Over recent years there has been increasing recognition of the importance of localisation of activities, including decision-making, leadership, resourcing, partnerships, implementation and monitoring and evaluation. This event provided space to learn from those who have experience in creating, running, and working with Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), and began to explore some of the following areas:
What is a CBO, and why does it matter?
How CBOs are formed and by whom.
Different models/structure of CBOs.
How and why to register CBOs formally.
Resourcing of CBOs.
Challenges that are faced by CBOs.
How to respond to and avoid crises (both within CBOs and within communities).
How to encourage CBO’s to have entrepreneurial goals.
Creating learning cultures within CBOs.
Working alongside/with CBOs in healthy ways
The main goal of the event was to learn more about CBOs and the way they function, and to facilitate dialogue between CBOs and those with whom they work. By the end of the event we hoped that participants would have:
identified the (common) characteristics of CBOs,
discussed how CBOs can help catalyse community involvement in activities so that they are central to any changes in their community,
explored the benefits and challenges of different CBO models/structures,
investigated the resourcing challenges faced by CBOs and some possible responses to those challenges,
explored the organisational/relational power dynamics influencing CBOs and how to encourage healthy communication within and with CBOs,
explored their role in catalysing the formation of CBOs and supporting them in their work.
EVENT SCHEDULE
Thursday 4 October - Beginning and Growing
08:30-09:00 - Arrival & Sign in
09:00-09:15 - Session 0: Welcome & Introductions
09:15-10:30 - Session 1: The community and change
10:30-11:00 - Break
11:00-12:30 - Session 2: What is a CBO, and why does it matter?
12:30-14:00 - Lunch
14:00-15:30 - Session 3: Different models/structures of CBOs.
15:30-16:00 - Break
16:00-17:15 - Session 4: How CBOs are formed and by whom.
17:15-17:30 - Daily Highlights
Friday 5 October - Maturing and Stabilising
09:00-10:15 - Session 5: Why and how to register CBOs formally.
10:15-10:45 - Break
10:45-12:30 - Session 6: Resourcing of CBOs.
12:30-14:00 - Lunch
14:00-15:30 - Session 7: Challenges faced by CBOs.
15:30-16:00 - Break
16:00-17:15 - Session 8: How to respond to and avoid crises.
17:15-17:30 - Daily Highlights
Saturday 6 October - Flourishing
09:00-10:30 - Session 9: Creating learning cultures within CBOs.
10:30-11:00 - Break
11:00-12:30 - Session 10: Making calculated changes - monitoring & evaluation.
12:30-14:00 - Lunch
14:00-15:30 - Session 11: Working alongside and with CBOs in healthy ways.
15:30-16:00 - Break
16:00-17:00 - Session 12: Next steps.
EVENT NARRATIVE