VI. Supplementary organizational check 1. History and Mission in relation to human rights AO.1. a: Briefly describe the organisation's origins.
Plan Nederland is one of the biggest child-centered development organizations in the Netherlands. Plan Nederland was founded in 1975 as member of Plan International and has no political, religious or commercial objectives. Plan Nederland has 80 employees, 250 volunteers and more than 96.000 child sponsors (70.000 child sponsors and 26.000 project sponsors). The organization Plan was originally founded in 1937 by British war journalist John LangdonDavies, as a way to help children whose lives had been disrupted by the Spanish Civil War. During the second World War, the approach of this ‘Foster Parents Plan for War Children’ extended to other European countries. Through the 1950s and ‘60s, Plan worked for children in countries in war in Asia (Korea, Vietnam) and in the ‘60s Plan gradually moved from helping children in emergency situations to improving children’s chances to develop, shifting its focus to less developed countries. The organisations name changed to Foster Parents Plan. Community-based projects were introduced in the 1970s, and the focus gradually shifted to community development with the aim of improving children’s surroundings and opportunities. In 2002 the name of the organisation changed from Foster Parents Plan to Plan International.
The adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989 strongly influenced Plan’s development work. The rights and principles embodied in the CRC became the foundation of Plan’s approach to poverty alleviation and child rights realization: Child Centred Community Development (CCCD). CCCD is a child-rights based, participatory approach to tackling child poverty and child rights violations by addressing the underlying power imbalances at local, national and international levels. It entails empowering children, communities and their organisations as well as strengthening civil society and influencing governments.
Plan International’s program coverage has grown substantially over the last 20 years. The organization is now active in 50 Southern countries and 20 Northern countries. Over the years, Plan Nederland has developed from a fundraising organisation towards a children development organization, which in collaboration with Plan Country Offices, Southern and Dutch partners develops and implements large development programs and engages in lobby and advocacy in order to get child rights recognized by governments, the private sector and the society at large. Since 2010, Plan Nederland focuses on adolescent girls, as girls suffer disproportionately from poverty and inequality and yet evidence shows that investment in girls can help break the poverty cycle. Directing efforts toward (adolescent) girls brings about added value. In fiscal year 2012 Plan Nederland’s income was 47.892 million euros. The programme
targeted underprivileged girls and boys in 23 focus countries on 3 major themes: protection against violence, youth economic empowerment (including post-primary education) and water, sanitation and hygiene. AO.1. b: The organization's main objective serves the goal of human rights.
Plan Nederland’s vision is of a world in which all children, girls and boys, realise their full potential in societies that respect people’s rights and dignity. To realize this vision, Plan has committed itself in its constitution to the objective "to ensure the capacity building of, and sustainable financial contributions to international programs implemented by local governmental and private social organizations, aimed at improving the future for underprivileged children in developing countries.” Gender equality plays a central role in the realisation of Plan’s vision of change. Plan derives its standards and work principles on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Girls and boys have the same rights, but they are not able to realize them to the same degree. Plan has adopted an approach that promotes both child rights and gender equality in programmes, policies, partnerships and operations and commits to integrating gender equality objectives and measures in all programmes. At the same time, Plan will pursue specific programmes of empowerment for girls and women, in order to close existing gender gaps and to support them to overcome inequality, discrimination and stereotyping. These commitments are laid down in the Programme Strategy 2012-2016 (see annex 17).
2. Strategy, operational objectives and results AO.2 a: The organization has a multi-annual strategic plan (MASP) or similar plan that clearly sets out the objectives, envisaged results, activities and resources.
In February 2012 Plan Nederland launched its Strategy Plan 2012 and in May 2013, Plan Nederland launched its Programme Strategy 2016, which has as its overarching goal ‘Contribute to the empowerment of adolescent girls and the achievement of gender equality between boys and girls, young women and men in 23 priority countries of Plan Nederland’. In this strategy, Plan looks ahead beyond the joint commitment to attain all the MDGs, including the achievement of gender equality in 2015 (MDG3). This entails impact on a larger scale, innovation and the establishment of new forms of collaboration. Cooperation with private partnerships, public actors and civil society will be intensified, as well as the cooperation with 23 core-countries.
The Programme Strategy has four specific objectives:
1.
To increase the impact of our programmes on adolescent girls’ empowerment and gender
equality in the 23 priority countries of Plan Nederland
2.
To increase the participation of private sector partners and the general public in the Dutch
society in programmes aimed at the empowerment of adolescent girls
3.
To improve our identity and brand recognition in the Nederland of Plan as expert in the
area of adolescent girls empowerment and gender equality
4.
To create a stable financial basis through income diversification: more (varied)
institutional and corporate partners contributing to Plan’s programmes. To achieve these specific objectives, Plan has defined five strategic result areas, for the period 2012 – 2016, with concrete targets to be achieved under each result.
Result 1: Increased specialization in programme development and management Specialization requires that Plan Nederland’s programmes focus on specific target groups, themes and countries. This implies that Plan will only support programmes projects in the 23 core countries and on its priority themes. Targets for 2016:
•
95% of all programmes are gender aware or gender transformative
•
adolescent girls and young women reached in the priority programme countries
•
80% of the programme evaluations with proven impact on empowerment and gender
equality
Result 2: Increased number of strong partnerships Plan Nederland enters into a range of cooperation agreements, including partnerships for knowledge building, programme implementation and fundraising. Investing in strategic cooperation partnerships is key in Plan’s strategy. Targets for 2016:
•
80% of ongoing programmes implemented in cooperation with other partners
•
4 formalized PPP’s
•
15.000 youth in the Dutch society reached through initiatives of global citizenship
Result 3: Improved knowledge management By 2016 Plan Nederland intends to have positioned itself as expert in the field of Gender, specifically in the empowerment of girls and on selected themes. Targets for 2016:
•
Learning capacity of Plan Nederland of good quality
•
Each year 80% of the planned evaluations are conducted and findings and lessons learned are widely disseminated
•
Knowledge on the 5 identified learning questions (related to our themes) has been generated and disseminated
Result 4: Improved public image and brand and expertise recognition Plan Nederland intends to improve its image and brand recognition amongst target groups and stakeholders in the Nederland and increase citizens’ involvement in global development. Target for 2016:
•
Plan Nederland has received 10 invitations at relevant consultation processes of policy makers on gender equality and the situation of adolescent girls
Result 5: Diversified income for Plan Nederland’s programmes The fundraising strategy is directed at income diversification from institutional and corporate partners, including the establishment of Public Private Partnerships. Targets for 2016:
•
Total income of 17,3 million from institutional and corporate partners
•
Division of income per donor category: 33% from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 22% from corporate partners, 17% from the European Commission, 16% from the Postcode Loterij and 12% from multilateral organizations and foundations
AO.2. b: Partner organizations in the countries where the organization operates are actively involved in drafting and decision-making on the MASP.
If the organization works directly with the ultimate target group, the latter is actively involved in drafting and decision-making on the MASP.
Plan Nederland has selected a portfolio of 23 priority countries, in consultation with other National Offices of Plan (the offices in donor countries). In the preparation for the 2016 Programme Strategy, the Country Offices of these 23 core countries were consulted on an individual basis. The choice of priority themes and strategies in the MASP is based on the child rights analyses that every Country Office has elaborated in close consultation with the target group, local partners, government partners and other national donors. Furthermore, the proposal was presented to and discussed with the 23 priority COs. Furthermore, the objectives, goals and actions were aligned within the regular management and consultation structures of Plan International.
AO.2. c: The choices and priorities in the MASP are consistent .
Focus on adolescent girls The choice of the target group, with a special focus on adolescent girls and young women, is based on the following:
•
The number of youth in developing countries has never been so high - the ‘youth bulge’
•
This represents great opportunities for these countries but also presents great risks of
political instability and conflict due to the lack of educational and economic opportunities.
•
Within all youth categories, girls suffer disproportionately from and are hardest hit by
poverty and inequality. Inequality between girls and boys is often most apparent during adolescence.
•
Evidence shows that investing in adolescent girls is key in the sustainable alleviation of
poverty (the smartest investment) Increased specialization in programme development and management: Programme specialization is necessary due to higher donor demands in programme effectiveness and increasing competition in the private and institutional sectors. Through specialisation, Plan Nederland can improve the quality and efficiency of its programmes and enhance their impact. Based on policy insights regarding strategic investments in adolescent girls and taken into account our expertise, strengths as well as capacity constraints, Plan has identified 5 priority thematic areas: protection against violence, post-primary education, economic security and food security, WASH and global citizenship. Increased number of strong partnerships Partnerships add value to Plan’s unique selling points, allowing us to improve the quality of our service provision and better capitalize on financing possibilities. Precisely because of our sharper thematic focus, cooperation with others becomes more important. Cooperation partners - within
the Plan federation, private companies and NGOs – can add expertise, means and networks that will jointly enhance the impact of programmes. Improved knowledge management Donors’ changing policy priorities, critical discussions over the effectiveness of development aid and increasing competition in the sector have led to demands for higher quality standards for NGOs. Therefore, Plan seeks to make its programmes more knowledge-intensive, that is to say that they must be based – through scientific research – on what works in development. In view of our focus on empowerment of adolescent girls and the five contributing thematic specialisms, Plan Nederland will strengthen its expertise in its chosen specialisms for improvements in programme development and support to implementing parties. Besides the affiliation with the international Plan Academy to build in-depth knowledge in these fields, Plan Nederland will build on existing partnerships and networks with knowledge institutes and establish new networks and partnerships to increase impact. Improved public image and brand and expertise recognition Informing and involving citizens and social actors (governments, companies and civil society organisations) in international cooperation is of great importance in the creation and consolidation of societal support for development cooperation. Plan believes that Dutch private development organizations have an important task in the representative representation of international cooperation because they, better than the bilateral and multilateral channels, can demonstrate what development cooperation means. Diversified income for Plan Nederland’s programmes After 2015, no co-financing facilities will be available. Instead, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Plan Nederland’s most important donor, is focusing in her new policy on strategic partnerships and a range of thematic subsidy facilities more closely corresponding to bilateral policy; with a shorter duration, and to be made available to a wider range of actors than Dutch development organisations. There is also an increasing trend for decentralization of funds, where embassies will increasingly grant local financing to local organisations. In response to these trends, Plan Nederland will engage the coming years in income diversification. By 2016 our income will be spread over a larger number of donors: Dutch government, Dutch and international foundations, and the Dutch private sector (child sponsors, project sponsors and major donors).
3. Policy on Southern partners AO.3 a: Partner organizations or representatives from countries where the organization operates have substantial influence on the applicant's policy.
Plan Nederland is part of Plan International, an international organization consisting of 20 National Organisations and 50 Country Offices. The programmes of Plan Nederland are developed
and implemented in coordination with the Plan Country Offices. In each programme, both parties work together in local partner identification, selection, management and monitoring of the partner relationship and in capacity building. Southern partners do not have a formal right of decision in the policies and direction-setting of Plan Nederland, because of potential conflicts of interests. There are however several other mechanisms in place through which local partners and southern representatives can influence policies and programmes of Plan Nederland. These mechanisms are situated at the level of our country offices, the level closest to our partners, where direct communication with partners takes place. We will describe these mechanisms at governance level, long-term strategic planning and at the level of programme design and implementation.
1.
Governance
Plan country offices are still mainly dependent for fundraising on Plan International and national Plan offices in donor countries. From 2004, Plan has identified country offices in middle income countries to transform into locally constituted and governed bodies. Currently, two Plan offices are nationally registered organisations (India and Colombia). Other offices are currently in the transformation process like Brazil and Thailand. In Plan’s overall strategy (One Plan, One Goal, 2012-2015) priority is given to this transformation process. Governance at Plan International level Representatives from the South are members of the International Board of Plan International. Currently three out of the ten International Board members are southern representatives: Mrs. Mayu Avila, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of her country El Salvador, who is Corporate Sustainability Head for HSBC Latin America; Dr. Assefa Bequele, a Distinguished Fellow at The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF); and Mrs. Lydie Boka Mena, founder and manager of StrategiCo, which specialises in risk analysis in Africa, from Ivory Coast. With this, Plan builds upon the process of governance reform. Another achievement is the transformation of two country offices (India and Colombia) into nationally registered and governed organizations. In November 2009, the Members Assembly, the highest governance body in Plan International, approved the admission of these two offices as full members into the Assembly. 2. 3.
4.
2. Long-term strategic planning
In the process of developing policies and long-term strategies, Plan consults extensively with civil society partners at regional and country level. Draft strategies are shared with these partners and proposals are adjusted based on the feedback received. The development of the 5 year Country Strategic Plan (CSP) is an important process in which partner organizations are consulted and influence Plan’s long term planning. The CSP is based upon a participatory situation analysis from a Childs Rights perspective. It is the strategic framework into which Plan Nederland’s programmes fit. CSPs are developed through extensive consultations with children, partners and stakeholders at local and national level. This whole process is regulated in the PALS (Programme Acccountability and Learning Systems) cycle (PALS is a system to guide Plan staff at the programme country level in the planning, monitoring and evaluation)
5.
6.
3. Programme design and implementation
The regular consultation and participation of partner organizations in programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation is a key feature of Plan’s work. Plan consults regularly with beneficiaries (children and youth), communities, partners and stakeholders and these consultations feed into Plan’s decisions on programme identification, development, implementation and evaluation. Country offices consult continuously with partner organizations through regular meetings on specific issues of project design and implementation. In every programme country, a formal consultation takes place annually through the Annual Participatory Programme Review (APPR) process to review programme implementation and results. The input received through this process is used to adjust Country annual plans, specific project designs and as a basis for future strategic planning. AO.3 b: The applicant has adapted its partner selection policy to the objectives of the organization.
Plan Nederland applies a programme-approach to its work with Southern partners. This means that the relationships with partners are embedded in a (country or regional) thematic programme. Support to a partner organization is not an isolated intervention, but is linked to the work with other partners in the institutional environment. This includes cooperation with and capacity support to local government agencies. Partner selection process and procedures Our partnership selection process and procedure consists of: • Identification: Plan Nederland and the country office conduct civil society mappings and stakeholder analysis to identify potential partner organizations. CSOs frequently approach the country office for support. Larger organizations may also directly contact Plan Nederland. Potential NGOs for the delivery of specific programme services may be identified through a competitive bidding process. • Assessment of potential partners: Plan Nederland and the country offices assess whether potential partners fit into their policy and thematic programme choices. In meetings with potential partners, an initial assessment is carried out by the country office. During the assessment we present the relevant Plan policies, including the anti-fraud and anti-corruption policy. The assessment includes a thorough review of the financial and administrative processes and capacities of the potential partner. In the case of larger organizations, a risk analysis is part of the assessment. If this reveals serious concerns around the financial and administrative processes and track record of the potential partner, which cannot be mitigated
through support and capacity development, the organization does not qualify for a partnership. • Joint review of potential partners by Plan Nederland and country office: The country office presents the outcomes of the partner assessments to Plan Nederland as part of a thematic programme proposal. Plan Nederland uses a standard format to assess this proposal. It checks whether the proposed partners meet its criteria (see below), and whether the programme proposal fits within the available budget. The responsible thematic programme officer drafts a memorandum of the outcomes of the assessment and recommendations. The memo is then reviewed for approval by the Director of the International Programme department. • The partnership agreement: Once the proposal is approved, an agreement is drafted with the selected organizations and a contract is signed which includes a clause with regards to applicability of Plan’s antifraud and anti-corruption policy. Many partners, in particular childrenled associations and CBOs, are small, informal and incipient initiatives. Therefore, we may start the partnership with a preparatory phase, giving the partner organization the opportunity to become more familiar with Plan, and gradually build up to a solid partnership.
Partner selection criteria Plan Nederland and the country offices apply two general criteria in the selection of organizations: 1. Added value: the potential role and contribution of an organization in a specific country thematic programme; 2. Diversified and well-balanced partner portfolio: Plan Nederland aims at a portfolio that consists of different categories of organizations operating at different levels. In addition, we apply specific selection criteria to each category of organizations, presented in the table below: Categories of CSOs Children-led
Selection Criteria • Legitimacy of the organization to marginalised girls and boys
associations
• Involvement and participation of members in organizational decision-making
(child/youth clubs and
• Willingness to work with other organizations in the defence of
committees, unions,
child rights
movements)
• Compliance with Plan’s Child Protection policy • Legal status (obligatory for receiving funds) • Financial and administrative arrangements that ensure transparent management of funds (obligatory for receiving
Adult membership
funds) • Connection with children-led associations (geographically
based
and/or thematically)
organizations
• Commitment to child rights and gender • Willingness to promote child and youth participation internally
(CBOs, interest
• Willingness to work with other organizations in the defence of
associations, unions,
child rights
movements)
• Compliance with Plan’s Child Protection policy • Legal status • Governance (segregation of duties, regular elections for board membership) • Financial and administrative systems and procedures that
NGOs
ensure transparency and accountability are in place • Connection with children-led associations (geographically and/or thematically) • Shared vision and commitment to child rights and gender equality • Willingness to promote child and youth participation internally • Compliance with Plan’s Child Protection policy • Legal status • Governance (adequate segregation of duties, regular elections for board membership) • Financial and administrative systems and procedures that ensure transparency and accountability are in place • Thematic and programmatic expertise
Cat
Ego
ries of CSOs Selection criteria AO.3 c: The applicant implements an effective anticorruption and sanctions policy with regard to partners.
Anti-fraud and anti-corruption policy To avoid improper use of funds, Plan Nederland adheres to the overall anti-fraud and anticorruption policy of Plan International (2008). Plan maintains a zero tolerance policy on fraud and
corruption. The director of the internal audit department of Plan International periodically reports to the Financial Audit Committee of Plan International and on cases of proven fraud and the disciplinary measures taken. In addition, Plan staff has an obligation to report any allegations of fraud and corruption. Plan Nederland’s revised sanction policy (2011) is embedded in the Plan International overall fraud and anti-corruption policy (2008) and is applied in all its programs, including the ones implemented in alliance with other organizations. The centralized control system and clearly defined accounting responsibilities within Plan mean that any improper use of funds is directly traceable. Sanctions may be applied in four different situations: • Fraud and corruption; • Partners’ non-compliance with one or more conditions stated in the contract (including noncompliance with the code of conduct agreements in the contract: gender equality, child protection, cooperation between partners); • Non-compliance with reporting obligations; • Serious cases of non-performance (realized activities and outputs are much less than planned activities and outputs). Plan’s anti-corruption and sanction policy details what constitutes improper usage of resources, and describes measures to be taken in all these cases. The first step is often to stop money transfers, followed by an investigation into the actual facts. Discontinuation of the project and recovery of transferred funds are the last steps in this process. Monitoring the policy involves regular monitoring of local partners, internal and external audits, financial quarterly reports and narrative annual reports on project progress and regular field visits. The sanctions register of Plan Nederland for 2012 includes four reported incidents, which have all been followed up in line with the sanctions policy. In one case in Bangladesh, the contract with a partner was dissolved after allegations of fraud. In another case of alleged fraud in Nicaragua, investigations led to the dismissal of involved staff. In a case in Bangladesh of non-compliance of partner organization staff with the Code of Conduct, staff involved were dismissed after investigations. No cases or suspected cases of fraud or corruption which required any follow-up were reported relating to programs financed through Plan Nederland. In all cases, action was taken by management in order to retrieve funds and prevent further risks of fraud. AO.3 d: The applicant's capacity-building policy aims to develop the independence of partner organizations for which it acts as financier, or of members of the network, i.e. the policy promotes the institutional sustainability of partners.
Overall objective
1
Plan Nederland’s overall capacity development objective is to increase the capabilities and competences that Southern partners require to make a sustainable contribution to the realization of child rights in society, and contribute to their independence and sustainability as a whole.
Gender Equality Policy
2
Plan’s Gender Equality Policy also integrates an essential capacity building component. This policy is in line with one of the core objectives of Plan’s work, the achievement of gender equality. Partners are engaged to promote gender equality and child rights, and alliances are built to influence change in groups that do not yet share this commitment. Plan’s investment in capacity building among partners therefore includes training in performing gender analysis and in mainstreaming gender equality. Concepts and tools For Plan, developing organisational capacity includes strengthening individuals’ competencies, with explicit attention to the sustainable embedding of these individual competencies into organisational capabilities. Capacity development can be targeted at individuals (HRM), at teams of individuals within organisations, or at civil society organisations as a whole (OD), or at strengthening the position of organisations, institutions and network organisations in the broader (geographical, thematic or sectorial) context. Capacity development starts with self-assessment of the partner organisation’s capabilities in order to be able to see where strengthening is needed. Plan uses an adapted version of the 5C Model, developed for the baseline of the Girl Power programme. Five indicators were developed for each of the five core capabilities, including one indicator with a gender-focus per capability. On the basis of targets defined by the local partner organizations themselves during the baseline, Plan extends the application of the 5Cs methodology from the actual assessment of capacity strengthening needs to development of capacity strengthening trajectories for individuals, individual organisations, institutions and networks, and the measuring of progress of such capacity strengthening efforts. The 5C tool can as well be used as a basis for dialogue between organizations (within networks). It is one way in which Plan strives to ensure a human, client-centered approach to capacity development that ensures ownership of and accountability for change. The 5C methodology enables Plan to systematically assess its capacity development efforts over time. To optimize learning from these experiences, qualitative information (case studies) will need to be conducted and documented. The above is outlined in the draft policy on civil society strengthening and capacity development (to be formalized in 2013). This policy aims to unify the approach towards capacity development by using the same assessment model in all countries, helping to identify what capacities in particular require strengthening, in order to help partner organizations to achieve sustainability
1 Programme Strategy 2016 2 Plan’s Policy on Gender Equality; building an Equal World for all Children, 2011.
and independence.
Specific objectives, results and activities per category In its policy for capacity building, Plan identifies the following categories of organizations, as agents of change that will help achieve equality for girls and young women in society.
Children-led associations Children-led associations represent marginalized children and defend their interest in the public arena. They also provide opportunities for children to engage in collective action and develop competences for citizenship. The objective of Plan’s support is to strengthen children-led associations to perform both functions. Expected results are related to two key capabilities (though partners might indicate others as well). First, partners’ enhanced capability to build a broad social support base amongst its constituency and amongst adults. Partners’ success in raising the critical issues of marginalized children is based on this capability. A strong support-base of members and committed adults is essential for organizational growth and survival as these organizations due to their very nature, experience continually changes as children reach the age of 18 years and leave. The second result relates to their institutional embedding. Strong relationships with peer organizations at different levels, with organizations of adults and with government agencies, are essential for successful rights-claiming and ensure access to essential resources for organizational development.
Capacity development activities towards children-led associations consist of:
• sensitization on child rights, gender, child leadership and on mobilization and negotiation skills • organizational support to develop vision and mission, action plans and attain legal recognition • coaching/mentoring to youth leaders on peer-to-peer skills and skills for a future advisory role • exchanges, linking and learning with peer organizations and organizations of adults • support to the formation of coalitions, networks and platforms (such as child parliaments) • facilitation of exchanges and interactions with governmental agencies and representatives In all activities, child-friendly techniques tailored to each age group and to girls and boys are used of which play, art, music and theatre are essential elements.
Adult membership-based civil society organizations Partner organizations such as CBOs, interest associations and social movements, are important actors who represent marginalized children and adults, defend their interests and hold governments accountable. Additionally, they promote children’s participation in their own organization and by supporting children’s own organizing initiatives. The objective of Plan’s support is to strengthen CSOs to perform both these functions. Expected results of Plan
Nederland’s capacity development support are related to three key capabilities: the capability to mobilize poor children and adults by building a strong support base and legitimacy amongst the constituency, including children; the capability to develop the internal organizational structure and adequately manage resources; and the capability to develop and maintain effective relationships with relevant actors. Capacity development activities include: • sensitization on human and child rights, gender and analysis of power relations • training and coaching on organizational skills (for decision-making, negotiation, leadership) • facilitation of participatory strategic planning involving children, youth and women • training on organizational and financial management and resource mobilization skills • linking and learning with child-led organizations and peer organizations • facilitation of exchanges with political representatives and policy makers • support to coalitions, networks and joint initiatives on (child) rights monitoring and claimmaking
NGOs The objective of Plan Nederland’s support to local and national NGOs is to enhance their capacity to provide effective and innovative solutions that (directly or indirectly) benefit children and youth. Partner NGOs may be active in improving social services, capacity development of public service providers or other civil society organizations and/or lobbying for children’s rights. Expected results are improved capabilities related to financial and organizational management, human resource management, resource mobilization and strengthened capabilities to provide child-friendly and good quality services. Quality is about the integration of the child rights perspective in NGO’s activities and relationships with organised and non-organised children and youth as well as with civil society actors or government agencies. Capacity development activities towards NGOs include: • sensitisation on child rights and gender, child leadership and child-centred community development • training and coaching to develop skills for child-friendly and gender sensitive programming • technical assistance and training on issues such as organizational and financial management, human resource management and effective leadership • support to develop resource mobilization strategy plans • linking and learning with children-led associations and civil society organizations of adults
• facilitation of exchanges and linkages with government agencies, other NGOs and donors
Strategies to stimulate partners’ independence
Plan Nederland uses several strategies to promote the independence of partners: • At the start of the partnership, the partner drafts a capacity development action plan with Plan’s support. In the action plan, the maximum period of Plan Nederland’s support is clearly defined (10 to 15 years in case of children-led associations and membership-based organisations, 7 to 10 years in case of NGOs). • Partners are expected to contribute to these capacity development activities. This can be financial or in-kind e.g. time devoted to voluntary action. At the beginning of the partner relationship, commitments and targets are defined. The realisation of partners’ expected contributions is monitored annually. • Partners are supported in the mobilization of internal (members’ contributions) and external resources through training on resource mobilization strategies and skills, and networking. • Capacity development activities are directed at internal groups (organisational leaders and members) and involve other partners as well. A group and multi-actor approach to, for instance, training stimulates internal learning and a sustainable transfer of skills between members and between organisations. • Capacity development of children-led associations includes training and coaching of adolescents to play an advisory role towards the organisation in the future.
Accountability to partners Plan Nederland uses country and organisation specific assessment and monitoring tools to track partner’s capacity status and development. These tools indicate the different stages of partners’ organisational development, starting with initial self-assessment. During the Annual Participatory Programme Reviews, the partner and Plan analyze the progress of the capacity development process and its results to date. In addition, country offices also conduct surveys to assess partners’ satisfaction with the capacity development support provided by Plan. The use of the 5C system, that helps systematize Plan’s capacity strengthening efforts and create a better understanding of what capacity needs exist both in the Plan Country Offices and the partner organizations, fits well within this practice.
Examples: Sharing of capacity development: Initiative for the Expertise Wheel – NGOs and CBOs supporting each other in their capacity development The Expertise Wheel is an initiative under the GP programme by the Country Steering Committee in Bangladesh, which was developed to extend relevant expertise support from alliance member to member, both NGOs and CBOs. Each of the Bangladesh Girl Power Alliance members has unique expertise, for example: Rupantar has expertise on Theater for Development, NN and
BNNRC have expertise on media campaigning and media sensitization, BNWLA has proficiency on legal support, Aparajeo Bangladesh on shelter homes and NUK on self-defense training. The Expertise Wheel promotes the sharing of support from expert organisation to other organisations among the members. In 2012 the Expertise Wheel resulted in:
•
A Training of Trainers on Theater for Development. Partner organisation Rupantar designed and facilitated this training. Staff of partner organisations and their associated local CSOs were capacitated to develop Theater for Development local groups at subdistricts and Zones.
•
NUK provided technical support and resource persons to other BGPA member organisations for designing and conducting self-defense training for girls and young women.
•
NN provided technical support to implement journalist sensitisation workshops.
•
BNWLA designed a ‘Citizen Report Card’. This is an initiative for collection of citizen’s perception on access to public services particularly relate to protection from gender based violence.
•
BNWLA conducted training on ‘Citizen Report Card’ for all member organisations, as well as coordinated the piloting of ‘Citizen Report Card’ in all working districts.
Child-led organization: Establishment of the Integrated Adolescent Girls’ Network In each of the GP programme countries girl panels are set up to provide feedback and input to the programme implementation and discuss how the programme is affecting girl’s lives. A good illustration of capacity building of such a girl panel can be found in Nepal. Here, sixteen girls from the Girl Panels – selected from the panels on district level - came together for a two day meeting before the Annual Reflection Meeting of the Country Steering Committee (the overseeing body of the GP programme in each country). During this meeting, on their own initiative, the girls formed the Integrated Adolescent Girls’ Network. They set as their objectives to find problems/identify issues of adolescence, to think about the right direction/strategy to address these issues and to advocate for child-friendly programmes and projects in the context of the Girl Power Programme. The girls brainstormed on a common vision of Nepal for girls in 20 years’ time: “Adolescent boys and girls will be treated equally; both adolescent boys and girls will be participating in an active way. Traditional beliefs and bad cultural practices will be gradually going down. An adolescent will be educated, will receive employment within the country. Therefore, the trafficking situation and migration abroad will go down. The state will begin serious efforts to promote rights of adolescents of different geographical regions, so that the adolescents will be educated and feel as part of the society. Discrimination, abuse and exploitation of adolescents will gradually go down as the government will enforce the law effectively”. During the actual Annual Reflection Meeting the newly formed Network discussed with the CSC their issues of concern such as: access to education, poverty, child marriage, impact of menstruation, hard work, discrimination, sexual exploitation in the home by family members and
visitors and trafficking of girls to neighboring countries. The girls expressed their concern that their initiative would fade away after some time and they wanted to ensure they would receive recognition and support within the programme. The CSC will take the lead and come up with a support plan of action 2013-2015 (including capacity needs) to continue with The Girls Network as part of the GP programme. Capacity building within an alliance: African Child Policy Forum (ACPF): ACPF is Plan’s partner in the Child Rights Alliance (MFSII) for Girl Power Programme and is supportive to the regional component of GP in Africa with organisation of conferences on Child Protection, further development of the Child Wellbeing report and the GP Learning & Linking Agenda Conference. ACPF is a Southern partner in the Together4Change Alliance (MFSII) as well. After capacity assessment last year, both alliances together joined forces to implement the capacity building for the ACPF on M&E, Lobby & Advocacy and gender.
4. Relationship with actors in civil society The key question here is: to what extent can the organization effectively deploy stakeholders in the environment in which it operates in order to achieve its own objectives? This section concerns relationships with other NGOs, businesses, the general public, donors and public bodies, but not relationships involving subcontracting or the channelling of funds (these types of relationship fall under the category of partners, network members, etc.). The relationships must be strategic and may concern North-North, North-South or South-South cooperation. This question only concerns permanent relationships with groups or organizations, which are characterised by complementarity, synergy gains, added value, etc. AO.4: The applicant works together strategically with one or more of the following actors:
- NGOs - businesses
- interest groups - churches - national/local authorities - research and educational institutions - international organizations - other actors Plan Nederland works together strategically with NGOs, businesses, interest groups, churches, national and local authorities, research and educational institutions, international organizations and other actors, in order to achieve optimal results in all of its programs. As an organization rooted and embedded in civil society, Plan contributes to the functioning of civil society and human development. The impact of this contribution is amplified through authentic partnerships with (other) agents for change, which may be considered as Plan’s
strategic partners in promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and boys. Many types of partnerships may be forged to co-create a strong and active civil society that supports sustainable development in the interest of children. Apart from these strategic partnerships Plan Nederland, Plan Country offices and local partner organisations may be seeking collaboration with a wide variety of individuals, organisations and institutions in order to achieve equal rights and opportunities for children and youth. National/local governments Government policies and legislations determine the boundaries of the environment in which children can realise their full potential. To bring about a conducive environment for CRC principles, Plan Nederland actively supports relevant lobby activities, and advocates existing CRC favourable laws and regulations, that may not have penetrated all layers of society. Government technical departments may be supported to implement and monitor CRC favourable legislations and policies, for example promoting girls’ education, and Universal Birth Registration and child protection. Government staff may be actively involved in activities supported by Plan Nederland as they are seen as major change agents in society. Traditional organizations / leaders Traditional organizations may in some cases constitute major obstacles for change. Tradition and culture may be very difficult to change, but through advocacy work and explicitly inviting traditional and status quo oriented forces to participate and contribute to the Plan supported activities, the short term and longer term potential for change in their society may become more apparent and lead to realistic change strategies. Involving traditional organizations and community leaders in the changes occurring in the environment around them may, in the end, result in changed traditional values and practices. Any process of change will be faster and more sustainable if supported by those who have a strong say in social, religious and political life. Plan Nederland strives to invite community leadership in the change processes it supports. Convincing community leaders to embrace CRC principles, to support child participation in public life and stand up against harmful socio-cultural practices such as early marriages and Female Genital Mutilation, is therefore a major niche that Plan Nederland may support.
Knowledge institutes Social change is a highly complex process that differs from society to society. It is extremely important to make sure that activities undertaken to reach set objectives and aims are relevant, effective and sustainable. A continuous check whether we do the right things in the right way, structural and continuous collaboration is required from experts in development. Plan Nederland has a preference to team-up with knowledge institutes that are embedded in the societies they work in. But for specific tasks, particularly tasks that require a more distant view on development problems, such as evaluations, external knowledge may be preferred.
Private sector Plan seeks to agree long-term strategic partnerships with companies in order to bring together joint strategic resources such as products, communications channels, project funding, capital equipment, knowledge, expertise, or intellectual property and usually a combination of many of these, so that together we can positively impact the lives of children. As companies are usually at the forefront of research and development for products, systems and services, Plan recognizes that companies can often be the most appropriate development partner to jointly find a solution to an existing development issue. Through fundraising, marketing and communications partnerships, Plan attracts direct funding of projects by corporate partners, enabling Plan to achieve its objectives. In most cases, the theme of the project is linked to the strategic priorities of the private sector partners. Companies have a wealth of talented, experienced and knowledgeable staff that could use their skills to positively impact the lives of children. Skills transfer and employee engagement driven partnerships offer staff the opportunity to use their professional skills outside the workplace while remaining supported by the company. The company can hereby address its corporate social responsibility and gain a unique selling point for attracting and retaining the best possible staff.
Example of a long-term strategic partnership: Accenture and Plan Plan and Accenture work together in 15 countries to enable marginalized youth to participate in a society where their rights are protected, in a meaningful way by equipping them with the skills to succeed. Since 2010, Accenture and Plan have provided access to skill training for over 10,000 underprivileged youth in Asia. Accenture provides Plan with funding for Plans youth employment projects as well as consultancy services in multiple countries that contribute directly to an increased effectiveness of these projects. Clear strategic objectives for the partnership have been defined at the start. Accenture and Plan jointly can separately advocate for a wider approach to youth employment and work with their partners/clients to engage them in this. Core values Any company with whom Plan intends to enter into a corporate partnership must demonstrate a commitment to corporate social responsibility and have an affinity with Plan's mission and core values. Plan does not accept support from companies whose practices include activities that demonstrate a disregard for human rights and specifically child rights, or that face legal action for violation of international humanitarian, environmental or financial standards or codes of conduct. Plan does not work in partnership with any corporation whose primary product is the manufacture
of armaments, weapons, tobacco or alcohol.
5. Structure and innovation
The criteria below will be used to appraise the extent to which the organization's structure and culture effectively contribute to renewal of the organization and the programme.
AO.5 a: The board has a diverse membership in which several different stakeholders are represented.
The organization is managed by the Executive Management, while the Supervisory Board supervises the policies carried through by the Executive Management and also has the task of advising and guiding the Executive Management. The Supervisory Board approves long term strategy, annual budgets, annual reports and new policies, and monitors implementation of policies. The Board consists of at least seven members,
of which at least one is a Plan Nederland volunteer and includes members with experience in the development sector. The Supervisory Board is tasked with supervising the Executive Management’s policy and the general management in the organization. The audit committee is part of the Supervisory Board, which is charged with decision-making on the budget and annual report, and which reviews financial management and reporting. The Advisory Board consists of twelve members from, amongst others, the development sector, the business world, media, science, education and civil society. The Board provides the Supervisory Board with advice on, for example, program development, market development and relationships with institutional donors and corporate partners. The Executive Management is responsible for the management of the organization and overseen by the Supervisory Board to ensure high performance. The General Statutory Director (Mrs. M.M. van ‘t Hek) was appointed on March 1st, 2011. The Executive Management provides the Supervisory Board with a written quarterly report, and the statutory director meets weekly with the CFO, CPO, CMO and HR-manager.
Supervisory Board, Plan Nederland De heer D. (David) Vriesendorp (1947) , Chair Mevrouw E. (Elsemieke) Havenga-Hillen, vice-Chair Mevrouw E.M. (Esther-Mirjam) Sent Mevrouw B. (Bernadette) Langius De heer ir. T. (Tom) van Woerkom De heer drs. F.M.J. (Frans) Röselaers De heer mr. E.J. (Erik) Cornelissen De heer H. (Hein) Van Beuningen Advisory Board, Plan Nederland De heer dr. H.O.C.R. (Onno) Ruding, Chair Mevrouw A.E.M.J. (Alexandra) Schaapveld De heer dr. A (Anthony) Burgmans De heer prof. mr. J. E. (Jaap) Doek De heer drs. E. Ph. (Ewoud) Goudswaard De heer drs. J. (John) Lintjer Rabbijn A. (Awraham) Soetendorp De heer drs. E. (Ehsan) Turabaz Luitenant-Generaal b.d. M.L.M. (Marcel) Urlings De heer E.T. (Erik Thijs) Wedershoven Mr. drs. R. (Reinier) W.L. Russel AO.5 b: The executive and supervisory functions are sufficiently separate. Guarantees are in place to exclude the possibility of family connections between executive board members and members of the supervisory board.
Separation of executive and supervisory functions A statutory distinction is made between management and supervision in Plan Nederland. The relationship between the Executive Management and the Supervisory Board, in addition to law and statutes, is recorded in a standing order of the Supervisory Board and in a separate Executive Management statute. All board members signed a declaration in which they state that there are no family connections between executive board members and members of the supervisory board. This is in accordance with the Dutch Code Wijffels mentioned below, and verified externally by the independent supervisory institute for fundraising organizations in the Netherlands, CBF. As a whole, the establishment of the standing order is in line with the regulations of the Code ‘Goed Bestuur voor Goede Doelen’ as determined by the Commissie Goed Bestuur voor Goede Doelen (Commissie Wijffels) in June 2005. AO.5 c: The applicant is capable of organizational renewal to increase its effectiveness and efficiency.
Plan Nederland continuously strives to improve its organization. Recent examples of initiatives to improve Plan’s effectiveness and efficiency are mentioned below. Cost reduction through innovation in ICT and in the workplace ICT: As a result of a successful Implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (Microsoft Dynamics Navision and CRM) in 2011, a higher efficiency (less expenses) and higher effectiveness regarding debtors control and CRM was achieved. Also, Plan Nederland decided to outsource its ICT, combined with cloud solutions regarding software applications. Workplace At the end of 2012, Plan Nederland moved to a new office building (lower housing expenses) due to the lesser need for office space as a result of the reorganization at the beginning of 2012 and also due to the introduction of ‘hot desking’. Furthermore, the introduction of flexible working and workplace flexibility further reduced the need for office space. Increased effectiveness by making the organisational structure ‘fit for purpose’ Due to the changing landscape of stakeholders in international development - in particular the increasing role of corporate partners in poverty alleviation and human rights - Plan Nederland decided in 2012 to merge the department of corporate partnerships and the department of institutional donors. This new structure combines and strengthens the expertise in the field of corporate partners on the one hand, and the experience and knowledge of the donor landscape and donor’s perspectives on modalities of cooperation and program delivery on the other. Since this merger has taken effect at the end of 2012, Plan Nederland has managed to develop two new public-private partnerships on water and sanitation, which are currently funded through the
existing PPP subsidy facilities. Increased efficiency and effectiveness through better alignment within Plan Plan Nederland is one of the twenty national offices within the Plan International that is active in fundraising, policy influencing and joint program development. Previously, most national Plan offices individually developed relationships with donors, like multinational donors and global corporate actors. This proved to be ineffective. In 2012 it was decided to create a global account management structure. This entails a set of authorities, responsibilities, accountabilities and standards that determine how the relationship with any major donor is managed externally and internally by Plan. The global account management structure ensures that Plan is effective and efficient in its fundraising and policy influencing with major donors and that effective (and contractually compliant) systems and processes are in place. A good example of cooperation made possible by this structure is the FGM/C project in Mali. This project is funded by four different Plan offices (Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and UK) for the total amount of USD 3.564.600. Agreements are in place about uniform reporting formats, collaborative monitoring and collective monitoring visits. AO.5 d: The applicant is capable of programme renewal to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
Cooperation between partners in Country Steering Committees Plan Nederland, in cooperation with its alliance partners in the Child Rights Alliance (CRA), implementing its MFSII funded Girl Power program in 10 countries. In order to increase collaborative management and monitoring, CRA established Country Steering Committees (CSC) in each Girl Power country to increase coordination between partners, to facilitate joint reporting, joint learning and management of the programme. This initiative reduces transaction costs and increases the effectiveness of the capacity building support provided by Dutch partners, and enhances relationships amongst the Dutch CRA partners. Upscaling of effective approaches to youth economic empowerment REACH is a dynamic local NGO in Vietnam that provides education and employment services for disadvantaged and marginalized youth aged 18-25. REACH provides free, intensive, practical skills training tailored to the needs of youth and the employment market. REACH blends skill training with innovative elements of life skills and work readiness traing, building confidence in students as well as skills. This model, adapted from the LABS (Livelyhood Advancement Business School) model by dr. Reddy’s Foundation, bridges the gap between the demand for skilled and professional employees and the extensive supply of semi-skilled youth. LABS addresses the needs of youth through an innovative, market oriented, interactive, gender sensitive, customized, and hands-on approach to short term training. REACH has trained over 6.900 youth across Vietnam, achieving an employment rate of over 80% (2012 figures). LABS in a Box is an initiative of Plan, REACH and Accenture to professionalize and standardize the LABS program and to enable further roll-out of this program in Vietnam, and to other countries in and outside the region, increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness. LABS in a Box was developed
in 2011. It contains tools, methods and manuals on how to perform a market scan, how to develop a curriculum, how to deliver work readiness training and how to ensure job placement and guarantee continuous improvement. After its launch, the LABS in a Box has been used by Plan country offices and local partners in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Brazil. The use of benchmarking in the regional Community Led Total Sanitation Program (CLTS) Plan Nederland is currently implementing the CLTS program in 7 African countries. A midterm review of the program at the beginning of 2012 revealed substantial differences in target realization between the different countries. To increase effectiveness of the program, a benchmarking matrix was developed to compare the progress of the different country programmes. The benchmarking matrix identifies targets with regard to number of communities, schools and Open Defecation Free Communities. Use of the matrix is effective, as it stimulates competition between countries and allows Plan to detect weak programmes.