Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Thu, 30 Jan 1997 12:55:11 -0800 (PST)
>From: Kathy Kalinowski, Program Associate, PVO/NIS Project, World Learning
To: CivilSoc List members
Dr. Nancy Lubin, of JNA Associates, Inc., recently sent the PVO/NIS
Project of World Learning the following inquiry. Because they hope to
receive input from as many NGOs and partnerships as possible, she asked us
to pass it along. If members of CivilSoc would like to contribute to her
report, please reply directly to Dr. Lubin. Her e-mail address is:
Phone: (301-229-8492) Fax: (301-229-5831)
Thank you.
...................
[Dr. Lubin's message, slightly edited for length, follows.]
... in March, 1996, the Project on the Newly Independent States of JNA
Associates, Inc. released a report on US aid to the NIS with an eye
towards the smaller projects and partnerships. The report focused on the
balance of funding among different types of mechanisms for delivering aid
...large consortia and contractors; private voluntary organizations;
small indigenous organizations; and small partnerships--and on the
elements that go into successful projects no matter what the mechanisms.
The report found that...the vast majority of funds provided through USAID
were going to large contractors and voluntary organizations. The smaller
projects--and particularly the smaller partnerships--were finding the most
difficulty in generating financial support. And it found that important
elements for conducting projects--such as designing projects together with
local participants; including experts on the NIS along with functional
experts on the Western teams; emphasizing follow-up and evaluation;
creating oversight mechanisms; and the like--were often undervalued or
absent.
The impact of the report was quite widespread: we have been called
frequently throughout the year to present our findings in a range of
meetings and discussions about the future of assistance to the NIS...
Because of the report's impact, we have now been asked by our funders to
update and revise it for release in spring, 1997 for the new Congress and
Administration.
We would like to get a sense from as many of you as possible the degree to
which the funding situation, and the types of projects funded, may or may
not have changed... In general, has it become easier or more difficult
for you during the past year to obtain US government funds? In
particular, it would be useful to know:
1. Background to your own projects and partnerships:
What was/has been the purpose of your partnership or projects in the NIS?
What have you accomplished so far, and what have been the impacts? What
kind of funding did you receive in the past from public and private
sources? What is the status of your projects currently, and your current
funding situation for these projects? Have you tried to obtain new
funding? If so, have you been successful, or found it more or less
difficult than in the past?
2. Personal stories and specific examples:
Any specifics you would like to share--about your own project's or
others--that highlight some of the successes or problems of the assistance
program would be useful.
...We hope you will find it useful to contribute to the forthcoming report
in order to make it as complete as possible. If you do, please reply as
soon as possible, as we are aiming to complete the report by spring in
order for it to have maximum impact on the Hill and in the aid community.
For a copy of the original report:
If you would like a copy of the original report, please contact JNA
Associates, Inc., 6752 Brigadoon Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817. As we ran out
of copies of the report almost before they were printed...we have been
distributing xerox copies of the report at a cost of $15 to cover copying
and postage.
If you have any questions, Nancy Lubin can be reached at the e-mail
address <[email protected]>, or by phone (301-229-8492) or fax
(301-229-5831).
Thank you in advance for your time and interest. We look forward
to hearing from you.
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