Convinced that the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) is a decisive factor in the sustainable improvement of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), Equipop decided in 2017 to expand its support for CSOs through the rollout of a new methodology.
sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), Equipop decided in 2017 to expand its support for CSOs by rolling out a new project incubation methodology—the Equipop Lab.
CSOs play a central role in the evolution of public policy: they identify the needs of populations and relay them to decision-makers. They act as watchdogs, closely monitoring the implementation of commitments made by states and the quality of programs. They are therefore valuable partners both in changing social norms and in implementing government plans and programs. However, in order to fulfill these various roles, there remains a major challenge that CSOs in the West African sub-region must address: that of innovation!
"This is the first time I've ever participated in a workshop where we ourselves take stock of the situation and make proposals."
Workshop participants
Repeating interventions with limited effectiveness, insufficient consideration of research data and lessons learned, and inadequate creation of synergies with other existing actions: these are all obstacles that CSOs must overcome as they constantly juggle operational constraints and the technical requirements of fundraising. The new "Equipop Lab" project incubation program aims to remove some of these constraints. Equipop is mobilizing this program for the benefit of various projects and partnerships, such as FONDESAN, presented below.
"The method is innovative, less tiring, and very productive."
Workshop participants
What is Equipop Lab?
FONDEMSAN – The party of innovation for innovative social and political mobilization projects
This approach is also supported by the West African Health Organization (WAHO), which has committed to innovation through the launch of its new financial instrument, FONDEMSAN. Intended for medium-sized consortia of national CSOs, FONDEMSAN is both a financial and technical mechanism whose main objective is to promote the emergence of innovative projects for social and political mobilization in favor of SRHR/YH. WAHO has mandated Equipop to support the technical component of this fund through two areas of intervention: support for the incubation of innovation-oriented projects (using the "EquipopLab" method) and support for the establishment of a monitoring, evaluation, and capitalization mechanism focused on measuring change and the actors involved and/or targeted by the project. Equipop also offers administrative and financial support to CSOs funded by FONDEMSAN. This support is provided during the project selection process through the implementation of an organizational diagnosis of CSOs and then at the end of the projects.
"Yes, it's useful and very interesting, and it's a method that can be adapted more or less easily depending on the context. It was a useful experience for me because I do a lot of activities with young people, and it's a good way to guide them in their projects."
External expert requested for workshops
The first phase of FONDEMSAN in 2017-2018 provided Equipop with an opportunity to roll out its new project incubation program in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. In each of these countries, a consortium of CSOs with various mandates (health/sexual and reproductive health, women's rights, youth networks) was supported in the design of a social and political mobilization project aimed at strengthening and ensuring respect for and implementation of national commitments to SRHR. These projects—combining activities to support youth leadership development, citizen mobilization through alliances with the arts and media sectors, and targeted advocacy actions—are designed to strengthen and build on initiatives to reposition family planning currently underway in the three countries and in the West African subregion.
"The workshop draws on both
Jean-Pierre Guengant
new approaches to project creation and precise analyses
of national contexts, is in itself highly innovative.
Exploring new avenues and new modes
of action compared to what we are used to is
innovative. I think that thanks to this workshop, which puts
participants into action, CSOs better understand
the role they can play, they become aware
in themselves because during the workshop they realize that they
can set up projects on their own or almost on their own."
External expert invited to participate in the workshops
