Masterplan 2009-2013 by Strømmestiftelsen

Table of Contents Message from the General Secretary .................................................................................................. 5 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ 6 1. Outline of the Master Plan ................................................................................................................. 9 2. Organisation and Context ................................................................................................................... 9 2.1

Identity ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9

2.2

Vision ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

2.3

Mission.............................................................................................................................................................................. 9

2.4

Core Values ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10

2.5

Cross-Cutting Issues ........................................................................................................................................................ 10

2.6

Poverty............................................................................................................................................................................ 10

2.7

Development Approach .................................................................................................................................................. 11

2.8

Intervention Sectors ........................................................................................................................................................ 12

2.9 Partnership ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 2.9.1 Implementing Partners .................................................................................................................................................. 12 2.9.2 Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy ............................................................................................................................. 13 2.10

Strengthening Civil Society ......................................................................................................................................... 14

2.11

Geographical Concentration ....................................................................................................................................... 14

2.12

Choice of Target Groups ............................................................................................................................................. 14

2.13

Thematic Focus ........................................................................................................................................................... 14

2.14

Synergy Effects ........................................................................................................................................................... 15

2.15

Exit Strategy ............................................................................................................................................................... 16

2.16

Relief and Rehabilitation ............................................................................................................................................ 16

2.17 Communication and Fundraising ................................................................................................................................ 16 2.17.1 General Fundraising Principles .................................................................................................................................. 17 2.17.2 Communication Objectives ....................................................................................................................................... 17 2.17.3 Graphical Profile and Slogan ..................................................................................................................................... 18 2.17.4 Communication Channels ......................................................................................................................................... 18 2.17.5 Press and Media Work .............................................................................................................................................. 18 2.17.6 Fundraising in the Private and Corporate Sector ...................................................................................................... 19 2.17.7 Institutional Fundraising ........................................................................................................................................... 20 2.17.8 Major Gift Co-Ordination Group ............................................................................................................................... 20 2.17.9 Allocation of Funds for Development ....................................................................................................................... 21

3. Results-Based Framework, Monitoring and Evaluation ..................................................................... 21 4. Leadership ....................................................................................................................................... 22 4.1

Organisational Structure ................................................................................................................................................. 22

4.2

SF Board of Directors ....................................................................................................................................................... 24

4.3

SF Council ........................................................................................................................................................................ 24

4.4

SMF AS ............................................................................................................................................................................ 24

5. Resources ........................................................................................................................................ 25 5.1 Regional Offices .............................................................................................................................................................. 25 5.1.1 Desk Officers .................................................................................................................................................................. 25 5.2 Departments at Head Office ............................................................................................................................................ 26 5.2.1 International Division ..................................................................................................................................................... 26 5.2.2 Communications Department ....................................................................................................................................... 26 5.2.3 Finance, HR and Facilities Department .......................................................................................................................... 26 5.5

Capacity Building ............................................................................................................................................................. 27

6. Authoritative Policies, Strategies and Manuals ................................................................................. 28

Message from the General Secretary Strømme Foundation is proud to present its strategic Master Plan for the entire organisation for the fiveyear period from 2009 to 2013. In writing this document, a consultative process has been followed, building the SF team and ensuring the active participation of SF staff members as well as its partner organisations. The Master Plan is an over-arching contract between the Board and the entire SF team. It will be implemented through the entire staff, both at SF’s Head Office and in the regions. The Master Plan has recently been revised for a variety of reasons. Firstly, there has been a need to readjust target outreach numbers and, in some cases, also outcomes, due to less funding from Norad and other donors than originally anticipated. Secondly, there has been a need within SF to agree on some key principles regarding the scope of the Master Plan. This was facilitated through the Programme Annual Meeting and Leadership Meeting in Bamako, Mali, in November 2010. Finally, organisational knowledge has increased through the many processes through which SF has passed in 2010. A complete Program Department has been established and the Development Policy has been revised. Furthermore, the development of a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation system for the entire organisation has, at the time of writing, begun. The Master Plan has needed an update in line with these processes. In the revision process, one important structural modification has been made. SF can now combine the need for stability with flexibility to both internal and external changes through the new, two-fold structure of the Master Plan document. The Master Plan core document outlines the stable priorities on which our work will focus, in light of aspects of organisation, leadership, resources and context. The Master Plan’s second part outlines the strategic management of SF, with annexes that operationalise the strategy based on context at all organisational levels. The latter will be treated as a living document that can be revisited and modified if need be for various reasons, such as change in predictable funding, change in donor priorities or factors in our countries of operation that may influence the interventions either positively or negatively. When planning the current five-year period, SF has taken Norad’s organisational review recommendations into account and reduced its operational areas from 17 to 12 (13) countries. Similarly, as can be seen from this document, SF has decided to be more focused during the current five-year plan than we were during the previous long-term programme. This has been enabled through selecting four thematic goals and seven intervention lines only. Overall, Strømme Foundation strives to be known as the results-focused development organisation that empowers people. SF will continue to focus on two sectors – education and microfinance in addressing our vision: A world free from poverty. The thematic goals and intervention lines in the two chosen sectors are expected to play a crucial role, each one complementing and reinforcing the other in the task of eradicating poverty. In launching the five-year strategic plan, Strømme Foundation would also like to place on record its deep appreciation and thanks to all the stakeholders worldwide for their continued support and guidance. Without them, SF could not play a meaningful role in promoting life with dignity among the poor and marginalised. Øyvind Aadland Secretary General, Strømme Foundation (February 2011)

Executive Summary Strømme Foundation (SF), established in 1976, is an international NGO working through partners towards the vision of a world free from poverty. SF places great emphasis on its core values; being inclusive, resultsfocused and challenging. SF’s mission is to eradicate poverty, and the organisation is motivated by Christian values, with a deep respect for human dignity regardless of social situation. Through equitable partnership, SF empowers the poor to take charge of their own lives and communities. All SF’s work is based on the cross-cutting issues of gender equality, environmental sustainability and cultural freedom. SF has a decentralised structure, and operates through regional offices in South America, West Africa, East Africa and Asia, with a co-ordinating and fundraising Head Office in Kristiansand, Norway. SF works in the following 12 (13) countries: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Uganda, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Peru and Bolivia. The thirteenth country is Burma, where SF will seek new registration and resume operations when conditions permit and if suitable partners are identified. SF defines poverty as the absence of sufficient resources to secure basic human needs, coupled with an inability to affect change in one’s life. Through the two intervention areas, education and microfinance, SF reaches out to the indigent, oppressed and/or marginalised poor, addressing economic, social and cultural aspects of poverty. SF works with both implementing and strategic partners, using a rights-based approach to advocate for justice for the poor. Emphasis is placed on strengthening civil society. In the current five-year plan, SF will focus on the following thematic goals and intervention lines: Thematic Goals 1. 2.

Improved educational opportunities for vulnerable children Enhanced economic empowerment and entrepreneurship

Intervention Lines 1.1.

Strengthen formal and non-formal education

2.1.

Promote community managed microfinance (CMMF) Provide holistic pro-poor financial and nonfinancial services by: Increasing income opportunities for poor Increasing ethically and environmentally sound business knowledge and skills Empower communities for democratisation Build leadership and life skills through local culture Empower adolescents on their rights Use local culture for value formation

2.2. a) b) 3.

Sustainable civil societies

Gender-based violence on the agenda

3.1. 3.2. 4.1. 4.2.

The relative emphasis given to each intervention line and the ways in which they are combined to achieve synergy is context dependent. In exceptional cases, where it adds value to existing work, SF can consider assisting partner organisations to undertake relief and rehabilitation work. This will primarily take place in SF’s intervention countries. The focus of SF’s communication efforts in Norway are two-fold; a) to engage in dissemination and awareness activities in a North-South perspective, with the aim to create increased interest in development through collaboration; and b) to fundraise for the running of activities in SF’s programme countries.

In Norway, SF will primarily focus on communicating with the public in the South and South-West. SF aims to inform and actively involve the public in effective joint action to eradicate poverty. Attention and editorial interest will be promoted through striving to assume position as a different challenger with a competitive advantage over other development actors. A competitive advantage can be accomplished e.g. through going further than competitors in terms of cost effectiveness and the way results are monitored and documented (Communications Strategy). Funds will be sought through private individual donors, the corporate sector in Norway, schools, events and the use of artists as ambassadors, and other networks. Institutional funds will also be pursued. In order to facilitate good co-ordination between funding needs and funding requests, the Major Gift Coordination Group has been established. In all its fundraising efforts, whether in the private, corporate or institutional markets, SF strives to be donor relevant rather than donor driven, with the needs of the poor as the starting point for all funding and facilitating efforts. It is also pivotal for SF to present its partners and beneficiaries with dignity. To assure quality in SFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programmes, SF places significant emphasis on its monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system. To ensure efficiency, monitoring information is designed to meet the needs of decisionmaking at different levels of the organisation. Evaluation during all programme phases is undertaken in order to summarise lessons learned and to inform any decision about continuation or areas requiring follow-up. Thus, SFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s M&E system serves three main purposes: to strengthen accountability, contribute to decision-making and promote organisational learning. SF uses the Results-Based Management Approach in planning and reporting, aligned with international standards. The Master Plan outlines the commitments SF is making to its stakeholders in the five-year period from 2009 to 2013. It combines SFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall strategy with annexes that operationalise this strategy through strategic management at all levels of the organisation. Ultimately, the Master Plan enables SF to take yet another step on the path toward a world free from poverty, through keeping the poor and their needs in focus.

1. Outline of the Master Plan This document outlines Strømme Foundation (SF)’s strategy for the period 2009 – 2013. Guided by the needs of the poor and SF’s core competencies within education and microfinance, the Master Plan is a global, strategic plan that sets the scope for SF’s total activities, both with regard to its international development work and with regard to its information, fundraising and support work in Norway. The Master Plan contains two main elements: 1) SF’s overall strategy for the five-year period.

This spells out the priorities on which SF’s work will focus, in light of aspects of organisation, leadership, resources and context. SF’s guiding policies are included here. To ensure stability, SF’s strategy will remain constant in the five-year period, although guiding policies may be updated. 2) The strategic management of SF, with annexes that operationalise the strategy through all levels of the organisation.

This includes the planned results of the different regions and departments at Head Office. Regions operationalise the strategy in different ways according to the context in which they work, but report in accordance to the same Logical Framework Approach and SF’s thematic goals and intervention lines. To promote flexibility in SF’s daily work, the logical frameworks / results tables will be actively revisited and updated throughout the five-year period.

2. Organisation and Context Strømme Foundation was established in 1976 as the result of the commitment of one individual; Olav Kristian Strømme, a former chaplain of Kristiansand Cathedral, to raise funds for people in need. Today, SF has become one of Norway’s major non-governmental development organisations.

2.1

Identity

SF’s identity is based on Christian values emanating from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Thus, SF, inspired by the Christian view of God´s creation and absolute dignity of man, strives to approach people with openness and respect, regardless of religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation or political conviction. With a deep respect for human dignity and a conviction of the value of equitable partnership, SF works to empower the poor to take charge of their own lives and communities. The following forms the basis of SF’s work internationally. For more information, see SF’s Communications Platform and Development Policy.

2.2

Vision

A world free from poverty

2.3

Mission

To eradicate poverty 9

2.4

Core Values  Inclusive. We meet all people with openness, respect and dignity.  Results-focused. We monitor and measure the results of our work, and make any corrective adjustments when needed to achieve our objective.

 Challenging. We place high demands on the poor1, our partners and especially on ourselves.

2.5

Cross-Cutting Issues  Gender Equality. SF sees the effort to combat gender inequality as essential to achieving its overall goal, as research and statistics clearly show that women are over-represented in all aspects of poverty. Gender equality is therefore chosen as a cross-cutting issue, to promote equal rights and opportunities both for women and men to share in the socio-political and economic order.  Environmental Sustainability. Damage to the environment is one of the greatest threats to sustainable development. Although the Global North is largely responsible for environmental deterioration through unsustainable energy use and over-consumption, the poor in the Global South pay the highest price for climate change. Therefore, environmental sustainability, or the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs2, is a cross-cutting issue for SF.  Cultural Freedom. SF believes individuals and communities have a right to define and protect valued and diverse ways of life. One seventh of the world’s population belongs to groups that face some form of exclusion based on their ethnicity, religion, or language 3. Convinced that no human being is less worth because of their socio-cultural standing, SF has selected cultural freedom as a cross-cutting issue in order to ensure that there will be no form of exclusion related to participation in SF’s interventions. This does not mean that SF sanctions cultural practices that are harmful and inconsistent with SF’s belief in the absolute dignity of man. Rather, SF upholds cultural freedom as a fundamental human right, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

These cross-cutting issues will permeate SF as an organisation, structurally and in all activities; in a) Development Interventions, b) Human Resources and Administration and c) External Communication. Regions may also adopt other cross-cutting issues in line with other important issues that are considered crucial in a given region (e.g. HIV/AIDS in East Africa and peace & reconciliation in Asia).

2.6

Poverty

SF defines poverty as the absence of sufficient resources to secure basic human needs, coupled with an inability to affect change in one’s life.

SF does not give charity, but provides opportunities and help for self-help. This discourages dependence and strengthens empowerment. United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) 3 Minorities at Risk dataset 2

2.7

Development Approach

SF’s definition of development is based on the understanding that people cannot be developed; people develop themselves. SF, therefore, defines development as a process that starts from within the individual, communities and the nation. It is the realisation of the potential for self-support and contributing to the society, and thus involves the building of self-confidence. It aims at leading lives of dignity, which include gainful employment that helps individuals to meet basic needs and ensure security and participation, which ultimately lead to the self-fulfilment of individuals. Accordingly, development is a process that frees individuals not only from fear and want, but also from political, economic and social exploitation. It is a continuous struggle for the right and access to decision making that affects the life and livelihood of the individual and their respective community, nation and region. Thus, SF’s definition of development has two components: 1. Development is self-defined; it cannot be defined by outsiders. Within the national framework, it is defined in an evolving democratic process as part of the national project. Within this long evolutionary development process, decision making and control over national resources pass into the hands of the population and their democratic institutions. 2. Development is a process of self-empowerment. It is a long process of struggle for liberation from structures of domination and control – political, economic and socio-cultural. SF therefore fully subscribes to the wider definition of the international development agenda given by UNDP; “Human development is the process of enlarging people’s choices”. SF’s development approach is based on the fundamental principle that all people are equal in human dignity. Thus, development is in essence a human rights agenda. It is about the realisation of human rights for all – whether economic, social, cultural, civil or political. The fight against poverty is a fight for justice. SF uses a rights-based approach, which pursues equity and a decent standard of living for all persons. This approach strives to integrate the norms, standards and principles of the international human rights agenda into the plans, policies and processes for development. All SF’s interventions shall accentuate pro-poor strategies and respect the stated core values. As such, people will be the main focus of SF’s development work; all SF’s interventions will be anchored and centred in the people SF strives to reach out to. During SF’s current long-term strategic planning period (2009-2013), the major questions when arriving at its development perspective are:      

How can SF’s development strategies strengthen people’s capacity to relate directly to the state and market from a position of collective strength? How can SF create enabling conditions for socio-political and economic empowerment in order to give people the power to re-build their lives by themselves? How can SF shift its focus from a service-delivery approach to a rights-based approach? How can SF move away from individual “Project Islands” to larger-scope “Programmatic Arenas” where projects are interrelated to achieve a larger programme outcome? How can SF create enabling conditions to change unjust and unequal power relations and power structures in favour of the poor and marginalised? How can SF play a catalytic role in empowering the marginalised sections of society to have access to basic needs, resources and decision-making institutions and thus aim at promoting a just society? 11

These are the questions that will be addressed by SF’s strategic interventions in the Master Plan.

2.8

Intervention Sectors

SF has deliberately chosen Education and Microfinance as the two sectors of intervention to enable people to climb out of poverty. The Development Policy, in alignment with respective country and / or regional policies and strategies, forms the basis for interventions in these two sectors. Education is central to development. SF uses UNESCO’s definition of education for sustainable development. According to this definition, education aims at empowering people to develop the attitudes, values, skills and knowledge needed to make informed decisions for the benefit of themselves and others, now and in the future, and to act upon these decisions. Investment in human resources is decisive for promoting economic growth, social change and poverty eradication. In line with the Education for All goals for 20154, interventions will largely be within early childhood education, primary education, adult literacy and vocational skills/life skills5. SF will also address potential partnerships in higher education, targeting the “leaders of tomorrow”, focusing on community- building disciplines. Furthermore, community empowerment through awareness building and strengthening civil society (cf. section 2.10) forms one of SF’s areas of core competence. See SF’s Education Policy for more information. The focus in microfinance is to provide individuals, households and communities with access to financial services such as loans, a safe place to save, insurance etc. This can reduce vulnerability and increase the income of the poor. Capacity building of the participants and clients is also an important component of the programs. As much of the economy and welfare of poor families depend on women, women are a prioritised target group. The microfinance intervention will use the methods of both institutional microfinance as well as Community Managed Microfinance (CMMF). See SF’s Microfinance Policy for more information.

2.9

Partnership

2.9.1 Implementing Partners Strømme Foundation is not an operational NGO but works with implementing partner organisations in the South. Implementing partners are selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• • • • • • • • • •

Partnership Selection Criteria Compatibility with SF’s vision and values Commitment to development of the poor and marginalised Legitimacy and relevance to the constituents Accountability to beneficiaries Knowledge of the socio‐political and cultural situation of the country and region Institutional capacity and quality Promoting good governance through capacity strengthening, enhanced transparency and accountability in the internal decision making processes Functional structure (Board, Management, Field Staff, etc.) Good track record in documentation and reporting Quality assurance systems

The Education For All goals include 1) Expanding early childhood care and education; 2) Providing free and compulsory primary education for all; 3) Promoting learning and life skills for young people and adults; 4) Increasing adult literacy by 50 per cent; 5) Achieving gender parity by 2005 and gender equality by 2015; and 6) Improving the quality of education (UNESCO). 5 Although SF’s education indicators are tailor-made for SF, they correspond with the internationally recognised indicators for furthering development through education. SF’s alignment with the Education for All goals will be used as a central point in advocacy.

• •

•

Zero tolerance for corruption Legally registered Other principles to be considered: Potential to secure funds, innovative or cutting edge, added value. Potential for replicability, scaling up and advocacy towards public sector and strategic partners.

SF’s implementing partnerships cannot be limited to working only with reputed partner organisations given the strategic choice to focus on the ‘poorest of the poor’ and marginalised segments of the population in the South. Often, these communities do not have reputable local organisations precisely because of their being marginalised and disadvantaged. SF will therefore also work with organisations that are not as well organised in terms of capacity, competence and good governance in decision making, in order to enable them to develop into better organisations. Thus, capacity building of partners is strategically important. SF does, however, have zero tolerance for corruption and will terminate any partnership if funds are misused (cf. 2.15).

2.9.2 Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy Promoting development and empowering the poor is challenging and cannot be achieved through individual efforts alone. SF and implementing partners will therefore aim at collaborating with other development stakeholders and working strategically to build networks on local, national, regional and global levels where this promotes the rights and interests of the poor. To advocate for the realisation of rights and justice for the poor SF will seek to:    

Influence policies Influence power structures and power relations in favour of the poor and marginalised Strengthen partners’ capacity in advocacy to promote local civil society for good governance, and to advocate local, regional and national policies. Promote democratic decision-making processes.

SF recognises that efforts by NGOs in development are not a substitute for what the public and private sector are required to do. It is therefore in the best interests of the local communities that everyone involved in development work challenges the public and private sectors to assume their responsibilities, be accountable to their people, and to manage their resources in the people’s best interests. SF therefore considers it essential to be involved with advocacy towards, and dialogue with both public authorities and the private sector. Building and maintaining relations are fundamental aspects of any cooperation or partnership. Believing in the power of the people to people networking and alliances, SF is committed to the use of dialogue, especially across borders, cultures, generations and between religions. More awareness of conditions between rich and poor countries in all spheres of life - including the economic, political, cultural and environmental spheres – as well as contact between leaders, civil society organisations and the population in general will contribute to strengthening the global development agenda. The commercial corporate sector has in some instances adversely affected society by overlooking social and ecological responsibilities. SF will therefore also aim at addressing these areas of concern at local, regional, national and global levels. Strategic partners will also be sought through networking with organisations that have similar values to SF. Through such strategic partnerships, funding opportunities may be increased and SF’s efforts in its countries of operation may be strengthened. 13

2.10 Strengthening Civil Society SF strives to strengthen civil society through community-based and local partner organisations. A strong civil society is fundamental to ensure that the poor and marginalised have their own channels for expressing their interests. Individually, poor people are vulnerable and often powerless victims of oppression and deprivation of their rights. SF aims to safeguard people from such exploitation by creating an environment in which they are able to address their individual and collective needs, provide mutual support, resist external threats and claim their rights for durable changes in the lives of their families and communities. Thus, civil society can be strengthened, and people can move from being passive recipients to being active participants in decisions that influence them. SF does not wish to create dependency on the external environment, but works to prepare the community to take control of their lives in deciding what is best for them, having realised their inherent strength, i.e. their potential for collective action.

2.11 Geographical Concentration During the current strategic planning period (2009-2013) SF will continue to focus on four regions; Asia, East Africa, West Africa and South America. Countries of intervention have been selected according to: poverty status (number of people living below the poverty line, literacy rate, country’s position in the Human Development Index), potential for maximum outreach and impact, degree of interventions by the national government and other actors, country’s socio‐political situation, SF’s knowledge and experience of the country, national and international funding possibilities, and the position of the country in relation to other countries in a region for cross-country fertilisation. The 12 (13) countries in which SF will focus in the five-year period are: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Uganda, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Peru and Bolivia. The thirteenth country is Burma, where SF will seek new registration and resume operations when conditions permit and if suitable partners are identified.

2.12 Choice of Target Groups 

Economically speaking:

Indigent poor - those who are deprived of the basic necessities of life



Sociologically speaking:

Oppressed poor - those who are powerless victims of human injustice



Culturally speaking:

Marginalised/excluded poor - those victimised by internal/external factors because of their cultural identity.

SF will focus on uplifting the poor in these three categories, in light of the local context. More specifically, the primary focus of SF’s target groups is women, children and youth.

2.13 Thematic Focus SF has decided to organise its activities on the basis of intervention lines, which, in various combinations, are assumed to achieve a limited set of thematic goals. An intervention line is basically bundles of activities. Each intervention line is targeted towards one of the four thematic goals. A thematic goal is measured as situation achieved, and the change in the lives of the target group. During the current fiveyear plan, SF will focus on the following thematic goals and intervention lines:

Thematic Goals 1. 2.

Improved educational opportunities for vulnerable children Enhanced economic empowerment and entrepreneurship

Intervention Lines 1.1.

Strengthen formal and non-formal education

2.1.

2.2. a) b) 3.

Sustainable civil societies

Gender-based violence on the agenda

3.1. 3.2. 4.1. 4.2.

The relative emphasis placed on these intervention lines in a region is context-dependent and is outlined below in section 2.14.

2.14 Synergy Effects Synergy can be defined as “The combined power of a group of things, when they are working together, which is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately.” 6 SF’s two sectors, Education and Microfinance, are effective interventions that can enable people to climb out of poverty. Together they can be even more effective, each one complementing and reinforcing the other in the task of eradicating poverty. Education, on the one hand, empowers people, mobilises them and provides them with knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions for the benefits of themselves and their communities. Microfinance, on the other hand, gives people the means to act upon these decisions through access to capital, secure savings as well as social and economic networks. Thus, when education and microfinance work together, poverty eradication can often be accomplished to a greater extent than when they work alone. Synergy is achieved in different ways in SF’s four regions, according to context, available resources and the needs of the target group. Depending on the context synergy is sought not only between SF’s education and microfinance sectors but also between different interventions within the sectors. The selection of intervention lines and thematic goals, and hence the budget allocated to each intervention line, will therefore differ from region to region (cf. 2.17.9). SF strives – as far as it adds value and is possible – to work with other organisations in the fields of education and / or microfinance. Furthermore, SF may strive for synergy between its own interventions and those of agencies with other developmental priorities (eg. health, agriculture) at various stages of the project cycle; whether through joint planning, joint design, joint baseline, joint targeting and/or joint monitoring and evaluation. The different ways of operationalising synergy are spelled out in each region’s strategy paper (cf. Master Plan part 2).

Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary

2.15 Exit Strategy In SF, phasing out is understood as a gradual withdrawal from SF’s interventions in coordination with the gradual take-over of interventions by communities and partners. This will happen when communities and/or partners acquire the capacity, competence and resources necessary to move forward on their own. SF encourages its partner organisations to have a built-in exit strategy at the time of planning together with the target groups. SF’s phasing out strategy is conceptualised at two levels; the community level and the partner level. At the community level, SF will phase out when, together with community stakeholders, SF is convinced that the sustained interventions have achieved the desired outcomes and impact, and / or the community has developed adequate mechanisms for ensuring the sustainability of the programme in the future. At the partner level, SF will phase out when it is determined that the partner has acquired the requisite capacity and competence that enables it to achieve its mission on its own. However, having invested in building the capacity and competence of a partner organisation, SF can challenge partners that have attained sustainability in a given community to focus on new areas, or to share their competence with other partner organisations of SF. Thus, the acquired capacity and competence of one partner can be made available to other communities or partners. SF has zero tolerance for corruption and will withdraw from partnership with a given partner if funds are misused (cf. Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy). SF will also sever partnership with a partner organisation if the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or agreements are consistently violated. With regard to SF Microfinance AS’ partner organisations for financial and non-financial services, partnerships are generally long-term by virtue of the nature of the MF business and the needs of the community. MF beneficiaries need long-standing and expanded financial assistance in order to move their livelihood from subsistence or poverty level to a sustainable income level. The SMF AS strategy is based on the MFIs’ ability to attain operational self-sufficiency in a reasonable time frame of usually three to four years after inception, followed by financial self-sufficiency within a period of seven years. SMF AS will, however, continue to provide financial assistance and capacity building to organisations that are ready to expand their outreach to poorer and more vulnerable communities in a sustained manner.

2.16 Relief and Rehabilitation SF is a long term development organisation. As such, SF is not normally involved in relief and rehabilitation work. However, there may be extraordinary situations, when there are natural disasters or other emergencies in areas where partners of SF are working. In such cases SF can, where there is added value from SF’s participation in such interventions, consider assisting partner organisations to undertake relief and rehabilitation work with funds secured from various sources. Geographically, SF will primarily engage in relief work in its countries of its operation.

2.17 Communication and Fundraising The issue of public awareness and support is closely linked with results of development cooperation. In Norway, the Communications Department (cf. 5.2.2) has two main purposes: a) to engage in dissemination and awareness activities in a North-South perspective, with the aim to create increased interest in development through collaboration and b) fundraise for activities in SF’s programme countries (cf. SF’s Articles of Association).

The overall communication objective of SF is to communicate and deliver in a way that allows the organisation to earn the trust any funding partner and donor must have in a development organisation. SF’s position, “the results-focused development organisation that empowers people”, is the basis of SF’s communication objectives. The Communications Department (cf. 5.2.2) aims to eradicate poverty together with SF donors and partners; through focused and lasting value creation for every donation they are entrusted (cf. Communications Platform7). SF’s partners and donors can expect that SF’s development work provides measurable and lasting results, and that funds are used in an appropriate and cost-effective way. In its communication, SF focuses on education and microfinance as means of helping people help themselves. Successful accounts of how SF has helped people out of poverty will be conveyed in order to obtain public support. SF endeavours to portray its intervention countries in positive terms, as containing more than abject poverty. Furthermore, an overall principle for all SF’s communication and fundraising is the over-riding respect for the dignity of every human being. In Norway, SF will primarily focus on communicating with the public in the South and South-West, in order to make the most of SF’s location in Southern Norway. SF has a unique and strong position in these areas, and wishes to maintain and strengthen this position by focusing its communication to these parts of the country. Both in Norway and abroad, SF aims to inform and actively involve the public in effective joint action to eradicate poverty.

2.17.1 General Fundraising Principles Historical trends indicate that SF receives a significantly larger proportion of its income through individual and corporate donors than public grants. Overall, there is a need to tailor the communication of different programmatic aspects for the donor market. Programme design may to some extent be affected by trends in the donor market, but the SF value chain starts with the needs of SF beneficiaries and their own proposed solutions to these needs. Thus, SF strives to be donor relevant rather than donor driven, serving both beneficiaries and donors in a professional manner. The Communications Department and institutional fundraisers – with input from the various intra-departmental collaboration forums8 – will work professionally to tailor the communication of beneficiary needs to the needs of potential individual, corporate and institutional donors. Before soliciting or accepting major grants from donors, a funding checklist with several criteria will be used to guide fundraising efforts.

2.17.2 Communication Objectives The defined communication objectives relevant for SF’s global communication strategy are: 1. SF shall be perceived as results-focused and operating under low and acceptable administrative and fundraising costs. 2. SF shall be perceived as a development organisation that is focused and highly competent on education and microfinance and their synergies. 3. SF shall be perceived as a preferred partner for the corporate sector. 7 8

The Communications Platform defines the most important cornerstones for culture and brand building that SF wants to develop further. These include the Major Gift Coordination Group (2.17.8) and Desk Officers (5.1.1).

4. SF shall have increased brand awareness, brand associations and preference with target markets.

2.17.3 Graphical Profile and Slogan As part of SF´s brand building program, a distinct Graphic Design Manual has been developed. SF’s main colour is pink9. The graphical profile is the visual basis for building a strong SF brand. It is expected that SF, throughout its organisation and at all times, communicates and builds organisational culture in a way that is consistent with the Graphic Design Manual and Communications Platform. A slogan has also been developed which encapsulates SF´s development philosophy and emphasis on sustainable development. One message, “Getting People Started”, will be used for the purposes of fundraising and brand building; while another message, “Empowering People”, targets partners and beneficiaries.

2.17.4 Communication Channels SF’s channels of communication are numerous and include the production of a magazine and letters (Direct Marketing) to donors and partners. SF also has a specific focus on web-based communication, such as electronic newsletters, web pages, and web 2.0 (social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs). PR / media is a credible and cost-effective way to build SF’s position. More emphasis on media exposure may help SF reach existing and new target groups (cf. 2.17.5). SF places great emphasis on providing its supporters with updates and appropriate feedback on their communication with SF, whether through personal interaction (meetings, calls etc.), letters, e-mails or posts on the web. Furthermore, SF continually strives to be identified as innovative and in line with current trends. Social media are considered important, as they provide a free and immediate way of communication, and as they open and simplify the channels through which supporters (and potential donors) can interact with SF. SF is periodically present in external media through advertisement, and is continuously present on Google ads, ensuring that SF is found at all times on the web. SF also strives to be on the top of free search engines, through relevant linking and metadata.

2.17.5 Press and Media Work As part of its Press and Media Strategy, SF aims to raise awareness about North-South issues through informing and actively involving the Norwegian public in effective joint action to eradicate poverty. SF seeks to flag important issues in the media and to contribute to agenda-setting and public involvement. In order to capture attention and editorial interest, SF strives to assume position as a different challenger with a competitive advantage over other development actors. A competitive advantage can be accomplished e.g. through going further than competitors in terms of cost effectiveness and the way

No other NGO in Norway uses pink for their brand, so the selection of this colour is strategic in terms of differentiating SF from other competitors. Furthermore, pink is a strong, bold and clear colour. At the same time, it is warm and inclusive; qualities that SF seeks to be associated with.

results of sustainable development are monitored and documented on behalf of donors and target groups (cf. Communications Strategy).

2.17.6 Fundraising in the Private and Corporate Sector Resource mobilisation forms an integral part of SF’s ongoing efforts, with a focus on potential funding possibilities in Norway, the regions and worldwide. Funds will be sought through private individual donors, the corporate sector in Norway, schools, events and the use of artists as ambassadors, and other networks in Norway. SF’s individual audience is targeted through a diverse range of donor concepts tailored to different ages, desires and needs. The vast majority of all individual donor concepts, whether premised upon regular or one-off gifts, raise un-earmarked funds as this allows SF to allocate funds where the need is greatest. The main individual donor concept10, ‘Friend at Heart’, primarily targets socially engaged families. SF’s experience indicates that this donor target group first and foremost wishes to help children, hence projects where children can highlight what SF is doing – getting people started – are emphasised. Focus groups among donors have made clear that within the bounds of this donor concept, education should be emphasised to a greater extent than microfinance. The most important tool to persuade people to make donations is a saleable project that touches people’s hearts and is easy to communicate and understand. SF donors should experience that their donations make a difference for children in SF’s projects. As in other areas of the organisation, the best interests of children in SF’s interventions are maintained through a Child Protection Policy11. Other donor concepts use different methods to engage people in SF’s work on a long-term basis. SF’s youngest donors are largely targeted through social media, stunts and other PR in a creative and innovative fashion, while elderly donors are primarily targeted through tangible communication channels such as SF’s magazine, letters and direct mail (cf. 2.17.4). Another way of raising awareness about poverty eradication and SF’s work, and thus obtaining funds, is through SF’s networks. High schools and folk high schools are among the most common networks that SF targets. Young people are also targeted through SF’s work toward ‘Operation Day’s Work’, a national campaign in which Norwegian teenage pupils work one day to earn money for a project in the South, selected nationwide. SF’s own youth organisation Re:Act, that shares SF’s vision of a world free from poverty, is also instrumental in mobilising young people. With regard to the corporate sector, SF aspires to be perceived as a preferred partner for companies, institutions, foundations and major individual donors. SF has in recent years successfully raised funds from its innovative and market-oriented Business Partner Program, and will focus on increasing its fundraising efforts in this area, not only in Norway, but also locally throughout SF´s organisation. Furthermore, microfinance, entrepreneurship and a clear results-focus are of relevance to the corporate sector. There are few professional competitors in this area, at least in Norway, and SF has a proven concept to further build upon. The defined target markets are companies, institutions, foundations and major individual donors. In order to ensure success in fundraising, a focused approach is crucial. SF focuses on having a long-term 10

This has grown to become SF’s main individual donor concept based on experience that it has been the most successful way of raising unearmarked funds. 11 Under development, as per February 2011.

relationship with all donors. Donor satisfaction is promoted through striving for good procedures for appreciation, donor care and reporting. Indeed, through good reports from SF’s work, SF can increase trustworthiness and donors are likely to want to give again and again to SF. In the great market that exists of development organisations in Norway, donors often tend to compare SF with other organisations with the same purpose. Most donors wish to give to an organisation with acceptable administration costs. SF therefore endeavours to be open and honest with donors, striving for transparency in key numbers and accounts.

2.17.7 Institutional Fundraising With regard to institutional fundraising, there is a general tendency for donors to decentralise their grant making process. As such, regional offices play an increasingly important role in approaching donors, forming consortiums and writing proposals. With its strong ROs, SF has a comparative advantage and should make the most of this tendency. The Institutional Fundraising section in the Program Department will take the co-ordination and advisory role for these local approaches to donors in the five-year period. See the Institutional Fundraising Strategy for more information.

2.17.8 Major Gift Co-Ordination Group The Major Gift Co-Ordination Group is the meeting point where SF co-ordinates the raising of earmarked gifts. The purpose of the group is to ensure that SF thinks and plans in an integrated way to ensure that funding needs are co-ordinated with the requests that SF is making to donors in the public or private markets. The permanent members of the Group are:  

The Chief of Staff (chair), Program Director, Microfinance Director, Market & Communications Director, Director of Finance and HR, and the manager of Major Donor Group in the Communications Department. The General Secretary will also participate when he sees fit. Other people will be invited to participate as necessary.

The Major Gift Co-Ordination group will meet once a week. It will be necessary for several cross-functional working groups to be set up and work on various projects outside the meeting. These groups will be accountable to the group and ultimately to the Chief of Staff. Specific tasks include, but are not limited to: 1. Ensuring that the organisation has a plan for growth (also known as “the maximum programme capacity”) that SF can use to target new funds raised. 2. Ensuring that “program packages” are created to fill this gap. 3. Ensuring the creation and maintenance of a common approval system, making sure that when SF fundraisers solicit new gifts they are correctly targeted and strategically agreed upon. 4. Ensuring the creation and maintenance of a common database of prospective donors and outstanding applications. 5. Debating and, where possible, resolving market vs. product issues where possibilities emerge that are outside the current expansion plans. The decisions made by the group may have an impact on program and fundraising plans and in some circumstances these might be so significant that the General Secretary will need to be consulted and be involved in the decision making.

2.17.9 Allocation of Funds for Development When funds are secured, budget allocations are tailored to maximise program potential in each region’s particular context. Criteria used to determine allocations to each region, as well as to each intervention within a given region, include regional and International Division priorities, beneficiary needs and partner capacity. Other factors such as outreach and impact, efficiency, effectiveness and synergy effects are also considered in the allocation of resources.

3. Results-Based Framework, Monitoring and Evaluation As a results-focused organisation, SF strives for a results-based perspective in all its work and interventions. This is reflected in SF’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system which will be developed and strengthened during the five-year period. Monitoring and evaluation are two separate, but inter-linked activities. Monitoring is an internal management tool assisting SF to assess the state of work, keep track of progress and achievements, and feed into regular reporting and ongoing adjustment of activities. It is a systematic feedback mechanism covering three levels: (a) Programme performance – tracking the implementation of planned activities, outputs and delivery of expected results, at global, regional and national level. (b) Strategic performance –monitoring the strategic and catalytic roles and objectives of SF (added value) including the efficiency and effectiveness of programme design, governance and organisational structures. (c) Programme achievements – measuring the change in selected core success indicators towards given results and targets. Hence, the mechanism also provides up-front quality assurance on the likelihood of goal achievement, implementation, design and oversight. The immediate users of monitoring information will be SF, its partners in Norway and in the regions, and strategic partners regionally and globally. The system will provide a basis for institution building, inter-regional cooperation and quality assurance. It will provide strategic information on transferability and scalability of effective modes of operation, including advocacy. The system will also provide feedback on progress and achievements. Stakeholder needs and interests should determine the scope of monitoring. The SF M&E system will include existing global, inter-agency and national/provincial/district data and sources of information – avoiding parallel or additional data collection efforts to the extent possible. For the purpose of efficiency and effectiveness, monitoring information is designed to meet the needs of decision-making at different levels of the organisation. Through evaluation carried out during and at the end of the SF’s programmes, the relevance and fulfilment of objectives, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability can be analysed based on monitoring data and independent assessment. Evaluation will summarise lessons learned and inform any decision about continuation or other follow up. Evaluation will address all phases from design and preparation by SF, through implementation of the programme to the achievement of results. For SF, monitoring and evaluation are not ends in themselves, but serve mainly three purposes:

(a) Strengthen accountability: SF needs to provide systematic information about progress and achievements to stakeholders and donors in order to justify its existence, document added value and ensure continued funding. (b) Contribute to decision making: The governing bodies and management of SF need to know whether SF should change and/or adjust its objectives and strategies during implementation. Evaluations should also clarify what conditions must be fulfilled for continued funding or identify any other needs for follow up. (c) Promote organisational learning: Evaluations and studies are required for understanding what strategies and activities that work and do not work, what factors contribute to success and failure, and what practices are the most effective. Operational research, reviews, self-evaluation, analysis and special studies will complement and provide important inputs and insights to strategic management and the overall evaluation work. The Log Frame, adapted to SF’s strategy, provides an up-front quality assurance and design mechanism, bringing forth the problems and solutions within the scope of the organisation and/or in co-operation with others; the causal logic of interventions in a programme context; strong results and impact statements, a people-centered design, applied systems-based intervention strategies, performance indicators and baselines, a project/programme learning system, risk assessment and mitigation, and accountability. SF uses the Logical Framework Approach in results planning, management and reporting, and as a basis for monitoring, illustrated by a logical framework matrix across the organisation (cf. Master Plan part two). This matrix specifies the number of direct target beneficiaries, outputs and outcome per year, indicators, baseline information on each indicator, means of verification, risks and assumptions. Each column in the matrix contains specific and unique types of information. They have a “dynamic tension” among them in that changes in one affect the others. The Quality Assurance Mechanism is aligned with Norad/MfA’s “Results Management in Norwegian Development Cooperation”. See SF’s Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy for more information.

4. Leadership 4.1

Organisational Structure

SF has a decentralised organisational structure. The Secretary General (SG) is the overall leader responsible for managing SF worldwide. SG has the responsibility to operationalise SF’s Master Plan, in collaboration with the Leadership Team, based on policies and principles, all of which are approved by the Board. The Secretary General reports to the Board of Directors (cf. 4.2) that is accountable to the Council (cf. 4.3). Parts of the mandate of the SG are delegated to the Chief of Staff, in accordance with the Terms of Reference for the Chief of Staff, who reports to the Secretary General. The Foundation’s leadership comprises the four Regional Directors (RDs) and the Programme Director, who all report directly to the General Secretary, the Market & Communications Director and Director of Finance and HR, who report to the Secretary General through the Chief of Staff, and the Microfinance Director. The latter operates under an extensive delegation of the CEO role from the SG, and thus reports in consultation with the Finance and Credit (FC) committee to the SMF AS Board of Directors.12

A task force is appointed to review the present structure of the MF section, and will present their report to the Board within 2011.

The following chart shows the current company structure of SF:

Company Structure Board of Directors Strømme Foundation

STRØMME FOUNDATION

Separate Board Separate Board

Finance & Credit Committee

STRØMME MICROFINANCE AS (SF ownership 100 %)

MIMETA AS (SF ownership 65%)

Separate Board

SMFEA / Strømme Microfinance East Africa LTD. (SF ownership 70,6%)

SMAGL / Strømme Microfinance Asia LTD by guarantee (100% SF controlled)

MIMETA AS is SF’s culture initiative, but is not part of SF’s five-year Master Plan. The next chart shows the reporting lines and structure of SF:

SF Reporting Lines

SF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Secretary General

Chief of Staff Int. Division

Finance

ASIA EA WA

SMAGL R

Regions

Facilities Management

Program

SMF AS

Communications

Dep.

O SMF EA

SA S

Leadership Reporting Line Professional / Operational Reporting Line

The above chart shows two different lines of reporting. The “Leadership Reporting line” is marked in blue, illustrating the hierarchy of the organisation. The “Professional / Operational Reporting line”, marked in 23

green, represents the relationship in the profession concerned, where operational collaboration and day to day business is reported otherwise than through the hierarchical line. A good example is how the regions will have their professional / operational reporting line to the Program Director / the Program Department. The thick grey arrows represent the knowledge and competence that flows between departments and sections of the organisation. They point both ways between the regions and the Head Office, indicating that this knowledge and competence flows both ways. It will be a shared responsibility for all parts of SF’s organisation to see each other as collaborators in relation to the common mission of eradicating poverty. Accountability to one another is promoted through pursuing SF’s core values: meeting one another with openness and respect (inclusive), documenting results and making any necessary adjustments to achieve SF’s objectives (results focused), and placing high demands on oneself, also in relation to cost effectiveness (challenging).

4.2

SF Board of Directors

The Board of Directors consists of seven members (there are three substitutes, including one person from the staff in Norway), with one member from the Global South and one staff representative. The Board is responsible for the governance of the organisation’s activities, and meets at least four times a year. The purpose of the Board includes: Strategy tasks, Organisational tasks, Control tasks, Assessment and Election of the Vice-Chair. For more information, see the Mandate for the Board of Directors.

4.3

SF Council

SF’s Council consists of 16 members – including one member appointed from Rev. Olav Strømme’s family – who meet twice a year. The Council elects SF’s Board and is responsible for monitoring SF’s activities, ensuring that they are conducted in accordance to the laws and Articles of Association, and supervising any decisions made by the Board. Amongst other things, the Council shall advise the Board on matters brought before the Council, or on matters raised on the Council’s own initiative. The Council also has the mandate to make a statement regarding SF’s annual accounts and report, and to reach a decision regarding any proposed amendments to the Articles of Association, or on any proposed dissolution of the Foundation. Members of the Council are appointed by an Election Committee. For more information, see SF’s Articles of Association.

4.4

SMF AS

Strømme Microfinance AS (SMF AS) is a company limited by shares owned 100 % by SF and shares the vision, mission and values of SF. SMF AS is responsible for all microfinance activities in SF. The SMF AS Board of Directors (BoD), as a separate Board, is an integrated part of SF. The BoD has delegated some of the supervision to the Finance and Credit Committee (FCC), which is authorised by the BoD. SMF AS has two subsidiaries doing wholesale lending MF. The shareholding company Strømme Microfinance East Africa Ltd (SMF EA Ltd) is located in Kampala, Uganda and covers interventions in East Africa. SMF AS will always own the majority of shares. Strømme Microfinance Asia Guarantee Ltd (SMAGL) is a company limited by guarantee located in Colombo, Sri Lanka covering Sri Lanka only. The two independent institutions have their own boards consisting of representatives from SMF AS, local independent directors and other shareholders in East Africa. The boards are chaired by the respective 24

Regional Director. In the regions without legal wholesale lending institutions SMF AS works through the regional offices in the respective regions. SMF AS is considered the Finance Committee for the activities. The organisational chart showing the Company Structure (4.1) illustrates SMF AS and the subsidiaries.

5. Resources 5.1

Regional Offices

The international development activities are highly decentralised, with well-established Regional Offices (ROs) in Asia (Colombo), East Africa (Kampala), West Africa (Bamako) and South America (Lima). Overall, SF has activities in 12 (13) programme countries (cf. 2.11). According to the agreed quality assurance framework (cf. Section 3) and reporting schedules, the Regional Directors and their teams have total authority in their regions, within their given mandates, to plan, implement, document the results and report back to Head Office (HO) according to the agreed reporting schedules. ROs will work in accordance with SF’s Development Policy (2.1 - 2.16). With the exception of efforts towards advocacy, SF is not an operational agency, but aims at fulfilling its vision, mission and strategic objectives by partnering with local organisations. The Regional Offices, in close consultation with the International Division at HO, choose local partners according to the criteria for choice of partners approved by the Board in the Development Policy (cf. 2.9.1). The partner organisations have the mandate to plan, implement, document the results and report back to the ROs within the agreed framework, and in consultation with the primary stakeholders or beneficiaries on the ground. Part two of the Master Plan contains contextualised information on the countries in which SF works, as well as the region’s approach to synergy and intervention lines, planned results etc. SF will work to develop an effective inter-regional platform for lessons learned, knowledge transfer and scaling up on successful modes of intervention. Experiences, best practices and project evaluations will be shared where relevant, and regions will look for ways of working together where this adds value. Interregional collaboration will inter alia be accomplished through two annual face-to-face leadership and interregional meetings, in addition to teleconferences at least twice a year.

5.1.1 Desk Officers Developing and strengthening a value-added relationship between Head Office and the regions was one of the main recommendations of the 2008 Norad evaluation report. In order to facilitate value-added support between HO and ROs with regard to SF’s education interventions, there will be a Desk Officer as ‘service desk’ for each region at HO, in the Program Department. Desk Officers will coordinate communication between HO and ROs, ensuring important issues are fully carried through. Consequently, Desk Officers will be the ‘knowledge bank’ for their respective region and will serve as the spokespersons for regions at HO. In short, the primary function of Desk Officers is to enhance the daily professional linkages between HO and ROs.

5.2

Departments at Head Office

SF’s Articles of Association state that SF’s main office shall be located in Kristiansand, Norway. The primary functions of SF’s Head Office are to fundraise for programs, provide program support to the regions and co-ordinate the work between regions in various ways. The roles of the different departments at Head Office are outlined below.

5.2.1 International Division The International Division comprises the Programme Department (PD) and Strømme Microfinance AS (SMF AS), both of which have the responsibility for securing quality in SF’s education and microfinance work, respectively. The Programme Director and Microfinance Director, together with their teams, have the mandate to ensure that all projects and programmes are planned and implemented according to the organisational policies13, strategies and principles. Furthermore, the International Division is responsible for managing SF’s development budget in accordance with the budgeting process and in consultation with Regional Directors, the Secretary General, Finance Section and other potentially involved parties. PD is responsible for managing SF’s development policies, strategies, principles, common guidelines and action plans. The department is responsible for promoting synergy between education and MF, and for harmonisation and cross-fertilisation of the programmes between and within the regions. PD has the overall responsibility for ensuring that programs and partnerships are in accordance with SF’s strategies. This means that PD has an advisory and quality assuring role when the Regional Offices assess potential new partners and programmes. PD is also responsible for institutional and Government fundraising, and for SF’s applications, plans and reports. PD shall also ensure that SF`s expertise and competence in the PD at HO are made available for the Regional operations. Thus, PD is the co-ordinating link between the HO and the ROs (cf. 5.1.1). SMF AS’s role is to support the regional offices and subsidiaries implementing MF in the local areas of intervention. Support is given by governing the entities as well as coordinating financial intermediation, knowledge sharing and networking. In addition, SMF AS acts as a credit committee for the Regional Offices where there is no Apex.

5.2.2 Communications Department The Communications Department (CD), led by the Market and Communications Director, is responsible for fundraising for, and creating awareness about, SF’s development activities. The department focuses on the promotion of international solidarity and information work, in order to broaden the support base for SF’s programmes. CD continually works to secure efficiency throughout its operations, making any necessary adjustments to achieve SF’s objectives. CD works towards the press and media, individual donors, corporate donors and networks (cf. 2.17). Effective monitoring includes oversight of trends in the donor market, accessing funds based on these, and thereby meeting the needs of beneficiaries in the regions. For more information, see the Communications Platform and Communications Strategy.

5.2.3 Finance, HR and Facilities Department SF has one department which incorporates Finance, Human Resources and Facilities (which includes Information and Communications Technology - ICT). The department is headed by the Finance and HR Director. Briefly, the roles and responsibilities of the various sections under this department are:

I.e. SF’s Development Policy, Education Policy, Microfinance Policy, etc.

The overall responsibility for financial administration and management rests with the Finance Section (FS) at HO, led by the Finance and HR Director. In order to better be able to relate SF’s expenditure to results, the FS assists in the process of tracking expenditure by intervention lines. FS assigns great importance to improving the guidance, instruction and support to the other staff in SF who are responsible for managing financial resources. In sum, FS works to a) develop and standardise written routines, controls and procedures, both at HO and ROs; b) improve the assessment of the financial implications of projects and initiatives, as well as of internal and external changes using financial modelling, forecasts etc., and c) improve the assessment of all risk and the mitigation of financial risk, especially that related to the prevention of corruption. See the Anti-fraud and Corruption Policy for more information. The Human Resources (HR) section at HO is responsible for the recruitment and retention of competent staff members to the HO and providing policy and guidelines to the rest of the organisation. Facilitating staff development and securing their wellbeing in the organisation is also a key responsibility of HR. In order to ensure that SF’s vision and values are reflected in the employees’ work and conduct inside and outside the organisation, a Code of Conduct has been developed to guide employees’ behaviour whilst working for SF. Furthermore, the Human Resources Policy contains more information on issues such as recruitment processes, appraisal interviews, staff welfare, gender balance, environmental awareness, etc. Staff development in the regions is primarily the responsibility of the respective Regional Director. However, the HR section may offer advice, particularly with regard to quality assurance, for regional capacity or competence building programmes. The role of facilities management is related only to the Head Office, ensuring that all assets are properly insured, the building is maintained and secure and the office facilities are an acceptable standard for the staff to work in. The role of ICT is, however, international. As an organisation with a decentralised structure, SF faces many challenges regarding ICT. These include a common workplace, an efficient and functioning mailing system, keeping electronic records of history, different levels of ICT capacity of staff, changes of staff, different working languages in the regions, capacity of internet lines and telephone systems, and so on. An ICT Policy with practical guidelines has been developed and is continually being revised. In the five year period, emphasis on building up SF’s Intranet as an effective communication arena will be prioritised.

5.5

Capacity Building

SF places high emphasis on the capacity building of implementing partners and of itself. Diverse avenues for capacity building such as attendance at seminars, conferences and short-term training are encouraged by SF. In addition, workshops are arranged for partners by the Head Office or Regional Offices when necessary. Long-term capacity building has mainly been facilitated through exchange programmes. SF has two types of exchange programmes, financed by Fredskorpset (FK: Norway), that aim to build the capacity of partners or of individuals. The Act Now youth exchange programme gives Norwegian youth the opportunity to spend seven months in one of SF’s partner organisations, while youth from these partner organisations spend the equivalent time in Norway. The FK South-South exchange allows selected beneficiaries from partner organisations to spend a year in another SF partner organisation in a different country14. Both types of exchanges are followed by a period of information work in the participant’s country of origin. The aims of the exchange programmes are to build capacity, cross-cultural sensitivity and knowledge of various ways of eradicating poverty in both the host and recipient countries.

As of February 2011, a Fredskorpset North-South exchange is also being considered.

6. Authoritative Policies, Strategies and Manuals The following table provides an overview of the policies, strategies, manuals and other guiding documents that will guide SF’s work during the Master Plan period. They are authoritative as the Board of Directors has approved them. In the five-year period, the below policies may be revised, and new policies may be added, but the core content of these guiding documents will remain the same. Type

Name

Developed by

Last Approved Revised

Short Description

Development Policy

PD / SMF AS

Sept 2007

Outlines SF’s development strategy.

Education Policy

June 2005

Microfinance Policy

SMF AS

2010

Social Performance Management Policy Child Protection Policy

SMF AS

Under development (Feb 2011) Under development (Feb. 2011)

Advocacy Policy

Under development (Feb. 2011)

Relief Policy

Under development (Feb. 2011)

Human Resource Policy

Nov 2010

ICT Policy

ICT

April 2010

Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy Communications Platform Communications Strategy PR & Media Strategy

Nov 2010

Oct 09

June 2010

March 2010

Institutional Fundraising Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy

Under Development (Feb. 2011) Under Development (Feb. 2011)

Cross-cutting issues

2010

Checklist for pursuing or accepting major grants

Under development (Feb. 2011)

Graphic Design Manual

2010

SMF AS Financial Guidelines SMF AS Board Manual SMF AS Finance and Credit Committee Manual Mandate for the Board of Directors

SMF AS

2010

Outlines the ways in which SF works with education. Outlines the definition and ways in which SF works with microfinance. Outlines social commitment and responsibility within MF activities. Aims to safeguard children from harm. Applies to those with direct and indirect contact with children throughout SF. Outlines SF’s approach to advocacy and work to influence public policy and decisions on resource allocation. Outlines SF’s approach to relief; when and where to intervene and what guidelines to follow. Provides practical, employment-related guidelines for all SF staff. Includes practical guidelines on ICT and mobile phone use by SF employees. Aims to minimise the chances of occurrence of fraud and corruption within SF. Defines the cornerstones for culture and brand building that SF wants to develop further. Recommends courses of action that best positions SF to reach its funding objectives. Outlines SF’s strategy regarding publicity in the Norwegian PR and media. Outlines SF’s procedures and strategy relating to institutional fundraising. Outlines SF’s M&E strategy across the organisation, based on the Results-Based Management Approach. Manuals / guidelines for including Gender Equality, Environmental Sustainability and Cultural Freedom in all SF’s work. Outlines the questions that should be asked prior to soliciting or accepting a major grant; eg. compatibility with SF values, capacity of partners etc. Guidelines for SF’s visual communication, including use of colours, codes and logos. Guidelines for SMF AS’s financial operations.

SMF AS SMF AS

2010 2009

Manual for the Board of SMF AS. Manual for the Finance and Credit Committee

Nov 2008

Articles of Association SF Code of Conduct

SF HR

Jan 2003 Nov 2009

Outlines the purpose, work plan and mandate of the Board Guiding principles of SF, including purpose, guidelines / mandate of the Board and Council Guides behaviour for all SF employees

Policies

PD / HR / CD

Strategies

Manuals / Guidelines

General