PROGRAMME GUIDELINES FOR
Disaster Resilience Australia Package –
National Emergency Management Projects
(NEMP)
2016–17 and 2017–18
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Table of contents
1.
Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 3
2.
NEMP Programme objectives and key principles ................................................................. 3
3.
NEMP Programme decision making process......................................................................... 3
4.
Eligibility ................................................................................................................................ 5
4.1 Eligible organisations ....................................................................................................... 5
4.2 Eligible activities .............................................................................................................. 6
5.
Grant limits and funding period ............................................................................................ 6
6.
Selection criteria.................................................................................................................... 7
6.1 Eligibility criteria .............................................................................................................. 7
6.2 Assessment criteria ......................................................................................................... 7
7.
Application and assessment process..................................................................................... 8
8.
Managing the project ............................................................................................................ 9
9.
Conflict of interest ................................................................................................................. 10
10.
Privacy ................................................................................................................................... 10
11.
Taxation ................................................................................................................................. 11
12.
Complaints mechanism ......................................................................................................... 11
13.
Contact details ....................................................................................................................... 11
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1. Introduction
The National Emergency Management Projects (NEMP) programme is a targeted, competitive grant
programme that supports high priority national disaster resilience projects as identified by the
Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee (ANZEMC). The NEMP programme is
administered by the Attorney-General’s Department (the Department).
The ANZEMC is Australia's peak consultative emergency management forum. The ANZEMC works to
strengthen the nation’s disaster resilience by providing strategic leadership on emergency management
policy through supporting related capability and capacity development activities.
The NEMP grant programme, a component of the Disaster Resilience Australia Package, was established in
2009 to support the development of nationally significant emergency management and disaster resilience
capabilities. In December 2015 the NEMP was reshaped to ensure a more targeted and effective process to
support high priority emergency management projects.
Eligible organisations that would like to be considered for an invitation to apply for a NEMP grant are
encouraged to complete the expression of interest form available on the Department’s website at
www.ag.gov.au.
2. NEMP Programme objectives and key principles
The purpose of the NEMP grant programme is to fund high priority emergency management projects of
national significance that support the implementation of the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience.
Projects carried out under the NEMP:
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enhance Australia’s natural disaster resilience by supporting measures which strengthen
communities, individuals, business and institutions to minimise the adverse effects of disasters
improve governments and communities ability to prevent, prepare, respond to and recover from
disasters across the social, economic, environmental and governance elements
support natural disaster capability activities that deliver significant outcomes for the national
emergency management sector
encourage partnerships between governments, the private and the not-for-profit sectors,
communities, and individuals to increase natural disaster resilience
3. NEMP Programme decision making process
The NEMP programme is delivered through a staged assessment and decision making process.
Stage one: Priority setting
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ANZEMC sub-committees identify priorities
ANZEMC endorses sub-committee priorities
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Stage two: Project identification
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ANZEMC sub-committees identify projects to address their gaps/needs, aligned to their subcommittee priority themes
ANZEMC sub-committees develop a proposal for each identified project
Stage three: Prioritisation of project proposals
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the Implementation Steering Group of ANZEMC prioritises and ranks project proposals across all
four ANZEMC Sub-committees
Stage four: Development and assessment of applications
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targeted applicants invited to submit applications for specific projects
assessment panel assesses applications against project proposals and these guidelines
assessment panel outcomes reviewed by ANZEMC sub-committees
Stage five: Approval of projects
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ANZEMC reviews and endorses assessment outcomes
Minister for Justice approves and announces successful projects
funding agreements prepared for approved projects
Stage six: Project delivery
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sub-committee sponsor oversees the delivery of project
organisations report on progress of project in accordance with milestones as per the Funding
Agreement
Stage seven: Reporting and evaluation
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on completion of the project, funded organisations report to the relevant sub-committee and the
Department identifying outcomes, lessons learned, subsequent gaps and any recommendations
for future work
sub-committees review project implementation and utilisation to inform future work plans and
priorities
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4. Eligibility
The NEMP programme is targeted towards organisations that can successfully deliver national projects which
have been identified by ANZEMC sub-committees and support national emergency management capability
development. In each round funding will be available to a single recipient for each project proposal based on
the specialised requirements of the initiative or activity under consideration.
To be eligible for NEMP funding applicants must have received an invitation to apply during stage four.
4.1 Eligible organisations
Organisations eligible to be invited to apply for a grant include:
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Australian Government agencies1
state and territory government agencies
non-government agencies, including companies
the not-for-profit sector
universities and academic bodies
Organisations ineligible for NEMP funding:
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organisations in administration/receivership
organisations that have had projects terminated by state/territory or Australian Government
agencies for performance or integrity reasons
Organisations that have not fulfilled previous grant requirements, including acquittal reports and evaluations,
will generally not be considered for NEMP funding.
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Non-corporate Commonwealth entities are eligible to be invited to apply for funding under the NEMP, however in
accordance with the Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines any funding to non-corporate Commonwealth entities will be
provided as a notional payment, rather than as a grant.
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4.2 Eligible activities
Activities carried out under the NEMP will address ANZEMC sub-committee project proposals, consistent with
each sub-committee’s priority themes. These may include, but are not limited to, nationally relevant:
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frameworks
training packages
workshops
research and development initiatives
evaluations of existing emergency management programmes
In the context of the NEMP programme, a national activity must benefit the whole nation or three or more
states or territories to be eligible to receive funding. State-based activities are ineligible for funding unless
there is a demonstrated commitment by at least three jurisdictions to utilise the activity outputs.
In addition to the development and delivery of specified products and outcomes, funding may be used for the
following, where such costs are directly and exclusively attributable to the provision of the activity:
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staff salaries and on-costs
operating and administrative expenses
project management expenses
assets as defined in the Funding Agreement Terms and Conditions (generally limited to no more
than $5,000)
travel within Australia
evaluation and review of the project
Activities ineligible for NEMP funding:
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ongoing maintenance/sustainment of emergency management capabilities
activities for which other Australian, state, territory, or local government bodies have primary
responsibilities
projects already commenced under other funding arrangements or programs
expenses incurred prior to a funding agreement being executed
large-scale capital equipment and capital works, including purchase or lease of land and/or
purchase, construction or maintenance of buildings
fundraising and sponsorship
costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation
overseas travel
conference travel and registration fees
5. Grant limits and funding period
Funding available under the NEMP programme is approximately $3.6 million per annum. Applicants can apply
for any amount of funding up to the total funding available under the NEMP programme.
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NEMP funding is available under two streams:
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Single year funding – is available to support projects with a duration of less than 12 months.
Multi-year funding – is available to support project proposals with a duration of longer than 12
months and no longer than two years. Multi-year projects are required to demonstrate
standalone outcome(s)/output(s) per financial year.
Recurrent funding for ongoing activities will not be considered.
Funding is expected to be available from July 2016, however applicants are advised that a funding agreement
must be executed by all parties prior to the release of any funds. Applicants should not make any financial
commitments based on receiving funding from the Australian Government until a funding agreement is
executed.
For successful applicants, requests for additional funding will not be approved. However, requests to change
the scope of the project that do not involve the provision of additional funding by the Department may be
considered on a case-by-case basis.
Applications may be sought for additional projects if further funding becomes available throughout the
financial year.
On occasions, applications may be invited at any time to address government priorities. Organisations will be
required to submit applications which will be assessed individually on a value for money basis against the
selection criteria. This may include one-off grants to meet a specific policy outcome or an urgent or
specialised requirement.
6. Selection criteria
Applications will be assessed by an assessment panel against the following eligibility criteria and
un-weighted assessment criteria:
6.1 Eligibility criteria
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Eligibility of organisation (see 4.1 Eligible organisations)
Eligibility of proposed activities (see 4.2 Eligible activities)
Applications that do not pass the eligibility criteria will not be assessed further.
6.2 Assessment criteria
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how well the application meets the project proposal’s requirements and sub-committee priority
themes (available on the Department’s website at www.ag.gov.au)
the cost-effectiveness (value for money) of the application, including a milestone/activity-based
budget that is adequately justified with respect to the project’s scale and intended outcomes
the applicant’s demonstrated capacity to deliver the project to the required standard within the
stated timeframes, having regard to planning undertaken, proposed resources, time and expertise
the applicant’s demonstrated capacity to administer grant funding efficiently, effectively,
economically and ethically
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achieves sustainable outcomes, including demonstrating how the outcomes will be maintained
and/or incorporated into existing practices after delivery
7. Application and assessment process
A preferred applicant will be identified for each project proposal using a competitive assessment process.
Applications will be assessed using information supplied by applicants in the application form.
It is anticipated that applications will be invited around February and will close by the end of March of each
year (these dates are indicative and subject to change).
Applicants must use and address all relevant sections of the application form available on the Department’s
website at www.ag.gov.au. Applicants should apply for grants by email and forward applications to
[email protected]. The Department will not consider any supporting or additional documentation
not specifically requested in the application kit.
An invitation from the Department to submit a proposal should not be taken as an assurance that funding will
be provided to any applicant or for any project proposal. Applicants are responsible for costs associated with
preparing and lodging their application and for any costs associated with answering the Department’s
requests for further information or clarification. The Department is not able to assist organisations with the
cost of lodging an application.
During the application period the Department will only respond to requests for information that seek
clarification of issues to allow applicants to better understand the requirements of the application kit and
programme guidelines. Requests must be submitted via email to [email protected]. The
Department will respond to requests within five working days.
Applicants will receive email notification from the Department within two working days of their application
being received. If an applicant has not received notification in this timeframe, the applicant should contact
the Department to confirm that the application has been received.
The Department may reject any application lodged after the closing date. If an application is late, the
Department may determine that there were exceptional circumstances beyond the applicant’s control that
meant the deadline could not be met. The applicant will need to supply documentary evidence to support
any claim for exceptional circumstance considerations. The Department has no obligation to accept a late
application. Any decision by the Department to accept or not accept a late application will be final.
The Minister for Justice makes the final decision on successful applications and the allocation of Australian
Government funding. Before approving any grant expenditure, the Minister for Justice must be satisfied that
a spending proposal is an efficient, effective, economical and ethical use of public monies and that it is
consistent with government policies. The Minister for Justice’s decision is final.
Successful applicants are announced by the Minister for Justice and all applicants will be notified in writing of
the final decision of the Minister for Justice. The Department will work with the successful applicants to
develop a funding agreement. A copy of the proposed funding agreement is available on the Department’s
website at www.ag.gov.au.
Feedback on unsuccessful applications can be provided on request by contacting the Department at
[email protected].
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All grants approved for funding under the NEMP will be published on the Department website at
www.ag.gov.au.
8. Managing the project
Before any NEMP funding is paid, the recipient organisation is required to enter into a funding agreement
with the Australian Government, setting out the terms and conditions under which the funding is provided.
Organisations should not make any financial commitments based on receiving funding from the Australian
Government until the funding agreement is executed.
The funding agreement is a legally enforceable document that sets out the terms and conditions of funding,
including:
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a description of the project
reporting requirements (to the Australian Government and the relevant ANZEMC sub-committee)
milestones in the progress of the project
agreed project outputs and performance measures
a payment schedule linked to the agreed milestones, outputs and timeframes
requirements for acquittal of the grant and project
Generally, payments to funding recipients under the Programme will be split into separate instalments and
be paid during the life of the project.
The Department has delegated Senior Executive Officers with programme responsibility to sign funding
agreements. A funding agreement may be varied on exceptional basis by negotiation between the recipient
organisation and the Department. The recipient organisation should detail the requested alterations via the
funding agreement variation which is available on the Department’s website at www.ag.gov.au. A funding
agreement may be varied in writing only, signed by both parties.
Funding recipients must provide regular reports on their progress against the achievement of agreed
milestones. The requirement to acquit expenditure will also be covered in these reports. The timing of
reports will be determined as part of the funding agreement negotiations and will include reporting on the
achievement of agreed milestones. Where progress payments are linked to the achievement of specific
activities, these payments will only be made after the relevant progress report is accepted and it is agreed
that the requirements for payment stated in the funding agreement have been met, including expenditure of
the previous payment.
Funded projects will have an ANZEMC sub-committee member assigned as a project sponsor. Grant
recipients are required to engage with this sponsor throughout the course of the project and obtain their
endorsement of project reports, variations, and all project outputs and deliverables. The Department will
receive advice from the project sponsor in any decisions on achievement of milestones.
Funding recipients are required to provide the Australian Government with financial acquittals, and
statements upon completion of the project which demonstrate that they have spent the funding for the
agreed purpose.
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When the project has been completed, recipients must provide:
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an ‘End of Project Report’ to demonstrate they have achieved all the agreed milestones and postproject implementation arrangements are in place to ensuring long-term sustainability of project
outcomes
a financial acquittal and statement of all expenditure of Australian Government funding and other
funding sources as set out in the funding agreement
a report in relation to all of the outcomes and outputs agreed, including a copy of all
deliverables/outputs identified in the funding agreement (if applicable)
Once the Department has accepted these reports the final grant payment is made. Failure to comply with the
terms and conditions as set out in the funding agreement may result in the Department immediately
suspending, reducing or ceasing the release of funding to applicants.
9. Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest means any matter, circumstance, interest or activity involving or affecting the applicant,
its personnel or a proposed subcontractor which may, or may appear to, impair the applicant’s ability to
perform the proposed project diligently, fairly and independently. As part of applying for NEMP funding,
applicants will be required to disclose any potential or existing conflicts of interest for their organisation and
all related personnel.
Successful applicants will be required to ensure, having made reasonable inquiries at the date of signing a
funding agreement with the Department, that to the best of their knowledge the applicants have no conflict
of interest and that no such conflicts are likely to arise in the applicants' performance of their commitments
under the funding agreements.
All personnel involved in the preparation and assessment of project proposals and applications are required
to declare any conflicts of interest. Where conflicts do arise they will be managed according to the Guidelines
for Managing Conflicts of Interest in the Attorney-General’s Department.
10. Privacy
Personal information collected by the Department is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). The
Department collects personal information to carry out its functions properly and efficiently. The Department
only uses personal information for the purposes for which it was given to the Department and for directly
related purposes (unless otherwise required by, or authorised under, law).
The Department may disclose personal information provided by applicants to other Australian Government
agencies, state and territory agencies, or other parties, as it considers reasonably necessary for the
assessment of grant applications and verify information provided by applicants.
The successful recipient of a NEMP grant is obliged under the terms of the funding agreement to meet the
requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles contained in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act. These principles
set out standards, rights and obligations for the handling, holding, accessing and correction of personal
information. Under these principles, the grant recipient must ensure that any personal information that is
collected and held is accurate, relevant to the purpose for which it was collected, up to date and not
misleading.
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In most cases, personal information should not be used or disclosed to another person, body or agency
without the individual’s consent. Individuals have the right to access their personal information and to
complain if they think their personal information has been mishandled.
Successful applicants must also comply with relevant state and territory privacy legislation.
Applicants should pay close attention to privacy legislation when developing project proposals. For example,
personal information should be de-identified when presenting case study data. Personal information should
not be included without an individual’s explicit, informed and written consent.
Further information about privacy is available at www.privacy.gov.au.
11. Taxation
Grant payments will be exclusive of GST unless otherwise indicated. Payments to state and territory
governments do not attract GST. The Department does not provide advice on whether or how organisations
pay GST. If required, grant applicants are advised to seek advice from a qualified professional or the
Australian Taxation Office www.ato.gov.au. Applicants should be advised that the Department will report
details of all grant payments to the Australian Taxation Office.
12. Complaints mechanism
The Department regards complaints as a way of both assessing and improving our performance. The
Department will endeavour, where possible, to ensure that complaints are resolved promptly, fairly,
confidentially and satisfactorily and that our processes are improved as a result. Complaints regarding any
aspect of the application process should be directed to the contact address below.
Complaints regarding the NEMP should be directed to:
Assistant Secretary
Emergency Management Policy Branch
National Security Resilience Policy Division
Attorney-General’s Department
3–5 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600
13. Contact details
Enquiries regarding the NEMP should be emailed to [email protected].
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