“Capacity building originally meant helping people to help themselves. Now it means required training to deliver imposed polices.” -Andy Hargreaves

As we revise our implementing partnership procedures, we recognize the need to work with both partners and UNICEF staff in strengthening capacities to best utilize our partnership frameworks to deliver impactful results for children and communities worldwide.​

As we look at the following partnership areas:​

  • Programme Design and Partnership Framework​

  • Risk Management (PSEA, Financial Assurance, ESS etc.)​

  • Financial Management​

  • Programme Monitoring and Adaptive Programming​

We would like to discuss with partners and UNICEF staff the capacity strengthening needs for implementing partnership management to facilitate programme effectiveness with partners and UNICEF staff.

Discussion Questions:

  • QUESTION 1: In your opinion, what more could be done to ensure partners, particularly local organizations, are provided with meaningful and sustainable capacity strengthening?  ​
    • Are there any specific capacity strengthening needs you would like to highlight?​
    • Any specific capacity strengthening needs on programme risk management issues (e.g. PSEA, Environmental and Social Safeguarding etc.)  ​
  • QUESTION 2: Using PSEA as an example: A study called ‘PARTNERSHIPS AND PROTECTION AGAINST SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE: An Analysis of Recent Case Studies’ writes as follows:​​

“Funding partners have good intentions about supporting NGO partners and building knowledge together, but do not always recognise that this takes time and resources. They set the requirement but do not always lead by example. […] Some people suggested that these action plans were unrealistic and set partners up to fail, unless they included significant extra resources and support. “

    • Do you agree this might have been the case? How do you think this can be addressed? Is this applicable for other areas of UNICEF’s work?​
    • Any specific needs on PSEA, particularly in relation to capacity building towards adequate handling of SEA allegations (core standards on reporting, assistance and investigations), you would highlight? 
  • QUESTION 3: Are there any examples of sustainable and impactful capacity strengthening experiences with implementing partners from other organizations that you would like to share?

 

Comments (3)

Aman Haile
Aman Haile Moderator

Dear partners and UNICEF staff, we look forward to your participation on this exciting topic! If some of you see the following message (below), please click on the  "View group" icon (highlighted in blue) and click "Join" to become a member of the consultation space, which will enable the comments feature.

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Jacob Wise
Jacob Wise

Maybe I can comment on the Programme Design and Partnership Framework​. I believe UNICEF has currently a great initiative to design projects with implementing partners. However sometimes we (both UNICEF and NGO's) still fall short of including community based stakeholders at some stages. I think this process although is time consuming is important as it affects the project delivery when in the middle of projects we realize some activities do not cover some costs that are required.

In saying this I agree with the case study reply to question 2 in that it would take time and resources but if done properly it will ensure that some action plans are not setup to fail. I think for any project that involves community based volunteers, or intervention at the communities (like villagers and settlements) than at least a number of key contact persons or leaders should present at the design stages. This has to be made mandatory sort of as a prerequisite to prototyping any project. Vinaka

Losevati  Karavaki
Losevati Karavaki

I would like to agree and also adding to what has been alluded by Mr. Jacob Wise.

Planning stage  is a most important component in a project that need to be  shared by all who are going to take part in the project, especially the community. Even if its going to bring in community members , I would suggest we do that. Also if we are partnering with the Government  and other NGO's we need to make sure that we  understand our main purpose and where we  take our stand. We should be clear about our line of work how are we  relating to each other.

 

 


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