Feedback from Making CSI Matter 2010 breakaway sessions
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1 SUMMARY OUTPUT FROM BREAKAWAY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS: TRIALOGUE ‘MAKING CSI MATTER CONFERENCE’ Introduction The purpose of this document is to summarise the feedback from the breakaway sessions conducted at the ‘Making CSI Matter’ Conference. A total of 6 breakaway sessions were conducted over the course of two days. Conference delegates chose the topics they were interested in, and were required to work in groups to formulate responses to a series of questions relating to a particular theme or topic. The themes for the sessions were: TOPIC/THEME OF BREAKAWAY* DATE OF BREAKAWAY SESSION – EFFECTIVE APPLICATION OF CSI WITHIN FORMAL SCHOOLING Day 1: Tuesday 4 May 2010 SESSION ‐ THE RATIONALE AND BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH CSI SUPPORT FOR SPORTS, ARTS & CULTURE SESSION ‐ EFFECTIVE APPLICATION OF CSI FOR ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT SESSION ‐ THE INTERFACE BETWEEN CSI AND THE DINOKENG SCENARIOS Day 2: Wednesday 5 May 2010 SESSION‐ APPLICATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS IN TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT SESSION ‐ INTERVENTIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS IN COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT *Please note that text in this column is hyperlinked to the relevant page; press ‘Ctrl+click’ The breakaway sessions were highly interactive and resulted in lively debate, as well as presenting opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing. The outputs of the 6 sessions are presented in the remainder of this document.
Feedback from Making CSI Matter 2010 breakaway sessions
A total of 6 breakaway sessions were conducted during the 2010 Making CSI Matter conference. Delegates chose the topics they were interested in, and were required to work in groups to formulate responses to a series of questions relating to a particular theme or topic. This document summarises the insights gleaned from these interactive sessions.
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1. SUMMARY OUTPUT FROM BREAKAWAY ENGAGEMENTSESSIONS: TRIALOGUE
MAKING CSI MATTER CONFERENCEIntroductionThe purpose of this
document is to summarise the feedback from the breakawaysessions
conducted at the Making CSI Matter Conference. A total of
6breakaway sessions were conducted over the course of two days.
Conferencedelegates chose the topics they were interested in, and
were required to work ingroups to formulate responses to a series
of questions relating to a particulartheme or topic. The themes for
the sessions were:TOPIC/THEME OF BREAKAWAY* DATE OF
BREAKAWAYSESSIONEFFECTIVEAPPLICATIONOF Day 1: Tuesday 4 May
2010CSIWITHINFORMALSCHOOLINGSESSIONTHERATIONALEANDBENEFITSASSOCIATEDWITHCSISUPPORTFORSPORTS,ARTS&CULTURESESSIONEFFECTIVEAPPLICATIONOFCSIFORENTERPRISEDEVELOPMENTSESSIONTHEINTERFACEBETWEENCSI
Day 2: Wednesday 5 May
2010ANDTHEDINOKENGSCENARIOSSESSIONAPPLICATIONSANDPARTNERSHIPSINTECHNOLOGYFORDEVELOPMENTSESSIONINTERVENTIONSANDPARTNERSHIPSINCOMMUNITYANDRURALDEVELOPMENT*Please
note that text in this column is hyperlinked to the relevant page;
press Ctrl+clickThe breakaway sessions were highly interactive and
resulted in lively debate, aswell as presenting opportunities for
networking and knowledge sharing. Theoutputs of the 6 sessions are
presented in the remainder of this document. 1
2. DAY ONE: TUESDAY 4 MAY
2010SESSIONTHERATIONALEANDBENEFITSASSOCIATEDWITHCSISUPPORTFORSPORTS,ARTS&CULTUREQuestion
1. Why should corporates support sports and arts & culture
given South Africas other pressing developmental needs?Delegate
responses: MEMORABLE QUOTES Healthy bodies, healthy minds, healthy
belonging! diversity is strength We live in a world where we
appreciate beauty because it connects us with our humanity Sports,
arts and culture reflect our heritage the stories of where we come
from need to be told o The Arts played a key role in communicating
messages during the Struggle Sports, arts and culture provide are
complementary and allow for a holistic education employers look for
well-rounded people, not just academics The three sectors also
create avenues to develop peoples potential in different ways The
corporate world is not removed from developments in arts and
culture - Boardrooms have art! Sports, arts and culture represent
creative action: learning to build something instead of destroying
Corporate support at different levels is required to prevent the
commodification of sports and arts because its about having fun
2
3. Question 2. To what degree should CSI interventions in
sports development and arts & culture work in partnership with
government? Can the interventions be successfully introduced and
expanded without government involvement or is government
endorsement and participation a necessity from the outset? Extent
of government involvement From a funding and endorsement point of
view, government involvement is sometimes useful but not essential
in some instances it can even be detrimental For example, party
politics can be crude and interfere with how funding is unlocked
different actors in the same political party, or actors from
competing political parties can try to block each other, and create
technicalities in the hand-over process It is not always understood
what arts & culture are about especially the processes and
behind the scenes support and work that is required Government
tends to focus on events and other visible or tangible outputs
Government funding and support comes with strings they work to
templates The challenge for government is how to keep people on
board without stifling creativity too Government officials are not
always reliable they have been known to lose forms and other
official documents, and to block the phone numbers of people
requesting assistance to avoid having to deal with them The
desirability of government involvement is Stage at which government
should become involved Government entities are often silent
partners who only come to life for public moments (e.g. cutting the
ribbon, delivering a speech, branding the event) without being part
of the developmental process This selective participation is quite
offensive! A conversation needs to happen about what arts &
culture, sports can bring to government and vice versa
Government-driven projects in the sports, arts and culture space
also require support from corporates 3
4. Question 3. Can and should sports and arts & culture
interventions be used to instill life skills (eg. ethical and
professional values) in individual participants? If so, what is
required to make this happen?Delegate responses:Role of sports,
arts and culture in instilling life skills Yes they can and they
should sports, arts and culture instill life skills at the
physical, social, and emotional levels. Specific examples include:
teamwork, communication, goal-setting, decision-making,
perseverance, share, respect for others, accepting differences,
developing attention spans, motor skills, accepting victory and
defeat, learning what is socially acceptable behavior, bonding,
self-identity If there were no sports, arts and culture social
problems would be worse than they currently are high crime levels,
more substance dependency, more teenage pregnancy, more
child-headed households These kinds of activities usually happen
after school, possibly due to a lack of recreational facilities,
and lack of an entrenched value system It does not matter whether
you are a have or have not - these problems exist everywhere, and
sports, arts and culture can play a positive role in mitigating
them Who would we be targeting with sports, arts and culture
initiatives? Youth aged between18 years and 35 years, particularly
those who are unemployed to raise awareness of other opportunities
School-going youths Children in the early childhood development
(ECD stage)What is required? Shift in mindsets - arts & crafts
are not by the way Also, corporate sponsorships should not just be
about giving money or equipment, but should aim to have a deeper
developmental impact that moulds individuals Need to re-introduce
PT/PE and arts (e.g. singing period) in school curricula, Need
specialists e.g. sports and arts administrators, life skills
coaches should be seen as a career Lobby government Collective
action Form partnerships with community leaders and identify
role-models in schools and the wider community Partnerships between
the school, NGOs/CBOs, government, and parents Partnerships between
government and business to build fields and pools also need budget
to maintain facilities 4
5. Partnerships between schoolsQuestion 4. Is there benefit in
reducing the number of types of interventions in order to achieve
economies of scale (i.e. number of sporting disciplines, types of
arts & culture intervention)? What are the arguments for having
fewer intervention types versus many different types of
intervention?This question was not addressed in the breakaway
session.Question 5. How can one scale up sports and arts &
culture interventions? What role should CSI departments, government
or civil society play in achieving widespread
participation?Delegate responses: Holistic learning, encourages
leadership skills Not alternate to academic, about enhancing those
studies The fact that we have no resources doesnt mean we cant have
sports dont need to have fancy kit to play games or make art
Disability representation at table little support Manipulate the
system eg. If arts and education or environment, we feel you need
to angle it. Sad, but thats how you have to do it Sanlam (?)
Provides arts materials to schools learners then participate in
competition Hong kong project mobile team of specialists traveling
to schools {perfect opportunity for enterprise development} The
importance of working with experts in the community Library of
resources with music instruments, art supplies, equipment that can
be loaned out Must be long-term interventionWider issues raised by
delegates food for thought going forward What can be done to raise
the profile of sports, arts and culture generally? How can
enterprise development within bring sports, arts & culture be
promoted? The arts & culture sector is broader than just the
performing arts o At the same time, there is a government tendency
to focus on culture Which companies are supporting sports? Are they
doing so through their CSI departments, or through their marketing
departments? Many public and private sponsors confuse CSI for
sports, arts and culture with branding and marketing opportunities
they dont understand the difference How does one migrate from
marketing to true social development?RETURN TO TABLE 5
6.
SESSIONEFFECTIVEAPPLICATIONOFCSIWITHINFORMALSCHOOLINGQuestion 1.
What are the advantages and constraints in adopting the following
approaches to investment in formal schooling? Whole school
development at a local / site level (governance, educator, learner
and infrastructure interventions at one or more schools) A niched
approach across multiple schools (e.g. Maths and Science,
supplementary schooling, teacher training) Systemic interventions
(e.g. curriculum design, capacity building for DoE employees,
research and advocacy at a national level etc.) Is any one of these
approaches more suitable for corporate CSI programmes? Why or in
what way?Delegate responses:Whole school developmentAdvantages
Systemic whole school development (WSD) should be the nucleus of
community development e.g. the Penreach WSD programme Strengths in
being able to collaborate with other sponsors and create a shared
vision Opportunity to align CSI interventions in this space with
the core business of the sponsoring entity It is a mechanism for
strengthening community democracy and participationConstraints
Without effective leadership, projects for WSD could fail Lack of
sustainability caused by corporates wanting to do everything, thus
encouraging communities to be dependent on them Too many
offers/proposals for WSD programmes are being made to the
Department of Education without a proven track record of
effectiveness to back them up 6
7. Systemic interventions Systemic interventions afford one the
opportunity to work from ECD all the way to high school level (with
benefits such as continuity and consistency for individual
learners) However, clarity is required on what would qualify as a
systemic intervention Government intention and policies are needed
to effect systemic change e.g. libraries in all schools, or teacher
evaluation CSI can then play a supporting role One of the
challenges of a systemic approach is that you have to engage with
trade unions around issues around qualifications and
performanceQuestion 2. Delivery of formal schooling is the
responsibility of government. How can we ensure that corporate
contributions effectively support, and do not attempt to replace,
the efforts of the Department of Education? CSI should be strategic
in deciding how to both support and challenge government as the
situation requires CSI practitioners should choose their specialist
partners carefully to ensure mutual learning and capacity building
to improve overall CSI for education Corporates should identify
good practice that works on the ground and then support government
in up-scaling it Corporate contributions can address two key gaps
in formal schooling: school governance and early childhood
development (ECD) There is existing collaboration between role
players from different sectors (government, business, NPOs) but it
is not strategic or co- ordinated. There is potential to extract
more value from these relationships Barriers to collaboration
include brand issues and legislation Can you create a mechanism
which makes it possible both to collaborate and compete? 7
8. This requires a neutral platform (such as the National
Business Initiative) where a sense of common purpose and solid
evidence base can create a different discourse beyond narrow
interests; or where it is possible to pursue interests aligned with
national interests.Question 3. What collaborative mechanisms
currently exist for corporate involvement in formal schooling? How
could they be improved? What, if any, other initiatives could be
introduced to ensure greater collaboration between
corporates?Delegate responses: People talk about collaborating but
corporate lack the internal resources to do the research on how to
collaborate and on what issues The leadership arrangements for CSI
are sometimes an obstacle to collaboration the CSI function is
often regarded as peripheral and is staffed by relatively junior
people Senior management needs to drive collaborative CSI Another
obstacle to collaboration is that corporates are territorial about
projects an organisational mechanism is needed to bridge the gap
(e.g. joint teams/committees) There is a need for professional
associations where members can combine CSI funding across focus
areas for better impact e.g. banking sector and financial services
sector This may include the development of a website where projects
can be profiledQuestion 4. There is some evidence to suggest that
interventions are only really effective when targeted at those
schools already achieving a degree of functionality. This implies
that many schools will remain marginalised. What (if anything) does
this mean for CSI programmes?Delegate responses: Functionality can
be defined in terms of school governance, discipline and results
8
9. Governments responsibility is to work with all schools
across the board, whereas most corporates tend to pick the cream of
the crop The CDE and Zenex studies suggest that interventions work
better in functional schools, but the dilemma is what do you do
with all the rest this is a difficult ethical question The value of
working with low-performing schools is that there is a sense of
working with the most marginalised and making a valuable
contribution There are enormously important lessons to be learned
there, and applied more broadlyQuestion 5. There is a great deal of
knowledge and research on schooling interventions. How can we
ensure this knowledge base is effectively applied by corporates and
NGOs when undertaking projects? What should corporates and NGOs be
doing to ensure lessons are shared and applied?Delegate responses:
Create a database on which to capture best practices and make sure
it is available online (e.g. on a dedicated website) An example of
database is Bridge the portal has a research component and a social
network forum to create communities of practice (www.bridge.org.za)
The HSRC has a publication on successful schooling practice which
can form part of the body of knowledge on the website However,
there should be an awareness that not everyone has internet access
and is familiar with certain technologies, limiting their ability
to contribute to and learn from the database It is important to
ensure that the information collected is acted on and used
constructively - it is the responsibility of corporates to conduct
baseline studies to ensure interventions address identified
needsRETURN TO TABLE 9
10. SESSIONEFFECTIVEAPPLICATIONOFCSIFORENTERPRISE
DEVELOPMENTQuestion 1. How should enterprise development as
undertaken by the CSI department differ from that of the ED
business function? Should these initiatives be linked in any
way?Delagate responses:Enterprise development for CSI versus
business function Whether or not ED can be undertaken by the CSI
department will depend on: The term of the engagement The scale of
operations The level of risk involved The issue of replicability
and competition The scale of sustainability (i.e. not every
NGO/project can ever reach full sustainability)Linkages CSI can be
used to strategically identify community-based projects that have
the potential to be developed into full-scale ED projects in time
therefore CSI should scan projects to identify those that can be
formally developed to become part of the business supply chain
(even if not immediately, but eventually)Question 2. Are there any
particular models of enterprise development as undertaken by CSI
departments that stand out as successful and replicable?Delagate
responses: CSI projects tend to be successful when they: Identify
competent individuals and organisations Ensure that the
entrepreneurs demonstrate commitment by having skin in the game
Provide skills and enterprise training Link the enterprise (or aim
to eventually link the enterprise) into the corporate supply chain
or markets Identify stakeholders or gatekeepers who are already in
the game Are based on sufficient research to establish needs and
skills Provide finance Provide ongoing support 10
11. Identify capable individuals/businesses; then provide
research support and provide skills training; then provide support
for enterprise start-up; then link it into the corporate supply
chain.Question 3. How should corporates source enterprises to
support through CSI? Should corporates focus on a particular type
of enterprise or a particular geographic area?Delagate
responses:Sourcing of enterprises Always some general criteria that
a corporate must consider, together with specific criteria per
company There should be a logical match between the enterprise and
the corporate value chain or services Identify small
businesses/suppliers (with growth potential) who can meet the
companys business needs and are aligned with the companys business
objectives Enterprises with a track record and reputation are
preferable Source projects that can present strong business plans
(and can demonstrate hunger and heart) A champion must be
identified who has the hunger and the heart, and supported by a
strong operational teamCorporate focus It makes sense to invest
where the corporate has its operations, but there is no hard and
fast rule in this regard Involvement in local communities depends
on the local communities specific expectations Whether to get
involved in the companys local geographical area might also depend
on responsibility to the natural environment (and, therefore,
whether it is important to support ED projects aligned to
environmental protection/rehabilitation) 11
12. Question 4. Grassroots enterprise development is
complicated by the variety of conditions on which successful
enterprise development depends. Could you develop a list of what
not to do to reduce the chance of failure, and a list of what must
be done to improve prospects of success.Delagate responses:What
must be done for successful enterprise development Get proper
buy-in from community by involving CBOs, NGOs and community leaders
Understand the background culture of the community you are
investing in and build on what already exists (e.g. indigenous
knowledge) Do a needs analysis Match corporate priorities with
those of the community Register the business as soon as possible
Consider the ED investment as a long-term investment (treat it as a
marathon and not a sprint) Aim to see entrepreneurs as full
partners Adopt a phased approach that eventually will lead to a
win-win situation Design a sustainable model and offer follow-up
training Make sure that you provide help with accessing markets
Build on what already exists Stick to your core principles Develop
monitoring and evaluation tools to monitor progress Interventions
should be limited to market and business opportunities Provide
mentorship Make sure you have a long-term exit strategy and plan Be
careful in giving loans to emerging enterprises do not allow any
loans to drag the business downWhat not to do for enterprise
development Corporates must not: Take a hit and run approach (i.e.
they should avoid once-off projects) Dump money rather, they should
aim to get directly involved Try to dictate solutions (dont tell
the community what to do) Impose external best practice Try to
fulfill a saviour role or try to be the provider of everything
Assume anything (especially when it comes to the entrepreneurs
business knowledge). Therefore, teach the full foundation of
technical, business and life skills, or find people who can do so
on your behalf. Make enterprises dependent and unable to function
on their own (but on the other hand, do not assume that they can
fly or be self-sustaining too soon) 12
13. Question 5. For corporates wanting to invest in enterprise
development through their CSI programmes, who are the long term /
strategic partners that should be engaged (from government, civil
society etc.)? What value would such partnerships potentially add?
What would the potential complications be in establishing such
partnerships?Delagate responses:Long term/strategic partnersThe
best partners differ, depending on the specific values of the
partnership partners who can contribute the following would be
valuable: Access to finance corporates should provide what seed
capital they can initially, and then help the entrepreneur to
access further finding from the likes of banks or CIDA or DTI
Mentorship this is a competency that should ideally be provided by
corporates, as well as academics and successful entrepreneurs
Incubation this is a particular civil society competency, supported
by govt and corporates Access to market opportunities enterprises
should be linked to services that the corporate needs, and market
opportunities should therefore be provided by corporates and govt
Passion / Inspiration no specific partner, but perhaps
inspirational individuals can be accessed to inspire passion
Marketing a corporate competency Skills development (technical and
business and personal) SITAs, educational institutions and
corporates Infrastructure Corporates can provide this International
best practice academics can provide leading thinking Networks
should come from the corporate sector Other partners: Also media,
consumers and the communityValue of partnerships Access to finance
Mentorship Incubation Access to market opportunities Passion
Marketing Skills development Infrastructure International best
practice 13
14. Networks Oversight and management MomentumPotential
complications Competing agendas between the partners (i.e. lack of
alignment) Disruptions caused by change of leadership within any of
the partners (therefore need to identify the rules of engagement up
front in order to ensure continuity) Inability of specific partners
to deliver Time limitations on the part of certain partners The
extent to which partners can be trusted to do that which they have
agreed to do Lack of professionalism on the part of certain
partners Lack of experience on the part of certain partners
Inability of the partners to ensure/guarantee long term
sustainability If you leave certain potential partners out, they
may sabotage the projectQuestion 6. How does one measure success in
this field, and over what period of time? Is there a clear way in
which the company can evaluate its own contribution, bearing in
mind that there are many external factors that will determine the
success or failure of enterprises?Delagate responses:How to measure
success Ensure that success is evaluated in terms of social impact,
financial impact, and sustainability Need to evaluate each project
individually, because the variables differ Consider specific
outcomes (and not just profit) Key success factors might include:
The number of enterprises established The number of people these
enterprises employ (and impact on employees families) The number of
jobs or beneficiaries supported Business turnover/profit declared
by the enterprise Ability of the enterprise to show innovation and
diversification The success of mentorship programmes The extent to
which the ED model is replicable The links that the ED programme
has to and with the community/suppliers/networks, etc 14
15. Mentoring from the company is crucialPeriod of time to
measure success Timeframe for measuring success of an enterprise:
3-5 years Measurement should be ongoing from the projects inception
A longitudinal study is necessary What gets measured in Year 1 is
not the same as what gets measured in Year 5External factors that
may hinder success of the enterprise development project The
economy Changing legislation Politics Climate and weather
(especially in the case of food/agricultural projects and
enterprises) Consumer trends Load sheddingRETURN TO TABLE 15
16. DAY TWO: WEDNESDAY 5 MAY
2010SESSIONTHEINTERFACEBETWEENCSIANDTHEDINOKENGSCENARIOSQuestion 1.
What can government do to improve levels of collaboration between
parties and achieve the walk together scenario for CSI?Delegate
responses: South Africa has an enabling legislative and policy
environment, but implementation is a problem e.g. there is a lack
of on the ground co-ordination for the national plan for ECD At a
local level partnerships work, but at a district and provincial
level there are no co-ordinating mechanisms Government needs to be
more organised (its responsibility is to set up structures to
improve engagement at all levels for development focus areas) There
should be a shift in attitude by government towards seeing the CSI
sector as a partner There is a need to educate ward counsellors
about roles and responsibilities and communities about their
rightsQuestion 2. What can the CSI sector do to improve levels of
collaboration between parties and achieve the walk together
scenario for CSI?Delegate responses:Obstacles to collaborationIn
essence, the CSI sector wants to walk together but there are many
obstacles.They include: Issues around prioritising CSI in the
corporate environment Limited appreciation of the complexity of
development and the importance of multiyear interventions - a lot
of time and energy is wasted on renegotiating partnerships every
year Agreeing who defines the terms and language in a partnership
The power dynamic between people with money and people without
Knowing who does what, and how to get in touch - need for research
around donors and NGOs 16
17. How to improve collaboration Need to get away from blame
game Adopt a bottom-up approach to collaboration, where the CSI
practitioner plays a mediating role (understanding and
communicating what is happening at all levels Create a platform for
government and civil society to come together, but there should be
willingness from government to engage Build a collective lobby
between civil society and business Real need for improved M& E
this applies to tools but also to collaborative processes
Incentivise community participation in processes e.g. attending
conferences and forums Mindset should be about learning from
mistakes rather than being scared of failure This can contribute to
replicating and upscaling projects Rethink how we are engaging and
move beyond ego and competition focus on values Need to move beyond
branding Change focus from projects to long-term valuesQuestion 3.
What can civil society do to improve levels of collaboration
between parties and achieve the walk together scenario for
CSI?Delegate responses: Civil society coalitions to build
consensus, a common voice and avoid duplication of efforts The NPO
sector needs to collaborate with other NPOs as well as with
government and corporate at community, regional and national level
Need better leadership within civil society: organised NPO sector
which can take a more unified agenda (per issue) to government and
lobby more effectively Collaboration at decision-making level to
come up with a strategic plan for a community or a region e.g. NGOs
sitting on boards There are different cultures between different
sectors it is important to find common ground Community-based
forums should be going to municipalities Funders could be
approached with a unified request e.g. common platforms,
co-involvement, co-design of plans of action This would require an
awareness campaign targeted at communities and other NPOs 17
18. The problem lies with civil society we need to be able to
understand and think like business, and to become more strategic
and innovative NPOs need to be more innovative in collating best
practice in particular focus areas and sharing information This
will help them to engage with corporates on the basis of thorough
researchRETURNTOTABLE 18
19.
SESSIONAPPLICATIONSANDPARTNERSHIPSINTECHNOLOGYFORDEVELOPMENTQuestion
1. What are the ideal applications for the use of technology in
healthcare? Outline these and describe the potential impact as well
as difficulties that may be encountered in implementation.Delegate
responses:Factors to consider Assess demand and supply for
technological applications and how they can be linked The
geographic area: rural, urban, district or local municipal area
What can be done in rural versus urban contexts - database
management is important in both Types of technology Radio:
different languages, huge reach Video conferencing for health
workers, tertiary applications, also for teaching skills Cellphone:
social media and SMSing. InternetApplications Databases for therapy
management Rural areas and cellphones - creating awareness of
doctor visitors, testing services, counselling, interaction and
response Tele-medicineDifficulties in implementation Barriers such
lack of education, language, electricity, cultural barriers, cost
of technology and power, distances, and accessibilityQuestion 2.
What are the ideal applications for the use of technology in
education? Outline these and describe the potential impact as well
as difficulties that may be encountered in implementation.Delegate
responses:Applications Bulk SMSs for NGOs TV programmes Interactive
boards Educational games that can be updated continuously Social
media for education (e.g. Facebook, The Grid), including awareness
of the legal aspects 19
20. Grappling with costs would this be used by a few schools,
or would everybody be able to access these?Difficulties in
implementation Lack of understanding of technological innovations -
how to use them, how to access them Lack of resources and
infrastructure e.g. poor electricity reticulation in rural areas,
lack of access to computers Integration and interoperability of
different versions and systems of the technologies used Achieving
economies of scale so that cost-effective technology serves the
local community Synergise mass media cellphone is a discussion
Retaining the important element of human interaction Technology can
become a crutch for teachers Equitable access to technology within
the education systemQuestion 3. What are the ideal applications for
the use of technology in social security? Outline these and
describe the potential impact as well as difficulties that may be
encountered in implementation.This question was not addressed in
the breakaway session.Question 4. Who are the long term / strategic
partners that should be engaged (from Government, civil society
etc.) when it comes to use of technology for development? What does
each party bring to the partnership? What would the potential
complications be in establishing such partnerships?Delegate
responses:Long term/strategic partners Mobile technology is
ubiquitous mobile and internet service providers are major partners
to provide technology infrastructure services Government as
regulator and incentivisor, issuing licenses and providing rules
for investing in developing areas Community stakeholders themselves
who must welcome technology providers and providing them with
feedback Local NGOs help each other to provide technology
facilitations Schools and universities involved in R&DPotential
complications Financing projects, as initial investment may not be
profitable upfront Uneven geographical coverage for different
technologies 20
21. Product design could be an issue a product might not work
in certain areas and for different people Affordability Competition
wars between corporates in new marketsQuestion 5. Where should the
developmental expertise reside when such strategic partnerships are
set up with the company, the NGO partners or government. How can
this expertise best be developed and applied?Delegate responses:
This is hard to address in complex relationships Key stakeholders
such as the people in communities often lack the technical
expertise At the same time, convincing experts to go to certain
locations is a challenge Utilising ICT to access information can
develop expertise Another option is for companies to create and
share databases e.g. NGOConnect AfricaRETURN TO TABLE 21
22.
SESSIONINTERVENTIONSANDPARTNERSHIPSINCOMMUNITYANDRURALDEVELOPMENTQuestion
1. How can CSI programmes add value to the work of government (and
other developmental partners) in a rural community environment,
without directly replacing the role and responsibility of
government?Delegate responses: Neither government nor the CSI
sector can work alone Government needs to understand that it can
also learn a lot Need to develop relationships of trust and
communication There must be an integrated approach aligning
initiatives and identifying key areas of collaboration to determine
priorities Information sharing on models of reporting, M&E and
consultation are important Passion comes from the NGOs,
finance/resources/administration comes from the corporates, and
policy direction, resources and funds from governmentQuestion 2. Is
there an ideal focus area for CSI programmes in rural areas, given
the scale of demand for developmental support and limited
budgets?Delegate responses: Ideal focus area for CSI programmes is
whatever they are doing Holistic ideal would cover: Economic
development, micro-enterprises and entrepreneurship; water supply;
empowerment & education (skills, facilities, ECD, youth,
sport); food security; health; OVC Engage with community to
identify their needs and key focus areas Has to be sustainable and
in partnership with the community Criteria that ideal focus areas
should have: Should not perpetuate dependency Must be capable of
sustainability Must be based on community partnership Must be based
on consultations with other NGOs & CBOs Use the asset-based
community development (ABCD) model Focus on maximum impact &
measurement Adopt an holistic approach 22
23. Question 3. Should companies that are not located in the
vicinity of rural communities still seek to contribute to rural
programmes or will their CSI funds be better spent on projects
closer to home?Delegate responses: If you are serious about poverty
alleviation, you should go where the need is greatest, i.e. to the
rural areas! There should be a balance between rural and urban
support. Reasons why this does not always happen: Sometimes funding
is determined by the location of a companys employee or customer
base Some organisations (NGOs, CBOs) in certain rural areas may not
be known to funders Some companies CSI involves staff engagement,
which is easiest in areas of company operation, not rural areas
Operational and logistic constraints inhibit rural spend,
operations, monitoring and evaluationQuestion 4. What type of
engagement is required with local government and community /
traditional structures before investing in community programmes? Is
this engagement essential for every CSI intervention?Delegate
responses:Type of engagement Engagement is vital to understand the
culture of the particular rural community Introduce yourself and
your intervention Scope the roles and emphasise that it is a
community project, not a political project Ongoing engagement
Mobilise around particular issues A community may not know what it
does not know Transfer skills and the asset base in the community
Change your concept of time Specific requirements with respect to
local government: Depends on the scale of intervention for large
interventions must engage with provincial government Local
government can be a useful information resource (IDP plans, etc)
23
24. Specific requirements with respect to tribal authorities:
Approach tribal structures first Have a single point of contact
(i.e. the chief)Is this engagement essential for every CSI
intervention? Absolutely, even if just from a point of
courtesyQuestion 5. Given the multiplicity of inputs and conditions
on which successful development hinges, how does one assess the
impact of CSI interventions in rural development?Delegate
responses: A baseline study is the first step to determine the
deliverables, which can only happen if the community is involved
Donors need to ensure that beneficiaries are capacitated
Stakeholders in the community should have their own M&E tools
Through quantitative data - qualitative outputs, although just as
important are more difficult to measure Mindset change necessary in
terms of NGOs being more serious about taking account of M&E in
their budgeting (make M&E a real line item in the NGO
budget)RETURN TO TABLE 24