Organizational Matters

  Proposed research partners that participated in the planning Workshop (please refer to Annex: Background of Proposal Development for details), evolved a consensus on the following areas regarding organizational matters for this project:

GINI will serve as Secretariat to the proposed project providing financial management, contract management, substantive support, and coordination services. All funding will be channeled through the Secretariat.

The institutes in attendance will compose the Steering Committee (limited to those based in South Asia). The Steering Committee shall guide the research partners with its recommendations while ensuring that projects interests and needs are addressed and the resources supporting the project activities are effectively prioritized through an approved annual work plan.

1. The steering committee shall approve the annual work plan
2. The steering committee shall monitor the progress of the annual work plan and Sub-Committees work through the GINI Secretariat and make attendant recommendations as required for the attainment of the objectives of the project

The institutes attached to each research theme shall form a Sub-Committee which will formulate and agree on the summary of joint proposals to be submitted to GINI for development of the Proposal. The details will be worked out at the contracting stage following approval of the proposal.

• Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between GINI and the research partners will serve as the organizing instrument. They will detail the obligations and commitments of research partners. Financial arrangements will be governed by legal contracts signed between GINI and research partners at the time of actually undertaking research activities after approval of the integrated proposal. These contracts will be approved by the Steering Committee and signed and managed by the GINI Secretariat.

• The Institute on Governance, World Bank Representative, and the East-West Center representative will constitute a Technical Advisory Group that will provide peer review services for the research outputs produced by the Sub-Committees, and will also be invited to attend the Policy Engagement Workshops being held in each country, lending academic weight to the research and improving its chances for policy uptake. These institutes will not be part of the Steering Committee. This Group will be expanded to include other technical experts as and when needed and approved by the Steering Committee.

• Detailed Terms of Reference (TORs) will be developed jointly by research partners and approved by the Steering Committee to govern the roles and responsibilities of these bodies. These will form part of a governance document developed by GINI and duly circulated amongst research partners for approval by the Steering Committee. It will also include draft MoUs and draft agreements with institutes and will be made available as an attachment to the Integrated Proposal.