Part E: Social Policy Grants Scheme (under review from 2005)
Scope, aims and objectives
The purpose of the Social Policy Grant Scheme is to provide small-scale support for social policy initiatives being undertaken by independent information providers, particularly CISs working on their own or in conjunction with other CISs and/or local voluntary/community organisations.
The grant payable under this scheme ranges between €1,900 and €3,500. Funding will not be available retrospectively
Criteria
The grants are provided to assist in areas such as:
- analysis of social policy issues identified by the service and the preparation of a short report accordingly which would be submitted to relevant organisations and agencies, as well as to Comhairle
- networking between a number of local agencies in order to identify common social policy issues and the compilation of relevant submissions
- seminar/workshop for information workers at local level to explore issues around social policy work, for example, the interrelationship of advocacy and social policy feedback
- discussion fora between independent information providers and local statutory agencies to consider policy issues identified and how these might be addressed.
Who may apply
Independent information providers or other community and voluntary organisations working with independent information providers.
Information required of applicant organisations:
There is no specific application form for the social policy grant, but all applications should contain the following details:
- Name(s) and contact details (address, telephone, fax, e-mail) of the centre or centres applying for a grant.
- Name of the contact person who also has overall responsibility for the proposed project.
- Names of any other persons or organisations involved in the project.
- Brief statement of the policy issue to be addressed.
- What is the issue or policy problem to be analysed or addressed, and how did it arise?
- Why is it important to analyse and/or act on this issue?
Implementation: how it is proposed to carry out this work, details of the process involved.
Existing and ongoing work in the area: whether the organisation has already done some work on this area and whether there are any other organisations that are already engaged in policy work in this area
Scope for co-operation: involving other organisations in the work, either locally or nationally
Dissemination of findings and/or involvement of individuals and organisations in workshops and training: how it is planned to use the information or analysis generated with the help of the grant. If applying for funding for a workshop or training event, the target audience/participants.
Areas of responsibility: for different parts of the project proposed
Costs: breakdown of the funds requested
Timeframe: when the project will start, timetable for progressing the project, deadline for finishing the project
How decisions are made
Decisions are made on the basis of how clearly the proposed project fits the criteria outlined above.
Communication with applicants
Applications should be submitted in the first instance through the Comhairle Area Executive for the area. This is then forwarded to the Development and Social Policy Manager, Comhairle with a recommendation/evaluation from the region regarding the proposal.
All enquiries and communications in relation to the
Social Policy Grants Scheme should be directed
to:
Service Administrator
Development and Social Policy Service
Completed forms are sent to:
Senior Manager Development and Support,
Comhairle
Ground Floor, George's Quay House
43 Townsend St
Dublin 2.
Tel: 01 605 9000
E-mail:comhairle@comhairle.ie
