MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRY

1. APPLYING FOR APEC FUNDS:Improving Project Quality20 July 2012 Overview of APEC Projects Developing Quality Concept Notes & ProposalsPresented by:NORISHAH SHAMSHIR KHANAPEC Division, MITI MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRY

2. Agenda OUTLINE • Introduction • Projects Overview • Approval Process • Concept Notes: Improving Your Chances • Proposals: Improving Project Quality • Project Implementation Guidelines • Resources, Wrap-up and Q&A

3. PROJECTS OVERVIEW: WHY DOES APEC FUND PROJECTS? OUTLINE • Overarching Aims: • Advance free-trade for Asia-Pacific prosperity • Support the development of pro-trade policies and regulations • Practical Aims: • Progress from principles to practical application • Enhance the capacity to identify common interests • Build productive capacity amongst members

4. PROJECTS OVERVIEW: SOURCES OF PROJECT FUNDING 4 sources of APEC project funding: • Operational Account (OA) • Trade & Investment Liberalisation & Facilitation Special Account (TILF) • APEC Support Fund (ASF) • General Fund + Sub-funds • Self-funding

5. PROJECTS OVERVIEW: PROJECT VALUES: 2007-2011

6. PROJECTS OVERVIEW: TYPES OF APEC PROJECTS • Workshops • Seminars / symposiums • Research projects • Publications • Websites • Short term trainings • Multi-year

7. PROJECTS OVERVIEW: MULTI-YEAR PROJECTS MYP Pilot initiative, starting Session 3 2011 • Phased capacity building initiatives in line with strategic priorities of SOMs/Committees/SFOM • Up to $500,000 over 3-5 years • Minimum co-funding & co-sponsoring needed • Must have involvement of 2 APEC fora & external stakeholders, and put forward at committee level • Info & forms: Program Director or APEC website RESOURCE:MYP Fact Sheet

8. APPROVAL PROCESS: HOW ARE PROJECTS APPROVED? Group endorses and prioritises Concept Note/s Committees/SFOM use the 2012 Funding Criteria to rank & prioritise CNs overall CNs approved for funding starting with highest priority, until available funds are depleted CNs expanded into full proposals and assessed by PMU Proposals recommended to BMC (projects >US$200,000 require SOM approval)

9. STAGE 1: DEVELOPMENT AND SUBMISSION OF CONCEPT NOTES

10. STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT OF CONCEPT NOTES PRIORITIES

11. STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT OF CONCEPT NOTES PRIORITIES (CONT..)

12. STAGE 3: FULL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

13. STAGE 4: PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

14. STAGE 5: PROJECT COMPLETION

15. APPROVAL PROCESS: REVIEW OF CONCEPT NOTE

16. APPROVAL PROCESS: REVIEW OF PROPOSAL

17. APPROVAL PROCESS: 2012 – DATES AND DEADLINES • Session 1: Mid-process. CN approvals mid-February • Session 2: Standard Concept Notes due April 18 • Session 3: Standard Concept Notes due 27 August • Notes: • Deadlines expire midnight, Singapore time • Make sure you meet earlier fora deadline • Documents, prioritization results, endorsements must be compliant by deadline • All dates and details subject to change • RESOURCE: Project approval timelines

18. APPROVAL PROCESS: 2012 – DATES AND DEADLINES Project Approval Timelines for Session 3, 2012:

19. CONCEPT NOTES: FUNDING CRITERIA Link to Funding Criteria, especially Rank 1 topics: • Next generation trade and investment issues • Trade system and agreements • Innovation policy • Standards, regulations • Trade facilitation and supply chain performance • Environmental goods and services • Information technology and digital economy • Investment • Services • Ease of doing business • SMEs and entrepreneurship

20. CONCEPT NOTES TIPS: PROJECT TITLE Use a clear and catchy title, relating to Funding Criteria Exercise: which is most effective? • Connecting APEC: Conference on Enhancing Tourism and Air Transport Connectivity OR • APEC 21st Century Renewable Energy Development Initiative (Collaborative IX): Stock-take of electric vehicle interface with electricity and smart grids across APEC economies and the potential for harmonization OR • Supply Chain Connectivity – eCommerce as a Main Driver and Integration Tool

21. CONCEPT NOTES TIPS: FUNDING SOURCES Check funds available for ASF, TILF, OA: • Posted on website • Figures constantly being adjusted • Normally ASF has the most funds: • Create a clear link to a sub-fund, if appropriate: Energy Efficiency Science &Technology ANSSR TFAP II Health & Human Security

22. CONCEPT NOTES TIPS: BUDGET AND GUIDELINES Be accurate in developing your budget • Realistic estimates: research • Allowable expenses Follow all guidelines: • Submission deadlines • Project end date: Dec of next year • 3 page maximum • Co-sponsors • Use most current form • All guidelines in Guidebook

23. CONCEPT NOTES IMPROVING YOUR CHANCES Tips on Concept Note content: • Clear summary • Relevance: what problem are you trying to solve? • Alignment: most important section for relevence. Mention APEC statements, strategies, workplans • SMART Objectives (see exercise on next slide) • Workplan • Research previous / current projects (PDB, communicate with other APEC/non-APEC fora) RESOURCE: Developing APEC Concept Notes

24. CONCEPT NOTES SMART OBJECTIVES Exercise: Are these objectives SMART ? Which are most effective? • To give overviews of the existing climate change and indigenous vegetable resources. • To run a train-the-trainers workshop for officials to learn best practices of IP management and training techniques so that participants can develop their own high quality trainings for their officials. • Improve quality of life and social well being for the citizens of the APEC economies through viable green township/eco city projects. • To build on the TWG goal of ensuring continuous growth in the tourism industry, by generating an APEC-wide methodology for sustainable practices to develop tourism destinations and products.

25. PROPOSALS (& CONCEPT NOTES!) IMPROVING PROJECT QUALITY Think strategically. Think phases. Example: Competition policy Research: survey of members Survey analysis Conference to discuss results and create framework Finalisation of framework Workshop training members in use of framework Research: analysis of application of framework Follow-up workshop: best practices, challenges, framework update Program evaluation

26. Causal Model Tool: A results chain can help you think through your project ResultsChain Tasks/Activities Outputs Outcomes Impacts APEC Goals • Organize Workshop • Hold a Seminar • Conduct Research • Workshop attended by 50 participants • Seminar with 20 participants, CD-Rom for distribution • Research paper provides diagnostic and recommend’ns • 40 Participants apply learning to jobs/policies • 15 Participants run follow-up workshops each with 50 participants • Paper used as basis for journal articles, legislation • New attitude toward issue emerges • Actions proposed, debated, adopted • Lower costs for businesses. Better protection for consumers. • Goals set by Leaders, Ministers, Fora • Bogor Goals, OAA • ANSSR, TFAP2, LASIR, IFAP, REI, CAPS Produce things you can count Generate short/medium term effects Create long-term effects or change Achieve APEC Goals Things you do

27. QUALITY CRITERIA APEC’s Quality Criteria(see Guidebook) • Relevance • Effectiveness • Efficiency • Impact • Sustainability RESOURCE:Quality Criteria for Assessing APEC Projects RESOURCE:Proposal Development Materials

28. IMPROVING PROJECT QUALITY • Make sure it connects to: • APEC goals, forum workplan • APEC’s expertise. Why APEC instead of another fora? Trade relevance? • Goals of the funding source: OAA (TILF), developing economies (ASF) • Make sure it has: • Clarity: Use regular, non-technical language. Work plan is step-by-step. Summary is clear. • Research: An understanding of work already completed within and outside of APEC, to avoid duplication and leverage work

29. COMMON AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT • Make sure it has: • Evaluation: A plan to measure outputs’ effectiveness (survey, statistics, feedback etc.) • Links: to previous APEC / non-APEC work • Outputs: Clear, with description of how they contribute to the project’s objectives (e.g. report, seminar, recommendations, tool, plan etc.) • Sustainability: Strategies to support long-term outcomes (e.g. follow-up plans, training curriculum, long-term evaluation, partnerships etc.) • Budget quality: Follow APEC guidelines. Look for efficiencies. Match narrative to budget. Explain calculations RESOURCE: Proposal Development Materials

30. PROJECT GUIDELINES: IMPLEMENTATION Key guidelines to keep in mind: • Projects completed within two financial years • Monitoring reports (mandatory) submitted at 6 month intervals within a calendar year: • 1 February • 1 August • next due 1 August • Completion report (mandatory) submitted within 2 months of project completion • Work with your PD for programming changes

31. PROJECT GUIDELINES: GUIDEBOOK ON APEC PROJECTS Follow Guidebook on APEC Projects: • Overview: roles, funding accounts • Applying for funds: CN, Proposal, QAF • Project Implementation: guidelines, monitoring & completion reports • Allowable expenses • Disbursement procedures • Contracting: guidelines, conflict of interest • Changing a project • Appendices: application forms, QAF, gender guide

32. FURTHER RESOURCES Further assistance on projects can be found: • Through the APEC Secretariat: your Program Director or the PMU: http://www.apec.org/apec/about_apec/apec_secretariat/sec_contacts1.html PMU Program Director, NadiraMailewa: npm@apec.org Project Development Specialist, Adam Hunt: ah@apec.org • In the Guidebook on APEC Projects and Proposal Development Materials: http://www.apec.org/Projects/Forms-and-Resources.aspx • On the AIMP Project Database site: http://member.aimp.apec.org/pdb_sites/default.aspx • Through your WG focal points and BMC delegate

33. Thank You