Community Rights Advocacy And Project Management Manual-A Toolkit for Use by Community Based Organisations (CBOs)

1. COMMUNITY RIGHTS ADVOCACY AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
MANUAL
A TOOLKIT FOR USE BY COMMUNITY BASED ORGANISATIONS (CBOs)
Shamiso Mtisi, Gilbert Makore, Plaxedes John and Tendai Bobo
Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA)

2. Published by: Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA)
Sponsored by: European Union
Authors: Shamiso Mtisi, Gilbert Makore, Plaxedes John-Zahwe and Tendai Bobo
Copyright: 2010. Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA)
This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for
educational or non-profit uses, without special permission from the copyright
holder, provided full acknowledgement of the source is made. No use of this
publication may be made for resale or other commercial purposes without the
prior written permission of ZELA.
Year of Publication: 2010
Available from: Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), No. 6 London Derry Road,
Eastlea, Harare, Zimbabwe: Tel: 253381; 252093, Email: zela@mweb.co.zw,
Website: www.zela.org
Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association European Union
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3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………………………..4
Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………………………………5
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………..
6
Community Rights………………………………………………………………………………....8
Environmental, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights………………………………………..8
Strategies to Secure Community Rights……………………………………………………………..9
Advocacy and Policy Change Toolkit………………………………………………………..11
Project Planning and Implementation………………………………………………………15
Project Evaluation………………………………………………………………………………………….17
Tools for Project Implementation Management………………………………………………..19
Promoting Participation and Ownership by the Community……………………………...19
HIV/AIDS and Gender Mainstreaming in Projects…………………………………………..20
Project Proposal Writing Structure…………………………………………………………………..21
Governance Issues…………………………………………………………………………………23
Common Institutional and Administrative Arrangements…………………………………24
Board Meetings……………………………………………………………………………………………..25
Financial Management…………………………………………………………………………..30
Golden Rules of Financial Management………………………………………………………..…31
Key Books of Accounts to be Kept…………………………………………………………………..31
Expenditure Cycle………………………………………………………………………………………….32
Reporting………………………………………………………………………………………………………32
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4. Bookkeeping and Record Keeping……………………………………………………………………
33
Glossary……………………………………………………………………………………………….34
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The initial recognition of the need to develop this manual on community rights and project management
arose out of a project being implemented by ZELA to support the organizational development of
Community Trusts in Zimbabwe. The project is aimed at building the capacity of community based
organizations to demand and claim the environmental, economic, social and cultural rights of mining
communities.
To a larger extent this report is a result of the sterling efforts of different individuals and organizations. In
particular, the authors would like to thank the European Union for providing the financial support that
enabled the organization to publish this work and to implement the project on building the capacity of
community based organizations as a vehicle for spearheading the environmental, economic, social and
cultural rights of communities in mining areas. The authors would also like to thanks all the ZELA staff
members for lending their support during the writing of this important book.
We hope this guide will assist the local communities to appreciate their role in environmental
management and community development and that it will enable them to better perform that role.
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5. ABBREVIATIONS
CBO Community Based Organisation
EESCR Environmental, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
JCT Justice for Children Trust
LRF Legal Resources Foundation
RDC Rural District Council
TAI The Access Initiative
ZELA Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association
ZLHR Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
ZWLA Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association
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6. INTRODUCTION
This manual is meant to help Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to better understand the often
complicated and theoretical aspects of community rights and project management. It is intended to
capacitate CBOs with knowledge so that they can effectively implement projects and advocate for policy,
administrative and legal changes that advance their environmental, economic, social and cultural from a
development perspective. This manual will therefore guide them in taking steps towards reaching their
developmental goals. In particular the following aspects are explained in this manual and can serve as a
guide to CBOs to effectively implement their projects and demand and claim the rights of communities;
• Knowledge of community rights and the strategies to use to demand and claim them is very
important. For rural communities there is need to demand and claim ownership over natural
resources, public participation in decision making processes around natural resources
management and access to information. In that matrix, the rights to derive economic, social and
cultural rights cannot be overemphasized. In urban areas CBOs should be able to focus on issues
such as the right to access safe and clean water, to live in a clean and healthy environment that
does not cause harm to health among others.
• It is vital that CBOs also devise their own strategies in advocating for policy, legal and
administrative or practical changes that will enhance community development especially
anchored around natural resources management. In that regard the manual contains a toolkit
derived from an Advocacy Handbook developed by The Access Initiative (TAI) which outlines
the key tools and steps that can be used to achieve change at both the practical and policy level.
Some of the steps include; the need to clearly identify the problem to be addressed, defining the
policy and practical solution being advocated for by the group, identifying the individuals and
institutions that can assist the CBO to achieve change, identifying existing and ongoing
opportunities that can be used to leverage change, assessing both the financial, human and
technical resources available to the CBO or its partners, developing a workplan and evaluating
and monitoring the impact of their advocacy activities.
• When community based organisations are implementing projects, it is vital that they
systematically organize their intervention or project activities according to some widely accepted
guidelines, although these should be customized. In this manual there is information on how a
project is designed, planned, implemented, monitored and evaluated. Further, it contains
information on cross-cutting issues that are central to project implementation such as gender
mainstreaming and HIV/AIDS. Another important aspect is the ability to write a good project
proposal. The manual contains a section on project proposal writing.
• More importantly, CBOs should be aware of the basic tenets of financial management. Financial
management is key to the sustainability of CBOs. There is need for CBOs to know how to
manage, account and report on financial resources received from donors or derived from income
generating activities. The CBOs should know the books of accounts to keep, the purchasing
procedures, financial reporting and how to fundraise.
• CBOs should also be able to put in place governance structures that ensure transparency and
accountability in the management of the affairs of the CBO. In that regard the manual advocates
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7. for religious compliance with the provisions of the legal document setting up the CBO or other
national laws and policies that impact on operations of CBOs in Zimbabwe.
Who Can use this Manual?
This manual can be used by community based organizations and individuals in rural and urban settings.
The issues raised in this manual apply to the operations of grassroots organizations that have been
recently formed and those that are facing problems in managing their affairs. It can also be used by
organizations that are facing problems in trying to engage policy makers and those facing problems in
enforcing community rights.
Quick Reference
Environmental, economic,
social and cultural rights
Advocacy strategies
Project management
Proposal writing
Financial management
Governance of CBOs
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8. COMMUNITY RIGHTS
Environmental, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (EESCR)
Community Based Organizations should be aware of the rights and principles that may enhance
community development. These rights and principles are provided for in national, regional and
international legal instruments. The two major international and regional instruments that provide
economic, social and cultural rights and principles are the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
and the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Environmental
Management Act (Chapter 20:27) also contains environmental rights that are important for CBO activists
to know and claim. It is vital for government, local authorities and other actors to take measures to fulfill
these rights. In summary the following rights and principles should be claimed at the grassroots level;
• Right of every person to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate
food, clothing and housing. In that regard governments are encouraged to take measures to improve
methods of production, conservation and distribution of food, disseminate knowledge of the
principles of nutrition and develop or reform agrarian systems to achieve efficient development and
utilization of natural resources;
• Right of every person to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental
health. The State is required to take the necessary measures to protect the health of people and to
ensure that they receive medical attention when they are sick.
• Right of everyone to take part in cultural life. The State has a duty to promote and protect morals and
traditional values and customs recognized by the community.
• Right to work and enjoyment of just and favourable conditions at work such as safe and healthy
working conditions. Safe and healthy working conditions may include working in an environment
that does not cause injury, death or disease
• Right to education
• All peoples shall freely dispose of their wealth and natural resources. The state is encouraged to
ensure that this right is exercised in the exclusive interest of the people.
• Every person shall have the right to a clean environment that is not harmful to health
• Every person shall have access to information concerning the environment and an opportunity to
participate in decision-making processes
• Every person shall have effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress
and remedy when their rights are violated.
• Every person has a duty to protect the environment for the benefit of present and future generations,
and
• Environmental management must place people and their needs at the forefront of its concern. This
means people should be allowed to use natural resources for development.
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9. SNAPSHOT OF RIGHTS
Environmental, Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights
Food
Education
Shelter
Clothing
Safe and healthy environment
Medical care
Protection of traditional values
Access to environmental
information
Use natural resources
Strategies to Secure Community Rights
In this section it is important to outline the different strategies that can be used by CBOs in both rural and
urban communities to claim, demand and assert environmental, economic, social and cultural rights. The
following strategies can be used;
• Identify and report cases of environmental, economic, social and cultural rights violations in your
area to public interest law groups. Public interest law groups that offer free legal assistance include;
Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) (Tel: 04 253381; Email:
zela@mweb.co.zw), Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) (Tel: 04251468), Legal
Resources Foundation (LRF) (04 251170-4); Justice for Children Trust (JCT) (Tel: 04
797723) and Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) (Tel: 04887187) among others.
• Establish/form Community Based Groups (CBOs) or grassroots organisations composed of local
residents. The CBOs should be legally registered and the objective will be to advance and
spearhead community interests and rights. Formation of CBOs will eliminate fear and build
confidence since residents will act as a group than as individuals in trying to enforce and claim their
rights.
• Engage and lobby without fear, local representatives such as the Councilors, village heads, Chiefs,
Rural and Urban District Councils, Members of Parliament to be more representative and
accountable to the people. This will compel them to find ways of having the concerns and problems
facing the community addressed by the government, private companies, local authorities or other
responsible persons.
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10. • Write letters to newspapers and other media outlets to draw attention to violations of
environmental, economic, social and cultural rights. This can include letters about the need to have
more clinics, schools, water supply points, transport and improved road network.
• Approach public interest civil society organisations for legal advice so that legal action/litigation
can be taken in situations where community rights are violated
• Use conflict resolution mechanisms to resolve disputes that can easily be resolved through
negotiations without going to court
• Approach public interest groups for continuous legal education and rights training workshops and
seminars.
• During community meetings with decision makers and in situations where there is not enough time
for all people to speak, identify community champions or individuals who can effectively speak on
behalf of the whole community to talk about the problems facing the community
• Write petitions or letters to Parliament or responsible government agencies about your
environmental, social, economic and cultural problems.
• Adopt an advocacy strategy that shapes how the CBO engages decision makers (see section on
policy advocacy)
SNAPSHOT OF
STRATEGIES TO CLAIM
RIGHTS
Petitions
Court action
Conflict resolution
Letters to newspapers
Formation of community trusts
Seek legal advice from public
interest law groups
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11. POLICY AND PRACTICE ADVOCACY TOOLKIT1
This section is a summary of a set of tools or activities that were developed by The Access Initiative
(TAI) coalition to help partners to achieve reform and policy practice around the world through advocacy
on access to environmental information, public participation in decision making processes and access to
justice. The activities and strategies are contained in what is called the Advocacy and Policy Change
Workbook. However, in this section we have decided to extract and summarise some of the key strategies
and tools that Community Based Organisations may find useful in trying to achieve change and reforms
of policies and practice at the local level. What this entails is that since most CBOs are agents of change
at the grassroots level and are expected to assert community rights, they should also adopt strategies to
engage and influence decisions by local authorities, government departments, local politicians, traditional
leaders and the local elites. More importantly, it is vital that the CBOs demand embark on advocacy
activities on various livelihood issues such as agricultural and farming policies, natural resources
management, clean water supply, food provision, transport and road network, schools and hospitals
among other services.
Before embarking on locally based advocacy campaigns, CBOs should be able to plan their activities and
strategies. A critical step in this process will be to hold a workshop in which the members of the CBOs
come together with like-minded organizations and individuals to develop a shared advocacy strategy for
achieving their goals or how they can influence change. This will be an advocacy planning workshop at
which the CBO members and partners can discuss the problems they would want to be addressed by the
authorities, the proposed solution, the available resources and identify stakeholders or allies who can
assist. The following issues are critical in shaping the advocacy plan
Problem Identification
The CBOs should be able to identify the problems they would want the authorities to address before
taking any definitive action. The problems can be ranked depending on which ones are more urgent and a
priority. Problems can be identified from the concerns raised by community members. Some of the
problems that may be identified that are related to environmental, economic, social and cultural rights of
the community may include; lack of access to clean water as boreholes may have broken down, shortage
of school books, shortage of drugs at the local clinic, food insecurity due to drought or floods, water
pollution from mining activities, poor waste collection services in urban areas or electricity shortages,
poor road network and limited economic benefits accruing to the community from natural resources
extraction (e.g. in forestry, wildlife or mining areas). The above problems may also have been identified
through research undertaken by the CBO or by other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working with
1
Adapted from The Access Initiative (TAI), Advocacy and Policy Change Workbook
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12. the CBO at the local level. The CBO members and partners can then come to a consensus on reforms that
can be pursued to have the problems addressed by the government, local authority, politicians or
traditional leadership.
Elaborating a Policy or Administrative Solution
The CBOs should also develop a set of policy or practical solutions they think can address the problem
identified. This means the CBO can come up with suggestions of how existing policies or even laws that
affect their livelihoods can be changed or improved. Examples of a policy or legal solution can be to
lobby the local authority to pass by-laws that gives the community a certain percentage of earnings from
natural resources levies collected from mining companies or from safari hunters. A practical solution the
CBO may lobby for is a community request for the Zimbabwe National Water Authority to drill more
boreholes in the area. In advocating for legal and policy reforms it is important for the CBOs to work
closely with public interest groups. In adopting a solution it is also important to ensure that all community
members actively participate in reaching the decision. In coming up with a policy or administrative
solution there is need to ask a number of questions that can help. The following questions are key; what is
the problem, what is causing the problem, have the solutions proposed been used elsewhere and how they
fared. Using these previous policies and the lessons learned from other cases as a starting point, rank how
each would fare if implemented in the society. Then, tailor the chosen policy and administrative
alternative to the situation at hand.
Analyzing the Opportunities to Influence Change
It is important for CBOs to identify where and when they have a chance to influence policy, legal
processes or administrative changes. This will change depending on whether the problem is high on the
political agenda, whether there are already proposals for solving the problem. If there are ongoing
processes to make policy and legal changes the CBOs should take advantage of them and advocate for
change. An example is a situation where the country is in the process of Constitutional Reforms that
includes community consultations, outreach programmes and public hearings by Parliamentarians. The
CBOs should actively participate in these processes. The same applies to a situation where legal reforms
on mining are taking place for example. In processes CBOs should advocate for the recognition of the
right of communities to derive economic and social benefits from mineral resources or generally natural
resources. Other opportunities or spaces that can be used to advocate for change may include
administrative processes such as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) undertaken by proponents of
projects that have impacts on community livelihoods. If environmental impact assessments are being
carried out, CBOs should energise the people to participate in the process so that their views and interests
are considered in the planning processes. It is also vital for the CBO to choose the most appropriate space
or opportunity or specific activities which offer opportunities for actual change.
Stakeholder and Relationship Analysis
The goal of relationship analysis is to identify the people or organizations or institutions the CBO knows
or that it should know to in order for it to achieve change in the community. In order to carry out
relationship analysis, there are a number of steps that can be followed. For example there is need to
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13. identify the targets group of stakeholders possibly as sectors or individuals that should be targeted. The
relationship analysis also includes a stakeholder analysis and there is need to identify lobbying strategies
that suit each stakeholder or that can make the CBO reach a specific stakeholder. Sometimes it may be
important to target specific individuals rather than “an NGO” or “the government,” because organizations
many have different people doing different things and it may take more resources to target an entire
organization. In cases where some people within the organization the CBO is targeting or government
department agree with the CBOs position while others are opposed, it is vital to spend more time and
energy to persuade those who are opposed so that they support the CBOs position.
It is also vital to identify those who are in a position of authority and target them. There is need to know
their contact details and other relevant information that will enable the CBO to contact them. Some of the
stakeholders that are important to target include the councilors, traditional leaders, local politicians such
as the local Member of Parliament, local government officials, and civil society organisations working in
the area, the media and generally all community members. In sum stakeholder analysis should be driven
by a number of questions that are critical and these are; Who are the relevant stakeholders? What interest
does each stakeholder have in the policy or administrative reform being sought? What resources are
available to each stakeholder? Can the stakeholder mobilize those resources? And does the stakeholder
support or oppose the policy and administrative reform?
Self-analysis
Besides analysing the stakeholders, CBOs should also do an analysis of themselves as an entity. The
objective of this self-analysis is to take stock of the resources available to the CBO such as human
resources or financial resources. Human resources may include the relevant staff members, experts or
more importantly community champions to carry out the advocacy work. A list of available resources can
be drafted. The CBO should also look at the funds available to support the advocacy activities such as
workshops, presentation of petitions, litigation and even protects where necessary. The CBO can also
think about how these resources if they are not readily available can be mobilized. It will also be vital to
pool together resources with allies or other organisations that may have resources available.
Tactics or Strategies that Can be Used to Influence Change
There are many tactics or activities that can be used by a CBO to influence change This section will help
CBOs to narrow their possible tactics. There is need to assess how effective and feasible each strategy is.
This means there is need to assess if each strategy or activity can easily achieve desired results and
whether resources are enough to embark on that activity. Some of the activities that can be implemented
by CBOs to influence change at the grassroots level may include; grassroots based research on the
problem, analyzing the budgets allocated to environmental issues by the local authority in the area,
organizing outreach meetings for parliamentarians, networking with other civil society organisations,
petition writing to decision makers, protests and marches, press releases in the media, boycotts, direct
correspondence (e.g. phone calls, letters, etc.) and class action lawsuits/litigation (also see section on
strategies to claim community rights). It is important for the CBO to identify which of the tactics above
can best be used to achieve change in practice and policy for the benefit of the community.
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14. Work Plan
In order to effectively carry out the advocacy work, CBOs should also come up with work plans. The
work plan helps identify who will carry out which tasks and when. For example it would make sense to
divide the work and give each other duties and deadlines. The following guide can be useful. First;
identify the different components of the strategy (e.g. “schedule this meeting,” “give this speech,” “speak
to this politician,” etc.). Second; identify the order of components; what should get done when; Third;
delegate who will do what.
SNAPSHOT OF ADVOCACY
STEPS
Problem identification
Framing a policy or practical
solution
Identifying opportunities to
influence change
Stakeholder analysis
Self-Analysis
Tactics and strategies to
influence change
Workplan
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15. ROJECT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
What is a project?
A project is an intervention which seeks to solve a specific problem(s) being faced by a defined target
group in a specific area(s). A project has a timeframe within which the interventions or activities to
support the people should be accomplished. Projects are mostly implemented to improve the living
conditions of the people. A project has a few characteristics i.e. timeframe (has a beginning and an end), a
budget, definition of roles and responsibilities for everyone involved and set of results or a goal to be
achieved. Examples of projects include; water supply project for a community, food relief project, health
education project and environmental rights training. CBOs can come up with projects to implement that
will be aimed at uplifting the livelihoods of people in that particular community. However, it is important
for the CBOs to know that most projects have a life cycle which should be followed in developing and
implementing them.
Project Life Cycle
The project management cycle consists of four major elements namely; project initiation, project design
and planning, project implementation and ending the project.
Project Initiation
Project Design
Project Closure
Project Implementation
Project Initiation
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16. Since we have said each project has a beginning, the first phase in the Project Life Cycle is called the
Project Initiation phase. This is when one develops some ideas about what needs to be addressed, what
would you like to change and possibly how you going to do it. This stage includes defining the purpose
of the project and the areas that will be covered, the reasons why it will be implemented and the activities
to be undertaken to achieve the goal of the project. You may share those original ideas with a potential
donor to see who will be interested in providing support.
Design and Planning
After receiving an initial reaction, you may embark on developing the proposal to the donor that
explain your idea in more details. At that time you need to establish the parameters of the
project – rationale, purpose, objectives, strategies that help you achieve objectives, management
structure and processes. This involves putting together documents that can help guide the team
throughout the project implementation phase. The project planning involves the creation of the
following: Project Plan (outlining the activities, tasks, beneficiaries and timeframes), Resource
Plan (listing the labour, equipment and materials required) and Financial Plan (identifying the
labour, equipment and materials costs). At this time you would receive the approval of the
project by the donor (secure funding).
Project Implementation
After receiving a final approval and the funds, the project may commence its implementation. This is the
phase of implementing the project. It includes accomplishing some activities and tasks aimed at achieving
the intended impact on the community. While implementation is ongoing other processes should be
activated to monitor and control the deliverables. These processes include managing time, cost, impact,
effectiveness, change, risks and communication. Once all the deliverables have been produced and the
beneficiaries have accepted the intervention, the project is ready for closure or termination.
Ending a project
Project Closure involves releasing the final deliverables to the target group, handing over project
documentation, terminating contracts releasing project resources and communicating the closure of the
project to all stakeholders.
Project Implementation
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17. The purpose of the implementation stage is to: deliver the results, achieve the purpose(s) and contribute
effectively to the overall objective of the project. The implementation stage of the project cycle is in
many ways the most critical; as it is during this stage that planned benefits are delivered. All other stages
in the cycle are therefore essentially supportive of this implementation stage. During the implementation
of the project, project managers are responsible for undertaking three main sets of tasks:
(a) Monitoring and regular review: Project management must keep track of how the project is
progressing in terms of expenditure, resource use, and implementation of activities, delivery of
results and the management of risks. Monitoring is an internal management responsibility,
although it may be complemented by ‘external’ monitoring inputs from other organisations.
Regular reviews provide an opportunity to reflect on progress, agree on the content of progress
reports and follow-up action required.
(b) Planning and re-planning: Plans are best estimates of what will happen in the future, but must
be modified on an ongoing basis to take account of what actually happens during
implementation. The activities and budgets must therefore be periodically reviewed, refined, and
updated based on experience.
(c) Reporting: CBOs must produce reports on physical and financial progress to stakeholders,
particularly those providing financial resources to support implementation. The aim of these
reports should be to: inform stakeholders like donors of project progress (against what was
planned), constraints encountered and any significant remedial or supportive action required like
trainings; provide a formal documented record of what has been achieved during the reporting
period, and thus facilitate future reviews or evaluations; document any changes in plans,
including budgetary requirements; and therefore promote transparency and accountability.
Project Evaluation
The purpose of project evaluation is to make an assessment of an ongoing or completed project to
determine the relevance and fulfillment of objectives, impact and sustainability and provide information
that is credible and useful.
Principles of Evaluation
There are principles that underpins evaluation and these are; impartiality and independence of the
evaluation process from the programming and implementation functions, credibility of the evaluation,
through use of appropriately skilled and independent experts, transparency of the evaluation process,
including wide dissemination of results, participation of stakeholders in the evaluation process, to ensure
different perspectives and views are taken into account; and usefulness of the evaluation findings and
recommendations, through timely presentation of relevant, clear and concise information to decision
makers.
Criteria of Evaluation
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18. a) Relevance
The appropriateness of project objectives to the problems that it was supposed to address, and to the
physical and policy environment within which it operated.
b) Efficiency
The fact that the project results have been achieved at reasonable cost, i.e. how well inputs/means have
been converted into activities, in terms of quality, quantity and time, and the quality of the results
achieved. This generally requires comparing alternative approaches to achieving the same results, to see
whether the most efficient process has been adopted.
c) Effectiveness
This is an assessment of the contribution made by results to the achievement of the project purpose, and
how assumptions have affected project achievements. This should include specific assessment of the
benefits accruing to target groups, including women and men and identified vulnerable groups such as
children, the elderly and disabled.
d) Impact
This is the effect of the project on its wider environment, and its contribution to the wider policy or sector
objectives (as summarised in the project’s overall objective).
e) Sustainability
An assessment of the likelihood of benefits produced by the project to continue to flow after external
funding has ended. This is with particular reference to factors of ownership by beneficiaries, policy
support, economic and financial factors, socio-cultural aspects, gender equality, appropriate technology,
environmental aspects, and institutional and management capacity.
Decision options after evaluation
Depending on the outcome, timing and objectives of the evaluation, there are some main decision options
that are to be made:
• continue project implementation as planned,
• re-orient/restructure the project,
• in the worst case, to stop the project (mid-term evaluation);
• modify the design of future projects or programmes in light of lessons learned (ex-post
evaluation); or
• modify policies, co-operation strategies, and subsequent programming or identification exercises
in the case of sector, thematic or cross-sector evaluations
Tools for Project Implementation and Management
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19. The Logical Framework Approach
The Logical Framework Approach is an extremely useful tool to support the design and establishment of
effective monitoring, review and reporting systems. It provides a framework of objectives, indicators (and
targets) and sources of information which should be used to further develop and implement the
monitoring, review and reporting system. It provides a list of key assumptions which must be monitored
as part of the project’s risk management arrangements.
Administrative and management records
Within the CBOs there will be a requirement to keep some basic administrative records of what is being
done on a day to day, weekly or monthly basis. These records will then often be summarised periodically
in a management report. Information that may be recorded as part of such administrative records might
include:
• Financial information – income and expenditure.
• Staffing – numbers, location, designation, training received and performance
• Procurement and asset records
• Service delivery/provision records (e.g. number of households receiving game meat or other
inputs, no. of miners receiving training, number of children vaccinated, no. of children attending
school, number of households connected to the electricity grid, etc).
Regular Review Meeting Minutes
Regular reviews may be undertaken more or less regularly, and be more or less formal, depending
primarily on their purpose and who is expected to participate.
Progress reports and updated plans
Plans must be regularly reviewed and updated if they are to remain relevant. The preparation of an annual
plan provides this opportunity for multi-year projects. The specific sub-headings and the quantity of
information provided should be adapted to suit the scope and scale of the project, and to existing
monitoring and reporting systems. Annual plans are required for every multi-year project.
Promoting Participation and Ownership by the Community
Local ownership of development programmes and projects is a key theme of community development.
Participation and ownership are fundamental to ensuring relevance, effectiveness and sustainability.
Empowerment is often a key objective of participation i.e. bringing about a more equitable sharing of
power, increasing the political awareness of disadvantaged groups, and supporting them in taking actions
that will allow them to take more control of their own futures. Further, people learn best by doing things
for themselves. If people are assisted to plan and manage their own affairs the outcomes are more
likely to meet their real needs. Building capacity within local communities and groups is thus an
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20. important objective of participatory approaches. Capacity building is also important because it is
a precondition for the sustainability of development initiatives.
Key principles of participation are:-
• Involving people as subjects not objects
• Respect for local knowledge and skills
• Ensuring influence over development decisions, not simply involvement
• A learning process as much as an outcome
• An approach and attitude rather than a specific set of technical skills
HIV/AIDS and Gender Mainstreaming in Projects
Due to the HIV/ AIDS pandemic, CBOs should recognizes the need to mainstream HIV and AIDS in all
its interventions so as to create a healthy and safe working environment at the workplace and in the
communities they work in. All CBOs should consider mainstreaming Gender, HIV and AIDS in their
programmes and activities in order to minimize the negative impacts of the pandemic in the long term.
Gender mainstreaming is a process of ensuring that in all our work and the way we do it should contribute
to gender equality by transforming the balance of power between men and women.
PROJECT PROPOSAL WRITING STRUCTURE
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21. The following are some of the key elements of a proposal. This section is aimed at helping CBOs to write
proposals for project funding.
Context
In this part of a proposal, the CBO should be able to describe the social, economic, political and cultural
background from which the project is being initiated. The CBO can collect data from other research
material.
Problem statement
In the problem statement section the CBO should provide a description of the specific problem(s) the
project is trying to solve, in order to “make a case” for the project. Furthermore, the project proposal
should point out why a certain issue is a problem for the community or society as a whole, i.e. what
negative implications affect the target group. There should also be an explanation of the needs of the
target group that appear as a direct consequence of the described problem. Examples of problems may
include limited access to clean water as a result of broken down boreholes or limited access to markets
because of poor road network.
Activities
In this part of the proposal there is need to outline the activities that will be undertaken to achieve the
project goal and objectives. The activities should be used as strategies for solving the problem. There is
also need to state how these strategies will lead to improvement.
R
Project goal (or overall objective)
The project goal is the ultimate state of affairs that the CBO would desire to see in the community. This
will be the long term benefit to the target group or to the community. Some examples of a project goal
might be: raising environmental awareness or improving the quality of life in the community.
Project objectives
The objectives should address the core problem in terms of the benefits to be received by the project
beneficiaries or target group as a direct result of the project. The objectives may be defined as: improving
the water supply in the village and reducing by X the rate of infections. Project objectives provide a more
detailed breakdown of the project goal. A project will likely have multiple objectives.
Project results
Results describe the services or products to be delivered to the intended beneficiaries. The results are
more detailed than the objectives and the goal, and should be possible to measure through the use of
objective indicators. The results should address the main causes of the problem that the target group
faces. To ensure relevant results, project management should have correctly identified the group’s needs.
Examples of results are as follows: increased number of households connected to the water supply
system; increased number of water taps in the village. The results of the project can be tied back to the
project’s objectives.
Target group
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22. There is need to define the target group and show how it will benefit from the project. The project should
provide a detailed description of the size and characteristics of the target groups, and especially of direct
project beneficiaries. The criteria for target group analysis may be ethnic composition, gender, age, etc.
Workplan
The workplan should include specific information and explanations of each of the planned project
activities. The duration of the project should be clearly stated, with considerable detail on the beginning
and the end of the project.
The implementing organisation
This section should describe the capabilities of the organisation by referring to its capacity and previous
project record. Describe why exactly your organisation is the most appropriate to run the project, its
connection to the local community, the constituency behind the organisation and what kind of expertise
the organisation can provide. If other partners are involved in implementation provide some information
on their capacity as well.
Budget
A budget is an itemised summary of an organisation’s expected income and expenses over a specified
period of time. It is nevertheless essential that financial officers comply clearly and punctually with a
funding organisation’s budgeting and reporting requirements.
Monitoring and evaluation
The project proposal should also indicate: how and when the project management team will conduct
activities to monitor the project’s progress; which methods will be used to monitor and evaluate; and who
will do the evaluation.
STRUCTURE OF PROJECT
PROPOSAL
Context/Background
Problem Statement
Objectives
Activities
Results
Target Group
Workplan
Implementing organisation
Budget
Monitoring and Evaluation
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23. GOVERNANCE ISSUES
Objectives
The objectives of this section are as follows;
• Ensure that Community Based Organisations (CBOs) comply with their constitutions or Deeds of
Trust
• Improve transparency and accountability
• Enhance image of the organisation
• Improve community buy-in into CBOs’ projects
• Ensure resolution and or prevention of potential internal conflicts
• Ensure continued commitment to the mission and vision of the CBOs
What is Governance?
In this handbook governance refers to the legal and administrative arrangements used to manage a CBO.
Governance relates to the management, administration and leadership structures within a CBO. Besides
structure, governance also establishes the process of managing or exercising authority within a CBO. In
terms of process, governance relates to the manner in which a Board of Trustees for example directs a
CBO.
Why is Governance Important?
Good governance ensures that the CBO successfully meets its objectives and goals. It is good governance
that appraises the performance of the management arm of the CBO and ensures that policies that enhance
growth are put in place. Without good governance, a CBO is likely to collapse due to internal fighting,
lack of a credible vision, absence of robust policies and lack of transparency and accountability. The
importance of governance can be better appreciated by considering its responsibilities. Governance is
expected to establish over-riding principles and objectives, develop policy and regulatory frameworks,
maintain the capacity to learn and change, manage stakeholder interaction, enforce decisions and define
conditions for the allocation of authority and resources.
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24. Common Institutional and Administrative Arrangements
Most CBOs are composed on different organizational structures. The majority have advisors or patrons,
Board of Trustees and a secretariat. Others have some key documents that guide the management of the
CBO. Below is a detailed explanation of these structures, their functions and how they should discharge
their duties.
Board of Trustees
Most CBOs that are registered as common law trusts, commonly referred to in Zimbabwe as community
trusts. They have a Board of Trustees established in terms of the Deed of Trust. The Board of Trustees is
made up of Trustees. The Board is in charge and directly accountable for the overall direction and
policies of the organisation. It is the Board that has the authority to develop, implement and ensure
adherence to policies. Ideally, the Board should be representative of the community although it is
important to take into account other critical skills set in-order to ensure continued growth of the
organisation. In addition to being in charge to overall policy and direction, the Board also has the duty of
managing stakeholder relationships. This means that it is the duty of the Board to manage the relationship
of the Community Based Organisation (CBO) with development partners, funding agencies, government,
local authorities and the community. The Board, while being the main governance arm of the
organisation, is ultimately responsible to the community which the CBO serves. The community is the
beneficiary of the CBO projects.
Powers of the Board
The Board of Trustees has the following powers; to purchase, lease or sell any property, to borrow and
raise money for the Trust, to open and operate banking and savings accounts, to accept any donation to
the trust, to employ and remunerate such officers as the Board may deem necessary to fulfill the objects
of the Trust, to appoint the head of the secretariat of the trust who may be called the Executive Director,
to revoke, amend or modify any of the rules for administration of the Trust, to enter into all such contracts
as shall serve to further the purposes and objects of the Trust, to cause a proper set of books and accounts
to be kept relevant to the affairs of the Trust which books and accounts will be audited annually by an
Auditor to be appointed by the Board of Trustees.
In summary the responsibilities of the Board of Trustees in most cases include:
• Determining the organisation’s mission and purpose
• Selecting the Executive Director
• Providing proper financial oversight
• Ensuring adequate resources (this includes taking an active role in fundraising)
• Ensuring legal and ethical integrity (ensuring transparency and accountability)
• Ensuring effective and results driven organisational planning
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25. • Enhancing the organisation’s public standing
• Determining, monitoring and strengthening the organisation’s programs and services
• Supporting the Executive Director and assessing the Executive Director’s performance.
Another key point to note is that trustees of smaller organisations may, by necessity, find themselves
more involved in the day to day operations of the organisation as the organisation will be growing and
facing capacity constraints to recruit other people to serve as the secretariat.
Board Meetings
The above responsibilities are largely carried out through the holding of meetings of the Board as
required by the Deed. It is during these meetings that discussions and adoption of resolutions take place.
The Board of Trustees acts as a body and individual Board members generally have no authority to bind
the organisation or take action on its behalf unless authority has been given by the Board. It is however,
important to note that some of the work of the Board may be accomplished outside of Board meetings as
Board members are expected to serve as advocates for the organisation in various fora. In-order to be
effective, Board members may need to meet with donors, the community and employees outside the
normal Board meetings.
General Meetings: The Board of Trustees shall meet to consider and administer the affairs of the Trust at
such times as they may determine from time to time. Some Deeds prescribe that the Board must meet not
less than four times in each year. In most cases the notice of every meeting is given in writing or sent by
e-mail or ordinary post to each Trustee not less than seven (7) days before the date of the meeting to give
trustees time to prepare. The notice will state the date, place and hour of the meeting and the nature of the
business to be transacted. The Board is required to cause proper minutes of the proceedings and
resolutions adopted during meeting to be kept and entered in a book provided for the purpose. In most
cases the minutes are taken by the Secretary of the Board.
Special Meetings: These could be meeting that may be convened by the Board to deal with urgent issues
affecting the operations of the CBO or community trust.
Annual General Meeting: The Trustees may call for an Annual General Meeting of the members of the
Trust once in every year. An annual general meeting may be called 30 days or such other time the trustees
feel is adequate before the meeting. The notice will specify the business of the meeting. The meeting
may be attended by community members who are the beneficiaries of the Trust.
Voting and Decisions of Board of Trustees: In most cases the quorum at an Annual General Meeting or
General Meeting or special meeting to proceed may be not be less than two thirds of the members.
However, in many cases trustees reach decisions by consensus. In some cases it can be the majority of the
total number of trustees available. If there is no consensus on an issue they may resort to a vote. If the
decision is left to a vote each Trustee shall have only one vote either by show of hands or even secret
ballot. Further, in the event of tie of votes on any issues some trusts may give the Chairperson a casting
vote which shall decide the issue and will be final.
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26. Sample Agenda
The agenda for the Board meeting must be circulated in advance and can take the format below
1. Opening of meeting and introductions (Chair)
2. Approval of minutes of previous meeting (secretary)
3. Reports and discussions ( the chair calls for reports from the treasurer, executive director ,
committees etc)
4. Old business to be brought up (chair)
A. Unfinished business from previous meetings
B. Motions that were tabled from previous meetings
5. New business-motions to be made for voting by the Board (Chair)
6. Adjournment
Building and Maintaining an Effective Board
An effective Board of Trustees understands the mission of the organisation, helps move the organisation’s
mission forward and understands and operates in accordance with legal responsibilities.
Dysfunctional or ineffective boards are typically characterised by one or more of the following:
• The Board does not have or does not abide by a regular meeting schedule
• Nothing much happens at Board meetings and many Board members do not attend
• Trustees do not understand the mission of the organisation and are not passionate about it
• The Trustees do not understand the financial underpinning of the organisation
• Trustees attempt to micro-manage staff
• There is a lack of trust and confidence between the Board and the Management
• Trustees speak disrespectfully of each other and of management
• A few Trustees dominate Board meetings
• The organisation is floundering or dying
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27. Below are some key questions that may assist the Board Members in ensuring good governance of
the CBO.
Checklist for the Board of Trustees;
1. Are you committed to helping advance the organisation’s mission and are you aware of the time
and resource commitments involved?
2. Do you have a copy of the organisation’s Deed of Trust and the mission statement and have you
read these? Does the Board periodically review these documents to make sure they are complying
with them?
3. Is there a Code of Conduct and have you gone through the document?
4. Are the financial performance and budget documents accessible, understandable and regularly
monitored by the Board?
5. Is the Board functioning effectively, with regular well attended and well run meetings addressing
important issues?
6. Does the Board review its own effectiveness?
7. Is there a Board orientation program or manual?
8. Are key staff members formally evaluated by the Chief Executive and those evaluations shared
with the Board?
Secretariat/Staff Members
Executive Director
The Board of Trustees appoints the Executive Director who is ultimately responsible for carrying out the
wishes of the Board and overseeing the implementation of projects. The Executive Director is
accountable for the work of staff and supports the work of the Board.
Staff
The staff is responsible for implementing projects and programmes that meet the needs of the community.
The staff does the work to ensure the realisation of the organisation’s objectives and goals and is
accountable to the Executive Director.
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28. SAMPLE ORGANOGRAM
Advisor/Patrons
Board of Trustees
Executive Director
Project Officers Accountant
Project assistant Messenger/Security
guard/General hand worker
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29. Key Governance Documents
Deed of Trust
The Deed of Trust is the main governance document within CBOs that are registered as common law
trusts or community trusts. The deed establishes the official status of the CBO as a non-profit
organisation. It is the deed that sets out the ‘constitution’ of the organisation. The Deed outlines the basic
operating rules for the organisation and spells out how the CBO is structured and governed. As an
example, the Deed sets out the minimum and maximum number of persons making up the Board of
Trustees, the number of times the Board has to meet, the setting up of Board Committees and the decision
making processes within the Board (e.g. voting). It is important for all the members of the Board of
Trustees to have full knowledge of the Deed and to strictly adhere to what is set out within the Deed in
terms of election of Board members and holding of Board meetings among other requirements.
Code of Conduct or Internal Regulations
The Code of Conduct helps to define what the organisation expects of Board Members and the Board as a
whole and what the Board expects of the management. The Code of Conduct may help the Board of
Trustees to deal with real and perceived conflicts and conflicts of interest within the organisation. It may
also help provide guidelines for dealing with sensitive information with other constituencies,
organisations and the press. It may also establish disciplinary procedures.
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30. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
This section is intended to lay the basis for sound financial controls for community based organisations so
that the funds are maintained prudently and conservatively. It aims at simplifying the financial and record
keeping practices. The section sets out some of the basic financial procedures, financial controls and
monitoring procedures designed to protect funds from misuse and loss and for safeguarding the assets of
the organization
Drafting a Project Budget
A project budget is normally drafted during the project development phase as an estimate of the potential
costs of implementing project activities. What this means is that all project activities should be budgeted
in order to achieve project objectives. Financial resources are a key input for all projects. In most cases
the following costs are budgeted for e.g. money for holding a consultation workshop to pay for the venue
and food for participants, salaries which will be used for paying staff members implementing the project
and administration costs which include funds for paying other expenses to be incurred by the organization
such as rentals.
Project Contract
Most donors draft a contract or agreement that will set out the terms and conditions on which the funds
awarded to an organization should be used. In most cases these terms and conditions restate the
expectations of the donor based on what the recipient organization would have stated it would accomplish
with the funds. The contract normally state when and how the grant recipient should report to the donor.
Reports that are normally required are financial reports and the donor will outline the reporting format
and the dates or frequency of reporting. Donor conditions and requirements vary and are not uniform so it
is important for the recipient or grantee to closely and thoroughly read the contract to enhance compliance
with the requirements.
Bank Accounts
Community Based Organisations should open bank accounts. If the organisation has more than one donor
or projects, it is advisable to open separate bank accounts for each project or donor. The purpose of
setting up separate bank accounts is to facilitate tracking and monitoring of expenditures incurred in
connection with grants. The bank accounts shall not be overdrawn. An account shall be deemed
overdrawn when the cashbook shows a credit balance. If the organization is to have a bank account, there
should be a panel of more than 3 signatories, of which at least 3 can sign. Signatories should be at least
the Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary.
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31. GOLDEN RULES OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
1. Always receipt all monies received
2. Always obtain receipts for payments made out
3. All financial dealings should be supported by a written record
4. Avoid situation where you are seen to be the beneficiary of all decisions or transactions
facilitated by yourself
5. Avoid leaving organization funds in insecure locations.
6. Avoid mixing organization funds with personal funds
7. Never borrow organization funds for personal use without authority
8. Avoid keeping organizational funds at home
9. Ensure that every transaction or decision you facilitate is transparent and does not raise
questions about your integrity
10. Keep incoming and outgoing money separately
KEY BOOKS OF ACCOUNTS TO BE KEPT
Receipt Book
This is a book in which all income received are receipted before use. All amounts not spent, (Change)
should be receipted for accountability. The information should appear on the receipt: the name of the
person or organisation from which the money will be coming from, amount, date and purpose.
Cashbook
A cashbook should be maintained. This is to account for all the receipts received and all the expenditure
incurred. Payments in the cash book should be subdivided e.g. travel expenses, project expenses,
stationery etc. In the cash book there are two sections, that is, the receipts side and the payments side. The
in information to be contained on the payment side should be the date on which the payment has been
made, the name of the organisation to which the payment will be made, description of the goods or
service being paid for and the amount. On the receipt side the re should be the date on the money has
been received, the name of the organisation from which the money will be coming from, purpose for the
money received and the amount received.
Petty Cash
Money should be set aside for Petty Cash, i.e. if the organization has a bank account. This is to cater for
expenses of small amounts. The imprest system should be used whereby the total amount of actual cash
available in the cashbox and the total of petty cash vouchers and receipts amount to the petty cash float
set by the organization. The custodian of the petty cash box is the treasurer and it should be locked in a
safe. Limits of expenses that qualify to be of petty cash should be set by the organization. Surprise petty
cash counts should be done by the Chairperson as often as possible and he should sign for it to show
isolation of responsibility. A petty cash register should be maintained where all the payments made using
the petty cash and all the reimbursements made will be recorded. This will also be used to reconcile the
petty cash where reimbursements are to be made.
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32. Asset Register
The Asset Register is a record of all the property, plant and equipment owned by the organization. The
assets must be separately identified in the assets register as those acquired under each of the projects.
Asset register shall contain the following details: date when asset was purchased or donated, full details of
asset including description and serial/registration number, cost of asset and place where asset is kept.
Invoice book
The invoice book is used to charge a customer who would have bought goods or services from the
organisation. The invoice will include the date, type, quantity and amount of the goods or services
purchased.
Requisition Book
This is used internally by staff members to make their requests for goods of services to be made available
for a project. The requisition form will be completed stating the description and quantity of goods or
services needed. This should also be approved before quotations are sourced.
Order Book
This is a book in which a request to the supplier is written for the supply of goods or services. An order is
written and approved after the quotations have been approved. On the order form, the quantity ,
description and price of the goods or service are written. This will then be given to the supplier so that he
can supply the goods or services.
EXPENDITURE CYCLE
• In cases where there is no involvement of invoices or receipts, an acknowledgement of receipt should
be prepared and it should be attached to the requisition. It should be signed by the person receiving
the money, and he should include his identity number and the date of receiving the money.
• For major purchases there should be 3 quotations for which the most favorable quotation is selected.
For a purchase to be considered major there has to be a limit for the organisation to distinguish
petty cash purchases from major purchases, eg if the set limit for petty cash purchases is US $100.00,
then all purchases of above US $100.0 will need to have 3 quotations.
• Petty cash voucher should be used for amounts tat are classified by the organization as petty cash.
• Change received for individuals’ should be receipted first before use.
• Salaries: A schedule of salaries should be prepared by the Treasurer and signed for authorization by
the Chairperson before processing. Salaries schedule should be in line with statutory requirements
such as payment of income tax, national social security scheme payments, AIDS Levy or voluntary
medical aid schemes. Tax deductions should be deducted if the gross salaries are within the tax
bracket. There is also need to note that all allowances are taxable.
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33. REPORTING
In order to ensure that the community based organization fulfills donor requirements and account to its
beneficiaries. Financial reports furnish the funding partner or donor with the progress being made by the
grantee in line with the project proposal and indicate the use of funds and compliance with grant
agreement. The following reports are to be compiled by the financial officer or treasurer;
• Financial Reports: The financial report shows the amount of funds that were received for certain
project activities, amounts spent and the balances left for those budgeted activities. Financial reports
can be prepared monthly, quarterly or annual. E.g. may be required by donors and should be drafted
in accordance with donor requirements. The format is usually shown in the grant agreement.
However, in the majority of cases financial reports should show the following details:
Activity Budgeted Expenses for this Cumulative Balance
Amount period Expenses
Consultation $3,000.00 $1,500.00 $2,100.00 $900.00
meeting
Financial Audit
The Community Based Organisation shall annually contract with an independent auditing firm, to audit
the annual financial records. The purpose of an audit is to get a reasonable assurance that the financial
statements are free of material misstatements. An audit is also done to assess the accounting principles
used and the significant estimates made by management as well as evaluating the overall financial
statement presentation. At the end of each financial year the organization is expected to engage an
external auditor to carry out an independent financial audit.
BOOKKEEPING AND RECORDKEEPING
• Cashbooks and ledgers should be properly maintained
• Requisitions should be filed in a sequential order
• Grant agreements and quarterly reports should be filed in their own file
• Minutes should also be filed in their own file according to dates
• Security and Custody: Security items include safe keys, vehicle registration books, spare keys,
order books, cashbooks, letterheads, asset registers, rubber stamps, receipt books, cheque books.
It is the responsibility of the Finance Officer or Treasurer to ensure that these security items are
secured and kept safely.
• Employee Files: This is a file which contains the information relating to the employee and the
information contained in this file is very confidential therefore it should be kept in a very secure
place. The following should be contained in each employee file, employment contract,
Curriculum Vitae, Educational certificates and national identity card.
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34. GLOSSARY
Advocacy: Advocacy can include many activities that a person or
organization undertakes to influence change of policy or practice
as well as allocation of resources within political, economic, and
social systems and institutions. It may include media campaigns,
public speaking, and publishing research or litigation2.
Budget: A budget is a forecast of expenses drawn up by an organisation
based on the project proposal. It outlines the project costs and
administration costs that the organization expects to spend. Most
organizational budgets include costs such as hiring the venue for
meetings, transport hire, communication, rentals and salaries.
Cultural Rights: Cultural rights are normally claimed by groups of people.
Cultural rights focus on groups such as religious and ethnic
minorities and indigenous societies. Cultural rights include a
group’s ability to preserve its way of life, such as child rearing,
continuation of language, and security of its economic base in
the nation, in which it is located. The cultural rights movement
has been popularized because much traditional cultural
knowledge has commercial value, like ethno-medicine,
cosmetics, cultivated plants, foods, folklore, arts, crafts, songs,
dances, costumes, and rituals3.
Environmental Rights: The content of environmental rights includes many elements that
the state is required to fulfill. The rights include the right for
people to a clean environment that is not harmful to health or
well-being. This means government must take necessary
protective steps and measures that prevent pollution and damage
to the environment, promote conservation, and balance
economic, social and environmental development. In particular,
it is important that people access clean water, breathe fresh air,
access and derive benefit from natural resources. Environmental
rights also include access to information on environmental
decision making processes, public participation in environmental
decision making processes and access to justice when their
environmental rights are violated.
Economic, Social and
2
Wikipedia; www.wikipedia.com
3
Ibid
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35. Cultural Rights: These rights in their nature require the state to provide
services to the people. They are also human rights.
Examples include, the the right to work, the right to the
enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work, the
right to join and form trade unions and to strike, the right
to social security, the right to protection of the family,
the right to an adequate standard of living, including
adequate food, clothing, and housing and the continuous
improvement of living conditions, the right to the
enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of mental
and physical health, the right to education and the right
to have culture protected.
Financial Management: Financial management is planning, directing, monitoring, organizing and
controlling the monetary resources of an organization
Grant Agreement: Is an agreement or contract that entered into by a donor and an
organisation that will be implementing a project. The agreement set out
the terms and conditions within which the project will be implemented.
In most cases the agreement states the duration of the project, the amount
of funds provided, the financial and narrative reporting requirements and
the expected results as indicated in the proposal submitted by the
implementing organisation.
Indicators: Indicators are the benchmarks, pointers, measures, numbers, facts,
opinions and perceptions used as yardstick to measure progress towards
achieving the project objectives. Indicators are used to determine the
degree to which results are being achieved in a project. They provide
evidence that a result has been achieved or a signal that progress is being
made towards achieving the result. They are also used to monitor or
check the success of the project.
Petty Cash: This is a sum of money that is kept at the office to cater for expenses of
small amounts that may arise. An organisation should set aside a specific
amount of money as petty cash. An organisation can set a limit on the
petty cash that can be kept at the office to cater for eventualities.
Project Cycle: Entails the various stages of a project which encompass the project
design, implementation, monitoring and closure.
Project Goal: A project goal is the vision of society that the project will contribute to
through implementing the project.
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36. Project Monitoring: It means to continuously check progress of project activities and finances
over a period of time. This will help project staff to know how things are
going, as well as giving early warning of possible problems and
difficulties in project implementation.
36