Results of a sustainability and organizational capacity assessment of six district-based NGOs in Nepal

Sustainability and capacity building of non-government organizations (NGOs) is a key component of the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) efforts to improve reproductive health (RH) outcomes for women, Dalit (lowest caste), and other underserved populations in Nepal. Recent decentralization and social mobilization policies have opened opportunities for NGOs to access public sector funding through District Development Committees (DDCs) and Village Development Committees (VDCs), if they can demonstrate organizational capacity and programs worth supporting. Therefore, UNFPA is currently phasing out direct program support to NGOs and focusing instead on “indirect” capacity building and sustainability. To prepare for this transition, UNFPA/Nepal commissioned an assessment of six Dalit-led NGOs from December 2009 – February 2010. The assessment tool was tailored for the Nepali context and applied during three-day participatory workshops at each NGO. During the workshops, 50 different components or domains were discussed in the areas of financial, organizational, and programmatic sustainability, using a facilitated process leading to consensus. Participants scored each domain on a 1 to 4 scale, based on qualitative descriptions for each possible score. NGOs then developed sustainability action plans including issues needing improvement, actions to address those issues, priorities, responsibilities, budget, and next steps. This presentation will discuss assessment findings, including NGO strengths and weaknesses, proposed actions, recommendations to NGOs and UNFPA, and lessons learned that could apply to other settings. Of particular interest is how donors and public sector can work together to sustain valuable NGO programs in resource-poor settings while reducing direct donor dependence.