Page 59 - Sirmooree Digital Book

and we want to hear about the problems as well as the successes. If the
six-monthly reports we require arrive with only good news we send it
back and ask for a more truthful account! Good communication builds
confidence and trust between partners and poor communication can
destroy an otherwise worthy project. Oversight of implementation is
also critical – and here some INGOs display a weakness. Many
individual donors do not realize that it is often not Christian Aid,
Oxfam, Action Aid or World Vision who implement the project on the
ground but a local NGO or Community Based Organisation (CBO),
and therefore oversight of this work by the INGO is critical - but in our
experience not always as thorough as it should be. Indeed in one
instance involving one of the aforesaid INGOs the CBO was
embezzling our money from the project without the INGO knowing
and it took a visit by one of our field staff to bring the whole issue to
light. We withdrew our funding.
Post Funding Evaluation (PFE) is perhaps the most useful measure of
success and we have a continuing programme of PFE. A revolving
micro-credit programme should revolve indefinitely, so we may be
looking at projects in 25 years time. I recently re-visited a project with
the Saigon Children’s Charity near the Cu Chi tunnels used by the Viet
Cong about two hours from Saigon. The project had been introduced to
us by the Editor when he was working with the British Executive
Service Overseas – and I am happy to report that ten years after we
funded improvements to the school it was in excellent condition with
an energetic and resourceful Principal and staff.
As advice for individual donors I would urge you to identify a good
local NGO (go on-line: most have websites) working in a country and
sector (healthcare, education, income generation etc) and to fund them
directly rather than going through an INGO where it is very difficult to
trace where your money is going. And avoid UNICEF – in my view the
most trying child of the UN family!
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