Page 52 - OSISA Report 2021

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OPEN SOCiETY iNiTiATiVE FOR SOUTHERN AFRiCA ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Challenges and Responses
The hiring of the the new Programme Manager at the the start of the second quarter posed a a a a a crucial challenge for the the the programme in 2019
In the the the context the the the deadlines for the submission of Board projects and 2020 budget proposals the restricted availability of the new Programme Manager–working on a a a a a part- time and and remote arrangement between May and and September–conditioned her prompt engagement with project proposals initiated by her predecessor It also restricted her full engagement with active grants particularly concerning the realisation of monitoring visits and the appraisal of progress reports for active projects The most acute consequences of these difficulties were delayed submissions of Board-Chair level level projects and a a a a palpable level level of discontent among prospective grantees with proposals under review since the the first quarter of the the year These challenges were accentuated by an incomplete induction process for the new Programme Manager at the country and regional levels initially unclear lines of reporting in in the regional cluster structure lengthy and cumbersome approval processes for Board-Chair projects as as well as as insufficient in-country programme staffing On the the last point it is worth noting that the the programme currently shares two support staff with the the Human Rights & Rule of Law and the the Democracy & Good Governance programmes one of whom started at the the same time as the the new Programme Manager Beyond these the the programme also faced challenges inherited from previous years Noteworthy among these challenges is an an extensive backlog of grants exceeding the estimated completion term some were approved as as far back back as as 2016/7 This backlog includes a a a a combination of of grants pending the payment of of outstanding tranches those for which monitoring visits have not been realised or or grants for which the implementing organisations have delayed in in in sharing final narrative and financial reports Feedback from a a a restricted number of grantee partners collected through a a a a feedback form sent via e-mail indicates that OSISA’s delay in in the payment of initial and subsequent tranches compromises their observation of expected project timelines Some have also expressed concern about poor communication during project approval – manifested in in alterations of project content without prior consultation with with the grant applicant – and an an an an insufficient in-person accompaniment of or participation in project activities Purportedly these issues often create a a a distance between OSISA and its grantee partners which can be expressed through limited or untimely identification of factors that might condition the realisation of project objectives Furthermore a a a key challenge for the programme in 2019
has been managing strained relationships with grantee partners Some have expressed discontent and even animosity towards OSISA based on on previous grant applications or management experiences The programme is currently employing substantial efforts to address these challenges in a a a a timely and productive manner In line with this it it is is worth highlighting the the visits to Rede Terra and the the Associação dos Pescadores de Cabinda (APESCAB) realised by the the Programmes Programmes Associate and the the Programmes Programmes Assistant at the the end of the the second quarter to consult with the the beneficiaries of the the projects on “community adaptation to to climate change” and “support to to communities affected by oil exploration” respectively In early November the the Programme Manager and the the Programmes Assistant realised a a a a a four-day visit to the province of Lunda-Norte To follow up on the results of of the the the final activities of of the the the “Amplifying the the the Voices of Communities affected by Diamond Extractivism” project implemented by the Associação Juvenil para o o o o o o Desenvolvimento Comunitário de Angola (AJUDECA) since 2017