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Supporting capacity building for better planning and project management
Institutional support for partners of IFSP, viz. service providers and CBOs includes conducting participatory needs assessment (PNA) for project planning and implementation, community mobilisation, human resources management through training and workshops, information systems development for NEPC, provision of equipment and allocation of budget lines. From 1999 to 2003 cooperation with 200 CBOs in 170 villages were established. Included are intensive awareness campaigns, training activities and workshops. Cooperation with CBOs aims at supporting them form ‘passive receipients’ to ‘active partners’. The ‘focused impact assessment’ of May/June 2003 confirm IFSP’s approach.
The IFSP documentation is addressing decision makers, development practicioners, researchers and representatives from local communities. Important documents and all IFSP new are available in English, Sinhala and Tamil. The demand for IFSP documents is ever increasing: 1,000 copies of the PNA manual were supplied on request to partner institutions, CBOs and NGOs. The Village Data Sheets are a prime source for trageting. More than 100 updated planning maps were made available to departments, Divisional secretaries, NGOs and development agencies and projects. The solid waste management coincept has gained national recognition.
During the phasing-out a manual for micro project planning, which includes all forms and procedures from data gathering through planning, implementation and monitoring will be finalised. The conceptual framework for CIRM is in its final stage. CIRM is to be developed into a ‘hub’ for disseminating best practices and promoting IT for development planning.
Equipment supplied included 68 motorcycles for partner institutions to enhance the mobility of field staff. A total of 55 computers, printers, overhead projectors and multi media projectors as well as related hard- and software, surveying equipment, generators etc. were made available. Office furniture and moderation equipment were supplied to many partner institutions. Communication equipment and vehicles were procured for IFSP proper to better address field work and to comply with the security situation.
IFSP has established a data base and information system that allow to link all decision for development activities to the vulnerability profile and to field activities. Maps can be produced (e.g. administrative map with all GN Divisions according to government coding, location of projects, relation to secondary data) and monitoring is addressed. A review of impacts in comparison with the vulnerability - poverty profile (Village Data Sheets) is under way. IFSP is actively cooperating with the provincial planning department to promote information systems development in a post-conflict environment.
Capacity building also addresses ‘peace conflict impact assessment’ (PCIA). A number of confidence and peace building initiatives have been conducted, viz. conflict analysis, do no harm exercises, coaching of staff, intensive dialogue with partner institutions and individuals, sensitising workshops. IFSP is addressing the RRR-Framework and contributes directly to the Sri Lankan Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Intensive short-term training in Sri Lanka and abroad for all IFSP staff and selected personnel from partner institutions continued through 2003 in the field of nutrition and food security, impact monitoring, project management, management information systems, small scale enterprise promotion and agricultural finance, conflict analysis, leadership and, community mobilisation. To date 22 IFSP and partner staff participated in training courses abroad and about 85 officers and young professional joined in various training courses in Sri Lanka. More than 80 different training initiatives, either in Sri Lanka or abroad were effected until October 2003.
IFSP is supporting the Colombo based Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, CHA with the ‘data base on emergency preparedness – communications manager’. CHA has been instrumental in making IFSP expertise available to member NGOs. A support package for the Trincomalee NGO Consortium aims at redefining and re-identifying roles and functions of local NGOs and facilitating effective services.
Surveys finalised in 2001, 2002 and 2003: village data sheets – profile of war affectedness and poverty for Trincomalee district (vulnerability profile); solid waste management for Trincomalee district; water quality monitoring; well inventory and water balance for the north-eastern aquifer; integration of nutrition and food security into the programmatic of partner institutions; evaluation of mid-day meal, d-base and GIS for IFSP and partner institutions, coaching of community mobilisers, IS for North East, lessons learnt - best practices, focused impact assessment, solid waste management for Padavisiripura, minor tank impact assessment.
The IFSP-CATAD project 2001 ‘Livelihoods at Risk’ was implemented as a joint venture of IFSP and the Centre for Advanced Training in Agricultural and Rural Development (CATAD) from Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. The IFSP-CATAD project 2001 explored socio-economic coping strategies and changes in land use pattern of conflict-affected communities in Trincomalee district.
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