IGNITE CSOs (Improving Governance, Networking and Inclusivity Towards Empowered Civil Society Organisations) is a 30-month, EU-funded initiative being implemented by The Cropper Foundation (TCF) and project partner Veni Apwann (VA). It aims to improve the legal and fiscal enabling environment of CSOs in Trinidad & Tobago, while enhancing the sector’s operations and expanding its capacity for effective self-regulation.
The project was conceived as a localised response to the unintended consequences of the international shift in the nature and reach of state oversight of CSOs, driven by FATF compliance frameworks. Changes in perceptions of sector legitimacy and credibility by donors and financial institutions at a global level, amounting to increased requirements for institutional and staff education and training on operational competencies and skills, have been reflected regionally and, specifically, in Trinidad and Tobago.
This Action addresses three (3) overarching constraints:
- Lack of fit for purpose CSO legislation and the resulting consequences of bank de-risking and impacted CSO legitimacy;
- Lack of national CSO competency standards and associated accredited credentials that are co-designed by CSOs and trusted by external actors;
- Lack of a dedicated digital support ecosystem for CSOs, accessible to all, that require operational support but lack the capacity to fully utilise enhanced capabilities.
To mitigate these constraints, the Action relies on a multi-sectoral, collaborative approach involving state, private sector and CSO stakeholders alongside international civil society allies. Focused on removing barriers to civil society’s legitimate participation in national development; holistically building their operational capacity and capability; and promoting the adoption of innovative and inclusive digital tools, the Action seeks to create an enabling environment for a more engaged, proactive, self-regulated sector.
IGNITE CSOs proposes three (3) main outcomes:
- CSOs operate in a regulatory environment that enables ease of operation and financial inclusion.
- CSOs have access to nationally recognised and ongoing capacity building training on key operational areas.
- CSOs have access to a sustainable and distributed network of resources, expertise and support.
These outcomes are being advanced across three corresponding pathways.
- Enhancing the legal and fiscal enabling environment for CSOs
This pathway, led by TCF, aims to reduce regulatory impediments to the legitimate functioning of CSOs through a focus on revising the Non-Profit Organisations Act (2019) and mitigating bank de-risking of the sector, while enhancing CSOs’ capabilities to engage successfully with policymakers on behalf of the sector. Through the formation of a multi-sectoral working group, this pathway will focus on engaging state and private sector partners towards the development of policy and best practices promoting financial inclusion, transparency and accountability. This pathway will also generate research reflecting CSOs’ experiences with bank de-risking; analysing the process and impacts points of the state’s legislative amendments; and addressing the need for a dedicated CSO oversight body with a mandate beyond compliance.
- Sustainable and recognised capacity building
Managed by VA, this pathway will facilitate the development of a nationally recognised accountability framework and related micro credential programmes co-designed by CSOs and national expert associations. A working group comprising CSOs and professional associations will develop the National Accountability Framework for use by the national CSO population. Additionally, there will be a focus on developing CSO-specific micro-credentials, based on identified competency frameworks, which will be designed to be delivered using a digital, on-demand format wherein CSOs can access a dedicated online learning programme at any time, and receive a nationally recognised certification upon completion of an exam. Finally, a need-based scholarship programme will be undertaken for full uptake of the micro-credentials.
- Building a distributed value network for CSO resources
The goal of this final pathway, also led by TCF, is to develop and support a digital, distributed ecosystem that connects CSOs to national resource nodes that include providing free digital tools and dedicated support clinics. This Pathway is built along the action’s focus on capacity vs capability of CSOs and will support many CSOs in T&T that remain very under-resourced across the gamut of resources. They often lack the capacity to dedicate time, or even mental energy towards professionalisation. After a landscape assessment of the local digital support ecosystem, TCF’s CSO Go digital platform will be updated to become a one-stop platform for CSOs to access short-term and discrete support on a wide range of operational and institutional needs. In parallel, the aim is to launch physical support clinics for short to long term support, using the spaces provided by action associates COSTAATT and the Alliance of Rural Communities (ARC). This hybrid model of the digital CSO network housed on CSO Go, along with the physical nodes, will provide alternative spaces for CSO operational guidance and support.
To learn more about IGNITE CSOs, visit thecropperfoundation.org/project/ignite-csos/