TNAG-0618-FCO40-766-Aid-framework-from-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 47

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COOPERATION WITH VOLUNTARY AGENCIES

33

In 1976, the first full year of operation, 61 applications were

received from voluntary agencies for part funding of development

projects which they were undertaking overseas. 24 applications were

approved to which ODM committed £520,000; £200,000 was issued to the

agencies. 27 projects were still under consideration at the end of

1976.

latter.

33.The Joint Funding Scheme was slow to get underway and although there

has been some improvement we remain disappointed at the relatively

modest flow of applications more particularly since we had the impres-

sion, before the Scheme was launched, that the agencies had a sizeable

number of projects for which they would be seeking support.

Initially we had thought that the difficulties might be mainly pro-

cedural ones, arising from the amount of information we were seeking in support of applications, and the accounting requirements which had

been laid down. Some agencies seemed particularly concerned about the

However most agencies have now said that they do not consider

our information requirements to be a problem (although some clearly do have difficulty in producing all the information needed) while simplified accounting arrangements which we have introduced have eased

this particular problem, apparently to the agencies' satisfaction.

We hope that the Scheme's requirements will weigh less heavily as the

One agencies and the Ministry become more used to working together. possible reason for the relatively modest flow (although the agencies themselves have not suggested that this is the case) might perhaps be

that we have kept firmly to the requirement that projects should be

developmental in character and that we are unable to support purely

welfare projects. In this connection it is worth noting that more