Building Stronger Universities Phase III (BSUIII) – Format for Partnership Proposals

Introduction

Thisnote details the required content and offers guidance to the preparation of the Partnership Proposal (PP) that each of the six BSU partnerships lead by African universities will prepare for eventual inclusion in the BSUIII programme. Please note that adherence to the requirements and deadlines specified outlined in this note are a precondition for participation in BSU Phase III.

Deadline: The deadline for submission to DFC ()is Wednesday 21st December 2016. Failure to comply with this deadline may lead to the exclusion of the partnership from BSUIII.

Purpose of the Partnership Proposal: The PP serves a triple purpose:

  1. Based on an assessment of quality and relevance of the PP, combined with an assessment of progress, quality and achievements of the BSUII partnership, the PP will inform Danida´s decision whether to include the Partnership in BSUIII, and the indicative budget range that the Partnership should consider in its further planning of BSUIII.
  2. The PP will, together with recent progress reports from BSUII, form the basis for dialogue between the Partnerships, DFC and the process consultant contracted by Danida. This dialogue is planned for January/early February as already agreed with the individual partnerships.
  3. The PP, adjusted as per the dialogue, will form part of the full Implementation Plan that each partnership will prepare and which will, duly approved by Danida, form part of the Partnership Agreements to be entered for BSUIII.

Other important reference documents:The Partnership Proposal should be prepared paying close attention to the following documents that are circulated together with this note:

  1. The Concept Note for the Building Stronger Universities Phase III. The Concept Note outlines Danida´s principles for, overall objectives and intentions with BSUIII, and it provides the key yardstick by which the PP will be assessed. If Partnerships find strong reasons not to adhere to the Concept Note they should provide an explicit justification. The Concept Note will be presented for Danida’s internal Programme Committee 1. December and theconclusions from the meeting will be circulated.
  2. The Process Action Plan (PAP) for BSUIII,already circulated to the Partnerships. An updated version is included in the Concept Note as Annex 1.
  3. The Results and Monitoring Framework for BSUIII. This document was also informing the formulation of Inception Reports in BSUII and has not been modified. Both the PP and the subsequent Implementation Plan will be assessed for adherence to the Logical Framework Approach outlined in this document.
  4. The draft Format for Preparation of Implementation Plans. This document informs the later preparation of Implementation Plans following the acceptance of the Partnership Proposals. It is largely similar to the format for Inception Reports used in BSUII, and further building on and adding important elements from the PP.
  5. The draft What can be funded under BSUIII note is defining the details regarding eligible and non-eligible expenditures under the BSUIII. It is, with a few exemptions, similar to the document guiding BSUII, the substantive modifications that have been altered are highlighted in the document. Based on the dialogue in January-February, the document may be modified.

Further information and guidance: For further guidance and assistance during the preparation of the PP, please contact Mr. Lars Arne Jensen () with cc to the process consultant, Mr. Nils Boesen (). You are strongly advised to seek dialogue and feedback early in the preparation process.

Format for Partnership Proposals

Please pay attention to the indicated length of sections. As mentioned, they are indicative, helping you to be succinct and avoid lengthy, descriptive paragraphs of little consequence.

1.Rationale, and main lessons learnt during BSUII(max. 2 pages)

  • Outline main achievements of BSUII
  • Outline the key positive lessons learned during BSUII regarding the overall thrust of the partnership, the specific choices made with regard to focus areas, the ambition level, and the partnership collaboration.
  • Outline key difficulties and challenges faced, and the lessons learned from these.
  • Discuss if the partnership has had sufficient focus and if administrative and coordination tasks have been reasonable.
  • Provide the rationale justifying that the Partnership is seeking continued support from Danida, and how the PP will contribute to the overall objectives of BSUIII (as specified in the concept paper).

2.Strategic directionofa continued partnership in BSUIII (max. 2 pages)

  • Outline priority research capacity development areas (both thematic focus areas; research management/administrative areas and possible infrastructure elements) and the justification for prioritizing these.
  • Explain major development and changes from BSUII, including how the BSUIII will consolidate the achievements in BSUII and how BSUIII will include a sharper focus to ensure impact and efficiency.Provide specific justification and rationale if the PP does not entail a more focused approach, and if new elements (thematic or in support areas) are added.
  • Describe specifically how theBSUIII will add more emphasis on outreach to economic and social actors, innovation and/orentrepreneurship.
  • Highlight, if relevant, any synergies between BSUIII and other ongoing/previous research collaboration with Danish universities.
  • Outline how results and insights gained in the proposed areas will be upscaled beyond those directly involved to have impact on the university´s performance within research-based teaching, research, outreach, and research management, as relevant.

3.Objectives, Outcomes and Outputs for the Partnership in BSUIII (max. 2 pages)

  • The description should concisely display the (reverse) logic of how wider impact level objectives will be pursued through the achievement of outcomes which result from outputs. The section serves to clarify the intervention logic and the underlying Theory of Change. For further guidance, please consult the “Results and Monitoring Framework for BSUII”-document. At this stage, you are not requested to identify indicators for the objectives, outcomes and outputs, but please consider if you have phrased results at the different levels in such a manner that specific, verifiable and practical indicators can be identified (they must be specified in the Implementation Plans).
  • Specify the development objectives of the Partnership, in terms of societal impact of research-based teaching, research and outreach.
  • Specify the immediate objective in terms of specific impact for stakeholders (e.g. students, communities, economic and social actors).
  • Specify the outcomes at the end of BSUIII in terms of enhanced research, teaching and outreach performance of the University or relevant institutes
  • Specify the main outputs to be achieved in terms of enhanced capacity of the University or specific institutes (including institutional capacity, and capacity of staff/faculty).

4.Coordination, Learning, Partnership and Management of BSUIII-support(max. 2 pages)

  • Describe how the Southern partner will ensure effective co-ordination with other significant university capacity development endeavours, including but not limited to efforts supported by external development partners. Provide details in an annex.
  • Detail how the partnership will ensure that lessons learned in BSUIII will be shared and exchanged with other university actors and external partners.
  • Describe possible changes in how a BSUIII would be anchored at the Southern university in terms of governance and management to ensure that the activities are fully integrated.
  • Indicate specific areas (thematic, research, management and others) for enhanced South-South cooperation (indicate specific partnerUniversity(ies)).
  • Describe possible changes in the governance and management of the partnership between the Southern university and the Danish consortium, including changes to enhance efficiency and lower administrative and coordination tasks for Southern and Danish universities within the existing Consortia.
  • Describe possible changes in the set-up and management of the Danish consortium.

5.Framework Budget

  • Within the indicative range of funding communicated by Danida, please prepare a framework budget specifying expected budget per output, for possible investment, and for general expenditures (overheads). Please build on your experience from BSUII when preparing the budget.

6.Annexes

  • Attach a short and succinct fact sheet with the key data for your University (1 page maximum), including web-addresses where further information is available.
  • Attach a short description of the main research capacity and research collaboration that you have with other external partners. Provide a maximum of 4-5 lines per collaboration, include references to further information as relevant.

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DFC / MFA / Nils Boesen

13 November 2016

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