NZAID

KOHA / HAF Programme Management Committee (PMC) update
October 2009

return to | NZ NGO contestable funds

The Programme Management Committee (PMC) is responsible for the running of the KOHA-PICD and HAF (Humanitarian Action Fund) funding schemes for New Zealand 's international development NGOs. It is holding five meetings during 2009; each meeting will be followed by an Update. These will include information on decisions taken by the PMC at its most recent meeting and items of general interest to the New Zealand NGO community regarding the two schemes. The PMC welcomes your feedback on the Updates and any suggestions you have for their improvement.

As well as being posted on the NZAID Website, this Update is also sent directly to people within KOHA-registered NGOs. We always welcome other names from your NGO to add to the distribution list. Just send the names and email addresses of people you would like to receive Updates directly to claire-louise@koha-picd.org.nz  and we will oblige, starting with the next Update.

KOHA & HAF update | October 2009

Jump to...

 

Introduction

The PMC met over 2 days (23-24 September) for a regular meeting of KOHA and HAF business. Michael Vujnovich joined us, representing NDRF, for HAF business on the Wednesday afternoon. We also met with reviewers, Hilary Smith and Stephen Haslett on Wednesday and with CID staff, David Culverhouse, Aileen Davidson and Lee Sentes on Thursday morning. Getting sorted for the PMC's input to the Annual Meeting of NZAID and NGOs also occupied some of our time.

The main outcomes of the September meeting are summarised below along with related items of interest for the community of New Zealand 's development NGOs.

Organisational profiles

The PMC received four organisational profiles from organisations seeking KOHA registration. One was declined, two were tabled, and the PMC accepted the application for membership from Unions Aotearoa International Development Trust (UnionAID). The Trust's purposes are the advancement of education and the relief of poverty.

Back to contents

KOHA-PICD reports

A number of reports were received from Individual Grant Organisations (IGOs) meeting their end-of-year requirements. Thank you to those who sent in the End of Year Report form and a reminder to those who still need to do this. Other reports accepted from IGOs were as follows: Mahitahi (AM&E, Solomon Islands); NZ CTU (Burmese women's aid and empowerment project, Thailand; Worker education project, Sri Lanka); Rotary NZ WCS (Themi-Mkonoo water project, Tanzania); Sudanese Community Wellington (Pamach girl child education project, Southern Sudan).

KOHA-PICD applications approved for IGOs / September 2009

  • cbm nz | Monitoring visit, CCBRT Manzese, Tanzania. AM&E; Monitoring visit, Christian Foundation for the Blind, Thailand. AM&E
  • Family Planning | Scaling up and strengthening home-based care for people living with HIV and AIDS, Cambodia GEN; Education for young women, Solomon Islands. PfD
  • INNZ | Cottage food industry, India. GEN
  • Open Home Foundation | OHF India: Kolkata training and development, India. PfD
  • RESPONSE | Collaboration for economic enterprise with environmental responsibility, Vanuatu. PfD
  • Rotary NZ World Community Service | Bhogpur-Dora community development, India. GEN
  • Salvation Army | Empowering women and villages into self-sufficiency, Malawi and Tanzania. AM&E

Organisational reviews

The PMC received a report from Family Planning International on their follow-up actions to the recommendations made in their organisational review. These had been very well addressed and summarised in a table outlining the recommendations and actions completed in response. We also considered the final draft and recommendations of the organisational review report for SurfAid International. The PMC met with the reviewers, Stephen Haslett and Hilary Smith, and received two reports – Lessons learned for the NGO community 2008-2009, and Lessons learned for NZAID and the PMC 2008-2009. The former report was duly circulated in advance of the Annual Meeting for the use and consideration by NGOs.

From the Lessons learned for the NGO community report, the PMC felt that the sections relating to organisational development and models of governance for non-profit organisations would be useful for many NGOs, particularly, but not only, for IGOs. The New Zealand models of governance for NGOs vary, and examination of what is most appropriate at different stages of an organisation can improve performance.

Back to contents

PMC management audit

The PMC was advised during its meeting that the Minister has requested a management audit of the operational practice of the PMC. We understood this will include an assessment of the decision-making processes that the PMC follows, although the Terms of Reference and the rationale for this exercise have yet to be advised to the PMC.

HAF reports

The PMC accepted three re-submitted Annual Notifications from Block Grant Organisations (BGOs). It also accepted reports from UNICEF (Child-focused disaster preparedness and response approaches for Pacific Island families) and four reports related to the special HAF funding round that followed the disastrous Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. These were as follows: HIDANZ (Cyclone Nargis – Myanmar relief and reconstruction); Oxfam (Cyclone Nargis Response, Myanmar); The Salvation Army (Myanmar Cyclone relief and reconstruction); TEAR Fund (Emergency relief and reconstruction, Myanmar).

HAF applications approved / September 2009

  • Rotary NZ World Community Service | ShelterBox NZ replacement project, Oceania and East Asia .
  • UNICEF | Psychosocial support networks for children in disasters, Papua New Guinea .

Special Samoa tsunami funding round

Following the damage and destruction caused by the tsunami in Samoa , the Government allocated $600,000 for disaster relief to be allocated through the HAF process. An invitation was sent out to all HAF BGOs and a special meeting of the PMC was held on 8 October to consider the applications. We were very pleased that this money was made available through the HAF process to add to the many other initiatives to help relieve the suffering and recovery efforts in Samoa.

Back to contents

Chair's Comments

I am looking forward to the Annual Meeting and the opportunity to report on the highlights of the last year from the PMC's perspective. The PMC will be recommending adoption of two different sets of changes to the KOHA-PICD Handbook. One change relates to aspects of AM&E that were first proposed a year ago and have since had extensive airing and discussion at various meetings during 2009. The second area of change has been a PMC initiative to bring more rigor and a risk-management perspective to the eligibility requirements for NGOs seeking registration with KOHA-PICD. This also relates to progression to full registration status. We circulated a discussion paper, discussed the proposals fully at the IGO and BGO meetings, and found widespread support for the proposed changes. I am confident this will help improve the match between any new NGOs and the objectives of KOHA-PICD and clarify expectations as to what is required to stay in the scheme.

My other highlight is the increasing benefits of the BGO and IGO meetings for us all as well as the continuing relevance of the major Forum event. With an NGO community that is spread widely throughout New Zealand, these meetings fulfill a number of important functions: networking, learning opportunities, raising and discussing policy matters, finding out about best practice and recharging enthusiasms for the challenges of assisting human development in difficult places. The increasing number of participants at the meetings this year was very encouraging. The theme for the very successful Forum held in March on the topic “Sustainable Development – By Whom, For Whom?” was set well before the Government announced its changes to NZAID with a greater focus on sustainable economic development and more support for Pacific island countries. The way participants engaged at the Forum indicated to me that New Zealand NGOs are well aware of the economic dimensions of development and the key role that vibrant, healthy communities play in that process.

Kia kaha

Wren Green

Back to contents

Previous updates

 

return to | NZ NGO contestable funds