Deadline: 1-Aug-22
The U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria is seeking applications for its Fiscal Transparency Innovation Fund to improve budget transparency and to support civil society organizations promoting fiscal transparency.
Objective: Raise public awareness and encourage greater compliance with existent fiscal laws and increase public demand on Anti-Corruption Agencies and Public Accounts Committees to act on irregularities/recommendations to deter future abusers.
Program Component: Grantee will develop a project that will efficiently and effectively capture mechanisms for improved public audit impact in public expenditure and revenue generation.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 12 months
- Number of awards anticipated: 1
- Total available funding: $65,000
- Type of Funding: FY21 Economic Support Funds
- Anticipated program start date: September 1, 2022
- Program Performance Period: The project is expected to last for 12 months
- Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Outcomes
- Increased compliance in submitting audited financial statements to the Auditor-General by government agencies.
- Reduced time lag between end of financial year and publication of annual audit reports by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF.)
- Increased transparency and public awareness about the administrative hurdles and lag times that inhibit effective fulfillment of Public Accounts Committees.
- Enhanced policy actions towards enacting modern audit legal framework for the Federal Government of Nigeria.
- Publicizes sanctions by Public Accounts Committees and or Anti-Corruption Agencies for fiscal abuses.
Activities
- The following are suggested activities. Applicants are welcome to propose other activities and outputs relevant to the primary objectives and expected results of the project.
- Conduct Fiscal Responsibility Index to assess the level of fiscal prudence across government agencies
- Train heads of finance, procurement, and internal audit within government agencies on compliance guidelines with existing audit laws, procurement statutes, and financial regulations
- Stakeholders’ workshop to review proposed federal audit law and map targeted advocacy initiatives to accelerate passage and assent. They will engage with members of Civil Society Coalition on Audit in Nigeria (CSCAN) – a Coalition which PLSI leads, and members include media executives, civil society leaders, community-based organizations. They will equally engage key social media and public policy influencers (this includes former legislators/government officials).
- Host roundtable discussion with social and policy influencers on the need for a modern audit legal framework to facilitate advocacy
- Review 2019 audit report of the federation to analyze/highlight key irregularities/recommendations as they concern fiscal abuses in government agencies
- Develop creative infographics and explainer videos to simplify audit issues/recommendations to facilitate evidence-based citizens engagement with duty bearers
- Disseminate and amplify audit issues on social media (Twitter, Facebook & YouTube), and Value for Money web platform
- Host radio show to disseminate key 2019 audit findings to stimulate citizens interest in utilizing audit data to demand accountability
- Produce copies of summarized and simplified 2019 audit reports to engage accountability actors
- Mobilize CSOs and Media partners to monitor Public Accounts Committees’ review of 2019 Audit Report of the Federation
- Capacity building to encourage investigative reporting on audit issues contained in 2019 Audit Report of the Federation
Eligibility Criteria
- The following are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations legally registered in Nigeria that are involved in budget tracking and/or public communication.
- Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=341646