Ottawa (Ontario)--The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, today announced the next step in the implementation of Canada's aid effectiveness agenda , a new approach to engage Canadians and organizations involved in international development. The new "Partnerships with Canadians" will streamline the application process and reduce the administrative burden for project applications, leaving more money for real development work on the ground.
"Canadians can be proud of the difference they make in their development and humanitarian efforts around the world," said Minister Oda. "Today's changes reinforce the commitment our government has made to Canadians to ensure their aid dollars go toward effective international development. By working together more effectively with Canada's aid organizations, the Government of Canada will strengthen our efforts to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of the world's most vulnerable."
The new "Partnerships with Canadians" approach is more targeted, with CIDA concentrating half of partnership funding on the 20 countries of focus.The remaining 50 percent will support initiatives in countries eligible for official development assistance. CIDA will also ensure that 80 percent of its partnership investments align to CIDA's three priority themes, as announced on May 20, 2009: increasing food security, securing the future of children and youth, and sustaining economic growth.
Highlights of the new "Partnerships with Canadians" approach include:
- The new Global Citizens Program, which will engage and mobilize Canadians as global citizens to participate in international development initiatives in three significant areas (public awareness, education and knowledge, and youth participation).
- The Partners for Development Program, which will fund the most meritorious proposals put forward by Canadian organizations to deliver development results on the ground. This program creates enhanced opportunities for small and large development organizations to undertake focused and results-oriented development programming.
"By introducing more transparency, timeliness, and predictability in partnership funding, we can help ensure that more of Canadians' money and resources are applied directly to development efforts on the ground," added Minister Oda. "A focused approach means that our efforts will have greater impact and sustainable results from the investments Canadians make in international development, a key principle of aid effectiveness."
In May 2009, in response to the Prime Minister's call to make Canada's international assistance more focused, effective, and accountable, Minister Oda announced a new aid effectiveness agenda . Effective assistance is aid that yields concrete, sustainable results and makes the best possible use of resources to maximize impact. Today's announcement builds on those efforts through the newly renamed "Partnerships with Canadians" approach.
Modernized "Partnerships with Canadians" guidelines will be available on-line on CIDA's website in early fall of 2010. The annual budget remains unchanged, and existing agreements will continue to be honoured.
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Information :
Jessica Fletcher
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation
Telephone: 819-953-6238
Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: 819-953-6534
E-mail: media@acdi-cida.gc.ca
A new approach to engage Canadians and organizations
Since coming into office in 2006, our government has made a significant contribution to international efforts to reduce global poverty.
In May 2009, the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, announced that one of our government's main priorities would be to modernize our foreign aid and improve its effectiveness. Since then, our government has introduced new measures to ensure better use of Canadians' tax dollars by strengthening the focus, efficiency, and accountability of Canada's aid program.
As the next step in modernizing Canada's foreign aid effectiveness, CIDA is implementing a new approach to engage Canadians and organizations in international development.
Global Citizens Program
The Global Citizens Program will engage and mobilize Canadians as global citizens to participate in international development initiatives. The new Global Citizens Program will invest in three key areas:
- Public Awareness-Showcasing best practices in international development; bringing young leaders from developing countries to meet Canadians; and increasing public awareness of development.
- Education and Knowledge-Deepening knowledge and sharing expertise among citizens, aid organizations, and governments on development challenges and results.
- Youth Participation-Engaging Canadian and developing country youth through targeted programming, such as school twinning, youth internships, and linking youth from developing countries to Canadian expertise.
Partners for Development Program
The Partners for Development Program will leverage the development expertise and initiative of Canadians by funding the most meritorious proposals put forward by Canadian organizations to deliver development results on the ground and contribute to poverty reduction. Selection of partners and proposals will be based on the following principles:
- Sound governance-Organizations must be financially sound and have strong governance structures, including clear strategic development vision, fiscal oversight and management capacity, as well as transparent decision-making.
- Support of Canadians-Organizations must demonstrate support of Canadians, expressed and reflected by the proportion of the organization's resources from non-governmental revenue, number of volunteers and members. Canadian institutions such as universities, colleges, and medical institutions that have the expertise and ability to enhance development work using Canadian value-added attributes can contribute to Canada's development efforts.
- Relevance to CIDA's mandate and coherence with Canadian government policy-Proposals for funding support must contribute to CIDA's mandate of poverty reduction. In addition, they must be consistent with Canadian government policy.
- Results-Organizations should have a track record of achieving sustainable results effectively and efficiently. They must also have relevant geographic and thematic expertise. Proposed initiatives must identify relevant and sustainable development results and outcomes, be technically sound, and have appropriate performance measurement and risk management frameworks. The proposal must indicate how it will appropriately integrate equality between women and men, environmental sustainability, and governance considerations and outcomes.
- Development effectiveness-Organizations must adhere to the development effectiveness principles for civil society organizations recognized in the Accra Agenda for Action. Elements of development effectiveness include:
- Coordination of civil society efforts with government plans and programs
- Greater coordination and collaboration among partners and other actors in the field to improve synergies
- Continued focus on results, ensuring partners' initiatives are locally owned and respond to their partners' priorities with shared accountability for the achievement of related results
- Exit strategy that ensures results achieved are sustainable
- Organizations must provide training, as appropriate, to make sure local organizations have the capacity to lead on the development and delivery of the projects.
The Partners for Development Program will be divided into five categories:
- Projects with under $2 million of CIDA support-This is designed to support a wider range of Canadian organizations working in developing countries to achieve concrete results. Organizations are eligible for up to two projects, ranging from $100,000 to a cumulative $2 million for up to five years. Partners must have at least two years of international development experience.
- Projects with over $2 million of CIDA support-CIDA will co-invest with partners with a minimum of three years of significant international development experience in more than one country that can make a significant contribution to poverty reduction, in accordance with aid effectiveness principles. Large project proponents will have a long-term plan that reflects a programmatic approach. The plan will include a clearly articulated exit and sustainability strategy for activities that take place during the time of the funding agreement. Funding would be available for projects budgeted at a minimum of $2 million for up to five years.
- Knowledge partners-CIDA values the contributions of knowledge partners. Though they may not deliver aid directly, they do play a vital role in identifying transformative and innovative development practices that can help improve the effectiveness of development and/or undertake evidence-based research and policy development. This category will support large and small-sized knowledge partner activities.
- Volunteer cooperation-Volunteer cooperation agencies support CIDA's mandate and objectives by using the skills of qualified volunteers to build the capacity of developing country partners and meet local needs in a sustainable manner.
- University partners-A new approach to university partnerships is currently under development and will be announced later this year. This category also includes the Canadian Francophonie Scholarship Program.
CIDA will allocate half of the program funds in the Partners for Development Program to CIDA's 20 countries of focus. The remaining 50 percent will support initiatives in other countries eligible for official development assistance where Canada has a presence. The new approach will also ensure that 80 percent of CIDA's partnership investments align with the three priority themes announced on May 20, 2009: sustainable economic growth, children and youth, and food security. The remaining 20 percent will be available for strong proposals outside of the thematic areas.
Next steps
New guidelines will be available on-line in early fall of 2010. Applications for funding will be considered against the guidelines posted on CIDA's website at the time of submission. Existing agreements will continue to be honoured.
More details about these new programs will be made available in the coming weeks.
