FAQs: Taqeem Fund for Evaluation in Youth Employment 2011

I am a research firm or an academic institution. Can I qualify for support under the Taqeem Fund?
Is there a requirement to have experience or knowledge with experimental methods of evaluation such as randomized control trials or control groups?
How much funding is available and what do you mean by “in-kind” grants?
What are the language requirements? In what language can I submit my application?
What is the regional eligibility? Can my organization still qualify for the Taqeem Fund when our headquarters are based outside of the Arab States?
Can I get funding from the Fund for my new project?
How many applications/project teams will be invited to evaluation clinics? How many proposals are expected to receive funding?
How and by whom will shortlisted and winning grantees be selected?

I am a research firm or an academic institution. Can I qualify for support under the Taqeem Fund?
Your organization can only qualify for direct support under the Taqeem Fund if you are involved in the implementation or management of projects. By direct support we mean the primary recipient of services provided by the Fund. External agencies are welcome to assist implementing organizations in their application for the Fund and implementing activities under the Fund, but they can-not be grant recipients.

Is there a requirement to have experience or knowledge with experimental methods of evaluation such as randomized control trials or control groups?
In difference to the first round of the Fund for Evaluation in Youth Employment in 2010, this year’s round will not concentrate entirely on impact evaluation or other experimental (such as identification of a counterfactual or control group) models. Therefore, previous experience or knowledge on these types of models will not be required. Despite this, organizations with experience in experimental impact evaluation are encouraged to apply though no extra weight will be given in scoring. All different types of monitoring and evaluation strategies both qualitative and quantitative will be accepted to Taqeem. Scoring of applicatioSn will rather focus on the innovative project approach and commitment and quality of the application organization’s rather than the technical quality of their monitoring and evaluation system.

How much funding is available and what do you mean by “in-kind” grants?
The total amount of funding available for selected applications is USD $377,000. Of this total amount, $327,000 will be provided in “in-kind” professional monitoring and evaluation services and $50,000 will be provided as small cash grants.

“In kind” grants will be provided as services delivered through 3rd party service providers hired by Taqeem. The decision to allocate a majority of in-kind grants instead of cash grants has to do with economies of scale: 3rd party service providers will be able to provide similar services to all grant holders, thereby reduces costs and administrative burdens.

The in-kind grants will deliver the following services to grantees:

1) Professional, local M&E consultants dispatched to project location to assist in the implementation of the M&E plans
2) The development of M&E technology platform or a software that will allow grantees to collect, analyze and disseminate project results to large audiences.
3) The provision of web based and mobile phone based data collection services
4) The provision of multimedia data collection services
5) Travel of grant recipient’s project staff to two training workshops

Grantees can also quality for a small cash grant of $5,000 as a contingency amount to cover expenses such as staffing or data collection costs that are not covered by the “in-kind” provision.

What are the language requirements? In what language can I submit my application?
The main language of the Taqeem Fund will be English. This means that most communication with Taqeem Fund staff will be in English, the main language of training sessions will be English (no simultaneous translation will be provided for training sessions) and most in-kind M&E services will be in English. Despite this and to ensure fairness for the application procedure to the Fund, applicants are allowed to submit their application in French or Arabic although no translation of the application form will be provided – though responses to questions can be provided in English, French or Arabic.

Interested applications can view the Call for Applications in English, French or Arabic.

What is the regional eligibility? Can my organization still qualify for the Taqeem Fund when our headquarters are based outside of the Arab States?
Organizations with operations in 1 of the following 22 countries of the Arab Leage states is eligible: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Yes, organizations based outside of these countries but with projects within these countries are eligible to apply.

Can I get funding from the Fund for my new project?
No - funding and support only go towards the evaluation and not to any project costs.

How many applications/project teams will be invited to evaluation clinics? How many proposals are expected to receive funding?
Fifteen organizations will be selected to the shortlist and will be invited to participate in 2 training workshops. The fifteen organizations will be asked to submit a short concept note upon which a decision will be made on 10 winning grantees. The winning grantees will receive the in-kind professional M&E services and quality for a small cash grant. All shortlisted applications (15) will be required to participate in the two events – YEN Evaluation Clinics.

How and by whom will shortlisted and winning grantees be selected?
Applications will be scored by the Taqeem Technical Team (TTT) consisting of M&E experts from regional and global organizations – the Dubai School of Government, the Syrian Trust for Development, the World Bank, Silatech and the Youth Employment Network.

Applications will be scored based on pre-determined criteria. The main criteria will be

Innovation of project model

1) Experience with M&E
2) Commitment to the goals and aims of Taqeem
3) Quality of the individual participant proposed for Taqeem
4) Size and history of the organization