PVO/NGO initiatives Project (PIP): USAID/Africa Bureau

DATEX strengthened the relationship between Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and USAID missions and local governments throughout Africa by conducting workshops on financial management for PVO, NGO, and local government officials in Ghana and Kenya. Participants came from throughout Africa.

DATEX assisted in the formulation of Financial Manager's self-help groups to foster post-workshop networking among the financial professionals in the PVOs, NGOs, and cooperating governments. DATEX has developed and managed an innovative small grants program for USAID promoting U.S. PVO-African NGO partnership activities. DATEX developed the criteria, publicized and managed the solicitation of proposals, performed preliminary reviews and facilitated the final selection by an USAID Review Committee. DATEX monitored both the efficiency of the small grant-making process, and the impacts of individual grant activities.

DATEX's conducted a major study to examine the recent track record of thirteen USAID-supported PVO/NGO umbrella projects in Africa, to document the diversity of approaches, to identify their successful as well as their dysfunctional aspects, to assist in identifying design options for future projects, and to provide the basis for developing strategies with regard to this and other funding mechanisms.

Also under the PIP project, DATEX presented a Development Advocacy Workshop for NGOs in Zimbabwe. The purpose of this workshop was to explore and develop methodologies for indigenous NGOs to become more active participants in national and regional dialogue about public policy that affect their target groups. The workshop defined "advocacy" as applied to NGOs, identified and analyzed current development issues, and developed a strategy and approach which NGOs could utilize. Participants included representatives of NGOs from Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa.