IPPF MA business Plan Frequently Asked Questions
IPPF is piloting a new business planning form this year. Below are answers to the common questions we received. We hope these are useful in developing your plans, and please feel free to reach out to your regional Secretariat staff with further questions.
Redstone
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How will business plans be reviewed, and by whom?
The application process guidelines were developed based on extensive consultation last year and approved by the Board of Trustees. In line with these guidelines, the Business plans will be reviewed by the new Technical Review Team (TRT), comprised of Secretariat staff and external experts.
MAs are encouraged to work with regional Secretariat staff to refine their plans and make them stronger. In order to build complete objectivity, the approval of these plans or requests for any modification will be done by the TRT. This approval/ request for modification will be based on a final review which will be undertaken by member (s) of the TRT who are not from the local regional office.. If regional Secretariat staff have significant concerns about the plan submitted, they may send a note to the TRT with their views, and that note will be shared with the MA for the sake of transparency.
What criteria will the business plans be evaluated on?
The business plans will be evaluated to make sure that MAs are making good use of their funds, and designing programs that respond to their local needs. Responses to each section of the application form will be evaluated for their completeness and strength of the approach. A more detailed scoring rubric will be shared with MAs and Secretariat staff in the coming weeks.
MAs should be sure to highlight how their work fits in with IPPF’s goals. Specifically, beyond the questions on the form, they should make sure to demonstrate a commitment to priorities such as:
- Youth-led programming
- Support to marginalized groups
- A commitment to safe abortion access, tailored to country context
- Strong partnerships with other local organizations
In Question 4.1 do we need to create a separate project for each funding source?
No, each funding source does not need to have its own project. For example, if an MA has a single project that is supported by multiple funding sources, it should list it as one project.
Please recall that all budgets and project lists should cover the entire organizational activity, including all sources of funding (e.g., unrestricted core, restricted donors, locally-generated income or even through allocation of reserves)
In Question 4.3 is there any guidance on how core funds should be spent across expense categories (e.g., personnel, commodities, etc.)?
No, there are no official guidelines or rules on this. However, regional staff and the TRT will look at the numbers to make sure they are reasonable in the context of the MA’s overall budget.
What exchange rate should MAs use?
All Regional offices have been provided the exchange rates to use for the purpose of budgeting, which they will share with MAs, as has been done in previous years.
How has COVID affected the review process, and will MAs receive reduced allocations due to reduced performance caused by COVID?
We understand that COVID challenged MAs in many ways and reduced performance. As long as an MA submits a compelling and strong business plan, it can receive its full IPF even if COVID slowed operations this past year.
How will we receive comments from the TRT and make any necessary updates?
After September 6, if the TRT determines an MA needs to make revisions to its business plan, the MA will receive an email with the comments, and will receive an invitation to edit their Jotform submission online.
Can the MA business plan be submitted via a Word document or Excel file?
No; MAs may only submit their business plan on JotForm via the link shared by their Regional Director. You cannot submit a Word document or Excel file as a substitute.
Do MAs need to complete the APB in PRISM for 2022?
No; the JotForm replaces the PRISM APB process.