Eligibility
NGOs interested in applying for funding under the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF) have to participate in an eligibility process. The main objective is to ensure that the OCHA Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU) is equipped with the necessary information about the capacities of NGO partners that could have access to funding as prescribed by the YHF accountability framework.
The Assessment Process
The eligibility process is comprised of four inter-linked steps, each with its own review and feedback system to ensure transparency. The full process is expected to take up to six months.
Only organizations who pass all the four stages will be accepted as YHF eligible partner and will be eligible to receive YHF funding. Note: during COVID-19 the process may be longer depending on the possibilities to conduct the full process, including office visit.
- Online Annual Call for Expression of Interest in YHF Eligibility
- GMS Registration
- Submission of Due Diligence and Internal Capacity Information/Documents
- Due Diligence Review and Internal Capacity Assessment
4.1 Due Diligence Review
4.2 Desk Review
4.3 Office Visit
Organizations interested in participating in the YHF eligibility process should meet the following minimum criteria before applying:
- Operating according to the clearly articulated humanitarian principles;
- Having a valid registration in Yemen;
- Conducting humanitarian operations inside Yemen for at least the last three years in line with the Humanitarian Response plan (i.e. since 2017). Note: for International Partners this may be less than three years in Yemen if they respond to critical humanitarian needs in underserved areas with specialized interventions and have been implementing humanitarian programmes in similar humanitarian contexts for at least five years, are eligible with another OCHA Country Based Pooled Fund and their eligibility is supported by at least one Cluster. In addition, the organization should have other donor funding for their operations in Yemen;
- Being an active member in one or more clusters in Yemen for at least one year. Note: for International Partners this may be less than 12-months if they respond to critical humanitarian needs in underserved areas with specialized interventions and have been implementing humanitarian programmes in similar humanitarian contexts for at least five years, are eligible with another OCHA Country Based Pooled Fund and their eligibility is supported by at least one Cluster. In addition, the organization should have other donor funding for their operations in Yemen;
- Having a programmatic expenditure/budget in the last two years equaling at least US$200,000 or more per annuum;
- Having an operational bank account in name of the organization;
- Having proven experience working in partnership with donors, UN agencies and international organizations;
- Having experience in project management throughout the full programme cycle and not only activity-or distribution-based interventions and being a direct implementing partner;
- Demonstrating a clear organizational structure and financial capacity to absorb funds.
Note: in 2020, organizations that are responding to acute and critical humanitarian needs in underserved areas prioritized by Clusters will be prioritized for a capacity assessment if they meet the minimum requirements and due diligence requirements.
Grant Management System - Due Diligence (DD)
Upon completion of Step One, the prospective NGO partner will be invited to register in the Grants Management System(GMS), which is an online database system specific for the Yemen HF and managed by OCHA. Once the NGO profile has been activated in the GMS, the partner will be in a position to access the Due Diligence module and complete a number of sections, as well as upload documentation required for OCHA to complete the capacity assessment process. The documents required to be uploaded in the GMS are outlined in the HF Due Diligence Checklist (see below) and include manuals and policies, annual reports, financial statements and audit reports, governance documents and five signed UN Declarations.
Grant Management System – Internal Capacity Assessment (ICA)
Once a partner has completed all information in the GMS, uploaded the required documents outlined in the Checklist, and submitted the request online, the HFU will complete a capacity assessment. The assessment methodology includes a desk review of the documentation uploaded by the partner to review the institutional, technical, management and financial capacities of partners. Using a scoring and weighting system an overall ‘score’ will be given to organizations. Eligible partners will be categorized as low, medium or high risk, which in turn determines the operational modalities and control mechanisms that will be applied, including for disbursement, reporting, monitoring and maximum budget amount as outlined in the YHF Operational Manual (English/Arabic). Partners who fail to qualify and are considered ineligible for YHF funding will be given another opportunity to submit an application for a follow-up Capacity Assessment to the HFU after 12 months. The risk level assigned to any eligible organization will evolve during project implementation cycle via the GMS Performance Index (see below).
Resources
YHF Eligibility Process Guidance