蘑菇视频DEF received more than 2600 project proposals in its latest annual call, which closed on 31 December 2015. The project proposals are now subject to a highly rigorous and competitive selection process, quality vetting, due diligence and lessons learned from previous Rounds. To kick off the review and assessment process for this Round -- 蘑菇视频DEF's tenth -- the 蘑菇视频DEF Secretariat held a teleconference in early January with the team of eight independent international experts contracted for this Round. Their task is to score each proposal against 10 set criteria and produce a long list by March. The team -- highly diverse and with experts based in Ulan Baatar, Ashgabat, Vienna, Johannesburg, Casablanca, Montreal, Burlington and Lima -- combine over 100 years international programme experience. In the next stage, to narrow down the list further, 蘑菇视频 Resident Coordinators and Experts of the 蘑菇视频DEF Advisory Board are invited to provide comments, quality vetting, and views on how proposed activities would fit in the overall context of existing 蘑菇视频 work in the countries and fields proposed. The same comments are sought from the 蘑菇视频DEF Programme Consultative Group, making use of the specific expertise of each of its entities: the Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Peacebuilding Support Office, the 蘑菇视频 Development Programme, the 蘑菇视频 Office on Drugs and Crime and 蘑菇视频 Women.
Based on this collective input, the 蘑菇视频DEF Secretariat produces a first short-list, expected to be completed only in mid-year, after which the process moves into the next stage. Each shortlisted applicant will be contacted with a request for a draft project document, which is in effect the contract between 蘑菇视频DEF and the grantee. The project document negotiation requires the applicant to provide a more elaborated project design, and involves detailed input from both 蘑菇视频DEF and the applicant, as well as scrutiny and due diligence enquiries by 蘑菇视频DEF. Only upon successful conclusion of the project document, will the project proposal formally be approved for funds disbursement – usually after September every year.