RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR GOVERNMENT PROJECTS Presented by: Irene Ng’ong’a ICPAK PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR

Resources are the inputs that are used in the activities of a program Mobilization is "the process of forming crowds, groups, associations, and organizations for the pursuit of collective goals. Organizations do not "spontaneously emerge" but require the mobilization of resources. RESOURCE MOBILISATION IS GREATER THAN FUNDRAISING

 Resource mobilization the process by which resources are solicited by the program & provided by donors & partners. It includes; natural, physical, human, social resources & most commonly financial resources.  In kind resources e.g. provision of office space, seconded staff, or partner participation at board meeting are second level of resources

Resource mobilization means expansion of relations with the resource providers, and the skills, knowledge and capacity for proper use of resources. Also includes seeking new sources of resource mobilization as well as correct and maximum use of the available resources

 Submitting proposals to a typical donor agency is the most conventional way of getting support  Organizing fundraising events where you invite guests and request donations for your organization  Donation boxes where you request small amounts of money from public  Collecting in-kind contribution such as used clothes, furniture, books, vehicles or even buildings

1. Assessment of the current situation 2. Identifying required resources for the project 3. Comparing what is needed and what is available to determine the gaps 4. Identifying potential sources of needed resources 5. Outlining best strategies for approaching stakeholders (donors and partners) 6. Outlining monitoring and review mechanisms. 7. Documentation of all activities FOLLOWING ALL STEPS ENSURES A SOUND RESOURCE MOBILISATION PLAN.

 Link with the organization's overall strategy  Projects to push the vision;  Reviewing existing resource mobilization efforts;  Defining what activities to be carried out;  Determining what it should take to carry out the activities;  Clarifying expected deliverables. AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT SITUATION PLACES THE PROJECT WITHIN THE BROADER CONTEXT

 List all resources needed for the project  Review and list all resources available to ensure that all resources are considered  Human – skills, capacities, equipment  Compare needs with existing resources and note gaps

 Identifying donors and partners  Matching their scope and interest with the requirements of the project (resource mobilization environment search and donor mapping).  Considering ethical issues – seeking to understand the underlying principles of the donor versus values of the organisation.

 Type of potential donors determines approach former donors:  We have worked with them before;  We need to build on existing relationships.  New donors:  We need to sell our organization to them;  We need to create new relationships.

Assessment of interest  Targeting associates (Informal)  Telephone calls  Electronic mails  Meetings over tea or lunch Create new relationships (Formal)  Appointments to make introduction  Introductory letters Proposal  Sending a formal proposal to a donor with interest ensures better chances of success. ALL EFFORTS MUST BE COORDINATED

 All stages and activities must be documented  It is crucial to include metrics at each stage  Expected deliverables should be indicated for each activity;  Lack of monitoring can be costly. OAU Story OAU WAS AN EARLY STARTER BUT MAINLY DUE TO LACK OF A COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE, THE PROJECT FAILED

 The global economy is facing a crises  Aid will not flow freely  Resource mobilization becomes a harder task  Internal budgets shrink  Opportunistic grants become scarce.  Donors are more frugal  Competition becomes fierce  Recession ≠ No funding but it means that:  Projects need to be well thought out, attractive and strategically relevant NEW STRATEGIES NEED TO BE SOUGHT AND IMPLEMENTED

 The desired outcome - digitized knowledge for development in Africa - is noble  The African Union is working towards integrating Africa  Regional Economic Communities (RECs) want to achieve regional integration.  Knowledge and information are strategic assets for integration THE STAGE IS SET FOR ACTION

RM process is generally governed by legal agreements at various stages  Parameters or rules established by the partners at the inception of the program and recorded in the charter or initiating legal documents e.g. requiring a donor to contribute a minimum amount per year in order to have a seat in the governing body.

 Specification that funds cannot be accepted from private sector sources, or only under certain conditions  Requirement that’s separate accounts for different expected uses of funds which would affect recording of deposits.

 Refers to all processes that govern the recording and use of funds, including allocation process, crediting and debiting of accounts, controls that restrict use and accounting and periodic financial reporting systems.  FM also includes the processes which ensure that funds are used for the intended purposes.

Review should be done both form static & dynamic perspective. Static perspective The financial resources at any point in time are the major input that determines results and analyzing their sources and uses is an essential part of tracking progress and attributing results to the program.

 The processes of formulating the resource mobilization strategy, managing the peculiarities of responding to diverse donor cycles and committing and allocating funds need to be examined in their own right because they affect the ability of the program to achieve its objectives on a larger scale or new ways.

 Descriptions of the sources and uses of public and private funds  Assessment on how the patterns of financing have affected the scope, reach and results of the programs achieved.  Analysis of the allocation processes and any effects that donor restrictions have had on achievement of the program’s objectives

 Assessment of the strategy of the program- the degree to which the programs RM strategy & execution is adequate to meet the needs of the program to achieve the desired scale. E.g. assessment of governance.  Assessment of the degree to which the financial management system and financial reporting are meeting the expectation of donors as it can have a significant effect on mobilizing resources.

Link between governance and financing  Are there financial requirements like minimum contributions that condition membership in the governing body? Does participation of some donors on the governing bodies discourage other donors form contributing?  Should different roles for different types of donors (e.g. private sector & individuals) be considered?

 Role of the governing body in mobilizing resources: Is the governing body appropriately exercising its role in a) Guiding the formulation of the RM strategy responsive to strategic direction b) Setting policy rules regarding acceptance of tied funds, private sector funds. c) Staying open to possibility of new donors.

 The prospects for beneficiary country or local partners to make financial contributions to the program now or in the future Does RM strategy address this issue? Has a timeline been established for the country partners to take over more responsibility for financing and implementation of program activities at both national and regional levels.

The quality of financial management and accounting  Have financial management systems met all standards of trustees and contributing donors?  Are financial reporting and auditing arrangements satisfactory?  Do the recorded categories of expenditures facilitate adequate monitoring and attribution of costs to activities and results?

The methods,criteria and processes for allocating funds  Are the processes and criteria being applied?  To what extent have these evolved over time in response to new priorities or objectives.  How effective and efficient are these processes?

Africa depends on external resources because domestic savings fall short of current investment needs. Given that this gap will not be closed quickly, most African countries will continue to rely on external resources in the near future. Better public resource mobilisation is thus not an alternative to aid; they must go together.

 The challenge is for African countries and their partners to end the vicious circle of aid dependence that shifts government accountability away from citizens towards donors. Instead, they need to start a virtuous circle of aid working to make itself redundant, by supporting public resource mobilisation. Video link: r9bc

 A good RM strategy and evaluation should compare the costs and benefits of constraints imposed by donors. On the other hand, the need to accommodate donors preferences, expressed through tied funding arrangement or earmarking, can constrain program wide priotization process and result inefficient allocation of resources.

Channeling the additional funds through the program rather than to uncoordinated parallel activities may have important benefits, such as expanding the scale or scope of the program, adopting a new, special focus for the program, or better aid coordination.

THANK YOU