THE UKRAINE CITIZEN ACTION NETWORK (UCAN)

April 7, 2005.

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    PARLIAMENTARY CITIZEN ACCESS GRANTS
    
    In partnership with the Indiana University Parliamentary Development Project (IUPDP), implementer of USAID’s Democratic Parliamentary Strengthening Program for Ukraine, UCAN announces Parliamentary Citizen Access Grant Program for the period of six months. The Program is developed to improve citizen access to the Ukrainian Parliament and the legislative process, as well as facilitate improvements in parliamentary representative, oversight, and lawmaking functions by assisting Ukrainian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to develop and utilize innovative approaches to encouraging greater citizen participation in parliamentary activities and/or improved citizen outreach by Parliament.
    Parliamentary Citizen Access Program supports projects that:
    • Strengthen the parliamentary oversight function and the committee hearing process through increased citizen participation as part of Parliament’s institutionalization as an independent and equal branch of power representing interests of various groups of the Ukrainian society.
    • Introduce inventive mechanisms that facilitate increased openness of the Ukrainian Parliament and transparency of the lawmaking process using new information dissemination and citizen outreach technologies, and encourage improved information about the Ukrainian legislature and its operations;
    • Reach out to broad constituencies of citizens, CSOs and the private sector to create understanding of opportunities available to them to actively participate in the legislative process; support establishing of permanent mechanisms for local legislative initiatives to reach the national legislature,
    • Identify inadequacies in the existing system of parliamentary operation in the citizen outreach area and propose activities that will lead to specific, concrete, and lasting improvements, provide expertise and assistance in enhancing Parliaments capacity to better inform, engage and involve citizens into the legislative process;
    
    Parliamentary Citizen Access grants will be awarded one time in 2005 under UCAN Innovation Fund Grants to support a wide range of initiatives with a bias toward action, public participation, and specific results which address real needs of citizens to access the legislative process. A few grants up to six months and $ 10,000 will be awarded to the experienced CSOs for the implementation of legislative access projects which are specific, concrete, and focused on bringing about change through action. Citizen access is defined broadly to include all manner of CSO and citizen activities which are designed to lead to positive change in the process and operations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
    
    Parliamentary Citizen Access grants will be awarded to the organizations that submit quality proposals for projects in the following categories:
    • Innovative Parliament Access Approaches and Improvement of Existing Committee Oversight Capacities. These projects involve efforts to introduce new ideas that can be utilized by the public in accessing the Parliament and promote the interests of community and interest groups to the national level.
    • Parliamentary Information Dissemination and Citizen Education. These include work with the Verkhovna Rada to facilitate improvements in introduction of new effective information dissemination mechanisms. The primary focus should be on how formal education prepares young Ukrainians for the participatory role of an informed, responsible citizen in a democracy.
    • Citizen Participation. These projects shall look to improve participation of citizens and interest groups in the legislative process and their greater involvement in the lawmaking procedures. They also could focus on identifying and rectifying local and regional inadequacies that exist in informing and educating the public about: 1) the role of the parliament and its function as the representative, lawmaking and oversight institution in the democratic system of governance in Ukraine and 2) the role of members of parliament and their functions in the legislative process and as representatives of citizen and community interests.
    • Other. The program is open to ideas about how to make the Parliament specifically and the legislative process in general more transparent and open to the citizen involvement, participation and meaningful input.
    
    Parliamentary Citizen Access grants proposals will be evaluated in the following areas:
    1. Adequate and appropriate technical approach and financial proposal
    • Adequately and appropriately addresses the need presented in the grant announcement;
    • Is reasonable in terms of the proposed requirements and activities;
    • Provides specific details in terms of planning, conducting and following-up on the proposed activity; approach and resources are compatible;
    • Resources requested in the Financial Proposal (Budget) are adequate and appropriate for the work to be done;
    • Innovative elements that will strengthen citizen access to the legislative process;
    • Demonstrates non-partisan philosophy and approach.
    
    2. NGO Capacity (confirmed qualifications of the key staff, communications capabilities - telephones, fax, e-mail, web-site; financial system)
    • Qualifications, experience, and confirmed availability of the key staff;
    • Communications capabilities in applicant’s offices (telephones, fax, e-mail, web-site);
    • Financial system.
    
    3. Past experience in working with either the Ukrainian Parliament or Ukrainian Civil Society Organizations. Documented experience in
    • working with either the Ukrainian Parliament or Ukrainian Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) to improve citizen access to the Ukrainian Parliament and the legislative process, as well as facilitating improvements in parliamentary representative , oversight and lawmaking functions;
    • encouraging greater citizen participation in parliamentary activities and/or improving citizen outreach by the Ukrainian Parliament;
    • organizing seminars, conferences, or training (letters of reference would be welcome);
    • conducting research or analysis;
    • working effectively with diverse organizations and groups, especially on the legislative process; or citizen access and participation.
    
    Award(s) will be made to applicant(s) on the merits of the proposal(s) submitted, including a determination as to which offers the greatest value for the lowest cost.
    
    The amount of any individual grant will depend upon the organization’s proposed project, and their capacity to manage funds. While the program may choose to award a grant of up to $10,000, most grants will be in the range of $5,000 to $10,000. The grant duration shall be up to 6 months.
    
    The procedures for Parliamentary Citizen Access Grant Program implemented under UCAN Innovation Fund Grants. Here you can find UCAN Innovation Fund Application Form which outlines the process for awarding grants.
    
    Deadline for receipt of proposals is April 29 2005
    Grants will be finalized and funded by June 6 2005
    
    Please submit your proposals to:
    UCAN Project Office
    47 Volodymyrs’ka Vul, office # 9, Kyiv, Ukraine
    Tel: (044) 494 45 97, Fax: (044) 229 48 34
    ucan@ucan-isc.org.ua, www.ucan-isc.org.ua.
    
    Note: submissions by email and fax are acceptable but applicants are urged to confirm receipt.
    Read more about the Indiana University Parliamentary Development Project (IUPDP) visiting web-site: www.pdp.org.ua .