Enhancing Self Reliance Through District Partnership Programme

1
Enhancing Self Reliance Through District
Partnership Programme???????????

• Presentation to
• Commission on Poverty
• 13 June 2006
• Home Affairs Bureau

2
Background Commission on Povertys Deliberations

• District visits
• Task Force on District-based Approach
• Social Enterprises
• Review of existing funding schemes
• CIIF and the 3 E Project
• FSs 2006-07 Budget an additional 150 million
  over the next five years earmarked to strengthen
  district-based poverty alleviation work,
  including support for social enterprises.

3

• District-based approach being the preferred
  arrangement on grounds of
• Better meet district needs in a prompt and
  effective manner
• Take account of district characteristics and
  allow district variations
• Conducive to mobilising community resources
• Contribute to social cohesion and harmony
• Promote diversity and healthy competition

4

• Social Enterprises being the preferred model on
  grounds of
• Conducive to self-reliance and work preferred to
  hand-out
• Due emphasis on business viability and financial
  sustainability
• Facilitate mobility and transition to open
  employment
• Social objective justifies public support
  funding or practices

5

• DC Review Public Consultation Paper released on
  27 April 2006
• Achieving objectives in the 2005-06 Policy
  Address

• Primary
• To enhance work in districts to promote effective
  governance at district level (para.19)
• To expand the role of DCs to better meet local
  needs and aspirations (para.20)
• Secondary
• To foster harmony in the community through
  concerted efforts (para.27)
• To promote political participation at various
  levels and provide opportunities for aspiring
  politicians to participate in government work
  (para.26)  

6
Expanding the role of DCs

• To involve DCs in the management of district
  facilities
• To increase DC funds, from 170 million to 300
  million for programmes in district facilities and
  other district programmes
• To create a 300 million dedicated block vote for
  DCs to implement minor works projects in districts

7
Enhancing Work in Districtthrough Partnership

• Aim to enhance work in districts and foster
  harmony in society
• Encourage DCs to partner with other sectors, e.g.
  NGOs, voluntary and business organisations
• Ambit of DC funds widened to facilitate such
  partnership programmes. Worthy programmes already
  implemented in some districts create employment,
  develop local tourism, sports, etc.
• DCs to draw up collaboration proposals with
  district characteristics

8
Rationale for greater DC involvementand district
partnership

• DCs and district organisations can -
• Identify local needs more precisely
• Mobilise community resources more effectively
• Operate programmes and support services on a more
  sustainable basis
• The Enhancing Self-reliance Through District
  Partnership Programme fits in with this renewed
  emphasis on district partnership

9
Enhancing Self-reliance ThroughDistrict
Partnership Programme

• Purpose and objectives
• Promote sustainable poverty prevention and
  alleviation
• Enhance self-reliance, targeting socially
  disadvantaged groups
• Encourage cross-sector collaboration
• District-based (cross-district projects not ruled
  out but clientele served has to be realistic)

10
Central funding mechanism

• Central mechanism preferred to funding allocation
  to districts because
• Greater flexibility to target resources to needs
• Encourage cross-district initiatives and synergy
• Greater assurance of consistency in vetting and
  ongoing assessment
• Reduce possible risk of conflict of interest

11

• Eligibility
• Legally registered or statutory organisations and
  non-profit in nature under s.88 of Inland Revenue
  Ordinance
• Organisations can make joint applications
• DCs welcome to join hands with non-profit
  organisations
• Applications from individuals not accepted

12
Assessment

• Preliminary screening by Programme Secretariat
• Advisory Committee to
• Examine and recommend applications for approval
• Monitor and evaluate project effectiveness
• Advise PSHA on all matters related to the
  Programme

13
Composition of the Advisory Committee

• Linkage with Commission on Poverty and Task Force
  on District-based Approach
• Cross membership with the relevant funding
  schemes including CIIF, 3 E Project and SME
  Funding
• Comprises professionals and members with business
  expertise
• Comprises officials from HAD, SWD and LD
• Generally low-key personalities, no politicians,
  no DC members

14
Assessment criteria

• Projects should
• Focus on CoPs priority issues (e.g. employment,
  inter-generational poverty, elderly poverty)
• Serve particular area preferably at neighbourhood
  level project catchment area should be
  realistic
• Require initial setting-up expenditure and seed
  money, rather than ongoing support
• Demonstrate viability after funding period

15
Technical criteria

• Technical management capability
• Past performance record
• Well-planned practicable schedule of
  implementation
• Cost-effectiveness
• Availability of alternative funding
• No duplication of work

16
Priority projects

• Job creation (e.g. through social enterprises)
• Self-reliance
• Cross-sector partnership
• Sustainability
• Added value (e.g. improve access to existing
  support services)

17
Projects unlikely to be supported

• One-off consumption or activities
• Services/programmes currently receiving funding
• Projects aiming at building social capital and
  cross-sectoral partnerships without an employment
  element

18
Scope of funding

• Initial capital expenditure
• Operating expenses
• Staff cost - only additional full-time staff
  salary
• Central administration overhead not more than
  5 of project cost
• Equipment - only additional and a separate
  register to be kept
• No virement between capital expenditure and
  operating expenses unless with prior approval
• Staff through open recruitment

19
Grant model

• Lump sum basis for operating expenses
• Commence active operation/service within 6 months
• Ceiling of 3 million per project
• No minimum funding for individual project
• Supplementary grants normally not considered

20
Administrative arrangements

• Sign contract with Government
• Prior approval required before changing project
  period, scope, mode of operation or major budget
  components
• Separate accounts to be maintained and books to
  be opened for inspection and auditing
• Proper procurement procedures

21
Monitoring Mechanism

• Regular progress reports and final evaluation
  report
• Annual audited accounts and auditors reports
  (can claim up to 0.5-1 of project cost)
• Visits by Advisory Committee or Programme
  Secretariat
• Progress review meetings
• Annual progress reports up to 3 years after
  funding period

22
Possibilities of DC Collaboration

• Restricted tendering for NGOs in running cafes
  and kiosks in district sports and leisure
  facilities under DC management (existing scheme)
• Book sorting, cataloguing and re-distribution in
  district libraries under DC management
• Term contracts for minor works and repairs funded
  from DC dedicated block vote
• Used clothes and furniture recycling business

23
District-based Poverty Indicators as reference
points

• Based on 2005 data, the following points are
  noteworthy
• Despite overall improvement in employment and
  reduction in number of workless households in
  most districts, between 2003 and 2005, Islands
  District has seen an increase in number and of
  workless households, from 2,700 households (8.3)
  to 4,300 (10.9). Could this be attributed to
  Tung Chung New Town?

24

• Single parent households with income below
  average CSSA payment are concentrated in a few
  districts, namely Yuen Long, North, Kwai Tsing
• Quite dramatic improvements are seen in Sham Shui
  Po, for example, 30 reduction in workless
  households (from 15,800 in 2003 to 11,100 in
  2005), compared to 6.8 reduction in overall 31
  reduction in households with income below average
  CSSA payment (from 19,300 to 13,300), compared to
  18 reduction in overall. Unfortunately, Sham
  Shui Po remains the poorest district in terms of
  median monthly household income (12,000 compared
  to 15,700 overall)

25
Publicity Arrangements

• 13 June After CoP meeting, announcement of
  launching of the Programme and upload of the
  Programmes homepage onto the Internet
• 14 June Mailing of Programme leaflet to NGOs
  inviting applications
• 15 June Briefing DC Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen at
  their regular meeting
• 22 June Briefing LegCos Sub-committee on Poverty
• 23 June Briefing HADs DO staff and SWDs
  district staff
• 4 July Briefing interested NGOs
• June/July DOs to brief DCs as appropriate
• End August Deadline for vetting first batch of
  applications