Nov
09
2017

Malawi Call - Sustainable Economic Development

A networking, sharing and collaboration meeting for the Scottish Government's current Malawi Development Programme funding round focusing on the Sustainable Economic Development strand.

The SMP and the Scottish Fair Trade Forum's Sustainable Economic Development strand meeting came together on November 9th for a networking, sharing and collaboration meeting for the Scottish Government's current Malawi Development Programme funding round.

Download the Minutes here >>

The Scottish Government announced its Malawi Development Programme 2018-2023 call for applications on 3rd November. We used this meeting to support networking, sharing and collaboration between those potentially interested in developing an application.

We were delighted to welcome 27 members and interested individuals to the meeting at the Scottish Fair Trade Forum offices, including one remote participant. The meeting was divided into three main sections: Application, Grant Management, and Project Sustainability.

Malawi Input

We used the latest technology to put Malawian input front and centre of our meeting. In advance of the day, our sister network the Malawi Scotland Partnership asked five strand experts to be present via a WhatsApp group at the time of the meeting to answer questions about sustainable economic development priorities from their perspective. Questions from the group in Edinburgh were sent across to Malawi and the answers compiled and shared at the end of the meeting.

The compiled questions and answers are available here >>

Shared learning

Speakers from previously SG-funded sustainable economic development projects fed in their experience and learning to help inform new applications. Discussions were focused around three key areas: applications; grant management and reporting; and project sustainability. We were grateful to all the participants for their honest and practical advice.

Sharing of developing plans and ideas

The final part of the meeting was a space, for those that choose to, to share information about developing or aspiring ideas for new or extended work.

If you did not complete a form about potential project applications, you can still do so here >>

Download a list of public projects for collaboration here >>

The Malawi Scotland Partnership is coordinating a similar Sustainable Economic Development strand meeting in Malawi on 16th November in Lilongwe. All SMP members and their partners in Malawi are warmly welcomed.

Find the MaSP Invitation letter here >>

Strand Meetings

This meeting was being held in conjunction with four similar meetings, one for each of the priority strands in the Scotland Malawi Cooperation Agreement, scheduled across the first two weeks of November:

Health - 31st October, 2pm-4pm, Edinburgh City Chambers

Civic governance - 13th November, 2pm-4pm, Edinburgh City Chambers

Education - 16th November, 2pm-4pm, Edinburgh City Chambers

Renewable energy, water and climate - 16th November, 4.30pm-6.30pm, Edinburgh City Chambers

We are working closely with the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and Scotland's International Development Alliance on all our work and support in this space.

If you have any suggestions or ideas of what more the SMP can do to support those developing applications, especially in the key period between call and deadline for concept notes, please do email Kathy(at)scotland-malawipartnership.org. We’re here to help...

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