UNDP-Spain MDG Achievement Fund

Terms of Reference for Thematic Window on Economic Governance

A Request for Proposals (RfP) by the MDG-F thematic window for Economic Governance was launched on May 18, 2007. The RfP closed on 22 June. Of the 57 eligible UN Country Teams, 34 submitted a proposal amounting to some $261 million.

The proposals submitted to the window were reviewed by the Technical Sub Committee for Economic Governance. The Committee was convened by Pedro Conceicao, Director of the Office for Developments Studies at UNDP. It included representatives of UNIFEM, the World Bank, and UNIDO as well as five independent experts and two experts nominated by the Government of Spain.

The Technical Sub Committee for Economic Governance assessed 5 proposals as suitable for support by the MDG-F. The combined value of these 5 proposals in their original submission was $41.7 million. The TSC, however, identified a number of budgets which could be reduced, bringing the total to $30.3 million. 10 other proposals were rated as unsuitable in their present form but worthy of resubmission to a future RfP and 19 proposals were assessed as unsuitable under the current TOR of the thematic window. All applicants received written feedback.

The recommendations of the TSC were reviewed by the Fund’s Steering Committee at its consultations in October 2007 which approved 5 Concept Notes with combined indicative budgets of $30.3 million (out of a $60 million envelope). A list of the approved proposals, which includes an indicative budget for each, can be viewed on-line clicking here.

UN Country Teams submitted their detailed Joint Programme documents which were reviewed by the MDG-F Secretariat with the support of various independent experts. As of January 2009, 5 Joint Programmes have been approved –Albania, Angola, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua- with a total budget of $29.9 million.

A second round Request for Proposals for Economic Governance was launched on December 11, 2007. The RfP closed on 31 January. Of the 10 UN Country Teams invited to resubmit, 9 submitted a proposal amounting to some $50 million. The proposals submitted to the window were reviewed by the Technical Sub Committee for Economic Governance. The TSC assessed 6 proposals as suitable for support by the MDG-F. The combined value of these 6 proposals in their original submission was $35 million. The TSC, however, identified a number of budgets for potential reduction. 3 other proposals were rated as unsuitable under the current TOR of the thematic window. All applicants received written feedback.

The recommendations of the TSC for the second round were reviewed by the Fund’s Steering Committee which approved 6 Concept Notes with combined indicative budgets of $29.4 million (out of a $30 remaining million). A list of the approved proposals, which includes an indicative budget for each, can be viewed on-line clicking here. UN Country Teams submitted their detailed Joint Programme documents which were reviewed by the MDG-F Secretariat with the support of various independent experts. As of January 2009, 5 Joint Programmes have been approved – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay and Philippines- with a total budget of $24,938,000 (out of a $30 remaining million).

Please note this thematic window is currently closed to applications