A new consultancy group

 

It was really difficult last week as there is a Sri Lankan consultancy group that have been asked by another department to write a corporate plan which is going to be some all singing dancing thing and obviously better than mine and take months and involve lots of focus groups etc. It’s hard to summarise this in a pithy way and I am not certain how much I am being over sensitive about when a lot is in Tamil, but basically I was put in a room with them and Thaya and somehow expected to defend my corner which I wouldn’t, while the bosses sat and said nothing. Anyway I spoke to the Director Monday on his own and he said we just continue with the plan so I am going for my time frame and if they want the all singing and dancing they can have that afterwards. The consultants have no money of their own to do it, but I think if the District says yes they can get funding from abroad.

J1 is coming out to see me and I also need to find a job so it’s full on. It’s good I will be coming home because I am running out of bite ease and I can’t get it here!

 

THE INGO/NGO /CBO SECTOR

As Batticaloa is dependent on the goodwill and continued presence & funding of the NGO sector I suggest it is important to keep a chapter in about them, however you word it.

Batticaloa is blessed with a vibrant INGO /NGO sector (approx.12/27 respectively) which brings in and manages extensive funding (currently c.$10 million). Post Tsunami this help may have felt to be ad hoc and not always most productive and sustainable, but now that virtually all large tranches of funding are channelled through national government, the government sector does have more control.

By their very nature NGOs are able to act more quickly than government departments where approvals for everyday decisions may take a disproportionate time. They also employ and provide excellent training and career opportunities for local people.

Any INGO with UN in its title sees one of its primary roles as being there to strengthen the government. Good working relations between government departments and NGOs serve only to enhance local benefit.

UNICEF

UNICEF have positioned themselves as supporting the District Secretariat and they have co-ordinated the NGO forum that meets once every 3 months.

They cover education, water sanitation, health & nutrition and child protection 

WORLD VISION

World Vision have been working in the District for 30 years and currently have 6 programmes in Vellavely, Poddipolar, Eravur Pattu, Kiran, Koralai Pattu and Vaharai. They have their own donor streams and most of Sri Lanka’s funding comes from Australia. Their focus is on child wellbeing, livelihoods, health & nutrition & education. They work with the poorest of the poor, but they are only prepared to work with those who see themselves as partners rather than beneficiaries. They also operate a micro credit programme under Vision For Lanka which is targeted at those with entrepreneurial ability.

Experience has taught them that to be effective they must work in the field with beneficiaries for an extended period of time. 6 months is a minimum. Meaningful change takes a long time.

ILO

Historically ILO have been involved in partnership working in livelihoods support for resettled communities, vocational training, enterprise development and the recovery co-ordination initiative.

ZOA

ZOA is a Netherlands based organisation working in Sri Lanka since 1995. They provide relief to people affected by conflict or natural disasters. They contribute to a new perspective of hope in which people work together for a promising future in dignity and mutual trust. Together with the affected communities, they work on the recovery of livelihoods. ZOA works in line with local government and counterpart structures.

Locally ZOA partners with ESCO and Y GRO in the EU SEM programme to revitalise livelihood opportunities for 4,700 families in war affected communities in 58 villages in Mannar, Killinochchi and Batticaloa district.

ZOA also have funding from the Australian government until June 2015 to work on community development and peace activities.

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL

Is an independent and impartial international aid organization which works to support the needs of the persons with disabilities affected by poverty, exclusion, conflict and disaster. Handicap International in Sri Lanka is committed to strengthen the physical rehabilitation services, enhance access to livelihood services, promote a barrier free environment and contribute towards full participation of persons with disabilities in society.

The branch in Batticaloa are particularly proud of the ward they and USAID have sponsored within Batticaloa Teaching Hospital. They are also part of the Inclusive Livelihood Programme and the ECORT Disaster Consortium Programme.

Disabled people within Batticaloa are culturally excluded as families prefer to keep them hidden away in the family home, but also there are prejudices against their ability to develop in business.

IFC

IFC’s country strategy for Sri Lanka for 2013-15 focuses on:

 

(i) Inclusive growth by increasing access to services for the underserved; and

(ii) Global integration by enhancing growth and competitiveness of priority sectors.

 

By working closely with the private sector, the Government, and the World Bank, IFC uses a combination of Investment and Advisory services to:

 

Create growth opportunities for micro, small and medium sized businesses;

Make strategic investments to increase access to financial services, build infrastructure; improve healthcare and develop key sectors such as agribusiness and tourism; and

Improve the investment climate to promote private sector participation in infrastructure, and make it easier for businesses to start and operate.

 

In addition, IFC is developing the implementation plan for a project in four districts in the North and East of Sri Lanka. The project is aimed at supporting the transition from recovery to development in these districts and bridging the gap with the more developed areas of the country.

 

All INGOs and NGOs are documented at the District Secretariat and meet collectively every 3 months. There appear to be no obvious gaps in the services offered other than support to childrens’ homes. There are plenty of micro credit initiatives.

CBOs

There are also many Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in Batticaloa District. These tend to be livelihoods based such as farmers or fishermen or faith based. It is uncertain how much actual cash in terms of foreign aid permeates down this far. Certainly children’s homes seem to be directly funded by individual/small group foreign investors rather than filtering through government systems. There is also some evidence of abandoned equipment/ buildings that may have been given to small groups in the past that they were then unable to sustain. It is important that the people operating at this level of community good will feel valued, but also that they are appropriately supported. This is quite a difficult balancing act and it may seem easier to just give the money to the bigger, more experienced NGOs to manage. The difference is these people are salaried, the CBOs are voluntary. It is very important not to undermine the value of this voluntary work, as this will remain in place while external funding may disappear.

Development Plan Focus

To monitor the level of funding/ equipment that filters down to the CBOs and to ensure they are appropriately linked to officers and kept in the loop as far as information flow and funding opportunities. 

Batticaloa District Development Plan DRAFT 2013