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SUPPORT Nepal is a
not for-profit, non-government organization working in the field
of peace and development since 1996.
We believe that
the role of development is not to develop things but to develop
people, aiming at the advancement of the whole human being:
spiritually, morally and materially.
SUPPORT works
strategically to restore imbalance and inequalities being faced
by minority groups, especially women, Madheshi, Muslims, Dalits
and conflict victims.
Development of
training, networking, models of effective development practice,
research and influencing policy has been the focus of this work.
The increasing focus
of SUPPORT has been on providing support to communities and to
develop processes that promote the inclusion of the minority
groups.
1. Vision
SUPPORT is committed
to achieving sustainable human development in which people are
able to enjoy a full range of human rights, fulfill their needs
free from poverty and live in dignity.
2. Purpose
The purpose of
SUPPORT is to foster an effective development by:
§
acting as a
focal point for information, coordination and dialogue on policy
and practice;
§
representing
the views and interests of minority groups to government and
other key stakeholders.
3. Guiding principles
SUPPORT is guided by
a set of principles to build creative and trusting relationships
with minority people and their organizations and to meet program
standards which:
§
give priority
to the needs and interests of the people we serve;
§
encourage self
reliance and avoid creating dependency;
§
are based on
the authentic participation of people in programs that affect
their lives;
§
respect and
foster human rights, both socio-economic and civil-political;
§
seek to
enhance gender equity; and
§
understand and
respect the history and culture of the people we serve.
4. Beneficiaries and stakeholders
Explanation;
Beneficiaries are individuals and groups who benefit directly
from the services offered by SUPPORT. Stakeholders are
individuals and groups who “have a stake” and are affected by
SUPPORT, although they are not, generally, the direct
beneficiaries of the services offered.
Beneficiaries;
§
Minority
people and their organizations,
§
Civil society
members,
§
Development
workers/human rights defenders.
Stakeholders;
§
Academia,
§
Commercial
organizations,
§
Media,
§
Political
parties,
§
Government
line agencies,
§
NGO/umbrellas/networks,
§
Opinion
leaders/formers.
5. Accountability and Transparency
SUPPORT is committed
to operating in a transparent and open manner and to complying
with the highest development, professional and ethical
standards. There is a range of governance measures in place to
achieve this, including;
i. The
preparation and submission of annual report to the stakeholders
including annual work plans, description of achievements of the
SUPPORT and detailed outputs of the monitoring functions carried
out by SUPPORT under its statutory functions;
ii. Compliance
with best practice in governance guidelines, including carrying
out regular internal and periodic external auditing and
publication of annual financial results following independent
audit by the registered auditor/s;
iii. In
addition, SUPPORT has a regular planning and review process
whereby its objectives and actions are critically assessed
against strategic goals, the changing environment and policy at
a regional and national level.
6. Strategic Goal/Objectives
SG
# 1: To act as a focal point for information,
coordination and dialogue on policy and practice in the Nepalese
NGO sector especially on minority issues.
1.1
To provide
quality advice and information services to stakeholders.
1.2
To promote
dialogue within the NGO sector on strategic issues related to
minority rights.
Strategies;
§
Undertake or
commission research and analysis on minority issues so as to
provide quality advice to the stakeholders and to inform policy
dialogue with government.
§
Engage in
public forums and debate to strengthen the understanding and
support of the public on minority issues.
SG
# 2: To advance social, economic and political status
of minority groups.
2.1
To increase
participation and capacity of minority groups in public
decision-making process.
2.2
To raise public
consensus and advocate the issues of minority groups in the
constitution-making process.
2.3
To increase the
opportunities in the development and implementation of social
and economic program policies and strategies, so as to more
effectively utilize the capacity
of minority groups and their organizations.
Strategies
§
Promotion of
inclusive planning and implementation of development policies
and programs with focus on minority groups.
§
Develop and
practice locally-fit and culturally sensitive approaches to
development.
§
Develop
alliances with other organizations and networks that assist in
the advancing the role of minority groups in the
constitution-making process.
§
Document and
disseminate the best practices and case studies.
7. Critical Risk Factors
7.1
Relationships with donors:
We
must maintain relationships with donors that are mutually
beneficial and satisfactory.
7.2 Relationships with staff:
We
must establish and maintain relationships with staff and
volunteers that are productive and personally fulfilling.
7.3
Relationships with members and other NGOs:
We
must maintain an effective programme of promoting our services.
7.4 Environmental scanning:
We
must maintain an ongoing process of assessing the social,
economic and political factors that affect our strategic
planning.
7.5
Relationships with strategic partners and governments:
We
must maintain healthy and mutually beneficial relationship with
our strategic partners, actual and potential, and relevant
government agencies.
7.6 Financial management:
We
must be prudent in the management of our financial affairs to
ensure accountability to both donors and beneficiaries.
7.7 Information management:
We
must maintain the relevance, profile, integrity and security of
our information.
7.8 Governance:
We
must establish and maintain effective governance structure and
process.
8. Implementation and evaluation of the SUPPORT strategic
plan 2008-2010
The SUPPORT strategic plan (2008-2010) is implemented through
the development of annual SUPPORT work plans approved the Annual
General Meeting (AGM) and monitored by the SUPPORT’s Executive
Committee (EC). This includes the regular monitoring of key
performance indicators as well as periodic evaluation of the
strategic plan, to ensure that needs arising from emerging
issues, as well as the lessons identified in the implementation
of SUPPORT activities are taken into account in reviewing
forward plans and strategies.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The Annual General
Meeting (AGM) includes the organization’s members who sits once
in a fiscal year and provides a forum where all members meet to
discuss current issues related to organization, establish policy
principles for SUPPORT, review SUPPORT’s operations, pass the
annual plan and audit report and elect the Executive Committee.
Executive Committee (EC)
The Executive
Committee (EC) acts as the governing body of SUPPORT in between
Annual General Meetings. The EC meets at least four times each
year to provide guidance on the direction of SUPPORT as well as
to oversee and approve the recommendations of Program Management
Team (PMT)’s meetings. The President heads the EC.
Program Management Team (PMT)
PMT, under the
supervision and guidance of the EC, sits once in a month and
looks after SUPPORT’s operations and financial affairs including
regular monitoring and evaluation of progress towards the
strategic objectives outlined in this strategic plan. Its
Program and Finance Department provide specialist advice to each
meeting of the PMT. The Program Manager implements the decisions
made by the PMT. Self-help organizations (SHOs) and
community-based organizations (CBOs) are occasionally invited to
participate in PMT meetings in order to exchange views and
provide input into PMT decisions.
Advisory Committees (AC)
The Advisory
Committee (AC) is appointed by the SUPPORT Executive Committee
and provides advice and recommendations to the Executive
Committee to assist SUPPORT in meeting its strategic objectives.
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