Getting it Right from the Start - Oxfam New Zealand

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comes up. We should have a good five year plan that we take to thedonors and then seek funding for that.‟ 83 Some NGOs are doing justthis, however, and are finding themselves running up against thereality of an aid architecture that is largely geared towards theprovision of single-sector, project-based funding. Consequently, manyNGOs are utilising multiple funding streams (with funds sometimesoriginating from the same donor but via different administrativeagents) to support sub-projects of what should be one coherentprogram. 84 The problem – and its implications – is illustrated by WorldVision‟s experiences with the piloting of its Area RehabilitationProgram model, described below.Box 4: World Vision’s Area Rehabilitation ProgramThe ARP is a fragile states programming model that seeks to allow WorldVision national offices to address the multiple dimensions of poverty in anintegrated manner through multi-sectoral interventions. „Start-up funding‟ isprovided by World Vision affiliates so as to allow participatory programassessment and design, and the hope is that the individual projects will thenbe funded by institutional donors. World Vision affiliates provide core fundingso as to allow basic management structures and program quality functionsto remain in place. Two years into the piloting of the ARP model, amonitoring report from one of the supporting affiliates described thechallenges as follows:It is a concern that there seems to be no immediate prospect of funding forany of the projects within the ARP other than the project that [World Visionaffiliate] has agreed to fund. The idea of the ARP is that it allows a nationaloffice to comprehensively assess the needs in a given area, and to design amulti-sectoral program to address those needs. But the reality is that unlessfunding is assured for the whole program at the outset, we are in a positionof still having to respond to calls from donors, and picking out components ofthe ARP and tailoring those components to meet the donor’s criteria (orpossibly designing a new project altogether in order to qualify for funds).Inevitably this means that the projects will be at least a little bit donor-driven,and this then brings us back to the very position that the ARPs are trying toget us away from. The Adolescent Girls Initiative proposal (not originallyincluded in the ARP but designed subsequently in response to a World Bankcall for proposals) and the Sudan Emergency Recovery Fund proposal(which covers some components of the education project but not thoseprioritised in the assessment) illustrate this reality.Perhaps more importantly, the possibility of some projects designed as partof the ARP not going ahead has the potential to negatively impact upon thelikelihood of the projects that are funded meeting their objectives. The ARPconcept note states that ‘experience has shown that if a programme dealswith only a single sector or issue, or if a programme does not take intoaccount the different dimensions of poverty, outcomes are unlikely to affectroot causes of poverty.’ The point is that while the ARP model facilitates thedesign of a program that comprehensively addresses identified needs, if thereality is that the projects may not all be funded and may in fact end uphaving to be implemented largely as independent projects – then thoseindependent projects may as well have been designed from the outset asstand-alone projects, rather than an part of an integrated program that mayor may not occur.32
„Integrated programming„ means programming that is not only multisectoral(thus addressing the multiple dimensions of poverty), but thatallows for an appropriate transition from humanitarian relief, throughrecovery, to development. But the challenges for coordination aresignificant. Some donors have indicated that beyond next year they willbe narrowing the sectoral focus of their funding strategies (in theinterest of developing greater sectoral expertise with a view to ensuringprogram quality), and the establishment of single-sector pooled funds(such as a pooled fund for health) is being discussed. Additionally,many donors provide either „humanitarian‟ or „development‟ funding –when in fact the lines between the two are not easily drawn. Asexplained by one humanitarian donor, „too often we get to the end ofthe project, and as far as our mandate‟s concerned, our job‟s done.We‟ve saved lives. But it doesn‟t mean we can just leave. But oftenthere‟s no one to hand over to.‟ 85Recommendations• Ensure that funding mechanisms are sufficiently broad andsufficiently flexible to support holistic, integrated programming –meaning programming that is based on needs assessments, multisectoral,and that allows for appropriate transition from relief todevelopment. This could be achieved through bilateral multi-sectoralfunding, or through bilateral or multilateral funding to multipleimplementing agencies. What matters is not the mechanism but theresult: programming that addresses the various dimensions ofpoverty and ensures no gap in coverage between humanitarian reliefand development.• Recognise that this will require substantially improved donorcoordination: between donors operating in different sectors, andbetween humanitarian relief and development donors, including thehumanitarian and development offices of the same donor. 86 Donorparticipation in the clusters, and more coordinated discussionregarding gaps in coverage and where the responsibilities of thevarious donors begin and end, could go a long way towards enablinga smoother handover of projects and programs.33
Page 1: Joint Briefing Paper 06 September 2
Page 4 and 5: Recommendations1. Balance developme
Page 6 and 7: IntroductionOn 9 July, millions of
Page 8 and 9: esponding to a worst case scenario
Page 10 and 11: persons displaced. All this took pl
Page 12 and 13: anecdotal evidence suggests that in
Page 14 and 15: 4 Ensure an equitable distribution
Page 16 and 17: 5 Prioritise the most vulnerable an
Page 18 and 19: • Targeting strategies must be ba
Page 20 and 21: 6 Support pro-poor, sustainablelive
Page 22 and 23: interventions must support, not exc
Page 24 and 25: ‘There’s a school, but thereare
Page 26 and 27: 8 Allow sufficient time for transit
Page 28 and 29: 9 Provide timely, predictable funds
Page 30 and 31: pooled funds managed by private con
Page 34 and 35: ConclusionFollowing substantial sum
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