FUNDING UPDATES
• 2011
FINAL ROUND OF FUNDING APPROVED
THIS
YEAR’s final round of funding for the Micro Project Support Scheme (MPSS)
and the Project Support Scheme (PSS) has been approved.
Some 74 PSS and 28 MPSS applications requesting a total just under
€6m were submitted to Misean Cara by the mid November deadline. Of
these, 52 PSS and 22 MPSS applications were approved, giving an
approval rate of 70% and 79% respectively. The total number of
members who applied in 2011 was 68.
Eleven of 16 PSS re-submissions were approved. The only MPSS
application re-submitted was approved.
Total allocation of funds was just under €4.3m.
Thirteen members received the special support grant of up to €2000
to help them prepare and present their applications.
Members are advised to contact their Liaison Officers for further
information on this.
•
NEW FUNDING SCHEMES REVIEW UPDATE
THANK YOU to all members for your feedback on the new funding schemes
review. Consultation in reviewing the funding schemes was one of the most
collaborative exercises undertaken by Misean Cara. We thank the Liaison
Officer Support Group in particular for the very professional manner in
which they provided the prompt collective response from members to the
consultant’s report at the end of November.
The Misean Cara board agreed several actions in relation to funding
schemes at its meeting in Dublin on the 9th of December. PSS actions will be
dealt with first and include:
- Simplification of the application form
- Greater support and training for Liaison Officers in the
preparation of funding applications
- Removing the limit on the number of applications per member per
year
- Two and possibly three rounds of PSS per annum.
BOARD UPDATE
•
REPORT FROM DECEMBER BOARD
MEETING IN DUBLIN
THERE
was a board meeting in Dublin on Friday December 9th.
The agenda was large including funding approval and members’ feedback to the
funding schemes review. A second board ‘Communiqué’ was issued to members
and employees following the meeting and detailed key decisions made.
PRE-CONTRACT CONDITIONS AND LEARNINGS
OF the projects approved for funding, many have conditions to be met
before contracts are signed. The conditions include clarity around
- budget
- supporting documentation
- how needs of marginalised are addressed
- sustainability
- intended use of the service.
Some projects must report on steps taken to ensure
access for the poor is achieved and on expected results to be achieved by
the project.
Applications were rejected because of poor presentation, insufficient
justification for the project, concern about access for the poor, and a
model not in line with good practice.
The board noted that the overall quality of applications is improving with
better information being provided. There was also a substantially reduced
number of queries received by staff regarding the on-line system during the
period leading up to the submission deadline.
AUDIT REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY MEMBERS
ON the recommendation of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee the board
decided that the requirement to have audited accounts, based on the CHY
number of member organisations receiving funding over €100K in any year,
prepared and available for inspection by Misean Cara be retained but with
the following options:
- A member organisation can submit their general or consolidated audited
accounts to Misean Cara, or
- They may submit the sections of such accounts relevant to the funding
provided by Misean Cara. In this option, the audited accounts will be made
available to Misean Cara for inspection, if so requested.
JOINT AGENDA BUILDING (JAB)
THE specific recommendations from the Working Groups presented on 20 Oct
have been accepted by the Misean Cara board. Based on the priorities
identified on the day and the volunteers who offered to work on them, three
new Working Groups have been established.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2012
The board will be meeting for a think-in on 3rd of February to commence the
process of writing a new strategic plan in 2012.
CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING
•
MISEAN CARA TRAINING UPDATE IN AFRICA
|
 
Participants in Misean Cara Project Cycle Management training in South Africa this month. Photo DTALK. |
FIELD-BASED project personnel from Misean Cara
member organisations who are responsible for writing project proposals for
submission to Misean Cara took part in Project Cycle Management and Proposal
Development courses in two centres in Africa in November and December. The
courses aimed to give participants an understanding of the basic project
cycle management principles and enable them to apply to Misean Cara new
funding schemes.
The training organisation DTALK has been
commissioned by Misean Cara to carry out these trainings.
The first training, in South Africa, was held
from 21st-25th November in the Good Shepherd Retreat Centre in
Hartebeespoort, Gauteng, South Africa. The24 participants on this course
came from all over South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Facilitators were Ellen Tijkotte, MDF and Niamh Rooney, Kimmage DSC.
The course received excellent evaluations from
participants. The course participants were split about 75:25 from Misean
Cara member organisations and non-member organisations. According to Niamh
Rooney this made for some really interesting discussions and added value to
the training. Niamh said: ‘This particular training had a real mix of
participants which brought great energy to the group.’
|
Participants in Misean Cara PCM training in Ghana this month. Photo: DTALK |
The Ghana training was held in Yiri Lodge,
University of Ghana, South Legon, Accra from 5th-9th December. There were 26
participants on this course from Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone. It was
facilitated by Jan de Vries, MDF and Niamh Rooney, Kimmage DSC. Again the
participant evaluations were excellent. All participants on this training
were from Misean Cara member organisations. The participants travelled long
distances to attend the training via car, ferry, bus and a combination of
all modes of transport and must be commended for their commitment in
undertaking such arduous journeys to attend.
There were 2 Child Protection for Liaison
Officers trainings held in Kimmage Manor in October and November, with 28
Liaison Officers attending.
There were also 2 Child Protection for
Missionaries trainings held in August and November with a total of 28 Misean
Cara members attending. Both trainings were facilitated by Peter Dixon,
INTRAC and Grace Kelly, Kimmage DSC.
Child Protection for Missionaries training is
scheduled to take place at Kimmage Manor from 20th-22nd March 2012.
Applications can be made through the DTALK website.
For further information please contact Niamh
Rooney at
niamh.rooney@kimmagedsc.ie
•
CAPACITY BUILDING PLANNING
Work on developing a policy
on capacity development is continuing. Thanks to members for your input to
the consultation to date. There will be further consultations in order to
focus on the key areas where Misean Cara can best support member efforts and
the most appropriate mechanisms for doing so.
GENERAL MISEAN CARA NEWS
•
MISEAN CARA MONITORS PROJECTS
IN ETHIOPIA
|
Fr. Martin Kelly CSSp (left) and Fr. Paddy Moran CSSp (2nd from right) show Zélie Mc Grath (Misean Cara Project Officer) and Seamus O' Gorman (Misean Cara Deputy CEO) around the Spiritans' Integrated Community based Development Programme (ICDP) in Arba Minch, Ethiopia. It was one of several Misean Cara supported projects visited during a monitoring trip to Ethiopia in November. |
Misean Cara staff Seamus O' Gorman (Deputy CEO)
and Zélie Mc Grath (Project Officer) conducted a monitoring visit to
Ethiopia in November (November 3rd- 11th.) The visit was part of Misean
Cara's aim to promote a learning culture - both internally and within the
member organisations.
The visit centred on two main geographical
areas: Addis Ababa and Arba Minch. Within these areas the visit focused on
three Member Organisations:
The following Misean Cara supported projects
were visited:
-
Gebermichael Youth Centre, Addis Ababa (De
La Salle Brothers)
-
St. Joseph's School, Nazareth (De La Salle
Brothers)
-
Meki Agricultural Centre (De La Salle
Brothers)
-
Food Security project, Integrated
Community-based Development Programme, Dega Chengie (Spiritans)
-
Gatse Health Centre (Spiritans)
-
Community-based Family-focused Woman's
Empowerment Project, Addis Ababa (Good Shepherd Sisters)
The visits to the projects included meetings
with the various stakeholders who are involved in the project
stages/activities including staff, management, women's groups, elders,
teachers, youth, etc., as well as walk-abouts around the projects.
Seamus and Zélie also held a meeting for all
Member Organisations who are currently working in Ethiopia. This meeting was
kindly facilitated by the Irish Embassy in Addis Ababa. 19 persons attended
from 9 different Member Organisations. The meeting was an important
opportunity allowing Misean Cara staff and the Member Organisations in
Ethiopia to meet and discuss the work of Misean Cara, the funding schemes,
the challenges that Members face whilst working in development in Ethiopia
and ways in which Misean Cara can assist.
Misean Cara would like to thank the Member
Organisations visited and their local staff for facilitating our visits -
and especially for your wonderful hospitality.
•
MEDIA COVERAGE OF MISEAN CARA
PROJECTS IN UGANDA
|
Sr Bernadette McArdle RSCJ, Kangole Girls Senior Secondary School, Karamoja, Uganda. Photo by Jean Curran. |
MISEAN CARA’s October press trip to Uganda has
resulted in several media articles.
An article by Jody Clarke was published on 31st
October 2011 in the Irish Times on the work of Misean Cara members at St
Bernadette’s primary school near Jinja in the east of the Uganda. Misean
Cara financed a new school building, turning the school into one of the most
popular in the area, and the most successful in the district.
To read more
please click here to view the Irish Time's article.
Former Misean Cara Communications Officer,
Denise O’Donovan accompanied three journalists representing a number of
national and regional newspapers on the trip to showcase how taxpayers’
money was being put to good use through our members’ work.
The five-day visit included visits to projects
in Kampala, Masaka, Mbarara, Mukono and Jinga. The member organisations
whose projects were visited included the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus and Mary, the Jesuit Fathers, the Medical Missionaries of Mary, the
Daughters of Mary and Joseph and the Religious of the Sacred Heart.
Further articles will be referenced in future
editions of MissionAid and will be made available on the
Misean
Cara Facebook page.
•
ORGANISATIONAL RESTRUCTURING AT
MISEAN CARA
A REVIEW of staff is underway to consider staff roles and
responsibilities going forward.
Communications Officer Denise O’Donovan moved on to take up a position
with Irish Aid. The vacancy will not be filled immediately as any new
appointment will be dependent on the review of functions within Misean Cara.
Research and Evaluations Manager Dervla King went on maternity leave in
November and has since given birth to a bouncing baby girl.
OTHER NEWS
•
IRISH AID BUDGET 2012
AT the time of writing Misean Cara has not been informed by Irish Aid
what impact the cut in their budget will have on our grant allocation for
2012. We will be informed in January.
In these circumstances and consistent with the organisational
re-structuring, a review of all our costs is being carried out to identify
potential savings.
•
CONTINUED
COMMITMENT TO OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT IN BUDGET
THANKS to all Misean Cara members who supported the national Act Now on
2015 campaign by speaking out against cuts to Ireland’s aid budget in
November.
The overseas aid budget for 2012 will stand at .5% of national income.
ACT Now on 2015 campaign coordinator James O’Brien says "This demonstrates
the government’s continued commitment to overseas development and it keeps
the target of 0.7% by 2015 within reach despite very difficult economic
conditions."
In the weeks leading up to Budget 2012, supporters of the campaign sent
over 5000 emails to their TDs. Some 14 TDs raised parliamentary questions on
overseas aid, with very positive responses. The campaign also organised
meetings with cabinet ministers to remind them of our commitment to overseas
aid.
|
 
Politicians from across the parties show their support to overseas aid, highlighting that our overseas aid budget
equates to just 52 cents out of every €100 of national income. |
On September 29, a group of TDs and Senators took part in a photocall at
Leinster House to show their support for the campaign. The photo highlighted
the fact that our overseas aid budget equates to just 52 cents out of every
€100 of national income. The campaign also held a briefing for staff and
supporters of member organisations.
Act Now collected stories to illustrate the impact that Irish NGOs have in
some of the world’s poorest countries. These stories, and photos of our
members’ work, were sent to all TDs the week before the budget. That same
week, 82 TDs and Senators signed a letter calling for our national
commitment on overseas aid to be defended and maintained.
•
SR RITA IS HONOURED FOR HER
HUMANITARIAN WORK IN BRAZIL
SR
RITA Rodrigues Pessoa, RSHM, was recently honoured with an Opus Prize for
her humanitarian work with small land owners and agricultural workers in the
north east of Brazil.
The annual OPUS Prize award ceremony was hosted at Loyola Marymount
University in the United States on Wednesday November 2nd.
Sr Rita Pessoa, RSCM, founded the Association of Small Rural Producers of
Jacaré in Brazil in 1997 with the objective of promoting cultural,
educational, and social activities to combat the migration of youth and
father figures to shanty towns in urban centers and their subsequent
involvement in drugs and prostitution.
With Sr Rita's vision and ability to address the drought conditions of
the region, the Association has constructed Casa da Polpa and Casa de
Farinha to commercialise the region's fruit and cassava (manioc) crops,
ensuring sustainability.
It works with small landowners and fruit growers, provides educational,
nutritional and culinary courses, and buys the fruits and cassava from the
local people for processing and distribution. Misean Cara has allocated co-
funding support to fund the good work of this organisation in the past.
We would like to congratulate Sr Rita, her colleagues and the Religious
of the Sacred Heart of Mary for this significant achievement.
•
ZAMBIAN EDUCATION MINISTER PAYS
A VISIT TO MEMBERS
THE
NEW Minister for Education in Zambia – Dr John Phiri paid a special visit to
the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary last month.
Minister Phiri called to the Lake Road Community of the Sisters on
Thursday November 3rd to discuss with the sisters their work in Zambia, in
particular the special needs school at Bauleni Street Kids Project in
Lusaka.
He was officially greeted by Sr Elizabeth Dawson, SSHJM,
Congregational Leader and Mrs Mikela Mukogolwna, Head Teacher at Bauleni, as
well as a number of other members of the congregation.
Dr. Phiri was a former colleague of Sr Elizabeth and has a keen
interest in education for children and young adults with special needs.
•
SR MIRIAM DUGGAN HONOURED WITH
ALUMNI AWARD
UNIVERSITY
College Cork medical graduate, Sr Miriam Duggan was honoured by the
university at its 2011 Alumni Achievement Awards Ceremony on November
25th along with outstanding achievers in business, medicine and science.
Sr Miriam has dedicated her life to combating HIV/AIDS in Africa,
spending 30 years in Uganda.
She is a member of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa and was
Medical Superintendent at St Francis’s Hospital, Nsambya, Kampala in Uganda
for 30 years.
In response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in 1987, she founded Youth
Alive in an effort to address the root causes for the spread of HIV and help
young people to make responsible choices and avoid getting AIDS.
This prevention programme has been focused on reducing the rate of
HIV/AIDS in Uganda and subsequently, it has been adopted by organisations in
21 other African countries.
Sr Miriam has also been honoured for her work by Harvard University
and Holy Cross College in the US and was presented with a recognition award
from the President and Parliament of Uganda in 2008.
Congratulations Sr Miriam and the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for
Africa.
a) Misean Cara Reminders
• Misean Cara’s Dublin offices will be closed over Christmas and will
reopen on January 3rd
• First round of 2012 funding – towards end of March 2012. The date will
be announced in early 2012
b) Irish Training events and courses
|
i)
Training at Dtalk: Development Studies Centre in Dublin |
January 2012
• Child Rights Based Approaches/Child Rights Programming – 25th to 27th
February 2012
• Applying the Dóchas Code of Conduct on the Use of Images and Messages –
7th
• Learn to Debrief Humanitarian Workers Effectively – 13th to 14th
March 2012
• Child Protection for Missionaries at Kimmage Manor – 20th to 22nd
Please note:
- Misean Cara will cover 100% of the subsided cost of the approved
training courses.
- Any training course selected should be in support of your
organisation's development work.
- All applications need to be submitted to and approved by the Liaison
Officer before being submitted to D-Talk.
- Once approved by the Liaison Officer the courses can be applied for
directly on the D-Talk website (www.dtalk.ie):
http://www.dtalk.ie/applyingforcourses/applyonline/.
For Further Information Contact: +353 (0)1 406 4307. Email
dtalk@kimmagedsc.ie. Website:
www.dtalk.ie
|
ii) KODE
Training in 2011 |
MEMBERS
interested in training opportunities can avail of KODE courses through
funding from Misean Cara.
KODE courses are practical, learner-centered and skills-based, so
participants can apply their learning to their work immediately.
Members can include the cost of participating in a KODE course when applying
for Development Grant project funding from the PSS and the MPSS. Applicants
can also apply for KODE courses through an In Country Training application.
If the application is approved, funding for the KODE course will be
transferred to the member organisation, which will become responsible for
making the payment.
Applications forms, details of course fees, course outlines, tutor profiles,
recent participant feedback are all available on the KODE website:
www.kodeonline.com.
For further information please contact the coordinator of KODE Deirdre at
deirdre.healy@kimmagedsc.ie.
|
iii) For further information and general information regarding development meetings,
courses and events in Ireland, please check out the Dochas Wednesday Weekly news
on their website:
http://www.dochas.ie
|
MissionAid
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line to
dodonovan@miseancara.ie.For more information on Misean Cara and the
latest news, please go to
www.miseancara.ie.
Misean Cara gratefully acknowledges the funding support of
ON BEHALF of the Board and staff of Misean Cara I would like to
thank members for your encouragement and willing
co-operation during 2011. I wish you and your families a very happy
and holy Christmas as we look forward together to the challenges of
supporting the poor and the marginalised during 2012. With every
good wish,