Guidelines for Completing the UNOPS Proposal and Budget Applications for Grant

Applications

1. How to Complete the UNOPS IQOC Technical Application

1.1 General Tips

 Read the instructions listed in the Request For Proposals (RFP)! This is the most
important advice in proposal writing, as even the best ideas can be rejected if the
proposal is not in the proper format or does not adhere to UNOPS requirements.
UNOPS will not provide funding for activities that are not directly in line with the
interventions outlined in the RFP. Your agency must read, highlight, clarify, and
clearly understand the:
o Scope of the program as defined by the Terms of Reference (TOR)
o UNOPS narrative and budget format (described below)
o Submission criteria and deadlines
o Required attachments, certifications and back-up documents.

 The technical proposal can be no longer than 10 pages, so be specific, be clear and be
concise. At the same time, your proposal should make a compelling case for funding,
and be interesting to read.

 Make it Easy to Review: Consider the stated selection criteria, and make it easy for
the reviewer to find what they need to find and see what you want them to see. Make
sure the proposal is neat and does not appear jumbled or crowded. Make sure it prints
well and reads well in both paper and electronic format. Do not use strange fonts or
over use bold/italic/underline.

 Logical Flow: A proposal should build a complete, step-by-step picture of the

program. A reviewer should not need to flip back and forth between sections to
understand the program, and when a reviewer finishes reading the proposal, he or she
should have a clear understanding of what your agency will do, why and how.

 Short and Simple: In general, the shorter and simpler you can make your propo sal
while still giving the donors all the information they need, the better. Do not use
complicated terminology where simple language will do, and try to simplify complex
concepts into language that an ordinary educated person will understand. Avoid
repetition, and do not use many words where fewer will do the job.

1.2 Writing Tips

 A good standard proposal font is Times New Roman.
 Font size should never be less than 11 point (except in tables.)
 Reference or footnote all sources listed for numbers, quotes and other formal data in
your proposal.
 Spell-check your proposal at least twice; proposals submitted with spelling errors
look sloppy and the reviewer will question how highly you regard your work.
 Make sure to spell out acronyms the first time they are used or if they appear
infrequently.

Insert NGO LOGO HERE

Technical Proposal Application in Response to RFP Insert Number

Submitted to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Iraq Operations Center (IQOC)

I. Project Summary (maximum 1 page)

Project Title:
Project Location (Governorate/s):
Project Duration (Start and End Date):
Project Costs (Total Budget Requested from UNOPS):
Number and Type of Direct Beneficiaries (Household and/or Individual):
Number and Type of Indirect Beneficiaries (Household and/or Individual):
Date of Submission:

Organization Details:
Contact Person:
Address:

Phone Number:
Email Address:

II. Project Background (maximum 1 page)

III. Proble m Analysis and Needs Assessment (maximum 2 pages)
IV. Project Description (maximum 5 pages)
UNOPS Log Frame
Goal:
Objective Outputs Activities Targets Indicators

Project Goal:
Project Objective 1:
Technical Approach to Objective 1:
Project Objective 2:
Technical Approach to Objective 2:
Monitoring and Evaluation
Coordination
Implementation Work Plan
Beneficiaries

V. Project Management (maximum 2 pages)

Project Team
NGO Capacity & Experience
Security Risks and Manage ment
TIP: The following sections provide detailed instructions, examples and definitions for
each of the sections of the UNOPS Technical Proposal Application. Read through each of
these carefully, make sure you understand exactly what each section requires, and ensure
that your proposal is inline with these instructions.

1.3 Project Background (maximum 1 page)

This section should set the stage for the proposal, briefly explaining the context and
providing just enough information so that someone unfamiliar with the country/situation
can understand the basic history, challenges and opportunities. Among the items to
consider including are:
 Overview of the country or region, and the political, social, and economic
environment
 Major events in recent history that affect the situation
 Information about current conflict, its scope, severity, and whether it is stable or
unstable
 Identification and size of the population in need of assistance
 Other burdens on the country or region’s relief and social service infrastructure
 Logistical constraints
 Location, seasonal and climatic factors

Make sure to shape this section carefully so that it focuses on those aspects of the context
most relevant to your project. Remember, the reader needs to understand the problem,
but most importantly what you intend to do about it!

1.4 Proble m Analysis and Needs Assessment (maximum 2 pages)

This is a critically important section of the proposal. Information based on assessments
must be provided to justify the need or problem. Data does not have to be extensive, but
should demonstrate that a problem or need exists. This section should meet the following
criteria:
 Describes the target population to be served
 Defines the problem to be addressed and the need in the geographical area where the
organization operates
 Is related to the purposes and goals of the applicant agency
 Is of reasonable dimensions – not trying to solve all the problems of the world
 Is supported by relevant statistical and anecdotal evidence
 Is developed with input from community members and beneficiaries
 Makes no unsupported assumptions

The goal is to describe, as succinctly as possible, why there is a need for your project.
The most important thing to remember, is that the proposed project must be supported by
a thorough and accurate needs assessment (see section below on the basics of conducting
a needs assessment)
The problem analysis and needs assessment section may also include the following:

 Describe the relevant social and political environment of the area where the project
will be implemented. This should not be a comprehensive history of the country or
community, but should provide a backdrop for the proposed project.

 Describe the population in the target area, including number of people and
demographic breakdown. Make sure to include potentially vulnerable groups whose
presence could affect the program, such as military-aged men who may be subject to
recruitment. Look at factors such as average family size, the percentage of elderly
people without family support, and the percentage of female-headed households.
Look at ethnic, regional, or class differences, distinctions between rural and urban
populations, and restrictions that may apply to certain groups. Consider cultural
factors that may affect the program, such as gender roles.

 Identify the needs or problems that exist and briefly explain how your proposed
project will meet those needs or help to solve those problems. Highlight the theme
from the Terms of Reference that the project addresses.

 Describe the main stakeholders in the communities who can influence the project.
Also briefly describe the current conflict in the communities and the roots of the
situation as well as any projects that have been implemented in the past (either by
your organization or other agencies) to address these issues.

1.5 Basics of Conducting a Needs Assessment

Before you can design a strong project, is critical to conduct a needs assessment. This
will allow you to collect enough information to fully understand the situation and
involves answering questions such as:
 What is the present situation of the community? What are the main issues facing the
community?
 What are the root (underlying) causes of the problem? How can the project address,
directly or indirectly, the root causes of the problem? What needs to be done so that
at a minimum, the planned intervention is not exacerbating the root causes of the
problem?
 What do community members feel are the main problems to be addressed? What are
their priorities? What are their concerns? What are their proposed solutions?
 Who are the stakeholders involved with this community and what are their plans and
goals (donors, other international NGOs, local NGOs, local authorities, civil society
organizations, private enterprise)?
 What local resources are available? What local services (government, NGO, private
sector) are in place?
 What other sources of external data are available (published articles, statistics,
government records, lessons learned papers, evaluations, working papers, reports
from other projects)? Do they contain any information relative to the problem the
project will address?
 Project design must always be informed by both facts about basic needs and the
community’s perspective.

Facts about basic needs are determined by quantitative assessments. Quantitative

assessments tell you “how many” or “how much”. Quantitative assessments involve
“counting” and their results are expressed in numbers (e.g. 900 families live more than 5
km from the nearest voting center), or as a percentage (e.g. 30% of women in the
community are unemployed).

Qualitative assessments provide information about the community’s ideas or

perspectives. While a quantitative assessment aims to only identify what is available and
what is not, a qualitative assessment seeks to:
 Understand people’s hopes, concerns and perspectives
 Learn more about individuals and groups who have different and sometimes
conflicting priorities

 ESSENTIAL POINT: In qualitative assessments, data refers to what the people think.
Qualitative assessments gain insight into people’s needs, their values, and the problems
they face. Both types of information help to design meaningful and relevant projects, as
well as guide the implementation of project activities.

1.6 Project Description (maximum 5 pages)

All partners must design their projects using a logical framework (or log frame) using the
UNOPS format. A log frame is a table or matrix that summarizes the key elements of
your project strategy and the logic that connects them. Using a log frame to design a
project:
 Supports clear and disciplined thinking about what the project will achieve and
outlines the logical steps necessary to get there.
 Makes clear the information that will need to be collected to monitor and evaluate
the project.
 Serves as an effective communication tool that clearly captures the key elements
of a project so it is easy to convey this information to staff, donors and partners.

The UNOPS Log Frame contains five columns that capture the most important
components of your project’s strategy. Each of these components is defined further
below, and tips and examples on how to develop strong a project strategy are provided.
After filling in the log frame, you then need to provide a technical description for each of
the objectives.

Goal:
Objective Outputs Activities Targets Indicators
1.7 Project Goal (Where do we want to be?)
This is the overall purpose towards which the project contributes. Remember that one
project alone cannot achieve the goal, as it is influenced by a variety of other external
factors and projects. The general rule is that the goal is usually not achieved during the
lifetime of the project.

1.8 Project Objective

The objective is the part of the goal that the project can actually achieve. This is the
highest aim the project strives to achieve during its period of operation.

Examples of goals and objectives

Goal: To promote community reconciliation in northern Country Y through a

community-driven reconstruction process that stresses choice and accountability

Objectives:
1) Improved trust and confidence between people within communities, and between
people and their local institutions (community, civil society, and government)
2) Improved understanding of democratic governance principles (accountability,
transparency, participation), and of the roles and responsibilities of leaders and citizens

Goal: To contribute to a strengthened civil society, democratic governance and peace

building in Country Z.

Objectives:
1) To increase the organizational, financial and tec hnical capacity of 5 CSOs in province
ZZ
2) To empower constituents and communities in province ZZ through information
dissemination campaigns
3) To support the implementation of five sub-projects contributing to constitutional
awareness and voter education

Goal: Reduce the vulnerability of women and girls and mitigate the impact of violence
against women and girls in eight territories in Country XX over two years

Objectives:
1) Women and girls affected by conflicted are empowered to lead and participate in
community-based recovery initiatives and engage community leaders in the wider
response to sexual violence
2) Survivors of sexual violence access quality essential services

1.9 Outputs
Outputs are the goods and services that are directly produced by your project. This can
refer to things such as number of voters registered, number of training manuals produced,
number of government officials trained, etc. Every objective will have at least one or
more outputs associated with it.

1.10 Activities
After determining the outputs, the next step is to identify the major activities. To do this,
you look at each output and ask, “what does the project need to do in order to produce
the desired outputs?” There may be two or more major activities for every output. You
should not have any activities that do not link up to outputs.

Examples of outputs and related activities

Outputs:
 Increased awareness amongst officials of their duties under national and international
law towards civilians
 Adjusted rules of civilian and military policies that reflect lessons learned

Activities
 Conduct four training seminars with law enforcement officials, police, military, and
military intelligence
 Organize one refresher training session for each group trained
 Conduct informal discussion group sessions with trained officials on specific topics
such as freedom of movement and international criminal law
 Liaise regularly with key senior officials in Town X and Town Y to discuss how
lessons learnt can be reflected in official policy documents

Outputs
 CSOs promote good governance and human rights messages to local government
 CSOs demonstrate understanding of monitoring responsibilities, particularly of the
decentralization process
 CSOs demonstrate the ability to analyze and communicate on policies and budgets

Activities
 Provide technical training and support to relevant CSOs in human rights and good
governance
 Provide sub-grants to CSO partners to carry out activities in sensitizing or advocating
to the state on local governance issues
 Train CSOs on monitoring skills, transparency concepts, and decentralization
 Train CSOs on budget and policy analysis and communication
 Provide ongoing information, mentoring and monitoring of CSO activities

1.11 Targets
Targets are simply the end results that your project will achieve. Targets are usually
expressed in numbers, for example, 60 women trained, 5 media campaigns organized, or
50% of youth in the community reached through civic education campaigns.
1.12 Indicators
Indicators are a measurement used to demonstrate change resulting from a particular
project or intervention. Indicators are also used to monitor progress toward achieving the
expected targets.
 Impact or effect indicators are used to measure changes in the behavior of a
population, such as number of people using safe water, or number of community
members practicing good hygiene.
 Output indicators are used to measure goods and services provided by the project,
such as number of people trained on electoral observation, or number of workshops
organized by the project.

 ESSENTIAL POINT: Changing people’s behavior and attitude can take years, and
most likely will not be achieved throughout the projects that UNOPS funds (which are
often six to 12 months.) Therefore in most cases, IQOC grant projects should use output
indicators.

 LOOK OUT: Make sure that the indicators stated in the project proposals are realistic
given i) the timeframe of the project, ii) the scope of activities, iii) the capacity of the
CSO to collect / measure / analyze data and iv the) availability of / access to data in the
proposed region / governorate. It is better to work with the CSO to develop appropriate
indicators that can be accurately measured at the start of the project, rather than set up for
failure before the project even begins.

1.13 Technical Approach

This section should outline the technical design of the proposed intervention, including a
detailed description of how activities will be implemented. Descriptions should include
methodologies, processes, or steps you will take to achieve each activity. CSOs may
include timelines, charts, or other graphics as appropriate.

Examples of technical approach

If the objective is: To improve the ability of CSOs to promote good governance
practices of the state and ensure their accountability to communities

Then the technical approach is: During the program, CSO partners with experience in
promoting good governance and human rights will be selected at the community, then at
the provincial level. Calls for partners will also target organizations engaging with either
the decentralization and reform processes, or the private sector. Each selected partner will
undergo an organizational assessment, with training and support provided as required.
These trainings will ensure that all partner CSOs have a similar understanding of good
governance concepts and human rights. Throughout this program, at least 28 CSOs will
be directly trained. At least 3 people from each CSO will be trained to prevent the loss of
skills and knowledge in the event of staff turnover. The program will adopt a
combination of formal training through workshops (which use participatory adult
learning techniques), as well as informal on the job support on a one-on-one basis.
If the objective is: Improve women’s understanding of rights and responsibilities within
new civic structures immediately after the 2009 municipal elections.

Then the technical approach is: Approximately 900 women in 60 villages in town X,
town Y, and town Z will participate in educational discussions on how municipal
government works, who to go to in municipal offices for assistance, and what to expect
from their elected and institutional officials in the critical period following the 2009
municipal elections. For many, this will be the first time they are learning about their
government, and there will be time allowed during the workshops for open discussion
and questions. This discussion period will give the field educators, who will be
presenting the workshops, an opportunity to hear from the women themselves what is
their greatest interest and concern, and this information will be used to improve future
presentations. During the project, the format of the presentations and materials will be
modified to ensure they are responsive to the issues and needs of women based on
ongoing evaluations and the women’s comments. In addition, the educators will be given
supplemental training about gender equality, human rights, and other topics that are
important to women’s advancement, and they will discuss what mechanisms exist or are
planned to help women address such issues with their local governments.

If your project has more than one objective, then you need to repeat the format of
objective and technical approach, until all objectives are described.

Now that you have a clear understanding of what the UNOPS log frame looks like and
the definitions of all the categories, please read through the example below for an
illustration of a properly completed UNOPS log frame.
 1.14 Sample UNOPS Logframe

Goal: To contribute to a strengthened civil society,

democratic governance and peace building in Country Z
Objective Outputs Activities Indicators Targets
1. To increase the 1.1 5 CSOs Release an open # of CSOs selected 5 CSOs
organizational, financial identified and call for proposals for the program
and technical capacity of selected for to attract three through transparent
5 CSOs in province ZZ participation potential partners; method At least 2 CSOs
under the project Shortlist
through a applications and # of partner
participatory visit short-listed CSOs selected
process CSOs for an initial within first
assessment; three months of
Selection the project
Committee makes
final decision on
partners;
Sign Partnership
Agreement with
selected CSOs
1.2 Level of capacity Each CSO partner # of CSO partners 5 within first year
of individual CSOs conducts capacity with tailored
determined and assessment with organizational
tailored strengthening Agency X support strengthening plan
plan in place and develops in place 8 over the life of the project
corresponding
capacity building # of action
plans plans developed
after training
1.3 CSOs Agency X provides % of the 60% of partners
demonstrating formal training in partners show a
higher levels of project design, reasonable level
organizational financial of capacity in
skills and core management and planning,
competences and administrative administration 8 trainings per partner
are better able to procedures; and financial
provide civic Specialist skills before the
education and consultants end of the
advocacy recruited to program
initiatives in provide training as Each partner
province ZZ on needed; has received at
issues of rights, least 2 formal
democratization training
and rule of law. sessions before
the end of Year
1 and at least 8
before the end
of the project
1.15 Monitoring and Evaluation
This section explains how you will monitor and evaluate progress towards the objective
(see page 6 for definitions). This should include surveys that will be conducted (baseline,
knowledge / attitude / practice, final), monitoring trips, site visits etc. that will be
undertaken by program management to check on the progress and status of your project.

1.16 Coordination
This section should describe how the CSO plans to coordinate, share information, and
collaborate closely with other CSOs, U.N. agencies, other donors, local groups, and local
and national government agencies in implementing the project activities.

1.17 Implementation Work Plan

A work-plan specifies the projects activities in the sequence in which they will occur over
time. Work-plans must also take into consideration the time required for staff recruitment
and any equipment purchases. The work-plan is also used a monitoring tool to assess
whether the project is on schedule and will be completed on time.

TIP Workplans should list each activity that you have written in your log frame, and
then detail when the activity will be implemented. It is best to break this down by each
month, so that both the CSO and UNOPS know when to expect and monitor each
intervention.

Below is an template for a nine month project, please make sure to use the same format
modifying it based on the specific duration of your project.

Acti vi ty Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A sample work plan for a six- month water project could look like:
1.18 Beneficiaries
This section should briefly describe the people who will directly and indirectly benefit
from your project. Be as specific as possible, providing numbers, details, locations etc.

Examples of a beneficiary section

Example 1: The entire population of Village X, representing 20,478 conflict- impacted

and 10,000 displaced persons will be targeted. Seventy percent of all households will
participate in the rainwater collection, while 80% of households will benefit from
increased water storage. 20,600 persons will benefit from the construction of shared
family latrines, while 30,478 persons will have access to and participate in a hygiene
awareness/mobilization campaign.

Example 2: It is estimated that at least 17,000 students will benefit from supplementary
classes, and 440 teachers will be supported to provide suppleme ntary classes for primary
students. Two Ministry of Education inspectors and 90 members of parent teacher
associations will be trained to monitor and support teachers in all locations.

1.19. Project Management (maximum 2 pages)

1.20 Project Team

Describe the staffing structure for your project and the main responsibilities of each staff
position paid by the project. Do not provide the structure or organigram of the
organization. Provide the main responsibilities of each staff position paid by the project
and attach CVs of team members.

Example
 Project Manager: Responsible for the overall supervision of the project, coordinating
with authorities and key stakeholders and submitting reports.
 Workshop Facilitator: Responsible for developing material and conducting all
workshops and capacity building activities.
 Project Support Officer: Responsible for managing the administration, finance and
logistics needed for the project.

1.21 NGO Capacity & Experience

This section describes the applicant agency its qualifications for funding, and establishes
its credibility. In this section, the organization should demonstrate that it has the means
and skills to solve the particular problem or meet the need. Make sure to describe your
experience particularly how it relates to the project you are applying for.

1.22 Security Risks and Manage ment

Describe any specific issues relating to the security situation in the planned area of
intervention, including the likelihood of the occurrence of these events and the
consequences. Describe further how implementation is designed to minimize these risks
and how these issues will be handled should they occur.
2. How to Complete the UNOPS Budget Application

2.1 General Tips

 Complete the information for the name of your orga nization, project title, and budget
duration (start and end date which the budget covers).
 The budget must be completed in the UNOPS budget template (attached as Annex
II.) Budgets that are handwritten and/or in a different format will not be accepted.
 The budget must be expressed in US Dollars. Budgets received in Iraqi Dinars will
not be considered.
 A sample budget is attached to this manual as Annex III, illustrating how items
should be categorized and the level of detail required. Use this sample as a reference
when designing your own budget.
 The purpose of preparing budgets is to estimate costs as realistically as possible.
Make sure every cost item/activity is listed in your budget. Also, any cost which does
not have the necessary breakdown will not be accepted – for example “Miscellaneous
Expenses $1,000” will not be accepted, as it does not explain how the funds will be
spent.

 ESSENTIAL POINT: The UNOPS IQOC project budget is divided into six
components: Personnel, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Office Running Costs and Program
Activities. Further explanations and examples for each of these categories are described
below. Look at the sample UNOPS IQOC budget for an illustration of a correct budget
attached as Annex III. Also remember that the majority of project costs should come
from the Program Activities line. UNOPS will not fund a high percentage of office
running costs or other expenses not directly related to project implementation.

2.2 Personnel
This includes project personnel and support staff that will be directly responsible for
implementing the project activities or providing support services (including
administrative, finance, human resources, logistics etc). The budget should indicate:
 Item: Title / name of position (such as Project Manager, Field Associate, HR Officer)
 Unit: Number of person(s) to be hired under this title
 Costs: Salary of the position
 Months / Days: The length of time that the position will be hired
 %: The percentage of the salary charged to the project. For example, members of the
project implementation team are usually charged at 100%, but support staff is
considerably less.

2.3 Travel
This line includes costs for travel related to the project such as airfare, vehicle rental, and
fuel, all of which must be for official business related to the project.

2.4 Equipment
Covering the purchase of equipment and materials for use directly in the project such as
mobile phones, laptops, generators, memory sticks etc.
2.5 Supplies
This line covers supplies that will be used be the project and support team, such as office
supplies, stationery. Supplies for program activities should not be listed here.

2.6 Office running costs

This includes costs related to the functioning of the office where the project will be
conducted. All of these costs should be listed as a %, as UNOPS will not support 100%
of running costs for any CSO partner. Costs that can be listed here include (amongst
others):

 Rental of office space

 Utilities such as electricity, heat, and water
 Communication such as Internet, mobile top- up cards, postage, fax, telex, and courier
services
 Legal costs
 Bank fees (CSOs should check with their bank to see if they charge a fee when funds
are transferred and if so, must include these costs in the budget application. Bank fees
are usually no more than 1% of the entire overall budget.)

2.7 Program activities

Direct program activities are the primary purpose and largest expense of the project, and
are the most important indicator of how much of the grant is actua lly going to
beneficiaries. This section should describe each of the activities as listed in your project
proposal, and clearly spell out all costs associated with the activity.

For example, if your project will be holding three literacy trainings for 50 women, and
you will need costs such as a transport, hall rental, and lunch, your budget for this activity
may look like:
TIP: Remember to be specific, detailed, and break down each activity as much as
possible when designing your budget. Closely consult with your project and finance
teams to make sure all costs are included. Items that are not in your approved budget will
not be covered by UNOPS.