Capacity building of facilitators on strategic thinking in the Global South
In October 2023, COMETA started the capacity building of facilitators on strategic thinking (FOFA in Spanish acronym). We implemented the Theory of Change (TOC) methodology with civil society organizations in Central America, a region where the closure of civic space is increasing, complicating the provision of support processes. COMETA is commited to capacity building of […]
Results-based evaluation in civil society organizations
When should we worry about conducting a results-based evaluation? For COMETA, the best moment is when civil society organizations (CSOs) want to understand their achievements in detail or want to give the stakeholders and donors evidence of their results. Also, when we want to share our progress with the stakeholders and the public. If we […]
What do we mean by high-level strategic facilitation?
Have you ever heard of “high-level strategic facilitation”? In this article, we will discuss this concept and its relevance. High-level strategic facilitation is a process where an external consulting firm designs and applies a methodology that stimulates strategic dialogues and discussions for organization networks that need to: They are called high-level discussions because the participants […]
What should you consider for a good advocacy strategy?
When we talk about “advocacy strategy,” several questions arise, the first and most important of which is usually: What do we mean by “advocacy”? Advocacy is the ability to influence someone to change their behavior. Advocacy is often the main reason civil society organizations (CSOs) work. Since some government’s actions do not directly impact us, […]
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)
Evaluation was born on the seventh day of creation, when God saw everything that He had made and stated, “It is good”. With that single phrase, God became the world’s first evaluator. However, the evaluation born in the heavens proved insufficient and too subjective for some. Therefore, upon hearing God’s evaluation (self-evaluation, by the way), the Devil objected and insisted: “How does he know it’s good, how did he measure it? By what indicator did he judge the goodness of his creation, by what did he compare it?” And so, evaluation as we know it today was born: in the fires of hell!
(Karen Marie Mokate, Turning the “monster” into an ally: Evaluation as a tool for social management, Inter-American Development Bank, 2003).
A strategic budget is crucial to the goals of civil society organizations
When we discuss civil society organizations’ (CSOs) missions, we rarely consider the financial resources needed to achieve them. Therefore, CSOs need a strategic budget to fully accomplish their Theory of Change and cover their operating expenses. What is a strategic budget? The strategic budget clearly reflects the organization’s financial needs and provides a compass that […]
Key questions about the participatory approach
Are you familiar with the participatory approach? Do you know how it can help your organization? We will guide you on implementing this approach in organizational processes, particularly in hierarchical organizations. This approach is particularly beneficial for civil society organizations with traditional structures or clear commitments to their donors. What is the participatory approach? The […]
Horizontal learning for civil society organizations
Why are horizontal learning processes relevant for civil society organizations (CSOs)? The problems we face in the world are more complex, and no single actor can tackle them alone. In the last two decades, we have seen that multistakeholder initiatives (involving public and private stakeholders, civil society organizations, and academia) can bring positive outcomes. Therefore, […]
Horizontal Learning: what should we take into consideration for exchange of experiences?
When we think of horizontal learning, remembering our college years, or conjuring up an academic program is expected. However, a more valuable and ideal tool to promote learning in civil society organizations. Horizontal learning is also known as the exchange of experiences because it is done between peers and not from a hierarchy with a […]
10 financial health risks for civil society organizations
Financial health for civil society organizations (CSOs) is often an easily overlooked topic because organizations usually focus on setting and meeting their goals. However, long-term success and stable growth are more associated with adequately managing economic resources. Below you will find a discussion about ten financial health risks faced by CSOs. 1. One person in […]