Projects and project managers under the Arterial Network banner are decided upon in the following manner:

1. The Task Team, associated donor or Arterial Network member or partner proposes a project as an Arterial Network project.

2. The Task Team considers each proposal and decides
a. to approve the project as an Arterial Network project
b. to lend its support to the project but not for funding as an Arterial Network or
c. to reject the project (See criteria for evaluating projects under 7 below)

3. Projects (their aims, projected outcomes, country of implementation, budget, etc) approved by the Task Team are presented to the associated donor partners for consideration. Funders may agree to fund a project multilaterally or as a single donor. The Task Team may seek new donors or different donors for projects approved by the associated funders’ collective where necessary, and may seek new donors for projects that the associated funders’ collective is unable to support. The associated funders’ collective includes those funders who funded the original Arterial Network conference, or who joined this collective voluntarily as a partner in the Arterial Network or one of its projects. These funding partners include (but is not limited to) HIVOS, DCCD, Stromme Foundation, Prince Clause Fund, Doen, Africalia, Pro Helvetia and the Dept of Arts and Culture of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

4. As a matter of principle, all projects will be open for tender by implementing agencies. Once a project has been approved by the Task Team for funding and one or more funders have expressed their commitment to cover the entire budget, the Task Team calls for agencies to implement the project. (Those projects that have been proposed to the Arterial Network by an implementing agency, and which is approved for funding, will generally be assigned to the implementing agency, provided that the funders and Task Team approve of its capacity to implement the project). The call for implementing agencies may be done in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to
a. via the Arterial Network D-Group, newsletter, website and associated contacts
b. via funders to their existing partners
c. the arts community and media in the country in which the project may be planned for implementation
d. pro-actively headhunting suitable implementing agencies to apply by anyone associated with the Arterial Network

5. The call will include an outline of the project, the aims, the projected outcomes, the target market, the tasks required of the implementing agency, the time frameworks, reporting responsibilities and the deadlines. Applicants are to respond to each of these reflecting their capacity to manage all aspects of the project, and in addition, need to provide an indication of their track record of financial and managerial probity. At least two referees from credible organisations or people should accompany the application.

6. After the deadline for submission of applications, the Secretariat will summarise the applications, and submit the summary along with copies of the application to the Project Evaluation Committee before a fixed deadline. The Committee will comprise members of the Task Team and representatives of the associated funders’ collective, particularly those directly involved in funding that project. Implementing agencies must be agreed by consensus (rather than majority vote) within the Project Evaluation Committee. In the event of there being no suitable applicant, the Project Evaluation Committee may headhunt and recommend a particular agency to implement the project, possibly in a different country or region to the one originally agreed upon.

7. The criteria to be used when evaluating applicants to manage projects will include:
a. the vision, content and structure that it will apply to the project and the consistency of these with the project’s projected outcomes
b. the track record of the organisation with record to managing projects generally and projects of this nature in particular
c. the recommendations of the referees (to be checked by the Secretariat) and of Arterial Network members
d. historical relationships between the applicant and associated donors i.e. to ensure that associated donors have at least not had poor experiences of the applications
e. the proposed budget and whether it is consistent with the budget approved by the Task Team and donors.

If necessary, the Project Evaluation Committee may require representative of the Arterial Network to interview and/or visit selected applicants to gain further insight into their capacity to deliver.

8. Based on the applications received, members of the Project Evaluation Committee rank the applicants and submit their rankings to the Secretariat before a fixed deadline, which are then distributed with related comments to all members of the Committee. Through discussion via email and/or telephone conferences, the Committee arrives at a decision by consensus to award the project (subject to further negotiation with the selected party if necessary) to a particular implementing agency.

9. The funders supporting the project will select one of their number (if more than one) to be the contracting party on their behalf, and this funder will enter into a direct contracting relationship with the approved project applicant, and will oversee the management and reporting of the project as it would any of its other projects.

10. Each stage of the application and decision-making process will be governed by a fixed deadline to ensure efficiency.