Frequently Asked Questions

How is a community's poverty level determined?

This evaluation is carried out based on the Poverty Map developed by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ.) The PIOJ Poverty Map ranks communities into four categories (Quartiles), with Quartile 1 being the least poor and Quartile 4, the poorest.

The ranking of a community is based on four indicators:

Percentage of households without piped water.
Percentage of households without exclusive use of water closet (flushable toilets)
Percentage of the labour force within the community that is unemployed
Percentage of community population with primary education only

Does JSIF fund individual applications?

No, JSIF does not fund individual applications. Application for funding to the JSIF must be made through a community based organization (CBO). Examples of such CBOs include benevolent societies and community development groups.

Does JSIF provide assistance for Low Income Earners?

JSIF funds small scale community projects and seek provide assistance to alleviate “Public” and not “Private or individual” poverty.

Who is a project sponsor?

Sponsor refers to the community based organization (CBO) that proposes the community project and applies to the JSIF for funding.

How do I check on the status of a project?

Checks on the status of an application or project may be made by contacting the JSIF or by v iewing the project status online. The JSIF can be contacted by telephone on any of the following numbers:

1(876) 929-1620 / 1(876) 968-4378

1(876) 968-4545 / 1(876) 926-6238

1(876) 926-7154 / 1(876) 906-2869.

Alternatively, you may visit the JSIF office at 1C-1F Pawsey Road, Kingston 5 (New Kingston).

Click here to Check Project Status online .

Does the JSIF lend money?

No. The JSIF does not provide loans. The JSIF provides funding for community based projects. Community projects funded by JSIF may fall under one of the following categories:

Infrastructure : This involves the construction and equipping of early childhood development centres, primary and all-age schools, health centres, etc.
Social Services: This involves Vocational skills training, literacy training, conflict resolution, substance abuse counseling, among other similar projects.
Capacity Building: These may include disaster preparedness, organizational development, management of community based resource centres, among others.

JSIF does fund the following:

Purchase or lease of land or buildings
Construction on private land without required legal documents.
Recurrent costs such as salaries, maintenance and utilities
Projects sponsored by an individual

How long does it take JSIF to approve projects?

It takes a minimum of 22 weeks and a maximum of 37 weeks for project applications to go through the approval process.

Is there a limit to the number of projects that JSIF offers to one community?

JSIF demand exceeds supply, In order to ensure as many people benefit from the limited funding that JSIF has, applications are assessed on a case by case basis whether multiple investments will be placed in a community. Communities that have not had access to, the organization are given a preference during appraisal and evaluation.

What are the possible reasons for the JSIF rejecting an application for funding?

Possible reasons for rejecting a community application include:

The project does not meet the JSIF's funding criteria.
The community did not submit land documents
The project is not feasible on technical and environmental grounds

Does JSIF go out in the communities and promote the organization or sensitize them about the role of JSIF?

Yes. JSIF periodically develops and distributes promotional material directed at underserved communities providing information on eligibility, types of projects, application procedures etc. We are also a partner with the Social Development Commission which provides information about the Fund and can assist communities in applying for project.

Which Ministry does JSIF fall under?

When JSIF began in 1996 it fell under the portfolio of the Ministry of Finance & Planning. Since 2007, JSIF, has been placed in the Office of the Prime Minister.

What is the ICBSP?

The Inner City Basic Services Project (ICBSP) funded by the International Bank For Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) also known as World Bank with counterpart funding from the Government of Jamaica, is currently being implemented in twelve inner-city communities across the island.

The communities are:

Flankers in St. James; Bucknor in Clarendon
Central Village, Tawes Pen, Africa, Dempshire Pen/Jones Pen (commonly known as Shelter Rock), Lauriston and Knollis in St. Catherine and
Jones Town, Federal Gardens, Whitfield Town and Passmore Town/Browns Town (commonly known as Dunkirk) in Kingston & St. Andrew.

What is the aim of the ICBSP?

The aim of the project is to enhance the quality of life for these urban dwellers through improved basic infrastructure, access to financial services, enhancement of public safety, improved community capacity to participate effectively in the community development process and assist in the reduction of crime and violence..

How were the communities selected under the ICBSP?

The selection process was led by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Jamaica Social Investment Fund, Social Development Commission (SDC) and Ministry of National Security (MNS). The selection was based on the following pre-selected criteria:

Poverty levels within the targeted communities.
Access to household water connections
Crime and violence characteristics (levels and ability to intervene)
Strength of community-based organizations (CBOs)
Land ownership considerations associated with settlement within targeted communities.

Are jobs available under the Inner City Basic Services Project (ICBSP)?

A person who is not a part of the Community Committee (CC) may be hired on a project if he/she is skilled and qualified to do the available job. Additionally, there is a job placement sub-component of the project that will provide assistance to at risk youth and members of the community who are qualified.

What is the purpose of Community Committees (CC)?

Under the ICBSP, the Community Committee's main role is to act as a facilitator of dialogue, and as an enabler of services. It will support communication between the community members themselves and between the committee members and outside institutions.

What authority does the Community Committee have?

The Community Committee is the main group that represents the community on all decisions related to the project and its implementation. The Community Committee is to be the representative of all community interests and should represent the views of these groups. When these entities have been assigned legal status they will be able to enter into contracts with contractors and other providers of goods and services for the implementation of projects and activities in the community.

Will Community Committee Members be paid?

Members of the Community Committee will not be paid for the services they provide for the implementation of the project in their community. The project will, however, provide a small stipend to persons who are actively participating in the management of the project to defray the cost of transportation and other miscellaneous personal expenses.

What is the purpose of the Community Liaison Officer?

Under the ICBSP, JSIF Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) are appointed to mobilize community residents for meetings/workshops and to keep them informed of what ICBSP is doing. The CLOs are the links between the communities and project preparation team. In addition, Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) are assigned full-time to each ICBSP community for the duration of the project.

Will the project be extended to other communities? Can neighbouring communities benefit?

The Inner City Basic Services Project will be implemented in 12 pre-selected communities. The direct interventions were designed to meet the needs of these specific communities. Neighbouring community members may however participate in the social interventions if they qualify and fit into the category being targeted.

Are loans being offered for establishing businesses?

The Inner City Basic Services Project will be facilitate access to micro loans for persons in the communities through accredited financial institutions.

Will new housing dwellings be constructed under the ICBSP?

The ICBSP will not be providing any housing or housing solutions for community members.

When will the Inner City Basic Services Project end?

The Project will end in June 2011.

What is ISO 14001?

The International Standards Organization (ISO) has thousand of standards, of which ISO 14001 is the Environmental Management System (EMS) standard. An EMS addresses the management of organizations activities, its environmental impacts and the commitment of the entire organization to environmental sustainability.

When will the JSIF be certified?

JSIF intends to be ISO 14001 certified by November 2008.

How will the JSIF benefit from ISO 14001 certification?

The ISO 14001 standard requires that the JSIF examines all areas where its activities have an impact on the environment. The following are some of the benefits that can be derived:

improved waste management
savings in consumption of energy and materials
enhanced corporate image among regulators, customers and the public
strengthened operational systems
framework for continual improvement of environmental performance
improve access to job-related information

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