Call for Submissions

(Round Two)

July 2012

To learn more about the Best Practices and Innovations (BPI) Initiative, please visit: http://www.interaction.org/wo rk/best-practices

Best Practices & Innovations Initiative Building Local Organizational Capacity for Agriculture & Rural Livelihoods the International Fund for Agricultural Development InterAction, with support from
(IFAD), will launch Phase II of its Best Practices & Innovations (BPI) Initiative on July 17, 2012. The initiative promotes information sharing on effective program approaches and improves practice standards by boosting the efficiency and impacts of field programs in the agriculture and rural livelihoods sectors. Through a competitive, peer review process, the BPI will designate winning submissions for non-monetary awards. Key Dates Key Dates In Phase II, the BPI will focus on the roles played by July 17, 2012 U.S. NGOs in building the capacity of local partner Window for Submissions Opens organizations to provide key development services in food security and agriculture. Organizations are invited August 28, 2012 to submit information describing and documenting how Deadline for Submissions they helped build the capability of local civil society, private sector, community-based and government partners. CaMid-October BPI Awards pacity building interventions from a wide range of program Announced areas are eligible, such as agriculture and food security, livelihoods and poverty reduction, adaptation to climate change and value chain development. All submitted interventions will be featured on InterActions Food Security Aid Map. Those receiving best practice and promising innovation designations will also be featured in InterActions monthly publication, Monthly Developments.

If you have any questions, please contact: Danielle Heiberg Senior Program Associate dheiberg@interaction.org or Brian Greenberg Director of Sustainable Development bgreenberg@interaction.org

Who is eligible to participate?

InterAction member organizations and members of IFADs Working Group on Agriculture and Rural Poverty are eligible to submit interventions for consideration.
www.InterAction.org 1400 16th Street, NW Suite 210 Washington, DC 20036 202.667.8227

How to Apply
Submission forms are available at http://www.interaction.org/work/bestpractices or by email request to kpeake@interaction.org. The deadline for submissions is August 28, 2012.

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What is a best practice? What is an innovation?

A best practice is an approach or technique that builds the capacity of local organizations to deliver services in agriculture and rural livelihoods, is sustainable and can be replicated or adapted to other settings. An innovation is an approach or technique for strengthening the capacity of local organizations to address serious development challenges in food security and agriculture that is new to its context or setting.

Eligibility Criteria
For All Submissions: Built local organizational capacity in agriculture & rural livelihoods (NGO, government, private sector or community-based organization) Evidence of success Implemented in a developing country For Best Practices: Implemented in more than one setting For Innovations: Approach new to its context or setting Pilot/demonstration projects eligible

How will submissions be evaluated?

Best practice and innovation submissions will both be evaluated based on evidence documenting the following five criteria: 1. Effectiveness/evidence of success: Evidence is provided demonstrating the exceptional impact of the intervention in building the capacity of local organizations to provide key development services in food security and agriculture. 2. Efficiency/cost-effectiveness: Evidence is provided establishing that the costs of capacity building are worthwhile in light of the documented increases in the capabilities and impacts of the partner organization. The costs and benefits of capacity building are clearly provided. 3. Equitable outcomes for women and men: Evidence is provided establishing that the capacity building enables or facilitates the participation of, and results in equitable benefits for women and men. 4. Sustainability: Information is provided describing the steps taken or mechanisms put in place to ensure that organizational capacity building will be sustainable in the long-term. 5. Replicability /Adaptability: Information is provided documenting that the intervention has been replicated or adapted based on successful experiences in other settings, or that the project has expanded its area of operations based on demonstrated success in its pilot or phase one areas of operation.

Weighting of Criteria
Effectiveness/evidence of success 25 percent Efficiency/cost-effectiveness 15 percent Equitable outcomes for women and men - 20 percent Sustainability 20 percent Replicability /Adaptability 20 percent *An organization may submit up to two submissions in a single round of BPI.

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* We encourage field program staff wishing to submit applications to coordinate with their U.S.based counterparts.

Selection Committee
The Selection Committee is composed of individuals with expertise in a variety of areas related to agriculture and rural livelihoods. Representatives from InterAction member organizations will comprise one half of the committee, and representatives from key donor, research and academic institutions the remainder. Examples of such institutions include IFAD, USAID and Tufts University. Committee members have a combination of experience in organizational capacity building, implementation of agriculture and rural livelihoods programs and program evaluation. For more information, contact Brian Greenberg (bgreenberg@interaction.org) or Danielle Heiberg (dheiberg@interaction.org).