Training on project writting and fundraising

Developing Strategic Partnerships for Funding & Project Success

In this workshop, we’ll explore the importance of building strategic partnerships for successful EU-funded projects. Effective partnerships not only increase your chances of securing funding but also enhance project sustainability, expertise, and reach.

Objectives:

  • Understand the importance of partnerships for EU project success.

  • Learn how to identify potential consortium members and collaborators.

  • Develop skills to negotiate roles, responsibilities, and agreements.

 

 

    Power Mapping – Analyzing Stakeholder Influence

    N

    Introducing the Power Map framework

    • Opposition: Entities that may challenge your project (e.g., competing organizations).

    • Allies: Key partners and supporters.

    • Competitors: Organizations working in the same space but not collaborating.

    • Media: Channels to disseminate your project outcomes.

    • Courts: Legal stakeholders who might influence your project.

    • Leadership & Constituency: Internal decision-makers and project beneficiaries.

    Identifying Potential Consortium Members and Collaborators

    Who to partner with?

    • NGOs and civil society organizations
    • Research institutions and universities
    • Local authorities and public institutions
    • Private sector and social enterprises

    Criteria for partner selection:

    • Expertise and experience
    • Geographic coverage
    • Resource availability and capacity

    Establishing Roles and Responsibilities in Joint Applications

    Defining clear roles within the consortium:

      • Lead partner responsibilities
      • Technical and administrative roles
      • Reporting obligations and decision-making structures

    Drafting Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and partnership agreements.

     

    Practical Workshop – Developing a strategic partnership plan

    Group Exercise

    • Each group identifies:
      • Key partners and their roles
      • Expected contributions
      • Coordination mechanisms

    Monitoring, Evaluation & Project Impact

    Objectives:

    • Understand the importance of integrating M&E from project inception. 
    • Learn how to track progress and measure the impact effectively. 
    • Ensure long-term sustainability through proper evaluation strategies. 

      Monitoring, Evaluation & Project Impact

      Monitoring:

        • Setting up indicators (qualitative and quantitative). 
        • Establishing data collection methods. 
        • Creating reporting schedules for internal and external stakeholders.

      Evaluation:

        • Assessing outcomes versus objectives.
        • Conducting mid-term and final evaluations. 
        • Using evaluation results to improve future projects.

      Sustainability Strategies:

      • Ensuring financial, institutional, and community sustainability. 
      • Integrating sustainability measures into the project design. 
        N

        Introducing the Power Map framework

        • Opposition: Entities that may challenge your project (e.g., competing organizations).

        • Allies: Key partners and supporters.

        • Competitors: Organizations working in the same space but not collaborating.

        • Media: Channels to disseminate your project outcomes.

        • Courts: Legal stakeholders who might influence your project.

        • Leadership & Constituency: Internal decision-makers and project beneficiaries.

        Detailed Project Lifecycle

        1. Initiation Phase:
          • Define project goals and objectives. 
          • Appoint project leadership and form a project team. 
        2. Planning Phase:
          • Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). 
          • Establish a timeline using Gantt charts. 
          • Define budget and resource allocation strategies. 
        3. Execution Phase:
          • Implement project activities. 
          • Monitor real-time progress through dashboards. 
        4. Closure Phase:
          • Finalize deliverables and close contracts. 
          • Document lessons learned. 

        Risk Management

        – Identifying Risks

        Every project involves uncertainty. The goal is to anticipate potential risks and minimize their impact.

         

        – Types of risks:

        Strategic Risks: Alignment with organizational priorities.

        Operational Risks: Resource allocation, technical issues.

        Financial Risks: Budget overruns, funding delays.

        Reputational Risks: Stakeholder dissatisfaction.

         

        – Risk Analysis (Probability-Impact Matrix):

        We’ll map risks according to their likelihood and potential impact to help prioritize them.

         

        – Developing a Risk Mitigation Plan:

        Avoidance: Alter project plans to eliminate risks.

        Reduction: Take actions to reduce the likelihood.

        Transfer: Outsource elements to minimize exposure.

        Acceptance: Acknowledge the risk and monitor it.

         

        – Interactive Risk Management Drill:

        Small groups identify 3 major risks for the Solidarity for Change Project.

        Develop strategies for mitigating those risks.

        Share solutions with the larger group for feedback.

        Project management toolkit

        Practical Workshop – Develop an M&E Framework for the Case Study

        Group Exercise

           

            • Define indicators:
              • Input Indicators: Resources used (funds, staff time).
              • Output Indicators: Direct results (number of activities delivered).
              • Outcome Indicators: Changes caused by project activities.
            • Establish methods for data collection:
              • Surveys, observation logs, reports.
            • Assign roles for data collection and analysis.

          Creating a Risk Mitigation Strategy:

              • Develop a risk register:
                • List of potential risks.
                • Probability and impact scores.
                • Mitigation strategies and responsible team members.

          Group Presentations:

                  • Each group presents its M&E plan and risk mitigation strategy.