Graduation Indicators as Accelerators of Targeted Capacity Building of Civil Society Organisations in Kenya

1. Enabling Kenyan Civil Society Organizations for Lasting Health Impact
Graduation Indicators as Accelerators of Demand
Driven Capacity Building of Civil Society
Organisations in Kenya
First Author: Henry Kilonzo
Second Author: Dr. Daraus Bukenya
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 1

2. About FANIKISHA (1)
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 2

3. About FANIKISHA (2)
Results:
1.Strengthened leadership, management
and governance for local CSOs
2.Increased access and use of quality
CSO data for decision making
3.Improved quality of institutional
strengthening for CSOs
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 3

4. Description of Context (1)
• Most Kenyan CSOs are not:
• Articulating or prioritizing capacity development. Focus is on
service delivery
• Driving their capacity development
• Measuring capacity development against any standards
and indicators
• Accessing or paying for quality technical assistance
• CSO data not available, accessible or used by stakeholders for
decision-making
Low Sustainability
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 4

5. Description of Context (2)
CSO Capacity in Kenya 3 Kenyan CSOs
1 Kenyan CSO
Top 100 large scale implementers
Top 25 NGOs
“Only 1 Kenyan CSO is ranked among the top 25 NGOs; and only
3 among the top 100 CSOs implementing large scale programs in
the Kenyan health sector” (Source: The Global Journal)
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 5

6. Key Interventions
Needs and Standards Driven
• CSO selection
Needs and Standards Driven
• Workplanning and budgeting
• Development of graduation indicators
• Provision mentored grants
• Development and use of mentorship
tools
• Development and use of Institutional
strengthening standards and indicators
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 6

7. Approaches Adopted
• Joint development of mentorship plans
Needs and Standards Driven
Needs and Standards Driven
• Training of staff and board members
• Demand driven Mentorship, training
• Linkages for peer support
• Private sector engagement
• Development of capacity scoring matrix
• Rapid participatory CSO self assessment
for graduation; baseline data
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 7

8. Summary of FANIKISHA Approach
Standards Driven Stakeholder engagement Learning Communication and Feedback
CSO definition &
Prequalification
Work
planning,
Budgeting CSO
Org.
and Granting Selection Capacity Asst
(OCA) Outcome
CSOs that can deliver on the
community health response and are
Selection sustainable
approval
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 8

9. t
Scoring Matrix
Score Level Definition
Score 1: The CSO does not have the relevant tool and/or function in
this subcategory
Score 2: The CSO has a tool and/or function but does not meet the
desired quality or it is incomplete – whether applied or not
Score 3: The CSO has the desired tool or function, is complete, is of
good quality but is not applied at all or consistently to
support the CSO institutional processes.
Score 4: The CSO has a tool or function, is complete, is of good quality
and is applied consistently to carry out the CSO institutional
processes. This is the desired standard for the subcategory
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 9

10. Evidence of Success and
Achievements (1)
• No CSO scored a 4
at Baseline
• Six months later, four
CSOs scored a 4 –
significant capacity
and;
• 1 CSOs scored a
three – satisfactory
capacity
• 1 CSO scored a two-
evidence of some
capacity
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 10

11. Evidence of Success and
Achievements (2)
• CSOs:
• became results based from the start
• were able to pinpoint specific capacity needs
• prioritized their needs
• requested for capacity building
• Graduation indicators improved performance in the
entire category
• 4 CSOs were graduated to receive programmatic grants
• Resources were saved- HR, Finances etc
• Freed staff time
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 11

12. Lessons Learnt
• Use demand driven approaches
• Be results oriented from the start
• Set capacity building targets
• Ensure CSO participation
• Build on what exists
• Initiate peer support in mentorship
• Measure capacity development
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 12

13. Challenges and Counter-strategies
employed
Challenge Counter-strategy
• CSO articulation of • Training of CSOs on
results based approach graduation indicators
in capacity building took • Regular follow up
long
• Risk of CSOs leaving • Joint planning
other project indicators • Training
necessary for capacity • Use of demand driven
building process in capacity
building
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 13

14. Conclusions
• Identifying key CSO capacity building
graduation indicators;
• Developing necessary capacity development,
assessment tools; and approaches;
• fast tracks CSOs uptake of capacity
building
Graduation indicators contribute to quick
wins in CSO capacity development
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 14

15. Recommendations:
• Capacity development should be
results based
• Continuous improvement of the
graduation indicators
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 15

16. Enabling Kenyan Civil
Society Organizations for
Lasting Health Impact
Funding was provided by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under
Cooperative Agreement AID-623-A-11-00029.
FANIKISHA Institutional Strengthening Project 16