Creating synergies – from a Project to a Programme approach

1. Creating synergies – from a Project to a Programme approach

2. Donor (Norad) FOKUS project project project project project project project project project project project project

3. STRATEGY 2007-2012 Thematic priorities: • Capacity building on women´s rights and local mobilisation – competence building program for women: The main focus will be on competence building on human rights /women´s rights and local mobilisation with grassrootorganisations/movements as starting point. The target groups themselves will define their needs for capacity building and – in a “bottom up” approach. • Violence against women: The main theme consists of three sub-themes; violence in close relations, trafficking and female genital mutilation (FGM).

4. 3. Women in and after war and conflict: Consists of 1)Women´sparticipation in peaceprocesses, 2) Protection and genderbasedviolence. Follow up of UN Security Councilresolution 1325 is central. 4. Women’s political and economic participation: Among others, these rights include: the right to work, non-discrimination and labour rights (the right to organize, as regulated by the ILO-convention and other human rights conventions), the right to control over financial resources/the right to inherit, property rights, access to credit, natural resources and technology for income generation; and the right to participation in decision making processes (financial , political cultural).

5. STRATEGY 2007-2012 Geographical priorities: A: East Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) B: South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) C: Central America (Guatemala/Chiapas and Nicaragua) D: The Andes region: (Colombia and Peru) E: Other: South Africa, Palestine and Lebanon

6. From project to program There are several ways to put projects/components together in a program: common target group common geographic area common sector (thematic) common methodology Thematic coherenc and consistency, as well as an overall program strategy, is required. The indivdual projects must contribute to a common objective, and this program objective must be measurable. It is not sufficient to group together individual projects and thereby call them a ”country program” thematic program” or ”regional program”

7. Donor (Norad) FOKUS Norwegian NGO Local NGO project

8. Should the Norwegian NGO work on a program level? Donor (Norad) FOKUS Norwegian NGO 1 Local NGO 1 Local NGO 2 Local NGO 3 project project project

9. Should more Norwegian NGOs cooperate? Donor (Norad) FOKUS Norwegian NGO 2 Norwegian NGO 1 Norwegian NGO 3 Local NGO 2 Local NGO 1 Local NGO 3 Project 1 Project 2 Project 3

10. Or should more local NGOs cooperate locally? Donor (Norad) FOKUS Norwegian NGO 2 Norwegian NGO 1 Norwegian NGO 3 Local NGO 2 Local NGO 1 Local NGO 3 Project 1 Project 2 Project 3

11. Advantages with the program approach • Better correlation and synergy in the development cooperation • Stronger impact – if the added value can be identified • The program can operate on different levels (locally, nationally, internationally) • The program may contain various elements (e.g. services, capacity building, advocacy)

12. Potential challenges • May result merely in a cosmetic exercise aggregating project information • May create a conflict between responsibilities of the recipient and the principles of the donor (if these are strict) • If the program is imposed too strictly it may affect the support to a diverse and innovative civil society • Questions related to ownership may occur • The possibility for detailed follow-up and learning may be lost

13. Summary – program approach • No one wants ”false” programs • May be founded both in North and South • Programs should be based on a strategy related to country/sector (thematic) – based on needs – where there are potential synergies to be achieved