Organizational Capacity and Partnerships for Household Economic Strengthening Activities
Course Objectives
By the end of the training, you will be able to…
Explain why HES activities will enhance existing programs for VC Explain how HES activities fit into their organizational mission and
goals List the general steps necessary for planning and implementing
HES activities Identify core organizational strengths and weaknesses for
implementing HES activities Name four key components of partnerships Identify key challenges of forming partnerships and corresponding
strategies for mitigating them Develop a plan for working with colleagues to do a deeper
assessment of organizational capacity
What is Household Economic Strengthening?
“A portfolio of interventions to reduce the economic vulnerability of households and empower them to
provide for the essential needs of the children they care for, rather than relying on external assistance.”
PEPFAR working definition, 2011
Why HES Activities?
Why HES Activities?
Benefits to target audience Benefits over other types of interventions Benefits to organization (mission fit, strategic
objectives, etc.)
Health Kits
??????? ???????
Organizational Capacity
Organizational Capacity
Overall OC
What do you do?
How well do you do it?
How strong are your ‘systems’?
OC to implement HES Activities
What are you planning to do?
How well can you do it with your current resources?
What is your capacity to enhance existing resources in order to do it well?
Overall Organizational Capacity
Resources for Assessing Organizational Strength
Technical and Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool (TOCAT)
Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA)
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis (SWOT)
MCAT – Management Capacity Assessment Tool Finance, administrative, grants management
MOST – Management Organizational Strengths Assessment Tool NHOCAT – National Harmonized Organizational Capacity
Assessment Tool
Technical and Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool (TOCAT)
Core Functional Areas Principal Capacity Domains
A: Institutional & Programmatic Technical Capacity
1. Number, Mix and Capacity Of Technical Staff 2. Technical Quality Standards3. Technical Supervision4. Training and Mentoring5. Client/Beneficiary Communications6. Community Involvement7. Service Delivery Organization and Quality Assurance8. Referral Systems for Continuum of Prevention, Care and Support Services
B: Institutional & Programmatic Organizational Capacity
1. Governance and Leadership2. Management Practices3. Operational Planning4. Structure: Roles and Responsibility5. Structure: Delegation of Authority and Decision-Making6. Staffing and Human Resource Management7. Partnering and Networking
Core Functional Areas Principal Capacity DomainsC: Financial Management Systems
1. Financial Planning and Budgeting2. Cash and Banking3. Accounting and Record Keeping
D: Procurement and Supply Management 1. Procurement
E: Monitoring for Management
1. Technical Program Planning and M&E2. Data Collection Systems3. Data Use and Culture of Information4. Stakeholder Communications and Reporting
Technical and Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool (TOCAT)
SWOT – HES ACTIVITIESSTRENGTHSWhat are we good at?
WEAKNESSESWhat do we do poorly?
OPPORTUNITIESWhat are our best strategies for improvement or growth? Of what or whom can/should we take advantage?
THREATSWhat can get in our way? In what do we have little or no control?
Internal Factors
External Factors
Negative Influences
Positive Influences
How can we use these tools?
COLLABORATION
ACTION PLANNING
ACCOUNTABILITY
What else?
Capacity to implement HES Activities What are you planning to do?
How well can you do it with your current resources?
What is your capacity to enhance existing resources in order to do it well?
What does it mean to do HES activities “well”?
HES For VC GuidanceKey question Why is this important?
What do people really need?Incorrectly matching HES activities to households can have long-lasting negative consequences in the home and community.
How will HES activities affect and be affected by the local economy (“the market”)?
To take advantages of opportunities in the market and avoid negative side-effects of HES activities within the community.
Who will be the direct participants or beneficiaries of HES activities?
There are pros and cons to targeting particular populations for HES activities.
How can we monitor and evaluate these activities?
To know if HES activities are having intended (positive) effects and avoiding unintended consequences.
Can we implement HES activities alone or should we partner?
HES activities are resource intensive and technically challenging; strong internal systems and partnerships are key to delivering effective, efficient programs.
HES For VC GuidanceKey question Why is this important? How do you do it?
What do people really need?Incorrectly matching HES activities to households can have long-lasting negative consequences in the home and community.
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
How will HES activities affect and be affected by the local economy (“the market”)?
To take advantages of opportunities in the market and avoid negative side-effects of HES activities within the community.
Conduct a market assessment
Who will be the direct participants or beneficiaries of HES activities?
There are pros and cons to targeting particular populations for HES activities.
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
How can we monitor and evaluate these activities?
To know if HES activities are having intended (positive) effects and avoiding unintended consequences.
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Can we implement HES activities alone or should we partner?
HES activities are resource intensive and technically challenging; strong internal systems and partnerships are key to delivering effective, efficient programs.
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Designing HES Activities
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
Conduct a market assessment
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
An effective HLA will help you…
Develop a holistic understanding of household and community livelihoods and well-being, economic conditions, health, food security, political and environmental security, etc.
Determine household and community needs and designing interventions to meet them
Examine intra-household poverty and how it affects VCs and other household members differently
Understand household and community opportunities and capabilities
Establish a baseline or reference point from which to identify and measure changes (positive and negative) in the future. This information enables program course correction as required, and to assess overall program outcomes and impact.
Designing HES ActivitiesA poor HLA can lead to adoption of HES activities that… Are of little or no value Have a negative impact on households Encourage dependence Disrupt local markets and merchants Fail to take advantage of valuable local
opportunities and capabilities Have a positive impact on households but a
negative impact on communities Fail to address inequalities in intra-
household poverty Fail to result in positive outcomes for
vulnerable children
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
Conduct a market assessment
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
Designing HES Activities
A good market assessment will tell you about…
The local supply and demand of goods, commodities, services and skills
The accessibility of inputs, including commodities, capital or services, and
How the environment (political, regulatory, etc.) shapes incentives and opportunities for household participation in the market
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
Conduct a market assessment
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
Designing HES Activities
The results of a poor market assessment could result in…
Lack of necessary supplies Production of goods or skills for which
there is no demand or too much competition
Negative impacts on local sellers Breaking the law
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
Conduct a market assessment
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
Designing HES Activities
Identifying and targeting appropriate direct and indirect beneficiaries…
???
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
Conduct a market assessment
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
Designing HES Activities
Identifying and targeting appropriate direct and indirect beneficiaries…
…???
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
Conduct a market assessment
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
Designing HES Activities
Effective M&E will help you by…
Providing program planners and implementers with information to select HES activities
Knowing what and how households and VC are doing
Giving managers insight into whether HES activities are meeting targets
Being accountable to stakeholders
Providing ‘data for decision-making’
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
Conduct a market assessment
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
Designing HES Activities
Ineffective M&E…
Collects too much or too little information Is poorly accessible Does not feed directly into decision-making
processes Does not differentiate between program
objectives and household / VC realities
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
Conduct a market assessment
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
Designing HES Activities
Conduct a household livelihood analysis
Conduct a market assessment
Choose a program structure that maximizes positive outcomes for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Create and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan
Conduct an organizational analysis and assess strengths and weaknesses of potential partners
An organization assessment should tell you
Your capacity to do all of these things well to select and design HES activities
Your capacity to DELIVER selected HES activities well
Implementing HES Activity
Savings Groups
Cash Transfers
Asset Transfers
IGAs – example?
Key Decision Points?
Partnerships
Discussion Questions
Why partner?
What are the biggest benefits you’ve encountered of
forming partnerships?
What are the biggest problems you have had
with forming or operationalizing
partnerships?
How would you do things differently to
avoid them?
Four Core Principles for Strong Partnerships
Transparency
Goals
Motivations
Processes
Shared Goals and Principles
Values
Program objectives
& outcomes
Mutual Benefit
Meeting individual
and collective
goals
Mutual Respect
Value each other
beyond financial
contributions
Shared / equitable decision-makingT
ransparency
Trust is an important part of any relationship and transparency of goals, motivations and processes are essential for building trust and maintaining accountability to each other, beneficiaries, donors and communities
Shared goals
and
principles
Partners share the same values and aim to achieve the same objectives as your organization. Even when missions are different, you should be able to agree upon a shared set of program outcomes.
Mutual ben
efit
Healthy partnerships will design programs to ensure that all organizations meet individual as well as collective goals.
Mutual R
espe
ct
Partners should value each other for reasons other than financial contributions. Decision-making should be an equitable process.
CHAMPION
Choosing a Partner Use organizational capacity
tools to identify your needs and assess partner capabilities
Assess for the four principles Other key questions
Do they have a good reputation implementing the HES activity you are interesting in?
Do they have reports that show positive results from past HES projects?
Do they have a standardized and documented approach to the HES activity?
Do they have experience working with VC HHs or do they have the expertise necessary to tailor their approach to make it appropriate?
If they don’t have sufficient staff expertise currently, do they have the necessary resources to recruit new staff or consultants?
How are Partnerships Formed?
At the coffee shop / bar family reunion At a training / conference / meeting Via HQ (regional, national, international) Other working groups, government resources,
etc. Others?
How are Joint Programs / Projects Developed?
At the coffee shop / bar family reunion At a training / conference / meeting Via HQ (regional, national, international) Other working groups, government resources,
etc. Others?
How are Partnerships Formed?
Partner 1 Input
Partner 1 Input
Partner 2 Input
Partner 2 Input
Final Proposal or Plan
Final Proposal or Plan
VS.
HES Activities – What Capacities do we Need? Outline the process from A – Z
INPUT – PROCESS – OUTPUT – OUTCOME – IMPACT
What is A? B? C?
Who will do it?
Who are potential partners? In this room? Outside?
Leverage • Universal Basic Education
(UBE)• National Poverty Eradication
Programme (NAPEP)• MDG-No 1 goal• SMEDAN• Social Welfare• Primary Health Care• Sure-P• CPC• National Center for Women’s
Development
• COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES• Grants/Donor Agencies
(WASH, UNICEF etc.)• NGOs and CBOs• MFB• CSOs• Media• Traditional institutions• Religious institutions