SPA

Small Project Assistance Program

Fiscal Year 2011

SPA Call

STEP 1
CONTENTS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Where do we want to go? Before you start Who can apply? Program elements for FY 2011 Available Funds for FY 2011 What are the general requirements? Estimating in-kind contributions Primary Limitations How are projects evaluated? STEP1

Fiscal Year 2011

Where do we want to go?

Deciding on a project is relatively easy when the whole community is affected by the same problem or has the same need. To help community decide on a project, ask the following questions

  

Where is the problem or need ocurring? How serious is the problem or need? Who in the community is affected by the problem? Everyone? Men? Women? Children? How many people are affected and for how long have they been affected? What problems can the community agree to work on together to solve?

 

Before you start

      Will the identified solution really solve the problem? How well will it work? Does the community have the skills needed to implement the solution? How long will it take? Is the community willing to accept this solution? How much will it cost? When is the best time to begin the project or undertake activities within the overall project?

Who can apply ?

All PCVs that
 have served at their site for at least 3 months: sometimes it is recommended to wait longer for PCV to enrich his/her proposal. do not have a current funded SPA Project are not planning to combine the SPA Grant with PCPP funds for the same project

 

PCV Knowledge & Skills

Financial aid

Help to help themselves

4.6.1 Economic Growth / Private Sector Competitiveness / Business Enabling Environment

Improve policies, laws, regulations, and administrative practices affecting the private sector. Includes reducing barriers to competition and unwarranted distortions to market prices; reducing policy and regulatory barriers to establishing, operating, and closing businesses; strengthening the legal framework surrounding property rights that is fair to both men and women, contract enforcement, and dispute resolution, along with the administration of those laws; reducing incentives for corruption and promoting transparent business practices; strengthening the legal framework surrounding intellectual property rights; and improving laws and regulations affecting the creation, dissemination, and use of technology. It also includes improving policies and regulations affecting technology choices and production behaviors with environmental impacts; and improving policies, laws, and regulations affecting hiring and firing of workers, wages, working conditions, and labor-management relations. Includes support for specific improvements as well as efforts to strengthen the institutions that contribute to designing and implementing further improvements.

Program elements for FY 2011

4.8.1 Economic Growth / Environment / Natural Resources and Biodiversity

Program elements for FY 2011

Primary Code: Activities have a primary objective of conserving biological diversity in natural and managed terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Activities are identified through an analysis of the threats to biodiversity and have associated indicators for biodiversity conservation, preferably at the strategic objective level. Activities may be site based or not site specific, such as policy level initiatives. Site-based work is implemented in biologically significant areas. Ex situ conservation of wild species, and their germplasm, may also be included when explicitly for the purpose of biodiversity conservation. Secondary Code: Activities have biodiversity conservation as an explicit, but not primary, objective in natural and managed terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Activities are identified through an analysis of the threats to biodiversity and have associated indicators for biodiversity conservation. Activities may be site-based or not site specific, such as policy level initiatives. Site-based work is implemented in biologically significant areas. Ex situ conservation of wild species, and their germplasm, may also be included when explicitly linked to biodiversity conservation.

Available funds for FY 2011

<Closed>

1st Call

2nd Call
4.6.1 - E G / P S C / Business Enabling Environment $370,000 MXN

4.6.1 - E G / P S C / Business Enabling Environment $300,000 MXN

4.8.1 - E G / P S C / Natural Resources and Biodiversity $300,000 MXN

4.8.1 - E G / P S C / Natural Resources and Biodiversity $210,000 MXN

What are the general requirements?

PROJECT
 A member of the community and a PCV together should write the proposal  Promote sustainable, community development initiatives  Include a clear capacity building or hands-on component  Must not encourage reliance on SPA / US or other outside financial assistance  Concrete goals and objectives  Take into account potential environtmental impacts

GRANTS
 25% minimum of total project cost should be community contribution (in kind* +/ cash = 25%)
* Manual labor should be valued based on the daily rate of a day laborer in the community

 SPA Grant should be around $50,000 MXN not exceeding 80,000 MXN per project (it is not
recommended to apply for the higher $ limit since approval may depend on current available funds + # of promising projects)

 Budget calculations should be done in MXN as opposed to USD

TIME
Must be scheduled for completion within one year of its initiation  End at least one month before the Volunteers COS date  Discrete project, with a definite beginning and end date

Estimating in kind contributions

1. In-kind contributions should only be counted if they are reasonably necessary to meet the objectives of a project Ex: Manual labor for digging a hole and laying cement is a valid in-kind contribution for a latrine building project 3. When valuing in-kind goods or services, estimates must take into account the state of repair or quality of the contributed item (in other words, a used item should not be valued at the price the item would cost if it were brand new)

2. The value of in-kind contributions should be estimated at the price the organization would have to pay to purchase the specific good or service being contributed o Example 1: Manual labor should be valued based on the daily rate of a day laborer in the community times the number of days labor provided o Example 2: Although provision of meeting space might be a valid in-kind contribution for a project, a small meeting room in an office should not be valued at the price it would cost to rent a large conference room in a fancy hotel down the street

4. In-kind contributions should be actual contributions that will be provided during the life of the funded project itself; they should not include speculative future contributions that will be made in the future after the project has been completed

Primary limitations

          

T-shirts, mugs, prizes Land and other capital assets Motor vehicles and other conveyances Recurring costs Loan funds Contingency funds Travel/Per Diem* Labor** Volunteer costs Religious organizations, military organizations and prisons Funding ceiling

*Labor: SPA funds cover fees for specialized labor/expert consultants only. And may not exceed $10,000 MXN **Per Diem: Costs associated with travel, including transportation, per diem, lodging, and food, may not exceed $10,000 MXN

How are projects evaluated?

 Number of beneficiaries as compared to total project cost SPA COMMITEE
1. 2. DANIEL EVANS
Country Director

 Involvement of capacity-building activities through community-based training, skills development or transfer  Level of long-term impact on the community and sustainability of the project activities or results  Extent of community initiation and participation in the planning and implementation of the project  Percentage of community contribution

RODRIGO LPEZ

Director of Managements and Operations

3.

NGEL PINEDA 4. 5.

PM Environment

SAMUEL STRATTON
PM Technology Transfer

LILLIAN LINARES
SPA Coordinator

step
a. Abstract Report
Contains a subset of standard indicators (derived from USAIDs Foreign Assistance Framework) that correspond with activities that PCVs typically engage in under the Program Elements* Must include the Excel Worksheet (tab) for Budget

ALL DOCUMENTATION SHOULD BE COMPLETE AND PROPERLY FILLED IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED

Deadline for FY2011

1st Call January 10, 2011 2nd Call May 30th, 2011

b. Addendum of Indicators c. Environmental Screening Form

 

PCVs with approved projects will receive notice of approval by email All PCVs will receive feedback

Notice of approval dates FY 2011

good luck


1st Call January 31, 2011 2nd Call June 13, 2011

After receiving notice, PCVs must proceed to submit STEP 2 documentation