Panel Questions

IWEI’S BOARD OF EXPERTS’ ADVICE FOR IWEI’S NGO GRANTEES FOR THE IRAQI WOMEN’S NGO SMALL GRANT AND CAPACITY-BUILDING INITIATIVE DECEMBER 2006 The Iraqi Women’s Educational Institute INTRODUCTION In September 2006, IWEI received a series of questions posed by the Iraqi NGOs from participants in the three-day workshop held on August 8–10, 2006 in Karbala on ―NGO Management and Grant Writing.‖ After these questions were translated and reviewed by IWEI, these questions were sent to IWEI’s experts panel comprising Ms. Pamela Curtin Coffey from DAI, Ms. Isabelle Bleas from World Bank, Anne Trenelone from FINCA, and Ms. Neveen Abu Jaleel from the U.S. Patent Office. These experts provided answers to the following questions listed below. This information was translated into Arabic and handed out to the Iraqi NGOs at the workshop held on November 29, 2006 to December 1, 2006 in Karbala, Iraq. Experts were cautioned to keep in mind that a scarcity of resources and security issues are serious impediments to implementing the Iraqi women’s NGO projects and that these issues may affect how they answered the questions. 2 I. IWEI Small Grant and NGO Capacity-Building Experts’ Panel: Questions for IWEI Experts from Iraqi Women NGOs Questions for IWEI Small Grant and NGO Capacity-Building Experts’ Panel: 1. How can I be creative in getting new ideas for my NGO? 2. How can I improve the NGOs financial situation? 3. How can I manage my staff? 4. How can I organize the NGOs financial books? 5. How can I network with international NGOs? 6. How can I improve my staff management? 7. How can I conduct strategic planning? 8. How can we make our NGO sustainable? 9. How can I reproduce (conduct trainings) the skills we learned in different regions? 10. How can I learn more about human rights? 11. How can I work on structuring the NGO and writing its bylaws and its internal system? 3 II. IWEI Experts’ Panel Responses Listed below are IWEI experts’ panel responses to the questions posed to them by the participating women’s NGOs in Iraq. They are not only useful, in and of themselves, but also provide extra resources for further information on certain categories of interest. Their expertise is invaluable to the Iraqi women’s NGOs that are working at building long-term sustainable NGOs. These responses were translated and handed out to Iraqi participants in November–December 2006. (1) Anne Trenelone’s (FINCA) Expert Advice: Questions for IWEI Small Grant and NGO Capacity-Building Experts’ Panel: 1. How can I be creative in getting new ideas for my NGO? There are two very valuable resources to look to when thinking creatively about what activities your NGO should be engaged in: 1. Seek out experts in the field and solicit their advice. The development field is very open to knowledge sharing and the industry is based on helping others. 2. Treat your NGO as a business and those you are seeking to help or educate or advocate for as clients, being sure to ask them what they need [and] what would help them. Because of the outside perspective of these individuals, they may come up with solutions or ideas that may have never occurred to those inside the institution. It is also very important to stay close to and communicate with either in person or via the Internet or via phone others in the NGO field. It should be that a combination of services could address a problem more creatively and more efficiently than a single-tiered approach. Also, they may have valuable lessons learned that they can share with you. Learning from their experience can save you time, money and headaches. 2. How can I improve the NGOs financial situation? It is important to be on the lookout for funding sources at all times. These can include funds from private donors, seeking out strategic partnerships, and seeking out government grants and technical assistance funding. Be prepared for all opportunities. Know how much money you need for your projects and make goals for securing enough funding for these activities. Have detailed budgets and proposals ready for potential funders. Have written materials ready and on hand that explain your strategies, vision and goals. These documents help assure funders that you are serious and dedicated to your cause. They also allow you to respond quickly to proposal requests as they occur and hopefully help you obtain funding. 3. How can I manage my staff? The best way to think about managing staff is first asking . . . how would you like to be treated? Your staff needs to be informed of what is going on. Keeping staff informed of goals and vision and events and strategies empowers them and lends them a sense of security. It is best to be up front with staff and let them know at the outset, either from 4 hiring or from your taking over management of them, what you expect of them: Telling them what is and is not acceptable. What you expect them to achieve. What their duties entail. What deadlines they will be held to. If possible it is best to have a small manual of key policies and procedures within your organization. This document will serve as both a reference for the staff and it help diffuse disputes. 4. How can I organize the NGO’s financial books? 5. How can I network with international NGOs? First, try the low-tech solution; seek out those working in and around you. Most staff working for international NGOs are open to helping and sharing information. This community across the globe is also very close knit and one good contact can link a person to all kinds of resources. Ask these professionals about local networking opportunities that involve international NGOs. Second there are numerous sites on the Web that host discussions, best practice, knowledge sharing and networking among the NGO community. They tend to be industry or sector specific, however there are good starting points in general. The resources I am aware of are unfortunately only in English, these include development gateway, www.devgateway.org, and www.idealist.org. The best recommendation would be to seek out one person who is connected in the field you are endeavoring in and build from there. One person . . . can direct you to the appropriate resources for your organization. However, you do have to reach out and ask for assistance. And if the first person you ask cannot help you, ask again, and again and again until someone does. You will find someone who wants to help. Once you identify helpful individuals, make sure to keep up with them and check in regularly. It is even recommended that you schedule a day and time to remind yourself to check in. Many opportunities can be built from this kind of networking, but it is most important that you keep in touch, by phone, by e-mail, in person, with those you network with. 6. How can I improve my staff management? As noted above it is important to empower staff with information. You share information with your staff [that] in turn shares information with their staff. This information should include the mission and vision of the organization as defined in the strategic plan, [and] it should also include the same manual also noted above. Encourage staff to seek out their superiors and establish a clear chain of command for workers to follow. The more simplified the process the less room for confusion and overlap of duties. Encourage staff to work as groups and teams. Be sure that work is divided evenly among divisions and that these groups and divisions communicate with each other. Encourage your mangers and staff through recognition and incentives. For instance, highlight a staff member for outstanding achievement. One of the most important things that can help staff management is communication with the staff and recognition of their contributions to the organization. Make sure, if you are working in many offices, that you visit them regularly 5 so that you build a sense of camaraderie and solidarity. 7. How can I conduct strategic planning? STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR NGOS Are the organization’s board and staff ready to plan for a week, a month, six months, or a year? Encourage them to start planning at a level that is challenging but has a high probability of success. Strategic planning is a good practice, but the NGO you are working with may not be ready to do a strategic plan. Organizations that have never done a one-year operational plan most likely do not have the experience to undertake long-range planning. The good news is that many strategic planning concepts apply to shorter-term planning. A strategic plan does not guarantee you will reach or exceed your goals. But, at the very least, it provides you with a clear, well-lighted path to reach them. Governing an NGO in the absence of a thoughtful strategic plan is like going on a hike in the middle of the night without a flashlight, a map, or knowledge of the terrain. You may reach your destination, but not on time. Or, you may become lost or stop before you get where you want to go. Sometimes strategic planning is flawed because the plan fails to integrate the spirit or higher purpose of the organization, the commitment of its members, its ideals or the reason the NGO was founded. Other times, the plan focuses only on the higher purpose and ignores the realities that every organization faces. And, in a surprisingly large number of cases, NGOs don’t bother to create strategic plans—they just do not place much faith in such plans or they don’t believe they can implement them. If an organization does not have a strategic plan, the board and NGO management probably deal informally with many strategic issues—a practice that may allow crucial facts, ideas, and assignments to fall through the cracks. There are a number of good strategic planning systems. The outline below has been used successfully by volunteers to assist NGOs in thinking through their strategic plans. A MAP OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS Plan to Plan Who Will Participate? Assess External (Opportunities and Threats) (Strengths and Weaknesses) Make four lists: Opportunities, Threats, Strengths and Weaknesses Assess Internal (Opportunities and Threats) (Strengths and Weaknesses) Clarify Mission and Values Identify Critical Issues Determine Goals and Objectives 6 Formulate Strategies Staff writes strategic plan including a financial plan NGO board adopts strategic plan Staff and board implement plan Monitor to determine that plan is being carried out as designed Evaluate to determine if the plan has achieved the intended goals and objectives Peace Corps, Module 5 Effective NGO Governance http://www.peacecorps.gov/library/pdf/m0070/M0070_mod5.pdf 8. How can we make our NGO sustainable? Most importantly, especially as a start-up, avoid overspending on high-ticket items such as office space, furniture and cars. Keep salaries as low as [it] is reasonable for the skills of your staff and use volunteers whenever possible. Seek out in-kind donations of services and goods. Watch your financial books carefully, being to sure to include audit procedures and checklists that can help stem misappropriation of funding. Look carefully at your needs and plan your expenses, quarterly and yearly. Know how long funding needs to last and never program funds until they are secured and contracted. Whenever possible maintain interest-earning bank accounts for even your donated funds. Even if interest is not an option seek out financial advice on how best to manage and protect funds. By establishing a relationship with a financial institution you also open new funding opportunities and avenues. 9. How can I reproduce (conduct trainings) the skills we learned in different regions? Think ahead when attending formalized training. Be sure to ask those who are training you: what is the best way to share this information upon return to your organization? Ask those training you if they have modules and workbooks that can be used for additional training off-site. Ask for DVD and Web resources. If these are not available, be sure to document as you receive training the materials, notes and presentations used. Upon return to your organization, set aside time right away to share these materials with your staff and others. It can be helpful to set aside a specific time every week to work on training activities such as these and reinforce techniques. It can also be helpful to designate a staff member as your training supervisor. This person should have patience and presentation skills that keep others engaged. It is important that this person use many methods such as writing, seeing and even acting out situations and techniques that can be applied in your organization. Finally, all training materials should be kept in a library for future use. By building this library, staff that wants to learn new skills can [access this library]. 10. How can I learn more about human rights? The best resources with information in Arabic are the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, http://www.hrinfo.net/en/; Human Rights Watch, 7 http://www.hrw.org/arabic/; and United Nations Human Rights Office, http://www.un.org/arabic/hr/. Read the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/arz.htm. F:\IWF Board\UN Human Rights Declaration Arabic.pdf 11. How can I work on structuring the NGO and writing its bylaws and its internal system? Setting up an NGO’s Bylaws By Hari Srinivas Bylaws are internal documents, a set of rules that enables each organization to conduct its affairs. It is important they be written clearly and in language that is easily understood by all organization stakeholders. This document is frequently necessary for the registration of an NGO with national and public authorities. Typical items addressed in the bylaws are:          Name and purpose of the NGO. The purpose is usually a restatement of the NGO’s Mission Statement, but can contain additional details. The frequency, notice, and quorum requirements for organizational meetings. These can be internal or regular meeting of the NGO, or external meetings such as those for the general public, with other stakeholders[, and so forth]. Voting qualifications, proxies, and procedures for approval of boards. This is related to the governance structure of the NGO’s board. The number and term for members of the board, scope of authority, method of nomination and election to the board, and provision for filling vacancies. List of board officers, method of nomination and election, terms of office, powers, duties, and succession. Membership and authority of committees or working groups. [Much] of an NGO’s work is done through sub-committees or groups, and provisions need to be made for such committees. Title and scope of authority for the executive director and other staff members who are responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the NGO. Record keeping and financial reporting responsibilities. In many countries this is necessary for the maintenance of the tax-exempt status of an NGO. Amendment procedures for the bylaws and provisions for dissolution of the organization. Writing and gaining approval for a set of bylaws takes thought, time, and the involvement of the organization’s constituents. Bylaws should be written with an emphasis on fair treatment and transparent governance. [See] http://www.gdrc.org/ngo/ngo-bylaws.html. *Please note I have used a best-practice model here and in lieu of all my own answers and responses I have also included excerpts from trusted resources on the subjects 8 addressed from open-source documents. I have also embedded full files of diagnostics that can be helpful. The financial diagnostic is already in Arabic. (2) Isabelle Bleas’ (World Bank) Expert Advice: Questions for IWEI Small Grant and NGO Capacity-Building Experts’ Panel: 1. How can I be creative in getting new ideas for my NGO? I am not sure one needs to be creative. The most important thing is to know before you create your NGO what your motivations are, what you want to achieve, what is your area of focus, and what is needed in the area of focus you chose, be it women’s political participation, international rights, economic empowerment, whatever field it is. Of course, you should have a particular interest in the field you choose, as well as a minimum knowledge. Once you have clearly determined where you want to be active, you have to reach out to your community and tell women who you are, what you want to do (your main goal), and that you want to hear from them about their needs, with priorities. I would think that hearing ideas from them will give you a good sense of what to do, much more than ―creating‖ ideas. 2. How can I improve the NGOs financial situation? A first question would be: how knowledgeable are you about budgeting, borrowing, investments, savings, and so forth? Here again, you need knowledge. Then, though it is difficult to answer this question without knowing anything about your NGO, how many people work with you, how much money you have, how much money you need, and to do what, I guess you have to review your NGO’s expenses and see if you can cut some of these expenses. For this, we at the World Bank Institute (WBI) have a CD-ROM . . . that teaches you . . . your daily, weekly and monthly expenditures, helps you keep track of these expenditures, and lets you see where you can cut . . . . It also helps you organize all your papers. You may also have to borrow some money or you may seek grants from private foundations and also perhaps local donors in the country. I do not know which donors are in Iraq these days, with the terrible insecurity. In any case, whether you borrow or look for ―free‖ money, you have to present a well-conceived project. Going back to the first question: what do you want to do, what do you want to achieve? Where are you right now? Is there a lot of demand for what you are trying to achieve, hence you need some money and other resources. You must identify people [and] institutions to approach: talk to your friends, they may have some connections. 3. How can I manage my staff? 4. How can I organize the NGO’s financial books? 5. How can I network with international NGOs? 9 6. How can I improve my staff management? 7. How can I conduct strategic planning? 8. How can we make our NGO sustainable? 9. How can I reproduce (conduct trainings) the skills we learned in different regions? 10. How can I learn more about human rights? First, very briefly, I would like to emphasize that human rights are not only about civil or political rights, as often thought. They also encompass economic rights. And second, they are more and more associated with development and good governance. Today, the Nobel Peace Prize was given to the founder of the Grameen Bank, which was and still is a major achievement for helping people, and mostly women, get out of poverty. It is also a major achievement for human rights and democracy. We should all celebrate! I am referring to this just to show you that human rights go very far. In the Grameen Bank case, I would say that it was about giving access to finance to the most disadvantaged: this is one aspect of human rights. Here are internationally agreed core principles: (i) all human rights—civil and political, and economic, social and cultural—are universal and indivisible; (ii) human rights, democracy and development are interdependent and interrelated; and (iii) human rights, the rule of law and good governance are closely interlinked. They are all essential for improving the processes through which development and poverty reduction occur for those they are designed to benefit. There are many international conventions on human rights that signatory states should respect and enforce. Here are the seven major ones, according to the United Nations (and taken from the U.N. website): THE CORE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS and their monitoring bodies There are seven core international human rights treaties. Each of these treaties has established a committee of experts to monitor implementation of the treaty provisions by its states parties. Some of the treaties are supplemented by optional protocols dealing with specific concerns. Date ICERD ICCPR ICESCR CEDAW International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 21 Dec 1965 16 Dec 1966 16 Dec 1966 18 Dec 1979 Monitoring Body CERD HRC CESCR CEDAW 10 CAT CRC ICRMW Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Convention on the Rights of the Child International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families 10 Dec 1984 20 Nov 1989 18 Dec 1990 CAT CRC CMW I am hoping I will be able to organize some training for Iraqi men and women on human rights. It is planned; I hope it will happen. You will hear more about this in the coming months or so I hope. 11. How can I work on structuring the NGO and writing its bylaws and its internal system? ***I am copying below the World Bank’s ―categorization‖ of NGOs, if it is of interest to anyone. Categorizing NGOs World Bank [C]riteria: NGO World Bank Collaboration Size and Influence of the NGO Sector Over the past several decades, NGOs have become major players in the field of international development. Since the mid-1970s, the NGO sector in both developed and developing countries has experienced exponential growth. From 1970 to 1985 total development aid disbursed by international NGOs increased ten-fold. In 1992 international NGOs channeled over $7.6 billion of aid to developing countries. It is now estimated that over 15 percent of total overseas development aid is channeled through NGOs. While statistics about global numbers of NGOs are notoriously incomplete, it is currently estimated that there is somewhere between 6,000 and 30,000 national NGOs in developing countries. CBOs across the developing world number in the hundreds of thousands. Definition The World Bank defines NGOs as ―private organizations that pursue activities to relieve suffering, promote the interests of the poor, protect the environment, provide basic social services, or undertake community development‖ (Operational Directive 14.70). In wider usage, the term NGO can be applied to any non-profit organization [that] is independent from government. NGOs are typically value-based organizations [that] depend, in whole or in part, on charitable donations and voluntary service. Although the NGO sector has become increasingly professionalized over the last two decades, principles of altruism and voluntarism remain key defining characteristics. Categories of NGOs 11 The term NGO is very broad and encompasses many different types of organizations. In the field of development, NGOs range from large, Northern-based charities such as CARE, Oxfam and World Vision to community-based self-help groups in the South. They also include research institutes, churches, professional associations and lobby groups The World Bank tends to interact with two main categories of NGOs: i) operational NGOs—whose primary purpose is the design and implementation of development-related projects, and; ii) advocacy NGOs—whose primary purpose is to defend or promote a specific cause and who seek to influence the policies and practices of the [World] Bank. The focus of this paper is operational collaboration, as opposed to policy dialogue with NGOs. As a result, the emphasis here will be on the first of these groups. It should be noted, however, that these two categories are not mutually exclusive. A growing number of NGOs engage in both operational and advocacy activities, and some advocacy groups, while not directly involved in designing and implementing projects, focus on specific projectrelated concerns. Operational NGOs The World Bank classifies operational NGOs into three main groups: i) community-based organizations (CBOs) [that] serve a specific population in a narrow geographic area; ii) national organizations [that] operate in individual developing countries, and; iii) international organizations [that] are typically headquartered in developed countries and carry out operations in more than one developing country. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, most examples of World Bank—NGO collaboration involved international NGOs. In recent years, however, this trend has been reversed. Among projects involving NGO collaboration recorded in FY94, 40 [percent] involved CBOs, 70 [percent] involved national organizations and 10 [percent] involved international organizations. CBOs (also referred to as grassroots organizations or peoples’ organizations) are distinct in nature and purpose from other NGOs. While national and international organizations are ―intermediary‖ NGOs [that] are formed to serve others; CBOs are normally ―membership‖ organizations made up of a group of individuals who have joined together to further their own interests (e.g.[,] women's groups, credit circles, youth clubs, cooperatives and farmer associations). In the context of [World] Bank-financed activities, national or international NGOs are normally contracted to deliver services, design projects or conduct research. CBOs are more likely to be the recipients of project goods and services. In projects [that] promote participatory development, grassroots organizations play the key function of providing an institutional framework for beneficiary participation. CBOs might, for example[,] be consulted during design to ensure that project goals reflect beneficiary interests[,] undertake the implementation of community-level project components[,] or receive funds to design and implement sub-projects. Many national and international NGOs work in partnership with CBOs—either channeling development resources to them or providing them with services or technical assistance. Such NGOs can play a particularly important role as ―intermediaries‖ between CBOs and institutions such as the World Bank or government. NGO Typologies Individual operational NGOs vary enormously according to their purpose, philosophy, [sectorial] expertise and scope of activities. A number of different NGO typologies exist. For example, NGOs have been classified according to whether they are more relief or development-oriented; whether they are religious or secular; whether they stress service delivery or participation and whether they are more public or private-oriented. Sources for further reading on NGO typologies are listed at the end of this section. NGO Strengths and Weaknesses Because the nature and quality of individual NGOs varies greatly, it is extremely difficult to make generalizations about the sector as a whole. Despite this diversity, some specific strengths generally associated with the NGO sector include the following:       strong grassroots links; field-based development expertise; the ability to innovate and adapt; process-oriented approach to development; participatory methodologies and tools; long-term commitment and emphasis on sustainability; 12  cost-effectiveness. The most commonly identified weaknesses of the sector include:       limited financial and management expertise; limited institutional capacity; low levels of self-sustainability; isolation/lack of inter-organizational communication and/or coordination; small scale interventions; lack of understanding of the broader social or economic context. (3) Neveen Abu Jaleel’s (U.S. Patent Offices) Expert Advice: 1. How can I be creative in getting new ideas for my NGO? One way is to look into the strategies adopted by successful NGOs with similar missions and the specific tactics they adopt to achieve their stated objectives. These tactics can then be adapted to the special context of the target NGOs in Iraq. In other words, apply lessons learned from a group of NGOs that have a proven record of effectiveness specially NGOs operating in other Arab countries in the region and not necessarily in the [Persian] Gulf where abundant oil money and government set up creates its own unique situation. One may look at women’s NGOs to Egypt, Yemen, and Morocco and even Afghanistan to assess the genesis of independent women run NGOs and the tactics adopted for their effectiveness, if any, and survival. 2. How can I improve the NGO’s financial situation? The viability and sustainability of a given NGO is, to a large extent, a function of its financial health. Fund-raising must be an integral aspect of the NGO’s organizational setup. Financial planning is a well-developed field and experts must be called upon for training and advice, especially at the beginning of the organizational effort. 3. How can I manage my staff? A local Iraqi NGO director, unless she has already been on the international circuit, will need to be provided with the appropriate names and addresses of all international NGOs that are in a position to advice and assist. 4. How can I organize the NGO’s financial books? See the answer to question 3. Periodic reviews, basic M&E procedures, and so forth. 5. How can I conduct strategic planning? Strategic planning, among other things, needs to be coordinated with other local and national NGOs. Scheduled meetings that bring together directors and staff of different NGOs are the usual venue as well as keeping in regular touch. NGOs should also work to have prominent national and local leaders on their board as advisers. 13 6. How can I improve my staff management? See #2. (4) Pamela Coffey’s (DAI) Expert Advice: 1. How can I be creative in getting new ideas for my NGO? New ideas for an NGO should largely come from strategic planning and collaborative processes. For specific strategic planning strategies, please see answer 7 below. The strategic planning process can help to ensure that new ideas for NGO activities are appropriate for the NGO’s mission, goals and capacity. Also, work with various members of a community focus group (or focus groups) and community partners can help guarantee that these ideas serve community needs in a way that is complementary to on-going activities. For example, NGOs can interview community members to obtain their views about priorities in the areas of the NGOs’ expertise. NGOs can ask community members which areas or services are lacking, and which kinds of activities could most improve upon the present situation (within realistic guidelines). Furthermore, meetings with NGO and agency partners are essential for this collaborative process. Meetings with present and potential partners can address which community needs are met and unmet, and which kinds of activities can support, rather than duplicate, each other. Partner NGOs and agencies can also discuss which kinds of activities have been particularly successful, and build upon those activities. 2. How can I improve the NGOs financial situation? Financial management. In order to achieve their objectives, all NGOs need to make the most efficient use of their financial resources that they have. Financial systems and procedures are designed to help an NGO:  ensure that management is based on accurately tracked costs for each aspect of the NGO’s work; so that managers can early on identify financial problems, or opportunities to improve efficiency and costeffectiveness avoid the loss of money or mismanagement of funds, and have contingency procedures to deal with loss of 14  money or mismanagement of funds  secure further funding from donors by demonstrating that they have looked after previous funding properly, and used it effectively In order to improve an NGO’s financial situation, NGO managers should allocate a significant amount of time to financial management, fund-raising and grant writing. This means that each NGO must designate a fund-raising and grant writing team. Fund-raising: The first step in raising funds for your program is to determine what your program needs are and based upon them, develop a plan to fund it. Funders want to fund projects that are well planned and achievable. In order to obtain additional funds for your NGO, you must be able to convince donors and supporters of the following:  What your NGO can do to address and help community needs. Provide clear and understandable facts and data. Put the community’s need into perspective by comparing it to national, state and regional information. Why is this the time to act? Clearly explain the information on which the need for the program was based. If it is based upon particular circumstances or events, share them. Why should they want to support the initiative? Help potential supporters to feel a personal connection to those individuals that will be helped by your program. How can the program help? Explain how the program will address the identified needs. Tell potential donors what the program will achieve. Describe program components in such a way that they see the direct correlation between program activities and the anticipated outcomes. Show the relationship between the positive [effects] that the program will have upon participants and the community at large. How will program success be measured? Share the program’s measurable outcomes and its evaluation plan. Why should your organization be the one to provide the program? Provide information about past agency accomplishments and the successful implementation of similar programs. Describe the qualifications of staff 15      and your organization’s good standing in the community. List the community groups and agencies with which you have ongoing collaborative relationships. 16