Capability Statement - NDC

www.ndc.psNGO Development CenterCapability StatementVisionMissionObjectivesOur FocusOur GovernanceNDC StaffOur ServicesGrant MakingCapacity BuildingNGO Sector DevelopmentHuman Rights & Good Governance SecretariatA Transparent Selection ProcessMasader: The Palestinian NGO PortalSelected ProjectsPalestinian NGO Project IVHuman Rights & Good Governance Secretariat: Phase IIJob Creation Project in the West Bank and Gaza StripWater Wells RehabilitationThe Palestinian NGOs Code of ConductStrengthening Good Governance within the PalestinianNGO SectorPalestinian NGO Project IIIAdditional Financing to PNGOIII (Gaza)Contacts1

NGO Development CenterNGO Development Center (NDC)NDC is an innovative Palestinian non-profit organization,established in 2006 in response to the need of having a sustainablePalestinian mechanism for providing support to the NGOs sector.NDC empowers Palestinian NGOs to better provide vital servicesto Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and EastJerusalem, especially the poor and marginalized. Conceived inpartnership with leading Palestinian NGOs, unions and networks,NDC mobilizes donor funding to deliver a unique combination ofdirect grants and capacity building programs that enhance theeffectiveness, self-reliance and sustainability of Palestinian NGOs.NDC is the largest Palestinian organization of its kind and is a mainnational mechanism that supports the Palestinian NGO sector.NDC works hand-in-hand with Palestinian NGOs, and communitydevelopment organizations to enhance their service delivery andbuild a more capable, responsive Palestinian civil society. NDC’sprograms and grants empower Palestinians to help Palestinians byproviding NGOs the skills, tools and funds they require to addresssocial needs and promote self-reliance midst adversity. NDCadvocates greater NGO transparency and accountability throughthe adoption of professional financial and management practices,and promotes sector-wide coordination and sharing of bestpractice experiences within its programs and on its Masader portal(www.masader.ps). At the same time, NDC contributes towardsthe development of the NGO sector as a whole to become moreresponsive, transparent and accountable by setting standards,promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration within the sector,and strategic policy research and planning.VisionBased on years of accumulated experiences, and on itsunderstanding and assessment of the prevailing internal andexternal conditions, and in conformity with its set of valuesand beliefs, NDC aspires to realize the following vision:“An Effective NGO sector contributing to building Palestiniancivil society”MissionIn line with its values and its vision, NDC’s mission statementis:The NGO Development Center (NDC) is a non-profitnongovernmental organization established in response tothe need of having a sustainable Palestinian mechanism forproviding support to the NGOs sector. Through providingtechnical and financial support, NDC works on developingthe capacities of Palestinian NGOs in providing qualityservices, especially to the poor and the marginalized, onenhancing their self-reliance, and on empowering them tobe more sustainable. At the same time, NDC contributestowards the development of the NGOs sector as a wholeby facilitating sharing and exchange of information andexperience, by supporting research and policy development,and by strengthening NGOs relationships with developmentpartners.2

Capability StatementObjectivesIn fulfilling its mission, NDC works on achieving thefollowing objectives:• NDC is a main address for supporting and developingthe NGO sector and its institutions.• Empowering NGOs to provide quality services that areresponsive to the Palestinian society’s priorities.• NGO sector is more efficient and capable to influencethe formulation of national policies and plans.• NDC is more competent and responsive to the variousneeds of the community.• NDC possess the means and capabilities to enhance itsfinancial and administrative capacities.Our FocusWe focus in supporting social services provided by NGOsthat are complementary to those provided by the PA.Such NGO services include specialized health, agriculture,rehabilitation services, non-formal education, earlychildhood development social protection services andpsychological services. We target poor and vulnerablegroups including women, children, youth and people withspecial needs; and we give special attention to underservedand marginalized areas including Gaza, East Jerusalem, AreaC and areas isolated by the Separation Wall.NDC equally provides its support to NGOs that are workingto promote and protect human rights and good governance.Our GovernanceNDC is governed by a policy Board of Directors that providesoverall guidance and oversight to NDC. Its current 13 membersrepresent a stratum of economic, academic and civil societyexperts. The Board is elected once every three years bythe General Assembly. The General Assembly encompassesmembers of the four main NGO networks in Palestine namelythe Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO); the Union of CharitableSocieties; the Palestinian National Institute for NGOs; and theGeneral Palestinian Union for NGOs in Gaza. Other membersof the General Assembly include members of the academia,the private sector and NGO experts.NDC StaffNDC has four main units: Grants Facility, NGO SectorDevelopment, Finance & Administration, and ResourceMobilization & Communication. Its highly qualified andexperienced team comprised of 30 professionals, with aProgram Manager and four Program Officers and assistantsbased in Gaza, have the ability to ensure a smooth liaison andproper implementation of intended programming; from grantmaking to sector development and technical assistance.NDC has it’s headquarter office in Ramallah, Al-Ram anda fully staffed branch office in Gaza. Both offices arefully equipped and linked through video conferencingtechnology.Our ServicesNDC is in the unique position to serve as the managementbody for agencies seeking to implement programmingwith the NGO sector throughout the entirety of the WestBank and Gaza Strip. NDC has over 14 years of experiencein managing and monitoring funding and renderingdevelopment programs and projects, with the added valueof building organizational capacities. Through its variousprograms and granting schemes, NDC serves as a grantmakingmechanism for the NGO sector, as well as a providerof technical and managerial capacity building on an NGOlevel, and a facilitator of sector development on a sectorallevel.Grant MakingNDC provides a distinctive combinationof direct grants to NGOs, to helpthem perform with improved qualityand better directed outcomes, whileincreasing access to services by thepoor and marginalized. NDC usesdifferent granting schemes to allowNGOs with various capacities andmagnitudes to focus on sectorsand themes where NGOs have acomparative advantage.The main granting schemes are:• Empowerment Grants• Partnership Grants• Small Grants• Emergency GrantsCapacity BuildingCapacity Building aims at developingand strengthening the skills, abilities,processes and resources of NGOs inorder to improve their performance,quality of services and service delivery.NDC capacity building strategy includeshuman resource development,organizational development, as wellas institutional and legal frameworkdevelopment.NGO Sector DevelopmentThis program aims at developing theNGO sector as a whole to becomemore responsive, transparent,and accountable to Palestiniancommunities and the donor communityby setting standards, promotingcollaboration within the sector andstrategic policy research and planning.The main components of this program are:• NGO Code of Conduct• Sector Coordination andInformation Exchange• Policy and Research3

NGO Development CenterHuman Rights & Good Governance SecretariatNDC serves as the program management unit responsible forchanneling pooled donor funding, supporting coordinated initiativesand joint capacity building initiatives, and strengthening policydialogue for NGOs that are working to promote and protect HumanRights and Good Governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.The overall developmental objective of the HR/GG Program is toimprove Human Rights and Good Governance in the occupiedPalestinian territory (oPt) through the following three components:1. Channeling of Funds2. Strategic Sector Development3. Policy Dialoguewww.humanrights.psA Transparent Selection ProcessNDC follows a rigoroussystem based on merit andtransparency in the selectionof beneficiary NGOs. Theselection process goes throughsix main steps:1- Advertisement and Calls forproposals:Following the preparationof the full proposal package,which includes proposalssubmittal guidelines andapplications for funding,NDC advertises the “Call forProposals” for grants in thelocal press and through theNDC websites. The call forproposals includes NGOseligibility criteria and projectsevaluation criteria. NGOs areallowed one month to preparetheir applications for fundingand submit their completeproposal package.2- Appraisal:NDC follows the advertisedevaluation criteria toreview proposals and selectrecommended grant awardees.Projects appraisal is undertakenby NDC Program Officers whoverify the details of requestedgrant proposals. On thebasis of an initial screening,recommendations are made byPOs on dropping a proposal orclearing it for full appraisal. Thisrecommendation is reviewedby the Grants ProgramManager. Upon endorsementof the recommended project,a full appraisal is conductedby the Program Officers and/or by external consultants. Fullappraisal generally includesa desk appraisal and a fieldappraisal, if needed to verifyinformation provided in theproject proposal. At this stage,POs assess the relevance,effectiveness and efficiencyof the candidate NGOs aswell as their managementcapacities and will providea recommendation on theawarded amount. A briefproject summary sheet isprepared for each proposalrecommended for approvalcomposed of the proposal,the evaluation and therecommendation to besubmitted to the TechnicalAssessment Committee (TAC) atthe NDC.3- Technical AssessmentCommittee Level:TAC member’s reviewthe appraisal reports andeither accept or reject therecommendations of theProgram Officers. NDC atthis stage coordinates withthe Ministry of Planning andAdministrative Development(MOPAD) to ensure: a)alignment with PalestinianAuthority (PA) priorities andnational plan, and b) nonduplicationof services withother initiatives of the PA orother donors/institutions. TACrecommendations, based ontechnical factors, are thenincorporated into the SummaryAppraisal Report and aresubmitted to the NDC Board forapproval.4- NDC Board:The NDC Board ofDirectors reviews TAC’srecommendations and makes adecision, with approval of themajority of Board members onacceptance or rejection of TAC’srecommendations. The NDCBoard has the responsibilityfor reviewing the proceduresfor evaluating proposals, andensuring that the correctprocedures were followed byNDC staff and management.The NDC Board ascertainsthat the appraisal processis free from ambiguity, biasand any other compromisingfactors. NDC also invites donorsto participate in the boardmeeting as observers.5- Donors’ Approval and “NoObjection”A copy of the NDC Boardmeeting minutes containingall approved and otherprojects will be forwardedto the donors. The donorwill issue a ‘no objection’ tofunding the projects or willrequest clarification on specificprojects The donor letter forapproval/“no objection” tofunding the projects to the listof approved projects and thebudget specified against eachproject is the final approval.6- NGO Notification and GrantAwardAfter receiving the donor’sapproval/”no objection”, NDCwill provide written notificationto both approved and rejectedapplicants of the results ofthe proposal appraisal andassessment process. Anyconditionality of the approvedproposal submissions willbe presented to the NGO.Reasons for rejection ofproposal submissions will alsobe provided to each rejectedapplication.4

Capability StatementMasader: The Palestinian NGO PortalMasader specializes in serving and empowering the PalestinianNGO sector by providing NGOs with opportunities forcommunicating, exchanging views and sharing experiences.Masader is a significant source of information and a platform forproductive dialogue.www.masader.psSelected ProjectsThe following section presents a brief overview of the mainprograms and projects implemented by NDC:Palestinian NGO Project IVPeriod: 2010-2013Donors: World Bank and Agence Française de Développement (AFD)Location: West Bank and Gaza StripBudget: US $8 millionBrief: In implementing the fourth phase of the PalestinianNGO Project (PNGO IV), NDC mobilized $8 million in donorfunding towards the NGO Sector in the form of grantingschemes and capacity building aimed at enhancingsocioeconomic conditions of poor and marginalizedcommunities through NGO delivery of key social andproductive services and further strengthening theinstitutional development of the NGO sector.Human Rights & Good Governance Secretariat: Phase IIPeriod: 2010-2013Donors: Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and the NetherlandsLocation: West Bank and Gaza StripBudget: US $16.2 millionBrief: NDC was entrusted to manage the second phase ofthe HR/GG Secretariat. As the Secretariat, NDC serves asthe program management unit responsible for channelingpooled donor funding, supporting coordinated initiativesand joint capacity building initiatives, and strengtheningpolicy dialogue for NGOs that are working to promote andprotect Human Rights/Good Governance in the West Bankand Gaza Strip.5

NGO Development CenterJob Creation Project in the West Bank and Gaza StripPeriod: 2007-2010Donor: Agence Française de Développement (AFD)Location: West Bank and Gaza StripBudget: Euro 6 millionBrief: This project aimed to alleviate the financial burdenof the most poor and marginalized Palestinian families byfinancing temporary employment opportunities throughthe execution of infrastructure micro-projects and theimprovement of public assets operated by NGOs. Throughthis project, NDC assisted over 50 NGOs in WBGS, andcreated approximately 143,000 man-days.Water Wells RehabilitationPeriod: 2009Donor: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)Location: Gaza StripBudget: US $900,000Brief: Through this project, NDC helped rehabilitate41 damaged water wells in Gaza. The project wasimplemented by three partner NGOs namely; thePalestinian Hydrology Group, Ma’an Development Centerand the Union of Agricultural Work Committees.Palestinian NGO Project IIIPeriod: 2007-2011Donor: World BankLocation: West Bank and Gaza StripBudget: US $10 millionBrief: Through PNGO III, NDC mobilized $10 million in donorfunding towards the NGO sector in the form of grantingschemes and capacity building aimed at improving theeffectiveness, self-reliance and sustainability of the civilsociety. PNGO III was sub-divided among the followingcomponents; NGO Grants for Social Service Delivery, NGOSector Development, and Institutional Development of NDC.The NGO sector development component focused on issuessuch as good governance, accountability, and transparency.The project supported the sector in being responsive to theneeds of Palestinians, particularly the poor and marginalized.The Palestinian NGOs Code of ConductPeriod: 2008- 2010Donor: World BankLocation: West Bank and Gaza StripBudget: US $600,000Brief: As part of PNGO III, NDC facilitated the formation ofthe Code of Conduct Coalition comprised of the four NGOUmbrella Networks and Unions. This coalition engagedover 200 NGOs in the process of building consensus anddeveloping a draft Code. The Code of Conduct introducedethical principles for NGOs to follow, and introduced soundadministrative and managerial systems, procedures and toolsand provided technical assistance and coaching to NGOs inthe West Bank and Gaza.Strengthening Good Governance within the PalestinianNGO SectorPeriod: 2008- 2010Donor: European UnionLocation: West Bank and Gaza StripBudget: Euro 193,242Brief: NDC provided technical assistance to NGOs to assistthem in upgrading their systems in compliance with theprinciples of the Code of Conduct. Through this project, NDCtargeted 30 NGOs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip providingthem with comprehensive coaching and technical assistance.Additional Financing to PNGOIII (Gaza)Period: 2009-2011Donor: World BankLocation: Gaza StripBudget: US $3 millionBrief: Through additional financing to PNGOIII, NDC joinedefforts to help in the early recovery and reconstructionefforts in Gaza after the war. NDC mobilized 14 of itspartner NGOs to respond to the immediate needs of thecommunities and provide essential services.6

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ContactsHead OfficeMujahid Building, Al RamP O Box 2173, Ramallah, PalestineTel: 02 234 7771-5Fax: 02 234 7776Gaza OfficeAl Haitham Building, 3Rashid StreetAl Rimal, GazaTel: 08 282 8999Fax: 08 284 9921www.ndc.psEmail: info@ndc.ps8