Contracting authority: European Commission

Support to civil society organisations to contribute to the achievement of

the sustainable development goals (SDGs) - Collect more spend better.
Annex A.1 – Grant application form - Concept note

Budget line: BGUE 21 02 07 03: Global Public Goods and Challenges

programme (GPGC)
Reference:
EuropeAid/164455/DH/ACT/Multi

Deadline for submission of concept notes:

1

at (Brussels date and time)

(in order to convert to local time click here2)
To reduce expense and waste, we strongly recommend that you use only paper for your file (no plastic
folders or dividers). Please also use double-sided printing if possible

[Number & title of lot]

Strengthening the capacity of Civil Society
Organizations and Rwandan Citizens to
Title of the action: actively engage in Government budget
process and advocate for improved fiscal
transparency
CLADHO (Collectif des Ligues et Associations
Name of the lead applicant de Défense des Droits de l’Homme au Rwanda)

Nationality of the lead applicant 3

Rwandese

Dossier No
(for official use only)

1
Online submission via PROSPECT is mandatory for this call for proposals (see section 2.2.2 of the guidelines). In
PROSPECT all dates and times are expressed in Brussels time. Applicants should note that the IT support is open
from Monday to Friday 08:30 to 18:30 Brussels time (except for public holidays).
2
An example of a time converter tool available online: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
3
An organisation’s statutes must show that it was established under the national law of the country concerned and
that the head office is located in an eligible country. Any organisation established in a different country cannot be
considered an eligible local organisation. See the footnotes to the guidelines for the call.

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 NOTICE

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Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection
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 Table of contents

1 CONCEPT NOTE...................................................................................................................4

1.1. Summary of the action......................................................................................................4

1.1.1. Fill in the table below:...........................................................................................................4

1.2. Description of the action: cover all the 5 points in the instructions: (max 2 page)......4

1.3. Relevance of the action (max 3 pages).............................................................................5

1.3.1. Relevance to the objectives/sectors/themes/specific priorities of the call for proposals.........5
1.3.2. Relevance to the particular needs and constraints of the target country/countries, region(s)
and/or relevant sectors (including synergy with other EU initiatives and avoidance of duplication).. .5
1.3.3. Describe and define the target groups and final beneficiaries, their needs and constraints,
and state how the action will address these needs................................................................................5
1.3.4. Particular added-value elements.............................................................................................5

1.4. Lead applicant, (co-applicants and affiliated entities, if any)........................................6

1.5. Project details.....................................................................................................................7

2 DECLARATION BY THE LEAD APPLICANT..................................................................8

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DRAFTING THE CONCEPT NOTE.................................................9

1.1. Summary of the action......................................................................................................9

1.2. Description of the action: (max 2 pages).........................................................................9

1.3. Relevance of the action (max 3 pages).............................................................................9

1.4. Lead applicant, (co-applicants and affiliated entities, if any)......................................11

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 1 CONCEPT NOTE

1. Summary of the action

The overall objective or goal of this project is to strengthen and engage CSOs to advocate for
more civic space in budget preparation process and improved fiscal transparency, engage citizens
in budget preparation process and provide an enabling environment to become more effective in
influencing national public policy formulation and implementation including budget preparation
and general budget monitoring as a result, GoR increases its engagement with them, and is better
prepared to receive their inputs and avail detailed budget information for public consideration.

2. Fill in the table below:

Overall Objective

The overall objective or goal of this project is to strengthen

and engage CSOs to advocate for more civic space in budget
preparation process and improved fiscal transparency, engage
citizens in budget preparation process and provide an enabling
environment to become more effective in influencing national
public policy formulation and implementation including
budget preparation and general budget monitoring as a result,
GoR increases its engagement with them, and is better
prepared to receive their inputs and avail detailed budget
information for public consideration.

Specific Objectives
Objectives of the action
 To build the capacity of Civil Society Organizations
(CSOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
to actively participate and engage citizens in
government budget preparation process, general
budget monitoring through Public Expenditures
Tracking Survey (PETs) and promote the engagement
of the Government of Rwanda with all Civil Society
Organizations.
 To empower JADFs (Joint Action Development
Forums) to knowledgeably participate in the budget
cycle and in the general budget monitoring and
increase civil society participation in enhancing fiscal
transparency.
 To empower CSOs and media in accessing budgeting
information and raising public awareness in budget
process and fiscal transparency.
Target group(s)7 Civil Society Organization (CSOs), Community Based

7
Target groups are groups/entities who will directly benefit from the action at the action purpose level.
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 Organizations (CBOs), Media and Citizen
Civil Society Organizations, Community Based
Final beneficiaries 8
Organizations, Joint Action Development Forums, Media and
Citizens
Estimated outputs Expected results/impacts

Result 1 - CSOs and, CBOs understand the whole process of

budget formulation and general budget monitoring
framework, their roles in engaging citizen in budget cycle and
budget related technical capacities in supporting long term
engagement with public authorities are strengthened.

Key outputs of result 1

At least 200 people from CSOs and CBOs will be trained

on budget process, ELBAG (Economic Literacy & Budget
Accountability for Governance), HRBA (Human Rights Based
Approach), Gender Budget Statement, budget monitoring
skills/methods and expenditures tracking using Public
Expenditures Tracking Survey (PETs);
At least 200 people from CSOs and CBOs will be benefit
from awareness workshops on national planning and budget
process and country development agenda.
1 public dialogue on the role of CSOs and Citizen in budget
process is organized.
Live radio and TV programs using community and national
radio stations are organized
Public awareness campaign and community dialogues on
sources of own revenues, spending and public investment will
be organized in all districts of interventions using community
dialogues.
Organization of consultative meetings between local
authorities and citizen to inform budget formulation.
Produce and disseminate district citizens guides to budget.
Results 2: JADF members are empowered in the budget cycle
and in the general budget monitoring.

Key outputs of Result 2

 All 6 districts JADF members have adequate
understanding in budget cycle and budget monitoring
 Local and opinion leaders (Councilors, Sector and Cell
Executive Secretaries, Community Representatives) are
trained on participatory planning, budget preparation
processes, monitoring and evaluation of priority

8
Final beneficiaries are those who will benefit from the action in the long term at the level of the society or sector at
large.
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 implementation.

Result 3- CSOs and media have capacity to increase and

improve budget information and knowledge
visibility and accessibility to the public, local, national
and regional stakeholders and raise public awareness on
budget process and fiscal transparency.

Thus result 3 will empower the activities of CSOs and media

organizations’ actions by holding accountable the public
authorities, and enhancing transparency around budget
planning and fiscal transparency. Also the capacity of the
CSOs and media houses to improve visibility and accessibility
to budget information and knowledge will be strengthened.

The above action will support CSOs to disseminate the results

of their analysis on national budget spending and to share
these findings at a national level during dialogues. This will
require improved capacity to collect stories of change, to
engage the media, to report on budget related information, to
simplify this information in order to reach a wider public, and
to improve their communication on their websites and social
media. Sharing learning from their analysis will thus
contribute to raising awareness among the Rwandan
population on national budget and fiscal transparency.

Journalists of national media will be sensitized and trained on

budget process and finance laws so that they can better record
the different challenges and evolutions in that area. Bringing
matters related to national budget and spending, fiscal
transparency in national media programs will advance the
national debate on improving public participatory mechanisms
in budget planning, implementation and monitoring.

Key outputs of Results 3

At least 100 journalists will be trained on analysis and
dissemination of budget information.
Stories of change will be developed by trained journalists, and
4 awards will be given to the most innovative stories of
change on budget and fiscal transparency.
4,000 information materials on budget process and stories of
change will be developed and disseminated.

Main activities Project Activities

Preparatory Activities:
Internal start-up workshop.
A start-up workshop will be attended by CLADHO staff
specifically those involved in the project with the aim of
strengthening the capacity of the staff involved in the project

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 covering partnership management, compliance with Donor
rules and regulations, Monitoring and Evaluation and
Communication.

Inception workshop and project orientation

It will be conducted in the project location. The inception
workshop will bring together multiple stakeholders who will
be involved in project intervention, inclusive of local
authorities and representatives of line Ministries and media
houses so that they can be part of the foundation building of
the project and jointly own the process.

Activities to achieve project results

Activities to achieve Result 1 :
Awareness building workshops on national budget
and respective role of citizen, targeted CSOs and
CBOs,
Training of CSOs and CBOs on Economic
Literacy Budget Accountability for Governance
(ELBAG) and on Human Rights Based
Approaches (HRBA),
Training of CSOs and CBOs on budget making
process, Gender Budget Statement and on Public
Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETs).
Training of CSOs and CBOs on how to advocate for
improved fiscal transparency through better
understanding of fiscal transparency, and CBOs will
advocate for citizen participation in budget process
and facilitate citizen to engage effectively their duty
bearers and make them accountable in budget
process cycle (Preparation, implementation and
monitoring)
Support CSOs and CBOs to hold pre-budget hearing
meetings with district
and local authorities. The pre-hearing meetings are
opportunities to hear from local authorities and
citizens the priorities and other community concerns
that need budget in the following fiscal year.
Support CSOs to conduct Joint annual budget
analysis to produce alternative budget
(recommendations) to be submitted to the
parliament and the Ministry of Finance and
Economic Planning (Gender budget Statement will
also be considered ),
Support CSOs and CBOs to conduct a consultative
session and public dialogue with government

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 representatives on budget issues.
Conduct public awareness campaign and
community dialogues on sources of own revenues.
Produce and disseminate districts citizens guide to
budget.
Support citizens to conduct community score card
on citizen participation in planning and budget
process.
Activities to achieve results 2 :
Training of members of JADF on budget preparation,
implementation and monitoring,
Training of Local and opinion leaders on participatory
planning, budget preparation processes, monitoring and
evaluation of priority implementation.
Activities to achieve Result 3 :
Sensitization and training of media houses on budget
preparation and budget monitoring work. This activity will
ensure that national media houses are involved in the action
and play a significant role in holding the public authorities
accountable in budget process and fiscal transparency.
Train CSOs and media to collect stories of change and linking
them with media and skills to report on budget related
information.
Award to best journalist reporting and covering stories of
change on budget process and fiscal transparency. To boost
journalists’ eagerness to cover issues related to citizen
participation in budget process and fiscal transparency, every
year CLADHO will organize a reward ceremony that will give
a prize to the best article published on this issue.
Produce and disseminate information on budget in an
accessible format: Disseminating information on budget and
fiscal transparency in a more systematic way is fundamental
for holding public authorities accountable and enhancing the
general public interest in budget
matter, that’s likely to support an increased citizen and CSO’s
participation in the budget cycle. This will also involve media
strategies to inform target communities about their
constitutional role in the planning and budget preparation
process
Support districts and CSOs to strengthen their websites and
become hubs of quality and quantity information sharing to the
public on budget and respective citizen participation in budget
process.

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3. Description of the action: cover all the 5 points
The action which is strongly anchored locally responds to several key priorities of the
Rwandan Vision 2020, National Strategy for Transformation One (NST1) and to the
US Embassy and builds on the good results and lessons learnt from CLADHO’s
interventions in government planning and budget preparation process since 2008.
It indeed addresses several challenges faced by Civil Society Organization (CSOs),
Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Media and Citizen which now have an
improved access to accountability fora in the country but are still struggling to actively
participate in planning and budget preparation process. This project will strengthen
the capacity of Civil Society Organizations, Media, Community Based
Organizations and Joint Action Development Forums in technical budgetary
knowledge (planning and budget preparation process), communication and advocacy
skills, to enthusiastically engage in influencing budget process, monitoring its
execution and holding government accountable.
This will help to better link the national budget to the population's priorities, needs
and human rights through informed analysis and contributions to budget
proposals, monitoring and tracking public revenues and expenditures, and
supporting citizens' budget literacy. CSO active engagement will ensure a more
needs-responsive and inclusive policy-making fostering a stronger governance and
improving public authorities’ accountability and fiscal transparency.
This will help to mobilize, bring together and work with civil society
stakeholders from the sector level, community level, and district level to the
national level in order to institutionalize budget preparation process that embraces
public accountability, effectiveness and gender responsiveness. An improved
collaborative approach between the CSOs and the media, will contribute to an
enhanced domestic accountability at local and national levels as it will guarantee a
better timely accessibility to information both in terms of content and visibility.

Strengthening community participation in budget preparation and tracking

processes will help to ensure that government guarantees a full engagement of
citizens in budget process and fiscal transparency. Citizens in the following 6 districts
will closely benefit from the project operations; these are Gisagara, Ruhango,
Muhanga, Rusizi, Rutsiro and Rubavu districts and at national level with the CSOs and
Media.

4. Relevance of the action (max 3 pages)

Transparency and accountability across all institutions and individuals is a key ingredient to
Transformational Governance Pillar as enshrined in the National Strategy for Transformation
One (NST1) and vision 2050 where increased citizen participation, engagement and partnerships
in development are cemented.
They emphasize citizen participation as a way of ensuring ownership and feedback for efficiency
and sustainability. It also focuses on increased citizen participation, strengthening partnerships
between Government institutions, private sector, citizens, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
and Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) to fast track national development and people centred
prosperity as a way of ensuring ownership and feedback for efficiency and sustainability.
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However, citizens do to a small extent participate in planning and budget preparation processes at
7%, 12% and 29% as respectively published in RGB’s Citizen Report Card of 2015, 2016 and
2017.
Citizen engagement in the budget preparation process is low. They do not access draft budget
information before its final approval by parliament. Besides this, approved budget information is
also not made available to all citizens at the glass root level. Even for the few ones who have
managed to participate, it becomes difficult for them to scrutinize whether what they proposed
for inclusion in the national budget was considered or not and if not why it was excluded. This
unfortunately, makes the budget unable to address comprehensively citizens’ specific needs and
challenges since no timely feedback is made available before its final approval and ultimately the
budget ends up becoming non-citizen cantered. Citizens and CSOs members have little or no
information about government budget process and this becomes an impediment to PFM
compliance thus making, monitoring budget execution and accountability cumbersome.
Citizen participation in budget preparation process is necessary in fast tracking the
implementation of sector strategies plans (SSPs) and district development strategies (DDS).
5. Relevance to the objectives/sectors/themes/specific priorities of the call for
proposals
There is also a visible need to strengthen the capacity of CSOs, Community Based
Organizations, and Faith Based Organizations to promote citizen participation in budget process,
its transparency, hold their leaders accountable, promote citizen engagement in prioritization and
allocation of resources, budget tracking, and above all improve fiscal transparency. Therefore,
Civil Society Organizations need to be fully equipped with information pertaining to budget
process so that they can be better positioned to advocate for citizen engagement in government
budget process and advocate for improved fiscal transparency.
There is an urgent need to address these bottlenecks to hasten citizen engagement in government
budget process. This necessitates capacitating and skilling CSOs’ members in budget preparation
cycle to enable them raise timely public awareness on government budget process and skillfully
engage citizens, their councilors and leaders in budget preparation process and above all, help to
ameliorate fiscal transparency through availability of timely reliable, adequate budget proposals
and availability of approved government budget information for public consumption on time.
From the above highlighted facts, this project is highly needed.

6. Relevance to the particular needs and constraints of the target

country/countries, region(s) and/or relevant sectors (including synergy with
other EU initiatives and avoidance of duplication)
Fiscal transparency and Budgeting is a key pillar of policy development and accountability in
any country or region. In the context of the European Union, with its unique system of
institutions and relationships between different levels of government, there has traditionally been
a close attention to the performance aspects of fiscal transparency and budgeting: i.e.
demonstrating to stakeholders that EU resources being used effectively to achieve results, and
that these results are of benefit to citizens.
There  is  an  international  consensus  that  good  governance  is  of  central  importance  to
achieving and   sustaining   macroeconomic   stability   and   high quality   growth;   and   that  
sound   fiscal  management including   fiscal   transparency is   a   key   aspect   of   good  
governance.   Fiscal transparency  allows  for  better informed  debate  by  both  policymakers
and  the  public  about  the  design  and  results  of  fiscal  policy,  and  establishes  accountability
for  its  implementation.    

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 In   strengthening   credibility   and   public   understanding   of   macroeconomic   policies   and
choices,  fiscal  transparency  fosters  more  favorable  access  to  domestic  and  international
capital  markets.  
It  also  helps  to  highlight  potential  risks  to  the  fiscal  outlook,  resulting  in  an  earlier  and
smoother  fiscal  policy  response  to  changing  economic  conditions  and  thereby  reducing
the  incidence  and severity  of  crises.
 Fiscal   transparency   is   not   limited   to   national   and   municipal   budgets.   Citizens'  
understanding  about  states'  fiscal  behaviour  encourages  greater  civic  participation  and
oversight,  it  promotes  public   accountability   and,   most   importantly,   it   enhances  
effectiveness   and   efficiency   of   public  budget  and  spending  that  is  mirrored  in  an
overall  growth  of  economies  worldwide.
7. Describe and define the target groups and final beneficiaries, their needs
and constraints, and state how the action will address these needs
 Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA)

CLADHO’s way of work recognizes that human rights promotion, eradication of injustice and
promotion of accountable governance can only happen if the rights of the citizen including
vulnerable groups are protected, promoted, respected and fulfilled. In relation to this action, we
recognize that there are underlying power structures that perpetuate non-inclusion of citizen and
CSOs in the governance and decision making processes eventually determining their livelihood,
dignity and self-esteem. We believe in the empowerment of our target groups as an approach that
ensures that people are at the center of the struggle for rights. This aims to build capacities of
citizen, enhance their awareness and capacity to critically analyze the context, power relations,
and their position in society and motivate them to take part in public affairs such as policy
formulation and budget preparation process.

 Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA):

CLADHO will also use a participatory approach in programming through active engagement of
the citizens. This participatory approach adopts a friendly adult learning technique which enables
women, men and youths to identify key challenges in their participation in planning and budget
process, constraints faced, root causes, solutions and what amount of resources are needed to
address them. Equipped with this information, they then prepare local development plans by
analyzing the resources available at the village level.

 Economic Literacy & Budget Accountability for Governance (ELBAG)

The ELBAG approach will enable communities to take appropriate action in making economic
development aspects particularly those pertaining to planning and budgeting more democratic
and people centered. Therefore, ELBAG is a process and methodological framework that
combines organizing people, developing grassroots monitoring mechanisms,
democratizing knowledge and using participatory tools and methods for building public
accountability and transparency to initiate people centered advocacy processes. ELBAG
simplifies economic tools like budgets by explaining how they are prepared, who prepares them
and how money is sourced.
 Public Hearings:
A public hearing is a tool where people discuss their development needs in a public forum which
is presided over by an independent bench. Usually local officials are also present and are asked
to respond to the queries from the community. A report of the outcomes with plans for future
action is prepared and shared with the concerned ministry and parliament and a follow-up for
report consideration is done.
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  Community Score Card:
It is a useful participatory tool for constructive engagement between the state
and citizens. The CSC is a community-based approach for assessing government services or
facilities by grading them according to a range of scores. The CSC process uses the “community”
as a unit of analysis, and is focused on monitoring progress at the local level. This method draws
different stakeholders into discussions with the major aim of finding out whether the
beneficiaries have received the promised inputs; grading the services by the community
members; self-assessment of the service providers and further improvement plan for the
problems identified. Here we will emphasize on planning and budget process.
 Participatory review and reflection processes:
Actions and processes will be reviewed annually in a participatory manner by communities, local
authorities, CSOs, CBOs and by social accountability and monitoring team and other interested
groups involved in the project. This is to enhance participation, accountability, and transparency
among all key stakeholders in the activities implementation. It will also serve as a forum for
sharing lessons learned and best practices.
 Public Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETs)
Public expenditure tracking system (PETS) will be used to implement the project objectives. It
will help to avail budget information that is consistent, complete, transparent and easily
accessible on time.
8. Particular added-value elements
The goal of this project is to strengthen the capacity of Civil Society Organizations and Rwandan
Citizens to actively engage in Government budget process and advocate for improved fiscal
transparency. At the end of this project, we hope to see Rwandan CSOs and citizens at all levels
continuing to enthusiastically participate in government budget preparation process and have
timely access to reliable detailed budget proposals before the BFP is discussed by the law makers.
Beneficiary districts will be encouraged from the beginning to own the project activities and
successes since this will be helping them indirectly to also excel in Imihigo evaluation where a
number of criteria such as citizen participation, accountability among others are considered. This
project will be an excellent opportunity to the districts to enhance citizen participation since it will
have become a culture, the impact of the project activities will continue to manifest. CLADHO
will also have disseminated technical instruments to conduct budget tracking and we expect that at
least 75% of the final beneficiaries (citizens) will be able to use Community Score Cards, and
PETS to continue demanding accountability from their leaders, initiate discussion frameworks
with their leaders and take responsibilities in the prioritization of their needs in their
constituencies due to mindset change.

9. Signed on behalf of the lead applicant

Name Emmanuel SAFARI

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Signature

Position Executive Secretary

CLADHO
Date 19th August 2019

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