Missions

The Project

Basic structural and institutional weaknesses can significantly impact an organisation’s operational capacity to deliver high-quality humanitarian action. An initial self-assessment phase (using our Taking the Lead tool) enabled the ARS teams to identify their weaknesses themselves, then draw up a capacity building action plan. Group training sessions (on governance, project management and security) were initially run in 2020, developed by Bioforce and its partners, the Coordinating Committee for International NGOs and the Central African Agency for Employment and Professional Training (ACFPE). From early 2021, more in-depth support offered by Bioforce on cash flow management, HR management and logistics management made it possible to establish and update procedures and tools, in association with the ARS team, in order to foster ownership and empowerment. Finally, Bioforce helped ARS draw up terms of reference for needs assessment, partner relations, as well as planning and implementation of their activities. These tools, now part of ARS’s daily work, offer real added value to raise the funds that the NGO will need from donors and partners. Alongside this, Bioforce continued to act as an operational mentor to ARS, with the aim of improving the quality of health services offered by ARS to populations in Begoua district. In 2020, with the support of experts from Bioforce, ARS designed and led a training programme for the health centre teams (healthcare workers, management committees and community outreach representatives). Despite the impact of the unstable security situation at the end of the year, the training restarted in spring 2021 on hospital hygiene, prevention (nutrition, malaria, measles and Covid-19), awareness raising messages and methods, and active malnutrition screening. By training staff and installing operational equipment (incinerators for waste management, latrine blocks, placenta pits), these healthcare centres are now operational: preventative and curative consultations, treatment or referrals for cases of malnutrition, vaccination activities, simple childbirth procedures... over 500 people use the three centres every month, compared to around thirty previously. Routine inoculation activities for children have been launched, with vaccination cover against measles now over 80%. As such, the project has had a major impact by stepping up access to vaccinations. This new operational model, combining both capacity building and provision of humanitarian assistance, in this case in the health sector, made it possible to achieve a clear vision of how the NGO worked rapidly in order to offer practical support with the changes required. For Derick Nformi, ARS National Coordinator in Bangui: “Throughout the whole process, ARS was continually improving the way it worked and the quality of its operations. The approach was very much appreciated, it helped improve our working practices, our visibility and the effectiveness of our work. The ARS team appreciated being completely involved in the decision-making process.”