CSOs Strengthening Project Proceeding at Full Speed

One hundred twenty (120) Philippine CSOs, more than 30% of which are from Mindanao, have formally signed agreements to participate in the CSO Strengthening Project.  The project is a 3-year capacity-building initiative being implemented by a consortium of Philippine CSOs led by the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) and supported by the USAID.  The project aims to build the capacities of CSOs to achieve sustainable and significant impact, be accountable to their constituents and be able to effectively compete for and manage donor resources. 
 
The 120 CSOs will participate in a series of training programs, mentorship, peer-learning events and other capacity-building activities in the areas of Governance and Leadership, Strategic Planning and Management, Resource Development and Mobilization, Project Design, Planning, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, Human Resource Development and Financial and Administrative Management. 

A series of six (6) Organizational Diagnosis Workshops was organized across the 3 island regions from May to July 2012, allowing the executive directors or presidents of these 120 CSOs to assess their respective organizational strengths and weaknesses in the areas cited above and to formulate their respective organizational capacity-building plans. 

From July to August 2012, the project organized Validation Workshops per CSO, which provides a venue for the CSO’s Executive Director to present and validate with the Board of Trustees and staff the results of the organizational diagnosis which he/she completed during the OD workshop, solicit their inputs to enhance their capacity building plan, and get their buy-in and agreement to participate in the activities identified in their capacity building plan.

The first batch of thirty three (33) volunteer mentors have also been recruited, each agreeing to mentor two to four CSOs and help implement their respective capacity building plans.  The mentors have undergone a Mentors Workshop under the guidance of Ms. Carmencita Abella of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation.  Another Mentors Workshop is scheduled in October 2012 for a new batch of mentors. 

The series of training programs for the 120 CSOs are about to commence with the Workshop on Financial Management for NGOs this September 2012. 

CODE-NGO is a member of the consortium that is implementing this project, together with the Association of Foundations, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Philippine Council for NGO Certification and UP National College of Public Administration and Governance.  Around 50 of the 120 CSOs selected for this project are CODE-NGO member networks or affiliates. — By Roselle Rasay, CODE-NGO Program Specialist for Membership