Guidelines for Preparing
and Submitting Project Proposals
Sample Project Proposal
PART I. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
This section should provide a brief introduction to the current social
and economic situation of the social group which will benefit from the proposal. The
background should also describe: (1) the problem or critical issue which the proposal
seeks to resolve, (2) how the proposal relates to other relevant national development
strategies and policies, and (3) whether there are other programmes and activities which
will complement the proposal.
The statement of background and justification should describe how the
need for the project was determined, and how intended beneficiaries were involved in
project identification and planning.
If a non-governmental organisation has prepared the proposal, it is
important to describe how concerned governmental officials were made aware of and/or were
involved in project formulation.
Sample Cover Page of a Project Document
PROJECT DOCUMENT
Fund:
Project number:
Project title:
Executing agent:
Project Location:
Implementing agent(s):
Proposed starting date: Duration:
Government inputs: Fund inputs:
In kind
(local currency) (US$)
In cash:
(currency)
Other / third party cost-sharing:
(source; currency)
Summary description of the project proposal:
Signed:
___________________________ Name:
(On behalf of Government) Title:
Date:
____________________________ Name:
(On behalf of Executing Agent) Title:
Date:
____________________________ Name:
(On behalf of United Nations) Title:
Date:
The discussion of background and justification should indicate what
kind of assistance the concerned governmental offices will provide the proposal - if
approved - as well as what resources the non-governmental community could provide.
Finally, the section should describe the relevant experience and
capabilities of the project Executing Agent, and the type and level of resources that the
Executing Agent will provide for project planning, implementation management and follow
up.
PART II. OBJECTIVES
A. Development objective
The section should describe the way in which the situation of the concerned social
group is treated in national development strategies and policies, in terms of specific
programmes and how the proposed project will relate to this.
The discussion should indicate the specific national social and economic objectives to
which the proposal - if successful - is expected to contribute, and how this is expected
to contribute to improved well-being and livelihood among the concerned social group.
B. Immediate objectives
The immediate objectives section describes what the project is expected to achieve in
terms of effects among intended beneficiaries.
Specifically, the section discusses what changes are expected to occur among intended
beneficiaries if project operations are successful. Changes can include new and improved
technical skills and knowledge, increased income-generating capacities, improved health
status, and greater public awareness of the social group perspective in national
development.
The section should also discuss whether project operations - if successful - will be
extended to other locations as well as and whether the project experience can be applied
to other sectors.
PART III. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN
A. Expected project results
The section should describe the overall results that the project is
expected to produce - on successful completion - among its intended beneficiary group. The
discussion should also discuss whether there may be unintended effects of the project.
The discussion should indicate in quantitative terms, to the extent
possible, what the project will produce through its planned activities and budget.
B. Project activities and work plan
The section should describe how each immediate (project) objective will
be carried out in terms of planned activities, their timing and duration, and who will be
responsible for each activity. This can be summarized in a simple table, as described on
the following page.
Preliminary Work Plan
Objectives / Outputs /
Activities Responsible party Start Finish
Immediate Objective 1: (State briefly)
Output 1. (State briefly)
Activities to produce output (List in logical order)
1.1
....
Immediate Objective n:
C. Project Beneficiaries
This section describes who and how many people are expected to benefit
from the project -- directly and indirectly. It should also discuss how intended
beneficiaries have been involved in project design, and their expected role in project
implementation and evaluation.
D. Institutional Setting
This section should describe:
(1) Where project operations will take place?
(2) Who will be responsible for planning and management of project
operations as well as the roles that other bodies and organizations associated with the
project - on a direct or indirect basis - will play.
(3) What arrangements are to be established to ensure that there will
be effective coordination with other relevant programmes and activities.
The section should also discuss whether project operations are expected
to continue, or expand to other areas or sectors, once the current phase of assistance is
completed. This could include plans for introducing self-financing provisions to ensure
continued viability of operations on project completion.
PART IV. PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION
This section should discuss briefly proposed mechanisms and procedures
for periodic monitoring of project operations to ensure that activities occur as planned,
that they remain directed towards stated objectives, and that appropriate corrective
action is taken if required?
Specifically the discussion should indicate who will be responsible for
preparing periodic project progress and final technical reports and for the accounting of
expenditures made from the grant of the respective Fund.
All Fund-assisted projects need to be evaluated on completion. This
section should also identify the party who will responsible for this task as well as how
intended beneficiaries will be involved?
PART V. BUDGET
The project budget should indicate: (1) total cost of the project, (2)
components which will be financed by the project executing agent and (3) components for
which external assistance is sought.
A project budget has five main sections, as described below. A sample
budget pro forma is presented on the following page.
10.00 Project Personnel. Project operations may require as many
as three different types of staff. Normally, the resources of the Funds can finance
specialized national professional staff needed to plan and carry out the project or
specialized consultant services required to accomplish a specific project objective;
financing of project support personnel is not a priority for the Funds.
- Professional staff, who will be appointed for more than six
months;
- Consultants, who will be appointed for less than six months;
and
- Support staff, who will be responsible for project
administration, clerical support and related tasks.
For technical budgeting purposes, the estimated costs of international
professional staff should be listed from budget line 11.01 for the first staff member;
additional staff should be numbered sequentially.
National professional staff should be listed from budget line 17.01 and
numbered sequentially for each additional staff member.
Consultants should be listed from budget line 11.51 and numbered
sequentially as well.
Brief terms of reference for project personnel to be financed by the
Funds should be included as annexure to the project document.
The project personnel budget category also includes a line item for
official, national travel of project staff, if required and if this cannot be funded from
other sources.
20.00 Subcontracts. This component pertains to specialized
services provided the project by an outside contractor. Each subcontract will require a
separate budget line; subcontractor terms of reference should be attached as an annexure
to the project document.
30.00 Training. Three categories of training activities can be
undertaken by a project. Priority in allocating the resources of the Funds is accorded to
in-service training activities.
31.00 Individual fellowships, which relate to individual
training outside the country of the project;
32.00 Group training and study tours, which relate to organized
training programmes and study tours conducted outside the country of the project; group
training normally does not exceed two months and study tours normally are one month or
less;
33.00 In-service training, which relates to the cost of
individual and group training organized and conducted in the country of the project.
40.00 Equipment. Three categories of equipment may be
required for project implementation.
N.B. Normally the resources of the Funds will only
support acquisition of equipment needed for training or applied research. Their terms of
reference do not allow financing of construction or repair of premises.
41.00 Expendable equipment, which are items of equipment,
supplies or training materials valued at less than US$400;
42.00 Non-expendable equipment, which are items of equipment
valued at US$400 or more or which have a serviceable life of five years or more; and
43.00 Premises, which includes the purchase, construction or
rent of permanent or prefabricated housing and other facilities required for project
operations.
50.00 Miscellaneous. This component includes provision, under
budget line 51, for operation and maintenance of project equipment that cannot be covered
by the host government or the project executing agent; under budget line 52, for report
costs, which can also cover the reproduction of a reasonable number of copies of project
technical and final reports; and under budget line 53, for sundry expenses, which also can
cover official postage, communications and incidental supplies.
The budget covering the requested contribution from the Funds should
include both the estimated total and annual costs of all project components. Project
personnel, fellowships and group training/study tour components should include estimated
work months as well as their costs.
A separate budget should be prepared to describe the budget components
to be financed - in cash or in kind - by Government, Project Implementing Agent and other
parties participating in the project.
For more information:
Division for Social Policy and Development / DESA
DC2-1320
United Nations New York 10017 - USA
Telefax : +1 212 963-3062
Project Budget Outline (1)
Project Budget Covering Co-financing
Contribution of United Nations
Fund title:
Project title:
Project code:
Budget Component Total Year 1: ______ . Year 2: ______
w/m $ w/m $ w/m $
10 Project Personnel
11.01 International Expert(s)
11.50 Consultant(s)
11.99 Subtotal: Personnel
13.00 Administrative Support
15.00 Official Travel
17.00 National Professional
Project Personnel
19.00 Component Total
20 Subcontract(s)
21.00 Subcontract #1
29.00 Component Total
30 Training
31.00 Fellowships
32.00 Group Training / Study Tours
33.00 In-service Training
39.00 Component Total
40 Equipment
41.00 Expendable Equipment
42.00 Non-Expendable Equipment
43.00 Premises
49.00 Component Total
50 Miscellaneous
51.00 Operation, Maintenance and
Repair of Equipment
52.00 Publications and Report Costs
53.00 Sundry, and Communications
59.00 Component Total
99.00 Grand Total
Project Budget Outline (2)
Project Budget Covering Contribution of Government /
Project Implementing Agent
Fund title:
Project title:
Project code:
Budget Component Total Year 1: _____. Year 2: _____
w/m w/m w/m
10 Project Personnel
11.10 Project Management
11.20 Technical Staff
11.30 General Service Staff
11.99 Subtotal: Personnel
15.00 Official Travel
19.00 Component Total
30 Training
31.00 Local Training
39.00 Component Total
40 Equipment
41.00 Expendable Equipment
42.00 Non-Expendable Equipment
43.00 Premises
49.00 Component Total
50 Miscellaneous
51.00 Operation, Maintenance and
Repair of Equipment
52.00 Publications and Report Costs
53.00 Sundry, and Communications
59.00 Component Total
99.00 Grand Total
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