My name is Obi Anizor. I am the moderator/chief contributor to this blog.

What is OPM?

OPM (Online Proposal Management) is a full-featured, web-based, multi-lingual proposal management system suitable for the end-to-end administration of any proposal request, submission, appraisal, selection and budgeting process, through to reporting, report review, approval, dissemination, and discussion.

It can be used for:

• Grants & loans programs
• Screening of applicants
• Project Approval processes
• Policy proposal consultation
• Calls for conference papers or journal articles
• Any initiative with similar workflow processes

The public side of OPM provides a complete online worksite module for a project’s home location, the associated calls for proposals, and public discussion. The secure administration side of OPM offers full-featured online appraisal workflow and communication for the end-to-end management of proposals and reports.

1. Coordinators use the OPM administration Website to set up and manage all online aspects of a program on behalf of a Program Committee
2. Proponents submit proposals to the OPM Public Website, and may participate in online discussions through OPM
3. Reviewers use the ranking and commenting facilities of OPM to assess proposals against criteria set by the Coordinators

Optionally, OPM can offer public access to accepted proposals and reports, as well as facilitate public dialogue around the issues being addressed in the proposals and/or project reports. It also supports a web interface to external email lists for targeted communication involving the Program Committee, Coordinators, Reviewers, and the public.

In general, OPM allows organizations to do these online:

• Set Up Programs and Calls For Proposal
• Receive and Review Proposals
• Summarize Proposal Reviews for Decision
• Select Successful Proposals
• Schedule Disbursements and Track Budget
• Notify Proponents
• Accept and Review Reports