Integration of Program and Program Support

1. CARE Mali Integration of Program and Program Support

2. Essential functions for P-Approach(identified during PS process in FY08)

3. Structural and organizational changes(based on essential functions assessment) • Establish broader Program Manager positions and strengthen management functions and capacity within program team • Create M&E Coordinator within each program with complementary expertise for cross CO functions: impact measurement, participatory Monitoring, R/A, knowledge mgt & learning • Focus Program Director and Senior Program Coordinator functions on quality functions • Reorient Strategic Support functions at regional level toward organizational development of partners • Increase support from strategic support team to Program Managers • Set up ‘bînome’ coaches for Regional Offices.

4. What does it look like? Reorient Strategic Support functions at regional level toward organizational development of partners • Creation of a senior position of Finance and Administration Coordinators (COFA) at regional level • All COFA are supervised by the Finance Controller based in Bamako • Each COFA is responsible for a specific program, in addition to overall admin and fin management at office level • Rotation in regional office coordination: COFAs represent CARE and therefore need to be informed on and understand programs, especially those implemented in their regions.

5. What does it look like? Reorient Strategic Support functions at regional level toward organizational development of partners (Ctd) In addition to traditional roles and responsibilities, COFAs: • Participate in program planning events • Participate in program field visits and debriefings • Carry out sub-grant management • Provide technical support to partners in admin and financial management • Conduct capacity assessments of partner NGOs, jointly with program team • Design and implement capacity building plan (or link to appropriate capacity providers).

6. What does it look like? Set up ‘bînome’ coaches for Regional Offices. Each regional office is assigned a pair formed by a head of PS and Senior Program team member. Jointly, they ensure: • Program and PS teams collaborate and communicate • The regional office understands and complies with policies and procedures • The office climate is conducive • That security issues are addressed • Regional team receives appropriate attention and support from Bamako • They bring to management any relevant issue that concerns their regional office Each pair plan together their visit and collect concerns from other senior manager before their visit.

7. What does it look like? CO level integration / Collaboration • All heads of program Support and COFAs participate in and contribute to Program Quality and Mission Coordination Meetings • CO has identified programmatic and organizational ‘Chantiers’ and formed teams composed of and/or led by both P and PS team members. The ‘Chantiers’ are: Empowerment, Advocacy, Discrimination, Sustainability, Partnership and Compliance, Talent Management and GED, Learning and Documentation; Discussed in CO meetings • PS staff co-facilitate PIQ/PQAT with Program staff.

8. Challenges • COFA working within programs and supervised by Finance Controller based out of regions --- How to better follow up and assess their overall performance? Double supervision? • How to ensure that COFAs feel empowered to hold program managers into account vis-à-vis budget management and monitoring, compliance, respect of PS deadlines, etc. (issue of authority)? • Lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities of Program Managers, partners and COFA in regard to financial management • Capacity of current COFAs and difficulty to find staff with capacity and competences required for admin, finance, capacity building, sub-grant management, • Donors question more and more many layers in senior PS positions • Time & Workload