ANNUAL REPORT - Global Development Network

Scaling up Innovation
The Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project funds innovative
development projects with improved service delivery to underprivileged groups in
developing countries.The Cloth forWork project by GOONJ, India received the first prize
for financial assistance in using under-utilized clothes as an asset for income generation
for villagers working on their community issues. The second prize winner was Impulse
NGO Network, India who have established a Case Information Centre to track and
record all human trafficking cases reported to the NGO and
provide assistance by providing faster, reliable information for
investigations and subsequent prosecutions of traffickers.
Development Reality Institute from Zimbabwe won the third
prize for their innovative capacity building program for the youth
in Africa. It aimed at effectively adapting the effects of climate
change in their local communities. Under this award, the first prize
winner is eligible to apply for a higher grant of up to US$ 200,000
to scale up their work under the Japan Social Development Fund
(JSDF) award.
GDN ANNUAL REPORT 2012
42
Top: Verengai Mabika from
Development Reality Institute,
Zimbabwe receiving the 3rd prize
for the Japanese Award for Most
Innovative Development Project
from Dr. Akio Hosono (right),
Director Japan International
Cooperation Agency–Research
Institute (JICA-RI).
Above: The winners of the 12th
Global Development Awards and
Medals Competition, Budapest,
17 June 2012.
LEARNINGS
Research Communications Capacity Building
Finalists participated in a two-day special Research
Communications Training Workshop organized by the GDNet
program to strengthen capacities for being both an influential
researcher and a proficient communicator engaging different
audiences with their results. Held prior to the GDN Annual Global
Development Conference in Budapest, Hungary, the workshop
was targeted at developing the skills, confidence and a powerful
presentation for each finalist to present to an international
audience and the Selection Committee. The finalists reported a
12 percent increase in their confidence and ability to
communicate their research and
work to different audiences
using a variety of tools (social
media, presentations, etc.). The
increase shows the average difference between
the pre- and post-workshop score.
In the past, researchers lacked expert
feedback during the research phase. An
integrated capacity building component
that provides handholding to researchers
has been introduced this year through
dedicated mentors for each winning
research proposal.
Establishing effective management skills is
important for program and financial
prudence. Strengthening the financial
systems of winning NGOs through financial
assessment reviews is helping fortify
existing capacities of NGOs.
Adding to professional visibility is an
important aspect of the awards. Linking up
the winners to present their work in forums,
policy seminars, academic conferences and
other dissemination events has been
recognized.
Scaling up the
financially self-sufficient
school by Fundación
Paraguaya
(JSDF Winner 2010)
Five beneficiary schools to
cover over 400 students
Implementation countries:
Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Paraguay
25 participants (school
directors, program
coordinators, etc) from 11
NGOs from 7 developing
countries attended the
training workshop on Self-
Sufficient School Model held
in August 2012
E-learning platform
developed on three modules:
reason for creation of a selfsufficient
school for
entrepreneurs, know-how on
implementing the model
and monitoring and
evaluation of the social and
financial return for each
school. Each school has a
mentor to guide them and
provide long-distance
technical assistance