BOARD SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP FOR SEGAL FAMILY FOUNDATION PARTNERS

On the 28th -30th of August 2017, CBLI was asked to facilitate a board sensitization workshop for its partners in East Africa.  This was done during their African visionary fellowship summit where a diverse group of some 22 Segal Family Foundation (SFF) partners met together for three days of learning and networking.

The aim of the board training was to increase understanding and commitment to a purposeful and productive working relationship between the management of the organization and it’s Board, particularly coming to an understanding and taking responsibility of shared accountability and ownership as an organization.

Some of the immediate issues that came out of the workshop were:-

  • Board selection: the participating organizations declared that the selection process for board members was not done purposefully nor deliberately. The board, being a capacity that the organization needs to tap into needed to be picked based on the specific needs of the organization at that particular moment.
  • Another major issue was role of boards versus the role of the CEO seemed to be overriding one another in most organizations. The question therefore was how to clearly differentiate and separate the two roles that should complement each other and not compete.

Specifically the board training session will assist an organization to:

  1. To create awareness of alternative leadership practices that work effectively to sustain organizational values and purpose;
  2. To clarify board roles for board effectiveness and good governance;
  3. To plan priority action steps for further leadership development of the board and management staff of an organization.

Specific outcomes of a board training

  1. Better clarity of current questions for board leadership and areas that will require deeper developmental interventions;
  2. Increased understanding of the importance of shared leadership/transformational leadership;

Eastern Africa Organizational effectiveness capacity building for social justice CSOs

The long-term goal of this work is to support organizations in the Eastern Africa Region to become demonstrably more sustainable, adaptable, and effective at achieving their social justice missions. Through this work, CBLI Centre will become a centre of excellence in providing organizational development and leadership support in Eastern Africa.

The short-term outcomes within the grant period are

  1. 80% of the CSOs have achieved functional and mid-level capacity change
  2. 20% of the CSOs have developed transformed capabilities
  3. A functional community of practice of social justice leaders is established
  4. CBLI expands and strengthens its capacity to serve the East African social justice organizations

The key interventions will include an empowering organizational mapping process that will identify the specific organizational development needs. These shall inform the development of tailored organizational development plans for all the 24 organizations. It is anticipated that each organization will be supported through various interventions for an average of 30 consultancy days. The interventions are likely to include training in specific competences, workshops, group coaching, seminars and write-shops, peer-mentorship and executive leadership coaching.

Interventions will also include supporting 24 CSO leaders to form a community of practice of social justice leaders. Key activities will include consultations with the CSO leaders, establishing relationship with an International Leadership Institute, setting up an online platform, organize 2 online annual events and 1 biannual face to face workshop.

McKnight Foundation: Collaborative Crop Research Programme

The Managing Director of CBLI Centre serves as the Regional Representative for the Southern Africa for McKnight’s Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Programme. This entails responsibility for M&E and grant management. The portfolio ranges from 11-15 projects in Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique. The responsibility also includes organizing an annual community of practice meeting of national and International agricultural researchers to share research finds and best practices. CBLI Centre has also managed approximately 500,000 US$ on behalf of the Foundation for hosting workshops and meetings in the Region (2012 to date).

SWISSAID Tanzania: Institutional Strengthening of Beneficiary Partners

This is a 2 year project (2017/18) that CBLI Centre is implementing In collaboration with Molly’s Network and Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) training center in Morogoro to build capacity of 8 beneficiary small holder farmer organizations in Mtwara Tanzania. Interventions will include organizing a leadership and management workshop and follow up mentorship and coaching in Mtwara.