Sustainability Platform- Design & Planning (2) Minimum Quality Standards Checklist

• Are SADDD collected and analysed
  to inform the project plan?
• Is the project plan developed based on a needs assessment followed by a problem and solution analysis? (In some cases, a call for proposals may guide the selection of thematic areas and/or geographic target area)
• Are activities, indicators or even
  objectives adjusted in relation to SP
  standards when needed?
• Project plans are shared with the
  community

Assesses projects plans using the Gender Marker Tool. If the scoring is low, adjust projects plans to reach acceptable level.
Discuss inclusion issues with the National Society, why it is important and how to adjust the project plans accordingly

IFRC Project/ Programme
Planning (PPP) Guide (p 15,
Analysis stage)
Gender marker tool

Look at the risk matrix in the funding
proposal package:

• Has the National Society conducted a reasonable risk assessment including mitigation actions as part of the design and planning phase?
• When making the assessment consider if the following aspects etc. are included (provided that they are relevant in the context):
  1. Environment and Climate Change risks
  2. Fraud & corruption
  3. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
  3. Conflict sensitivity or potential tensions
  4. External risks such as natural disasters or outbreaks
  5. Lack of involvement or interest from
  the target community
• Look at the budget – Has the
  National Society included the needed
  activities/budget lines to be able to implement possible mitigation actions that have been identified in the risk assessment?

1. Discuss the benefits of a risk assessment with the National Society.
2. Based on the Risk
Assessment discuss with the NS how to adjust project objectives for anticipated safety, conflict, climate and
environment risks.
3. Discuss the importance of
that mitigation plans are informed by traditional, indigenous and local knowledge, with technical solutions adapted to the realities of the community.

Reach out to your PGI/Green Response advisor if you need support.

Does the National Society
continuously review potential threats
to their volunteers to ensure that
plans, programmes and activities
include measures to reduce and
mitigate these risks.

• Does the National Society provide all
  volunteers with the necessary security
  and safety-related training?
• Does the National Society ensure
  that all volunteers have an adequate
  “safety net” regarding death, injury,
  sickness and trauma?
• Does the National Society give all volunteers psychosocial support and equips them with the necessary skills, tools and supervision?

Explore with the National Society counterpart and identify their capacity to fulfil the standard.
Discuss the potential risks volunteers can be exposed to through the activities and plan
for mitigations measures to reduce these risks within the
project.
Safety, Security and Well being  of Volunteers self

• Assessment is a useful exercise
  to aid in identifying the National Society capacity and outlining prioritized areas and action plan. Use the mplementation
  guide as a reference document Develop together with the
  counterpart an action plan to
  help reduce gaps. The activities
  can be included in the project
  plan and in the overall NSD
  plan.

Standards to facilitate the safety, security and well-being of volunteers – implementation guide
(standard 4, 9, 10,11.)

• Is there a mapping of referral related
  services that are updated and disseminated?
• Are staff and volunteers trained in how to link individuals to safe referrals?

Ask the NS to Map the
available referral mechanism
including both internal and
external referrals.
Ensure that the issue of referral
mechanisms is mainstreamed
in staff and volunteers project
introduction training.
Reach out to your PGI advisor if
you need support.

PGI tool - safe referral
mechanisms - short version
(Danish RC)

• Has the National Society included  the establishment of a feedback mechanism in the project plan?
• Is there sufficient financial and human recourse available to set up  and run the system?
• Have procedures been developed for how to deal with issues of sexual exploitation, abuse and/or other sensitive issues?

Encourage the NS to establish a feedback mechanism - link to NS existing mechanism, NS guideline, IFRC CEA guideline and toolbox. (if NS institutional CEA mechanism does not exist reach out to your CEA advisor to discuss possible solutions).
Encourage the NS to set up
specific procedures to deal with issues of sexual exploitation, abuse and/or other sensitive issues. (if NS institutional mechanism does not exist reach out to your CEA advisor to discuss possible solutions).

6. Indicators

There is a clear link between the indicator and the objective. The indicator is possible to measure with the capacities and skills available in the project.

• There is a clear link between the indicator and the objective.
• The indicator is possible to measure with the skills and capacities available in the project.
• Consider having a maximum of 3 indicators per outcome or output, not to overburden the M&E system.

 7. Plan M&E activities
Develop an M&E plan. Ensure M&E activities (baseline, monitoring visits, annual progress review, mid-term review and evaluation) are specified in the project plan.

• Does the project team know how to measure each indicator?
• Does the project team know who will measure the indicators and how often?
• Does the project team know who will use the monitoring data and for what?

Discuss with the National
Society why it is important to plan for monitoring and
evaluation.
Support the National Society in developing an M&E plan for the project. Consider how the target group can be involved in measuring a few indicators.
Discuss how to use the M&E
plan. Reach out to your MEAL
advisor if you need support.

See PUFF PMER Methods
under Planning step 1.3,
Funding proposal package
2022: Annex 5. Monitoring
and Evaluation Plan

 8. Baseline, target and indicator tracking table
A baseline is done before the projects start as a first measurement of the
project indicators. Targets for each indicator are set based on the baseline
data and available project resources. An indicator tracking table is developed to track each indicator’s progress from baseline to set target

• Have the indicators’ baseline values been identified before the project starts?
• Are indicator targets calculated based on the baseline values and available project resources?
• Is an indicator tracking table developed to track indicator progress from baseline to target.

Discuss baseline planning with the NS before the project starts.
Ensure a common
understanding that the baseline is the first measurement of the
project indicators.
Have a discussion on realistic
targets with the NS, taking in consideration available
resources and baseline values.
Discuss how indicators will be routinely tracked with the NS.
Reach out to your MEAL
advisor if you need support.

- IFRC Baseline Basics
-IFRC Project/ Programme
Planning Guide (p 55baseline/target).
-See PUFF PMER Methods under Planning step 1.3,
Funding proposal package 2022: Annex 5. Monitoring and
Evaluation Plan
Annex 6 Indicator Tracking Table

 9. Budget for quality standards Quality Standards are adequately budgeted for in the project budget

• Are all applicable Quality Standards budgeted for in the project budget?

Discuss with the project team
and ensure all relevant Quality
Standards are budgeted for.
The SRC activity based budget
template include quality
standard budget lines.
Reach out to your PGI/ CEA/GR/MEAL/volunteering advisor and/or Regional
Finance Coordinators if you
need support.

-See PUFF PMER Methods
under Planning step 1.3,
Funding proposal package 2022: Annex 4. Activity based budget template