Mody NDIAYE is Program Director at the NGO Youth and Development.
In what ways was the methodology of the incubation lab held in Dakar for the incubation of the Change Lab project participatory? Adaptive?
The methodology for incubating the Change Lab project in Senegal was participatory, adaptive, inclusive, democratic, and met all the criteria for mutual accountability. Designed with Equipop and members of the Rights and Health Alliance, it aims to bring about political, strategic, and structural changes that promote sexual and reproductive health and rights at the subregional level and in each member country, according to their specific contexts and priority challenges, all in perfect harmony. The incubation of the Change Lab project in Senegal was preceded by a preliminary mission to better understand the context of Reproductive Health and Family Planning (RH/FP) and the challenges to be addressed for the well-being of adolescents and young people. All categories of actors were involved (government, local authorities, private sector, CSOs, community and opinion leaders, marginalized people, etc.). The priority that emerged was to strengthen civil society in mobilizing domestic resources to finance RH/FP. A call for expressions of interest and a transparent mechanism were put in place to select a consortium of associations per country. The Incubation Lab mobilized all parties around the development of the country project. This methodology, welcomed by almost all stakeholders, is appropriate because it promotes pluralistic expression and ensures accountability between Equipop, the members of the Rights and Health Alliance, and the stakeholders in the process. Such an approach should inspire consortia or networks facing similar challenges.
What is your best memory from the labs?
My best memory was the prototype and storyboarding stage in building the project with the change-oriented approach (COA). I felt like I was in an incubation lab, like in preschool. As a trainer, the approach inspired me to review and readjust my tools. This approach allows us to change paradigms and measure the impact of our actions on different partners. As an anecdote, it has become my hobby with my children at home: we are going to prototype our house together.
How is the Senegal project innovative and promising for the Alliance in Senegal?
The project addresses a complex and difficult-to-access area: mobilizing domestic resources to finance SR/FP. It was developed with a clearly defined vision of a desired future and relies on tools and methods that are still relatively uncommon in our environment, such as design thinking, social media campaigns, hackathons, and gala dinners. The aim is to promote private sector companies that are champions of SR/FP and to incubate projects co-financed by the private sector and local authorities. Developed with all categories of stakeholders and with high-quality support from Equipop, this project will bring added value in the context of family planning financing.
