NEXT GENERATION INTERNSHIP REPORT

April – September, 2009

Bassey ALAGA

WEST AFRICA CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Acronyms

Acknowledgement

1. Introduction

2. Internship Experience

2.1 Settling In

2.2 Primary Tasks

2.3 Secondary Tasks

3. Conclusion and Recommendations

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LIST OF ACRONYMNS

CSOs Civil Society Organisations

InWEnt InWEnt Capacity Building International

IT Information Technology

KAIPTC Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre

OSI Open Society Institute

OSIWA Open Society Initiative for West Africa

TRC Truth and Reconciliation Commission

WACSI West Africa Civil Society Institute

WACSOF West African Civil Society Forum

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This report documents my internship experience with the West Africa Civil Society

Institute (WACSI) from April – September, 2009. It highlights the tasks I was

responsible for implementing and activities I participated in. The report also proffers

recommendations targeted at improving the “Next Generation Internship Programme”.

I am grateful to the Institute for the opportunities given to me during the programme,

and express my appreciation to the entire WACSI team for making the experience

pleasant and educational.

I must also send a special commendation to the programmes department, especially Ms.

Adama Bah and Mr. Charles Vandyck for their guidance, and the administrative unit led

by Mrs Katherine Adarkwa for its consistent support.

To my co-interns – we shared a lot and are now a family, you are appreciated.

Bassey Alaga

September, 2009

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1. INTRODUCTION

The Next Generation Internship which commenced in January 2008 aims at developing the next generation of competent civil society actors and leaders. The programme is designed to help interns appreciate the challenges of the contemporary world from a civil society perspective and to equip them with the requisite knowledge, leadership and communication skills to function in the civil society sector.

The overall objective of the programme is to develop the abilities of interns in the core areas of policy research and documentation, policy-oriented thinking and advocacy, training and facilitation. The specific objectives of the programme are to enable interns: Gain a deeper understanding of the civil society sector Acquire professional work experience Have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the ECOWAS region In fulfilling its mandate, WACSI has strengthened the capacities of numerous civil society organisations, but also realises the need to impact the youth, who are the next generation of civil society actors. In 2009, the Institute decided to broaden the internship experience by attracting potential interns with information technology competencies. This was a deliberate strategy aimed at attracting an Intern who could provide additional information technology support services to the Institute. Specifically, the IT Intern was responsible for managing the Institute’s information

technology and communications strategy including the website, on-line platforms,

communication- driven initiatives and the IT infrastructure. The intern’s tasks

comprised:

1. Enhancing the Institute’s Regional Civil Society Directory Dissemination Project

through:

Research and input additional civil society organisations in the directory

Capture the directory on CD-ROMS for onward dissemination to CSOs

Ensure the word-based version of the directory is published

2. Ensuring the Institute’s website is always updated with appropriate publications

and information;

3. Supervising and managing the Institute’s on-line social networking platform on

facebook;

4. Exploring possibilities of the Institute implementing on-line courses and an

Information Technology policy;

5. Delivering a status report on IT and communications at every staff meeting and to

ED and programmes team when required;

6. Liaising with the office assistant to provide solutions to IT-related problems

through:

An analysis of the Institute’s server and recommend changes for enhanced

performance

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The provision of theoretical support and knowledge to the office assistant about IT

related issues

Ensure the internet access is working at its optimum

This report documents the activities of the IT intern between April and September,

2009.

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2. INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

2.1 SETTLING IN

I began my internship placement with WACSI in April, 2009 with mixed feelings. I was

very excited about the opportunity and also quite contemplative. I was taken through a

comprehensive orientation process. This process provided me the opportunity to

familiarise myself with WACSI’s mandate, past programmes, current activities, as well

as future goals. The direction and organisational goal became clearer and I began to see

the relevance of an intern with information technology competencies.

The opportunity to apply the knowledge I had gained in the University was the source of

my excitement. It is noteworthy to state, I was not confined to only IT-related issues but

was also involved in the implementation of training and policy interventions.

This was a rewarding and enlightening experience because, while one strives to achieve

excellence in one’s chosen field, it is always significant to transcend beyond one’s

competencies to take advantage of new knowledge and skills. During the subsequent

months, I took advantage of the wide range of literature that was readily available to

strengthen my knowledge and appreciation of the civil society sector and its role in

entrenching democratic governance and fuelling development.

The working environment at WACSI was extremely conducive and my fellow interns

and the WACSI staff were very supportive.

2.2 PRIMARY TASKS

Design and Creation of Regional CSO Directory

The Institute received a grant from Trust Africa to develop and disseminate a regional

civil society directory. The directory will be in two distinctive formats, electronic and

print. The electronic version will be updated on a consistent basis as soon as new

information is available while the print version will be revised biennially.

The first phase of implementation involved updating the information in the existing

directory and sourcing for information on additional CSOs in the region. In collating

data for the directory, it became evident that while there are a myriad of CSOs, they tend

to intervene in several areas simultaneously, thereby undermining their effectiveness. It

is hoped that the CSO Directory will provide a reference point for CSOs sourcing for

experts in other intervention areas.

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The second phase involved designing the coding for the electronic version. The

electronic version is tailored to be user-friendly and easily adaptable.

The final phase consisted of ensuring that the word-based version is designed and

published.

The importance of this directory cannot be over-emphasised. It will help CSOs form new

partnerships and networks and initiate a progressive era of cooperation among CSOs,

and between CSOs and Government. It is expected that, this resource will promote a

vibrant civil society sector.

Information Technology Support

A critical task that I performed on a daily basis in collaboration with the Institute’s

technical officer was to ensure that the IT systems and equipments (including the

internet) were functioning properly and effectively.

Over the internship period, I made recommendations on how to improve the existing

systems and performed routine IT tasks such as managing the organisation’s website.

Initially, it seemed rather challenging to transcend from being a student to providing IT

related advice, however due to the enabling environment and proactive guidance, a

considerable amount was achieved. Currently, the following recommendations I made

are undergoing management review and analysis:

The possibility of allocating bandwidth to individual computer users

Changing the anti-virus software from AVG to Nod32 or Kapersky

Reconfiguring the server

2.3 SECONDARY TASKS

Corporate Governance Training Workshop for Civil Society Actors in Liberia, 6-9

July 2009

WACSI organised a 4-day “Corporate Governance” training workshop for 21 executive

directors and board members of civil society organisations in Liberia. The training was

an outcome of a thorough needs assessment, and discussions on CSOs legitimacy and

accountability, as well as the challenges peculiar to CSOs working in the West Africa

region.

The goal of this specialised workshop was to provide participants with knowledge and

skills in strengthening accountability mechanisms, maximising the Board’s role and

efficiency, developing effective reporting structures, and enhancing financial

management.

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I was designated as a project assistant for this specific training intervention and

performed the following tasks:

Provided technical assistance during the course of the workshop; and Formulated the workshop report.

West Africa Civil Society Parliamentary/Legislative Forum – The Liberia

Consultation, 10 July 2009

WACSI, WACSOF and the OSIWA Liberia programme co-organised a “Civil Society and

Legislative Consultative Forum” in Monrovia, Liberia. This forum was the brainchild of

WACSI and WACSOF, and is part of a regional project aimed at promoting responsive

governance processes in the sub-region.

The forum provided a platform for Civil Society and the National legislature in Liberia to

forge a more constructive, interdependent and mutually beneficial relationship. The

forum brought together 35 participants drawn from the Senate, House of

Representatives and Civil Society and Government Agencies.

It is hoped that the project will assist in establishing national and regional frameworks

for civil society and parliamentarians to constructively engage, promoting participation

of stakeholders in legislative processes.

The forum, while a huge success, proved that there is need for more of such

consultations across the region if partnerships between the legislature and civil society

are going to be forged and/or strengthened.

I was designated as a project assistant for this specific policy forum and performed the

following tasks:

Provided technical assistance during the course of the forum; and Formulated the policy brief and policy report. Other Meetings Attended During the internship period, I had the opportunity to be part of several meetings and workshops including:

2009 OSI Africa Advisory Board Meeting The Responsibility to Protect Accra Press Conference Conflict Prevention Training of Trainers for Civilian Actors in West Africa InWEnt/WACSI/KAIPTC Training course on Civil Society and Government

Collaboration for African Diplomats

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3. CONCLUSION AND RECCOMENDATIONS My internship at WACSI was a challenging, yet deeply satisfying experience. The programme increased my appreciation for the vital work CSOs do in the region. The internship experience has made me realise that the civil society sector is open to every individual that is truly committed to improving the quality of life of citizenry in West Africa. The programme is mutually beneficial to both the organisation and the intern. I arrived at the Institute with a purely theoretical background but I have acquired new skills, including report writing, research and analysis, event management, teamwork, responsibility, the importance of a conducive work environment, and the ability to work under pressure in a multi-cultural environment. I must reiterate that, working at WACSI was always a delightful experience. My colleagues were always willing to give a helping hand. I remain grateful to the entire WACSI family for a memorable and life-changing experience. Recommendations for Enhancing the Internship Programme

The internship programme should introduce language training to truly satisfy the needs of the West Africa region. This will also help to attract non-English speaking interns;

As the organisation grows, the number of staff and interns may also increase. It will be beneficial to keep a database of past interns and volunteers that can be added to the organisations network;

Interns should be given more opportunities to be part of workshops and policy forums so they can benefit from the knowledge delivered and certification; and

The Institute should seek to collaborate with academic institutions to strengthen its internship and volunteers’ programmes. This will broaden information and communication to youths about the workings of the civil society sector. It will also accord the sector the opportunity of attracting brilliant young minds that have interest in building career’s as civil society actors.