More than 2300 apply for UNDEF funding in new round

The project proposals originated from applicants in 143 countries, the vast majority local civil society organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. In the first phase of the selection process, the proposals are assessed by independent consultants, who judge each proposal on its inherent quality and scores it against a set criteria.
·         Does the proposed project advance the objectives of UNDEF?
·         Does the applicant organization have a strong track record?
·         Is the proposal technically sound in conception and presentation?
·         Does the proposal make use of the UN’s and UNDEF’s comparative advantage?
·         Would the proposed project have significant impact?
·         Would the proposed project represent good value for money?
·         Does the proposed project have strong prospects for successful implementation?
·         Does the proposed project have strong prospects of sustainability beyond the project duration?
·         Does the proposed project encourage inclusiveness?
·         Would the proposed project enhance gender equality?

This assessment yields a long list which is in turn reviewed by UN Resident Coordinators in the field and by the UNDEF Programme Consultative Group -- comprising the UN Department of Political Affairs, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Peacebuilding Support Office, the UN Rule of Law Unit, the UN Development Programme, UN Women, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. This review process narrows down the list further, resulting in a short list of some 50 proposals to be discussed and endorsed by the UNDEF Advisory Board and ultimately submitted to the Secretary-General for approval.
Given the large volume of proposals, only applicants who advance to the short list will be contacted by UNDEF. This is expected to be in mid-2015, when short-listed applicants will be asked to compose a draft project document to be negotiated with UNDEF -- the final stage of the selection process. In its first eight Rounds of Funding, UNDEF has supported more than 550 projects in over 150 countries. They all reflect a focus on strengthening the voice of civil society, ranging from access to justice to empowering indigenous communities, from developing constitutional watchdogs to strengthening the rights of migrants.