For twenty years, Equipop has been working hand in hand with small and medium-sized associations in West Africa that are active in promoting women's health and rights. These partners quickly identified the need to structure their organizations and adapt to the complex environment in which they operate.
To meet this challenge, Equipop and its partners have worked together to develop appropriate methodologies and tools, as well as dedicated financial resources. The third stage of this process is the introduction of a quality label.
How can we hope to participate collectively, in a relevant and effective way, in societal change without considering the needs of the associations that are driving this change alongside you? Over the years, this question has become increasingly important for Equipop, which has built relationships of trust with a large network of associations in West Africa. One association needed office equipment, another needed to review the way it managed its accounting, and yet another urgently needed to retain its staff or rework its association project to better target its interventions by aligning them with its values. Funding for associations is almost exclusively project-based, which does not leave much room for maneuver to address these issues. In West Africa, few donors or institutions offer support to address these challenges. Five years ago, Equipop decided to tackle this difficulty head-on. First, in 2014, in close collaboration with the associations of the Alliance Droits et Santé network, a methodological approach, tools, and training courses were developed. The members of Alliance Droits et Santé, as well as other partners close to the network, thus embarked on a process of continuous quality improvement through personalized technical and financial support led by Equipop, which recruited three Burkinabe colleagues specializing in these issues for this purpose. However, for some organizations, the implementation of the actions to be taken was still hampered by a lack of resources.
Thus, in 2019, the OD (Organizational Development) Fund was created to finance the needs identified by associations. In recent months, more than thirty organizational strengthening initiatives have already received financial support.
PEER RECOGNITION AND EXPERIENCE SHARING
Based on participatory governance, like the DO Fund, Equipop complements its support system with the creation of a quality label. This label aims to support the efforts and motivation of associations that have committed to this quality approach through recognition by their peers. As a reputation tool, it allows the organization's efforts to be truly valued by its stakeholders, employees, partners, and funders.
It is also a networking tool that facilitates the development of communities of practice, promotes peer-to-peer exchanges, and offers numerous opportunities for partnership. It is therefore a lever for creating a shared culture of organizational development among associations working to promote women's health and rights.
Equipop and its partners have put in place a coherent system that offers solid advantages for supporting and strengthening the ecosystem of women's health and rights associations in West Africa. The challenge now is to bring it to life collectively and mobilize sufficient resources to ensure its continuity in the medium term.
Certification is, in a way, recognition of the improvement efforts undertaken within an organization. It often comes as a crowning achievement and makes those involved in the process proud. At the organizational level, it crowns the efforts of a process, a journey, and it also allows us to set an ideal and see the steps we are taking to move towards that ideal.
Rolland Agbessi – Executive Director – Beninese Scouting, Benin
