Best Practices

A couple of weeks ago, visiting Bolivia, we saw their CIV proposal writing training for the ICPs. Bolivia has increased the number and amount of proposals. Besides that, they are planning a 30% yearly growth in the number of CIVs. You could ask: how is it possible to write more proposals?

Our dear Sharon Lemay, GMC CIV Specialist, shared some ways to have more proposals written and implemented. One of the many ways would be empowering the partner churches to write proposals. Besides that, the collaborative work is essential to make it happen. It’s impossible to have such volume of proposals with only one person working. Some countries in Africa are used to send around 70 proposals per year and they are supported by some Partnership Facilitators who love CIV and equips their churches to write proposals. One important thing to take care of is with the message that CIVs are proposals and not guaranteed money!

Back to Bolivia, they created a really simple training, with a step by step manual, teaching how to write proposals. Some churches have already sent proposals and there are those who already implemented and submitted final reports successfully! Personally, the best proposals and reports I’ve read are those with deeper ICP engagement. Encourage your ICPs! Talk with Raul (Bolivia’s CIVA) to know their CIV manual.

Proposal Writing

We had an online meeting a few days ago with our dear CIV GMC friends and also some GPA members. Among many discussions we had the opportunity to ask GPAs what information is the most important in a CIV proposal. They told us that the most important is:

1) Identified needs;

2) Solution proposed;

3) Cost to implement the solution;

Our proposal form has the following sections to write the information above:

• Problem Statement/Description;
• Objectives;
• Budget.

But we also have the following section in our forms: Background and History, Methods, Implementation Plan, Activity Management and Timeline, Monitoring and Evaluation and Executive Summary. These fields will complement the essential information. We have planned a section of Methodology in the next Newsletters. Feel free to contribute with specific methodologies you have been using!

Strategic Plans

Congratulations to all Countries that submitted their 3 Year CIV Strategic plans. Special thanks to Mexico that worked well using the forms sent by GMC and submitted the plan on time!

How far is your country from the goals of the FY 12 (this year) strategic plans? Please, take some time to review this FY’s plan and check how your country is doing to complete it. Let's work hard to reach our goals!