Good practice in action: A variety of approaches
‘This was the first time we’d had all our funders sitting around the table at the same time. It made us feel so much more confident only having to tell our story once.’
‘On our side, we gained a new appreciation of the complexity behind the data that funders require. It also made us stand back and look at the bigger picture – it broke down the silos between different service streams within our own organisation.’
- Comments from participants involved in negotiations
A second example is the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) providing an online application and management service for some grants. The service allows recipients to track the progress of their application, and, when it is approved, they can submit accountability reports online, and have access to information about payments.
DIA has introduced multi-year agreements for some grant recipients with whom it has long-term relationships. The agreements include long-term outcomes for the projects, with annual work plans that are updated as necessary to take account of changes or developments that occur over the life of the relationship. The agreements are based on the recipient’s own work plan, budget, and partnering arrangements.
Department of Internal Affairs’ Community Partnership Fund recipients complete an evaluation of their project when it is completed. Information provided in the evaluation is collected to develop best practice models and success factors for community digital projects.
