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Young People and Alternative Leadership (An analisis of Young People in Indonesian Politic)

Aryanto Abidin
Vice President Excecutive Student Board of Hasanuddin University 2006-2007

Each generation is the property of their masing period, as well as in the case of regenerating leadership. In each of the succession of leadership, the new leader will be born with the characters each time. When, in the early formation of this republic, many of the children born as young leaders capable of emotion, given the strength of the entire nation and to oppose colonialism, both physically and politically. A General sudirman, Soekarno, Hatta, Tan Malaka, Agus Salim, HOS Cokroaminoto, dr. Sutomo, Wahidin Sudiro Husodo, dll. Sutomo, Wahidin Sudiro Husodo, etc. They are all young leaders who influence the world. They were not born for it, but they has been prepared far away the previous day. They realize that they who will inherit this country. Because they are aware aware of their existence, then they prepare to become the most important part of this country. If we read the history of the slabs, then we will find the heritage of the successes of young people in this building and to independence this nation.


Reform in 1998 is proof of how young people are capable of progressive-minded topple the regime in power (new order). The event is a major event in the history of the student movement. How not, the student population at that time only 2 percent of the population of Indonesia is able to overthrow the regime and strong authoritarian rule that has been 32 years. For the student movement, the success of this is a new experience. Order the new regime fall at the same time fall to mark the symbol of dictatorship regime in power. This sense of taste, such as a romantic comedies of the past, but it will be like, but do not like the fact that it is irrefutable from the heroic youth of this nation.

Reform in 1998 to bring fresh wind to create the democratization of the country. Unfortunately, major changes are not colored with the changes in the life of the foundation and stateless. A more rampant corruption, economic conditions exacerbated the exchange, although the change of government several times. Megawati era of government, there sale assets this country to foreign recklessly and blind. During the Megawati government also issued a letter debt remission (release and discharge / R & D) for corruptors high class this country. The more egregious is when the government of Gus Dur. In the reign Gusdur is a controversial figure leaders. Gusdur always remove the controversial political statements and tend to interpret the law and will always oppose the flow.

The degree1998 student movement's struggle to become trite and a little ternodai style of leadership by the government in power after the reform. Bukan memperbaiki dan mensejahterahkan rakyat, justru reformasi dimanfaatkan oleh kelompok tertentu untuk mengeruk keuntungan sebanyak banyaknya, serta menancapkan kuku kekusaan. Not make the better and not improve and people, thus the reform used by certain groups to make as much profit, and drive nails power. This is a indication of how the reform momentum as the tool of power is despicable, without any actual intention to improve this state of decline. Although the new order regime has collapsed, but the nature of the new order is still inherent in the people who control the post-reform government. This indicated that the struggle of students and youth only as a hammer changes. Therefore, important if the young people who become balancing progressive-minded in our national system leadeship today.

Young People, Who is?

In the context keindonesiaan this time, we need an alternative leader who can stir the spirit of the people of Indonesia to move forward. Leadership is leadership is a transformative youth (able to reflect ideas / ideas to the rank praksis). However, we need to first identify the perceptions, who is young? What is the definition of youth is solely determined by the age limit anyway? Or young people is a definition used in the melee thoughts or ideas? If we refer to the big dictionary english second edition (1995), the definition of youth is that they are adults and have started to age to marry. In law marriage, marrying age is 16 years for women and 19 years for men. Meanwhile, in explanation of these laws, adult age is 21 years old. So, the conclusion can be drawn is that young people their age begin the 16 years to 50 years. But there are also limits to the age of 18-50 years. Some opinions say that is the productive age ranged between 25-55 years old.

In the view Pramudya Ananta Tour, young people can not dikotakan merely in terms of age, but young people is that they have ideas that progressif, radical and militant. Therefore, the age limit will be killed if the ideas they tend to the status quo. Although we look in the mirror on Ahmadinejad (Iran), Hogo Chavez (Venezuela) and Evo Morales (Bolivia) and the Soekarno, the founder of indonesian nation. They are leaders and have an intrepid ideas and ideas that progressive, radical and militant. These countries constitute a successful international association in the head, although the three countries are considered controversial by the United States. This is going because they have the courage of leaders of foreign intervention against their country.

Ahmadinejad successfully convince the UN that they do not use as nuclear weapons of mass destruction and challenging George W Bush to argue. Evo Morales and Hugo Chávez with the oil producing countries successfully nationalize assets and to expel foreign companies out of the country because they are considered state property dredge them. More mad again, Hugo Chávez mentions George W. Bush as the devil in front of the UN council. Soekarno in the leadership is able to make Indonesia as a sovereign country and respected in the eyes of the world.

Why Must Alternative Leadership?

We know together, although the Soesilo Bambang Yudoyono-Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK) government directly elected by the people in the general election of 2004, but now the government failed to function the people of Indonesia. In this government, the price of fuel has twice increased. Borrowing a knife analysis Firmansyah that we are experiencing a national complexity. He further said that after 100 years and 10 years of reform is still marked by weak structure and the competitiveness of the economy, of law enforcement, corruption eradication, the implementation of autonomy and decentralization, the amount of debt, poverty levels and unemployment, demand democratization, and the threat desintegrasi. Meanwhile, on the international community, marked the situation, conditions, the challenges and demands, increasingly complex, always changing, full of uncertainty, and often not even friendly. The development of the strategic environment demands leaders and a solid, able to anticipate future developments, to build the vision, mission, and strateji and develop policy measures, institutional and management system of governance that are relevant to the complexity of development, problems and challenges faced at the national level and international.

In historikal, Indonesia has the same pattern in terms of national leadership turnover, namely, came from the economic crisis and political crisis. Saiful Mujani (Tempo edition 36/29 October - 04 November 2007) explains that the emergence of the national leadership of the New Order and the Order of the reform / democracy now can not be compared, but there is a very crucial similarities: third order starts from the economic-political crisis. Old Order begins with government instability, separatism, and the constitution crisis; New Order begins with the economic crisis and the conflict between the Old Order, especially the Indonesian communis party/PKI, and their opponent, especially Army; and the Order of Democracy begins with the monetary crisis, and then mass riots.

Two previous birth to a crisis of leadership alternative that is still relatively young (Soekarno and Soeharto), while the monetary crisis in 1997 did not. This shows that our roads kaderisasi leadership in place. We know that the order for ten years of democracy, young people only to be spectators only. This raised a question in our head, whether young people are not given the space to become the main actors in national leadership? If the answer is yes, then the younger generation must merebutnya. Of course, with the preparation of cooked.

Conditions become a mirror for these young people appear to take the leadership position of this country. Young people is the figure as a potential alternative leader. However, leaders not to the alternative discourse to be empty. Leaders alternative is a new bid in the middle of 'famine' public confidence in the government we now this. According to Firmansyah, alternative leadership is a leader who has a typology or pattern of transactional and transformative leadership. Further, he defines leadership as a transformative process that the "leaders and the followers of each other to raise the level of self motivation and morale higher," such as freedom, justice and humanity, and not at the Base of the emotions, such as greed, jealousy social, or hatred.

So, between leaders and led the same perception that they can optimize the efforts and cooperation to realize the vision become a reality towards the goal to be achieved and the nation state. Meanwhile as transactional leadership style of leadership that essentially emphasize transactions between leaders and subordinates, the president / shoots of the selected directly by the people, and become a political and social contract. So that they can complete the tasks and responsibilities in accordance with the agreements made with in accordance with campaign promises.

Become an alternative choice of leaders is not easy, especially for the young leaders of this country. Young leaders must have criteria that the ideal leader, among others, according to Saiful Mujani is, can be trusted (integrity), empathy to the people, have a dignified appearance, quite good views, and are considered able to lead to overcome the problems perceived by the people's most urgent, especially relating to the economy (competence).

In addition to these personal capacity, should be recognized that in terms of the popularity of young far behind compared with the figures of the News which is dominated by elderly people. A Amin Rais, Sutiyoso, Sultan Hamengkubuwono, Megawati and SBY-JK. To push up the popularity, the media is not replaceable container that role until now. In addition, young leaders must also be able to build a network of cross youth and student organizations both regional and national organizations, professionalism, mass organizations and to build cross-party network.

United Nations Democracy Fund Project Proposal Guidelines

The present guidelines describe the application procedure for the Third Round of UNDEF grants. Their purpose is to provide guidance to prospective applicants in the preparation of their proposals and thus to help the Fund select and support the best projects in conformity with the guidance of its Advisory Board. These Guidelines therefore establish
 The process for applications and awards, including proposed schedule
 Eligibility criteria for beneficiaries
 Eligible activities
 Assessment criteria
 Requirements in terms of branding and visibility of the UNDEF sponsorship
 Different types of geographical coverage (global, regional and country projects)
 Management arrangements available (CSOP and CSOP+EA)
 Monitoring, reporting and evaluation requirements; and
 The commitment to transparency and assistance of the UNDEF Office to applicants in this process

1. Background of UNDEF

At the 2005 World Summit held at the United Nations in New York, Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to promote democracy and human rights, by welcoming “the establishment of a Democracy Fund at the United Nations1” (herein referred to as ‘UNDEF’).
UNDEF’s primary purpose is to strengthen the voice of civil society and ensure the participation of all groups in democratic practices. The Fund complements current UN efforts to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide and funds projects that enhance democratic dialogue and support for constitutional processes, civil society empowerment, including the empowerment of women, civic education and voter registration, citizen’s access to information, participation rights and the rule of law in support of civil society and transparency and integrity.
UNDEF is a Trust Fund established through voluntary contributions from Member States, under the authority of the Secretary-General. UNDEF is guided by its Advisory Board, which includes representatives of Member States, eminent academicsand global civil society leaders. Thus, participation in the activities of UNDEF bestows prestige to all its stakeholders and signifies for its beneficiaries a high level of political commitment to democratic values.

2. Mandate of UNDEF
UNDEF finances projects primarily carried out by civil society organizations as well as independent constitutional bodies, regional and international organizations. UNDEF aims to support action-oriented projects to bring about measurable and tangible improvements in democracy and human rights on the ground, thereby translating the concept of “democracy” into practical solutions for people to have their voices and choices heard. UNDEF-financed projects will be implemented over a period of two years, principally at country level and in least developed, low or middle income countries. UNDEF also provides discrete funding to a number of regional and global projects promoting democracy (see § 5.1). Eligibility criteria are elaborated further in Section 5.

3. Scope of the Guidelines
These guidelines describe the application procedure for UNDEF grants. The basic principle behind the two-stage approach of the UNDEF application procedure, and in particular of the first stage (call for applications), is to allow interested parties to have their projects short-listed by providing the basic information needed by UNDEF to reach a decision in principle.
UNDEF only needs the applicants to invest the time and resources to produce a full project document when a proposal has been short-listed (the second stage). The Project Proposal Guidelines may be periodically revised in subsequent rounds of UNDEF funding cycles to take account of best practices and lessons learned. For further information, please visit the UNDEF website at http://www.un.org/democracyfund.

4. Application Procedure
4.1 Schedule
10 November 2008
Call for Applications Online application software opened
31 December 2008
Deadline for application submission Online application software closed
Mid-February 2009
Deadline for UNDEF Office to arrive at “long short-list”
Mid-March 2009
Deadline for PCG & UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) to provide
comments
Early April 2009
Deadline for Advisory Board to adopt short-list
Mid-April
Deadline for Permanent Missions to be informed of projects short-listed in their countries
Late May 2009
Deadline for Advisory Board recommendation to Secretary-General
Early June 2009
Request to short-listed applicants to draft detailed project documents
Mid-July 2009
Deadline for submission of detailed project documents
August 2009
Clearance of projects by UNDEF Office and commencement of
disbursement to beneficiaries2
End September 2010
Deadline for submission of biennial project substantive mid-term reports
End September 2011 Deadline for submission of biennial project substantive final reports
End November 2011 Deadline for submission of biennial project certified financial statements
4.2 Call for Applications
The Third Round of UNDEF Funding will begin when the call for applications is launched on 10 November 2008. The deadline for submissions will be 31 December 2008. Organizations wishing to apply for UNDEF funding should visit the UNDEF website where they will be prompted to complete an online application process. An outline of the requirements of the Online Project Proposal System (OPPS) is provided in Annex 1 to this document.
Applications will be accepted by the OPPS only during the application period i.e. 10 November – 31 December 2008. Applications must be received online by 31 December 2008. The Fund will not accept proposals submitted via e-mail, regular post, facsimile, diplomatic or UN pouch, hand or courier delivery or any other channel. Applications can only be submitted in English or French, the two working languages of the United Nations. A confirmation email will be generated by the OPPS confirming receipt of the online application. The UNDEF Office will communicate directly with the applicant should additional information be required.

4.3 Award Decisions
Proposed projects will be assessed by the UNDEF Office, short-listed by the Fund’s Programme Consultative Group (PCG), in consultation with United Nations Resident Coordinators, and reviewed by UNDEF’s Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will submit a recommendation of awards to the Secretary-General, who holds the ultimate authority for the funding decision. Decisions on the selection of projects to be funded will be considered “approvals in principle”.
Final approval will depend upon successful finalisation of a full project document. The project document should be completed within 6 weeks of the notification of the “approval in principle”. Failure of the applicant to comply with this deadline may result in UNDEF not going ahead with the grant. Extended deadlines may be granted on an exceptional basis to especially complex projects by UNDEF Office. By early June 2009, all successful short-listed applicants will be notified at the electronic address indicated in their application, unless otherwise advised on the UNDEF website. UNDEF does not have the resources to individually advise unsuccessful applicants.

4.4 Successful Proposals and Detailed Project Documents
Proposals approved in principle for funding by UNDEF will have to be elaborated into detailed (full) project documents and meet the usual standards of international good practice, prior to receiving final approval for disbursement. Project documents should follow the UNDEF format as will be further explained in the “Third Round Project Document Guidelines” which will be available on the UNDEF website prior to notification of short-listing. A detailed project document will include at least the following information:
 a cover page with an executive summary of the project expressing the total budget, the amounts and sources of funding (template to be provided by UNDEF);
 a situation analysis, including lessons learned in earlier or concurrent efforts in the same field and country/region, that will develop the “problem being addressed” section of the original proposal;
 the objectives of the project and a description of the planned activities;
 a risk assessment which will express the level of engagement of national authorities and other stakeholders;
 information on the methodology with which the project was developed and the consultation process for its finalization;
 a logical framework with results-based performance indicators, a biennial work plan with activity implementation deadlines and costs for those activities (i.e. activities budget);
 a detailed annual budget by input for the full period and an indication of other funding organizations to which the proposal has been or will be submitted
 a communications strategy that takes into due account the commitments on visibility of UNDEF (see § 4.5)
 legal, managerial and implementation arrangements including names and details of the key individuals in charge of the proposed project, the Financial Management, the Reporting and Monitoring arrangements and a proposed evaluation strategy.

Detailed project documents will be submitted to UNDEF by email (Democracyfund@un.org) by the cut-off date indicated in the schedule (see § 4.1). Inability to complete the detailed project document requirements by the established deadline may result in cancellation of the grant allocation.

4.5 Branding and Visibility
Successful beneficiaries will be expected to comply with the “UNDEF Branding and Visibility Rules” posted on the UNDEF website. These rules ensure that projects totally or partially funded by UNDEF visibly acknowledge the United Nations’ support. They cover the written and visual identity of UNDEF and apply to print, electronic and any other material, presentation, banner, invitation, sign, plaque, other hardware and items purchased with UNDEF funding or produced within a UNDEFfunded project.

4.6 Declined Proposals
Organizations whose applications were not approved for funding will not be notified individually. Such organizations may wish to revisit the UNDEF website periodically to be aware of future calls for applications. Applicants who have not received a positive response by the end of June should consider this silence as decisive, unless otherwise advised on the UNDEF website.












5. Eligibility Criteria

5.1 Country and Global/Regional Projects
UNDEF will invite proposals for projects that either take place in one country only, or occur in several specified states of a region or sub-region or intend to operate at the global level. UNDEF will reserve at least 70% of its programmable resources in each funding round for projects taking place in one country and will allocate no more than 30% to global/regional projects.
5.2 Duration of Projects and Amounts Awarded
In principle, UNDEF grants will be allocated for projects with a default duration of two years. However, it is fully acceptable to UNDEF if a successful applicant completes a project in less than 2 years. Grants will not necessarily match the full amounts applied for. Grant allocations will in principle not exceed US$500,000 for any given project, and will be of a minimum of US$50,000. Once the implementation period has elapsed, beneficiaries will be required to revert unspent funding to the UNDEF.

5.3 Eligible Beneficiaries
The following institutions are eligible for UNDEF grant funding:
(1) Civil Society Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations3, engaged in promoting democracy4 which are anticipated to receive the bulk of the funding
(2) Independent and Constitutional Bodies, including Election Commissions, Ombudsman Institutions, National Human Rights Institutions and other independent governance bodies, for project proposals facilitating the inclusion of the voice of civil society.
(3) Global and Regional inter-government bodies, organizations and associations other than the United Nations, for project proposals which strengthen the voice of civil society.
















3 UN accreditation is not a prerequisite to apply for UNDEF funding.
4 UNDEF will not consider project proposals that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate or representative of an organization that recommends or is apologetic of the use of violent means in political action in general and of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations in particular, as stated in the 2005 World Summit Outcome document (§81). Based on ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) resolution 1996/31 on consultative relationship, as well as the UN Department for Public Information (DPI) criteria for associated NGOs, UNDEF will require that the aims and purposes of the applying CSO be in conformity with the spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations; the CSO must be duly constituted nationally or internationally; the CSO shall ideally have a satisfactory record of collaboration with UN field offices, UNDP, a United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) or other parts of the UN system; the CSO shall have statutes/by-laws providing for a transparent process of making decisions, elections of officers and members of the Board; it shall have an established headquarters, with an executive officer; the CSO shall finally have authority to speak for its members through its authorized representatives; evidence of meeting these requirements shall be the onus of the applying CSO
5.4 Priority Countries and Regional Balance
While applications from all countries will be considered, strong preference will be given to applicants from countries and regions where the challenges of democracy are more critical, such as countries emerging from conflict, new and restored democracies, the Least Developed Countries (as per the official classification of the UN-OHRLLS), Low Income Countries (“Low Income Economies” as per the World Bank’s official classification based on Gross National Income per capita) and Middle Income Countries (“Lower and Upper Middle-income Economies”, idem). UNDEF aspires to a satisfactory regional balance in the awarding of grants, and will consider each individual proposal on its own merits. UNDEF encourages local CSO’s to submit high quality applications.

5.5 Appropriate Activities
The following activities are appropriate for funding:
(a) Democratic dialogue and support for constitutional processes: This includes activities that enhance the interaction of people (and especially marginalized groups) with their government; that foster national dialogue, democracy and reconciliation amongst diverse communities and actors.
(b) Civil society empowerment, including the empowerment of women:
This includes activities that strengthen civil society capacities to participate in democratic processes, including umbrella organizations and institutional interfaces between civil society and the State.
(c) Civic education and voter registration: This includes activities to enhance people’s participation in democratic processes, especially elections at the national and local levels, with particular emphasis on the involvement of marginalized groups.
(d) Citizen’s access to information: This includes activities such as strengthening the legal framework for access to information; enhancing the availability of information provided by government institutions to the public; bolstering the ability of the media to act as a medium of democratic information; and increasing the level of pluralism in the sources of public and private information.
(e) Participation rights and the rule of law in support of civil society: This includes support for activities that enhance participation rights as well as activities to promote access to justice by marginalised groups.
(f) Transparency and integrity: This includes support for watchdog groups and institutions both public and private including civil society organizations and NGOs, and the media, aiming at increasing transparency and integrity in public policy delivery.

5.6 Assessment Criteria
During the assessment process, project proposals will be assessed based on the following ten assessment criteria:
1. The project promotes the objectives of UNDEF
2. The project draws on the United Nations comparative advantage
3. The project will have a significant impact
4. The project will encourage inclusiveness
5. The project will enhance gender equality
6. The project has strong prospects for successful implementation
7. The applicant organization has a strong track record
8. The project is technically sound in conception and presentation
9. The project represents good value for money
10. The project has strong prospects of sustainability beyond the project duration.

5.7 Additional Considerations
(a) Relations between Civil Society and Governmental Bodies: The Fund’s special interest is in fostering more open exchanges and thereby better relations between civil society and the institutions of governance, including independent constitutional bodies. UNDEF will look for projects that lead to this outcome.
(b) Gender/women: All successful proposals must ensure that projects are sensitive to gender issues and that greater participation of women in democratization is a likely outcome of the project.
(c) Inclusion and participation of marginalized segments of society and vulnerable groups, beyond gender: Proposals should clearly indicate how these groups will be involved in and/or benefit from the project.
(d) Professional affiliations and/or cooperation with regional or global networks, organizations or associations: Applications should indicate any affiliations and/or cooperation relationships that may be of relevance for the assessment of project proposals. UNDEF is interested in working with both experienced organizations and agencies that have a long-standing commitment to democratic values and a proven track record in successful project management, as well as more recently formed organizations that have developed robust management systems and strong working relationships with other organizations. UNDEF reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering grant awards and/or partnering with the United Nations or other grant-making organizations.

(e) South-South Cooperation: UNDEF welcomes projects that make maximum use of local and regional resources and which transfer know-how and solutions between countries with similar or relevant experience.
(f) Low-priority types of expenditures and activities: UNDEF will not give priority to project proposals which focus on the following:
􀂾 Initiatives which do not promote democracy
􀂾 Initiatives filling a funding gap for ongoing activities
􀂾 Activities that can more appropriately be funded by other funding sources (e.g. Thematic Trust Funds or the Peacebuilding Commission’s Fund)
􀂾 Activities where a substantial part of the budget covers institutional recurrent costs and/or personnel costs, travel and/or conference services
􀂾 Projects focused primarily on research
􀂾 Activities where the proportion of hardware purchases is too significant in
the context of total project costs.

5.8 Management Arrangements and Executing Agencies
Applicants can choose between different types of management arrangements for delivery of UNDEF projects:
1) CSO-Implemented projects without Executing Agency (CSOP)
Projects where the CSO or other applicant does not partner with an Executing Agency. The CSO is responsible for the overall management of the project and bears all substantive, financial, monitoring, reporting and evaluation responsibilities. In the Second Round, the vast majority of applications adopted this format.
2) CSO-Implemented projects with Executing Agency (CSOP + EA)
Projects where the applicant partners with an Executing Agency who will oversee and monitor the project and act as UNDEF’s agent for project oversight. The CSO or other applicant will bear substantive responsibility for achieving results in the project. The Executing Agency will be responsible for the oversight of the project and will bear all financial, monitoring, reporting and evaluation responsibilities. UNDEF does not prefer one implementation modality over another. It is the applicant’s decision whether or not to work with an Executing Agency. Executing Agencies can be UN Agencies, intergovernmental or regional institutions or larger, more-established international NGOs/CSOs. Should an applicant decide to work with an Executing Agency the applicant must seek the consent of the Executing Agency prior to submitting their application, and must indicate in the application the contact details of the person who has given this consent. The Executing Agency will normally be entitled to charge 5% of the project’s budget for its overhead cost in overseeing the project, unless otherwise advised by UNDEF. This fee must cover all financial, contractual, reporting, evaluation and other agreed services to the project. The CSO or other applicant in both modalities of the project will be allowed to charge the project budget with its direct Programme Support Costs (e.g. salaries, travel, rent, office supplies), as per local conditions and best international practice. UNDEF expects these costs to be modest and they will impact on the assessment of the project proposal under the “Value for Money” assessment criterion (see § 5.6).

5.9 Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation
Monitoring
Monitoring of project activities will be done in several ways. All project applicants must monitor their own activities. In addition, if the project is CSOP + EA, all executing agencies will be also responsible for project monitoring and submission of reports. If the project is CSOP, UNDEF will appoint monitors to observe project milestones. Further information on milestones will be available at the project document drafting stage. Finally, UNDEF will monitor projects by way of review of mid-term and progress reports and will on occasion perform monitoring visits as well.

Reporting
All projects will be required to submit mid-term and final narrative and financial reports. These reports will be considered public information. UNDEF mid-term and final progress report templates and corresponding guidelines will be made available on the UNDEF website. All financial reports must include an audited or certified financial statement, reflect interest earned on funds received from UNDEF, show any parallel funds received by the recipient for complementary activities and align expenses with activities and milestones. Further details will be provided to successful applicants through the “Third Round Project Document Guidelines”.

Evaluation
All projects must have a proposed evaluation strategy that will be further detailed in the project document.

For CSOP projects, UNDEF reserves the right to appoint monitors and evaluators and will pay for those services out of the funds that have been retained from each project. UNDEF has the discretion to use these funds for related or similar purposes as well. The applicant will cooperate with UNDEF-appointed monitors, will be responsible for collecting baseline information and feedback forms throughout the project lifecycle and if requested, will arrange for an independent evaluation with funds covered by UNDEF.
For CSOP + EA projects, the Executing Agency will arrange for the evaluation and should discuss its scope with UNDEF prior to undertaking the evaluation. 10% of the project budget (up to a maximum of $25,000 for most projects) will be keptaside for monitoring and evaluation purposes. For CSOP +EA projects, the 10% will be used to pay the administrative overhead fee (which includes monitoring, reporting, and evaluation) and the balance will be used by UNDEF for third-party evaluation that may be needed for comparative or thematic evaluation.

6. Transparency and Assistance to Applicants
The UNDEF Office is committed to providing punctual, accurate and userfriendly guidelines. While it cannot provide direct support to the preparation of applications, projects or reports, it will nonetheless try to respond promptly to queries received. UNDEF will ensure that all guidelines, procedures and other policy documents are made available on its website on a timely basis and in a user friendly format. UNDEF will, in any event, provide all relevant information on its website on the appraisal cycle and process. UNDEF will also apply a policy of transparency with regard to the approved projects. During the assessment process, application information will be shared with the

UNDEF Office, the UN Programme Consultative Group, the UN Resident Coordinators and the UNDEF Advisory Board. Once short-listed by the Advisory Board, basic information about the proposal will be provided, as a matter of courtesy, to the Permanent Missions to the UN of the country in which the project is to take place. Once the project
document has been approved, information on projects receiving UNDEF grants will be
posted on the UNDEF web site.












Annex 1

Outline of Online Project Proposal System (OPPS)

The Online Project Proposal System (OPPS) is an on-line system that allows prospective grantees to submit their applications to UNDEF electronically. The OPPS can be accessed at the UNDEF website at www.un.org/democracyfund. The present outline describes the application procedure for the third round of UNDEF grants that any applicant will have to complete online. All applications must be completed in English or French. Applications can be submitted only through our OPPS. Applications submitted by email, regular post, facsimile, diplomatic or UN pouch, hand or courier delivery or any other channel will NOT be considered.

Please note:
• The fields can accommodate a limited number of characters. You need to present your project information in a concise and clear manner. For example, the project summary or the project activities have to be outlined in a succinct and coherent way. When filling in the form please ensure that you do not go over the characters allowed or your text will be truncated. This affects greatly the quality of your proposal.
• All the fields with the symbol (*) are compulsory.
• The OPPS has a saving function which allows you to begin drafting and then save an application to continue it at a later point. Once your application is saved, you will receive an email with all the necessary information to log into the system and continue working on your application prior to submission.. Saving your application does not submit your application to UNDEF. Your application is submitted to UNDEF once you click the “preview and submit” buttons at the end of the form. You will receive a confirmation email soon after submitting your application. This email will contain your application receipt number. Should you not receive this email within 48 hours of submission, contact us at democracyfund@un.org.
• You cannot edit an application once it has been submitted. You will be able to view your submitted application only while the application period is open (10 November – 31 December 2008). For this reason, UNDEF recommends you keep a copy of your project application. UNDEF will not send submitted applications back to applicants.









Contents of Application Form

1. Applicant Information
1. Name of organization or entity applying
2. Type of institution
3. Name, title and contact information of head of entity
4. Name, title and contact information of designated contact
5. Relevant prior experience
6. Affiliations or cooperation with national or international associations/organizations (both formal and informal)
7. First time or prior applicant/ obtained funding in earlier UNDEF rounds
2. Project Information
1. Project title
2. Project location
3. Project summary
4. Duration
5. Requested amount
6. Applicant’s contribution (cash or in-kind)
7. Activity line
8. Gender considerations
9. Marginalized or vulnerable groups
3. Project Description
1. Problem being addressed
2. Objectives/Purpose of the project
3. Key activities
4. Outputs/deliverable products
5. Results/outcomes
6. Monitoring and evaluation
7. Innovative aspects
8. Sustainability of the initiative/project
9. Why UNDEF?
4. Partner Information (if applicable)
1. Is there an Executing Agency for this project?
If so: 1.1 Name of the Executing Agency
1.2 Name of the contact person
1.3 Position
1.4 Email
1.5 Phone number
2. Is there an Implementing Partner(s) of this project? If so, please provide details.
3. Other Donors/Sponsors and amounts of their contribution
5. Budget
All budgets should be expressed in US dollars and should contain rounded figures only. UNDEF requires two different budget types:
A. An indicative budget by activities, (see 1st budget sample table) with broad cost estimates for each major activity funded by UNDEF. A maximum of 15 activities can be submitted;
B. An additional budget by inputs to be funded by UNDEF (see 2nd budget sample table). Both budgets should have a budget line where 10% of the total estimated project costs which will be set aside by UNDEF to cover Monitoring and Evaluation. For proposals over US$250,000, a maximum of US$25,000 will be set aside. For CSOP +EA projects, the 10% will cover the administrative overhead fee of the Executing Agency (usually 5% of the total estimated project costs). This fee must cover all financial, contractual, reporting and other agreed services to the project.
The balance will be used by UNDEF for additional third-party evaluation that may also be needed for comparative or thematic evaluation. For CSOP and CSOP + EA projects, the Implementing Agency is allowed to charge the project budget directly with reasonable and modest Programme Support Costs (costs which are necessary to carry out the project such as staff, travel, rent, office supplies, etc) that are anticipated to remain a modest proportion of the budget. The budgets are part of the application and take the following form:

Sample UNDEF Budget by Activity2
Activity description Amount in US$
Activity 1
e.g. training course for women local councillors 0
Activity 2
e.g.voter education campaign targeted at youth 0
Activity 3
e.g. development of advocay/outreach materials (DVDs, brochures etc.) 0
Activity 4
e.g. meeting of stakeholders to provide recommendations on measures to empower youth 0
Activity 5
e.g. production of radio/TV programme 0
Activity 6
e.g. study tour to country X 0
Activity 7
(… up to activity 15) 0
Total Estimated Project Implementation Costs (TPIC)
0

Monitoring and Evaluation,Executing Agency fee (up to 10% of the TPIC)1
Please refer to the Project Proposal Guidelines for additional details on how to calculate this amount
0

Total Requested Grant Amount3
0

1- For additional details (e.g on the type of inputs, or on the manner to calculate the M&E component) please refer to the Project Proposal Guidelines available on the UNDEF website
2- In the budget by activities, the project implementation costs (salaries, programme supports costs…) should be built-in
3- The two budget totals should be the same
4- Audit costs apply only to CSOP projects as in CSOP+EA projects the costs are covered in the EA fee
Annex II
Commitments

Applicants will be requested to tick four boxes committing to:
 Develop a project by the established deadline following the “UNDEF Third Round Project Document Guidelines”
 Abide by the “UNDEF Branding and Visibility Rules” in all activities and products of the project if it were to be awarded a grant
 Provide narrative mid-term and final substantive progress reports (that will include a participatory feedback process involving all key programme stakeholders), annual audited or certified financial statements and ensure or participate in appropriate project evaluation as per the established Monitoring & Evaluation norms contained in the project proposal guidelines and UNDEF Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Guidelines
 Take all necessary measures to facilitate evaluations or audits as and when required by UNDEF or a third party on its behalf In the case of CSOs, the following additional commitments will be requested by the same procedure:
 The Applicant CSO/NGO does not intend to provide any type of support for any member, affiliate or representative of an organization that recommends or is apologetic of the use of violent means in political action in general and of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations in particular, as stated in the 2005 World Summit Outcome document (§81).
 As per ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31 on consultative relationship, as well as the UNDPI criteria for associated NGOs, the Applicant CSO/NGO’s aims and purposes are in conformity with the spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
 The CSO/NGO is duly constituted nationally or internationally.
 The CSO/NGO has statutes/by-laws providing for a transparent process of decision making, elections of officers and members of the Board; the CSO has authority to speak for its members through its authorized representatives identified above.


How to Successfully Navigate Your Business through an Economic Downturn

By: Terry H Hill

An economic downturn is a phase of the business cycle in which the economy as a whole is in decline.This phase basically marks the end of the period of growth in the business cycle. Economic downturns are characterized by decreased levels of consumer purchases (especially of durable goods) and, subsequently, reduced levels of production by businesses.

While economic downturns are admittedly difficult, and are formidable obstacles to small businesses that are trying to survive and grow, an economic downturn can open up opportunities. A well-managed company can realize the opportunity to gain market share by taking customers away from their competitors. Resourceful entrepreneurs capture the available opportunities, from an economic downturn, by developing alternate methods of doing business that were never implemented during a prior growth period.

The challenge of successfully navigating your business through an economic downturn lies in the realignment of your business with current economic realities. Specifically, you, as the business owner, need to renew a focus on your core clients/customers, reduce your operating expenses, conserve cash, and manage more proactively, rather than reactively, is paramount.


Here are best practices that will help you to successfully navigate your business through an economic downturn:

Goals:

The primary goal of any business owner is to survive the current economic downturn and to develop a leaner, more cost-effective and more efficient operation. The secondary goal is to grow the business even during this current economic downturn.

Objectives:

• Conserve cash.

• Protect assets.

• Reduce costs.

• Improve efficiencies.

• Grow customer base.

Required Action:

• Do not panic… History shows that economic downturns do not last forever. Remain calm and act in a rational manner as you refocus your attention on resizing your company to the current economic conditions.

• Focus on what YOU can control… Don’t let the media's rhetoric concerning recessions and economic slowdown deter you from achieving business success. It´s a trap! Why? Because the condition of the economy is beyond your control. Surviving economic downturns requires a focus on what you can control, i.e. your relevant business activities.

• Communicate, communicate, and communicate! Beware of the pitfall of trying to do too much on your own. It is a difficult task indeed to survive and to grow your business solely with your own efforts. Solicit ideas and seek the help of other people (your employees, suppliers, lenders, customers, and advisors). Communicate honestly and consistently. Effective two-way communication is the key.

• Negotiate, negotiate, and negotiate! The value of a strong negotiation skill set cannot be overstated. Negotiating better deals and contracts is an absolute must for realigning and resizing your company to the current economic conditions. The key to success is not only knowing how to develop a win-win approach in negotiations with all parties, but also keeping in mind the fact that you want a favorable outcome for yourself too.

Recommended Best Practice Activities:

The Nuts and Bolts… The following list of recommended best practice activities is critical for your business' survival and for its growth during an economic downturn. The actual financial health of your particular business, at the outset of the economic downturn, will dictate the priority and urgency of the implementation of the following best practice activities.

1. Diligently monitor your cash flow: Forecast your cash flow monthly to ensure that expenses and planned expenditures are in line with accounts receivable. Include cash flow statements into your monthly financial reporting. Project cash requirements three-to- six months in advance. The key is to know how to monitor, protect, control, and put cash to work.

2. Carefully convert your inventories: Convert excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory items into cash. Consider returning excess and slow-moving items back to the suppliers. Close-out or inventory reduction sales work well to resize your inventory. Also, consider narrowing your product offerings. Well-timed order placement helps to reduce excess inventory levels and occasional material shortages. The key is to reduce the amount of your inventory without losing sales.

3. Timely collection of your accounts receivable: This asset should be converted to cash as quickly as possible. Offer prompt payment discounts to encourage timely payments. Make changes in the terms of sale for slow paying customers (i.e. changing net 30 day terms to COD). Invoicing is an important part of your cash flow management. The first rule of invoicing is to do it as soon as possible after products are shipped and/or after services are delivered. Place an emphasis on reducing billing errors. Most customers delay payments because an invoice had errors, and therefore, will not pay until they receive a corrected copy. Email or fax your invoices to save on mailing time. Post the payments that you have received and make deposits more frequently. The key is to develop an efficient collection system that generates timely payments and one that gives you advance warning of problems.

4. Re-focus your attention on your existing clients/customers: Make customer satisfaction your priority. A regular review of your customers' buying history and frequency of purchases can reveal some interesting facts about your customers' buying habits. Consider signing long-term contracts with your core clients/customers which will add to your security. Offer a discount for upfront cash payments. The key is to do what it takes to keep your current customers loyal.

5. Re-negotiate with your suppliers, lenders, and landlord:

i) Suppliers: Always keep your negotiations on the level of need, saying that your company has reviewed its cost structure and has determined that it needs to lower supplier costs. . Tell the supplier that you value the relationship you have developed, but that you need to receive a cost reduction immediately. Ask your supplier for a lower material price, a longer payment cycle, and the elimination of finance charges. Also, see if you can buy material from them on a consignment basis. In return for their price concessions, be willing to agree to a long-term contract. Explore the idea of bartering as a form of payment.

ii) Lenders: Everything in business finance is negotiable and your relationship with a bank is no exception. The first step to successful renegotiations is to convince your lenders that you can ultimately pay off the renegotiated loan. You must point out to your lenders why it would be in their best interest to agree to a new arrangement. Showing them your business plan and your action plan that includes your cost-savings initiatives, along with "the how" and "the when" of the implementation of your plan is the best way to achieve this goal. Explain to them that you will need their cooperation to insure that you can survive, as well as, grow your business during the economic downturn. Negotiated items include: the rate of interest, the required security to cover the loan, and the beginning date for repayment. A beginning date for repayment could be immediate, within several months or as long as a year. The key is to realize that your lender will work with you, but that frequent and continual communications with them is critical.

iii) Landlord: Meet with your landlord. Explain your need to have them extend the term of your lease at a reduced cost. Make sure you have a clause in the lease agreement that entitles you to have the right to sublet any or all of the leased space.

6. Re-evaluate your staffing requirements: This is a very critical area. Salaries/wages are a major expense of doing business. Therefore, any reduction in the hours worked through work schedule changes, short-term layoffs or permanent layoffs has an immediate cost saving benefit. Most companies ramped up hiring new employees in the good times, only to find that they are currently overstaffed due to slow sales during the economic downturn. In terms of down-sizing your staff, be very careful not to reduce your staff to a level that forces you to skimp on customer service and quality. Consider the use of part-timers or the current trend of outsourcing certain functions to independent contractors.

7. Shop for better insurances rates: Get quotations from other insurance agents for comparable coverage to determine whether or not your present insurance carrier is competitive. Also, consider revising your coverage to reduce premium costs. The key is to have the right balance-to be adequately insured, but not under or over insured.

8. Re-evaluate your advertising: Contrary to the other cost-cutting initiatives, evaluate the possibility of increasing your advertising expenditures. This tactic realizes the advantage of the reduced "noise" and congestion (fewer advertisers) in the marketplace. The downturn period a great opportunity to increase brand awareness and create additional demand for your product/service offerings.

9. Seek the help of outside advisors: The use of an advisory board comprised of your CPA, attorney, and business consultant offers you objectivity and provides you with professional advice and guidance. Their collective experience in working with similar situations in past economic downturns is invaluable.

10. Review your other expenses: Target an across-the-board cost-cutting initiative of 10-15%. Attempt to eliminate unnecessary expenses. Tightening your belt in order to weather the downturn makes practical, financial sense.

Proactively managing your business through an economic downturn is an enormous challenge and is critical for your survival. However, through well-planned initiatives, an economic downturn can create tremendous opportunity for your company to gain greater market share. In order to take advantage of this growth opportunity, you must act quickly to implement the above best business practices to continue realigning and resizing your company to the current economic conditions.

Copyright © 2008 Terry H. Hill

You may reprint this article free of charge in your newsletter, magazine, or on your website, provided that the article is unedited, and that the copyright, author's bio, and contact information below appears with each article. Articles appearing on the web must provide a hyperlink to the author's web site, http://www.legacyai.com

Terry H. Hill is the founder and managing partner of Legacy Associates, Inc, a business consulting and advisory services firm. A veteran chief executive, Terry works directly with business owners of privately held companies on the issues and challenges that they face in each stage of their business life cycle. To find out how he can help you take your business to the next level, visit his site at http://www.legacyai.com

To download a copy of this article, click on this link: http://www.legacyai.com/Article_Downturn.html.

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