answer is: Yes, universities are eligible to apply as long as they meet the eligibility criteria listed on the call page.

GAC Representative 1: The next question is also on universities: “Organizations may only submit one application under this call as a signatory. How is this interpreted in the context of universities?” The answer is: Global Affairs Canada can only sign funding agreements with legal entities. In this call, only one application can be submitted from any legal entity with itself as a signatory. In the case of universities, unless a faculty or institute has a separate legal identity from the rest of the university, only one application can be submitted with the university as a signatory.

GAC Representative 1: The next question is related to innovation: “How does Global Affairs Canada define innovation?” The answer is innovative solutions, may include new or improved business models, partnerships, approaches, policy practices, technologies, behavioural insights or ways of delivering products and services that support the increased agency of the most marginalized populations, particularly women and girls for greater impact.

GAC Representative 1: The next question: “Can a non-signatory partner be a Canadian organization?” The answer is: Yes. Non-signatory partners can be Canadian organizations. They may also be non-Canadian organizations. Non-signatory partners would not need to sign the funding agreement, but must be prepared to carry out their commitments in the project.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “What is the proposal number on the Organization Attestation Form?” The answer is: When you start to draft your proposal, a number will be assigned by the portal. This is the number that is required on the attestation.

GAC Representative 1: The next question is: “For the relevant applicant experience section, does each example need to be a specific project or could it be a program consisting of several projects?” The answer is: Yes, it could be a specific project or a program consisting of several projects. Most importantly, the example must demonstrate the applicant organization's technical expertise and experience, as well as its financial management experience at a similar, at, of, at a similar scale to the proposed project.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Can an organization be the lead on one project and also a co-signatory on another?” The answer is: As a signatory, you may submit only one application under this call. You may also participate as a non-signatory partner on other proposals.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Do you accept multi-regional, multi-country proposals?” The answer is: Yes. The proposed project must take place in one or more ODA-eligible countries.

GAC Representative 1: The next question: “Can US citizens be part of the proposal as a consultant?” The answer is: Yes. US citizens, as consultants, can be part of the proposal.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Is a Swedish organization able to participate as a signatory?” The answer is: No. All signatories must meet all eligibility criteria, including being an organization legally incorporated in Canada.

GAC Representative 1: The next question: “Is the condition of experience in health restricted to providing health services or does it include advocating for health rights and other interventions on the same subject?” The answer is: Yes. Advocacy activities for health rights, and sexual and reproductive health rights, can be counted as relevant experience if the proposed project will also focus on this area.

GAC Representative 1: The next question: “Are non-Canadian non-governmental organizations allowed to be co-applicants or co-signatories?” The answer is: No. Only Canadian organizations are permitted as signatory partners.

GAC Representative 1: The next question: “What are the maximum number of countries that can apply as multi-country? In other words, is there a limit on the number of countries that can be the focus of any one project?” The answer is: There is no explicit maximum number of countries. However proposals will be assessed on their ability to achieve results and apply a cost-effective approach to project implementation.

GAC Representative 1: So just while we are waiting for some more questions to come in, let me just remind you of a couple of items that we, see on calls. One of the items relates to environmental sustainability. We ask organizations to attest as to whether there is construction or refurbishment involved in a project. Often, organizations say no but then in their project design, they outline construction or refurbishment activities. So it is important to be consistent in terms of answering the question with respect to environmental sustainability and ensuring that that is indeed aligned with your proposal.

GAC Representative 1: The next question is: “Will a proposal covering all three intermediate outcomes be favoured compared to a project focusing on two of the three intermediate results being proposed?” The answer is: Proposed projects must contribute to at least two of the three intermediate outcomes. Projects addressing three outcomes will not be favoured over those addressing two.

So just while we wait for some more questions to come in, a reminder of the process for asking questions with respect to this call for proposals. First, click the waving man icon on the top right corner of your screen. When the cursor is over the icon, it will say participate. After clicking the icon, you will be brought to a new screen. Enter your email and your question. Press submit. If your question was received, you will see the following words: question submitted appear on your screen. If those words do not appear, please refresh your screen, check your internet connection and try again.

GAC Representative 1: The next question is: “Does the example have to be for the same countries you are implementing in? Can it be in any area of health?” The answer is: The project example does not have to be in the same country as the proposed project. However, it should demonstrate how you have achieved similar results as those proposed in your project.

GAC Representative 1: The next question is: “For required project experience, could we include a project that is not yet completed but we have implemented over three years of results to date at the time of the application for this call? In other words, three years out of a four-year project have been completed?” The answer is: Yes. The experience must demonstrate three years of experience when you submit the proposal. However, it is important that those three years that you are referring to are the ones already completed in the project. In other words, it is the completed experience under the project that we will be looking for.

GAC Representative 1: The next question: “Can for-profit organizations apply as long as they do not derive any profit from the project for this call?” The answer to this question is: Yes.

GAC Representative 1: So just a reminder about something else that we often see in calls. There are attestation forms and financial statements that you need to fill out. Please ensure that these are signed and, in particular for the attestation form, that you have checked all the appropriate boxes before you submit your application package.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Can research be included as part of the proposed activities?” The answer is: Yes, research can be included as part of the proposed activities.

GAC Representative 1: So just while we are waiting for some additional questions to come in, another thing that we often see in calls for proposals is that organizations neglect to mention in-country consultations that they do with respect to matters such as gender equality or human rights. Please ensure that you conduct these consultations and that you reflect the results of those consultations in your proposal.

GAC Representative 1: The next question: “Is it mandatory to fill out Column K for each line item in the budget or is it optional to do so?” The answer is: It is not mandatory. However, the clarity of the calculation and the nature of the cost included in the comments in Column K will assist us in answering any questions that we have.

GAC Representative 1: The next question: “Do all signatories need to be based in Canada, or in the case of a consortium, is it possible to have a minimum of one NGO based in Canada with their head office based in Canada?” The answer is: All signatories must be Canadian organizations and have their head office in Canada.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Can a local partner be a co-signatory?” The answer is: No. All signatories must be Canadian organizations.

Next question: “Is it a requirement of a single project to address all five identified critical gap areas of sexual and reproductive health rights?” The answer is: No. Sexual and reproductive health rights projects are not required to address all five identified critical gaps.

GAC Representative 1: So just a reminder of something we mentioned during the presentation. It is very important to submit your proposals as far as possible in advance of the deadline. Waiting until the last minute to begin submitting your proposal can result in you running out of time and not having your proposal submitted by the deadline. We will not accept any proposals that have not been submitted by the deadline.

GAC Representative 1: A reminder as well about the financial statements. Please ensure that you submit two financial statements that are signed as part of your package for the proposal. Ensuring two statements gives us the ability to assess consecutive years of performance.

GAC Representative 1: We have had questions in the past with respect to whether organizations that are newly formed and hence have less than two years of experience can apply for a call. The answer to that question is no. We do need organizations to have a sufficient track record and experience in order to demonstrate not only their financial viability but also their experience with respect to implementing past projects.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Are small and medium organizations that are qualified allowed to apply?” The answer is: Yes. All organizations that meet the eligibility criteria may apply and that includes small and medium organizations.

GAC Representative 1: Same question: “Can we please have a definition of signatory and non-signatory partners?” The answer is: Signatory partners would sign the financial agreement with Global Affairs Canada.

Just a bit of information with respect to our past experience under calls. One of the things we often see is that organizations do not provide information with respect to risks and the way in which they will mitigate those risks. Please ensure that you identify any risks in your proposal and how you will address those risks during implementation. This can be outlined as part of your theory of change.

GAC Representative 1: Once again, for those who are having any difficulty submitting questions, we will go through the procedure for submitting questions during this webinar. First, click the waving man icon on the top right corner of your screen. When your cursor is over the icon, it will say “participate”. After clicking the icon, you will be brought to a new screen. Enter your email and your question. Press submit. If your question was received, you will see the following words: “question submitted” appear on your screen. If those words do not appear, please refresh your screen, check your internet connection and try again.

GAC Representative 1: And just a reminder, please continue to look at the question and answer page on the website to ensure that you check on a regular basis as to whether any new questions and answers have been published. We will continue to publish questions up until a week before the close of the call.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “In the budget template by activity, what do we need to mark in the monitoring costs and external evaluation fees sections?” The answer is: For the activity-based budget, the component can include both the costs of monitoring by the organization and the cost of external evaluation, so you are welcome to include these items in your budget.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Does eligible renovation work have to be focused on WASH activities, that is waste management at health facilities or can it also include non-structural measures within the health facility to improve service delivery, service delivery environment?” The answer is: Refurbishment activities and minor structural works are not limited to WASH or waste management at existing health facilities. Other types of refurbishment will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

GAC Representative 1: So we have had several questions with respect to construction. So just to recap what is in the call page with respect to construction. Refurbishment and minor structural works will be considered where necessary, such as if required for meeting site-specific WASH and biomedical waste management needs in existing health facilities. They will be considered on a case-by-case basis and should not exceed 20% of the total proposed budget.

Construction of new facilities or structures will not be considered. So that is the text that is on the call page. Please have a look at that and if you have any further questions, please submit those to us in writing where we will respond on the web page.

GAC Representative 1: Staying with the topic of construction, the next question is: “In the call for proposals, under required project parameters, it states: refurbishment and minor structural works will be considered where necessary. Does that include the rehabilitation of existing deep capped boreholes for organizations that have three years of experience in that area? Does that include the installation of solar panels, submersible pumps and water tanks on existing boreholes?”

The answer is: The rehabilitation of boreholes will be considered. The installation of solar panels, submersible pumps and water tanks will also be considered for existing boreholes. Again, keep in mind the word existing. We are talking about refurbishment; we are not talking about the creation of new structures or new boreholes.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “If our organization's name is changed before October 10th, do we need to register a new account in the portal?” The answer is: No. We can change the organization name at the request of the organization, accompanied by the legal status document which contains the new legal name.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: 'Can a local partner receive part of the overhead cost?” The answer is: Yes. It is a decision of the signatory organization or organizations, to share the overhead allocation with a local partner.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Can a non-Canadian organization act as a technical assistance partner?” The answer is: Yes. Non-Canadian organizations can be non-signatory partners in your project.

GAC Representative 1: So just with respect to required project experience, a reminder with respect to what your requirements are and how you may want to meet that. You must be able to demonstrate in your application that your organization has the required experience, as noted below, to be considered for the funding under this call. The signatories and/or non-signatory partners must provide two examples of recent past projects in Section 5.1 of the application form. Collectively, the two examples must demonstrate the following: at least three years of experience working in women's, adolescent girls and children's health and rights in developing countries, and at least three years of construction experience in developing countries for applicants seeking to undertake structural works, including WASH.

Now, the following point is really key. Canadian organizations that do not meet the required project experience are encouraged to partner with other applicants. In other words, if your organization does not have all the experience required to meet these requirements, please consider working with other organizations to bolster your case. That is very important advice and that relates to a number of the questions that we are getting today.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Why do you require a performance measurement framework in a preliminary proposal?” The answer is: Please note, this call is not requesting preliminary proposals. You are asked to submit a full proposal for this call.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “For a university, can the organization attestation form be signed by the provosts?” The answer is: The organization attestation form must be signed by someone that acts as a financial authority for the organization.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Can you clarify the list of eligible countries?” The answer is: the list of ODA-eligible countries is available in the geographic alignment information of the required project parameters section of the call page.

GAC Representative 1: Interestingly, we have not been receiving questions with respect to gender equality. Just to recall what we have in the call page, Canada's feminist international assistance policy states that no less than 95% of Canada's bilateral international development assistance initiatives will target or integrate gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Priority will be given to proposals that meet the requirement of targeting or fully integrating gender equality and women and girls empowerment in their design.

Applicants are strongly recommended to refer to the Feminist International Assistance Gender Equality toolkit for project’s website for help on designing proposals that target or fully integrate gender equality. Applicants must ensure that the findings from their gender equality analysis are reflected in their theory of change.

Next question: “Our local partner is proposing to renovate existing structures to establish new health clinics. Would this activity qualify as acceptable under the call requirements?” The answer is: The renovation of existing structures to establish new health clinics will be considered on a case-by-case basis. As long as the works respect the criteria explained in the budget, that is not more than 20% of the budget amount.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: are high-income ODA recipients eligible for funding?” The answer is: Yes. All official development assistance eligible countries are eligible for funding under this call. Again, the emphasis is on ODA-eligible countries.

GAC Representative 1: Next question: “Can we attach letters of engagement from governments and institutions in the beneficiary country and from Canada?” The answer is: No. This is not a requirement for this call.

Okay, we are down to the last couple of minutes of this webinar. We are going to do two more questions and then we will close off. So the next question is: “If the contact person left the organization, how can we change the contact information in the portal?” The answer is: Please send a request by email to the Partners@International, a portal for instructions.

GAC Representative 1: Okay, so our last question today is: “Is there a funding limit in research?” The answer is: No. There is no specific limit with respect to research funding. However – and this is a very important point – this call for proposals will support projects that improve the quality of, access to and demand for integrated health services for women, adolescents and children at the community health facility and health system levels. Any research proposed should contribute directly to this objective.

GAC Representative 1: So that concludes our question and answer period and our webinar for today. Thank you for participating in this webinar. We hope that you found it helpful. For those of you that still have questions, you have until September 5, 2019, at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time to submit your questions. We will respond to questions received by that date, so please do look at the website for further information with respect to questions and answers. Thank you again for participating in today's webinar.