Public Consultation Document on the Format of DFID's Linking Scheme

1. Introduction

1.1 DFID is committed to investing in raising the levels of awareness about global issues among the UK public. If individuals really understand just how connected we are, here in the UK, to other people around the world, they are more likely to make use of their skills and knowledge to shape the world for the better in the future. And with a greater number of people ‘on board’, tackling global problems collectively will be much easier.

1.2 One of the ways in which we feel that we can get people involved in international development and raise the levels of awareness of development issues is through supporting appropriate links between groups here in the UK and partners in the developing world. Linking can help form sustained partnerships which offer mutual benefits to both the UK organisation and their partner in the South. As such the White Paper, ‘Making Governance Work for the Poor’, committed to DFID to support more linking activity in the future.

1.3 More evidence is needed relating to the impact of linking, so DFID will ensure that a key objective of the first three years is to evaluate different approaches in order to establish what approaches have the greatest impact, both North and South. Views on how to achieve this objective are welcome.

1.4 DFID would like to seek views on the development of this linking scheme, to create the best possible opportunity to involve more people and organisations in global issues and development, thereby building greater levels of understanding. The attached paper asks specific questions and makes specific statements to prompt your thoughts and ideas.

2. Background

2.1 The recent DFID White Paper ‘Making Governance Work for the Poor’ highlighted the fact that eliminating world poverty is a job for everyone, not just governments. In today’s increasingly connected and interdependent world, our lives in the richest countries are affected by what happens in developing countries, and we also have an impact on the lives of people there. And the best way to make a difference is to get involved.

2.2 There are many ways to do this. One of the ways this can be done is through the setting up of mutually benefiting links between groups here in the UK and those in the developing world. As a result, DFID has committed to:

‘Set up a scheme to help other groups – such as faith groups, community groups, local government, business and charitable organisations – build links with developing countries’.

2.3 This consultation paper is now being issued to enable DFID to form our thinking on what constitutes good linking and use this information to produce the criteria and process for a new linking scheme.

3. Linking – a definition

3.1 Linking is tool with great potential, through which communities across the world form sustained partnerships and undergo a process of learning about each other. DFID sees linking as being a way in which people and organisations here in the UK can become more personally and actively involved in the field of international development and build their levels of knowledge about the world in which they live.

3.2 The benefits of such a linking arrangement should be beneficial to the UK partner, in terms of increased development awareness, and knowledge about the impact of their actions, and beneficial to the partner organisation in the developing world, for example through enhanced skills, empowerment and greater global knowledge.

3.3 The UK umbrella organisation BUILD (Building Understanding Through International Links for Development - www.build-online.org.uk ) have produced a ‘Toolkit for Linking’ which is made up of a series of linked papers covering all aspects of linking from ‘Why Link?’ to ‘Problems with Links’. The toolkit covers the principles of linking and lays out a number of general principles.

3.4 The paper says that to be effective links should:

• Recognise, respect and value cultural differences.
• Be equitable with a sharing and balancing of benefits.
• Aim for genuine dialogue and decision-making in jointly developing the framework of the link.
• Develop the capacity of the both groups involved in the link.
• Encourage women’s participation.
• Raise awareness and advocate on rights and development issues.
• Be inclusive, through engaging as wide a range of partners as possible.

3.5 We would be interested to hear your views on what you feel the principles of any effective linking scheme should be, and what ensures the greatest impact and value in given partnerships.

4. Issues for consultation

4.1 It is important that we build on past experience and base the new scheme on the lessons learned (specifically on the issues outlined below). We would be interested to hear of examples of linking activities which have had proven positive impacts on development awareness levels in the UK and on the Southern partners. In addition we would also be interested to hear any evidence you may have to offer of activities which have had a negative or neutral impact.

4.2 The Potential Scope of the Linking Scheme

There is already a wide range and variety of organisations actively involved in linking activities, covering a wide range of sectors. We would be interested in hearing your views on what sectors you feel would benefit from support for linking initiatives and in what way?

Specifically:

• Do you feel that the Scheme should ring fence support for each sector?
• Should there be separate objectives for each sector?
• Do you have any views on what the objectives would be for the sector which you are particularly interested in?
• Or is the greatest benefit felt from those linking programmes that involve a wider range of stakeholders from across different sectors, such as schools, the health sector, and faith groups for example?
• What level of financial support would be most valuable to those involved in linking?
• What specific activities, North and South, work best to sustain longer term partnerships?
• What should not be supported/be avoided; what are the risks?

4.3 Potential Impact of Linking – a learning experience

Many organisations working on linking activities have a stronger focus on the benefits for Southern partners rather than the benefits which accrue here in the UK, through increasing development awareness. We need to ensure any new scheme set up has, built into its structure, a systematic process of evaluation which we can learn from after the initial three year period.

Specifically:

• What impact do you feel a linking scheme could have in building support for development in the UK?
• How do you ensure that the benefits of any linking scheme will be mutually beneficial to both the Northern and Southern partners?
• How does DFID ensure that the first three years of the scheme has built in learning objectives to ensure we go into the future only supporting initiatives which have guaranteed impact, both North and South?
• What measures can we use to monitor impact?

4.4 Potential beneficiaries of new support from DFID

It is clear that there are many UK based organisations involved in linking activities of many different forms. DFID are keen to ensure that we support good quality programmes with organisations that are able to deliver effective programmes which have a concrete impact. In order to achieve this we must produce criteria for the scheme which enable us to readily identify appropriate partners.

Specifically:

• Do you feel that the Scheme should be limited to any particular groups e.g. only open to not for profit groups?
• What involvement can public bodies/commercial organisations have?
• How can the scheme be designed in such a way as to make it inclusive?
• &Are there any other criteria you feel that we should introduce which applicants must meet (as an organisation) before any proposal could be considered?

4.5 Added Value

Within DFID there are already a number of other funding schemes which are open to applications from faith groups, community groups and charitable organisations. For example, we already manage a Development Awareness Fund (DAF) aimed at increasing the UK public’s understanding of international development issues. We also have the Civil Society Challenge Fund (CSCF) which supports partnerships between UK based civil society organisations and partner organisations in the South.

In designing the Linking Scheme it is imperative that we are able to show that this fund does not replicate but provides added value to the work of these other major funding schemes.

Specifically:

• How do you feel that the Linking Scheme could be designed in such a way as to show how support under this Fund does not duplicate any of the other DFID funding schemes?
• How can it show added value?

4.6 Process

The management of this scheme will be contracted out to an external, non-DFID body. This organisation would be responsible for the appraisal of proposals, the issuing of grants and the on-going management of all approved projects. Specific terms of reference for the managing agent will be produced and tenders will be issued for expressions of interest.

Specifically:

• What specific skills do you feel a potential managing agent should possess?
• What relevant experience is necessary?

In order to ensure that DFID supports the most appropriate linking activities it can be taken that this scheme will be a competitive application driven fund. In many of the competitive funding schemes which DFID manages we have introduced a Concept Note round at which point we give quick decisions based not on quality of proposal but on relevance to the Fund’s basic criteria. Do you feel that this is a process we should introduce for this Fund?

Given that many responding to this consultation paper will have had experience of other DFID (and probably other donors’ competitive funding schemes) we would be interested in gathering your views on what processes you feel would be best suited to this new linking scheme.

5. Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read over this consultation document. We are interested in hearing your views in response to any/all of the questions we have raised. We would also be interested in any other comments you may have which do not fall within any of the headings we have used.

Please send your responses to linking@dfid.gov.uk  no later than 11 June 2007. Alternatively you can write to:

Linking Consultation
AH501
DFID
Abercrombie House
Eaglesham Road
East Kilbride
Glasgow
G75 8PX

Or fax the Building Support for Development Team on 01355 843457.

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