SA-CIBIS: Capacity and Institutional Building
Many organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) in Southern Africa struggle to sustain themselves. Donor funding has been shrinking for years. Staff capacity is thin. Governance structures are often weak. Without a strong foundation, OPDs cannot advocate, deliver programmes, or hold governments to account.
SA-CIBIS was designed to address this. The programme works to build well-governed, financially sound, and self-sustaining OPDs at all levels — from national federations to the SAFOD Secretariat itself.
The programme covers four core areas: institutional governance, financial management, human resources, and resource mobilisation. Work under SA-CIBIS is practical and hands-on. It targets real gaps, not just theory.
Key activities have included:
- Training of trainers in project management, using the P3 Express method, for Secretariat staff and Regional Executive Council (REC) members.
- Workshops on fundraising and resource mobilisation for the Secretariat and national affiliates.
- One-on-one mentoring and technical support for affiliates on proposal writing and fundraising plans.
- Seed funding for affiliates to run their own fundraising events.
- Resource mobilisation training for nine affiliates across two rounds — covering grant writing, fundraising events, online platforms, budgeting, and visibility.
- Leadership and governance training for national federations in four countries and the REC.
- Quarterly REC meetings to provide strategic guidance and programme oversight.
The results have been mixed but instructive. Some affiliates — like NFPDN in Namibia — ran successful fundraising events with the support of seed funding and mentoring. Others faced staff shortages or internal challenges that slowed progress. SAFOD has used these lessons to improve its approach, including developing capacity assessment tools to better match support to each affiliate’s specific needs.
SA-CIBIS reflects a core belief at SAFOD: strong OPDs are the backbone of disability rights work. Without them, advocacy loses its voice at the national level.