Final evaluation : Salvadoran environmental NGO strengthening project

Originally designed to work only with "subgrant NGOs" (those receiving institutional strengthening funds along with TA and training), the project was expanded to include "collaborator NGOs" who did not qualify for a subgrant, but asked to participate in the training process anyway. Most of the latter have taken advantage of the opportunity, and some now have higher female representation on boards of directors, use logframes, and have improved project administration and planning skills. The requirement that subgrant NGOs produce strategic and annual planning documents in order to receive their subgrants has given NGOs valuable strategic and annual planning experience. NGO administration has also been improved through the training of boards of directors in matters concerning board composition, relations with paid staff, and the running of meetings. All NGOs have now separated board members from staff members and have increased the number of women on the boards. The project also set up computerized accounting systems, and all NGOs are now capable of producing monthly financial reports. They are also now able to produce logframes for project proposals, and have policies and procedures governing purchases, personnel, job descriptions, and NGO property. Due in part to personnel problems, efforts to improve NGO membership and fundraising were less effective. Though each NGO now has plans in these two areas, they are weak and often incomplete. The NGOs need to develop the ability to market themselves with potential donors and sponsors, and they need good public relations with donors, members, other NGOs, the press, and international NGOs. While securing funding grants is critical in the NGOs' role as implementing agencies, few contacts have been made with international funding sources. The best sources of funds have been the Initiative for the Americas Fund (FIAES) and a similar Canadian-financed fund called FONAES; the Social Investment Fund (FIS) has also been a funding source for project NGOs. As for the special activity grants, which were envisioned for projects that were in some way innovative, only 5 of the 30 planned have been awarded. The project has been a model for the participation of women, beginning with the NGO selection criteria that required that boards of directors be open to both sexes. As a result, most boards now have women constituting a third of their boards, 3 out of 7 subgrant NGOs have women board presidents, and 3 out of 7 subgrant NGOs have women executive directors. The project has supported participation in 91 training events with a total of 1,187 participants, 549 women and 638 men. Women have also attended international events such as the agroforestry for women training sessions in Costa Rica. Lessons learned include the following. (1) Operating grants for NGOs should routinely include an explicit plan for discontinuing assistance, including gradually reducing funds over time. (2) Operations grants are not the only mechanism possible for institutional strengthening, and are very likely not the best. Organizational analysis and structural redesign, technical and management training, training in project design, and computerized accounting can contribute positively to an NGO without an accompanying subgrant. (3) Fundraising is an important aspect for strengthening NGOs, and all sources need to be considered when looking at fundraising. NGOs should not attempt to solve their recurrent cost problems through increased membership.