INTRODUCTION TO TILITONSE
FUND, ITS GRANT APPROACHES AND
SESSION OBJECTIVES
By
Allan Chintedza
Programme Manager
Setting the Context for a Community
Based Organisation Window
Objectives of session – to enable potential
bidders and applicants to fully understand
requirements especially in relation to this new
funding window, what is the rationale and what
are our expectations.
Setting the context for a CBO
Window(continued)
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The first three sessions are complimentary and are meant
to outline the background and underlying principles.I am
here to start you-off with an understanding of the Tilitonse
Fund and what we stand for. Fannie will go deeper to
guide you with elements and tools that you should
consider when putting together your ideas.Francis will go
further by expanding on how you can bring out ideas that
will bring meaningful change to the majority of Malawians
in the rural communities of the country.
The last sessions will take you through the actual Tilitonse
technical requirements, the dos and donts that can make
your CN application either successful or not
Background and grant making
approaches
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Tilitonse is a multi-donor pooled grant making facility
supporting more accountable, responsive and inclusive
governance in Malawi through grants to projects led by
civil society and other local organisations(CBOs).
It is meant to be a Civil Society support fund with a
difference. It is designed in a way to reflect and build upon
knowledge of political economy, and this encourages an
approach towards building coalitions around issues of
interest. The approach is expected to enhance civil society
influence by connecting them in with other actors they
don’t normally work with, such as the private sector,
govt.,consumer and middle class groups, and with
business interests.
Tilitonse Grant Making
Approaches(continued)
• Started-off with Accelerated Grant Window
which did not follow due process and PEA. 7
grantees were approved.
• General Open Call 1 was based on 4 Tilitonse
outputs. Bidders selected their problem areas in
relation to Tilitonse outputs/Result Areas.
Concept Notes were shortlisted, then proposal
development and approval. Evaluation criteria
emphasized alignment to ToC and PEA. Proposal
development assumed incorporation of PEA and
ToC by bidders.
Tilitonse Grant making Approaches
(continued)
• Thematic Call – identification of issues based
on PEA
• Unlike GOC – PEA already done by the
secretariat using a group of people from the
University and issues linked to ToC
• It was not OPEN but restricted to those who
are already in the identified areas AND can
work with other players(coalitions)
Tilitonse Grant making Approaches
(continued)
• The other Grant making window is called
Strategic opportunities. Originally this was
supposed to identify issues through research
resulting in Issue Based Projects. This was
scrapped and in a way has been replaced by the
thematic call.
• There is a proposal to establish a rapid response
window under this, which is still being looked
into depending on availability of funding
Tilitonse Grant Making Approaches
(continued)
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CBO Window rationale –
A total of 47 organisations given grants through the three windows.
Geographical coverage – country wide with exception of Likoma. Out of
these only one CBO(Nkhadze Youth – Balaka). Reasons included lack of
capacity to prepare CN/proposal according to our requirements, lack of
understanding of the underlying principles. We have decided to do
something about this BECAUSE you have a constituency – you represent
majority of Malawians at the local level. CBOs definition is broader
More flexible, approval at CN stage and then development of proposal
Proposal development guided by Secretariat through Mentors. New
capacity development approach- moving away from training and
workshops into guidance and coaching. If your CN is approved, we will
get expertise to help you put together a proposal. They will walk with you
– together – to incorporate the underlying principles that emphasize
establishment of root cause and identification of actual problem, how
meaningful change can happen.
Existing ToC
“Increased levels of citizen action, citizen-state
interaction and participatory governance,
especially at community and district levels, can
create increased responsiveness in duty bearers
and power holders in and outside government
that will lead to improved delivery of basic
services, greater social inclusion, and increased
accountability.”
Theory of Change
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We have found out that voice alone may not do it. There is increasing
evidence that there is need for action involving various players with
POWER and influence.
We need to understand the dynamics behind the ToC. How does change
happen and how can we support that process? Who drives change?
Change is driven when groups with sufficient POWER come together
around issues or problems of mutual concern to them (Fannie and
Francis to come more on this)
Need to choose the right issues (does not happen just as result of coming
together)
Change is not purely driven by agents and organisations
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These are constrained by institutions and structural interests
Empowerment of CS results not just from “capacity building” but also
through building connections to more powerful influencers
Must be driven by PE analysis
Not particularly by donor preferences
Theory of Change Diagram
• Tilitonse grant making underpinned by
ToC(Francis)
• Risk identification
• Risk Mitigation – PEA
• Grant making windows(Activities and
outputs)
• Outcomes and impact
Empowering Civil Society
• Civil Society is generally not very powerful
• Tilitonse has incorporated capacity building
so we can enhance their power. Once a grant
is approved we undertake a capacity
assessment of the lead organisation and if
gaps are identified, we develop a CAP which
is costed separately and implemented. This
however is being re-visited to ensure
morevalue for money and better impact on
Civil Society as a sector!
Issues for this CBO Window
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Based on four outputs. Most CSOs have concentrated on first two. More service
delivery oriented. Last two are more on governance issues affecting people at the
lower end where CBOs are best placed since closer to the people. We are
encouraging CBOs to tackle these considering that they will have Mentors to help
them with the proposal development.
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Tilitonse aims to deliver the following four outputs:
Capacity of CSOs to enable citizens, particularly poor and excluded groups, to
claim their rights increased.
Access to information on rights, entitlements and responsibilities increased
particularly for poor and excluded citizens.
Monitoring by Malawian organizations of policy and budget commitments,
service delivery and public resource management strengthened.
The engagement of Malawian organizations in influencing policies, strategies and
resource allocations at local and national levels improved.
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!