Aid Modalities ~ Annex 1 | Table 8

JOINT PROJECT (NZAID facilitated)

A discrete project funded by NZAID where NZAID takes some leadership. E.g. involving NZAID staff or NZAID funded contractors in the “design and build” and/or activity cycle management

Aid modality characteristics

General

· Agreed Terms of Reference or Design

· delivery generally via an agency or individual contracted to NZAID

· may be small and short term via single contractor, or large involving management services and sub-contracting

· requires design of processes for regular partner-NZAID engagement

Relationships and governance

· Given that NZAID is facilitating delivery of some of the key inputs/outputs of the project, joint projects require strong engagement and agreement with the local partner on project design and implementation

· Important to pursue strong partner involvement such as in design and selection processes, via a Project Coordination Committee during implementation, as well regular meetings

· NZAID should pursue a specific partnership arrangement with the partner concerned providing for agreement on the nature and scope of the activity, the undertakings of each partner, and how it will be governed and monitored. This will provide a basis for ensuring that NZAID’s role in contracting delivery is undertaken in accord with expectations of the partner.

Design and accountabilities

· NZAID takes key role in project design, such as through facilitating ToR or commissioning design

· ToR or Design Document agreed between NZAID and the partner/stakeholders.

· Accountabilities tend to focus on the contractor accountabilities to NZAID to deliver agreed milestones

· NZAID accountable to the partner for our role though this may not be captured in any particular agreement

· The partner may or may not be clearly accountable for providing their inputs

Advantages

Risks

· NZAID has considerable control over the final design and selection of suitably skilled people for implementation

· With good partner engagement processes, joint projects can help relieve partners of some of the administrative burden of implementation

· NZAID has established systems to locate and mobilise suitably skilled people quickly

· Externally facilitated design and implementation processes may lack partner ownership

· Contracted implementation can be driven by contract deliverables and timeframes of the consultant, rather than partner readiness

· Resources and management flow through consultants rather than partners and may not encourage partner ownership or systems

· The contractor may not be sufficiently accountable to the local partner

When to use:

Where a higher order modality is not possible/suitable

· The case for directing resources via a project modality is strong and could not be achieved via a higher order modality.

· The project actively links to and reinforces higher order modalities

Where a locally owned and delivered project is not possible

· Capacity of developing country partner(s) insufficient to lead/deliver the particular set of inputs

· The particular skills and inputs required or appropriate substitutes cannot realistically be sourced of contracted locally by the developing country partner.

· Where a particular level of independence is desired by NZAID and the developing country partner such as for an evaluation

Where the NZAID inputs can be effective

· There are in place clear agreements with the in-country partners concerned for NZAID to facilitate the project

· Key documents including the Terms of Reference of Project Design Document have been developed together with and agreed by the partner agency and other key stakeholders

· The key developing country partner has been given every opportunity to participate in the criteria and selection process for an appropriate contractor

· Contractors accountabilities both to NZAID and to the developing country partner are clearly agreed and laid out within the contract.

· There is a governance structure in place which provides for regular dialogue between the Partner and NZAID regarding project implementation and performance of the contractor