Call for research proposals for budget transparency forum

The Open Budget Partnership (OBP), with support from the Governance Partnership Facility of the World Bank, is inviting Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to submit research project proposals on the spending policies, budget processes and development programs in selected sectors that can be useful to raising public awareness and understanding of budget issues and stimulate informed and evidenced-based dialogue between government and the public.

OBP invites research proposals that seek to study programs in the areas of (1) infrastructure, (2) health and (3) environment and climate change.

Research papers should not be more than 20 pages (inclusive of tables), extensively citing empirical evidence of how public funds are channeled to implementing units, program inputs and other expenditures to achieve development objectives, and offering practical policy suggestions on how to improve allocative and/or operational efficiency in the agency or sector (or a sub-sector).  

The BTF promotes collaboration in the production of CSO-led research as possible input for the government’s 2014 budget preparation. As such, it is important that the research be of sufficient relevance to the government’s budgetary decision-making and be of scale and scope that it can be completed by June 30, 2013. Research proposals should be able to describe the specific objectives of the study, scope of the analysis, the methodology for gathering information and presentation of findings.

The BTF is open to Civil Society Organizations, which:

    · are registered in the Philippines with any of the following government bodies: the Securities and Exchange Commission, the cooperative Development Authority, or the Department of Labor and Employment;
    · have knowledge of Philippine social and economic issues;
    · have good track record in the implementation of development projects; and
    · have demonstrated capacity for research, advocacy and analytical report writing.

Research proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts according to the following criteria:

    · Experience of the consultants specifically related to the assignment
    · Adequacy of methodology and the proposed work plan in responding to the Terms of Reference
    · Qualifications and competence of the key staff related to the assignment

Interested CSOs are required to create a WBG eConsultant2 account at https://wbgeconsult2.worldbank.org on or before January 25, 2013.

The successful research proposals shall operate under an indicative budget of PhP 250,000.00. The actual amount of the contract shall be determined by the BTF Secretariat based on the submitted research cost estimate. CSOs may submit more than one proposal; however, only one contract can be awarded to organization.

For more information, you may call the BTF Secretariat at 917-3023 or 917-3030. You can also e-mail obpsecretariat@gmail.com.

Below is the complete guidelines released by OBP Secretariat for details:

– Rappler.com