CSSP final report.docx

Submitted to:

Alae Eddin Serrar, AOR, USAID/Morocco

Submitted by:

Joseph Phillips, Chief of Party

Counterpart International 2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 301 Arlington, VA 22202 USA Tel: +1-571-447-5700

This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development/Morocco (USAID/Morocco).

CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROGRAM (CSSP)

Cooperative Agreement Number: AID–608–LA-15–00001 Final Performance Report January 26, 2015- July 31, 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACTIVITY INFORMATION

Acronyms and Abbreviations

AEM

ALCI

European Association of Elected Representatives from Mountain Areas Mouvement Alternatives Citoyennes

APS

C4D Annual Program Statement Communication for Development

CAP

CBD

Communal Action Plan Citizen's Budget Department

CNDH

CSO

National Council Human Rights Civil Society Organization

DfID

DG

Department for International Development Democracy and Governance

FAFM

GOM

Forum Azzahrae Government of Morocco

ISO

M&E Intermediate Support Organization Monitoring and Evaluation

MEPI

MIRLA

MoU Middle East Partnership Initiative Movement for Law Reform Initiatives of Associations in Morocco Memorandum of Understanding

PJD

PMP

PTA

Justice and Development Party Program Monitoring Plan Parent Teacher Association

PWD

RFA

Persons with disabilities Request for Applications

Acknowledgements

Counterpart International wishes to extend its appreciation to the United States Agency for International Development for its continuous support throughout the duration of the Civil Society Strengthening Program (CSSP) in Morocco. In particular, Counterpart would like to recognize the effort and guidance provided by Mr. Alae Eddin Serrar, Agreement Officer’s Representative, whose commitment to CSSP was integral to the success of the program. Without his guidance and ongoing support, this project would not have been as successful as it was. Counterpart would also like recognize the many talented individuals and organizations that partnered with CSSP during this project and whose work and resiliency continues to inspire. It is these stakeholders that will continue enhancing Morocco’s civil society and, ultimately, the future of this remarkable country.

Executive Summary

The Morocco Civil Society Strengthening Program (CSSP) was a 4-year program (2015-2019) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Counterpart International under Cooperative Agreement No. AID–608–LA-15–00001. The goal of CSSP was to increase peaceful participation by Moroccan citizens in the public policy process through two primary and interrelated objectives:

· Objective 1: CSOs are strengthened and contribute more effectively in the lawmaking and public policy process.

· Objective 2: The Government of Morocco (GOM) (e.g., key ministries, parliament, targeted subnational governments, etc.) provides meaningful opportunities for civil society participation in developing and implementing public policy.

To achieve these objectives, Counterpart engaged with a range of diverse stakeholders throughout the country and at all levels of government. Counterpart’s primary implementing partners included the International Center for Non-Profit Law (ICNL) as well as 33 local grantees and 5 Intermediate Service Organizations (ISOs). Through these partnerships, CSSP helped catalyze peaceful and informed engagement between civil society and government at the communal, regional and national levels. From the demand-side, for instance, CSSP provided technical assistance in policy advocacy to over 250 civil society organizations (CSOs) around the country and in the development of more than 30 joint advocacy plans. From the supply-side, CSSP supported communal and regional authorities in the establishment of effective consultative bodies leading to improved opportunities for government engagement with civil society. In addition, supporting both sides of the governance equation, CSSP facilitated over 260 multi-stakeholder forums and trainings aimed at enhancing government-CSO dialogue over the lifespan of the project.

Furthermore, CSSP made a significant impact on the development of the country’s legal framework governing civic engagement by securing amendments to and/or improving the text of key legislation affecting CSOs in the country. For instance, an amendment for greater transparency and citizen feedback on annual governmental budgets was secured for the 2019 Finance Bill. Also, an important amendment to the same bill allowing a greater range of CSO financing was passed as a result of ISO advocacy efforts, which provided associations the opportunity to receive direct funding from corporations (up to 0.02% of total revenue). These and other legislative accomplishments resulted from a broad range of advocacy and capacity development activities, including over 90 trainings on public participation, citizen inclusion and the law across the country and at all levels of government.

With regards to Objective 1, in particular, CSSP’s organizational development approach focused on strengthening the capacity of five core ISOs selected by USAID/Morocco to ensure they were able to provide high quality capacity development and advocacy services to CSO clients in a sustainable way. Through customized trainings, technical assistance, and mentoring, CSSP built skills in performance-based management, demand-driven services, advocacy, strategic communication, organizational development, gender and social inclusion, and financial sustainability. In turn, and according to a cascading model approach, ISOs then built the capacity of selected CSOs engaged in advocacy efforts in Morocco. This model also promoted local ownership and sustainability of organizational and technical capacity building to advance targeted policy reform efforts. For example, all five ISOs have identified new funding opportunities, established creative partnerships and mounted strong funding requests to multiple donors.

Moreover, CSSP advocacy training and grants used a holistic approach to assist a wide range of CSOs to design and implement advocacy projects. Through tailored trainings and coaching, organizations grew their capacity to plan and execute advocacy campaigns through grants as well as to create linkages to strategic governmental and administrative entities. The CSSP approach also made explicit the expectation that CSOs must purposefully engage Moroccan citizens, consolidate their ideas, opinions, and voices, and advocate on their behalf directly with decision makers. For example, CSSP provided technical assistance to the Moroccan Initiative for the Reform of Laws on Associations (MIRLA), including training its leaders on how to train others in advocacy. CSSP’s ISO partners assisted MIRLA in an evidence-based approach as they updated the study and held participatory meetings in multiple regions to hear the needs and requests of grassroots associations about the rules governing CSOs. Their efforts, among several high-profile initiatives, led to the parliament accepting a memorandum proposing financial and budgetary reforms to the legal framework for Moroccan associations (“la loi des associations”).

With regards to Objective 2, CSSP also positively impacted relations between government and CSOs. The project supported the organization of forums and trainings at the local, regional and national levels that brought together key players from government and civil society in structured dialogues that enabled the emergence of solutions to entrenched issues and fostered collaborative relations. For example, CSSP provided trainings for the capacity building of the consultative bodies and aided the development of advocacy initiatives for them to present to the regional government. Moreover, the trainings that CSSP undertook in partnership with the General Directorate for Local Collectivities (DGCL) regarding the Petitions Law increased the ability of the government to process petitions submitted and provided CSOs with the skills needed to prepare and submit them.

In addition, CSSP built upon previous USAID groundwork to advance both the supply and demand for citizen participation in governance by signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 5 communes (Fez, Tetouan, Temara, Marrakech and Safi). In doing so, Counterpart provided 90 trainings to communal and regional government bodies to help them set up and manage effective democratic participatory mechanisms. The success of these capacity development efforts enticed numerous other local authorities to request support from CSSP, including one tripartite MoU signed with Association Colombe Blanche (ACB) and the Region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima. By the end of the project, over 189 government administrators and officials had participated in trainings that ranged from strategic planning, to monitoring and evaluation, to how to implement the Law of Petitions.

CSSP and its implementing partners also supported USAID’s goal to promote greater gender equality and the inclusion of vulnerable populations by strengthening the capacity of CSOs, advocacy networks and local authorities in the areas of inclusion and diversity. CSSP worked with CSOs and coalitions to reduce barriers to gender equality, as well as increase the participation and leadership of women, youth, and other marginalized groups in public policy advocacy. ISOs incorporated gender as a key element of both their internal governance structures and their capacity building activities. In addition, CSSP addressed gender issues by: promoting equitable participation of women across all program activities, advocacy efforts, training, and grants; providing technical and material resources for women-led and/or women-focused CSOs; and, working with partners to mainstream gender issues and sensitivities across their program activities and materials.

Lastly, the success of CSSP contributed significantly to USAID’s efforts to advance the Journey to Self-Reliance development approach by working directly with local civil society organizations to develop their organizational and technical capacity to influence public policy reforms. CSSP also worked with key government stakeholders at both national, regional and communal levels to ensure that the GoM had the capacity, appropriate forums, and efficient mechanisms to engage civic participation. Moreover, CSSP’s work helped USAID/Morocco reach its goal in advancing Moroccan initiatives for peaceful reform as part of its 2013-2020 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). Counterpart’s work fell most directly under CDCS Development Objective #2, Increased Civic Participation in Governance, and directly enhanced the ability of civil society to engage constructively in policy formation and the ability of the GoM’s capacity to respond to and incorporate citizen-input in policy-making.

Program Context

CSSP began activity implementation in early 2015 during a consequential period for the country. Four years earlier, Morocco had adopted a new constitution that aimed to address demands emanating from the February 20 movement by strengthening Morocco’s democratic institutions and enshrining principles of participatory democracy and civic engagement. The main reforms introduced by the new constitution includes the recognition of Amazigh as an official language and the creation of new formal limits on the king’s power (who must now respect election results when naming a new prime minister and no longer participate in and preside over the meetings of the cabinet, except when security matters and “strategic policy decisions” are discussed). The new constitution promotes direct democracy by asserting the right of citizens to present legislative motions to parliament and petitions at all levels of government. Finally, the constitution reasserts the principles of decentralized administration, mandates new participatory mechanisms and places the regions at the heart of the territorial governance apparatus. While these reforms did not fundamentally change the nature of the Moroccan governance system, they provided important openings for a program like CSSP to support the emergence of new democratic practices and influence new reforms. For example, one year after the beginning of the project, the Moroccan parliament adopted two laws with support from CSSP that specified the conditions for submitting petition or legislative motions. While these laws were seen by some as imposing undue restrictions on the exercise of these rights, CSSP understood their significance and seized the opportunities presented by them to build capacity of civil society organizations to use the new mechanisms and of governmental bodies to implement them.

CSSP implementation was also marked by the October 2016 elections, which revealed an increasingly polarized political landscape and low civic engagement in Morocco, as only 43% of eligible voters participated in the elections. In addition, the creation of a new government following the 2016 parliamentary elections took several months, as negotiations surrounding the first designated head of government failed. Saad Eddine El Otmani, the second designated head of government, ultimately succeeded in forming a new government. The protracted negotiations prevented the adoption of a national budget and CSSP had to delay work with the Ministry in Charge of Relations with Parliament and Civil Society (MCRPCS) and the House of Representatives (HoR) as a result. Finally, the national political events also contributed to political paralysis in some communes and regions, which slowed down the progress in implementing partnerships with CSSP.

However, a positive outcome of the 2016 poll included the election of presidents and other council members of CSSP partner communes (Drarga, Tetouan, Fez, Temara and Safi) to the Parliament. Per Moroccan law, these officials also retained their offices in their local communes. This ensured the presence of CSSP allies in Parliament and facilitated collaboration with MPs. Moreover, the royal speech at Parliament's opening session in October 2016 focused on citizens' access to central services and territorial administration. All administrations, including local government, were called upon to improve their relations with citizens and promote mechanisms for participation and consultation. This speech constituted a tremendous support to the CSSP program, particularly with regards to the improvement of services provided by regional and communal governments for citizens in their jurisdiction. It also provided new momentum to the implementation of constitutionally-mandated participatory democracy mechanisms, including the right to petition and the establishment of consultative bodies. This provided further incentives to local authorities to set up the “Entities for Parity, Equal Opportunity & Gender Approach” (EPEOGA) at the regional, provincial and communal level, and the Youth Committees and Economic Affairs Committees at the regional level.

Activities

As noted, CSSP was designed with two interconnected and mutually reinforcing program objectives.

· Objective 1: CSOs are strengthened and contribute more effectively in the lawmaking and public policy process.

· Objective 2: The Government of Morocco (e.g., key ministries, parliament, targeted subnational governments, etc.) provides meaningful opportunities for civil society participation in developing and implementing public policy.

Under Objective 1, ISOs received both organizational and advocacy capacity building support to provide capacity building services to other CSOs and to better inform the public policy process themselves. Participating ISOs and advocacy grantees then had the opportunity to engage with government stakeholders working to solicit civil society input on policy issues and to create formal mechanisms for doing so under Objective 2. This dual approach reflected the recognition that civic engagement in the policymaking and reform efforts is a two-way process that requires political space from the government (including political will, a transparent process, mechanisms for engaging citizens and tools for applying constituent input) and developed skills on the part of civil society (including the capacity to conduct policy research and analysis, clear advocacy strategies, and a means for monitoring policy implementation).

Over the course of its implementation, CSSP made considerable progress toward achieving these two objectives as well as towards achieving USAID’s goal of increased participation of citizens in the governance of Morocco at all levels. This progress took place in multiple sectors and at multiple levels, particularly through the development of consultative bodies at the commune level, successful advocacy programs across the country, and greater organizational and technical capacity of civic groups to convey citizen concerns to government counterparts. CSSP also dedicated special effort to build up the capacity of the five ISOs that USAID selected as well as include them in all CSSP efforts in their respective regions.

Objective 1: CSOs Contribute More Effectively in the Law-making and Public Policy Process

Though various reports estimate that there are tens of thousands of registered CSOs in Morocco, the majority operate from low organizational capacity across a variety of areas, including human resources, communications, strategic planning, financial sustainability, and internal governance. Most CSOs have broad or undefined missions, which reflect a lack of clear vision among CSO leadership, as well as a tendency to pursue funding to sustain operations, often regardless of whether those funding initiatives contribute to the organization’s mission and goals. These organizational weaknesses then impact the ability of CSOs to form effective coalitions to leverage resources, solicit feedback from constituents, and otherwise influence public policy in targeted and sustainable ways.

Under Objective 1, CSSP built the organizational and technical capacity of Moroccan CSOs and ISOs to more effectively influence public policy, to more effectively deliver organizational capacity building and advocacy service, to encourage networking and partnerships and to advance policy reforms that were responsive to citizen priorities. CSSP achieved this objective by providing Moroccan CSOs with a range of relevant training, technical assistance, grants, resoruces and formal partnerships with public entitites.

Outcome 1.1: Organizational Capacity of Moroccan CSOs Strengthened

Mapping of CSOs, donor-funded assistance, and advocacy priorities. At the outset of the program, CSSP conducted a collaborative mapping exercise to identify CSOs active in targeted regions between 2011-2015 and assess their organizational capacity. This mapping effort revealed that a lack of organizational capacity inhibited effective implementation of advocacy campaigns. Irrespective of the CSOs’ experience and previous successes, most organizations failed to invest in strategic planning and effective monitoring and evaluation frameworks. Additionally, the mapping revealed that their advocacy efforts often lacked a cohesive long-term vision.

In addition, the CSO mapping also highlighted limitations in the legal environment that enabled civil society. Legal constraints included the lack of legal provisions supporting the creation of civil society networks and coalitions, which hampered the effectiveness of CSO advocacy efforts. Moreover, existing laws that protected the freedom to hold meetings and engage in peaceful demonstrations did not serve the specific needs of CSOs and, in effect, those freedoms were restricted.

The mapping also noted that CSO efforts to advance the inclusion of women in Morocco had realized tangible results and enabled policies and programs to integrate gender-sensitive policies and structures at the national and territorial levels. However, a Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis conducted by CSSP in the last quarter of FY2016 found that although there had been considerable progress for the role of women, many cultural barriers and challenges remained. Recommendations based on that analysis included deploying more effort towards increasing organizational understanding of gender, youth, and social inclusion issues as themes that are cross-cutting and integral to their work. The analysis also emphasized that the region- and commune-level Entities for Parity, Equality of Opportunity and Gender Approach (EPEOGA), which are consultative bodies made of civil society and private sector representatives whose role is to advise the communal council on issues related to equal opportunity and gender mainstreaming, should be the main entry point to engage with communities on gender and social inclusion, which CSSP promoted aggressively throughout the project.

On an economic level, the mapping exercise demonstrated that CSO funding had progressed in terms of volume and had shifted in terms of its process as well, moving towards a “request for proposals” model of funding as opposed to "direct grants" model. Yet, there were still significant economic factors that threatened and weakened CSO capacity, such as the predominance of short-term financing, weak capacity for self-financing, limits on public fundraising, and unequal opportunities for access to funds among CSOs. The mapping also confirmed that much of the funding to officially recognized associations (associations reconnues d’utilité publique) was oriented toward support for social services. That said, recent political and constitutional reforms have redirected some funds away from social services and instead towards human, social, and economic rights promotion. In addition, many international organizations prioritize the social services sector when funding CSOs, but they have a greater tendency to promote rights-based approaches to those challenges within the governance sector.

CSSP conducted another study, a CSO Perception Survey, in March 2015. Using a sample of 2,000 citizens, the study confirmed the existence of difficulties for CSOs in establishing a relationship of trust with public authorities and the population. The surveyed citizens predominately believed that CSOs do achieve the results that they work towards in their different fields of activities, but only few believe that CSOs succeed in promoting the desired social reforms. Finally, and perhaps optimistically, more than 50% of the surveyed population thought that CSOs were organized, transparent and have clear objectives.

It is within this context that CSSP supported organizational and capacity building efforts for CSOs and government entities throughout the life of the program. CSSP awarded competitive grants for advocacy programs, as well as provided training for CSOs and government public administration and elected officials. Through this work, CSSP has helped organizations assess their capacity, draft action plans, and provided them with technical assistance. In doing so, CSOs[footnoteRef:2] have gained better understanding of the opportunities to engage in the public policy process and are increasingly connecting with local and regional representatives, building partnerships for social and economic development. [2: OD assessments were performed for the initial grantees but feedback from those grantees suggested that it became a barrier to their timely implementation of their grants. As such, Counterpart shifted its future OD work for local grantees to only focus on technical assistance around advocacy planning and implementation. ]

CSSP Grant Portfolio. Over the course of the program, CSSP provided capacity development support to over 500 CSOs, including 5 ISOs selected by USAID and 32 grants that received direct grants from CSSP. An overview of ISOs and CSSP’s directly-funded organizations is presented in Table 1 below and their work is more thoroughly discussed in the sections below.

Table 1: ISOs and CSOs supported by CSSP

Advocacy for persons with disabilities

Supporting ISO applicants in preparation for receiving grants. In 2015, there were delays in USAID’s final selection of the five ISOs. As such, the level of formal support and engagement provided by CSSP in the procurement process was less than originally planned. As agreed with USAID, however, CSSP collaborated informally with the five ISOs before their final selection in late 2015. They were invited to attend CSSP activities, such as study days, public forums, trainings and consultations meetings related to advocacy, CSO legal enabling environment, and participatory democracy mechanisms. The ISOs’ technical assistance needs and priorities, as well as their partnerships with CSSP, were discussed in a specific workshop with all five ISOs held on September 1, 2016, on the first day of their partnership with USAID. The parties agreed to share information about their work plans in order to harmonize the work of CSSP and ISOs in areas where they both operate, and a coordination committee was created to monitor the implementation of the partnership, foster synergies and avoid duplication of efforts.

Conduct Organizational Development (OD) Assessments and Re-assessments. CSSP’s organizational development (OD) approach focused on facilitating capacity building and advocacy workshops and used Counterpart’s OD assessment tool to continually strengthen the capacity of CSO and ISO partners in a sustainable manner. Subsequent to the award of a grant agreement, CSOs completed an OD process to better understand their strengths and weaknesses and adopt a capacity building action plan. Counterpart’s OD methodology consists of a facilitated self-assessment process that promotes ownership by each participating CSO over the organizational growth process. Assessments were conducted periodically to measure and track the growth of organizations according to their capacity building action plans.CPI’s Organizational Development (OD) Tool

Counterpart’s OD tool measures six functional dimensions of organizational development and assesses not only if organizations have policies and procedures, but also if their staff understand and use them. Organizations are scored to establish a baseline and assisted to draft a capacity building action plan to address gaps.

The relative simplicity and flexibility of the OD approach, combined with the fact that CSOs drive the assessment process as well as the action planning, allowed CSOs to own the process. A revealing indicator of CSO ownership is the fact that ISOs adapted the methodology used it to support their partner CSOs.

With respect to the five selected USAID ISOs, CSSP specifically focused on the organizational strengthening of these partners in promoting civic engagement and institutional capacity building throughout the program. The ISOs conducted their OD self-assessments after signing their grant agreements with USAID. Of note, Counterpart’s OD tool measures six functional dimensions (governance and strategic planning; financial management and accounting; financial sustainability; human and material resources; external relations and communications; and intermediate service delivery) and two programmatic dimensions (program management and quality control and advocacy) of organizational development and assesses not only if organizations have policies and procedures, but also if their staff understand and use them. Organizations were scored in FY16 to establish a baseline and then CSSP provided targeted support in drafting their capacity building action plan according to the results of those assessments.

Following the initial baseline assessment in 2016, each ISO conducted a follow-up assessment to quantify their progress. Across the board, the assessments showed moderate to significant improvements on key metrics, but still with significant room to grow and evolve. The main results for the five ISOs are presented in the charts below. Each chart provides a visual of the ISO’s progress across the eight associated areas, as well as the quantitative scores for each component.

ISO Organizational Growth:

ACB

ACB’s overall Organizational Capacity Index score improved by 51% from 1.1 / 4 to 2.2 / 4. The most significant improvement was in the Financial & Accounting component (+ 83%). The Program Management and Quality Control component remains its weakest link, with a shortfall of -2.3 points compared to the expected results (on a scale of 1 to 4).

FY16

FY17

Delta 1-Governance and Strategic Planning 1.0 2.6 62% -1.4 2-Program Management and Quality Control 1.0 1.8 43% -2.3 3-Financial Management & Accounting 0.4 2.4 83% -1.6 4-Financial Sustainability 1.0 2.0 50% -2.0 5-Human and Material Resources 1.0 2.3 57% -1.7 6-External Relations & Communications 1.5 2.2 31% -1.8 7-Intermediate Service Delivery 1.0 2.0 50% -2.0 8-Advocacy 1.8 2.3 22% -1.8 Global OD Score 1.1 2.2 51% -1.8

9 | Page Civil Society Strengthening Program (CSSP) Final Report: January 26, 2015- July 31, 2019

ISO Organizational Growth:

ALCI

ALCI’s overall Organizational Capacity Index score improved by 15% from 2.6 / 4 to 3.0 / 4. The greatest improvement primarily was realized in the Intermediate Service Delivery component (+ 59%). The Financial Sustainability component remains its weakest link, with a shortfall (Delta) of -2.4 points compared to the expected results (on a scale of 1 to 4).

Delta 1-Governance and Strategic Planning 3.6 3.8 6% -0.2 2-Program Management and Quality Control 3.0 3.2 7% -0.8 3-Financial Management & Accounting 3.2 3.2 1% -0.8 4-Financial Sustainability 1.0 1.6 36% -2.4 5-Human and Material Resources 3.0 3.2 7% -0.8 6-External Relations & Communications 2.8 3.3 14% -0.7 7- Intermediate Service Delivery 1.0 2.4 59% -1.6 8-Advocacy 3.0 3.4 10% -0.7 Global OD Score 2.6 3.0 15% -1.0

AMSED

AMSED’s overall Organizational Capacity Index score improved by 16% from 2.3 / 4 to 2.7 / 4. The greatest improvement was primarily realized in its Advocacy component (+ 56%). The Financial Sustainability component remains its weakest, with a shortfall (Delta) of -3.0 points compared to the expected results (on a scale of 1 to 4).

Delta 1-Governance and Strategic Planning 2.2 2.8 21% -1.2 2-Program Management and Quality Control 2.3 2.8 18% -1.3 3-Financial Management & Accounting 3.4 4.0 15% -0.0 4-Financial Sustainability 1.0 1.0 0% -3.0 5-Human and Material Resources 2.3 2.7 13% -1.3 6-External Relations & Communications 2.2 2.2 0% -1.8 7- Intermediate Service Delivery 3.7 3.8 1% -0.3 8-Advocacy 1.0 2.3 56% -1.8 Global OD Score 2.3 2.7 16% -1.3

ENNAKHIL

ENNAKHIL’s overall Organizational Capacity Index score improved by 53% from 1.1 / 4 to 2.2 / 4. The greatest improvement was mainly realized in its Financial Sustainability component (+ 200%). The Intermediate Service Delivery component remains its weakest link, with a shortfall (Delta) of -2.5 points compared to the expected results (on a scale of 1 to 4).

Delta 1-Governance and Strategic Planning 2.2 2.8 21% -1.2 2-Program Management and Quality Control 1.0 2.4 58% -1.6 3-Financial Management & Accounting 2.0 3.0 33% -1.0 4-Financial Sustainability 0.0 2.0 200% -2.0 5-Human and Material Resources 1.0 2.0 50% -2.0 6-External Relations & Communications 1.2 2.2 45% -1.8 7- Intermediate Service Delivery 0.0 1.5 150% -2.5 8-Advocacy 1.0 2.0 50% -2.0 Global OD Score 1.1 2.2 53% -1.8

FAFM

FAFM’S overall Organizational Capacity Index score saw a 28% improvement from 1.6/ 4 to 2.3/ 4. The greatest improvement was primarily realized in the Financial Sustainability and Advocacy (+ 50%) components. The Program Management and Quality Control component remains its weakest link, with a shortfall (Delta) of -2.8 points compared to the expected results (on a scale of 1 to 4).

Delta 1-Governance and Strategic Planning 2.6 3.0 13% -1.0 2-Program Management and Quality Control 1.0 1.3 20% -2.8 3-Financial Management & Accounting 2.0 3.0 33% -1.0 4-Financial Sustainability 1.0 2.0 50% -2.0 5-Human and Material Resources 1.3 2.0 33% -2.0 6-External Relations & Communications 2.0 2.3 14% -1.7 7- Intermediate Service Delivery 2.0 2.5 20% -1.5 8-Advocacy 1.0 2.0 50% -2.0 Global OD Score 1.6 2.3 28% -1.7

Presented differently, the graph below shows the average progress made by the ISOs after their 2016 baseline assessment against the 8 measured dimensions:

From these assessments, there are important trends that can be observed in the growth of ISOs. Overall, progress was gained by ISO in every assessed dimension. The most progress was made in the Financial Sustainability component, where they nearly doubled their capacity; although, as the chart shows, it remains their weakest area overall and there is still significant work to be done. Additional capacity building is recommended not only to build on this positive trend, but also to take advantage of new taxation laws in Morocco that are financially advantageous to non-profits in the country. Moreover, while the organizations started with a moderate capacity in Financial Management and Accountability, Counterpart is happy to note that this is now the strongest component for the ISOs, as measured by our tool. Success in financial management is a critical factor in long-term sustainability and operational integrity for the ISOs – whether they be managing USAID funding or private donations We recommend that the ISOs continue to develop their financial management skills, as well as linking those to their M&E and new business development project management framework.

External relations and communications showed the least improvement overall; although, it is important to note that many of the ISOs came to the program with substantive baseline in communication capacity. Counterpart recommends that ISOs continue to hone their corporate message, expand their social media presence, as well as establish a presence on new media outlets, whether those be emerging social media platforms or the development of more dynamic websites. In addition, ISO competency in Advocacy also showed important increases, due to substantial training and coaching from the CSSP Advocacy team, and Intermediate Service Delivery increased, which is significant in that this is a core objective in the cascade model of outreach to partners. Following the re-assessment of the ISOs, a training was provided to teach the ISOs about how to be able to use the OD process with their partner CSOs. This put a very powerful assessment tool directly in the hands of the ISOs, which have used the tool to assist at least 30 partner CSOs to assess their specific organizational strengths and weaknesses.

With respect to CSSP’s CSOs, OD assessments were conducted in order to measure progress, adjust action plans, and provide continuous feedback loops for growth and adaptation. CSSP completed the OD re-assessments for the 10 CSOs that initially took the assessment. All showed an improvement in at least one functional dimension in their OD scores. The results of those baseline and reassessments are below:

An illustrative example of an OD success story from a CSO is that of Citoyen des Rues (CdR), an active youth association in the Fez region. Their OD re-assessment showed “very significant progress” in updating ‘Leadership and Strategic Management’ and ‘Human Resources’ plans. They also showed “significant progress” in ‘Program Management and Quality Control,’ ‘Accounting and Financial Management,’ and ‘External Relations.’ Moreover, they achieved “very significant improved understanding” of ‘Human and Material Resources’ and ‘Financial Management and Financial Sustainability.’ This type of improvement will greatly improve their ability to sustain themselves as an organization and be more effective in their promotion of youth issues in the Fez region in the years to come.

There are several factors that contributed to Citoyen des Rues’ ability to achieve this success:

· Local Engagement. CdR adapted a model that prioritizes active engagement within targeted neighborhoods in Fez. Specifically, youth from the association directly engaged with youth from the neighborhoods in peer-to-peer activities. In fact, this local engagement allowed CdR to better understand the needs of young people and, therefore, develop activities specifically adapted to the needs and interests of youth in the targeted neighborhoods.

· Activities for youth by youth. As an NGO made up of almost exclusively young people, who are committed to and engaged with their communities, issues are addressed that are specific to young people from the ground up. This has allowed them to mobilize a large audience of young people who believe in their project

· Linkages to local government. CdR managed to set up partnerships with several key government stakeholders in the Fez region. Specifically, it was able to establish partnerships with the commune of Fès and the district of Jnane Lward to ensure the participation of youth in the drafting of its communal development plan. The association is also an active member of the Parity, Equal Opportunities and Gender consultative body implemented at the commune level.

· International presence. CdR is a member of Citoyen des Rues International (https://www.citoyendesrues.com/), the international network of street citizens. This openness to international experience, approaches and benchmarking has enabled them to mobilize other funds and act with a broader perspective.

Please see the Citoyen des Rues success story in the annexes.

Provide capacity building training and technical assistance to CSOs and ISOs. Following the ISO and CSO OD assessments, CSSP staff members provided customized training, technical assistance and mentoring to each organization. CSSP’s organizational development approach focused on strengthening the capacity of the ISOs to ensure they were able to provide high quality capacity development and advocacy services to citizens and CSO clients in a sustainable and inclusive way. Through customized trainings, technical assistance, and mentoring, Counterpart increased the ISO’s skills in performance-based management, demand-driven services, advocacy, organizational development, gender and social inclusion, and financial sustainability. In turn, using a cascading approach, the ISOs provided similar capacity building activities to their CSO partners engaged in Morocco. This model reached over 300 CSOs and promoted local ownership and sustainability of organizational and technical capacity building to advance policy reform efforts.

222 trainings organized by CSSP

1083 participants

62% men

38% women

20% youth

Thematic areas

Administrative and Financial Management

Advocacy

Communication

Gender and social inclusion in public policy

Monitoring and Evaluation

Results-Based Management

Training Design

TRAINING AT A GLANCE

CSSP increased ISO autonomy over the 4.5 years of activity, working in three core areas: (1) organizational and technical capacity; (2) financial management and fundraising; and (3) advocacy planning and project development. CSSP facilitated self-assessments and Capacity Building Action Plans for the ISOs to determine their organizational development needs and to help them achieve their unique capacity building goals. CSSP then provided training, mentoring, and technical assistance to the five ISOs. CSSP staff mentored and provide continual tailored technical assistance to ISOs to ensure that each organization met their own capacity building objectives, as well as to assist ISOs in identifying additional resources and opportunities for organization-specific technical and material capacity enhancement opportunities.

While training, mentoring and technical assistance was largely guided by each ISO’s individual capacity building action plans, CSSP held a series of organizational development workshops to address common core competencies and encourage networking and collaborative learning. To do this, CSSP compared the assessment results of all ISO partners. Analysis of these results allowed CSSP to identify common areas for development that could be delivered through training and workshops. A full range of other capacity building interventions, from regular mentoring by CSSP staff to targeted short and longer-term technical consultancies and workshops, were offered.

CSSP also conducted Training of Trainers (ToTs) for 39 trainers from ISOs and coalitions. In addition, between 2015 and 2019, CSO grantees conducted 48 thematic trainings and technical assistance workshops benefitting 222 unique individuals across the country, out of which 70% were men, 30% women, and 25% youth. The trainings topics that CSOs focused on included advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, waste management, volunteer development, water use, communication and disability inclusion.

Improving ISO Strategic Management. A critical part of the success of the ISO training program was that the ISOs finalized their strategic management plans. This was an important sustainability marker as it helped ISOs begin to find ways to continue their work without support from CSSP. Progress achieved by each ISO regarding their strategic planning included:

· Ennakhil completing its strategic planning process in March 2019, which includes: a finalized Strategic Plan for 2019-2021, an Operational Plan, an Administrative and Financial Procedures Manual, a Monitoring & Evaluation Plan, and a Grants Management manual.

· ACB finalizing its Strategic Plan and restructuring its 2019-2021 Implementation Plan, Monitoring & Evaluation Plan, as well as its Grant Management Manual.

· ALCI completing its 2019-2021 Strategic Plan, Operational Plan, Monitoring & Evaluation Plan and Grant Management Plan.

· AMSED’s Strategic Planning process concluded in April 2019 and is now being implemented.

· Forum Ezzahrae’s Strategic Management Plan was completed in 2017 and, in 2018, they completed an updated workplan.

Finalizing this process was a major achievement in the organizational and institutional development of ISOs in Morocco. The ISOs were actively engaged in the development of realistic strategic plans that laid a vision and pathway for their future growth. This process has enabled them to reflect individually and collectively on their role within Moroccan civil society. It also provided them with a clearer understanding of their current capabilities and an opportunity to identify all the necessary tools they need to ensure sustainability after CSSP. In addition, the 5 ISOs used the cascading approach to build the capacity of their member associations in strategic planning, reaching an estimated 150 CSOs.

Improving ISO Financial Planning and Sustainability. In May 2019, CSSP organized a training in Tangiers on fundraising and donor management for the 5 ISOs. The goal was to develop their capacities to identify projects and solicit funding opportunities from both national and international organizations. Financial sustainability continues to be a central concern for the ISOs. In fact, all five noted that as they increased their understanding of financial management through CSSP, especially through the strategic planning exercise, their sense of urgency regarding financing had also increased. The fact that all the ISOs are primarily dependent on public bids, means that donors often have on outsized influence on organizational priorities. Given these realities, and as confirmed by the organizational analysis (OD) conducted by CSSP, fundraising and new business development for financial sustainability remains a significant area of growth for the five ISOs. Therefore, the workshop focused on evaluating resource mobilization strategies, diversify funding mechanisms to ensure dynamic revenue, and evaluating options for innovative techniques for building partnerships and fundraising.

The workshop began with a questionnaire developed specifically to identify the main constraints within the organizations. Several common weaknesses emerged from the questionnaire and the discussion. As the organizations noted that they did not have a specific action plan for the pro-active mobilization of funds, one of the workshop’s activities focused on helping the organizations develop such a plan. Second, where a strategy did exist, it remained passive, consisting mostly of waiting for bids to come their way. Also, the ISOs often failed to build long-term partnerships and capitalize on further funding opportunities. These two interrelated weaknesses were addressed through the project development section of the workshop in which the organizations identified potential projects and funders, as well as possible partners.

Lack of in-house fundraising expertise was also identified as a significant weakness within all five organizations. The ISOs, like almost all Moroccan NGOs, do not have staff dedicated to fund-raising and partnership management. Generally, it is the executives and the board of directors who draft the proposals.