Day 3

Recap What sticks in your mind from Day 2? Stress the de-learning. we need to learn how to participate into community work, not how community should participate into humanitarian work Use recap/ball throw exercise as a “Palc tip” in how to facilitate FGDs (Some local partners might not have PRA experience/tools) remind them that in good FGDs: Facilitators step backs and gets group members to have conversations with each other (you in the background taking notes of key points) Once everyone has had a chance to respond (you are doing this with the ball), then you come back into the circle to add any points or steer discussion to the next issue….

Autonomous self-help by crisis affected An emerging practice Community–based information, mobilisation & learning systems Collective emergency micro-grants Rapid provision of relevant emergency skills up-grading: - context specific tech & management - psycho-social response - conflict analysis & resolution Changes in Institutional roles, relationships, and systems Autonomous self-help by crisis affected people Community–based analysis, information management, mobilisation & learning systems Support communities to rapidly initiate (and sustain) their own rapid situation analysis and appreciative enquiry Generating new or wider initiatives Learning from immediate responses Gap analysis Power issues and relationships, systems of accountability Conflict sensitivity Support for locally-led longer term processes to address root causes of vulnerability, & mentoring Connecting, networking, alliances (inc. private sector) Locally-relevant coordination services (horizontal & vertical)

Day 3 Nbi 18 Oct Micro-grants in crises Systems for rapid use of micro-grants that enable stronger and wider collective self-help to better cope with crises, recover and reduce vulnerability to future shocks.... (= strengthened resilience) Key point is that palc and micro-grants are two sides of the same coin: it is very often the use of micro-grants that catalyses and partially enables the “action” that is the critical part of palc from which learning and more action then is driven. They are a means to an end… the long term end being that they catalyse communities and local government to find other sources of funds (wider community contributions, Government budgets, Diaspora, private sector) to support longer term transformational change Mention than now CaLP (cash programme community of practice) and ODI are now looking at including community cash grants Micro-grants are one of the tools

We need a system that is: Rapid and scalable, but also Accountable (transparent) Inclusive (gender inclusive +) Recognises and responds to different capacity levels Avoids local tensions, splits within community Avoids dependency Manages risks, allows failures

Can the risks be managed? Why use micro-grants? Are the benefits real? Can the risks be managed? Slide 4: plenary discussion Capture input from plenary brainstorming on flip chart: Why use micro-grants? Allow local choice Contribute to local market Cost effective etc Key point: MGs are seen as a key means of really transferring power in practice – handing over control of the budget (without which much of “participation” remains little more than consultation Why not HH cash programming? Disaster enable solidarity and cohesion to support existing networks to avoid people falling (psychosocial component) HH cash grants are also very good and complement nicely community cash grants Flag that local partners are used to them, we know how they work. What we didn’t do is to use them in response and at scale Are the benefit real? Have a checklist of practical examples to showcase the benefits of micro-grants (PVCA type) Can the risk be managed? We recognise there are risks, but by the end of the day we can develop a system that can mitigate the risks

Emerging benefits of strengthening first responders More responsive & holistic– allows multiple micro-projects that can better fits local needs & opportunities Faster Cost-efficient – less money helps more people Psychological benefits: dignity, avoids learned helplessness Social benefits (cohesion, self-help, accountability) Generates new ideas from the ground (emergent, organic) Capacity building through learning-by-doing Encourage longer-term processes to address root causes (....improved understanding of duty bearers, changes of approach)

Typical relief Many community-based groups (different existing CSOs emergent self-help groups): emergency food, shelter, water (e.g. $1,500 for 30 HHs) Funeral associations targeted food/cash for most vulnerable HHs ($4,000 for 80 HH)   Livelihoods Village funeral association: emergency seed programmes ($2,000 for 120 HHs) Farmer associations collecting drought resistant seed, and exchanging for food (food and $500 for transport) Local CBOs managing revolving shoats schemes for female headed HHs ($1,500 Start-up) Livelihood diversification interest groups- e.g. horticulture, revolving funds ($800 for 20 HHs) Black-smith association skills training for new products ($800 for 31 members) Traditional pastoralist NRM governance: Livestock Market Information management hub, Herder groups on livestock fodder banks ($400 for 70 HHs) Local and National Gov and nomadic groups tree seed collection Groups of existing CAHWs seeking new skills training and start-up of revolving funds for livestock drugs administered by CAHWs Local CBOs and local Government Introduction of bee-keeping and top bar hives ($3,500) Bee-keeping groups getting processing equipment (as mini-coops ($1,200, 45 members) School environmental clubs

Services Water committees buying tools and spare parts for bore-hole maintenance ($200 per group, bore-hole serves 200 HHs) Repairing Schools, clinics, roads, bridges ($500-$5,000) Support for teachers, school meals, school books, materials ($300 - $1,500) Mobile vet clinics....for peace ($5,000 for vehicle repair, drugs, costs)   Protection, peace, rights, Governance Local IDP camp committees scouting out safe return routes and livelihood restart support ($300) Women’s association form and train self- protection groups in community-self protection, first aid, psycho-social response ($4,000 for training and materials and transport costs) Protection groups looking at their own interventions, including hair-extensions and perfume ($200 per group, serving up to 200 HHs) Peace: Musicians and traditional women singers: instruments, peace songs, mobility ($500 for collective of musicians and dancers travelling around the villagers)

Protection, peace, rights, Governance - continued Youth association from both sides youth-club building, footballs, netballs ($3,000 for up to 200 members) Community leaders and CBOs facilitating x-conflict non-violence/peace workshops and conferences ($2, CBO mobile cinema and dramas and puppet shows ($1,500 for materials, transports, incentives) Peace education/civic education clubs ($25,000, plus $100 per clubs) Interfaith meetings/conference ($100 - $600 transport and meals) Training of local police in conflict sensitivity policing Women Access to justice (Mecs/Judiciary/Police) Leadership and accountability, facilitation, conflict resolution training – formal structures and traditional Research, & learning, connecting, mobility Protection groups, youth groups,

Possible recipients Existing CBOs Faith based institutions (monasteries, churches, mosques etc) Traditional local institutions (funeral associations, NRM structures, traditional justice groups) Youth, women associations Livelihood Interest groups, cooperatives Cultural associations Professional associations Parent/teacher associations Emergent self-forming SHGs, Externally mobilized SHGs

Component of the emergency community micro-grant process Possible Flier to be used for announcing support for community self-help initiatives Detailed criteria for Groups thinking about applying for micro- grant support “Applicant Details Format” Project Proposal Format for Community groups to use to prepare their proposals Checklist for reviewing applications for micro-grants Record of Decisions of Review Panel of Proposal Contract Template Community procurement guidelines Guidelines for Grantees to write final activity and financial reports Monitoring and evaluation

Constraints to overcome, risks to mitigate Lack of capacity to plan and implement Lack of ideas on what to do Domination by existing power groups (some groups excluded) Misuse of funds Promoting jealousies, local tension between groups, insufficient funds Promoting conflict between groups Becomes too slow Raises expectations, creates disappointment Challenges some social norms that causes tensions Short plenary: What are the possible risks from your experience? Take note Flag that we are aware there are risk. We just need to find a way to minimise them Present the possible constrain from practice that we must keep in mind

Additional systems/issues to cross-check Size/frequency of micro-grants Micro-grant transfer mechanism Gender / inclusion issues Complaint mechanisms Monitoring individual initiatives – role of palc volunteers Monitoring growing portfolios of interventions