TEPPIA Provides Institutional Capacity Building Support To Catholic Relief Service (Crs) Partners

The Tamale Ecclesiastical Province Partnership In Action (TEPPIA) in partnership with Catholic Relief Service (CRS) provides institutional capacity building support to CRS local partners through the Local Empowerment and Action for Development (LEAD) project for a period of five months. Partners who received the institutional capacity strengthening support were: Caritas Ghana, Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Development Organisation (NABOCADO), Centre for Conflict Transformation and Peace-Building Service (CECOTAPS), Tamale Archdiocesan Development Organisation (TADO) and Sharing, Education and Learning for Life (SELL) Ghana.

TEPPIA, leveraging on its existing relationship with the Church and the recently developed CRS’ PCSS 2020-2024, identified the capacity needs of these partners and facilitated the development of an action plan that both look at the short and long-term opportunities which ensure that local Church partners have improved capacity or resource mobilization planning and prime readiness

The Ghana Country Program (CP) of the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) outlined a Local Empowerment and Action for Development (LEAD) project aimed at strengthening the organizational capacity of selected Church partners to improve their capacity for resource mobilization, planning and prime readiness to take advantage of donor funding opportunities to scale up their services. This requires the ability to: deliver projects efficiently and effectively; that they are knowledgeable of the evolving donor environment and requirements; are able to compete for grants and possess the systems and practices that meet donor expectations for quality and timeous reporting; and that they take the appropriate steps to position themselves for growth in the future.

The LEAD project is in line with CRS’ “Partnership and Capacity Strengthening Strategy (PCSS) 2020-2024” which aim is to: Strengthen and cultivate quality relationship with local partners; strengthen the capacity of these partners to manage programs and deliver services effectively; and to enable the organisations themselves to be stronger institutionally including being better positioned to attract donor funds.

TEPPIA contributed to three interrelated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Firstly, to strengthen the capacity of local Church partners to manage programs according to donor requirements and to improve project delivery and management. Secondly, to strengthen the organizational capacity of Church Partners, particularly for resource mobilization. And finally, to strengthen the capacity of local Church partners to prepare and position them to secure direct funding from donors/governments. These Key Performance Indicators were delivered through rapid organizational assessment, workshops that address actions needed for systems strengthening focusing on financial management, risk management, resource mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation and practical exercises in preparation for grant applications to specific donors such as USAID, as well as strategic leadership and planning.

With support from the CRS Country Representative, Head of Programs, Programming and Operation Staff, TEPPIA effectively managed Church relationships and ensured coordination between CRS and its partners. TEPPIA established a safe environment for sharing of ideas, solutions and difficulties, and the capacity to detect, analyse and respond quickly to deficiencies, as well as identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS partners.

A successful assessment and workshops were conducted and each organization identified the capacity gaps in relation to its: governance and legal status, strategic planning, organisational culture, organisational structure, organisational management, risk management, financial management, relationship with donors, organisational sustainability, financial and resource sustainability, financial systems, documentation and record-keeping, asset management and internal controls. TEPPIA developed a risk assessment framework guide for institution-wide risk assessment and helped CRS partner organizations to develop a comprehensive capacity improvement action plan with timelines.