Evaluation of the Quality of MERO Proposals and Competitive Calls

Increasing the number of proposals from the MENA region that meet IDRC standards and criteria.

Description

Due to a decrease in the number of proposals received by the IDRC from the MENA region and the receipt of proposals which do not always meet the standards and criteria, this project intended to increase the number of proposals from the MENA region that meet IDRC standards and criteria. The IDRC planned to review and evaluate the key problem-causing factors and recommend ways to combat these problems.

The study aimed to answer research questions regarding the factors leading to the under-representation of the MENA region in IDRC development research competitions, IDRC’s experience compared to similar organisations and other offices in the region, IDRC’s thematic areas of focus and effectiveness of its outreach strategy, straightforwardness and realistic of project criteria and RFP’s presented by the IDRC and strategies IDRC can employ to increase quality proposals received from the MENA region.

The objectives of the study were:

  • To identify the problem areas that have caused the under-representation of the MENA region in IDRC’s global portfolio with special regard to IDRC programs that issue globally competitive calls for development research competitions;
  • To propose recommendations on how to address this decline.

Services

Mapping

  • A mapping exercise of actual and potential applicants in each country was undertaken to enable the identification of the key organizations that should be included in the field data collection.
  • This phase also aiding in the identification of key informants to be interviewed.

Portfolio Analysis

  • Focused on assessing the relevance of IDRC’s thematic areas to the needs and strategic goals of each of the considered countries.

Outreach Assessment

  • The review assessed the outreach of IDRC calls and activities and identified the related gaps and obstacles.

RfP Analysis

  • Consisted of an in‐depth analysis of IDRC’s past calls in the considered countries.

Procedure Assessment

  • Consisted of an analysis of the procedures necessary for organizations to apply to IDRC calls in the region.

Proposal Analysis

  • This exercise focused on the analysis of a sample of rejected and accepted proposals in each country.

Criteria Assessment

  • Involved an analysis of IDRC’s assessment criteria of proposals they receive.

Data collection

  • Secondary Data Review
  • In-Depth Interviews
  • Consultative Workshops