GUIDELINES FOR THE CORE PROGRAMME APPLICANTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. What is CORE Programme? CORE ("COoperation for REhabilitation") – is a programme aimed at the long-term rehabilitation of living conditions in the territories affected by the Chernobyl disaster (Initially in Bragin, Chechersk, Slavgorod and Stolin districts. Programme extension to other contaminated regions is possible). CORE is a new coordination mechanism that consolidates joint national and international, governmental and non-governmental efforts, and helps any participant to identify a fitting activity, district, national and local partners, and preferable financial schemes, based on the needs of affected population. CORE is a programme aimed at improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of the selected districts in the contaminated area through implementation of a range of realistic and targeted local initiatives. CORE – is an integrated programme realizing projects and ensuring integration between local, national and international participants in four priority areas: health care and surveillance, economic and social development of contaminated rural areas, education and cultural heritage, and control of radiological quality.
1.2. Possible Applicants: national, regional and local authorities, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and groups of people in cooperation with a registered partner organization. 1.3. Why is it important to apply within CORE Programme? CORE Programme applicants are provided with methodological, informational and technical support to foster the development of local initiative; CORE Programme structure can be used for finding local, national and international partners for project implementation; CORE Programme ensures high quality of coordination and integration processes between project activities in the involved districts; A project with a CORE Programme label submitted together with the relevant package of documents to the Ministry of Economy is registered and freed from taxation.
2. The Main Criteria for the CORE Projects: Administrative criteria: Project implementation in one of the CORE Programme districts (Bragin, Chechersk, Slavgorod, Stolin) Project conformity with one of the CORE priority areas Realistic and achievable goals within the project time frame A development rather than humanitarian aid character Local needs response Partnership (local, national, international)
Scientific criteria: Correctness and safety of project implementation Sufficient scientific expertise Absence of contradictions to national norms and laws
Budgetary criteria: Realistic and sustainable budget Availability of resources for starting activity Partial project financing by the implementing organisation
3. CORE Programme Project Proposal Procedure: (See Scheme) Projects within the CORE Programme are prepared, assessed and selected through a procedure involving Coordination Team (CT), Preparation and Assessment Committee (PAC) and Approval Board (AB) (Section V of the Declaration of principles on the CORE Programme. 3.1. Project Preparation 3.1.1. Applicant submits A and B forms to the CT (1): Potential local, national and international partners willing to develop and implement a project within the CORE Programme should apply with the Coordination Team (CT) and submit two forms: "Project Proposal for CORE" (A) and "Short Application Form" (B), which are available at the CORE Programme official website http://www.core-chernobyl.org/eng/information as well as at the CT Office and by the CORE Programme local facilitators (contact details). 3.1.2. Technical assistance and evaluation with expert(s) (2): CT is a resource for the applicant, set up for providing informational, technical and administrative support. It ensures project networking with other initiatives in the involved districts and may provide help in finding complementary partners for project implementation. On this stage CT arranges preliminary evaluation of the project proposal with an expert/experts in accordance with the priority area the project falls into. 3.1.3. CT forwards the forms to PAC (3A): The expert chosen by CT does the preliminary evaluation of the project proposal and fills in the "Preliminary Expert Report" form. In this form the expert either recommends the project for presentation at the PAC Meeting or suggests that the project proposal should be improved. In the latter case it is up to the applicant to decide whether to rework the proposal (3B) or have it forwarded to PAC (3A) the way it is. A separate section of the form is used by CT to provide its commentary on the project for the information of PAC. 3.2. Project Assessment, Approval and Registration 3.2.1. Project assessed at the PAC Meeting and recommended for approval or revision to AB (4): The project proposal is presented at PAC meeting, aimed to gather all Programme participants in order to ensure constructive dialogue and exchange of information as well as further network building between them. PAC considers, evaluates and prepares well-based opinion about project proposals for the Approval Board (AB). 3.2.2. Project approval by AB: AB considers the projects, recommended by PAC. In case of approval by AB (5A) the project proposal is recognized as a CORE Topical Project eligible for interaction with the co-ordination and integration structures of the CORE Programme. In case when the project proposal is not judged appropriate for implementation, it might be recommended to the applicant that the proposal should be reworked (3B) and presented at the next PAC and AB meeting if the applicant further wishes to implement it under the CORE Programme. If not, the applicant may withdraw the proposal (5B). The applicant is informed about the AB decision by letter from the AB Chairperson within 2 weeks from the AB Meeting. The PAC and AB Meetings are held twice a year; the approximate schedule is available with the CT. 3.2.3. Registration at the Ministry of Economy (6): The project, considered by PAC and approved by AB, is labelled as a CORE Programme Project. If submitted with the assistance of CT to the Ministry of Economy together with the AB list of decisions and relevant package of documents, it is registered within one month and freed from taxation. 3.3. Project implementation 3.3.1. Follow-up of the project implementation by CT (7): CT facilitates the implementation of the CORE projects, ensures their geographical and cross-sectoral integration and provides administrative and technical assistance. The project results are presented at the CORE Programme local integration workshops to ensure common vision of further local development process aimed to improve living conditions in the involved districts. The same procedure is also applied to the ongoing projects, wishing to enter the CORE Programme for ensuring high quality of coordination and integration processes between projects activities in the involved districts. Additional information on the CORE Programme activities is available with the Coordination Team or at the CORE Programme official website www.www.core-chernobyl.org. COORDINATION TEAM. CONTACT DETAILS.  | 
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