[liberationtech] FAQs on new funding for civil society groups focussed on open government

[Yosem Companys]

From: Carol Morgan <cmorgan at hivos.org>

Last month we announced new funding for civil society groups using
innovation and tech to support OGP-related processes.

This might be of interest to the group and to others in your networks,
so we'd really appreciate you circulating this FAQ to anyone who you
think might find it useful.

Many thanks!

Carol Morgan
Head of Communications
Making All Voices Count


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Last month, we launched a new call for proposals from civil society
actors who are pursuing innovative approaches to Open Government
Partnership-related issues in Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa,
Tanzania, Ghana, Liberia, The Philippines and Nigeria.

The call is open now and runs until the end of April 2016.

We’ve had lots of questions about the type of projects and proposals
we’re looking for, so here’s a handy list of FAQs (and answers) as
well as a reminder of who to contact to discuss potential projects in
your country.
________________________________

FAQs

What are you hoping funded projects will achieve?

Making All Voices Count has a specific emphasis on supporting
innovation and technology in addressing governance issues - and
understanding what does and doesn’t work in projects attempting to do
this. Grants issued under this call will need to fit within the scope
of this programme goal and our Theory of Change, which is outlined on
page 41 and 42 of our Research & Evidence Strategy. With this call, we
are seeking innovative, civil society-led projects that can contribute
to:

- the shaping of OGP National Action Plans and their commitments.
- the implementation of OGP National Action Plan Commitments
- civil society monitoring and supporting governments to achieve OGP commitments
- civil society monitoring and challenging governments over how they
pursue these commitments

We also want to make sure that we support projects to deliver evidence
and learning - both about what they are doing, and also about how to
improve OGP processes.

Are you looking for ‘ready-made’ solutions to making government more open?

No. We appreciate that governance is complex and dynamic. Innovation
for improving governance is a process of knowledge construction,
learning and adaptation. It is widely recognised that given the
complex and dynamic nature of governance problems, initiatives that
look to address these issues need to learn and adapt to achieve
positive outcomes.

The OGP is relatively young, and is learning about which processes are
most effective. Therefore, we ask you to reflect on your country
context and the MAVC Theory of Change to pitch ideas that can
contribute to more open, participatory, and accountable government.
Equally important is producing learning and evidence which will help
to shape OGP processes as they unfold and also help others to
understand how to make governance processes more inclusive, more
participatory, less biased-by-default.

Making All Voices Count is a learning programme. In addition to
funding, you will be offered support in the form of mentors, embedded
fellows, and help to embed ‘action research’ approaches. All of these
will help you learn more about what you’re doing, how it’s working and
how you can adapt as you go to better achieve your project’s
objectives.

When applying, we encourage you to be reflective, creative, and to
highlight what you feel are important knowledge gaps. Let us know what
additional support you feel is needed to make your idea successful.

Who to contact and how to apply

Interested organisations can contact the following Making All Voices
Count country teams directly, or see our website for more details on
grant sizes and formats for application:

Indonesia - Ria Ernunsari
Kenya - Varyanne Sika
South Africa - Deborah Byrne
Ghana - Sachibu Mohamme
Tanzania - Sanne van den Berg
Liberia - Sachibu Mohammed
Philippines - Vivien Suerte-Cortez
Nigeria - Sachibu Mohammed