Development of the Certifyi AI SaaS GRC Platform
A consulting engagement to strengthen the Innovation Partnership Fund (IPF) under the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) and the Provincial and Local Governance Support Programme (PLGSP), focused on financing innovative governance, service delivery, and local economic development projects across provincial and local governments (PLGs).
Overview
From January 2022 to November 2022, Dignep provided software development advisory and process design services to the IPF scheme, focusing on how digital systems, templates, and workflows can operationalize a competitive challenge fund at scale. The work aligned the IPF Implementation Guidelines with practical, implementable processes for concept note submission, proposal evaluation, grant management, and monitoring, ensuring that innovation projects from local and provincial governments could be screened, funded, and tracked in a structured, transparent way.
Client
Government of Nepal – Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA)
Programme: Provincial and Local Governance Support Programme (PLGSP) – Innovation Partnership Fund (IPF)
Industry
Public Sector Governance & Federalism
Local Government & Decentralization
Grant / Challenge Fund Management
Digital Public Sector Systems & e-Governance
Services
Software Development Advisory & Systems Design for IPF processes and digital workflows
Process & Template Design for concept notes, full proposals, and evaluation formats
Operationalization of Fund Governance & Risk Processes in system workflows
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Workflow Design for IPF projects
Challenge
The Innovation Partnership Fund (IPF) is a special purpose innovation fund under PLGSP, created to finance new approaches to governance, service delivery, and local economic development across provinces and 753 local governments. To work effectively, IPF needed more than guidelines: it required clear digital and process infrastructure to translate policy into day-to-day operations:
Turning a Conceptual Fund Design into Operational Workflows
The IPF guidelines define principles, structures, and criteria, but needed practical processes, forms, and system logic to run calls, assess proposals, and manage grants consistently across provinces.Enabling a Two-Stage Competitive Process at Scale
The fund adopted a two-stage process (Concept Note → Full Proposal) to help especially resource-constrained local governments participate, which required standardized digital templates and screening workflows.Ensuring Transparency, Accountability, and Risk Controls
As a risk fund for innovation, IPF needed processes and system support for fiduciary risk mitigation, programming risk controls, public audit, and transparent publication of decisions.Supporting Collaboration and Co-Financing
The scheme includes different cost-sharing arrangements and collaborative windows (sole vs. multiple LG applicants), which had to be reflected in application logic, eligibility checks, and data capture structures.
Techstack
Laravel
Frontend
NEXTJS TAILWIND- Database: PostgreSQL
- Cloud & DevOps: Gov cloud
Solution
Dignep’s Software Development Service IPF combined governance domain expertise with systems thinking, leading to a set of implementable, digital-friendly processes:
Operational Workflow Blueprint for IPF
Mapped end-to-end workflows from fund allocation to provinces, through calls for concept notes, screening, full proposals, IPF Board approvals, agreements, disbursements, and reporting, in line with the IPF Implementation Guidelines.Standardized Digital Templates & Forms
Structured the Concept Note and Full Proposal formats (Annex 5 & 6 of the guidelines) into system-ready forms, ensuring all critical dimensions of innovation, governance, service delivery, and LED are captured consistently.Aligned Governance & System Roles
Clarified how MoFAGA, NSC, NEC, PCU, PCC/IPF Board, PPIUs, PCGGs, and IPF-TCs interact in the process, and translated that into role-based workflows that can later be implemented in software (who can create, review, score, approve, or view what).Embedded Risk Mitigation & Transparency Steps
Integrated steps for risk mitigation (fiduciary, programming, motivational, political), including documentation requirements, audit trails, and publication of project summaries and decisions within the process design.Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Flow
Designed the reporting flow using the Mid-Term Progress Report and Final Report formats, supporting evidence-based learning, knowledge capture, and dissemination of good practices across provinces and LGs.
Results
Ready-to-Implement Operational Design for IPF Systems
The engagement delivered a coherent blueprint that connects IPF policy and guidelines with practical, digital-ready workflows and data structures, de-risking future software development for IPF operations.Improved Consistency and Fairness in Proposal Handling
Standardized templates, evaluation criteria, and process steps support transparent, criteria-based selection of IPF projects, reducing arbitrary variation between provinces.Stronger Access for Diverse Local Governments
The two-stage process and structured templates make it easier for both larger and resource-constrained local governments to submit innovation ideas, with room for technical support from PPIUs and PCGGs.Platform for Future Digitalization of IPF
By detailing the information architecture and workflow, the consulting work lays the foundation for full digitalization of IPF in future e-governance systems, enabling online calls, submissions, evaluations, and portfolio dashboards.Support to Federalism and Innovation in Governance
The work reinforces IPF’s role as a special purpose innovation vehicle that creates practical collaboration across federal, provincial, and local governments, and channels funding into evidence-based innovation in governance and service delivery.
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