Search

Earlier this month, torrential rain accompanied by violent wind fell on Kalima in Maniema Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, causing both material and human damage. 

The global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting all of us, our families, our communities, our way of life, and for Start Network, the content of our work.

The Start Fund has an established practice of providing management response to its external, independent evaluations. Developed through a participatory process, the management response helps to ensure that the evaluations are used, contributing to the Start Funds’ effectiveness, learning, and accountability.   Start Fund constituted an Evaluation Management Response Drafting Committee, comprising of: Three representatives from the Start Fund Strategic Committee: John Birchenough from Catholic international development charity, CAFOD; Jonathan Brooker from Solidarites International UK; and Saba Mahmood from Islamic Relief Worldwide and Start Funds, Head of Funds, Lucile Brethes Start Fund Manager, Lucretia Puentes Start Funds MEAL Manager, Chaitali Chattopadhyay     The drafting committee members carried out a wide-range consultation with the broader Start Fund committee members, Start Network Leadership Team and the Board members to develop a comprehensive management response to the evaluation. The document can be accessed here.  The progress against the management response will be presented to the Start Fund Strategic Committee on a regular basis to ensure compliance and accountability towards the committed actions.

This external evaluation was commissioned to ‘assess the preparedness of Start Fund to scale-up its operations and suggest future growth rate scenarios’. The overarching purpose of the evaluation is stated as two-fold:  Assess the preparedness of the Start Fund to scale up its operation;  Inform the Start Fund of the appropriate scale-up considerations (including the size and growth rate scenarios).

The ‘Evaluation of the Start Fund’s Preparedness to Scale-up’, is Humanitarian Outcomes’ third learning project as a Start Fund partner and easily the most challenging one. The evaluation coincided with a period of quite fundamental and fast-moving change for the Start Fund, including a recent shift in the status of the organisation to a newly independent charity.

Local and national-level organisations, working in partnership with Start Network members, are key to the planning and implementation of Start Fund projects. Through collaboration with these local partners, Start Network members gain the access and community knowledge that are needed for effective interventions. The Start Network’s ongoing 2020 Local Partner Survey has also revealed some key benefits of involvement in Start Fund projects for these local organisations. Three key areas that have emerged from interviews with Start Fund local partners worldwide are: increased capacity, improved credibility, and heightened visibility.

Originally published by Open Democracy. National and local organisations ask INGOs to support them, not compete with them.

Andrew Kavala is the Country Director for MANEPO overseeing a staff of 32. He is also doing a PhD in Strategic Management, chairs a Start Fund members coordination group, is a member of the Membership Committee and is the Start Fund Regional Advisor.

The Start Fund’s value lies in its use as a tool by and for its members, with member agency representatives having the ability to define and adjust the Start Fund remit to the realistic needs and flexibilities of humanitarian crises.

On International Women’s Day, we take time to reflect on the achievements of women and girls as well as understanding the strides that must be made for further gender equity around the world. At Start Network, we are beginning a gender review of the Start Fund’s projects and processes to see what more can be done to reach women and girls during humanitarian emergencies.