PVO initiatives project

PVO"s, and African NGO"s; (2) strengthening partnerships between U.S. PVO"s and African NGO"s; and (3) enhancing the development role of African NGO"s. A U.S. firm will be contracted to implement the project. The first component will improve collaborative mechanisms between A.I.D. and PVO"s/NGO"s by undertaking four activities. (1) The AFR/PVO Task Force, which includes representatives of the Africa Bureau and of U.S. PVO"s, will hold workshops to discuss sectoral strategies, and conferences to explore such cross-cutting issues as community participation, human resources, etc. The Task Force will also hold meetings for U.S. PVO"s specifically involved with cooperative development and food aid. (2) Field activities will be conducted in two or three focus countries, and will involve meetings of A.I.D. personnel, U.S. PVO"s, and African NGO"s to review sector experiences and develop country-level assistance strategies. (3) The project will develop within AFR a roster of consultants with expertise working with PVO"s and NGO"s, and study the possibility of establishing a database on PVO activities in Africa. (4) The project will review A.I.D."s PVO/NGO registration procedures to examine any constraints they may pose. The second component will promote cooperation between U.S. and African PVO"s/NGO"s. Workshops will be held to discuss their respective programs and identify areas of mutual interest. Possible topics include: famine early warning systems; A.I.D./PVO/NGO communication; management and fundraising skills; and monitoring and evaluation. The project will also establish a Partnership Initiatives Fund to provide small grants ($10,000-30,000) to individual PVO"s/NGO"s to develop partnership ideas and participate in staff exchanges. Further, two studies will be carried out to assess the effectiveness of PVO umbrella projects and Title II food aid programs. A newsletter on PVO/NGO activities in Africa will also be prepared and disseminated. The final component will strengthen African NGO"s by conducting workshops on such subjects as financial and accounting systems, proposal development, program monitoring, and local fundraising and income-generating activities. Limited resources will also be available for African researchers to evaluate NGO experiences in specific countries and sectors. Amendment of 8/29/90 increases funding and adds three activities: (1) a RSSA with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for an expanded study of food aid effectiveness; (2) a fund for A.I.D./PVO/NGO partnership conferences and workshops; and (3) the provision of training materials and software for NGO management and accounting workshops. (PD-ABC-127)