September 2013
designmanual
Framework Application 2014 – 2017
Building civil society through promoting dialogue, development and the rights of the marginalized
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Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-9
Framework Application
2014 – 2017
Content 1.
INTRODUCTION
2.
Partnership
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2.1.
Understanding Partnership
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2.2.
Partnership in Church Development, Dialogue and Poverty Reduction
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2.3.
Partnership and Poverty Reduction
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2.4.
Partners and Added Value
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3.
Programmatic Approach, Conceptual Framework and Implementation Strategy
3.1.
Summary of Danmission’s poverty reduction strategy, 2012-2014
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3.2.
Perspective on lessons learned 2011-2013
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3.3.
Programmatic Approach
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3.4.
Conceptual framework and implementation strategy
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3.4.1.
Theme I: Building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens
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3.4.2.
Theme II: Promoting conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence
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3.4.3.
Theme III: Access to viable productive resources (land, forest, water sources, etc.)
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3.4.4.
Theme IV: Building sustainable income generation opportunities for marginalised communities
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3.5.
Target groups
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3.6.
Cross-cutting issues
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Gender equality mainstreaming
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3.7.
Networking and coordination
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3.8.
Sustainability and exit strategy
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3.9.
Future strategic outlook
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3.6.1.
4.
Countries and partners
4.1.
Bangladesh
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4.1.1.
Danmission main focal priorities in Bangladesh 2014-2017
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4.2.
Cambodia
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Danmission’s main focal priorities for Cambodia 2014-2017
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EGYPT
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Danmission’s main focal priorities in Egypt 2014-2017
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India
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Danmission’s main focal priorities in India 2014-2015
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Myanmar
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Danmission’s main focal priorities in Myanmar 2014-2017
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Tanzania
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Danmission main focal priorities in Tanzania 2014-2017
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4.7.
Programme added value plans 2014-2017
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4.8.
Assumptions, Risks and Pre-conditions
4.2.1.
4.3. 4.3.1.
4.4. 4.4.1.
4.5. 4.5.1.
4.6. 4.6.1.
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5.
Quality Assurance
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5.1.
Quality assurance through programme added value
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5.2.
Programme monitoring
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5.3.
Quality assurance of projects, step by step
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6.
Management structure and capacity
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7.
Popular support and information
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7.1.
Media and informative work
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7.2.
Network
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7.3.
Raising awareness
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List of annexes
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List of abbreviations
AD
ELCT Advocacy Desk
BLC
Bangladesh Lutheran Church
BLM-D
Bangladesh Lutheran Mission-Danish
CBO
Community Based Organisation
CC Commune Council CCFC
Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community
CCM
Chama cha Mapinduzi (Party of the Revolution)
CCRO
Certificate of customary right to occupancy
CEOSS
Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Service
CISU
Civil Society Development
CSSC
Christian Social Services Commission
CPN
Community Peacebuilding Network
CPP
Cambodian People’s Party
CSO
Civil Society Organisation
CRWRC
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
DAC
Development Assistance Committee
DAI Arab Initiative DM Danmission DMCDD
Danish Mission Council Development Department
DMS Dansk Missionsselskab DSM Dansk Santalmission ELCT
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania
ELCT-HQ
ELCT National Office
ELVD
Lake Zone Dioceses East of Lake Victoria Diocese
EU European Union
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FBO
Faith Based Organisation
FID
Forum for Intercultural Dialogue
FORDI
Forum for rights and diversity
ICC
International Cooperation Cambodia
IDP
Internally Displaced People
ISOBRO
Indsamlingsorganisationernes Brancheorganisation
KAD ELCT-Karagwe Diocese MDG
Millenium Development Goal
MHOLA
Mamas’ Hope Organization for Legal Assistance
MKUKUTA
Mkakati wa Kukuza Uchumi na Kupunguza Umaskini Tanzania (National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty)
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NWD
ELCT-North Western Diocese
PARCE
Poverty Alleviation through Rural Community Empowerment
PBO
Peace Bridges Organisation
PETS
Public Expenditure Tracking Systems
PNKS
Ponleu Ney Kdey Sangkhum (Light of Hope)
PRSP
Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers
SACCO
Savings and Credit Co-operative
SELVD
South East of Lake Victoria Diocese
SHG
Self Help Groups
SME
Small Micro Enterprise
SUPOTH
Scheme for Under Privileged People to Organize Themselves
TOT
Training of Trainers
VDC
Village Development Committee
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1. Introduction Danmission is a Christian organisation closely connected with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, folkekirken, as well as with churches in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The organisation is rooted in experience and mission history dating back nearly 190 years, with a strong tradition of providing charitable and institutional services to the poor at community level. However, Danmission and our partners have increasingly been redirecting our focus from service delivery to addressing the root causes of poverty and creating sustainable social change through a strengthened civil society. Under the proposed framework, thematic programme will be implemented in cooperation with key partners, including Church-based partners in Egypt, Tanzania, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia. Danmission has been engaged in development activities in these countries for a number of years, in some of them for more than 100 years, and common themes and strategies can be readily defined. In terms of the composition of countries in the programme, India will be phased out after two years and Danmission will consider introducing Madagascar.
Programme development process The programme builds on Danmission’s core values, strategic objectives and the outcomes of Danmission’s existing poverty reduction strategy (2012-14), along with the Danida-funded programme (2011 – 2013) “Building civil society through promoting dialogue, development and the rights of the marginalised”. The programme has, for obvious reasons, not yet been fully implemented; however, experience and lessons learned have as far as possible been incorporated into this programme application. In the planning process, Danmission has consulted each partner in all countries and taken advice and suggestions from a partner consultation that was held in Tanzania, Arusha, in November 2012. The consultation also provided useful learning and sharing among partners. In the second half of 2012, Danmission held consultations with Danida regarding the possibility of applying for a framework agreement. As a follow-up to Danmission’s request to become a framework partner, Danida undertook a capacity assessment of Danmission in December 2012 and January 2013. The final report from the assessment is attached. On March 6, 2013, Danmission was granted the possibility of applying for a framework agreement. The programme that Danmisison wants to implement under the framework agreement is informed by the recommendations from the assessment report.
Value base and programme vision Danmission bases its main areas of activity, poverty reduction, church development and dialogue, on a biblically-inspired world view which considers all people on earth created in God’s image, as equal, valuable and inalienable human beings. It follows that we all belong to the same family, irrespective of culture and religion, and must live and cooperate with mutual respect for one another. As Christians, we believe that, since creation all human beings have been meant to live in love, justice, peace and freedom. However, this world and its inhabitants are imperfect. Poverty, injustice and oppression work against God’s plan. We believe that we are called to participate in God’s mission in this world, which is revealed in our time also through the gospel concerning His son, Jesus Christ, his teaching, deeds and presence. The theology that informs Danmission’s work considers God active throughout this world in everything that is good, just and life-affirming – including where there are no churches or Christians. The Christian gospel can only thrive in freedom and respect. It cannot liberate people by force. On this basis, we consider dialogue a Christian obligation, a way in which human beings can relate to each other. Inspired by the vision of God’s Kingdom and Christ, who was on the side of the poor, Danmission sees it as our calling to engage in the struggle to free people from sin, fear, oppression, hunger and injustice - to serve the poor, the vulnerable and marginalised. Putting theology and the Christian faith into practice has sociopolitical and economic implications. Danmission seeks to promote fundamental human rights, such as the rights of women and children as well as the right to live in freedom, to think, believe and express oneself freely. Our values therefore strongly oppose any kind of discrimination on the basis of gender, social standing, ethnicity or religion. Danmission’s holistic approach to mission is based on the New Testament, where we find Jesus ministering to the whole person. People need spiritual renewal as well as social change: improved living conditions and
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fulfilment of rights. Consequently, efforts to combat poverty should not ignore people’s spiritual dimension, which holds the key to changing values and attitudes. Yet Danmission considers social justice a valid mission in itself, without any strings attached or hidden agendas - because it is a sign of God’s Kingdom when the hungry are fed, the sick are healed and the oppressed set free. Danmission and our partners therefore have no problem in abiding by the regulations that come with secular government funds. It is against the backdrop of faith-based values such as integrity, peace, justice and compassion that Danmission’s programme advances a spiritually-inspired vision in a rights-based approach to development, which complies with Danida’s civil society strategy as well as the Danish government’s strategy for development cooperation.
Programme goal, objectives and themes This programme has as development goal: Building civil society through promoting dialogue, development and the rights of the marginalised. This goal is the same as in the previous Danida funded global programme. It will be realised by means of two programme objectives, and project interventions will be grouped into themes:
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Strong independent civil society able to participate in and improve governance at the local and national level
Improved living conditions for marginalised and vulnerable groups, men, women and children in target areas
Theme I: Building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens
Theme II: Promoting conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence
Theme III: Access to viable productive resources (land, forest, water, etc.)
Theme IV: Building sustainable incomegenerating opportunities for marginalised communities
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2. Partnership Partnership is a fundamental element of Danmission’s work, and Danmission has a long history of cooperation with most of its current partners in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Danmission engages in long-term partnerships that have matured over time and that are built on mutual trust and respect. Long-term partnerships ensure a sharing of knowledge in relation to local contexts (socially, politically and economically) thereby enabling the continuous development of Danmission’s capacities on relevant issues. This chapter outlines Danmission’s understanding of partnership and partner cooperation as rooted in the work on the ground and the organisation’s values. Partnership is also considered in relation to Danmission’s three main areas of work: church development, dialogue and poverty reduction. Please refer to Danmission´s partnership policy paper in annex 3.
2.1. Understanding Partnership Danmission understands partnership as being in mission together. At the same time, partnership across cultural boundaries is motivated by a need for complementarity and inspiration, meaning that it is natural for Christians to think of themselves in relation to others. Danmission’s partnership approach therefore builds on a mutuality that promotes learning from each other, and appreciating each other’s contribution to the common good. Mutual ownership of the partnership is essential for the work Danmission and its partners are engaged in. The calling to reach out to our neighbours, be they Christian, of other faith or of no clear faith at all, is an integral part of Danmission’s partnering with a church or Christian organisation, addressing both spiritual and material needs. A joint vision of reaching out to the vulnerable and marginalized constitutes a core value that is shared by Danmission and its partners while at the same time reflecting the very foundations of being in mission together, upon which partnership is built.
2.2. Partnership in Church Development, Dialogue and Poverty Reduction Danmission’s partnerships are built on common interests in the areas of church development, dialogue and poverty reduction. These areas of cooperation and partnering are different by nature and therefore call for a distinct interpretation of roles within Danmission’s partnership approach. Danmission and its partners share common values rooted in a Christian worldview. While interpretations may differ between cultural and denominational contexts, our Christian foundation serves as a common ground for understanding and fellowship, and for dialogue on theological and spiritual issues as well as issues related to poverty reduction. Danmission’s dialogical approach is aimed at strengthening mutual respect and learning, as well as promoting accountability, transparency and joint ownership of the partnership. It is furthermore aimed at enhancing the quality of projects, strategies and methodology and thereby the overall effect of the jointly-owned work. Such a partnership is not, however, open only to Christian churches (of whatever denomination) but also includes multi-faith organisations that have a Christian presence (e.g. Christian presence in the governing body) as well as strategic partners. Danmission’s partners are thus diverse in their mission, governance structure and way of participating in civil society. While some partners operate at the grassroots level with close links to local communities, others are active at national or regional level. Below can be found a brief description of the four main categories of organisations with which Danmission partners:
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Danmission, often has longstanding relationships with churches dating back to their deep-rooted relations with its predecessor organisations – the Danish Santal Mission and Danish Missionary Society.1 These churches are “off-shoots” of, or closely related to, the historical missionary work of the 19th and 20th centuries. By nature, churches have a clear mission of being a church first and foremost, with its respective duties and work, of which poverty reduction and dialogue often form an integral part. Danmission’s partners are often Faith-Based Organisations (registered NGOs) primarily focused on poverty reduction and dialogue. These partners are organisations which relate to Danmission’s poverty reduction and dialogue work, while not being involved in typical church work such as evangelization and theological education. Strategic partners play an important role in achieving the common goals that have been formulated between Danmission and its affiliated partner. The reason for this kind of partnership is to augment the activities, initiatives and capacities of Danmission’s longstanding partners. The foremost reason for engaging with strategic partners is to efficiently achieve a certain outcome in the field of poverty reduction and dialogue whereby a strategic partner contributes to this goal on a short-term basis. These partners are not necessarily Christian organisations. Participation in networks is, by nature, different from Danmission’s bilateral partnerships as it constitutes a more multilateral cooperation with like-minded organisations aimed at learning, capacity building and advocacy. Cooperation in networks supports Danmission’s bilateral partnerships and its results.
2.3. Partnership and Poverty Reduction Danmission’s poverty reduction and development work takes advantage of the different lines of dialogue and church work often implemented with the same partner. Partners differ in their relation to Danmission, and they differ in the way they work and the context they work in. The goals and agreed elements of partnership can therefore vary among Danmission’s partnership relations. These depend on the work Danmission and its partners wish to achieve together. In order to implement successful poverty reduction work, Danmission will partner with a variety of organisations who are able to meet this objective. This includes partnerships with organisations that are exclusively geared towards poverty reduction and possess vital capabilities and have a strategic position in relation to the envisaged goal. The following criteria form Danmission’s basic conditions for engaging in a partnership with an organisation:
The organisation has a sector or thematic focus (including expertise) that coincides with Danmission’s programme and strategic focus
The organisation complies with necessary and satisfactory standards of financial management and operation or is willing to develop such capacity
Danmission gives priority to partnering with churches and organisations that share the Protestant faith but is open to partnering with other Christ-centred churches and strategic organisations
The church or organisation shares Danmission’s fundamental values and Codes of Conduct
The church or organisation is legally registered
1 The Danish Santal Mission merged with the Danish Missionary Society in 2000 to become Danmission.
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The church or organisation ensures good governance and is built on democratic decision-making and has enforced appropriate by-laws/constitution.
2.4. Partners and Added Value Danmission’s longstanding cooperation and history with partners in Asia, Africa and the Middle East enables it to promote cooperation between partners, engage in capacity building and pursue a common development agenda. Danmission is thus in a unique position to comprehensively facilitate cooperation between partners, inspire capacity building and encourage different partners to work on common topics. Some partners already play an important role in supporting CBOs in relation to capacity building, good governance and programmatic approaches, while other partners need to develop their skills in relation to civil society development approaches. Danmission considers the diversity among its partners to be an added value of the work since it creates a space for mutual learning in the South. Danmission will encourage and develop partners’ capacities to engage actively in national and, where appropriate, international networks and alliances. This will enable Danmission’s partners to strategically cooperate with like-minded organisations, thereby increasing the likelihood of success when advocating, for instance, for the implementation of laws that enforce the human rights of women, children and vulnerable groups. Participation in relevant alliances and networks will also boost partners’ advocacy efforts on a local level, which typically target access to government services (education, extension services, water or community healthcare). Networking is therefore vital to the overall success of advocacy work.
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3. Programmatic Approach, Conceptual Framework and Implementation Strategy This chapter outlines the programmatic approach on the basis of Danmission’s poverty reduction strategy. Lessons learned and adjustments made during 2011-13 form the basis of the conceptual framework outline, which will inform implementation strategies and ways forward during 2014-17. A set of development objectives, a thematic structure and the most important outcome indicators are described. Targets groups are described in brief. Towards the end of the chapter, Danmission’s approach to gender equality mainstreaming is described as a cross-cutting issue. Lastly, future prospects for the programmatic approach are considered.
3.1. Summary of Danmission’s poverty reduction strategy, 2012-2014 Danmission’s poverty reduction strategy 2012-2014 is informed by a holistic approach to mission which requires caring for the whole person. Consequently, efforts to combat poverty should recognize people’s religious or spiritual dimension, which holds the key to a transformational change of values and attitudes. The current strategy is based on an understanding that the Christian tradition of diakonia, as responsible assistance rendered to people in need, incorporates both faith and action. Our diaconal focus is on responding by deed. It is a sign of God’s Kingdom when the hungry are fed, the sick are healed and the oppressed set free Danmission’s faith-based action to reduce poverty can be categorised into three different dimensions of diakonia. Common to all is a perspective that views poverty as a social and political reality affecting large sections of the population, with severe consequences for individuals and communities. The different dimensions of diakonia that are covered by the Poverty Reduction Strategy are:
Poverty reduction dimensions
Rights-based development
Institutional diakonia
Diakonia as diapraxis
- addressing the root causes of poverty. Aimed at developing communities, building citizenship and fostering socio-economic change in pursuit of peace and justice in society
- targeting poor and disadvantaged children and youth with a special emphasis on education, training and social care
- in the context of religious tension: inter-faith cooperation and acting together to overcome religious prejudices and mistrust, improve the quality of life and promote peaceful coexistence
Danmission gives priority to a rights-based approach to development, addressing the structural and political dimensions of poverty in which the mobilisation of poor citizens, empowerment and advocacy are viewed as the main drivers for change. The partners and their capacities remain connecting points between the different dimensions of diakonia, enabling spill-over and mutual enrichment from one to the other.
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Organisationally, the Poverty Reduction Strategy is subordinate to Danmission’s overall strategic plan and the Partnership Policy, and is positioned horizontally at the same organisational level as Danmission’s strategies for Church & Dialogue and Communication. The poverty reduction strategy, has three key priorities, and these will be described in more detail in the following chapters:
To consolidate a programmatic approach to poverty reduction on the basis of lessons learned.
To strengthen Danmission’s and our partners’ expertise and practice in nexus between dialogue, peace-building and faith-based development.
To actively engage in and facilitate networking and strategic cooperation for maximum influence over policies and social justice.
Danmission’s Poverty Reduction Strategy in its full length can be found in annex 4. Please also refer to annex 5 for an updated status of the 2012-14 benchmarks as presented in the strategy.
3.2. Perspective on lessons learned 2011-2013 The current programme phase has been the first period during which Danmission has gained experience in developing and implementing a programmatic approach. Danmission’s approach to civil society development has undergone substantial changes over the past five to eight years, moving from a sector-view approach, under which the majority of projects were administrated by DMCDD, to a rights-based approach to civil society development, structured in a thematically organised programme. This development has implied changes in partner cooperation, organisational structure, methodologies applied and quality assurance measures. Through the experience gained and lessons learned, Danmission’s programme has become increasingly focused in its contribution to the added value of project interventions, especially with regard to the projects’ linkages inside the programme as well as beyond, to other civil society actors in each partner country. The following outlines the most important lessons learned from an overall programme perspective. An evaluation in 2013 is expected to further substantiate the programme experience.
Programme relevance Establishing and promoting civil society organisations which are able to support their constituency in their efforts to improve livelihoods has shown to be relevant and in line with the interventions and strategic plans of all partners. The programme objectives are well reflected and balanced in the programme activities and the thematic focus has proved useful for all partners, encompassing the range of their working areas, contexts, capacities and organisational identities.
Systematic approach to programme added value After approximately one year of implementation, and during the process of formulating Danmission’s quality assurance strategy, it was found necessary to formulate specific objectives for programme added value initiatives as well. This has contributed to an increased qualitative focus on capacity-building efforts, including mutual learning initiatives focused specifically on strengthening partners’ capacity to perform as the promoters of community-based civil society organisations.
Purposeful rights-based advocacy For some partners, the rights-based approach to development has been a new one, while for others it is already a well-tried out process. During the implementation of programme activities in 2011-12, most partners identified the dominant rights issues they felt most relevant to promote on the basis of their geographic and socio-politic focus as well as organisational set-up. This process has enabled Danmission’s partners to engage in purposeful networks in order to strengthen their introduction to advocacy efforts. This creates a good basis for further defining and sharpening partners’ advocacy, which is becoming gradually more purposeful and contextually relevant. In turn, this process helps sharpen and focus Danmission’s policy and strategy.
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Consideration of a regional approach Mutual learning initiatives such as peer review and training have, for the most part, taken place on a regional basis, between Cambodia and Myanmar, and Cambodia and Bangladesh. While partners from Bangladesh and Tanzania, for instance, can draw inspiration from each other’s approaches, it is important to support their linkage and experience sharing with development interventions in contextual settings that resemble their own. It is therefore considered conducive to include a regional perspective in mutual learning and programme added value. Some lessons learned from specific opportunities and challenges can be drawn from programme implementation so far:
Cross-learning forum as an opportunity for interaction within and beyond the programme Establishment of an advocacy cross-learning forum for partners in Tanzania proved to be inspirational for partners in Cambodia and plans for replication have been developed. Besides pointing to the relevance of bringing partners from different southern contexts together under one programme, cross-learning forums create a possible platform for supporting broader interaction with civil society actors beyond Danmission’s own partners.
Opportunities for church partners’ own advocacy efforts in support of the grassroots In general, partners play the role of catalysts and promoters of community-based civil society organisations, with their own capacity to engage in advocacy at relevant governance levels. However, it has proved important for partners to carefully address their own capacity and mandate to support CSOs in their advocacy efforts. In Tanzania, for instance, newly-established CSOs can engage in advocacy efforts at lower tiers of government while church partners have the network, legitimacy and political power to support advocacy efforts at higher government levels, in interaction with other civil society organisations.
Need for improved monitoring systems Systematic monitoring of results at project level has proved to be a challenge for the majority of partners, and monitoring of advocacy results is a significant challenge. In response, capacity-building efforts and mutual learning initiatives in 2013 are focusing on developing skills within partner organisations to work with community-based and participatory monitoring methods.
Targeting the poor Experience has shown that partners find it a challenge to identify and target the poorest in the communities. Applying appropriate, participatory methods for poverty assessment will form a focus of capacity-building efforts in future project planning.
Relationships between governments, NGOs, churches and their constituency It has proved challenging for partners, and especially partner churches, to navigate the diversity of expectations coming from above (donors and governments) and below (their constituency). Traditionally, churches have been service providers in Tanzania and India and, in Cambodia, NGOs risk their legitimacy and operating space if they fail to balance the rights-based approach with the political room for manoeuvre. Rising religious fundamentalism and tensions have also been a challange Christian organisations operating in Egypt in particular.
Constituency, legitimacy, and leverage Churches, by their nature, have a constituency, while this is not always the case for NGOs. Lack of a constituency risks undermining their legitimacy and leverage , thus hampering advocacy initiatives. This is, for instance, the case in Cambodia where the bulk of NGOs have no membership base. In the eyes of the government, demands from the NGOs do not need to be taken seriously if they do not, in fact, represent anyone.
3.3. Programmatic Approach On the basis of lessons learned from programme implementation up to 2012, the programme’s thematic focus and overall objectives will be continued during the 2014 to 2017 period.
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There are two themes connected to each objective. The purpose of adding a thematic structure to the programme is to be able to see exactly where and how partners are contributing to the programme and to anticipate the possibility of new partners contributing to one of two themes of strategic importance in the given context. In practice, most projects feed into the programme by means of at least two themes because of the close correlation between them. At the same time, the thematic focus has the potential for organising learning and added value initiatives within specific themes. Please refer to annex 2 for LFA. The development goal ‘building civil society through promoting dialogue, development and the rights of the marginalised’ guides implementation, and Danmission reviews the results of the programme in the light of this long-term vision. Positive change and impact will be the result of two combined development objectives, expanded in two themes under each objective:
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Strong independent civil society able to participate in and improve governance at the local and national level
Improved living conditions for marginalised and vulnerable groups, men, women and children in target areas
Theme I: Building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens
Theme II: Promoting conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence
Theme III: Access to viable productive resources (land, forest, water, etc.)
Theme IV: Building sustainable incomegenerating opportunities for marginalised communities
The two objectives and four themes are intricately linked. When people strive to improve their own living conditions, and do so in groups, in ways that make them confront and overcome challenges that previously seemed insurmountable, they will inevitably also start to advocate for better services, and make demands of government structures. On the other hand, their strengthened civil society organisations and their participation in governance also serve to improve those living conditions that are affected by public policy and its implementation. Gender equality is mainstreamed in all projects and activities and, in various activities, women’s poverty and rights are a particular focus. Gender equality is a cross-cutting issue and therefore explained separately in section 3.6.1.
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3.4. Conceptual framework and implementation strategy The following section outlines the conceptual framework and implementation strategies for each of the four programme themes. The scope of mutual learning opportunities and the development of partners’ capacity in order to improve project interventions within the themes is outlined in detail after the detailed country presentations in Chapter 4. For strategic entry points and specific outcome indicators to individual country contexts for the four year periode please refer to the LFA in annex 2 and country notes in annex 9.
3.4.1. Theme I: Building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens In order to overcome the social, economic and political obstacles to poor and marginalised people’s enjoyment of a culture of cooperation, mutual respect, equality of human dignity and social rights, there needs to be a strong civil society composed of representatives of these groups that can influence the decisions taken by government, both locally and at higher – national – level. Traditionally, the churches have seen it as one of their primary obligations to alleviate the immediate needs of the poor, and compassion for the poor and vulnerable continues to be an important value for Danmission and its partners. However, increasing attention is being given to understanding the root causes of poverty and marginalisation and we see it as a natural part of our work and obligation as Christians to speak out against injustice and empower the poor to hold those in power accountable. A Christian development approach transcends charity and fights for justice and freedom of the oppressed. From a Christian perspective, notions of human dignity, sanctity of life, equity and justice inspire the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Danmission therefore adheres to a comprehensive understanding of human rights as being basic conditions that all human beings are entitled to, because we are all created in the image of God. In some contexts, the engagement of religious actors with contemporary social issues is weak, partly as a result of limited political space. Dialogue and cooperation between religious actors can be a means by which their involvement can be enhanced, as engagement in joint initiatives is less risky than individual endeavours. Developing the capacity of CSOs in order to create a platform for civic education and advocacy towards duty-bearers is a key strategic entry point to promoting an active and engaged civil society:
Capacity building of communities to engage in advocacy The purpose of capacity building is to develop accountability in internal structures, clear goals and mandate as well as the ability to meet community demands. This is done by strengthening CSOs’ ability to implement plans, adapt to changing circumstances, perform in line with the identified needs and demands, and enter into and manage strategic forms of cooperation. Capacity building of communities is twofold. The strategy contributes to the strengthening of CSOs, on the one hand, and the strengthening of local governance structures - in line with national policies of decentralisation - on the other. The various programme interventions apply different approaches to capacity building. Some partners, like SUPOTH in Bangladesh and CEOSS in Egypt, have many years of experience in establishing and developing the capacity of large numbers of CSOs through well-tried and adjusted community capacity building models. On the basis of village-based groups, larger CSOs with elected committees are established. In Bangladesh and Egypt, there is substantial experience in bringing these groups together into large-scale networks and clusters for advocacy purposes. Well-tried exit strategies are applied that ensure the organisational and financial sustainability of CSOs and networks. It is a general aim of CSO capacity building that they become able to identify advocacy issues and work out long-term strategy plans. Their self-reliance is promoted through technical training.
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Applying community-based participatory methods to planning, monitoring and evaluation is an essential prerequisite for establishing well-organised legitimate CSOs with a clear mandate to advocate on behalf of their constituency. Experience in programme implementation during 2011-13 has shown that with partners for whom community mobilisation and promotion of CSOs is a new approach, special attention must be given to improving the methodologies applied in order to ensure broad community inclusion and participation. The degree to which it is possible and conducive to work directly on the capacity building of local governments and authorities depends very much on the context. It is primarily a focus in Tanzania, where the decentralisation model ensures that government structures are in place at village level. NGOs in Tanzania – including the Lutheran Church – enjoy the legitimacy to work directly with village governments. In Cambodia, Myanmar and Egypt, where governments constrain the outreach of NGOs, cooperation with government authorities from a rights-based approach is more challenging and depends on local social and political conditions. Partners perform a role in helping set up organisational structures, as well as in the provision of technical training and specialist knowledge of laws and policies. Partners also provide supervision and linkage to networks and government development programmes. It is Danmission’s experience that change can be initiated at the regional and even national level by providing safe spaces for leaders with parallel experiences and challenges to come together. This could involve bringing together leaders from civil society and different religious denominations in Egypt, or within the educational sector in Tanzania in the form of school leaders’ conferences or district government leaders’ conferences.
Applying advocacy in stages Partners play the role of catalysts in developing the capacity of their target groups to balance advocacy activities aimed upwards in the political system and downwards towards their constituencies. During implementation of the current programme activities, partners have identified the most dominant rights problems in their contexts, and this process has qualified and strengthened their strategic approach to advocacy to the extent that all partners are now geared towards working in a rights-based manner. Because of the challenges of being a Christian church or NGO working with rights rather than providing services, the general strategic direction of advocacy for law implementation or policy-making is a noteworthy step. Danmission’s understanding of the advocacy process (inspired by DMCDD’s strategy for advocacy) can be illustrated by the following continuum:
Problem identification and articulation
Civic Education
Establishing CBOs
CBOs establishing networks and voicing their case
CBOs fostering structural and political changes
The continuum is helpful in categorising partners’ various interventions and experience. A few partners with many years of experience in working strategically on the capacity building of CSOs are classified at the far end of the continuum. Here, CSOs are well organised and strengthened to engage actively in networks and alliances and foster change at a structural and political level. This is especially the case in Egypt and Bangladesh, whereas projects in Tanzania, Cambodia, India and Myanmar are in the process of consolidating their CSOs and equipping them with knowledge and resources to move along the continuum. All partners are now able to engage in claiming rights and obtaining access to services at the low tiers of local government.
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Depending on the context and experience of the CSOs, advocacy issues are voiced and developed by the constituencies and narrowed down to well-defined and tangible topics. Advocacy targets government services (education, extension services, water or access to community healthcare services) and the implementation of laws that protect the legal, human and cultural rights of women, children and other vulnerable groups. Issues are identified through CSOs’ own strategic planning, supported by the implementing partner. CSOs’ engagement in networks and alliance building is a primary focus.
Civic Education for active citizenship and participation Civic education is part Danmission’s advocacy strategy, it equips the target groups with skills and knowledge on democratic processes and empower them to be active and responsible citizens both at local and national level. It enhances the CBOs skills to advocate for their rights, just as it promotes the responsibilities attached to active citizenship.
During 2014-17, the programme interventions within theme I will be based on the following key entry points:
Pursuing methodologies that enable partners and rights-holders to analyse rights gaps and to claim access to rights according to the provisions of law.
Supporting partners and CSOs in continuing to actively initiate and engage in networks.
Improving partners’ capacity building skills and development of best practices in working with CSO clusters.
Supporting the development of capacity building and advocacy tools, including best practices, to work with clusters of CSOs and the possibility of applying the methodologies and tools to other partners nationally as well as internationally.
Incorporating advocacy strategies for CSOs at local level and developing methods for measuring the impact and sustainability of advocacy activities.
Supporting partners’ capacity to develop specific strategies and methodologies that ensure local inclusion, accountability and community-based monitoring.
Developing the capacity of local duty-bearers to ensure participatory decision-making processes.
Programme outcomes for Theme I (for programme outcome indicators see annex 2) 1. Community-based organisational structures are mobilised as CSOs to represent community-based affairs in a democratic manner and CSOs are serving as catalysts for the community to analyse and influence their own situation. 2. CSOs have gained capacity to mobilise and empower the community around human and civil rights, and legal rights with regard to the relevant and specific provisions of laws and policies. 3. Rights-holders formulate and claim their rights towards duty-bearers on specific issues relevant to making positive changes to the livelihood situation of both men and women. 4. CSOs and partners are taking part in networks to pursue specific advocacy issues at relevant decision-making levels.
3.4.2 Theme II: Promoting conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence A peaceful and tolerant society is a precondition for economic, cultural and political development. Dialogue
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cuts across Danmission’s core strategies, which include capacity building of churches, theological education, evangelisation, inter-religious relations, strengthening of civil society and improving the living conditions of the vulnerable and marginalised. Dialogue, in Danmission’s terminology, is a fundamental approach, a relational process and way of life which forms the basis for sound relationships between individuals as well as between social or religious groups. Peace-building may contain various levels and be practised in various ways, depending on the nature of the conflict but, as an effective tool, it relies on a dialogical approach. At the same time, poverty, inequality and injustice are contributory factors to conflict and violence. This connection between development and peace can lead to a “vicious circle” in terms of the mutually reinforcing ways in which development and peace are inherently interrelated. Conflicts over ethnic or cultural identity and the unjust distribution of resources impede a strong and independent civil society. Peace-building is instrumental in building capacities and enhancing mutual understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Contributing to building the capacity of civil society and adhering to the values of mutual respect and support, as well as tolerance, is essentially a peace-building activity in a structural form. As such, there is an intricate link between themes I and II.
Nexus between dialogue, socio-economic development and rights-based civil society development Processes of dialogue take place when vulnerable and marginalised groups organise and start working practically together to alter their living conditions. Organising people across cultural, religious and ethnic boundaries is a peace-building intervention. This paves the way for advocacy processes when conflict and oppression are rooted in political or social structures. Strengthening partners’ competence and sensitivity in analysing conflict situations, whether they are structural (for instance gaps in dialogue and power relations between local authorities and their responsibilities towards government vis-à-vis communities), cultural (customs and attitueds that contribute to the marginalisation of vulnerable groups) or religious, is a priority. In some cases, conflict is maintained or brought about by personal conceptions. By training local peace facilitators and setting up peace-building structures, direct action can be taken to influence the attitudes of power holders and human rights violators. Conflict analysis will also inform the actors about the stage of the conflict and enable them to take appropriate action. Danmission intends to mainstream the use of conflict analysis in the programme and will provide capacity support to partners where this is needed.
Peace-building through a culture of cooperation Peace-building at all levels is instrumental to creating the favourable conditions for community cooperation on improving living conditions. Part of the strategy for supporting inter-religious and inter-ethnic conflict management and prevention is to unite communities around specific development issues which transcend areas of conflict based on religious or ethnic status. Conflict between ethnic minorities, religious or other groups is a barrier to community participation and a barrier to fostering a culture of cooperation and accountability at community level. Conflict management and prevention is dealt with from the perspective of conflict leading to violence within communities. Violence is taking place both within households and at institutional level through the violation of, for instance, the right to own property, the right to inherit and women’s right to decide their own reproductive life, which again impedes productivity and socio-economic development. Through CSOs, people come together to work for a common purpose regardless of ethnic or religious background. In Bangladesh, dialogue, inter-religious and inter-ethnic understanding, is nurtured through the joint efforts of community organisations. In Tanzania, the church is actively working to reach out to mosques and Muslim communities to join forces in dealing with violations of human rights. In Egypt, religious leaders as well as youth groups are engaged in activities for peaceful co-existence and tolerance, while in Myanmar, where the project is being implemented against a backdrop of civil war, building trust across ethnic and religious lines is taking place through participation in groups and activities that cut across the divide. Conflict analysis is an integral part of understanding development problems. It provides knowledge of the history and context of the conflict and clarifies how structural, religious, ethnic and recourse conflict is
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interlinked. Identifying the power holders, actors and interests and needs at stake, as well as possibly unarticulated and taboo understandings and values expressed by the conflicting parties, is key to transforming the conflict, whether tacit or open. In most cases, partners’ interventions are taking place in conflict situations that are deeply structural and therefore involve silence and tacit oppression. This must be addressed in order to allow people to join forces in fostering change in their communities. Danmission is in the process of finalising a clearly-defined strategy on conflict and peace-building and its interface with poverty reduction and dialogue. The process is informed by early reviews and experiences gained during implementation of the current programme as well as by Danmission’s extensive experience of inter-faith dialogue across the regions in which we work.
During 2014-17, the programme interventions within theme II will be based on the following key entry points:
Strong focus on dialogue work targeting cultural, religious, ethnic and natural resource management conflicts.
Promoting peace, building conflict resolution through community mobilisation which cuts across religious, ethnic and social barriers.
Training duty-bearers (formal and moral leaders) and local informal mediation and intervention structures in conflict resolution and peace-building.
Providing civic education to communities and CSOs on ways of reducing gender-based violence.
Programme outcome for Theme II (for programme outcome indicators see annex 2) 5. CSOs are engaging with duty-bearers in peace-building activities and contributing to the prevention and resolution of conflicts. The outcome of this aspect is also reflected in theme IV.
3.4.3 Theme III: Access to viable productive resources (land, forest, water sources, etc.) Local people and local economies rely heavily on the existence and availability of renewable natural resources, arable land, fish stocks, biodiversity, forest and wetlands. At the same time, the use and availability of natural resources is being seriously affected by multi-dimensional human activities, such as for example: 1) at international level, the land grabbing that is resulting from growing international biofuel production and other geopolitical issues; 2)
at national level, through the development of ineffective legal frameworks, major transport, housing and industrial development schemes, pollution etc.;
3) at local level, through unsustainable agricultural production practices, power structures, ineffective and centralised local and public management. Unsustainable land use, deforestation, desertification, water scarcity and pollution, together with population growth, are placing growing pressure on local communities and resulting in growing tensions and conflicts that have a severe impact on development opportunities. The environment and access to natural resources are thus central issues when targeting sustainable livelihood development. Environmental issues form part of sustainable livelihood frameworks, and this underlines the complex and cross-cutting nature of environmental issues.
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Danmission recognises that local development, improved living conditions, better health, education etc. are closely linked to the effective management of natural resources. This link often has an impact on economic development, job creation, civic institutions and empowering local people to maintain control over their resources and communities. Increasing local problems related to global climate change are increasing the vulnerability of local communities, making it even more challenging to address issues of poverty and environmental degradation. Natural hazards, earthquakes, droughts, floods and storms continue to cause significant problems. Against this backdrop, focusing on local communities, improved living conditions, participation and involvement in civic life calls for incorporating strategies that build local resilience. Danmission’s overall objective number two focuses on Improved living conditions of marginalised and vulnerable groups. This objective focuses both on access to resources and markets and on shaping income generation for marginalised societies. Different kinds of issues will be targeted in the different countries, depending on the context, resources and local conflicts. The environment and natural resource management are as far as possible, mainstreamed in all of Danmission’s planning, strategic developments and implementation activities. Understanding the environment and natural resource management as truly cross-cutting issues, and recognising the connection between resilience, economic development and general livelihood development, building resilience will also, as far as possible, form a part of local interventions. In recent years, the fight for access to scarce natural resources has intensified, and this conflict underpins other conflicts such as inter-religious tensions, conflicts between ethnic groups, conflicts between pastoralists and farmers and conflicts between non-transparent governments and their citizens.
During 2014-17, the programme interventions within theme III will be based on the following key entry points:
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Combining advocacy on access to resources, especially including land and markets.
Supporting CSOs in advocacy for a relevant and professional government extension service.
Promoting implementation of land distribution reforms with specific attention to women’s right to own and inherit land.
Supporting partners and CSOs in networking and advocacy at higher government levels to prevent land grabbing and illegal logging.
Supporting local structures that track public expenditure (PETS), with specific focus on land distribution.
Supporting linkages to professional/technical institutions in order to ensure professional skills training.
Promoting agricultural techniques, including improved crops and irrigations systems that are resistant to climate-related changes.
Providing skills training in sustainable, organic agricultural methods, including introducing improved crops.
Promoting job creation in communities through support to small and medium- scale enterprises working in food processing.
Most partners will have integrated adaption to climate-related changes by 2014, approaching both rights-holders and local duty-bearers to ensure capacities and operational schemes within community-based disaster risk reduction.
Programme outcome for Theme III (for programme outcome indicators see annex 2) 6. Rights-holders are advocating for their rights to access land and natural resource use 7. Partners have increased their capacity to participate nationally in reresolution of conflicts related to lack of access to natural resources 8. Community resilience strengthened through farmers knowledge on how to apply disaster risk reduction and adapt to climate related changes
3.4.4. Theme IV: Building sustainable income generation opportunities for marginalised communities CSOs and self-help groups form the structure through which training and the introduction of new and better methods can take place. Where the programme activities are implemented in poor rural areas, the programme will support a shift towards better agricultural practices that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly, work to improve market access and work for improved job creation through advocacy for land law implementation and linking to private sector companies for investments and service provision. Most groups will have material needs as their primary focus, while the same people grouped at a higher level will constitute an advocacy force. As such, a savings group in a village can be both a small group of people engaged in income generation an also, at a higher level and in cooperation with other local self-help groups, an active voice for the poor and marginalised in the community. CSOs act as catalysts for improving the living conditions of the target groups. By developing their competencies and technical performance in, for instance, micro-finance and small-scale enterprises, and their technical skills in agriculture, they will be able to perform the role which NGOs traditionally play in providing specialised skills training to poor communities. It is therefore a basic condition for all activities related to improved living conditions that some form of CSO is used as the entry point. By working collaboratively on a common thematic issue, for instance agriculture, CSO members gain a foundation for discussing more sensitive issues concerning government accountability and rights. It is therefore an important part of the strategy that grassroots and community groups are enabled to identify and articulate their own issues of concern. The democratic structure around local self-help initiatives provides a forum for participation and this helps turn marginalised people’s awareness towards their right to participate in political decision-making processes. Developing the technical skills of CSOs and their members strengthens their competence and professionalism and hence their mandate and legitimacy in the community. Through the provision of, for instance, marketing facilities, linkages to micro-finance or the running of community schools, strong CSOs gain a social platform in the community as well as a basis of evidence from which to voice difficult issues related to accountability and governance. Inspiration for this part of the programme strategy is derived from “The Change Triangle” model, developed by Thematic Forum in 2007, which fed into the finalisation of Danida’s Civil Society Strategy in 2008. The model argues that participation and learning through capacity development, advocacy and thematic competences in conjunction provide the basis for empowerment. Identification of advocacy issues is in practice closely linked to the learning experience that CBOs derive from engaging in service delivery, such as for instance micro finance or marketing of farming products. Micro-finance structures are an effective basis for organising poor communities while at the same time improving their living conditions. Self-Help Groups (SHGs), sometimes also called Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), are a platform for improving living conditions through savings and loans, as well as income-generating activities and small enterprises. Moreover, the SHG is a platform for developing demo-
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cratic community institutions consisting of poor and marginalised groups. On the basis of village SHGs, SHG federations are established. They are responsible for establishing and supporting new SHGs, for microenterprises and for joint advocacy efforts. Priority is given to linking and networking with government programmes and specialised institutions, as well as the private sector. CEOSS, for instance, works with tripartite partnerships between thematic CSOs (such as livestock or fishery associations), relevant government departments and private sector companies as a benchmark for sustainability. If linking of local income-generating initiatives with governments and markets can be fostered, it will create a foundation for sustainable income generation without Danmission’s partner as an intermediary link. Partners play a role in linking to markets in the primary stages of the interventions through the provision of knowledge of opportunities and skills in market analysis but, by developing the technical and organisational capacity of CSOs, these will gradually become able to establish the linkages themselves. For some partners involved in technical training to improve living conditions, establishing cooperation with like-minded and more specialised organisations/institutions is of crucial importance. A substantial part of Danmission’s contribution to its partners in this regard relates to approaches to identifying and using relevant networks.
During 2014-17, the programme interventions within theme IV will be based on the following key entry points:
Improved identification and targeting of the poorest through poverty assessments, with specific attention to women’s poverty.
Application of contextually relevant types of micro-finance structures as a basis for community mobilisation, in combination with civic education and training in advocacy methods.
Skills development in agriculture and marketing, including provision of access to markets.
Support to CSOs in advocacy for access to government services, pensions and schemes, with specific focus on coverage and the relevant targeting of services to the poorest.
Continued efforts to establish viable partnerships with private sector companies with the purpose of investing and creating jobs for the poorest.
Support to small-scale and medium-scale entrepreneurship.
Linkage to professional institutions and NGOs for the purpose of ensuring professional skills training.
Programme outcome for Theme IV (for programme outcome indicators see annex 2) 9. Communities and SHGs have increased their income from income-generating activities and know how to market agridcultural and non-agricultural products. 10. Improved identification and targeting of the poorest, with specific attention to women’s poverty situation 11. SHGs, men and women, are enjoying increased access to public goods and services.
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3.5. Target groups The direct target groups of a strong independent civil society able to participate in and improve governance at the local and national level are poor men and women from rural and marginalised communities in Tanzania, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Cambodia and Myanmar). The target group, also regarded as ‘rights-holders’, is organised in CSOs: SHGs, SHG federations, local development committees, movements and farmers’ groups, as relevant to the context, but may in some cases also be reached through broader campaigning that stretches beyond these associations. Marginalised ethnic and religious groups have special priority, where relevant, and the mainstreaming of gender equality is sought through all programme activities. As the most vulnerable and the poorest segments have been difficult to reach for some projects, more focused targeting methodologies will be given high priority. The wider community outside the CSOs and smaller federations forms part of the target group, directly or indirectly, depending on context and purpose. Local government representatives, also regarded as ‘legal duty-bearers’ form part of the target group directly, when they are involved in training activities concerning their role and obligations vis-à-vis the communities they serve. Their capacities and willingness to enforce legislation has a substantial impact on rights violations and access to public resources. Duty-bearers are targeted at village, district, regional and, to an extent, national level. The same is the case for the moral dutybearers, such as religious, traditional and opinion leaders, whose capacity and willingness to engage positively in programme activities is important to achieving sustainable change. Included in the indirect target group are NGOs who engage in networks with implementing partners or primary target groups and other CSOs who work in the same or related fields. Cooperation and networking with other NGOs and CSOs also enhances the opportunities for addressing topics of conflict between religious and social groups and thereby contributes to tolerance and peaceful co-existence. In terms of advocacy campaigns, the local media is included within the indirect target group.
3.6. Cross-cutting issues The cross-cutting issues in Danish development policy, as formulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are covered as following:
Gender equality is mainstreamed through all projects and strategies. Individual country notes (annex 9) provide specific contextual analysis of gender relations and women’s poverty in particular.
Good governance is covered primarily by programme theme I: building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens.
Environment is covered by theme III: Access to viable productive resources. Under Danmission’s poverty reduction strategy for 2012-14, ‘Environment and Natural Resource Management’, is treated as a cross-cutting priority. In the programme, it is not only a cross-cutting issue but reflected as an individual programme theme.
HIV and AIDS is included as an issue in Danmission’s strategy for quality assurance, which ensures that HIV/AIDS is considered and reflected at all stages of the programme management cycle and reflected in partners’ reporting, as well as Danmission’s reporting to Danida.
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3.6.1. Gender equality mainstreaming In most countries where Danmission is active, women do not have equal status with men in terms of legal, social or economic rights. Women play an active role in sustaining the household and within agricultural production but this typically goes unrecognised and, in many cases, women do not have the right to own material goods or inherit land. Early marriage, teenage pregnancies and dowries are among the social practices that deny women equal access to education, and gender-based violence is a common problem in Danmission’s partner countries. In a rights-based approach to poverty reduction, Danmission finds it fundamental to view rights from a gender perspective as there are considerable gender gaps in men’s and women’s access to and control over resources and services, economic opportunities and political influence. The structural causes of poverty differ for men and women, and the role of the implementing partners is to analyse poverty situations from a gender-disaggregated perspective and apply strategies that provide an entry point for women to participate equally in and influence community development. Power holders at national and local government levels are key people to target for their influence over this unequal gender situation. Other relevant people and power holders in this regard could be traditional leaders, community-based organisations and husbands within households. Advocacy aimed at these people and institutions is therefore relevant. Danmission will promote supervised and facilitated training in methodologies in order to ensure that this theme is integrated in practice.
3.7. Networking and coordination Danmission takes an active part in several national Danish networks of strategic or thematic relevance to our work: the NGO Forum, FORDI, Children & Youth Network, Danish Forum for Micro-finance ,Burma network, MENA network, and others. In order to engage more actively in national and international advocacy on behalf of our partners, Danmission has decided to assess the opportunities for joining an international network or alliance and has identified the Micah Network as a possibility. A Danmission advocacy strategy which corresponds with and supports the advocacy efforts of Danmission’s partners will be developed and implemented. Danmission encourages and develops partners’ capacities to engage actively in national and, where appropriate, also international networks and alliances. This enables Danmission’s partners to strategically cooperate with like-minded organisations, which increases the likelihood of success when advocating, for instance, for implementation of laws protecting the human rights of women, children and other vulnerable groups. It also strengthens relevant coordination with other concrete project interventions carried out by NGOs or other development organisations (national or multilateral). It offers possibilities for combining financial resources in order to finance development programme interventions jointly. Participating in relevant alliances and networks will also boost partners’ advocacy efforts at the local level, which typically target access to government services (education, extension service, water or community healthcare). Danmission is closely following international discussions on the coordination of development efforts and on the aid effectiveness agenda and the relevance and impact this has for civil society and local development. Danmission will work to reduce the burden on partners of writing different reports for different donors and will engage in efforts to coordinate financial reporting and monitoring visits with other donors. In order to facilitate coordination and avoid overlap, Danmission staff will normally meet other like-minded organisations, both national and international, Danish embassy staff and relevant UN staff during visits to partners.
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On a country level, the Danmission country representatives take part in UN country briefings and, if relevant, thematic sub-groups. For example, in Myanmar, the country representative takes part in briefings on Kachin and the OCHA coordination of relief to IDPs. Furthermore, Danmission will seek to coordinate with other organisations working in the same area when undertaking needs assessments, and will involve the civil authorities and relevant institutions, making sure that interventions that receive support are coordinated and contribute to the overall national poverty reduction policies. Danmission will encourage exchanges between partners internationally through partner forums, and through sharing and cooperation on topics of shared interest. For example, Tanzania and Myanmar share interest in PETS as a means of improving budget accountability, and various countries have Natural Resource Management issues in common – including Cambodia, Tanzania and Myanmar. As another example, in Cambodia, Danmission sometimes plays a role of bringing NGOs together and facilitating cooperation between NGOs on topics such as governance and inter-religious peace-building. Finally, Danmission will link with like-minded international organisations in order to gain access to technical resources and best practice documents that can strengthen partner capacity and enhance Danmission’s own institutional knowledge. One possibility that has been identified is to link with Tearfund UK, which has developed a number of technical facilities that have already proven their relevance in a development setting.
3.8. Sustainability and exit strategy Securing sustainability is central to all Danmission’s planning, implementation and follow-up of project interventions as well as in partnership capacity building and learning processes. Danmission’s exit and sustainability approaches are included in its quality assurance strategy and as part of the project management processes. Danmission understands exit strategies for project interventions as being strategies viewed according to criteria for when desired results are achieved and for possible replication plans to start up in other areas. Exit strategies are to be seen from longer term economic, environmental and organisational sustainability perspectives. Danmission’s partners are very different in their capacities to develop well-planned exit strategies. Some partners have well-developed models with defined benchmarks, following and measuring the ability of participating CBOs to develop working plans that include conducting a local analysis, involving their constituency, developing financial self-reliance as well as linking to government programmes. This will also include selfmonitoring tools to assess continuous progress in relation to the CBO’s organisational capacity and financial independence. By monitoring progress, partners and CBOs are together able to assess the readiness of CBOs to supervise their own activities. Other partners have very little experience of establishing and developing the capacity of CBOs or of ensuring sustainable exits from programme interventions. Danmission incorporates sustainability issues and exit plans into our work of mutual learning and capacity building between partners.
3.9. Future strategic outlook In 2014-17, there will be continued efforts and a long-term strategic focus on enabling our partners to provide effective capacity building to self-governing and self-sustaining organisations, as well as to promote networks with secular and church-based institutions with the purpose of strengthening the contribution of Danmission’s programme to broad cooperation among civil society actors in the national context. Increased attention will be given to both the specific advantages of and the common challenges facing church partners. This includes the relationship between development work and religious work, the combination of a rightsbased approach that is rooted in service delivery, and the creation of an effective connection between a
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local and a national strategy for poverty reduction. The legitimacy and accountability of each partner organization in its own context is pivotal. The legitimacy of the actual partnership is measured by the level of mutuality and the ability to share and receive learning, constantly seeking new ways to enhance the effect and impact of the work. Danmission will consider inclusion of Madagascar in the programme after the first two years, as Danida funding for Egypt might need to be phased out due to its economic growth. However, at present the economic outlook for Egypt with the current political crisis is impossible to predict. An external evaluation of Danmission’s programme for the period 2011-13 will be conducted in 2013. The evaluation will look at the programme level and the relevance and success of Danmission’s added value contribution to the programme and partners’ interventions, as well as the relevance of linking dialogue, civil society promotion and improved living conditions. The evaluation will be supported by individual project reviews and evaluations. These, together, are expected to create a further basis for strategic adjustments. In addition, the evaluation will analyse the efficiency of the programme set-up and look at the relevance of initiating a regional approach: With a portfolio of six countries in different areas of the world consideration has been given as to whether a regional structure for the Danmission programme would fit better with the needs on the ground. This would entail a geographic division as follows: Asia: Myanmar, Cambodia and Bangladesh, Africa: Tanzania, and Middle East: Egypt A regionalised structure would facilitate synergy and promote mutual learning, and make it easier to manage. There are natural overlaps between the countries in Asia as all partners work with community-based development in rural areas, with elements of self-help groups and strengthening of community structures and the local peoples’ ability to advocate for their rights. Danmission already has in place a regional management structure for Africa that combines Madagascar and Tanzania, should Madagascar become part of the framework agreement. In the Middle East, the situation in Egypt and the projects that are proposed for implementation under the programme differ in many ways from the others. Dialogue, religion and the effects of the Arab Spring are all features that are more present in the Egyptian situation, and offer more coordination, including scope for synergy through mutual learning, with other Danmission activities in the Middle East. The programme intervention in Egypt is linked to Danmission’s programme under the Arab Initiative, which is active in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. Danmission has already established a regional management structure, with three regional leaders corresponding to the geographical division mentioned above. Danmission will consider the benefits of regionalisation and take a decision during 2014.
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4. Countries and partners Chapter four presents the countries and partners. The first part presents each country with a description of the partner(s). Main features of the national contexts that form the political space for strategic priorities are presented under the two objectives of the programme, leading to an outline of the way forward for the work in 2014-17. For a more detailed analysis of each country, please refer to annex 9. The second part explains the added value of the programme, and a third part describes assumptions, risks and preconditions.
4.1. Bangladesh Danmission has one partner in Bangladesh, SUPOTH, which works in seven districts in Northern Bangladesh. SUPOTH has operated its community development programme with gradual modifications for 20 years. A process of formulating Danmission’s country strategy for Bangladesh will take place in 2013. There are at present no plans to add new partners to the programme. Instead Danmission plans to support SUPOTH in broadening its collaboration with strategic partners, networks and alliances. SUPOTH (Scheme for Under Privileged People to Organize Themselves) was established by BLM-D (Bangladesh Lutheran Mission-Danish), BLC (Bangladesh Lutheran Church) and CRWRC (Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) in 1991 with financial support from Danida through the Danish Santal Mission (now Danmission). SUPOTH is one of the few NGOs in Bangladesh that work in the poor northern districts of Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Naogoan, Rajshahi and Chapai Nawabganj, and the only one working with self-help as opposed to micro-credit. SUPOTH has throughout the past 20 years developed a concept for civil society development through forming self-help groups (SHGs), which then are formed into so called people’s institutions (Thana federations) and then into regional federations. This way, CSOs with the capacity to act as change agents at district and regional level are formed on the basis of village groupings.
4.1.1. Danmission main focal priorities in Bangladesh 2014-2017 SUPOTH is operating its community development programme in a socio-political context characterised by an active civil society, dominated by a powerful NGO environment, in which NGOs are the most important providers of social services. The state is weak and unaccountable and has until today preserved religious laws that severely impede women’s economic, political and personal opportunities. Lack of proper legislation on land and inheritance, and poor implementation of the government’s land reform is an issue, which for SUPOTH’s marginalized target groups cuts across the range of problems which relate to Danmisison’s two programme objectives.
Global Programme Objective I: Strong independent civil society able to participate in and improve governance on the local and national level:
Building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens
Promoting conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence
Well-established and widespread political activity, entrepreneurship and voluntarism among NGOs, movements and communities, combined with a decentralised government structure, indicates that civil society holds the potential and room for manoeuvre for influencing political processes and claiming rights. However, strong ties of patronage, personal co-dependence and corruption contribute to blurring the scope for
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collaboration and negotiation between state and NGOs.2 Therefore, despite the existence of a vast number of NGOs in Bangladesh and their direct contributions to service, economic growth and advocacy, a strong and vibrant civil society, which stretches beyond formal democratic practice, does not really exist.3 The efficiency of local governments is questionable, and gender equality is far behind. Severe violations of women’s rights continue to exist in political and social spheres. Violence against women and conflicts over property inheritance are often related. Family conflicts over dowry, early marriage and land often result in severe violence against women. At the same time, outcast Hindus and ethnic communities are socially and politically marginalised and most vulnerable to extreme poverty. SUPOTH is continuously gaining ground in relation to capacity building of CSOs, advocacy and conflict resolution. Danmission will support SUPOTH in further strengthening its efforts within the following areas:
SUPOTH has strengthened linkages to policy advocacy networks and national organisations, which work for gender equality, land rights and accessibility of the legal system for the poor
Thana federations are linked to sub district levels of the same NGOs and networks. Regional federations are networking with district level NGOS for policy dialogue and legal support
In order to promote just decision making processes and gender equality in local governments, training and regulation will be an area of focus for SUPOTH, along with continued efforts to have CBO members elected for local government tiers
Increased support to local and regional federations to ensure that the allocation and distribution of funds for local governments takes place properly
Training of mediators is provided in order to ensure that local, both formal and informal structures of mediation are a just alternative to a formal legal process
Mediation sub-committees are established in federations and trained to tackle conflicts over dowry, early marriage, violence and land
Global Programme Objective II: Improved living conditions for marginalized and vulnerable groups in target areas:
Access to viable productive resources (land, forest, water sources, etc.).
Building sustainable income generation opportunities for marginalized communities
Lack of access to land is a dominant issue, which upholds the rural farming communities in poverty. There are laws regarding distribution of government land, as well as laws that ensure day labourers’ and tenants’ right to returns of agricultural production. However, elite-capture and weak implementation continues to hamper the success of such laws. Women are particularly vulnerable to landlessness. Within the constitution of Bangladesh, religious communities can rightfully maintain their religious laws. According to religious law in Bangladesh, women have little or no right to own or inherit land. No legal provision in national legislation ensures women any right to land.⁴
2 Civil Society in Bangladesh: Vibrant but not Vigilant (2007), Farhat Tasnim 3 Old and new civil societies? Reflections on NGOs, state and democracy in Bangladesh (2009), David Lewis, Journal des anthropologues
⁴ www. fao.org: Gender and land Rights Database
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Most community members in SUPOTH’s target areas work as a day labourers, and women’s wages are remarkably lower than men’s. Unskilled Adivashi (tribal people) and outcast Hindu are especially vulnerable to unemployment. Bangladesh is disposed to heavy floods, which destroys crops, and an on-going water conflict with India magnifies the problem of floods. At the same time rainfall is insufficient, and Bangladesh is affected by groundwater depletion and water pollution. SUPOTH works for land rights, improved job creation and forms of income generation, which are less vulnerable to drought and floods.
With the support of SUPOTH, three regional federations have established networks and formed a movement to claim access for the poor to Khas land, Khas ponds and other water reserves
Regional Federations are engaged in policy advocacy to change the law of inheritance and try to develop women’s education and skills to increase their opportunities for employment
SUPOTH is networking with legal support organisations at national level with the purpose of advocating for a change in the inheritance law for women
SUPOTH continues to promote loans through savings for the ultra-poor, combined with a training and loan facility for small and medium micro enterprises, as well as skill training in agriculture for petty farmers
Regional and Thana federations engage in advocacy efforts for strengthening the government’s targeting and coverage of social safety nets, as well as efforts for increase of safety nets for the ultra-poor
Regional and Thana federations engage in collaboration with private sector companies for publicprivate partnerships, in order to promote private investments and job creation
4.2. Cambodia Project interventions in Cambodia for the 2014 to 2017 period will be implemented by Danmission’s three current partners, PNKS (Ponleu Ney Kdey Sangkhum – Light of Hope), International Cooperation Cambodia (ICC PARCE) and Peace Bridges Organisation (PBO). So that Danmission can optimize advocacy potential across partners, the aim will be to engage in pilot activities with one of the movements – and the Community Peacebuilding Network (CPN) and/or the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC) are both being considered. Danmission has been involved in Cambodia since 1995, primarily in Preah Sdach district of Prey Veng Province. In cooperation with one of the former owners of International Cooperation Cambodia, World Concern, Danmission was involved in a Danida-supported integrated development project in 1995. The project was operated under World Concern and was aimed at bringing about sustainable improvements in health by focusing on training in basic midwifery skills and improvements in access to safe water, sanitation and rural credit. This project was followed by other development projects and, in 2005, preparations for the PARCE Phase 1 project commenced, with the support of Danmission. The project is operated under International Cooperation Cambodia. In late 2011, Danmission entered into a partnership with PNKS and now supports its project in Preah Sdach district of Prey Veng Province. In the same year, Danmission also entered into a partnership with PBO. The goal of PARCE is to empower the least-served communities, poor and very poor families, to produce sufficient food and income to meet their own needs and for them to experience improved physical and spiritual family well-being. PNKS wants vulnerable groups to increase and diversify their income sources, increasingly enforcing their right to express their concerns and for local authorities to be more
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responsive to these concerns. PBO’s objective is to establish and maintain a vision, values and skills for non-violent communication through strategically placed peacebuilders who can spread the vision, values and skills throughout their circles of influence, starting with their families and close community contacts, followed by their wider circles of influence in their communes, communities and organisations. PARCE and PNKS have a long history of presence in Preah Sdach district and have extensive insights into and experience of the local context. The two partners work in separate communes but are involved in similar networks, for instance, Prey Veng Network, providing opportunities for synergy and initiating joint initiatives. PBO works with partners in all 24 provinces, including Prey Veng. PARCE and PNKS have received training in conflict analysis and peacebuilding from PBO, enabling the two organisations to train CBOs in this field and to address local conflicts. Further opportunities for cooperation between the three partners exist in a number of areas, and these will be developed in the years to come. Danmission will, over the coming period, maintain the geographical focus of implementation on Prey Veng Province through PARCE and PNKS but will also engage at the national level in the areas of productive resource conflicts and peacebuilding, through PBO and the movements. The intervention strategy has been developed on the basis of lessons learned from projects implemented in the challenging political context of Cambodia. All the partner organisations have developed projects that fit well with the themes of Danmission’s poverty strategy, each of them providing a valuable contribution to achieving the global programme’s two objectives. The following section describes the focal areas of intervention prioritised by Danmission, presented under the heading of the Global Programme Objectives and four themes.
4.2.1. Danmission’s main focal priorities for Cambodia 2014-2017 Effective implementation of the two programme objectives in the Cambodian context is, to a large extent, hampered by two predominant factors; first, a weak and fragmented civil society coupled with a hostile government attitude towards NGOs engaging in politically sensitive issues; second, a patron-client culture that still largely determines the daily practice in the villages. Civil society’s room for manoeuvre is very limited and the rights-based working approach and advocacy initiatives need to be applied in a manner that does not provoke the political system, putting the organisations at risk.
Global Programme Objective I: Strong independent civil society able to participate in and improve governance at the local and national level:
Building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens
Promotion of conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence
In Cambodia, the notion of political power is absolute by nature; the executive branch, which is controlled by the ruling party, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), is in complete control of the legislative and judicial branches. Over the past years, the political space has been shrinking, with only little room of manoeuvre left for civil society actors and the political opposition to engage in. Cambodian civil society is weak and fragmented, civil society actors have - to varying degrees - been co-opted by the government, and limited links exist between the two main civil society sectors (NGOs and movements), thus constraining the role civil society can play. Some degree of peace has been achieved but structural violence - in terms of violence carried out and sanctioned by the state - is widespread and occurs in the context of an absence of the rule of law, a culture of patron-clientelism, and rent-seeking. The government and its allies in the private sector are increasingly making use of the legal system to silence and suppress civil society actors and manipulate the legal system to their own ends. Several structural deficits and challenges exist: impunity, corruption, violent police suppression of activities, etc. The implementation of government policies and laws is generally extremely weak, due among other things to executive control of the judi-
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cial branch, capacity constraints, budget limitations and corruption.⁵ Domestic violence is widespread in Cambodia but few incidents are reported. Danmission will, over the coming years, continue to support advocacy initiatives and experiment with working approaches that enable partners to realise their potential within the room for manoeuvre allowed for civil society actors. Danmission’s partners (PARCE and PNKS) have made efforts to improve the understanding of rights among ‘rights-holders’ and ‘duty-bearers’ but limited attempts have been made to empower and organise rights-holders to claim their rights. Danmission will therefore, over the coming period and together with the implementing partners, explore ways in which a rights-based approach can be implemented in a more distinct manner.
Danmission wants to improve its partners’ capacities in the rights-based approach so that the partners can pursue methodologies that will enable them and the rights-holders to analyse the situation and claim their rights in accordance with the law.
Danmission will support partners to continue actively initiating and engaging in networks. The partners are currently involved in networks such as Cambodia NGOs’ Capacity Building Network, NGO Forum, Cambodia Advocacy Network, Network Prey Veng, Working Group of Peace and Action Asia, which is a regional peace network. In addition, two of the partners are members of the Cooperation Committee of Cambodia.
In order to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and advocacy efforts around farming and productive resource issues, Danmission will work with one new partner from one of the movements – both CPN, which organises communities around land and forest issues, and CCFC, which advocates for farmers’ and land issues, are currently being considered.
Danmission will support the partners to find ways of cooperating with movements, for example CPN and CCDC, with a view to engaging in joint initiatives related to poor and marginalised people and productive resources.
As a result of sensitive relationships between civil society actors and the authorities, Danmission will support PBO to follow up on peacebuilding initiatives with PNKS and PARCE in order to enable them to find new ways of and opportunities for advocating peacefully on sensitive issues with Village Development Committees (VDCs) and Commune Councils (CCs).
Danmission will support PBO to continue to provide long-term training in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, at individual, community and institutional levels, and to enter into partnerships with networks, movements and organisations that are addressing structural barriers to development and peace.
Danmission will support PBO to continue to enable duty-bearers at various government levels, including ministry level, to resolve conflicts and build peace in conflict-affected communities.
As conflicts are a factor contributing to poverty, Danmission will continue to support the efforts of PARCE, PNKS and PBO to enable poor families and communities to solve conflicts and build peace.
Danmission will support the partners to continue enabling families, communities and local authorities to prevent and address domestic violence.
⁵ Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2012
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Global Programme Objective II: Improved living conditions for marginalised and vulnerable groups in target areas:
Access to viable productive resources (land, forest, water sources, etc.).
Building sustainable income generation opportunities for marginalised communities
Productive resources represent a highly sensitive area in the Cambodian political context as powerful people and companies are involved in using these resources, often illegally. As a result of, inter alia, weak law enforcement, small-scale farmers have been left vulnerable to land grabs, mining and real-estate projects as fast-paced economic development has swept through the country. Estimates suggest that more than 400,000 Cambodians have been evicted from their farms or homes since 2003.⁶ Poverty has fallen from 47 per cent in 1993 to 30 per cent in 2007. However, a third of Cambodians still live below the national poverty line (2,473 riel or US$0.61). Eighty per cent of the population is rural and, of the total poor, 92 per cent live in rural areas. Inequality has risen dramatically; the Gini coefficient has risen from 0.35 in 1994 to 0.40 in 2004 and 0.43 in 2007. More recently, inequality has increased not only between rural and urban areas but also within rural areas. Rural inequality rose from 0.27 in 1994 to 0.33 in 2004 and climbed again to 0.36 in 2007. Twelve per cent of households, or 1.7 million individuals, were food insecure and most of these were affected by increases in food prices. Cambodia is among the 36 countries with the highest burden of child under-nutrition.⁷ Danmission will, over the coming years, support improved living conditions for poor and marginalised communities in Cambodia, through PNKS and PARCE in Prey Veng Province. Access to productive resources has, over the implementation period, proved essential to addressing poverty in Cambodia. Danmission will therefore partner with one of the Cambodian movements engaged in productive resource issues, and will support PBO’s efforts to enable movements to advocate via peaceful means.
Danmission and its partners will, over the coming period, strengthen their strategic focus on productive resource issues by cooperating with movements, for instance CPN or CCFC. Movements in Cambodia have a comparative advantage as, compared to NGOs, they have close links with the grassroots and are better at organising and mobilising communities.
PBO has provided peacebuilding training to members of one the movements (CPN) as many members are engaged in conflicts over productive resources. PBO intends to reach out to other movements involved in productive resource conflicts but they are very cautious in doing so in order to avoid attracting the attention of the government. Danmission will support PBO in its continued efforts to engage with movements.
PARCE and PNKS are involved in building the capacity of CBOs, CCs and VDCs to respond to natural disasters and adapt to climate change. Danmission will continue to support and strengthen the work of PARCE and PNKS in this area.
With the decentralisation reforms, a certain degree of space has emerged for civil society engagement in local development. Danmission will therefore support PNKS and PARCE to: 1) initiate a cluster approach for advocacy purposes and organise farmers‘ groups across villages; 2) advocate for increased allocations of commune funds to pro-poor initiatives and for a transparent system and greater accuracy in identifying poor households (the so-called ID poverty range system); and 3) advocate for more and better quality agricultural extension services and improved pro-poor public services.
⁶ Hodal (2013) Cambodian activist in attempt to overturn conviction, The Guardian, 5 March 2013 ⁷ http://www.un.org.kh/undp/what-we-do/poverty-reduction/poverty-reduction
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As the poor landless and most marginalised have been difficult to target with relevant initiatives, Danmission places a high priority on ensuring that PNKS and PARCE become proactive in involving the communities in: 1) targeting the poor landless and most marginalised of the poor; 2) initiating income-generating activities for poor landless groups, for example, home-gardening, chicken-raising, membership of self-help groups, and other locally-viable initiatives; and 3) incorporating gender equality into their projects.
4.3. EGYPT Danmission has been working in Egypt since the early 1990s. In the initial years, the focus was mainly on religious dialogue and studies. From 2002-3 on, the work with dialogue was broadened and became an overall point of departure for working on poverty reduction and social change. Poverty reduction interventions have focused on areas such as education, health, employment and agricultural development and have had a specific focus on children and youth as groups at risk. The strategic approach of the work in Egypt developed markedly from around 2004 on, towards a rights-based approach focusing on empowering and organising citizens to be able to access public services and advocating for the appropriate adoption of policies and regulations. Danmission has mainly been working with one main partner in Egypt, the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Service, CEOSS. CEOSS has a strong technical and methodological base, and is an important NGO in the Egyptian civil society landscape. CEOSS has been working with poverty reduction, community development, intercultural dialogue and the promotion of democracy and good governance for many years, within a programmatic approach. The organisation has extensive experience of participatory techniques and rights-based approaches, and has developed a set of methodological tools for local advocacy and involvement. CEOSS has a strong focus on peace-building and intercultural dialogue, implemented through the Forum for Intercultural Dialogue (FID) programme. This work focuses on dialogue between Egyptians, across social and religious barriers, with the purpose of building tolerance, enhancing acceptance of others, creating mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. The programme targets several different groups in society. The main purpose of the intercultural work is to spread the culture of dialogue, citizenship, tolerance, democracy, critical thinking and peaceful co-existence widely, and it constitutes the overall departure point for the work on poverty reduction and social change in Egypt. The project interventions over the 2014 to 2017 period will continue to be implemented with CEOSS. Evaluations and lessons learned from implementation of the 2011-13 programme have strengthened and guided the planning of future interventions and formed the basis of the country strategy note for the coming period. During this period, we will investigate other partners that might be relevant to the strategic framework established for the coming four years. The following section presents the priority focal areas of Danmission’s interventions in Egypt under the different programme objectives.
4.3.1. Danmission’s main focal priorities in Egypt 2014-2017 The intervention strategy for the coming years has been planned and developed on the basis of a contextual analysis of the political and social space, both in relation to civil society’s room for manoeuvre and in relation to implementation constraints created by different political structures. There are several historical and political factors that influence the effective implementation of the two programme objectives. Egypt has a highly centralised governmental decision-making system and a political culture built on a patriarchal authoritarian system with very little involvement of ordinary Egyptians. Moreover, the Egyptian political system exercises strict government control over civil society organisations. Lastly, the current political situation
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in the post-revolutionary period has increased tensions between Muslims and Christians, and is favouring a more conservative Muslim culture. Within the overall programme objective, the specific Egyptian focus will be on addressing the following main areas of intervention:
Dialogue and peaceful co-existence across religious and social boundaries, and civic education.
Strengthened CBOs in terms of addressing problems of governance and civic education.
Improved living conditions of groups at risk (including children and youth).
Danmission will, over the coming period, maintain the present geographical target areas of El Miniya and Beni Suef in Upper Egypt, as well as selected areas in Cairo and Qalubeya. However, the activities of the Dialogue project will continue to have a broad national outreach.
Global Programme Objective I: Strong independent civil society able to participate in and improve governance on the local and national level:
Building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens
Promoting conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence
Political power in Egypt is deeply-rooted in a historically centralised power base. For almost the last 30 years, Egypt was ruled by President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak without interruption, a regime based on the establishment of a state of emergency and characterised as somewhere between an authoritarian and a democratic state. The notion of power was closely linked to the presidential office, leaving only narrow room for real democratic manoeuvring, including strict control of civil society organisations. The main demands of the 2011 revolution were: an end to the Mubarak regime and its emergency law, a new and responsive non-military government in a democratic state with individual freedoms and freedom of speech, justice and social justice, and a say in the management of Egypt’s resources. The post-revolutionary period is, however, a difficult and fragile one and now, two years on, Egypt remains locked in a protracted process of political transition with a deep mistrust between Islamist and secular parties, and Muslim-Christian tension in some parts of the country. The revolution brought the hope of change in many sectors, but there has still been no reform of the CSO law. On the contrary, a new law was recently drafted that even increases the possibility of civil society regulation. Religious extremism, a lack of tolerance and a lack of participation have, for many years, been some of the major problems threatening the development and well-being of Egyptian society. This has been evident in the increasing distrust and occasional outbursts of violence that have occurred for many years between Christian and Muslim communities in both rural and urban areas across Egypt, and which seriously undermine the country’s development. Since the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohamed Morsi, came to power in 2012, and following the subsequent much discussed approval of a new constitution with several controversial paragraphs, one of which stipulates that Muslims clerics should have a say in the legislative process, religious tensions have become even worse. However, now the main tensions are between the Muslim Brotherhood, in power, and the Salafists who support them, on the one hand, and the political opposition and secular voices, on the other. Gender-based discrimination against girls and women, resulting in human rights violations, is frequently seen in Egypt, often forming part of cultural and/or religious-based traditions (for instance FGM⁸ and early marriage). Danmission will, over the coming years, continue to support CEOSS’s initiatives on intercultural dialogue,
⁸ Female Genital Mutilation
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focusing on the anchoring of a culture of dialogue, the notion of citizenship, tolerance, democracy, critical thinking and peaceful co-existence as a departure point for poverty reduction and social change. Moreover Danmission will support ongoing efforts to build the capacity of CSOs, specifically in relation to refining a rights-based approach and methods of improving advocacy skills. Further consideration will be given to supporting CEOSS to refine its method of working with CSOs in clusters. Danmission will also continue to support project interventions in civic education, citizenship and participation in democratic self-government.
Danmission will focus on improving partners’ capacity-building skills and developing best practices in working with CSO clusters. In this regard, Danmission will support CEOSS’s development of capacity-building and advocacy tools for working with clusters of CSO and the possibility of applying the methodologies and tools to other partners both nationally and internationally.
Danmission will support partners’ capacities to incorporate advocacy strategies for CSOs at local level and to develop methods of measuring the impact and sustainability of advocacy activities.
Danmission will continue to support the development and incorporation of civic education and good governance strategies by partners at local level.
Danmission will specifically support partners’ capacity to develop specific strategies and methodologies that ensure local inclusion, accountability and community-based monitoring.
CEOSS’s dialogue work across culture and religion (Forum for Intercultural Dialogue - FID), with a focus on co-existence, has proved more important than ever due to the increase in conflict, and growing pressure on newly-gained hopes for democratic development. Danmission will continue to support the strategy of producing social change by focusing on forums and the training of different groups within Egyptian society on a culture of dialogue, citizenship, tolerance, democracy, critical thinking and peaceful co-existence. Moreover, Danmission will continue to support CEOSS to engage in conflict resolution at the local level, and to develop strategic approaches.
A stronger focus will be placed on developing new partnerships and institutional links with civil society groups in the dialogue work.
In the FID programme, Danmission will support the development of a greater focus on local level work by strengthening the participation of marginalised groups.
Specific attention will be paid to the rights of women, who played a vital role in the revolutionary change but who have been seriously sidelined in the post-revolutionary period.
Global Programme Objective II: Improved living conditions for marginalised and vulnerable groups in target areas:
Access to viable productive resources (land, forest, water sources, etc.).
Building sustainable income generation opportunities for marginalised communities
Agriculture plays a very important role in Egypt and access to land is a central problem, specifically in Upper Egypt. The number of landless farmers is high, and almost three-quarters of all Egypt’s farmers own less than 1 acre of land. Egypt‘s agricultural resource base is concentrated along the River Nile and is coming under heavy pressure from a growing population, urbanisation and industrial expansion. At the same time, climate change is degrading a significant area of agricultural land each year. Fishery resources are deteriorating, thus increasing the pressure on fishers. Women have the legal right to own and inherit land but the legal framework and social custom discriminate against them, resulting in low levels of female land ownership. Small landowners also lack assets that could be used as credit guarantees for the more technologyintensive ventures that are necessary in agricultural processes, such as dehydration, frosting and packaging. Small farmers also lack information on the most profitable markets as well as on the most profitable crops
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in terms of productivity and marketability. They further lack bargaining power when marketing their products due to a lack of farmers’ associations. Livestock production is a large industry in Egypt with the overwhelming majority of breeders being smallscale. Fishery is also small-scale, and seasonal only, generating very low incomes and being highly susceptible to market fluctuations. These groups are often dependent on secondary means to supplement their incomes where they face many similar obstacles that limit their productivity and ability to produce quality products: a lack of training in appropriate techniques and legal frameworks, limited knowledge of market demand, a lack of physical and financial resources to improve the quality of the product and expand production, a lack of associations, climate change and pollution. Reaching the very poor has proved a challenge. Improved targeting of assistance is required to reach the most vulnerable groups in Egyptian society, including women in rural area. Danmission will, over the coming years, support CEOSS’s continued development efforts to organise and empower at-risk groups and marginalised people (including children at risk and youth) in order to enhance their quality of life through advocacy and a rights-based approach. On the background of the lack of decentralisation, strong efforts to involve and develop networks, including the private sector and duty-bearers, will continue to be central to the strategy. In light of environmental and climate problems and growing pressure on the land, Danmission will promote sustainable agricultural development and focus on marginalised people’s rights and access to resources, both understood as natural resources such as land, water, fish etc. and as production and market resources.
In targeting groups at risk, Danmission will support the partner to develop ways of ensuring that the poorest people in the communities are reached. This could be done through developing methods of poverty assessment.
Danmission will continue to support a specific focus on income-generating activities for poor landless groups. Initiatives could include home gardening, dairy production and other locally viable initiatives.
Danmission will support the partner to strengthen its specific focus on women in income-generating activities and access to labour opportunities and public life.
CEOSS has been working with micro-finance systems and, in combination with advocacy training, has developed practical training possibilities through small service projects, financed by sub-grants. Impact evaluation and further development of this strategy will be supported by Danmission, taking advantage of the results from other parts of Danmission’s programmatic work.
Danmission will support the development of a stronger strategic focus on rights to accessing productive resources, understood on three levels: access to natural resources, access to productive resources and access to market.
Danmission will promote the incorporation of environmental and climate issues and resilience strategies as a way to secure livelihoods and develop income-generating opportunities for groups at risk.
4.4. India Danmission will gradually phase out the Danida-funded programme interventions in India during 2014 and 2015. Cooperation with the partner in South India will continue after 2015, albeit on a smaller scale with Danmission’s own funding resources. This cooperation will include church development work and poverty reduction work, in line with Danmission’s strategies. The work in 2014-15 will follow up on results obtained in previous years of programme interventions.
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The thematic focus of the 2011-2013 programme on ‘poverty reduction for poor and disempowered communities, strengthening of an independent civil society and improved governance’ will be continued over the coming period (2014-2015). This will be achieved via an exit strategy that consolidates the results and activities in order to ensure the future sustainability of results, including capacity and advocacy strategies. The main focus of Danmission’s work in India in the past has been on child rights, empowerment of women and the rights of marginalised groups (especially Dalit and Adivasi (tribal people) communities in Tamil Nadu). Danmission has a longstanding partnership with its partner in South India, the Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC), dating back to the very beginnings of Danmission’s work in India in the 19th century (1864). ALC was established by the Danish Missionary Society (the predecessor to Danmission) in 1864 with a vision to serve marginalised Dalit and Tribal communities in the districts of Tamil Nadu (Cuddalore, Villupuram, Dharmapuri, Salem, Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai and Chennai) and in Pondicherry. Approx. 5-7% of the population of these areas are church members. ALC’s vision is to establish a just community that overcomes caste, class, gender, religious divide, poverty and the other forms of discrimination in a multi-faith context. The church’s development coordination offices and its attached department, the ALC School, are responsible for implementing the poverty reduction interventions. Since its very beginnings, ALC has provided an education for the most marginalised Dalit and Adivasi communities in the Arcot area of Tamil Nadu in South India. Since 2008, ALC has been adopting rights-based methodologies in its project planning and implementation, focusing on developing systems for a more equal distribution of goods and services among some of India’s most marginalised citizens. The two main projects being implemented with ALC in South India in recent years are: the Comprehensive Child Rights Programme working to empower children and their mothers in marginalised Dalit and Tribal communities so that they can take an active part in decision-making and advocate for their rights and access to public resources; and the Comprehensive Health and Community Development in Jawadhi and Kalrayan Hills project, aimed at improving the socio-economic situation, health, education and nutritional status of the tribal population living in Jawadhi and Kalrayan Hills and their ability to exercise their rights. The following section describes the focal areas of intervention, prioritised to ensure a sustainable exit strategy, presented under the relevant global objectives for Danmission’s work.
4.4.1. Danmission’s main focal priorities in India 2014-2015 Initiatives included in the forthcoming exit phase will constitute a continuation as well as a consolidation of the activities carried out under Danmission’s 2011–2013 programme. This entails an overall strengthening of civil society by empowering children, youth and women to take an active part in the relevant CSOs at local community level. Initiatives will focus on 1) Child Rights & Empowerment: Civic and Child Rights Education, awareness raising and mobilisation among local communities, key opinion leaders and duty-bearers; 2) Women’s Rights & Empowerment: targeting women’s organisations in SHG and federations, working on awareness raising and mobilisation around gender-related topics in local communities and among dutybearers; 3) Advocacy at the level of local and state-level decision-makers: advocacy groups cooperating with local panchayat institutions for the inclusion of marginalised people in decision-making and to provide access to public services. On a state level, cooperating with the respective ministries with regard to civic education and the promotion of child rights.
Global Programme Objective I: Strong independent civil society able to participate in and improve governance at the local and national level: While India’s economy has been growing over the last decades, an inequality gap continues to divide the population. The Human Development Index ranks India 136th out of 186 measured countries. The World Bank states that “beneath India’s impressive growth rate is a tale of ‘two Indias’. While one India is on a rapid
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development trajectory, the other has 300 million people living below the poverty line, and wide gender, caste, ethnic and regional disparities”.⁹ Recently, Tamil Nadu state estimated that 31.2 % (rural) and 40.2% (urban) of Tamil Nadu’s Dalit population was considered poor – overall poverty in Tamil Nadu is 22.9 % while the average poverty figure for the whole of India is 28%.1⁰ Poverty levels are not uniform across India and differ considerably from state to state. While states such as Delhi, Goa and Punjab have poverty rates of approximately 10%, Tamil Nadu has a poverty rate of around 22.9 %11 - and considerably higher among Dalit and Adivasi castes. The practice of discrimination, violence and atrocities committed against marginalised people persists in spite of several legal measures adopted by the Indian government. The Dalit and Adivasi in particular are often denied their social and political rights, privileges and an equal share of constitutional benefits. The 2001 census states that 26% of India’s population is Dalit and Adivasi, and that almost 85% of them live below the poverty line. Agriculture, which contributes nearly 22% of India’s GDP, is the main source of income for the Dalit and Adivasi. Unequal land distribution and access to significant resources obliterates the chances of alleviating poverty for this particular group. Marginalised people that belong to the Scheduled Casts and Adivasi often lack access to basic services in spite of the booming Indian economy. Access to services at local community level is clearly dependent on caste status. The local governance system (panchayat13) favours powerful people, who have their interests well-vested in the local-level decision-making body, while citizens belonging to Scheduled Castes and Adivasi are excluded from decision-making. The lack of well-functioning democratic structures at local level, such as the rural panchayats, is critical to the poverty situation in rural India. These institutions are often captured and ruled by groups relating to a specific caste, political party or people of certain economic interest and power, who then often channel public benefits to their own group. Civic education and information on government programmes is central to empowering the rural poor and for the development of an equal and fair distribution of local benefits and public services. Civil society organisations play a particularly important role in relation to public services and poverty reduction programmes, as CSOs are often contracted by the state to take responsibility for local service provision. CSOs can play an important role in the struggle for social justice, civic and political literacy and poverty reduction among marginalised groups in India. Based on the results of current and former projects and the political space available, a two-year programme will be formulated as a comprehensive Exit and Sustainability Strategy. The following outlines the main points of the exit strategy.
Exit & Sustainability Strategy ALC has, in recent years, re-directed its poverty reduction methodology away from service delivery and towards a rights-based approach. The Comprehensive Child Rights Programme (CCRP) and the Comprehensive Health and Community Development project are indicative of this shift in applied methodologies from 2008 onwards. Both programmes will end their current phases in 2013. CCRP (which is now in the 2nd phase) has been implemented for six years while the Health and Community Development Project has been implemented since 2007. In the exit phase, advocacy and capacity building interventions at the local level will be consolidated to enhance the sustainability of results, with the purpose of strengthening civil society and human rights aware-
⁹ UNDP (2009), Human Development Report 2009, India , p.1 1⁰ UNDP (2011), Human Development Report 2011, India, p. 83. 11 Azad India Foundation, Poverty in India. Source: http://azadindia.org/social-issues/poverty-in-india.html 13 Village council
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ness among the marginalised groups and key stakeholders. Danmission envisages continuing some efforts after 2015 – though on a considerably lower financial level. A two-year consolidation phase that sustains learning and best practices in relation to CCRP and Health and Community Development project will therefore be designed in the second half of 2013. The exit phase will conclude with an assessment of the methodologies used and the formulation of a strategic outlook for ALC’s work with marginalised groups after 2015. The main points of the exit strategy will be as follows:
Danmission will support ALC’s further engagement with public authorities and the Ministry of Education in order to consolidate the working strategies. The ALC School Project has established communication and cooperation with the Ministry of Education and some local public schools.
Active networking with like-minded organisations will be supported. In relation to child labour, ALC has established a small network of like-minded CBOs working on this issue. This avenue can be further developed and consolidated. It provides an appropriate platform for mobilisation and awareness creation on children’s and women’s rights and the empowerment of marginalised groups.
The capacity of women’s groups and federations will be further developed and sustainable plans for future work will be developed specifically in relation to governance and microfinance.
ALC’s capacities in terms of project management, documentation and policy analysis will be supported. This will strengthen the organisation’s capacities to analyse important issues and formulate comprehensive advocacy strategies.
Danmission will support ALC’s fundraising capacity, enabling it build up a more diversified funding base and network in India and internationally.
4.5. Myanmar Project interventions in Myanmar for the 2014 to 2017 period will be implemented by Shalom. Nyein (Shalom) Foundation was founded in 2000 in Myitkyina, Kachin State, with a vision of ‘A just and peaceful society for all people in Myanmar’. For the last 13 years, Shalom Foundation (SF) has worked to attain peace and development for the people of Myanmar, successfully creating spaces for constructive dialogue between the government and the ethnic groups. Since 2009, Danmission has supported different fellow projects in Kachin. These work by training young people in facilitation skills and then placing them in communities to play practical roles in assisting community development. Since the resurgence of the conflict in Kachin, the current project has operated in a context whereby most of the target group consists of displaced communities. This creates a huge challenge in three respects - 1.) The trauma suffered by the majority of Kachin communities and the negative impacts this has on possibilities for community development; 2.) Unclear plans being promoted by the government for the return of refugees and IDPs for community rebuilding; and 3.) Peace-building processes in civil society. Since 2011, DM has supported a MAS fellow project in Mon State. The project covers both areas of Mon State and Mon region in Kayin State, where many ethnic Mon people live. The area is under the control of the New Mon State party. The project is challenged by extensive migration to Thailand. DM will consider the advantages of including a new partner in Myanmar. The following section describes the focal areas of intervention as prioritised by Danmission, presented under the heading of the Global Programme Objectives and four themes.
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4.5.1. Danmission’s main focal priorities in Myanmar 2014-2017 Several reforms have been initiated in Myanmar since the new constitution and elections in 2010. One important milestone was the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and her election to parliament in 2012. There are, however, still many obstacles to development in Myanmar, in particular the ongoing conflicts. Conflict situations have eased in the South-East conflict zones following ceasefires; however, in Kachin, the 17-year ceasefire has turned once more into a bitter struggle between government and ethnic groups, resulting in 100,000 IDPs. Although there are religious issues in all of the current conflicts, in reality, they are far more deeply-rooted in the lack of state provision of basic rights to an ethnic group, with resentment resulting from differential treatment in a complex situation. Nowhere as yet are issues of benefitsharing between ethnic groups and the dominant Bamar being satisfactorily discussed as no groups have, in reality, achieved “political dialogue” as an objective in the peace process. Any peace that exists therefore remains fragile.
Global Programme Objective I: Strong independent civil society able to participate in and improve governance at the local and national level:
Building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens
Promoting conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence
A number of factors could destabilise the reform process, either in part or in whole. There is significant potential for an escalation of ethnic tensions and the 2015 elections may result in further conflict. Plans established over the next Danmission strategy period need to focus on on-going development directions but also cater for a variety of scenarios. While many maintain that current changes are irreversible, it is clear that some changes are, and some are not. The extent of regression in a negative scenario is an issue of great relevance. The last two years have seen a dramatic increase in civil society’s preparedness to engage with the state. Local groups can be considered far more active in this respect than most international groups. Advocacy has taken many forms; however, the expansion of freedom of the media and growth in social networking information has probably been two of the largest effects enabling a significant expansion of an involved and active audience. Niche policy work can also extend this further. The link between poor governance and a lack of basic services has also been heightened and, particularly with land-use conflicts, people have made the link between livelihood loss and poor land governance in many different areas of the country. A greater focus on policy dialogue has also emerged, with particular emphasis on land work, proposed investment projects, extractive revenue issues and national budget issues. Many aspects of the conflict situation in Myanmar remain extremely fragile. The continuing unresolved situation in Kachin and the very troubling Rakhine and other community conflict situations highlight the many difficulties that need to be taken into account, even when considering areas where peace processes are proceeding more successfully, such as the south-east areas. Business actors are intimately linked to aspects of both the conflicts and the peace processes in many different ways. Conflict areas are also interconnected in a number of ways and cannot be separated to the extent that many believe. The failure of the long ceasefire in Kachin gives great insight into other areas. Key stakeholders to be considered in all the peace processes are the conflict groups, ethnic groups, faithbased groups, the elite, business groups and vulnerable groups – with a particular emphasis on the women’s perspective and involvement. Not all overlap in ways that would be expected, and not all relevant groups are represented in the processes at this point. Because of the complexities of vested interests, the links between elite, military, state-owned business and business actors, and a history of cronyism, governance improvement and benefit-sharing aspects will be important, and among the key aspects in moving the democratic process forward.
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During the coming programme period, the partners will work on the following:
Danmission plans to continue and expand the fellow project in Kachin, where Danmission has been active since 2009. The Kachin project is under severe pressure because of the armed conflict; however, the fellows are able to make a difference and provide some support for community work.
Together with the Shalom Foundation, Danmission will undertake a fact-finding mission with a view to planning a fellow project in Kayin State.
There are possibilities for a wide range of activities with working group members, including Christian organisations. An assessment mission to Kayin State will look into the possibility of including the Mon region of Kayin State in a new fellow project. There are likely to be language issues that cannot easily be solved.
Global Programme Objective II: Improved living conditions for marginalised and vulnerable groups in target areas:
Access to viable productive resources (land, forest, water sources, etc.).
Building sustainable income generation opportunities for marginalised communities
Resource and benefit-sharing issues between central and ethnic governments are a critical factor in a successful dialogue between groups. Recognition of this on the part of the central government is really only now beginning. Work on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) process is offering some positive progress in this regard. Myanmar is rich in resources, both natural and human, and has a critical geopolitical location. However, the country is struggling to overcome many challenges and issues due to the rapid changes and the very complex political, ethnic, religious and social situation. The extractive industries (particularly exploration and mining) add great potential for further conflict, as processes for compensating local people and groups, as well as processes for benefit-sharing between central government and states/divisions, are still unclear. Moreover, transparency improvement processes (such as EITI signup) are at an early stage. Some consider that extractive projects should be shelved / delayed until all the necessary frameworks are in place. The extractive industries provide quite a challenge, as downstream processing is unlikely in the short term. Projects also have a long lead-time for delivery of results, yet people expect a great deal of short-term benefits in spite of these long project timeframes. Ethnic areas are rich in minerals, and many foreign groups would like to commence a rapid process to secure leases and exploration rights. This has the potential to harm things further. There has been significant progress on key national issues such as the link between revenue transparency issues, benefit-sharing and national and sub-national budget issues, and the government seems keen to continue with such areas of reform. Coupled with good consultation, continuing dialogue on peace issues, and a recognition that economic development cannot happen without successful peace process work, this bodes well for the future. Issues associated with the infancy of the democracy, lack of a rule of law, process and systems and experience in how to operate in ways normally associated with a secure, developed and democratic country are manifold and need constant attention and improvement. Land ownership issues abound. The complexity of determining the ownership of land from which people have been displaced at various times over a long period is enormous. Groups that need to be taken into consideration may still be in IDP camps, may be ready to return or not, may have migrated temporarily to
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other countries and yet still have valid claims to land. This is likely to take some considerable time to work through. Long timeframes are needed in land work.
A new development partner should be identified in Kachin and perhaps in the South-East part of the country. Two organisations have been identified as possible partners: Kachin Baptist Convention in Bhamo and WPN. Danmission has supported WPN with funds for their relief operation in the nongovernment controlled areas of Kachin.
Another possibility under consideration is to build up a more formal partnership with a technical partner that can provide support to local partners working in rural communities affected by natural resource conflicts.
When resettlement is able to commence in Kachin, the fellow projects will be very well placed to help the communities build up new income-generating opportunities.
If the peace process moves forward in Kayin State, there will be many opportunities to support community development work integrated with community peace-building.
4.6. Tanzania Project interventions in Tanzania over the period 2014 to 2017 will be implemented by Danmission’s three current partners, all from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT). These partners are: ELCT national office (ELCT-HQ), ELCT-North Western Diocese (NWD) and ELCT-Karagwe Diocese (KAD), located in the poor but fertile north-western corner of Kagera Region. Danmission has been accompanying these partners in Kagera since the 1950s, and a great deal of trust has been built up through exchanges of workers, friendship activities, social work and, since the 1980s, development work supported by Danida through DMCDD. Since 2010, Danmission has secured funding through its own Programme. Apart from the relationship, one advantage of partnering with churches is their vast and grounded network - ELCT has approximately 5,600,000 members across 22 dioceses. Another advantage is their position as strong opinion makers, and ELCT has – along with the other main churches in Tanzania - a legacy of speaking out against corruption and on behalf of basic services for the poor. The local dioceses such as NWD and KAD enjoy significant autonomy and have their own Northern partners and projects. There has previously been no culture of sharing experiences between these Diocesan entities. In Danmission’s earlier phase of the Programme, a clear synergy was seen in terms of linking the regional and the national levels thematically, enabling partners e.g. at the regional level in Kagera to transfer lessons learned and promising practices to the national level and, further, to other areas of Tanzania. Good practices particularly within the field of combating gender-based violence and promoting conflict resolution were promoted in the Lake Zone through the intervention of the national ELCT Advocacy Desk. Danmission will, over the coming period, retain the geographical focus of implementation in Kagera Region while also considering working with Lake Zone Dioceses: East of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELVD) and South East of Lake Victoria Diocese (SELVD) in the Sukuma rural areas, with which Danmission is already connected through the national office. The following section describes focal areas for interventions as prioritised by Danmission, presented under the heading of Global Programme Objectives and four themes.
4.6.1. Danmission main focal priorities in Tanzania 2014-2017 Effective implementation of the two programme objectives in the Tanzanian context is, to a large extent, hampered by two predominant factors; first, a relatively weak civil society and a government which is providing poor implementation of its Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP). Furthermore, a patron-client
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culture still determines daily practice in the villages along with, at grassroots level, ignorance of basic rights and current legislation on the part of both rights-holders and local duty-bearers. There is room for manoeuvre on the part of civil society actors but this will need to be in cooperation with the government at various levels, and the rights-based working approach and advocacy initiatives need to be applied in a manner that also prepares the duty-bearers to be more responsive to citizens, enabling them to work together. Danmission and its partners are considering a more confrontational approach, not least in the tracking of public funds for e.g. education, and greater transparency regarding large-scale contracts with foreign enterprises; however, this will be a new approach and the change has to be a gradual one.
Global Programme Objective I: Strong independent civil society able to participate in and improve governance at the local and national level:
Building active and engaged CSOs and empowered citizens
Despite considerable economic growth of 6 per cent over the last decade, poverty remains widespread in Tanzania.1⁴ Half of the population is under 15 years of age, and child and infant mortality is high. According to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers,1⁵ the so-called MKUKUTA, the Tanzanian government recognizes this situation. It is acknowledged that monitoring and evaluation of MKUKUTA is essential to promoting accountability and assessing developmental effectiveness. Civil society could play a major role here in monitoring the implementation of the policies and highlighting shortcomings and gaps in implementation, although this has proved difficult given that Tanzania’s civil society lacks popular support. Tanzania’s civil society consists mostly of urbanised and elitist NGOs.1⁶ Religious institutions with a widespread network, used to mobilising the grassroots communities, can therefore play a prominent role in articulating people’s rights and needs and pushing for a fairer distribution of the country’s wealth.
Promoting conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence
Tanzania has been one of Africa’s most peaceful and stable countries in the past, but this is changing. The previous political hegemony of the CCM, in power for more than 50 years, is now waning. While the opposition seems to be gaining in popularity, CCM has the challenge of finding a new presidential candidate for the next elections. The Zanzibar/mainland conflict is increasing and tensions between Muslims and Christians appear to be on the rise as well. These two conflicts – between the mainland and Zanzibar and between religions - seem to be connected and are threatening to destabilise the country considerably. Several structural deficits and challenges exist, such as corruption and police violence against activities. The implementation of government policies and laws is weak, due to factors such as executive control of the judicial branch, capacity constraints, budget limitations and corruption. At the local level, in Kagera as well as the Lake Zones, gender-based and age-based discrimination resulting in human rights violations is frequent and often understood as being a “moral custom”. Danmission’s partners have developed strategies and capacities to resolve conflicts and build peace at the community, village and ward level, and to involve professional NGOs and local government to reduce the level of conflict and support the survivors. Danmission will, in the years to come, continue to support advocacy initiatives at local level and, increasingly, at regional level, experimenting with working approaches that will enable partners to realise their potential as opinion makers, within the room for manoeuvre allowed to civil society actors. Danmission’s partners (ELCT-HQ, KAD, NWD) have made efforts to improve the understanding of rights among ‘rightsholders’ and ‘duty-bearers’. KAD has made some attempts to empower and organise rights-holders to claim
1⁴ MDG goal 1: http://www.tz.undp.org/mdgs_goal1.html 1⁵ IMF Country report Tanzania 2011:Viii-ix 1⁶ Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2012
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their rights, and to educate duty-bearers as to their obligations, but more needs to be done, and the church structures need to play a clearer role as advocates at regional level, not simply letting their project staff and the project participants take on that role. Danmission wishes to support as well advocacy with and by the people – in other words advocacy undertaken by empowered citizens themselves -, with strong partner organisations speaking clearly for the people, adding more weight to the message.1⁷ Danmission will therefore, over the coming period and together with the implementing partners, explore ways in which a rights-based approach can be implemented in a more distinct manner. In the current Programme, the partners are working on the following interventions and the intention is to continue these:
NWD is using the church network to raise awareness of human rights, not least gender rights, and from there to reach out to mobilise the whole community, including other religious groups and to involve public servants and local government leaders. NWD is cooperating with the professional legal support NGO, MHOLA, in this.
The ELCT Advocacy Desk and YWCA are working together on addressing Parliament with regard to gender-based violence. The ELCT Advocacy Desk draws on a large network of pastors and church volunteers to initiate processes to combat gender-based violence in the Lake Zone.
In cooperation with Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC),1⁸ the ELCT Educational Dept. and the Lake Zone Dioceses are establishing Private Public Partnership Forums on education where regional government sits alongside private and public educational providers to discuss how to jointly improve the sector, thereby challenging the government to improve educational governance.
KAD and NWD are developing the capacity of rights-holders as well as of the duty-bearers, the local leaders. This relates to farmers’ rights, gender rights and local leaders’ duties and responsibilities.
Danmission is furthermore planning the following interventions and capacity building of partners:
1⁷
Following an external evaluation of the recent work of the ELCT Advocacy Desk (AD), over the period 2014-2017, Danmission and AD propose strengthening Social Accountability by forming Public Expenditure Tracking System (PETS) Forums locally. These will be trained to track public spending related to development interventions and services in order to keep all levels of government accountable.
Following an external evaluation of the recent work of the ELCT Advocacy Desk (AD), Danmission and AD will disseminate inter-religious dialogue experiences obtained from Zanzibar, where Danmission and the Diocese have been establishing local dialogue forums since 2001. A guideline and TOT training will be provided. Christian-Muslim relations are a particular challenge in the Lake Zone.
Danmission wants to further improve its partners’ capacities in a rights-based approach so that the partners can pursue methodologies that will enable them and the rights-holders to analyse the situation and claim their rights in accordance with the law, and to train duty-bearers as to their capabilities (see also the Tanzania presentation in Annex X for the whole list)
Cf. ELCT Advocacy Desk Strategic Plan 2013-16 (forthcoming)ml
1⁸ Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC) is widely respected, organising all Tanzania’s main churches around advocacy for basic services. The Churches contribute about 40 per cent of Tanzania’s health sector and 25 per cent of the educational sector. www.cssc.or.tz
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Danmission wishes to strengthen connections with professional secular NGOs where relevant, as in the case of NWD on gender-based violence and peace-building, and the Education Dept. on education policies.
Global Programme Objective II: Improved living conditions for marginalised and vulnerable groups in target areas:
Access to viable productive resources (land, forest, water sources, etc.).
Building sustainable income generation opportunities for marginalised communities
More than 80 per cent of people in the country rely on agriculture and 95 per cent of the 2.1 million hectares of land under production are cultivated by smallholders farming less than 3 hectares of land. Although more than 90 per cent of famers claim ownership of the land, the reality is that less than 10 per cent of Tanzanians hold official titles. Tanzania’s 1999 Land Act No. 4 and Village Land Act No. 5 were established to allow smallholders to formalise their land ownership by acquiring a certificate of customary right to occupancy (CCRO), which would allow them to secure their land tenure and use the certificate as collateral with financial institutions. In rural Kagera, the burning issues regarding land access relate mainly to a gender imbalance plus access to extension services and trade. This is because there has traditionally been an excess of land in remote Kagera. Here, too, this is changing, however, and land shortages will become a factor in the future. Danmission will therefore support ELCT-HQ’s advocacy work on land issues, and maintain the gender sensitive work on land rights in Kagera, aimed at transferring best practices to the Lake Zone, where the women’s situation is even more challenging due to the cultural context of the Sukuma people there. As for gender, the issue primarily relates to women’s inheritance of land, whereby customary law prevents e.g. widows from inheriting their husband’s land, to which they are entitled according to national law. As for the more general marginalisation issue, small peasants find themselves highly vulnerable with low food security, partly because of inefficient agricultural methods, and low crop diversity, but also because of a lack of access to markets. Since potential consumers are located far from the Kagera production areas, individual farmers are obliged to rely heavily on marketing intermediaries (middlemen) to market their agricultural produce. During the current Programme, partners are working on the following:
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Women’s access to land forms part of NWD’s Women Farmers Advocacy Programme and, indirectly, the Combating Community Violence Programme.
In recent years, ELCT advocacy work has become more outspoken on farmer and productive resources issues. In September 2013, ELCT will be hosting a Parliament-level conference on land rights, and one ELCT Bishop Munga is on the in the civil society multi-stakeholder group for the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI)..
Access to markets is part of MAYAJA and the Farmers’ Advocacy Programme in KAD and Women Farmers’ Advocacy in NWD.
Savings and credit associations have proved a valid tool for empowering men and women, in KAD’s and NWD’s experience through MAYAJA and Women’s Farmers’ advocacy. A greater focus on this approach is proposed over the 2014-17 period.
Danmission will support the formation of savings and credit associations and PETS committees for both Christians and Muslims, thereby building peace in the Lake Zone.
Danmission will support the linking of ELCT’s work on land rights and KAD’s and NWD’s work on the marketing of farmers’ products with secular professional organisations working in these areas.
Danmission will support capacity building on community-based monitoring, and push for the farmers’ groups to form clusters for more efficient advocacy.
4.7. Programme added value plans 2014-2017 In addition to the strategic priorities previously mentioned for each specific country in this chapter, Danmission will use the programmatic approach to create synergies across partners and countries, and ensure that partners and their projects benefit from sharing among and learning from each other. It is believed that mutual learning from a south-south perspective, together with individual capacity building of partners, will contribute to a gradual development of the partners’ capacities, and thus to a more successful achievement of the programme’s objectives. Over the coming period, Danmission will give priority to the following initiatives.
Mutual learning Over the current programme period, Danmission has noted increased interest among partners in capitalising on one another’s initiatives. The partners’ fora in Tanzania and Cambodia served as sources of mutual inspiration with regard to working approaches and advocacy. Danmission will continue to encourage the partners to share their expertise and working methodologies across partners and across countries.
Danmission will continue to promote mutual learning fora wherever relevant.
Danmission will continue to promote peer reviews across the partners’ projects.
The partner in Bangladesh, SUPOTH, and its well-tried out model for sustainable community development along with the cluster approach to forming advocacy groups across communities at ward and district levels, has been very inspirational, and there are several requests from partners to replicate this in the contexts of Tanzania, Myanmar and Cambodia. The Cambodian partner, Peace Bridges Organisation (PBO), has demonstrated a good capacity for dealing with conflicts, and this could be shared across countries to good effect.
Danmission will explore ways of sharing the capacities of the Egyptian partner, CEOSS, across partners, especially their well-tried out dialogue and peace model.
The situation in South-East Asia has proved relevant for strategic mutual learning among partners in Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangladesh, especially with regard to project approaches that promote methodologies enabling civil society organisations to handle community development in a conflictual environment.
By the end of 2013, Danmission will have developed a plan of action for mutual learning, together with the partners, that takes into account partner capacities that are relevant for sharing.
Danmission is considering creating a South-East Asia strategy in which the mutual learning aspect will be included.
In 2014, Danmission will develop a regional strategy that covers Tanzania and Madagascar (not part of the frame-agreement), with mutual learning aspects included.
Capacity building Partners’ capacities are assessed according to their own strategies, project requirements and internal organisational and management issues. The capacity building priorities for each of the countries are outlined in detail in the Country Strategy notes, which can be found in annex 9 . The capacity building initiatives that Danmission will prioritise over the coming period are summarised below.
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Rights-based approach, advocacy and networking There is a need to build capacities at different levels. The partners in Cambodia and Myanmar need refresher training and to test out models that will work in their civil society context. The Tanzanian partners have expressed a need for refresher training as well.
Accountability and good governance: Together with each of the partner organisations, Danmission will assess how efficiently they are managing projects with the genuine involvement of the target groups. This factor is essential for projects to ensure sustainability and ownership as well as for the project to be able to provide qualified project monitoring data.
In 2013, Danmission will instigate a systematic assessment procedure of the partners’ organisational, management and governing structures. Using this assessment procedure, Danmission will, together with the partner organisations, draw up an action plan for aspects that need to be addressed.
Danmission will build the capacities of its partner organisations in terms of applying a systematic mechanism for feeding back from the community target groups to the project.
The issue of accountability at project level will be reviewed in line with the participatory working methodologies. Issues such as the transparency with which the project field staff engage with the target group and communities, share results etc., will be considered.
Project and programme monitoring Based on lessons learned, Danmission will improve its programme monitoring system and create more consistency between the project outcomes and parameters set for the programme. For Danmission to be able to monitor the progress of the programme, it is fundamental that the partners can provide high-quality, focused data. Most partners need strengthened capacities in this regard.
By 2014, Danmission will have set tangible programme indicators for the expected project outputs.
Together with all the partners, Danmission will formulate indicators for each of the projects that feed directly into the programme. This has already been initiated as a standard procedure for new projects but will be instigated for every project.
All partners will, over the coming period, have their monitoring system reviewed, and communitybased monitoring methodologies will be introduced to the partners’ projects as necessary.
All project monitoring systems will be established on the basis of a baseline survey.
Danmission will support the development of capacities and methodologies for assessing impact.
Organisational development: Danmission will continue to integrate the partners’ OD capacity needs into the project design with a separate objective and indicators, focusing in particular on internal organisational capacity to handle projectrelated advocacy initiatives.
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By 2015, all partners will have established horizontal coordination and learning procedures within their internal departments and their project portfolio.
By 2015, all partners will have reviewed their executive management structures for the smooth handling of advocacy initiatives.
Danmission will support efforts to strengthen its partners’ capacity to ensure increased donor differentiation.
Gender equality In the countries where Danmission is working on programme activities, women do not have equal status with men in terms of legal, social, and economic rights. The structural causes of poverty are different for men and women, and the role of the implementing partners is to analyse poverty situations from a gender-disaggregated perspective. This aspect is taken well into account in the guidelines the partners follow for project proposals; however, project reporting on this issue is generally weak. Danmission will continue to follow up on this aspect with the partners, in terms of proper working strategies and indicators documenting change.
Danmission will explore the opportunities to draw on the ‘Women Farmers’ Project’ in Tanzania to share its experiences.
Targeting: Experience tells us that the most vulnerable and poorest segments are difficult to reach. Danmission will prioritise the introduction of improved poverty targeting methodologies. This aspect is relevant to all countries but has been raised specifically by the partners in Tanzania and Cambodia.
4.8. Assumptions, Risks and Pre-conditions Assumptions in relation to partner collaboration and implementation Danmission’s partners are very different and vary both in size, organisational capacity and set-up, as well as in experience of key strategic development approaches, such as a rights-based approach, advocacy strategies and programmatic planning. Some of the partners are churches others faith-based organisations, while others are development organisations with different levels of development experience. The differences between the partners is also an important opportunity, and it is an important assumption that, through the cooperation and strategy for mutual learning, partners will be willing and open to learn from each other and thereby improve their capacities with regard to good governance, project management and programmatic approaches. It is a prerequisite of cooperation between Danmission’s partners that they invest time and other resources in sharing results, best practices and methodology with others. This also relates to participation in peer reviews and other evaluation exercises which are a part of Danmission’s programmatic approach. Potential new partners will also be assessed in relation to their openness and interest in being active in the wider programmatic approach, including the mutual learning activities outlined in the strategy. As with all human and professional relationships, fraudulent behaviour or other crises can occur, which strain or may even jeopardise the partnership if agreements are violated or trust is broken. Danmission has developed a policy paper to help the organisation address such problems and resolve such dilemmas. Key principles for Danmission include a requirement for financial accountability as well as an emphasis on the partner’s legitimacy and accountability towards its own constituencies and decision-making bodies. In the case of severe conflict within an organisation that affects the implementation of interventions, Danmission’s (mostly) longstanding partnership and experience with partners becomes an added value that enables Danmission to engage in a trustful and open dialogue and mediation process with that particular partner. From a south–south and programmatic perspective, other partners’ dialogue and mediation skills could also be put to good use in such a process when applicable.
Political and Social space The political and social context of the countries in which Danmission works defines the space within which Danmission and its partners can manoeuvre. It influences cooperation with CSOs and has an impact on the actual implementation of interventions in the countries of operation. However, the historical and political situation, current political power and state of the democratic system and reforms in each country vary greatly and therefore need to be taken into account in each country’s planning and implementation. For each of Danmission’s partner countries, a thorough analysis of the political and the social context has been carried out. This analysis is directly related to the strategic and programmatic approach developed with the partner for interventions over the coming period. Analysis of the con-
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text and main challenges facing each of Danmission’s partner countries can be found in the Country Notes presented in Annex 9.
Economic crises The current ongoing financial crisis may influence the outcomes of the framework programme that has been developed in terms of actual poverty reduction outcomes. This is quite relevant for objective 2, which is geared towards ensuring access to productive resources, including agricultural and income-generating activities. Increasing food prices impact on the livelihoods of the poorer segments of society. Rising inflation, together with the increasing price of imported commodities such as fuel, affects people’s capacity for investment and, e.g., the education of their children. All countries have experienced rising prices since the beginning of the global financial crisis. A further decline in economic activity in these countries may have an impact on the possibilities of alleviating poverty and is beyond the control of Danmission’s partners.
Climate Change and Natural Disasters Natural disasters, such as flooding, droughts, storms and cyclones may hamper the outcome of interventions. Bangladesh suffers from regular flooding, now being exacerbated by global climate change, and this is destroying harvests and, at times, whole villages. The absence or delay of monsoon rains in India, Myanmar and Cambodia is influencing people’s opportunity for income and food generation and affecting the livelihoods of subsistence farmers tremendously. In recent years, Tanzania and Egypt have experienced the symptoms of global climate change, as seasonal rains have either ceased or been delayed, and this has had a serious impact on poor farmers’ incomes and livelihoods. Danmission is targeting issues of climate change and livelihood resilience as part of the strategic approach but unforeseen calamities and disasters cannot be adequately addressed by Danmission’s partners and may, to some extent, have an impact on the outcome of interventions in terms of poverty reduction.
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5. Quality Assurance In addition to Danmission’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, a quality assurance strategy was developed in 2012 (annex 6). This establishes clear consistency between the policy framework, the rights-based programmatic working approach, the projects, the partners’ capacities, the technical in-house capacity and the quality assurance mechanisms used by Danmission. The term ‘q uality’ is here governed by the general principles as laid down in “The Civil Society Strategy” for Danish NGO Aid, the DAC principles and Danida’s administrative principles. ‘Quality’ is also defined by principles as laid down in Danmission’s own policies for partnership, advocacy, gender equality1⁹, and Dialogue for Peace. The implementation of ‘Quality assurance’ is practised in relation to standards of:
Quality in relative terms, determined by partner capacities and contextual factors
Quality improvements through learning-while-doing, with emphasis on applied practice, reflection and follow-up
Synergy and mutual learning across partners and projects
Accountability, ownership and documentation of results based on transparent involvement of the target groups and their communities from start to finish
High-quality programme and project administration and financial management
Danmission applies quality assurance mechanisms to individual projects as well as to the wider programme, from a two-dimensional perspective. The first dimension is the continual support for partners’ capacity building in order to enhance the quality of their performance and results; the second is the use of well-designed monitoring tools and quality assessment procedures at all stages of the project/programme cycle. It is believed that practical implementation of the quality assurance mechanisms will enable Danmission and its partners to optimise the achievement of its development goals via gradually improving quality standards. It is further believed that the gradual quality improvements will have not only a positive effect on a given project but a positive spillover effect to the broader scope of activities in the partner organisations as well.
5.1. Quality assurance through programme added value In order to optimise the standards of performance and quality by which partners contribute to implementing the programme’s goals, the quality assurance strategy and its management is viewed as a programme added value in itself. More specifically, key areas of programme added value implemented by Danmission are:
Mutual learning and synergy across countries, projects and partners
Civil society promotion
1⁹ Danmission uses the DMCDD guidelines for gender equality
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Capacity building in:
Civil society promotion
Gender equality
Access to viable productive resources
Dialogue for peace
Benchmarks 2014-2017:
Plans for mutual learning are produced for each of the countries as a cross-partner intervention. Furthermore, it has proved relevant to extend mutual learning across countries as well and so regional strategies and plans are also being considered.
Capacity building needs are identified and agreed with each of the partners, typically as part of the new project approval process and during monitoring visits.
5.2. Programme monitoring Danmission keeps an updated overview in terms of a LFA matrix showing how the projects feed more globally into the overall programme. This matrix also includes a detailed overview of programme added value initiatives for each of the countries. The logical framework approach (LFA) is used for the programme as well as for the projects – both as an analytical tool and a management tool for monitoring. The LFA analytical processes behind the programme and project design derive from different data. The programme is based on specific country analyses and a SWOT analysis of key issues such as the organisational values and principles governing Danmission, its comparative advantages in the Danish NGO environment, the funding perspectives whereby the LFA for projects is based on a participatory analysis of the poverty situation among the target groups, stakeholder analysis, etc. Conceptually, the programme and the projects belong to different strategic levels; hence, viewed from the programme perspective, projects represent the programme’s activities and their monitoring inputs feed directly into the programme’s themes and outcome indicators – through the narrative project reports. Programme progress is summarised on an annual basis and shared with the partners. Feedback and learning is achieved at partner meetings, regionally and globally. Specific programme reporting indicators are agreed for every project as part of the approval procedure.
Lessons learned show that it is a challenge for the partners to provide systematic and relevant project monitoring input to the programme level. Furthermore, it is acknowledged that many partners need support in establishing a baseline and setting up a proper monitoring system that will produce systematic and relevant monitoring data.
Benchmarks 2014-2017:
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A LFA-based programme overview covering the first two-year period, 2014-2015, will be produced at the end of 2013, when the projects are approved and details are known for the coming period.
Danmission will strengthen partners’ monitoring capacities.
5.3. Quality assurance of projects, step by step The following table shows the key quality assurance steps to be taken throughout the project cycle
Planning:
Implementation:
Completion:
Project idea and its relevance Concept note Project approval procedure Project proposal writing Project budget planning Project monitoring requirements
Project monitoring visits Internal project reviews Project adjustments and follow-up Peer initiatives Impact assessments South-South learning initiatives Bi-annual project narrative reports Bi-annual financial reports Audit performance reports
External evaluation Final audit reports Final accounting for whole project period Final narrative report
During planning Project ideas are checked for thematic relevance to the programme as well as for the efficiency by which the project is supposedly going to contribute to this. Technical assistance is provided by the programme consultants in order to assist the partner throughout the design process, and separate formats are used to ensure consistency in the partners’ project proposals, to ascertain the standard of and required support for capacity building and areas requiring specific attention during project implementation. Project proposals are quality assured internally by the Poverty Reduction team and then forwarded to the Danmission management team for final approval. An agreement is then signed, budget allocations can begin and the project can commence its implementation.
During implementation The partner provides bi-annual narrative project reports to Danmission, which are monitored and commented on by the programme consultants. Each partner is visited a minimum of once per year. In countries such as Tanzania, Myanmar and Cambodia, where Danmission has an in-country presence, the partners and projects are visited more often. The partners’ project monitoring results are challenged by being subjected to south-south initiatives such as peer reviews and fora for learning across partners, and these are learning experiences that Danmission will promote in the years to come.
During completion A project will, as a general rule be subjected to an external evaluation at project end. However, most of the current projects within the programme commenced during 2011 and 2012 and will still be on-going in the period commencing 2014. For most of those projects, it has proved more relevant to conduct a comprehensive project review with emphasis on internal learning and adjustments. It is intended to have such review processes facilitated by external consultants and, in some cases, involve peers selected from other partner organisations.
Benchmarks 2014-2017
Key formats are adjusted to the programmatic approach and placed in a data-based structure. A few formats are still under revision and operational procedures and formats are nearly fully complete.
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A new partner capacity profile format will already have been developed and introduced in 2013 for the purpose of showing a more consistent view of the partners’ governing structures, organisational and administrative capacities.
Project financial management The programme consultants, assisted by an administrator within the Poverty Reduction team, have dayto-day responsibility for budgeting, budget control and financial monitoring of projects and local partners. Danmission has developed financial management tools to ensure financial quality assurance during the planning, implementation and completion period. Financial control comprises four important steps:
Budgeting during planning
A proper accounts keeping system during implementation
Financial monitoring during implementation
Internal control conducted by the administrative staff and the auditor during implementation and completion
Benchmarks 2014-2017
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The financial and administrative procedures will have been integrated within the ‘Quality Assurance database’ in 2013. Comprehensive guidelines will be developed along with new procedures for evaluating auditors.
Project monitoring visits will already have been introduced in 2013, with special emphasis on financial management and administration.
6. Management structure and capacity Danmission’s highest body is the Council of Representatives (Repræsentantskabet), which has between 222 and 242 members elected from among Danmission’s members. The Council appoints nine of the 12 members of the Managing Board; three are appointed by the Board itself to ensure sufficient expertise within specific areas. The secretariat is headed by the General Secretary, who forms part of the day-to-day management group together with the four heads of department: 1) Administration; 2) Communication; 3) Church and Dialogue; and 4) Poverty Reduction. An organisational chart of the Secretariat can be found in Annex 7. Danmission’s in-house capacity to ensure quality in a consistent and continuous manner is based on technical staff and their ability to keep abreast of best practice within the relevant sectors. Furthermore, the inhouse capacity benefits from a well-tested resource base and internal learning and sharing fora in Danmission.
Danmission fora in which quality assurance, learning and follow-up takes place The main fora are:
Danmission Board: Approves overall strategies and policies, as well as the annual report, budget, accounts and action plan for the whole organisation.
Danmission Management Group: Approves new projects, partners and Danmission programme staff, is informed about and updated on main developments and changes during implementation and reviews strategies, policies, budgets and action plans before presentation to the Danmission Board.
Danmission Poverty Reduction Team: Takes overall management responsibility for the poverty reduction programme and projects. The team keeps track of the documentation from projects and summarises annual reports with lessons learned for Danmission and Danida. The team ensures that lessons learned feed into the concurrent policy/strategy adjustments that are taking place in Danmission.
Project approval procedure. The ongoing approvals procedures for projects enables Danmission to keep an overview of developments that are taking place in the standards of quality and represents an important event for shared learning within Danmission.
Danmission internal coordination meetings across the Poverty Reduction Team, the Church & Dialogue Team, the Communication Department and the Administration Department. A bi-annual horizontal sharing and learning forum for the purposes of coordination, synergy and learning.
Project monitoring visits form an important event enabling Danmission, together with the partner, to keep track of project achievements and challenges as well as agree on adjustments.
Global partner meetings form an important forum enabling Danmission to take joint strategic decisions together with the partners on matters relevant to the programme, to agree adjustments, review progress, identify capacity building needs and opportunities and feed experiences into new programme phases.
Financial procedures and control Capacity assessments of the financial procedures and financial management systems that were conducted in November 2010 and December 2012 concluded that Danmission has a strong administrative capacity and adequate management structures and procedures in place. Danmission’s administration department is a service provider to the programme officers with regard to financial and administrative management. The administration department is managed by the Head of Administration and includes a Financial Manager and an Accountant. The department functions as a service
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provider to Danmission’s management with regard to all finances, budgeting, budget control, periodic and annual accounts, audits, assets and risk management as well as human resource management. Financial procedures are well-documented, including procedures for authorisation and internal control systems. Danmission’s annual accounts are audited by the reputable firm of Danish auditors, Beierholm Revisionspartnerselskab. Beierholm has supervisory responsibility for audits performed abroad and sends questionnaires to the partners’ local auditors to ensure that the requirements specified in the auditing instructions are fulfilled. Danmission has received a clean audit report for the last five years. Danmission continually aims to improve the good governance and quality assurance of its administrative and financial management. Danmission will undertake systematic financial due diligence of local partners during the framework period, and will develop a systematic approach to anti-corruption and a Code of Ethics. The aim is to build the capacity of the partners while improving internal learning in Danmission. As with all human and professional relationships, crises can occur that may strain or even jeopardise the partnership if agreements are violated or trust is broken. Danmission has developed a policy paper to help the organisation address such problems and resolve such dilemmas. Key principles for Danmission include requirements of financial accountability as well as an emphasis on the legitimacy and accountability of the partner towards their own constituencies and decision-making bodies. While Danmission is committed to supporting and assisting partners even in times of crisis, the long-term pull on Danmission’s resources visà-vis the partner’s commitment to address the problems may necessitate a termination of the cooperation.
Danmission’s Poverty Reduction team: The poverty reduction team will be responsible for managing the Danida Programme as well as Danmission’s own-funded poverty reduction projects, which in 2012 had a total budget of DKK 22 million, or approx. 38 % of Danmission’s total expenditure. Currently (2013), the poverty reduction team is managing own-funded projects of 4 million DKK, a Danida programme (2011 – 2013) of 32 million DKK and a project funded by the Arab Initiative of 6.5 million DKK with an application currently under review for a partnership programme of a further 9 million DKK. Professionalisation of Danmission’s poverty reduction work has been a key priority in recent years, for the benefit of partners and for the overall consistency and quality of the work. Increased capacity has largely been achieved through the recruitment of specialist development practitioners and ongoing team and staff development. The Poverty Reduction Team comprises:
1 full-time administrator
3 full-time programme officers
1 full-time programme officer, based in Tanzania
1 full-time programme manager
1 part-time student assistant
1 part-time programme officer for the Arab Initiative
Staff capacity that the poverty reduction team can partly draw on:
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3 Regional representatives, based in Beirut, Phnom Penh and Tanzania
3 Country representatives based in Cambodia, Madagascar and Myanmar
Staff profiles and areas of responsibility within the Poverty Reduction Team Administrator Profile
MA, Spanish and Business Economics, corporate experience as bookkeeper, with Danmission since 2009.
Responsibilities
Budget control and coordination; monitoring of programme accounts, coordination of transfers of funds, documentation and record-keeping.
Programme Consultant Profile
Responsibilities
MSc., International Development Studies and Anthropology, six years’ experience in development work with Caritas Denmark and Danmission (since 2009).
Technical support and administration of interventions in Bangladesh, and link with Tanzania; coordination of poverty reduction activities in Madagascar; development of an RBA policy; elaboration of the programme monitoring system as well as the monitoring & evaluation policy.
Programme Consultant Profile
MSc., Anthropology; over 20 years of experience in international development and poverty reduction, local livelihood improvement, civil society and natural resource management. Former positions: Co-Director, Nordeco, Vice-Director, IWGIA. Danmission since February 2013.
Responsibilities
Technical support and administration of interventions in Egypt and India; coordination and development of mutual learning; development of a partnership strategy, including goals and strategies for capacity building of partners; and development of a gender strategy.
Programme Consultant Profile
Responsibilities
MSc International Development; 8 years’ experience in international development, advocacy, gender, rights and participation, civil society, democracy building and partnership-based development from positions with Networking Consultants and The Danish Youth Council. Danmission since August 2013.
Technical support and administration of interventions in Myanmar and Cambodia; development of a regional capacity building strategy covering Myanmar, Cambodia and Bangladesh. Development of an advocacy strategy for DM, advocacy training curricula, and coordination of advocacy capacity building plans for each of the countries.
Programme Consultant (based in Arusha, Tanzania) Profile
Responsibilities
MA in Social Anthropology, 13 years’ experience in development work, MS-Århus, Danish Youth Council, DMCDD, CISU’s grants committee 2004-11, Danmission since September 2012.
Technical support and administration of interventions in Tanzania; capacity building of partners in Tanzania. Team: learning and best practice, peer advice on quality assurance, input to programme development, focus on participatory monitoring systems as area of capacity development within Danmission.
Programme Manager Profile
Responsibilities
MSc., Economics; 17 years’ experience in development and relief work from positions with Caritas in Denmark, UK, Kenya and Rome, Danmission since 2010.
Team and staff management; overall programme management and strategic development; member of management team.
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Programme Officer for Arab Initiative (part-time) Profile
Responsibilities
MSc., Middle East Studies, experience of Middle East and with cultural exchange.
Coordination of activities in Denmark under the Arab Initiative.
Regional representative, South East Asia Profile
Responsibilities
Overall regional coordination, personnel management for regional-based staff, Church and dialogue work in Bangladesh and Cambodia.
Vacant. Regional representative, Middle East Profile
MSc., Middle East Studies, experience in management, administration, communications and political strategies, Danmission since March 2013
Responsibilities
Danmission representation in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria, oversight of CEOSS projects, networking and development of partner relations and activities in the region, focusing on dialogue.
For Danmission, all technical capacity is not necessarily placed in Denmark. Associated consultants and field staff, such as country and regional representatives, have different skills that can be applied outside their direct geographical area, like partners whose skills can be utilized within a framework of mutual learning. Danmission plans to use qualifications specifically in natural resources and dialogue as global capacity that can be drawn on when and where it is needed.
Capacity networks In order to maintain a quality standard within Danmission that matches best practice within relevant sectors, Danmission is gradually building its capacity through active participation in the following professional networks:
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NGO Forum
Danish Forum for Micro Finance
FORDI, Forum for rights and diversity
CISU, Civil Society Development
Children and Youth Network
MENA Network, Middle East and North Africa
Burma Network
DMCDD, Danish Mission Council Development Department
7. Popular support and information Danmission has a close connection to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark and a deep and broad anchored support within Danish society that goes back to the 19th century. Popular support for Danmission has been stable since the merger of the Danish Missionary Society (DMS) and the Danish Santal Mission (DSM) in 2000. Out of a total income of 67 million DKK in 2012, Danmission received almost 44 million DKK in donations from individuals and groups and as income from Danmission’s 95 second hand shops across the country. Members, sponsors, volunteers, fundraising groups and other stakeholders receive information about the organization’s work via expatriate’s newsletters, lectures throughout the country, the website www.danmission.dk, project leaflets and other publications, and through Danmission Magazine. 11,000 copies of the magazine are published four times a year. Field trips and excursions for volunteers and others interested in the work are organized regularly. When representatives from the partner countries visit Denmark, they participate in public events throughout the country. Volunteer network coordinators and many dedicated volunteers in the community and district councils are working hard to engage new groups in Danmission’s work, as well as linking members and sponsors to our projects. Additional figures and objectives for Danmission’s popular support are attached in the annex.
7.1. Media and informative work Danmission’s media and press work has the objective to create and participate in a debate about the organization’s core areas: church development, dialogue and poverty reduction. Under poverty reduction, areas focused on are: 1. Strong independent civil society 2. Improved living conditions for marginalized and vulnerable groups in target areas
building relationships and providing journalists with ideas, sources, photos and facts
setting the agenda via feature articles and letters to the editor
responding to debates relating to our core work areas
We do this via the following channels and platforms: TV, radio, national newspapers, regional newspapers, local papers, journals and magazines, news agencies, websites, facebook, Youtube and other social media.
ISSN: 2245-6953
We aim to raise media awareness of Danmission’s work by:
magasin nr. 4 / december 2012
tema:
Et givende liv Theresa - gammel men ikke glemt Prinsesser går også i
genbrug
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Press coverage of Danmission in the last 3 years:
780 760 740 720 700 680 660 640 620 600
768 717 662
2010
2011
2012
Unique visitors on www.danmission.dk:
2011
126239
2010
74404
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54810
140000 130000 120000 110000 100000 90000 80000 70000 60000 50000
2012
7.2. Network More than 7000 volunteers work on providing information. They spread information about and create awareness of the work carried out in developing countries, and they also do fundraising. A large number of previous field employees participate in this advocacy and fundraising effort, which in 2012 included more than 350 lectures throughout the country by volunteers, field employees and partners from the South. Flea markets, cafes, bazaars, exhibitions and camps are held annually throughout the country. The Youth of Danmission involve approximately 50 young people and previous volunteers. They create an action group that tour the country, organise events and inform about the work of Danmission. Teaching is also offered to persons who consider taking their confirmation vows. During 2012, 133 lectures were given to over 4400 teenagers and their parents as confirmation preparation. Information about the work of Danmission in various countries is shared at these lectures. Danmission sent out 18 young volunteers in 2012 to cooperating countries and partners. These volunteers continue to share the information they gather when they return from their visit abroad. Several churches, schools and youth organizations etc. also spread awareness and raise funds for specific projects and activities. Furthermore, the 3300 volunteers across the 95 second hand shops, which Danmission run throughout the country also raise the profile at grass root level.
Danmission’s network consists of:
Members (individual)
Contributors / sponsoring members (individual)
Collective organizations
Companies
Academic institutions
Volunteer networks
Other groups: 480 churches/153 local groups/member groups, 93 municipalities where the organization is active and 309 other groups: (Second hand shops, friendship congregations, schools, churches, Y’s Men Clubs, children’s and youth organizations, etc.)
7.3.
Raising awareness
Danmission aims to strengthen popular support and awareness by:
Strengthening Danish youths involvements in activities and campaigns
Activating volunteers in second hand shops in the organization
Continued strengthening of Danmission’s Representatives and Board in local and regional media.
Engage the people and church base through lectures, activities, travel, etc.
Increase the membership foundation by increasing the number of members and individual sponsors.
Cooperation with the network and the local dioceses and deaneries in Denmark around volunteers and professional lectures.
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Parameters for popular support in Danmission: Member foundation Danmission is a national membership-based organization with a democratic organizational structure. We have approximately 2,000 members nationwide. Of these, 300 participate in the annual general assembly. Own contribution Donations from individuals and groups, grants, inheritance, second hand shops and the sale of fair trade products finance the majority of our work. Volunteers Danmission’s political work is carried out by a volunteer board on behalf of the representatives. The secretariat is assisted in the daily operations by 30 volunteers. The largest volunteer group is the 3,300 volunteers working in second hand shops. Danmission’s voluntary network coordinators and volunteer ambassadors are the secretariat’s extended outreach to the different areas in the country. They coordinate a wide range of information and fundraising activities in cooperation with a reliable network of local volunteers and members, for example through local communities and churches. Information Danmission’s publication “Danmission Magazine” is distributed to all members, contributors and volunteers and all state churches. Regular newsletters are also distributed to sponsors of Danmission’s Future Children and the Church and Dialog work. Staff from the secretariat and resource people from the field projects gives presentations and lectures in churches, clubs and schools etc. More than 130 lectures are held annually by Danmission’s “global storytellers” - volunteers with six months of mediation work in Denmark. Folders and flyers are distributed via campaigns, lectures and local fundraising projects. This is supplemented by our website and online content and films about projects as well as leaflets and educational materials for children and young people, and a series of books about the history of the organisation. Danmission’s work is regularly discussed both nationwide as well as in local media. People to People work The direct people to people work is undertaken by a variety of different groups and individuals within the wider circle of Danmission: Field staff and volunteers, study and exchange visits involving host families, project trips and partner visits, study trips and visits in collaboration with travel agencies, special interest groups (country groups) in the network, friendship congregations, schools and institutions in Denmark and in the south, cross-cultural work among immigrants in Denmark. Danmission is part of a range of networks and alliances: Danish Mission Council, CISU - Civil Society in Development, a number of colleges and schools, universities and the Theological Educational Centre, Danish Council of Churches, The Council on International Relations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark (Folkekirkens mellemkirkelige Råd), Church Foundation, Danish Church Days, Oase, The Church Association for the Inner Mission in Denmark, FDF, YMCA/YWCA, ISOBRO, a number of sister organizations, international networks (such as the Lutheran World Federation/Service) and partner alliances.
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List of annexes
1.
Overall budget 2014-2017
2.
LFA and overview of the programmatic approach a. LFA Overview – Danida Framework 2014 - 2017 b. Programme LFA
3.
Partnership policy paper
4.
Strategy for Poverty reduction 2012-2014
5.
Status by March 2013 of Strategy for Poverty reduction 2012-2014
6.
Quality assurance strategy
7.
Organizational structure- and chart
8.
Table of popular support
9.
Country notes: a. Bangladesh b. Cambodia c. Egypt d. Myanmar e. Tanzania
10.
Report of Capacity assessment of Danmission
11.
Danmission review Matrix
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notes:
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