Call for Proposals to Promote Drug Policy Reform in West Africa

Background and Objective

The West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN) is a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from 16 West African countries that promote evidence-based advocacy for public health and human rights-oriented drug policy reform in West Africa. WADPN supports its members by providing capacity building and resources to lead evidence-based advocacy for drug policy reform. The Network’s Secretariat is located in Accra, Ghana with National Chapters all 16 countries coordinated by a national focal person.

The WADPN is a re-granter of small grants from Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and Open Society Foundations (OSF) to WADPN members. Grants are managed by WADPN and benefits from the strategic guidance and expertise of a five-member Board of Directors.

Eligibility Criteria

The Call for Proposals seeks to re-grant funds to support:

· CSOs, who are registered WADPN members and that are registered under the relevant Laws of the country in West Africa where it operates and, in the country, where it will be implementing the proposed project; (To register as a WADPN member fill this form)

· CSOs working in the area of Drug Policy Reform, Criminal Justice Systems Reform, Harm Reduction and HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support among people who inject drugs are encouraged to apply;

· CSOs that are directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project, i.e. not acting as an intermediary;

· CSOs that take the appropriate measures to prevent discrimination and stigmatization of people who use drugs as well as sexual exploitation and abuse of project staff and beneficiaries.

Award

The WAPDN has been allocated a total of $100,000 to be re-granted to 10 WADPN member CSO organizations, for a period of up to 6 months (May – October 2020). Proposals from WADPN members with requested budgets ranging between USD $1,500 to USD $10,000 will be considered. Please note that value for money will be assessed as a part of the rating criteria. Applicants’ financial management capacity will also be assessed and verified in this respect.

Areas of Intervention

· Generate and disseminate evidence of more effective drug control responses with relevant audience and stakeholders as feasible alternatives to criminalisation;

· Address criminal justice issues affecting people who use drugs, small drug offenders and growers of illicit crops;

· Deconstruct the negative public perception of PWUD and drugs which fuels stigmatization and discrimination;

· Conduct evidence-based advocacy for national and regional drug policy reform that guarantees human rights and address public health concerns through direct active engagement with policy makers and influential stakeholders;

· Access to health services unimpeded including the deliver harm reduction services including outreach, treatment, therapy, needle exchange programs and income generating activities..

Grant applicants are expected to consider the following fundamental principles in designing their grant project proposals:

· Partnership/collaboration/cooperation with other stakeholders;

· Project design with the potential to scale-up or replication;

· Sustainability of project activities;

· An approach that values diversity and considers the needs of PWUD and key populations;

· Alignment with the objectives and values of West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN).

Application Procedure

Applicants are to submit a full project proposal which will be reviewed by a selection committee who will subsequently recommend strong proposals for funding. Requirements are as follows:

· Full project proposals must be submitted in accordance with the instructions in the full project proposal application form.

· All applications must be in English or French.

· Hand-written applications will not be accepted.

· Due care must be taken to complete the application form. Any error or major discrepancy related in the application form (e.g. the amounts mentioned in the budget are inconsistent with those mentioned in the application form) may lead to rejection of the application.

· Clarifications will only be requested if information provided is unclear and prevents objective assessment of the application.

· Please note that only the application form and the completed annexes will be evaluated. It is therefore of utmost importance that these documents contain ALL relevant information concerning the project.

The following documents must be submitted as part of the application:

· Project proposal application form (template provided);

· Project budget (template provided);

· Registration certificate as evidence for legal credentials of the organization showing registration of at least 3 years;

· Documents will be checked for truthfulness and accuracy of representation through various means, including but not limited to internet searches, formally official confirmation from responsible offices, letters of recommendation, etc.

How to Apply

· Applications must be submitted by email to application@wadpn.org with the email subject “Proposal: Promoting Effective Drug Control Response in West Africa”

· Applications sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by regular mail) or to other addresses will not be considered under this Call for Proposals.

· Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.

· The deadline for the submission of full project proposals is April 3rd, 2020, 17:00 GMT as evidenced by the date of receipt of submission email. Any application submitted after the deadline will be automatically rejected.

· The provisionally selected project proposals are reviewed by WADPN Selection Committee on Grants based on which the approval will be granted. ONLY successful applicants will be contacted in writing.

Ineligibility Criteria

The following types of project proposals are not eligible for funding:

· Project proposals which discriminate against individuals or groups of people on grounds of their gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or lack of them, or their ethnic origin or drug use;

· Projects designed solely to produce studies, publications or newsletters;

· Project proposals which consist exclusively or primarily of capital expenditure e.g. land, buildings, equipment, vehicles, etc.;

· Projects that seek to provide scholarships, sponsorships and school fees;

· Projects to re-grant to other organizations in the form of cash donations;

· Projects that are partisan (i.e.: Affiliation and support for a political party and/or religious activities and groups);

· Project proposals which provide funding to support terrorist activities.

Eligibility of Project Costs

The project cost is both a cost estimate and a ceiling for "eligible costs". Eligible costs must be based on real costs as shown in the supporting documents. Costs that do not appear realistic will be rejected. It is therefore in the applicant's interest to provide a realistic and cost-effective budget. To be eligible under this Call for Proposals, costs must be directly verifiable and traceable to the activities being implemented. The program support costs incurred in carrying out the project may be eligible for flat-rate funding fixed at not more than 10% of the total eligible direct costs. Such amount may be reviewed in the context of the overall input-based budget submitted with the proposal. It is possible that preselected proposals may be amended, at the recommendation of the selection Committee to exclude all indirect costs. Contributions in kind are not considered actual expenditure and are not eligible costs for reimbursement.

Download the application template here

Download the budget template here