Community Based Organization Training Manual

By

PriscaChileya

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Table of Contents Background............................................................................................................................................................................................4Aim...........................................................................................................................................................................................................5Objectives...............................................................................................................................................................................................5Requirements........................................................................................................................................................................................5RiverCode........................................................................................................................................................................................6

Why a Community-Based Organization (CBO) ..................................................................... 7Community-Based Organization Formation............................................................................................................................7Committee/Board Management............................................................................................... 7

Project Cycle Management .................................................................................................... 10

Proposal Building ................................................................................................................... 11

Networking ............................................................................................................................. 12

Partnerships ........................................................................................................................... 12

Risk Management................................................................................................................... 13

Supply Chain .......................................................................................................................... 13

Finance.................................................................................................................................... 14

Human Resource .................................................................................................................... 14

Evaluation ............................................................................................................................... 14

Sustainability .......................................................................................................................... 16

Documentation ....................................................................................................................... 17

References ............................................................................................................................... 18

Appendix................................................................................................................................. 19

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Educationis:Theprocessofacquiringknowledge

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Background Compassion International’s Kiserian Child Survival Project has been running since 1993. The

program is hosted by a local congregation called Deliverance Church Kiserian and currently

supports 355 children with medical care, food supplements, school/college fees, stationery and

uniforms. The program supports children from birth to age 22.

Kiserian (Place of Peace in Maasai language) is a small town in Kajiado County at the foot of the

Ngong Hills in the Rift Valley Province with a population of 18,061 and a poverty rate of 11.6

according to the 2013-2017 Kenya County Government of Kajiado Integrated Development

Plan.

Kiserian is a famous Maasai town and is surrounded by small Maasai villages of Olteyani and

Olooseos.

The main economic activity in the town is trade in livestock, Masaai handcrafts and farm

produce from various parts of the county.

The Project does not only sponsor children and leave out caregivers/parents and guardians.

Parents are also part of the project through empowering trainings, loan and savings schemes. The

trainings include parenting, nutrition, child protection, family relationships, financial

management and loans/savings schemes, etc.

The Table Banking Groups are some of the groups of caregivers of the Kiserian Project. This

training was designed for them upon realizing that they are running small businesses but rely on

borrowing for capital and expansion of their small enterprises. Their repayment rates for the

borrowed money is too high for the size of their businesses at 22% per annum with Ecumenical

Christian Loan Fund (ECLOF.) The training will enable women secure capital and resources to

expand their businesses without worrying about interest but will keep the initial amount as an

interest free revolving fund where they can borrow and return and use their savings to divide

among themselves at the end of the year to use as they please.

This manual can be used with any groups willing to learn basic community based organization

management. It is not restricted to Table banking as it is generic in nature and changes can be

made to suit the needs and context of the groups to be trained.

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This training can be done in two sessions for maximum impact. First session covering; What, why, How and Who of Community –Based organization that is up to Management Committee. The second session can cover the remainder of the manual.

!!Administer pre-test at the beginning!!

Aim ToempowercommunityinCommunity-BasedOrganizationformationandManagement.

Objectives At the end of the training the participants should be able to:

v Articulate what a Community-Based organization is and what its for

v List the officers in the management committee and their roles

v List areas to focus on for a CBO to function at its best

Requirements Projector Flip Chart/white board

Stick Stuff

Markers/white board markers

Pens/Pencils

Note Books

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Ice Breaker/Opening Activity (15 Minutes)

River Code

The River Code is a role-play exercise designed to help participants think about development as

a process. It also emphasizes the importance of being active, and having an open-minded,

inquisitive attitude towards development. The role-play is meant to reduce barriers between

trainers and the trainees. Furthermore, it can promote a new approach to learning which is

participatory and not dependent upon classroom teaching.

DescriptionoftheRiverCode

Two men come to a river and look for a place to cross. The current is very strong and they are

both afraid to cross it. A third man comes along and sees their difficulty. He leads them up the

river to a place where there are some stepping-stones and a small island in the middle of the

river. He urges the men to step on the stones but both are afraid, so he agrees to take one of them

on his back. By the time when he gets to the middle of the river, the man on his back seems very

heavy, so he puts him on the little island. He then returns to fetch the second man who wants to

climb on his back as well. But the third man refuses. Instead he takes his hand and encourages

him to use the stepping-stones himself. Halfway across, the second man starts to manage alone

and drops the third man’s hand. They both cross the river. When the two of them get to the other

side, they are extremely pleased with themselves and they walk off together, completely

forgetting about the first man, sitting alone on the island. He tries to get their attention, but they

do not notice his gestures for help.

The role-play is understood on a number of levels. There must be recognition of the symbolism of requiring help to reach goals, but not becoming fully dependent, of the importance of individual self-reliance in the context of development assistance, and of the divide between the developed and the developing. As such proposal writing is one of the ways of empowering a community to self-direct development and reduce/eliminate dependency and white elephants.

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Why a Community-Based Organization (CBO) According to Chechetto-Salles and Geyer (2006) “a CBO is an organization that provides social

services at the local level. It is a non-profit organization whose activities are based primarily on

volunteer efforts. This means that CBOs depend heavily on voluntary contributions for labor,

material and financial support.” (p. 2)

This then must mean that a community-based organization is born out of a need or gap in social

service delivery. CBOs fill the gap that is not met by government due to insufficient funds, staff

or lack of interest in the service or plain inefficiency. A CBO is normally a membership

organization formed by and for individuals of a geographically bounded and administratively

defined area, usually a village, ward or sub ward, county, municipal ward or suburb in the case

of the urban setting (Dill, 2010).

Community-Based Organization Formation Before a community based organization (CBO) is formed, there is need to understand the

purpose of the organization and the benefits of membership. The rules or constitution of the

CBO must be clearly stated. Clarity must be given on subscription and penalty fees, if any, or

action to be taken in case of non-adherence to the stipulated rules or constitution.

Emphasis must be given to the fact that membership must be voluntary and one is free to quit at

any time if they feel that the CBO no longer serves their interest.

Members can decide on a name for the CBO by whatever means are easy for them. They can

either decide by voting on 3 or 4 suggested names or adopt the name of their locality etc. It is

important that the frequency, times and venue of meetings are established at formation so that

there is no ambiguity on when and where the meetings of the CBO will be held. (Adapted from

Freedom from Hunger Mobile Training: Savings Group Formation)

Committee/Board Management

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Every member of the CBO cannot manage a CBO at once. A management committee must be

put in place selected from among the members through a system decided by the members

themselves.

Fhi360.org lists positions and responsibility of the CBO management committee as follows:

A. President

The President of the Executive Committee shall be the President of the society and shall preside,

conduct and regulate all meetings of the Executive Committee and all meetings of the society.

His ruling on any point and decision on the result of voting shall be final and conclusive.

The President in addition to his right of voting as a member shall have a casting vote in case of a

tie.

The President at the Governing Body Meeting shall have the authority to interpret the provisions

of the rules and regulations of the bye-laws of the society for the purpose of conducting and

regulating the meeting and deciding any issues/questions at such meeting.

B. Vice President

In absence of vacancy of the President, the Vice President shall perform the ordinary duties of

the president.

He is obliged to convene the Governing Body Meeting within a period of three months and in

case of vacancy, to elect the President.

In the absence of both the President and the Vice-President at any meeting, the members present

at the meeting shall appoint any one member amongst them to be the President for such meeting.

C. Secretary

The Secretary shall look after the affairs of the Society under the directions and in accordance

with the resolutions passed by the Executive Committee from time to time. His functions/duties

shall be as under:

Ø To keep and maintain register of the members of the Society along with their addresses.

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Ø To convene the meeting of the Executive Committee of the society with previous

approval or intimation to the President.

Ø To keep proper minutes of the proceedings of the Annual Governing Body Meeting/

Extra Ordinary Governing Body Meeting, Ordinary Governing Body meeting of the

society and the Executive Committee meeting and give effect to the resolution passed in

the said meeting

Ø To conduct the correspondence of the society on resolutions passed by the Executive

Committee and the Annual Governing Body Meeting and to keep proper records in place

before the Executive Committee and the Governing Body Meeting such materials and

information as may be necessary or as may be required by the Executive Committee.

Ø To keep all records of the society at place to be determined by the Executive Committee

of the society.

Ø To supervise the working of the Executive Committee and the activities of the society on

a day-to-day basis.

Ø To issue notices of Governing Body Meeting as and when required.

D. Joint Secretary

In the absence of the Secretary, the Joint Secretary shall exercise all powers of the Secretary as

above and also assist Secretary in discharge of his duties with guidance from the President of the

Society.

E. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall act under the directions and as per the resolutions passed by the Executive

Committee. She/ he shall also be responsible to the Executive Committee for all accounts. Her/

his functions and duties shall be as under:

Ø To collect membership fees and to receive donations and to keep accurate accounts of

such donations the donor may mark for any special purpose.

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Ø To deposit any amount exceeding the agreed minimum amount - which is not

required for immediate use into the bank account of the CBO.

Ø To receive all payments made to the society and to pass all necessary receipts and to

maintain proper books of accounts.

Ø To exercise all such powers and do all such acts as may be required for the proper

conduct of ordinary business administration of the properties, movable and

immovable, of the society under the general supervision of the President or Vice

President. S/he shall operate the bank account jointly with the President or Secretary.

In case of her/his absence, the Secretary shall look after the affairs of treasury.

Fhi360.org also emphasizes training of the management committee in leadership, motivation,

conflict resolution, management, teamwork, documentation, interpersonal communication

and decision-making as well as time management.

Activity: 15 minutes

Longest Line

Split participants into two groups and ask them to compete in making the longest line on the

ground with anything that belongs to them as long as no one remains naked at the end of the

activity. The idea is to use everything each member of the group has as a resource for the line.

The activity is meant to illicit the idea that we have a lot of resources within our communities to do a lot of work if we look carefully. We do not need to always look outside of our communities until we have exhausted all that we have. We can look to the outside of our communities for those things we do not have. A CBO needs this more especially as it is supposed to raise its own resources to conduct its activities.

Project Cycle Management A CBO must have knowledge of project cycle management. A project has different phases that

have to be followed for it to succeed. As a CBO sources funding for its activities, it is necessary

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to have knowledge of managing projects for success and for reporting to the donor. Here is an

example of a project cycle:

• Identification: where the options (opportunities or needs are identified) for an intervention

are considered;

• Formulation or design: where the action is developed in detail on the basis of which funding

is approved and which opportunity or need is being tackled;

• Implementation: where actions/activities are carried out and monitored;

• Evaluation: where the achievements are assessed in depth and lessons learned are

documented to provide information to be used for next project.

Project Cycle Management adapted from GCDP580 PowerPoint Presentation by Dr. Braam Oberholster, February 2017.

Proposal Building The CBO must be able to write proposals to request for funding of its programs. Without this

skill the CBO might not be able to raise funds for its intended activities. Proposal building is

crucial to the organization, as it will provide the finances required for sustenance of programs.

Chechetto-Salles and Geyer (2006) explain that it is a critical function of a CBO to find

resources as no program can take place without some resources in place as all activities depend

on resources. They further explain that resources are not only financial but also include labor and

Identification

Formulation/Design

Implementation

Evaluation

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materials. Basic proposal building skills such as what information is to be in a proposal,

formatting, in the case of donors who do not provide templates and what should be included in

the budget. Proposal building skills must be taught to all members of the CBO so that they are all

equipped to source funding for the organization.

Networking

Networking for any organization is important. Working in isolation can deny an organization an

opportunity to learn. Networking is also necessary to avoid duplication of activities. CBOs are

not exempt from networking. It is a requirement that CBOs interact with other CBOs to learn and

share experiences and learn from each other.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Knowledge for

Health Program (K4Health) in Malawi conducted CBO Network Strengthening Processes and

encouraged CBOs to network by conducting Best Practices Conferences. During the conferences

participants shared on CBO management, resources mobilization, effective social and behavior

change communication programs and documentation. This exercise provided avenues for

isolated and under utilized CBOs to strengthen relationships and share their expertise. The result

was stronger CBOs and better relationships as well as better program support as CBOs supported

each other

Partnerships An analysis of stakeholders is necessary to enable good and effective partnering and planning.

The analysis also aids in preparation for handling possible challenges that may arise from

partnerships.

According to Sweeney & Pritchard (2010), a stakeholder can be defined as any individuals,

groups of people, institutions or organizations that may have a significant interest in the success

or failure of a potential project around the issue of concern.

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It is also vital that the CBO analyses the stakeholders at its disposal and understand how each

one affects its programs. The sample chart below provides information to be collected about

each stakeholder. The information from the chart can be used to determine how and when to

engage each stakeholder as well as frequency of reporting to him or her.

Risk Management Members of the CBO must decide on security matters and how to handle losses and other

unexpected events that may occur within their group especially where finances are concerned. In

the case of Table Banking the venue for the meetings must be secure enough to transact without

risk of theft of the money. The members also have to decide what happens if a member is unable

to pay back the money borrowed as well as what happens the event of the death or illness of a

member who owes the group. Dill (2010) notes that financial issues are never lacking in CBOs,

therefore, it is imperative to plan on how to handle any issues, especially financial that may arise

within the CBO.

Supply Chain If the CBO is engaged in product supply, it is important to avoid stock outs and ensure timely

repairs and routine maintenance checks to avoid unreliability. The Council for Supply Chain

Management Professionals states that managing the supply chain efficiently has the following

Stake-holders WHO?

What is their Interest / role?

What are their Potentials (+) Deficiencies (-) ?

How do they influence the project? Supportive (+++) Resistent (- - -)

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benefits; boosts customer service, customers expect the correct product assortment, quantity,

right location, at the right time and good after sell service to be delivered.

The CBO has to be flexible, creative in service or product delivery as infrastructure may not be

in the best condition. The CBO must also maximize the use of locally available resources for to

cut costs and for sustainability. It is also imperative to source services and goods from reliable

suppliers so that the quality is consistent and goods or services are delivered on time.

Finance Finances can be source of conflict in most organizations. A CBO must maintain sound financial

records of income, expenses and investments if any (Dill, 2010). The integrity of the financial

records is important as it may influence whether a donor gives money to a CBO or not. If among

the members, no one has the skill to maintain sound financial records, it advised that a skilled

person be contracted to assist with the records once in a while. This individual must live within

the locality of the CBO for sustainability and easy access.

Human Resource The CBO’s main aim is to fill the gap in the community but it must also look at creating

employment for its community members. Chechetto-Salles and Geyer (2006) emphasize that the

role of the management committee is not only financial but also to find people to do the work

required by the CBO. A well-managed CBO will grow and require the services of not only its

members but also might have to contract others outside of the group members. It is important to

draw contracts and job descriptions that will keep employees focused and productive.

Evaluation

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The CBO must be able to conduct an evaluation of the impact of their activities on their

community. The CBO can either contract or do the evaluation itself of its activities to establish

whether the gap it intended to fill is being filled.

Questions for Evaluation Davidson & Wehipeihana (2010) as cited in Short Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation

Process How well was the project designed and implemented (i.e. its quality)? Outcome Did the project meet the overall needs? Was any change significant and was it attributable to the

project? How valuable are the outcomes to the organization, other stakeholders, and participants?

Learning What worked and what did not? What were unintended consequences? What were emergent

properties?

Investment Was the project cost effective? Was there another alternative that may have represented a better

investment?

What next Can the project be scaled up? Can the project be replicated elsewhere? Is the change self-

sustaining or does it require continued intervention?

As monitoring and evaluation activities are conducted there is need to bear in mind the ten

reasons or commandments for monitoring and evaluating as illustrated below:

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Sustainability Chechetto-Salles and Geyer (2006) note that training of the management committee of the

society in documentation, management, fundraising and group dynamics are important for

sustainability. Sustainability of a CBO financially is achieved through members meeting all

their duties and dues at least for a start. Using locally available resources in terms of personnel

and materials is also advantageous to sustainability of the CBO. Documentation and record

keeping are crucial to sustainability as donors and new members can follow the activities of the

CBO from documentation and continue the activities or improve them.

Image summary adapted from GCDP class PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Braam Oberholster, February 2017

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Documentation Documentation for a CBO is important to keep a record of all meetings held, attendances and

revenues as well as expenditure. Photographs of activities are also important in documentation.

Lessons learnt and programs completed must also be documented, as this information is crucial

for proposal building if the CBO plans on sourcing funds from donors. Documentation provides

history or a background on the activities of the CBO for anyone who would like to understand

what the CBO is all about, it achievements and its failures. (Fhi360.org)

Conclusion

CBOs serve an important purpose in the communities in which the operate. Training in

management and documentation are crucial. Sound financial record keeping cannot be

overemphasized.

Facilitator’s notes

The emphasis is the CBOs ability to function as formally as possible according to the context.

The manual can be used mainly for rural or peri-urban CBOs that may have not received any

training or requires a refresher course. The idea is to make it clear that no matter how informal

or small a CBO is, there is need to formalize its operations in terms of management,

documentation and sound financial practices. These are important for resource mobilization and

accountability to its members.

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References Chechetto-Salles, M. & Geyer, Y. 2006. Community-Based Organization Management. Handbook Series For Community-Based Organizations. IDASA. South Africa Community Sustainability Engagement: Evaluation Tool Box Dill, B. 2010. Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). Department of Sociology, Illinois University. www.sociology.illinois.edu>documents, Retrieved June 20, 2017 FHI360. CBO Management Committee Training Manual. https://www.fhi360.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/CBO%20Management%20Committee%20Training%20Manual%20Series%20Basic%20and%20Advanced_0.pdf Retrieved June 21, 2017 Freedom from Hunger Mobile Training: Savings Group Formation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUkcCPeb-PA Retrieved June 21, 2017 Kenya County Government of Kajiado, Integrated Development Plan 2013-2017 https://cog.go.ke/images/stories/CIDPs/Kajiado.pdf Retrieved April 25, 2017. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and Society for International Development (SID). 2013. Exploring Kenya’s Inequality Abridged Report. http://inequalities.sidint.net/kenya/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/10/SID%20Abridged%20Small%20Version%20Final%20Download%20Report.pdf Retrieved June 21, 2017. Sweeney, D & Pritchard, M. 2010. Evaluation Tool Box: Community Sustainability Engagement. http://evaluationtoolbox.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=17, Retrieved May 23, 2017 Sweeney, D. & Pritchard, M. 2010. Short Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation. www.evaluationtoolbox.net.au Retrieved May 23, 2017 Toolkits by K4Health: The Community-Based Organization Network Strengthening Process. https://www.k4health.org/toolkits/bridge-ii-project-toolkit/community-based-network-strengthening-process Retrieved June 22, 2017

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Appendix PreTest/PostTestWhatisaCommunity-BasedOrganization(CBO)?WhatdoesCommunity-BasedOrganizationdo?WhomanagesaCommunity-BasedOrganization(nametheofficersandtheirroles?)?

WhatactivitiesisaCommunity-BasedCommunitysupposedtoengageintofunctionatitsoptimum?