Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

22 November 2023

 

Post No. 327

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

• Data and Insight Skills to Manage Your Household – On the Agenda from Wednesday 22/11/2023: Data Sharing and Prescriptive Insight Skills

• Support the Educationally Needy Children, Children Impacted by Crises in Africa

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

 

This is a new programme of work which consists of bringing together Advice Service for Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and Guidance Service for the Not-for-profit Investors.  The Impact Advice to ASOs is on project planning, while Guidance to Not-for-profit Investors is on Impact Investing in Africa.

The programme amalgamates both Advice Service for Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and Guidance Service for Not-for-profit Impact Investing in Africa.  The two services are one of our Starting XI Campaign for Autumn 2023.

Our support to Africa-based Sister Organisations via Impact Advice will continue to operate to help these organisations to overcome many challenges they face such as changing climate, the cost-of-living crisis, debt crisis, etc.  Our guidance work with not-for-profit investors will carry on as well.  Under CENFACS‘ Guidance for Investing in African Not-for-profit Organisations and Causes in Africa, we run a programme to support these not-for-profit investors in Africa.

For both ASOs and not-for-profit investors, we have planned to conduct more activities this November 2023.  One of these activities is this new programme, Matching Organisation-Investor Programme.

Through this programme, we will be trying to match ASOs and Not-for-profit Investors.  The term ‘matching programme’ can be used in many settings.  In the context of our new programme, it simply mean advice to ASOs and guidance to Not-for-profit Investors so that the needs of the former can meet with the interests of the latter.

In order to work with both ASOs and Not-for-profit Investors in the context of matching service, we have planned four-week of work/programme starting from 22 November 2023.  The programme is based on a 4-stage model of project planning and a 4-stage type of investment life cycle.  There could be more than four stages in any project planning and in any investment cycle.  However, because we limit ourselves to deliver this programme in four weeks, we chose a four-stage model for both project planning and investment cycle.

More on this Matching Organisation-Investor Programme can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Data and Insight Skills to Manage Your Household – On the Agenda from Wednesday 22/11/2023: Data Sharing and Prescriptive Insight Skills

 

The last episode of our four series of Data and Insight Advocacy and Skills to empower user households will be on Data Sharing and Prescriptive Insight Skills.  To deal with these skills, one may need to understand data sharing and prescriptive insights in the context of households or families as well as the types of skills that can involve when households or families are trying to share their data and need prescription from the information the data are telling them.

 

• • Data Sharing in the Context of Households/Families

 

Although the Information Commissioner’s Office (1) does not treat the movement of data by one part of an organisation to another part by the controller to itself as data sharing, in this serial 4 of our Data and Insight Advocacy and Skills project we are considering data or information exchanged between the members of the same household/family as data sharing.  What is then data sharing?

 

• • • Basic Understanding of Data Sharing

 

Data sharing can be understood in many ways.  The website ‘aws.amazon.com’ (2) explains that

“Data sharing is the process of making the same data resources available to multiple applications, users or organisations.  It includes technologies, practices, legal frameworks, and cultural elements that facilitate secure data access for multiple entities without compromising data integrity”.

Another definition of data sharing comes from ‘nordvpn.com’ (3) which states that

“Data sharing is the process of making data available to others”.

The website ‘nordvpn.com’ also explains that

“Data withholding is the opposite of data sharing.  It is a deliberate withholding of data when someone requests it be provided”.

To share data one needs technologies (like open source, modern data sharing solutions).  One can as well use social media networks and the cloud to share data.

There are advantages and disadvantages in sharing data.  In the context of these notes, let us focus on what is good about sharing data between household/family members.

 

• • • What is Good about Data Sharing within a Household

 

Data sharing within a household can help in number of ways, like

 

√ Improving the performance of households

√ Making households more creative

√ Enhancing decision-making processes within household as decisions will be data-driven or -backed

√ Creating opportunities for household members to better collaborate

Etc.

 

Data sharing comes with data sharing skills.

 

• • • Data Sharing Skills in the Context of Households/Families

 

A typical household/family needs some skills to share its data.  There is a range of data sharing skills that a household/family may use.  Without listing all of them, we can mention the following skills that most household/family data sharers will need.  These skills are the abilities to

 

√ demonstrate openness and transparency

√ promote content sharing

√ collaborate

√ enable data-driven decision-making

√ safely store data

√ improve efficiency of household/family

etc.

 

Depending on data to share, a number of skills will be involved.

One thing is to share data or facts, another thing is to understand and analyse the information contained in the data.

 

• • Prescriptive Insights in the Context of Households/Families

 

Prescriptive insights stem from the mastery of prescriptive analytics.  According to Catherine Cote (4),

“Prescriptive analytics goes beyond explanations and predictions to recommend the best course of action moving forward.  It is especially useful in driving data – informed decision-making”.

From the understanding of prescriptive analytics, it is possible to draw the meaning of prescriptive insights.

 

• • • Meaning of Prescriptive Insights 

 

One of its meanings comes from ‘sparkcognition.com’ (5) which explains that

“Prescriptive insights are actionable recommendations derived from analytics processes to achieve desired outcomes in response to expected events.  They provide answer to the question: how can we make X happen instead of Y?”

To undertake prescriptive insights, one needs some skills.

 

• • • Prescriptive Insight Skills in the Context of Households/Families

 

Prescriptive insight skills are the dexterities to focus on what actions should be taken in terms of answers to a specific question.  Amongst these dexterities, there are those to

 

√ optimize decision-making

√ identify bottlenecks

√ improve resource allocation

√ enhance efficiency

√ look forward instead of looking backward

√ adapt to the evolution

√ increase poverty reduction outcomes

√  stay ahead of the game

etc.

 

 

• • Working with the Community Members on Data Sharing and Prescriptive Insights to Manage their Households

 

We would like to repeat that the purpose of working with the community members on data and insight skills, here data sharing and prescriptive insight skills, is to help them as follows:

 

√ to create trust in data and insight systems

√ to learn and build technical skills like statistical literacy skills

√ to enhance a culture of data and insight uses within household

√ to improve household/family the overall data and insight skills

√ to attach value to data and insight to explain and understand what is happening in their households

√ to empower and inform household data users and insight generators

√ to provide opportunity to those members of our community who deal with business analytics and insight tools (e.g., Google analytics) to bring their knowledge and understanding of these tools at the level of household/family analytics to benefit the management of their households/families

√ to encourage the community members to register their skills on CENFACS Skills Data Bank

√ above all, to reduce poverty linked to poor data and insight skills; yet data and insight skills are necessary to deal with life-saving household/family matters.  They are the lifeblood of any household or family.

 

CENFACS can work with those who need help and support on data sharing and prescriptive insights so that they can effectively and efficiently manage their households.  Also, we can conduct with them basic data and insights analytics using the free frontline tools of poverty reduction we have in our box.

Where our capacity is limited in comparison to their demand or specific needs, we can signpost or refer them to relevant data insight and analytics services or organisations that are available on the market and can be accessible by them.

For those members of our community who will be interested in Data Sharing and Prescriptive Insight Skills to Manage Their Households, they can contact CENFACS.  CENFACS can work with them to enhance their Data Sharing and Prescriptive Insight Skills to Manage Their Households.

 

 

• • Homework for This Week’s End: Share Data and Answer the Question, “What Should We Do Next?”

 

You are a very busy working couple and separately buying Christmas presents for your children for this coming Christmas.  To avoid spending money twice on the same presents, you would like to share information on what each of you is buying for your children.  Sharing information in this way will help to wisely spend your money as a couple while efficiently preparing your Christmas and avoiding impulse festive buying.

In addition, you both read from ‘theguardian.com’ (6) that

“The UK’s annual inflation rate fell sharply to 4.6% in October [2023] on the back of cheaper gas and electricity”.

You would like to deep-dive into this data or information relating to the UK’s annual inflation.  You want to capitalise on this information and know what you can do next in terms of your spending.   How can you capitalise on this information to ask the question, “What should we do next?”?

Those who have any queries about this homework, they can submit them to CENFACS.

So, Data Sharing and Prescriptive Insight Skills are the last episode of our 4-week series of presentation of Data and Insight Skills to Manage Your Household.  To conclude our serial presentation, we are going to release the notes for  Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Data and Insight Skills to Manage Your Household next week.

To get further insight into Skills Development Month, please contact CENFACS.

If anyone is particularly interested in a particular skill or has something to share about the skills we developed during our serial presentation, they should not hesitate to talk to CENFACS.

To get further insight into Skills Development Month at CENFACS, please contact CENFACSData and Insight Advocacy and Skills project.

 

 

• Support the Educationally Needy Children, Children Impacted by Crises in Africa

 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (7) estimates that

“The out-of-school population in Sub-Saharan Africa increased by 12 million over 2015-21” (p. 19)

Likewise, the United Nations Children’s Fund (8) states that

“One of the first day of the new 2023-2024 academic year in Burkina Faso, 1 in 4 schools or 6,149 remain shut due to ongoing violence and insecurity in parts of the country”.

As a way of keeping education alive for these unfortunate children living in those parts of Africa in conflict crisis (like in the 3 borders area composed of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger), many types of initiatives have been so far taken to support these children.

These initiatives have been carried out by organisations (such as the United Nations Children’s Fund) and people like you to help.  Initiatives such as education by radio programme, back-to-school advocacy, delivery of school kits, etc. have been taken.

However, due to the immense educational challenge posed by the legacies of insecurity and violence, there is still a deep, intense and urgent educational need in many of these areas (like in Masisi and Rutshuru towns of the Democratic Republic of Congo).

This appeal, which is worded as Every Child in Africa Deserves Education, has already started and will make CENFACS‘ fundraising campaign for Giving Tuesday on 28 November 2023.

We would like people who may be interested in our charitable mission to join us in this campaign.

We are asking to those who can to support these Educationally Needy Children, through this campaign, not to wait the Giving Tuesday on 28 November 2023.

They can donate now since the needs are urgent and pressing.

To donate, please get in touch with CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• 2023 All Year-round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives): Play, Run and Vote for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2) –

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses African Carbon Market and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

 

• 2023 All Year-round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives): Play, Run and Vote for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

 

CENFACS’ Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year-round Projects) have only one month to go.

The 2023 Edition of All Year-round Projects will be closed on 23 December 2023.  You can still playrun and vote to reduce poverty before this verdict day.

CENFACS hopes that those who have been using these projects have managed to carry out any of these three activities:

 

a) Run or Organise a Run Activity to Reduce Poverty in 2023 

b) Play the CENFACS League for Poverty Relief

c) Vote their 2023 African Poverty Relief Manager.

 

If they have, we would like to hear from them the following three bests or stars of the year 2023:

 

√ The Best African Countries of 2023 which would have best reduced poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2023

√ The Best African Development Managers of 2023.

 

The deadline to tell us your bests or stars of this year-end is 23 December 2023.

Please remember, don’t miss this verdict day or closing date.

To tell us your results or to enquire about these projects, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2) –

How to prepare yourself to follow COP28 by distance

 

The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) will be convened in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) from 30 November to 12 December 2023 (9).  However, not everybody will travel to Dubai to take part in the COP28.  Those members of our community who are interested in this event and cannot attend  in-person may want to follow these climate talks by distance.  How can they prepare to follow them?

This week, we are discussing the kind of preparation one may need to make in order to effectively follow COP28 by distance.  In particular, we are debating the following items:

 

σ guidelines for the participants to COP28

σ technologies to follow COP28 by distance

σ the organisation of COP28 by its organisers

σ the people and organisations to follow

σ COP28 pavillons or workshops

σ COP28 papers

etc.

 

Our discussion includes the way of capturing the key moments and messages in relation to our demand to give a climate stake to children, and to our slogan which is: Dubai Raise Children’s Ambitions and Hopes. 

We are also considering the key points discussed at various pre-COP28 climate meetings and events (e.g., Africa Climate Week 2023, Talks on Climate Loss and Damage, etc.) held so far.  We are reflecting on how these pre-COP28 Talks can fit into CENFACS’ CPSAC and its sub-phase 3.2.  

To enquire about this pre-COP28 preparation within CENFACS  and to support CENFACS’ CPSAC and its sub-phase 3.2, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses African Carbon Market and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

Last week, at the African Economic Conference in Addis Ababa (10), experts called for the establishment of an African Carbon Market to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  A carbon market is, by definition of ‘climatepromise-undp.org’ (11), a trading system in which carbon credits are sold and bought.

While the establishment of such as market is good for a clean Africa, it has to be recognised that this kind of market (be it single or several) should provide the opportunity to further up poverty reduction in Africa.  Companies or individuals using carbon markets to compensate for their greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing carbon credits from entities that remove ore reduce greenhouse gas emissions need as well to make sure that their activities positively impact poverty reduction in Africa.

Indeed, data shows that Africa is an insignificant greenhouse gas emitter compared to the developed regions of the world, while the same Africa is leading the world in terms of the number of poor people.  Let us consider data relating to both greenhouse gas emissions and poverty in Africa.

Concerning Africa’s greenhouse gas emissions, ‘statista.com’ (12) states that

“Africa accounted for 3.9 percent of the world’s emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fuels and industry in 2021”.

Regarding Africa’s level of poverty, the World Bank argues (13),

“462 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are still living in extreme poverty in 2023”.

Given the above-mentioned data, a climate-resilient development in Africa needs to go hand in hand with poverty-reducing development.  A carbon market in Africa will be good to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  It should as well be better in further reducing poverty in Africa which has now become an endemic obstacle to Africa’s development.

In the light of the above information, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is debating the implications of an African Carbon Market for Poverty Reduction in Africa.  A single or regional carbon markets in Africa can sell carbon credits.  It could be wise in ensuring that the price of carbon sold benefit the poor in Africa as well.  It will be also worthwhile to guarantee that a reasonable proportion of any funds to be retained from climate operations and any dividend from climate debt swaps to be used to further reduce poverty in Africa.

Those who may be interested in this discussion can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters and themes of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne du marché africain du carbone et de la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique

La semaine dernière, lors de la Conférence économique africaine d’Addis-Abeba (10), les experts ont appelé à la mise en place d’un marché africain du carbone pour réduire efficacement les émissions de gaz à effet de serre.  Un marché du carbone est, par définition de « climatepromise-undp.org » (11), un système d’échange dans lequel des crédits carbone sont vendus et achetés.

Bien que la création d’un tel marché soit bonne pour une Afrique propre, il faut reconnaître que ce type de marché (qu’il soit unique ou plusieurs) devrait offrir la possibilité de renforcer la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.  Les entreprises ou les particuliers qui utilisent les marchés du carbone pour compenser leurs émissions de gaz à effet de serre en achetant des crédits carbone à des entités qui éliminent le minerai réduisent les émissions de gaz à effet de serre doivent également s’assurer que leurs activités contribuent à la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.

En effet, les données montrent que l’Afrique est un émetteur de gaz à effet de serre insignifiant par rapport aux régions développées du monde, alors que cette même Afrique est en tête du monde en termes de nombre de pauvres.

En ce qui concerne les émissions de gaz à effet de serre de l’Afrique, le « statista.com » (12) indique que

« L’Afrique représentait 3,9 % des émissions mondiales de dioxyde de carbone (CO2) provenant des combustibles fossiles et de l’industrie en 2021 ».

En ce qui concerne le niveau de pauvreté de l’Afrique, la Banque mondiale fait valoir (13) que

« 462 millions de personnes en Afrique subsaharienne vivent encore dans l’extrême pauvreté en 2023 ».

Compte tenu des données susmentionnées, un développement résilient au changement climatique en Afrique doit aller de pair avec un développement qui réduit la pauvreté.  Un marché du carbone en Afrique sera bon pour réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre.  Il devrait également être préférable de réduire davantage la pauvreté en Afrique, qui est devenue un obstacle endémique au développement de l’Afrique.

À la lumière des informations ci-dessus, le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS débat des implications d’un marché africain du carbone pour la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.  Un marché du carbone unique ou régional en Afrique peut vendre des crédits carbone.  Il serait peut-être sage de faire en sorte que le prix du carbone vendu profite également aux pauvres d’Afrique.  Il sera également utile de garantir qu’une proportion raisonnable de tous les fonds provenant des opérations climatiques et que tous les dividendes provenant des échanges de dettes climatiques soient utilisés pour réduire davantage la pauvreté en Afrique.

Les personnes susceptibles d’être intéressées par cette discussion peuvent y participer et/ou y contribuer en contactant le me.Afrique du CENFACS (ou le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS), qui est un lieu ou espace de discussion sur les questions et les thèmes de la réduction de la pauvreté et du développement durable en Afrique et qui agit au nom de ses membres en faisant des propositions ou des idées d’actions pour une Afrique meilleure.

Pour communiquer avec le CENFACS au sujet de cette discussion, veuillez utiliser nos coordonnées habituelles sur ce site Web.

 

Main Development

 

Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

 

The following items explain this programme:

 

σ What Is a Matching Organisation-Investor Programme?

σ The Aim of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

σ How Can Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Investors be Matched?

σ Matching Guidelines

σ Benefits of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

σ Outcomes of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme 

σ Plan for 4-week Matching Activities

σ 22 to 28/11/2023: Matching Organisation-Investor Activity 1

 

Let us highlight each of the above-mentioned items.

 

• • What Is a Matching Organisation-Investor Programme?

 

Matching programme is a term used in various settings.  In the context of CENFACS, Matching Organisation-Investor Programme is the process by which organisations (here Africa-based Sister Organisations) are matched against not-for-profit (n-f-p) investors.  The programme uses n-f-p investors’ description of their requirements to fit organisations’ needs via a fit test.

 

• • The Aim of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

 

The aim of this programme is to reduce poverty amongst the people in need in Africa; poverty due to the lack of best match or fit between ASOs’ needs and not-for-profit investors’ interests.  Where the needs of the ASOs best meet or match the vested interests of not-for-profit investors, there could be high probability to reduce poverty amongst the beneficiaries of ASOs.  The match probability could be high or average or low depending on how much ASOs’ needs meet investors’ interests.

 

• • How Can Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Investors Be Matched?

 

The matching happens through the two main components of this programme, which are Impact Advice to ASOs and Guidance to Not-for-profit Investors for Impact.

 

• • • What Is Impact Advice to ASOs?

 

It is an approach to or methodology of working with ASOs that uses a theory of change to measure impact following advice given on project planning.

Impact Advice to ASOs is about

 

√ Working with ASOs to overcome their project planning problems

√ Helping them to improve their project planning processes, knowledge, skills and capabilities

√ Making sure that project planning benefits the users and communities they serve, particularly those living in poverty

√ Ensuring that project planning tackles the root causes of poverty and hardships

Etc.

 

Impact Advice uses impact measuring tools and frontline metrics to track results and outcomes.

 

• • • Guidance to Not-for-profit Investors for Impact

 

This is a service we offer to those n-f-p investors who would like to not-for-profit invest for impact in Africa’s not-for-profit organisations and charitable causes.   To understand this service, one needs to know “What is a Not-for-profit Investment?” (14)

A Not-for-profit Investment is a sum of money puts into a not-for-profit organisation in order to help this organisation achieve its not-for-profit mission.  Not-for-profit means that the organisation is not engaged in the activity of realising a greater difference between its sales revenue and total costs.  Instead, the organisation aims at providing services without making profit, services that benefit its members or the community as specified in its governing document.

This not-for-profit investment can be in the physical or financial form.  Therefore, there are two types of investment that not-for-profit investors can choose in order to engage in, which are: physical or real investment and financial investment.

This guidance is based on not-for-profit investment and impact investing.  What is impact investing?

According to ‘evpa.ngo’ (15),

“Investing for impact is an impact strategy followed by investors that adopt the venture philanthropy approach to support social purpose organisations maximising their social impact.  Investors for impact support innovative solutions to pressing societal issues, providing in-depth non-financial support and taking on risks that most of other actors in the market cannot – or are not willing to take”.

Briefly, Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Investors can be matched via Impact Advice on project planning for the former and Guidance on Impact Investing for the latter.  To realise a successful match, some guidelines need to be followed.

 

• • Matching Guidelines

 

To carry out matching, one needs to know the profile of the organisation that is looking for not-for-profit investment, the specification or description of the investor, and identification of possible ways of matching organisation’s profile and investor’s specification.

 

• • Benefits of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

 

There are benefits when organisations’ needs match not-for-profit investors’ interest.  These benefits include:

 

√ Cost-effectiveness as the programme reduces the costs for both organisations (for instance, the costs of looking for investment) and investors (e.g., the costs of finding the right organisation in which to invest)

√ Reduction of opportunity costs between the two parties (i.e., investee and investor) engaged in the programme

√ Creation and sustenance of relationships between organisations and investors

√ Problems-solving mechanisms or solutions for organisations’ problems and needs, and solutions to investors’ requests

√ Opportunity for a fit test (i.e., testing organisation-investor fit on mutual interests and contribution to the right decision)

√ Qualitative feedback about Organisation-Investor and background knowledge

√ Better decision-making processes for the two parties (e.g., organisations and investors)

Etc.

 

• • Outcomes of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

 

It is better to differentiate outcomes for not-for-profit investors from those relating to Africa-based Sister Organisations and Causes.

 

• • • Outcomes for Not-for-profit Investors

 

The programme will provide peace of mind for n-f-p investors and a good return in terms of the rate or size of poverty reduction they will expect from the organisations or causes in which they will invest or support.

 

• • • Outcomes for Africa-based Sister Organisations and Causes

 

The programme will enable them to access the type of investment they need and build the capacity they are lacking.  In doing so, this helps them to achieve their project aims, objectives and key deliverables with peace of mind.

 

• • Plan for 4-week Matching Activities

 

As part of CENFACSMatching Organisation-Investor Programmewe are running a 4-week matching activities to support both organisations and not-for-profit investors.  It is a 4-week work about Impact Advice Service for organisations and Guidance Service on Impact Investing for not-for-profit investors.

The programme is based on 4-stage model of project planning and 4-stage style of investment life cycle.   The 4-stage model of project planning uses in our programme comes from ‘coursera.org’ (16) which defines project planning as

“A structured approach to managing a project from its initiation to its completion”.

The same ‘coursera.org’ provides a four-stage process to project planning comprising of:

 

a) Define project scope and goals

b) Agree on a project schedule, timelines and milestones

c) Establish roles and teams

d) Plan and establish project documentation.

 

As to the 4-stage of investment life cycle used in our programme, we have referred to the four phases of investment cycle from the Agriculture and Food Organisation of the United Nations (17), phases which are

 

i) plan strategically

ii) design investment

iii) implement and monitor

iv) evaluate and capitalize.

 

We have adapted these phases to our programme.

However, let us recognise that there could be more than four stages in any project planning process and any investment cycle.  Because we set up some boundaries by limiting ourselves to deliver this programme in four weeks, we choose a four-stage model for both project planning and investment cycle.

The programme is designed to work with both those seeking not-for-profit investors and those who would like to invest in the not-for-profit organisations and causes.  The following is our plan of action/work for the programme.

 

Notes to table no. 1:

(*) Match periods are portions of time intended to help discover whether or not investors’ interests match organisations’ needs

(**) Impact Advice uses a 4-stage project planning model

(***) Guidance for Impact Investing follows a 4-stage investment life cycle.

 

If you want advice, help and support to find not-for-profit investors; CENFACS can work with you under its 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor Programme, starting from 22 November 2023.

If you need guidance to outsource not-for-profit organisations and causes in Africa; CENFACS can work with you under its 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor Programme, starting from 22 November 2023.

These matching activities are a great way to realise your dream or ambition as an organisation or a not-for-profit investor in Africa, to enter and start 2024.

Need to apply for the programme, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • 22 to 28/11/2023: Matching Organisation-Investor Activity 1: Matching Organisation’s Project Goals and Objectives with Investor’s Strategic Planning

 

There are many scenarios in which an investor can invest in an organisation.  In our scenario or model of matching organisation-investor programme, we are trying to bring an investor in an Africa-based Sister Organisation and Cause through project goals ad objectives of this ASO.  We are trying to match ASO’s project goals and objectives with an investor’s strategic planning of investment.

In order to match organisation’s project goals and objectives with investor’s strategic planning, one needs to understand the meaning of project goals and objectives as well as strategic planning.

To understand project goals and objectives, let us refer to what ‘kidasa.com’ (18) argues about them.  According to ‘kidasa.com’,

“Goals are high-level statements that provide overall context for what the project is trying to achieve, and should align to business… Objectives are lower level statements that describe the specific, tangible products and deliverables that the project will deliver”.

Strategic planning of investment is understood here as the phase of assessment and communication to set up priorities and identify projects for implementation, according to the model of four phases of investment cycle proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (op. cit.).

The rule of the matching game here is the more investors are attracted by ASOs’ project goals and objectives the better for ASOs.  Likewise, the more ASOs are willing to adopt investors’ strategic plans the better for investors.  In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., organisation and investor).

The above is the first activity of the Matching Organisation-Investor Programme. 

Those potential organisations seeking investment and n-f-p investors looking for organisations who are interested in it, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them.  They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this first activity of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

References

 

(1) https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resource/data-sharing/data-sharing-a-code-of-practice/data-sharing-covered-by-the-code/ (accessed in November 2023)

(2) https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/data-sharing (accessed in November 2023)

(3) https://nordvpn.com/blog/data-sharing/ (accessed in November 2023)

(4) https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/prescriptive-analytics (accessed in November 2023)

(5) https://www.sparkcognition.com/solutions/prescriptive-insights/ (accessed in November 2023)

(6) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/15/uk-inflation-drops-gas-electricity-prices-interest-rates (accessed in November 2023)

(7) UNESCO (2023), Global Education Monitoring Report Summary 2023: Technology in Education: A tool on whose terms? Paris, UNESCO

(8) https://www.unicef.org/burkinafaso/en/press-releases/burkina-faso-new-academic-year-starts-one-million-children-out-school-due-ongoing# (accessed in October 2023)

(9) https://www.cop28.com/en/(accessed in November 2023)

(10) https://www.uneca.org/stories/experts-call-for-the-establishment-of-an-african-carbon-market-to-effectively-reduce (accessed in November 2023)

(11) https://climatepromise-undp.org/news-and-stories/what-are-carbon-market-and-why-are-they-important (accessed in November 2023)

(12) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1287508/africa-share-in-global-co2-emissions/ (accessed in November 2023)

(13) https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/overview (accessed in November 2023)

(14) cenfacs.org.uk/2023/02/08/africa-not-for-profit-investment-outlook-2023/ (accessed in November 2023)

(15) https://www.evpa.ngo/impact-glossary (Accessed in March 2023)

(16) https://www.coursera.org/gb/article/project-plan (accessed in November 2023)

(17) https://www.fao.org/investment-learning-platform/investment-cycle-phases/en/ (accessed in November 2023)

(18) https://kidasa.com/defining-project-goals-and-objectives/ (accessed in November 2023)

 

_________

 

 Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going this Year

 

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis.  Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS.  Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.