1 scope capacity building pilot project national funders forum, november 2007

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SCOPE CAPACITY BUILDING

PILOT PROJECT

National Funders Forum, November 2007

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SCOPE - Sharing the learning

• Introductions• Purpose of this presentation• Constructed a capacity building model with

goal of being adopted by other funders

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Why support capacity building?

From a funder’s viewpoint…• Want to invest in groups with the ability to

work smarter and make a real difference• Dealing with more applications for capacity

building in an ad hoc way• Sought strategic model to respond to

capacity issues

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What we did

• Consulted widely with community organisations, consultants and heads of networks

• Looked at overseas models - Lloyds TSB Foundation (Scotland), Maytree Foundation (UK), City Parochial Foundation (UK) – and providers of NZ based initiatives

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Why this model?

• Based on successful Lloyds TSB Foundation Capacity Building Grant Programme

• Targeted small groups with little or no resources

• Built capacity of Advisors pool in not-for-profit sector

• Owned and driven by the community

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Project structure

• 2-year pilot (2005-2007) in Auckland area• 50 applications from arts, social services,

environmental, education, health and disability groups

• Each application has 2 stages – Organisational Review and Capacity Building

• External Project Management (North Shore Community and Social Services)

• Robust independent evaluation

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Marketing strategy

• Networks• Targeting Maori and Pacific communities• Brochures• Funding workshops• 5 Good Ideas workshops

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What is capacity building?

Definition:

The capacity of an organisation refers to its ability to use knowledge and experience for sustainable change within the organisation

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Role of SCOPE Reviewer

• Work with the applicant group to assess their capacity and capability

• Identify specific projects where SCOPE can assist

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How did we do this?

• Interviews and discussions• Self-assessment tool• Workshops• SWOT Analysis• Agreement and sign off on priority areas

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Assistance to build capacity:

• Strategic planning• Organisation structure

(governance/management)• Operational systems and processes• Financial systems• Marketing• Information Technology

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Benefits of Review process

• Validation of concerns by independent reviewer with relevant expertise

• Clarification of reasons for problems and actions needed to resolve them

• Clear road map for future direction• Feeling less isolated and more empowered• A sense of relief that organisation’s problems

would be resolved

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Capacity building process

• Multi-faceted team approach where required• Advisors drew on wide range of skills and

experience, e.g. financial, legal, strategy, marketing, IT, arts

• Used funding pool to ‘hire’ additional expertise outside advisory group

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Benefits of SCOPE project

• Clarity and confidence to move organisation forward

• Increased organisational capacity to work towards a more sustainable future

• Benefits to arts, community and environment sectors

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• MPHS area has some of the lowest income levels in Waitakere

• In the bottom 15% for ‘medium’ wage• High levels of one parent families• 34% MPHS 21% Waitakere wide• 30% Youth (young city)

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MPHS Area

European Maori Pacific Peoples

Asian Middle Eastern/

Latin American/

African

Other Ethnicity

MPHS area 43% 19% 36% 11% 2% 5%

Waitakere Wide

59% 13% 15% 16% 2% 8%

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Before SCOPE

• Small newly formed organisation (incorporated 2004)

• 2 part-time staff• Starting to change • No clear focus

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Our SCOPE process

• Organisational Review• Identifying and prioritising areas of attention:

Financial area Governance training Strategic planning

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Process

At crossroads and ready for help Coaching from Advisor Financial and strategic Applied for funding for other areas for

development

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Results

Strong internal structures New confidence within the committee Healthy relationship between management

and committee Major contracts collectively worth $600,000

over three years Not possible without internal organisational

development

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Looking back – What we’ve learned

• Fragility of small groups targeted• Initial pool of Advisors was too shallow –

capacity building to work more effectively• Brochure, application forms and processes

needed refining• Great level of success of pilot groups• Funding an external organisation to manage

project was better than doing it ourselves

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As the pilot draws to a close…

• Final evaluation report due December 2007• SCOPE Pilot Development Working Group

launching Legacy Document early 2008• We will have a test driven, successful project

to celebrate!• Welcome conversations with other funders

interested in NFP sector capacity building