F4A CeSIS Ghana MCS Fund The Center for Social Impact Studies (CeSIS) and the Savanna Research and Advocacy Network (SRAN) seek to build the capacity of communities affected by the operations of multinational extractive companies to effectively negotiate arrangements that can secure their livelihoods. The organizations also undertake initiatives aimed at ensuring policy change in favour of communities affected by miningoperations. SRAN and CeSIS also engage with diverse stakeholders to design various livelihood interventions for marginalized communities affected by the operations of extractive companies in Ghana. In an era where digitization and going green have become topical, the issue of sustainability has become even more compelling; especially for organisations whose ultimate goal is impact and not profit. Sustaining projects and programmes in this context become a herculean task, especially,when the project’s funding cycle ends.Projects which require continuity are sometimes left without fully harnessing their impacts. This, chiefly, boils down to resource mobilization, lack of strategic planning, and a host of other challenges which need to be traversed with innovation and tactfulness.

In view of this, CeSIS is partnering with SRAN to identify these organizational challenges that have ripple effects on the sustainability of projects, and require capacity strengthening to enhance shared benefits between the two organizations.

Project Description and Activities
The Sustainable Organizations Project (SOP) is focused on strengthening the institutional capacity of CeSIS and SRAN . The project seeks to bridge organizational lapses and challenges identified through Needs Assessment Meetings, and to empower the organizations to ensure sustainable projects that harness their full potential and impacts.

Activity 1
Resource mobilization (Fundraising) – This activity goes to the core of the sustainability of the PVP intervention and future projects of the two organizations. The organizations will explore an exchange learning of practical and viable ways of raising funds. Knowledge acquired will be used to design a Fundraising Action Plan for implementation. Knowledge and learning exchange of the post implementation of the Fundraising Action Plan will be organized for the two organizations to learn from each other their successes, challenges, and how to navigate the challenges going forward.

Activity 2
Strategic planning – This will be a strategic planning session to develop a 5 year development plan for the two organisations. This is essential to the organizations’ sustainability because it will guide in decision-making and allocation of resources for the progress of projects. Knowledge gained from this session will be used to develop a 5-year strategic plan for each organisation.

Activity 3
Develop gender-based tools like gender budgeting and gender analysis. This will promote inclusiveness in project design and planning.

Activity 4
Develop a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)framework – This framework will be used to monitor and evaluate programmes that the two organisations undertake in order to increase knowledge and learning. The MEL framework will support the sustainability of the organisations.

Activity 5
Training on Advocacy skills – This is a capacity building training workshop where both organisations will learn and share experiences in advocacy skills to enable them influence policy change in favour of their communities.