ECB Learning Event - How the ECB Project has built capacity across the humanitarian sector Agenda for afternoon session

13:30 – 14:00 Opening scenario  14:00 – 14:45 What do we know about collaboration? 14:45 – 15:00 Coffee break 15:00 – 15:30 Case Study: Collaborative tool development – the Toward

Resilience Initiative 15:30 – 16:00 Case Study: NGOs traditionally compete for funds; what

happens when they join forces to raise money together? 

Scenario

You have been asked to set up and manage a collaboration. What are your key considerations?

- Discuss in your table groups (15mins)- Present key considerations back to plenary (5mins per group)

 

Collaborative tool development – the Toward Resilience initiative

ECB Learning Event

July 2013

www.ecbproject.org

Toward Resilience

Background_________________________________________________________________

•Peer review workshop in May 2009 bought all ECB stakeholders together

•Consortium Engagement Plans analysed

•Demand for a practitioner friendly tool / guidance on DRR, resilience (“the Good Enough Guide to DRR”)

•Process to develop the guide agreed on model of AIM GEG i.e. fully participatory

Next steps_________________________________________________________________

•Meeting in Italy in June 2009 with ECB DRR advisors and representatives from the 5 ECB consortia

•Broad concept note for the guide developed

•“DRR Practitioners Guide”

•Tensions over scope of guide, format of guide, inclusion of climate change adaptation / resilience

Key moments_________________________________________________________________

•Scoping study carried out with 24 organisations in July 2010

•OFDA approached in December

•CRS and Save provide $180k “catalyst” funding (Jan 2011)

•OFDA (January) and ECHO (March) proposals submitted

•Two guide lead consultants contracted May 2011

•$100k provided by Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund (June 2011)

•First consortium workshops held (June / July 2011)

Key moments….cont_________________________________________________________________

• Editorial committee confirmed (August 2011)

• First summit held in Bangkok (September 2011)

• First draft of Guide released in December 2011 for review

• Second consortium review workshops held (March 2012)

• Summit 2 held in Bangkok (April 2012)

• Field testing in 6 locations (July 2012)

• Resource materials developed by Mercy Corps (Oct 2012)

• Guide launched (December 2012)

What on earth just happened?....._________________________________________________________________

• 3 years• 6 ECB agencies, (PLUS others in the consortia)• 24 individuals consulted in the Guide’s scoping study. • 2 International summits• 10 consortium workshops with up to 100 participants• 6 field tests in 6 different countries•1500 pieces of individual feedback• 33 field participants in the global workshops as well as the 6 DRR Advisors and the 2 authors. • 6 ECB project staff and managers (including 2 ex staff), • 6 editorial committee members, • 1 editor,• 2 translators, • 2 Agency managers

The process_________________________________________________________________

• ‘exciting’, ‘challenging’, ‘enriching’, ‘rewarding’

• and ‘lengthy’!

Key learning_________________________________________________________________

• Participatory approach was longer and more generic output

• Publication experience missing

• Work involved was far greater than anticipated

• Expensive and time consuming

• Confusions over roles and responsibilities within complex ECB structures

• Multiple donor reporting

• Participatory mechanisms do not suit all stages of a publication

Key learning_________________________________________________________________

• Diverse content suitable for a broad range of contexts

• Technically credible guide integrating DRR / CCA

• Process increased ownership and involvement = application

• Diversity of participation opportunities was broad and good

Key learning_________________________________________________________________

“…..The publication of the Guide demonstrates that multiple stakeholders, spanning several organisations, can work collaboratively and effectively to produce a resource that incorporates their combined experience and responds to a widely-felt need…..”

Recommendations_________________________________________________________________

• Planning meeting prior to embarking including publishing!

• Engage senior managers for improved ownership / mainstreaming

• Monitor impact of participation through use of Guide

• Resource guide team instead of relying on “volunteerism”

• Start with a first draft rather than a carte blanche

• Consider field testing rather than “read and review” – resource accordingly

• Minimise participation to sustain engagement – JDs / PRs

Toward Resilience booth at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2013

NGOs traditionally compete for funds – what happens when they joint fundraise?

ECB Learning Event

July 2013

www.ecbproject.org

“………Once upon a time, six INGOs began a collaborative initiative with $5m in the bank and $7m to find………”

Background_________________________________________________________________

• Gates Foundation approves an ECB Project Phase II

• $12m budget approved for a five year initiative

• $5m provided by Gates, $7m agency commitment

• ECB Project Phase II starts in August 2008

• CARE USA manages contract

• All agencies sign MoU outlining structure, ways of working

But…._________________________________________________________________

• Concept notes, plans and fundraisers in place BUT…..

• Global financial crisis

• Power of ECB agencies to raise money seriously affected

• Five innovative approaches adopted to address the issue

1. Fundraising by Committee - HQ_________________________________________________________________

• Matrix of funding options developed, lead agencies assigned

• Opened up competitive revenue streams for the first time

• However joint fundraising requires coordination

• Donors not prioritising capacity building

• Agencies found it hard to raise money internally

• Decentralised structures contributed to complexity.

“….the ECB Project was too expensive for what the market could bear….”

2. Fundraising by Committee - Country_________________________________________________________________

• In some consortia joint fundraising was pursued – Bolivia

• Requires high level of trust but seen as opportunity to highlight capacities of participating agencies and build further.

• Difficult to prioritise consortium over individual agency

• Decisions often made at global level anyway.

• Recent successes in Bolivia and Bangladesh

3. Technical advisors, joint priorities_________________________________________________________________

• DRR advisors joint fundraising for TR Guide

• Unsuccessful first bid to OFDA so agency leverage funds used to catalyse project (CRS, SC and Mercy Corps)

• Eventually OFDA contributed towards the funding gap

• This direct project focused initiative seemed to work

4. Single lead agency for joint actions_________________________________________________________________

• Oxfam GB have worked closely with donors to fund activities

• Some applications rejected because the ECB Project was perceived as too US-centric

• Some applications successful

“…..European donors have been more forward thinking and more willing to take bets…”

• Downside of this approach is less consortium ownership of activities and outcomes

5. Two or three agencies leading_________________________________________________________________

• Approach to ECHO from CARE, Oxfam GB and ECB team

• Required significant relationship / trust building (12months)

• Difficult to develop a proposal that reflects all priorities

• Sense of top down approach

• Global frustrations with lack of country level engagement

• Ultimately successful but what damage to relationships?

Reflections_________________________________________________________________

• Funding restructure, resulting in increased agency contributions

• Tensions result over perceived inequality in contributions to the collaboration. Erosion of trust.

• Over reliance on NGO unrestricted funds “harder to justify internally”

• Private funds used increasingly successfully

• The right kind of funding?

Learning_________________________________________________________________

• Know when to fundraise together and when to say no!

• Understand the differing funding policies of agencies

• One or two agencies can fundraise on behalf of the group as long as plans are agreed and refreshed

• Develop a global budget and continually update it

• Start with a joint fundraising strategy and clarify agencies commitments

• Measures of accountability

• Address concerns about covering support costs early on

Learning…..cont_________________________________________________________________

• Proposal consultation is vital but incredibly difficult

• Proactive advocacy and communication with donors is key

• Donors are attracted to the reach and sustainability of consortia

• Fundraising is part of the challenge – spending is the other!