Consortium Alignment Framework for Excellence
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Consortium Alignment Framework for Excellence (CAFE) PARTNERSHIP PArtnErshiP PArtnErshiP, PQsD CatholiC Relief SeRviCeS BaltimoRe, mD 21201 USa 410-625-2220 [email protected] soliDArity Will trAnsForm thE WorlD Partnership is fundamental to how CRS sees itself in the world. We believe profoundly that change occurs through our Catholic Church and other local partners, that by sustaining and strengthening local institutions we enhance a community’s ability to respond to its own problems. Catholic Relief Services puts its approach to development, emergency relief, and social change into practice through partnerships with a wide array of organizations: local churches and nonprofits, host governments, international agencies, and others. Our belief that solidarity will transform the world inspires a commitment to right relationships with those we serve, in collaboration with the Catholic Church and other faith-based or secular organizations closest to those in need. We strive for partnerships founded on a long-term vision and a commitment to peace and justice. For more than sixty years, CRS has worked side-by-side with our partners to alleviate human suffering, promote social justice, and assist people as they strive for their own development. our PArtnErshiP PrinCiPlEs 1. Share a vision for addressing people’s immediate needs and the underlying causes of suffering and injustice. 2. Make decisions at a level as close as possible to the people who will be affected by them. 3. Strive for mutuality, recognizing that each partner brings skills, resources, knowledge, and capacities in a spirit of autonomy. 4. Foster equitable partnerships by mutually defining rights and responsibilities. 5. Respect differences and commit to listen and learn from each other. 6. Encourage transparency. 7. Engage with civil society, to help transform unjust structures and systems. 8. Commit to a long-term process of local organizational development. 9. Identify, understand, and strengthen community capacities, which are the primary source of solutions to local problems. 10. Promote sustainability by reinforcing partners’ capacity to identify their vulnerabilities and build on their strengths. tAblE oF ContEnts i acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................................................................1 introduction to Cafe ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 how and why Cafe was Developed ................................................................................................................................4 when and how to Use Cafe ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Cafe Standards ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Cafe Reference Sheets ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Cafe implementation guide ............................................................................................................................................ 18 glossary .................................................................................................................................................................................. 28 ConSoRtiUm alignment fRamewoRk foR exCellenCe ii ConSoRtiUm alignment fRamewoRk foR exCellenCe ACknoWlEDgEmEnts CAFE, the Consortium Alignments Framework for Ken Maclean, country representative, Catholic Relief EDitors Excellence, began by a conversation between CRS Services Kenya Nick Ford, country representative, Catholic Relief Services Malawi and CRS headquarters in late 2006. By 2007, Paul McCartney, country director, Save the Children Malawi CRS Malawi prepared a proposal for a document that Malawi Sarah Ford, senior technical advisor, partnership and would help CRS and its partners work more effectively Solani Mhango, program manager, Catholic Relief Services capacity strengthening, Catholic Relief Services USA in consortium. Malawi Christopher Reichert, learning, monitoring and evaluation Orhan Morina, chief of party, AIDS Relief, Catholic Relief regional manager, Catholic Relief Services Southern In May 2008, CRS staff from eight countries joined Services Uganda Africa Regional Office seven partner organizations to draft the document. Tsielo Mpeqa, executive director, CARITAS, Lesotho Jerome Sigamani, deputy director, Program Management CAFE is based on the original documents written at the Mathews Mphande, program manager, Salvation Army Unit, Catholic Relief Services Malawi “Improving Consortium Governance Workshop” held in Malawi Madeleine Smith, regional technical advisor, livelihoods Salima, Malawi. The participants and the editing team Hyghten Mungoni, country representative, Africare Malawi and business development, Catholic Relief Services thank CRS Malawi for their excellent hospitality and Maggie Mzungu, program manager, Africare Malawi Southern Africa Regional Office for providing the venue and logistics that made CAFE Gabriella Rakotomanga, head of programming, Catholic possible. Additionally, CAFE would not be possible Relief Services Madagascar Finally, a large group of CRS headquarters colleagues without the generous support of the United States was kind enough to review CAFE and offer invaluable Christopher Reichert, learning, monitoring and evaluation 1 Agency for International Development’s Office of Food regional manager, Catholic Relief Services Southern feedback. Thanks go to the Consortium Alignments for Peace. Africa Regional Office Framework for Excellence Reviewers: Jefferson Shriver, chief of party, Catholic Relief Services Erin Baldridge, business development specialist Authors Nicaragua Eric Eversmann, senior technical advisor, education Mulugetta Abede, national director, World Vision Malawi Jerome Sigamani, deputy director, Program Management Mychelle Farmer, technical advisor, HIV Hastings Banda, associate operations director, World Unit, Catholic Relief Services Malawi Mary Hennigan, senior technical advisor, health Vision Malawi Darko Simeunovic, head of management quality, Catholic Jared Hoffman, chief of party, AIDSRelief Rosie Calderon, public resource specialist, Catholic Relief Relief Services Malawi Loretta Ishida, technical advisor, learning Services USA Madeleine Smith, regional technical advisor, Livelihoods David Leege, deputy director Nick Ford, country representative, Catholic Relief Services and Business Development, Catholic Relief Services William Lynch, senior technical advisor Malawi Southern Africa Regional Office Elena McEwan, senior technical advisor, health Dane Fredenburg, deputy regional director, Program Sonia Stines-Derenoncourt, chief of party, AIDS Relief, Carrie Miller, technical advisor, HIV Quality, Catholic Relief Services Southern Africa Catholic Relief Services Zambia Frank Orzechowski, senior technical advisor Regional Office Ericka Reagor, business development specialist Paul Jones, country representative, Emmanuel International WorkshoP FACilitAtors AnD stAFF Bridget Rohrbough, public resource representative Malawi Christina Avildsen, independent consultant, Angola Joseph Schultz, publications manager William Kawenda, program manager, CADECOM Malawi Sarah Ford, senior technical advisor, partnership and Anna Schowengerdt, public resource manager Robert Komakech, head of finance and administration, capacity strengthening, Catholic Relief Services USA Franne Van der Keilen, development officer Program Management Unit, Catholic Relief Services Harvey Peters, independent consultant, Zambia Daphyne Williams, program specialist, HIV Malawi ConSoRtiUm alignment fRamewoRk foR exCellenCe 2 ConSoRtiUm alignment fRamewoRk foR exCellenCe introDuCtion to CAFE CAFE is in four primary sections, each building upon • Roles define the tasks, authority, actions, and consortium personnel, and defining the features and the preceding one. expected outputs of consortium members. elements of consortium procedures. CAFE’s core document is CAFE Standards. The • Process documents mechanisms that create The CAFE Implementation Guide presents a timeline standards have seven components. These components and support an enabling environment for the of a consortium through pre-consortium planning, describe the most essential principles for forming consortium. formation, proposal design, project approval, and the and working in an effective and efficient consortium. • Interpersonal describes the ideal for individuals implementation phases: start up, execution, midterm, The standards, written as operating principles for the and institutions to interact and relate to each other. closure, and continuation. Each phase has definitions, consortium, are as follows. • Learning elaborates a reflective process resulting outputs, conditions, and indicators for success, • Goals describe the common understanding of the in change based in experience and evidence. pitfalls, monitoring checklists, suggestions for tools consortium’s purpose. and best practices. Following the standards is the CAFE Reference • Strategy defines the plans and tactics of the Sheet, which suggests tools and good practices for The CAFE Glossary draws