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ECB Learning Event - How the ECB Project has built capacity across the humanitarian sector Agenda for afternoon session
13:30 – 14:00 Opening scenario 14:00 – 14:45 What do we know about collaboration? 14:45 – 15:00 Coffee break 15:00 – 15:30 Case Study: Collaborative tool development – the Toward
Resilience Initiative 15:30 – 16:00 Case Study: NGOs traditionally compete for funds; what
happens when they join forces to raise money together?
Scenario
You have been asked to set up and manage a collaboration. What are your key considerations?
- Discuss in your table groups (15mins)- Present key considerations back to plenary (5mins per group)
Collaborative tool development – the Toward Resilience initiative
ECB Learning Event
July 2013
www.ecbproject.org
Background_________________________________________________________________
•Peer review workshop in May 2009 bought all ECB stakeholders together
•Consortium Engagement Plans analysed
•Demand for a practitioner friendly tool / guidance on DRR, resilience (“the Good Enough Guide to DRR”)
•Process to develop the guide agreed on model of AIM GEG i.e. fully participatory
Next steps_________________________________________________________________
•Meeting in Italy in June 2009 with ECB DRR advisors and representatives from the 5 ECB consortia
•Broad concept note for the guide developed
•“DRR Practitioners Guide”
•Tensions over scope of guide, format of guide, inclusion of climate change adaptation / resilience
Key moments_________________________________________________________________
•Scoping study carried out with 24 organisations in July 2010
•OFDA approached in December
•CRS and Save provide $180k “catalyst” funding (Jan 2011)
•OFDA (January) and ECHO (March) proposals submitted
•Two guide lead consultants contracted May 2011
•$100k provided by Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund (June 2011)
•First consortium workshops held (June / July 2011)
Key moments….cont_________________________________________________________________
• Editorial committee confirmed (August 2011)
• First summit held in Bangkok (September 2011)
• First draft of Guide released in December 2011 for review
• Second consortium review workshops held (March 2012)
• Summit 2 held in Bangkok (April 2012)
• Field testing in 6 locations (July 2012)
• Resource materials developed by Mercy Corps (Oct 2012)
• Guide launched (December 2012)
What on earth just happened?....._________________________________________________________________
• 3 years• 6 ECB agencies, (PLUS others in the consortia)• 24 individuals consulted in the Guide’s scoping study. • 2 International summits• 10 consortium workshops with up to 100 participants• 6 field tests in 6 different countries•1500 pieces of individual feedback• 33 field participants in the global workshops as well as the 6 DRR Advisors and the 2 authors. • 6 ECB project staff and managers (including 2 ex staff), • 6 editorial committee members, • 1 editor,• 2 translators, • 2 Agency managers
The process_________________________________________________________________
• ‘exciting’, ‘challenging’, ‘enriching’, ‘rewarding’
• and ‘lengthy’!
Key learning_________________________________________________________________
• Participatory approach was longer and more generic output
• Publication experience missing
• Work involved was far greater than anticipated
• Expensive and time consuming
• Confusions over roles and responsibilities within complex ECB structures
• Multiple donor reporting
• Participatory mechanisms do not suit all stages of a publication
Key learning_________________________________________________________________
• Diverse content suitable for a broad range of contexts
• Technically credible guide integrating DRR / CCA
• Process increased ownership and involvement = application
• Diversity of participation opportunities was broad and good
Key learning_________________________________________________________________
“…..The publication of the Guide demonstrates that multiple stakeholders, spanning several organisations, can work collaboratively and effectively to produce a resource that incorporates their combined experience and responds to a widely-felt need…..”
Recommendations_________________________________________________________________
• Planning meeting prior to embarking including publishing!
• Engage senior managers for improved ownership / mainstreaming
• Monitor impact of participation through use of Guide
• Resource guide team instead of relying on “volunteerism”
• Start with a first draft rather than a carte blanche
• Consider field testing rather than “read and review” – resource accordingly
• Minimise participation to sustain engagement – JDs / PRs
NGOs traditionally compete for funds – what happens when they joint fundraise?
ECB Learning Event
July 2013
www.ecbproject.org
“………Once upon a time, six INGOs began a collaborative initiative with $5m in the bank and $7m to find………”
Background_________________________________________________________________
• Gates Foundation approves an ECB Project Phase II
• $12m budget approved for a five year initiative
• $5m provided by Gates, $7m agency commitment
• ECB Project Phase II starts in August 2008
• CARE USA manages contract
• All agencies sign MoU outlining structure, ways of working
But…._________________________________________________________________
• Concept notes, plans and fundraisers in place BUT…..
• Global financial crisis
• Power of ECB agencies to raise money seriously affected
• Five innovative approaches adopted to address the issue
1. Fundraising by Committee - HQ_________________________________________________________________
• Matrix of funding options developed, lead agencies assigned
• Opened up competitive revenue streams for the first time
• However joint fundraising requires coordination
• Donors not prioritising capacity building
• Agencies found it hard to raise money internally
• Decentralised structures contributed to complexity.
“….the ECB Project was too expensive for what the market could bear….”
2. Fundraising by Committee - Country_________________________________________________________________
• In some consortia joint fundraising was pursued – Bolivia
• Requires high level of trust but seen as opportunity to highlight capacities of participating agencies and build further.
• Difficult to prioritise consortium over individual agency
• Decisions often made at global level anyway.
• Recent successes in Bolivia and Bangladesh
3. Technical advisors, joint priorities_________________________________________________________________
• DRR advisors joint fundraising for TR Guide
• Unsuccessful first bid to OFDA so agency leverage funds used to catalyse project (CRS, SC and Mercy Corps)
• Eventually OFDA contributed towards the funding gap
• This direct project focused initiative seemed to work
4. Single lead agency for joint actions_________________________________________________________________
• Oxfam GB have worked closely with donors to fund activities
• Some applications rejected because the ECB Project was perceived as too US-centric
• Some applications successful
“…..European donors have been more forward thinking and more willing to take bets…”
• Downside of this approach is less consortium ownership of activities and outcomes
5. Two or three agencies leading_________________________________________________________________
• Approach to ECHO from CARE, Oxfam GB and ECB team
• Required significant relationship / trust building (12months)
• Difficult to develop a proposal that reflects all priorities
• Sense of top down approach
• Global frustrations with lack of country level engagement
• Ultimately successful but what damage to relationships?
Reflections_________________________________________________________________
• Funding restructure, resulting in increased agency contributions
• Tensions result over perceived inequality in contributions to the collaboration. Erosion of trust.
• Over reliance on NGO unrestricted funds “harder to justify internally”
• Private funds used increasingly successfully
• The right kind of funding?
Learning_________________________________________________________________
• Know when to fundraise together and when to say no!
• Understand the differing funding policies of agencies
• One or two agencies can fundraise on behalf of the group as long as plans are agreed and refreshed
• Develop a global budget and continually update it
• Start with a joint fundraising strategy and clarify agencies commitments
• Measures of accountability
• Address concerns about covering support costs early on
Learning…..cont_________________________________________________________________
• Proposal consultation is vital but incredibly difficult
• Proactive advocacy and communication with donors is key
• Donors are attracted to the reach and sustainability of consortia
• Fundraising is part of the challenge – spending is the other!
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