Development of organizations

One of the crucial elements of the Marginalized Populations Support Activity (PPMG) is the institutional strengthening of organizations dealing with these target groups. The main intention is to provide USAID grantees and other USAID partner organizations dealing with the needs and rights of marginalized populations with the opportunity for institutional strengthening of areas pertaining to organizational and financial management, which will contribute to their sustainability and a more efficient fulfillment of the needs of their target groups.

The section of the Activity concerned with institutional strengthening of organizations comprises three basic elements:

• Trainings
• Mentorship
• One-to-one coaching support

Trainings

Activity provides beneficiaries of USAID funds with a series of trainings on topics of fundamental importance for capacity building. The topics that will be discussed are:

• Legal and Organizational Structures
• Administration and Human Resources
• Project Performance Management
• Organizational Sustainability
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Financial Management
• Internal Control Systems
• Procurement Systems

The trainings are designed to last three days and take place across the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina. The trainers will be individuals with years of experience in institutional strengthening.

Mentorship

Mentorship is practically a logical follow-up to the trainings, and the intention behind it is to support USAID-funded organizations in maximizing their potential, developing skills and improving the quality of their work, with the aim of improving their professionalism and sustainability.

Mentorship will be provided in different forms, as planned, via the following:

• e-mail (individual email correspondence with the management)
• Mailing list
• Project web site
• Regular consultations by phone
• Skype conferences
• Facebook group
• Consultations during informal parts of the trainings

Mentorship will help organizations to achieve the following, among other things, according to their needs:

• Establish a functional organizational structure
• Develop a system of policies and procedures
• Provide job descriptions for all employees
• Develop efficient financial management and corresponding procedures
• Introduce a cooperative, computerized accounting system
• Develop strategic plans
• Communication strategy

One-to-one coaching support

One-to-one coaching support to USAID-funded organizations will be based on a capacity assessment which will be performed prior to signing the contract, and OCA assessments which will be used to create individual Organizational Capacity Building Plans. According to the plan of the Activity, consultants will spend at least three days with each of the grantees and work committedly on building the capacities in areas identified in the individual Capacity Development Plans.

All three elements or forms of support to the development of organizations are complementary and part of a wholesome system which will enable the further development of civil society organizations.