Background of the capitalisation of experience
This capitalisation of experience is commissioned by Secours Catholique - Caritas France (SCCF), whose mission is to support the most vulnerable populations. Created in 1946, the association is active throughout France, while also offering support to partners in more than 70 countries. SCCF addresses all sources of poverty, inequality and exclusion. It raises awareness among authorities and the general public, and puts forth lasting solutions. All SCCF initiatives are grounded in the principles of beneficiary involvement and capacity-building for all as a catalyst for collective action. It aims at transforming society to reach social justice for all, by contributing to fighting the socio-environmental crisis. For many years, SCCF has been actively supporting partners in Bangladesh and in India.
Savings and credit groups (SCG) are widely used in South Asia to promote access to micro-credit for isolated or excluded populations from the banking system.It is used by the governments, NGOs and others worldwide. These groups are considered as an important institution at local level. They are known as Cooperative Credit Union and Cooperative Credit Union Federation in Bangladesh, and Self-Help Group and SHG Federation in India.
Many associations started promoting SCG and facilitated bank linkages, to help vulnerable people access credit, but also further to support development of alternative livelihoods and empower women. The work done with the SCG has proven its effectiveness but, whether in Bangladesh or in India, numerous challenges are pointed out:
• The process of groups’ empowerment may took long time: some groups have been accompanied by CSOs for more than 15 years
• Groups that are no longer supported slowly disappear
• The end of the groups’ support is not anticipated or planned, there is no clear exit strategy
• Ending the support may be technically/legally difficult when the supporting organization has financially contributed to the capital of the group (what to do with the sum invested and how to proceed with the interests earned?)
• Difficulties may arise if the groups change of scale and goals over the years
• Difficulties of the group and/or the accompanying organization to move from the Savings and Credit activity.
• Lack of a common agenda among the group’s participant
Participating partners
Balasore Social Service Society (BSSS)
BalasoreSocial Service Society is an organization registered under Societies’ Registration Act XXI of 1860 on 24th October 1992 at IGR, Cuttack, Odisha, with RegdNo: - 19342/61 of 1992-93.BSSS is the development wing of the Diocese of Balasore and thus operates under the ambit of Diocesan policies and framework. The geographical spread of Diocese covers four administrative districts of Odisha i.e. Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj&Keonjhar and thus BSSS can also operate in these 4 districts only.
BSSS Vision is a transformed society where love, peace and justice prevail.BSSS Mission is to facilitate and enable the poor and marginalized to address illiteracy, marginalization, poverty, diseases and emergencies by ensuring quality education, rights & entitlements, adequate livelihood, access to health services and to reduce disaster risk for sustainable human development.
Caritas Bangladesh (CB)
Caritas Bangladesh is registered with the Department of Social Welfare Services, Govt. of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka vide their Regd. No. DSW/FDO/R-009, dated April 22, 1981 to receive foreign donation under the foreign donation Regulation act of 1978. It is a national, non-Governmental, non-profitable, non-political development Organization established by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh in order to promote and ensure the Gospel values and social teachings of the Catholic Church, which are the guiding principles for Caritas Bangladesh.
CB vision is a society, which embraces the values of freedom and justice, peace and forgiveness, allowing all to live as a communion and community of mutual love and respect. CB mission is to strive to become a partner of people – especially the poor and marginalized, with equal respect for all – to attain integral development, to live a truly human life in dignity and to serve others responsibly.
Capitalisation of experience
The capitalisation of experience is expected to identify and document the good practices of the partners, in terms of:
• formation and follow-up of the SCG and/or federations / unions,
• support to and training of the SCG and/or federations / unions,
• empowerment (autonomy, sustainability) of the SCG and federations / unions
• independence of the groups and self-reliance from the NGO
This capitalisation of experience is expected to identify best methodologies and practices, tools and indicators favouring the success of the process, and also challenges faced and how they were overcome. The initiative looks to take advantage of the experience accumulated over the past and present operations, transforming individual (staff) and collective (SCG, accompanying organizations) experiences into shareable knowledge.
Objectives of the study
This capitalisation of experience will include experiences of the Partners in projects financed by SCCF but also other projects with SCG managed by the Partners. The objectives of the study are to learn from the partners’ and accompanied SCG’s experiences to:
• formalize innovative and/or successful practices and working methods developed by the partners,
• draw lessons learned,
• share the acquired experience,
• promote groups autonomy and their self-reliance,
• disseminate and replicate (or avoid), the practices and experiences analysed.
This study does not aim to be a new study on group animation’s principles, but it aims to objectify the process: How do we know when a SCG is autonomous / self-reliant? How do we withdraw from a SCG in order that it remains solid and operating in the future?
It will focus on the milestones, main steps and methodologies, with a permanent focus on how the final goal of group’s autonomy and self-reliance is integrated or not from the beginning. It will identify best practices in terms of reaching SCG autonomy and self-reliance (knowledge and know-how, soft skills…).
It will help to design tools and practical and concrete guidelines that could be shared, replicated and disseminated.
Issues to be addressed during the capitalisation of experience
Financial sustainability
• Common trends of savings among the groups
• Common saving and credit system
• The linkages that have been built with government, semi-government, private institutions particularly financial institutions contributing to the financial sustainability of these groups?
• Groups’ use of linkages to strengthen their self-help capacities?
• Impact of the bank linkages and its availability and accessibility
• Process adopted by the groups to mitigate any default of loans to its members
• Management of the debt servicing to external lenders?
• Different ways of investing the loans
• Sustainable and prevalent income generation activities
Organisational sustainability
• Capacity of groups’ and federations planning process and future visioning
• Process of leadership and leadership development
• Development of networks and linkages between SCGs and other institutions
• Decision-making power of female SCG members in their families
• Influential power of SCGs on village/community affairs
• Major contributing factors / Major preventing factors
Focus on methodologies and the collective learning process
• Since the start of the groups’ support, how has capacity-building of the SCG (and federations whenever relevant) contributed to enhancing the sustainability / self-reliance of the groups?
• Are groups’ experiences and knowledge been shared and how have these exchanges contributed to developing the SCG?
• How the organization’s work, tools and methodologies were improved?
• What innovative methods have been used to support the groups, ensuring they generate tangible results and effects?
• Addressing larger social issues such as livelihood promotion, employment, advocacy, education, etc.- Is it our expectation or are the groups really interested in social engineering process of larger society?
Covid impact on SCG
• What was the impact of Covid crisis on SCGs?
• How did SCG survive during this difficult period?
• What are the lessons learnt from Covid crisis for the future of SCG?
Gender issue
• How are gender and safeguardy policy taken into account, analysed and integrated to the process for SCG?
• Is there any increase of workload of women because of SHG?
• Did women really become self-help or they still depend of male members for their financial needs?)
Methodology of the capitalisation of experience
Consultant is requested to work in two steps:
1st step work separately with each partner (S1 2022): facilitate a capitalization process within each organization, with a first set of deliverables (partner specific capitalization report)
2nd step (to be confirmed after the end of step 1): Share the experiences of both Partners through the design and facilitation of a 4 day workshop.
Capitalisation of experience contributors
Within partner organisations: Senior team in HQ, Knowledge manager if any, Field staff in direct relationship with the communities and SCG
Among the beneficiaries: SCG leaders, Federation/Union members, SCG members
SCG representatives should be selected among: (i) new groups, in order to capture information about the process from its initial stage, (ii) 3 to 4 years old groups, in order to capture ideas and examples from people having enough knowledge and experience to share (iii) former supported SCG, in order to capture information on the post-support period
Asia / Eastern Europe desk officers of SCCF International Advocacy and Action Division will participate as coordinators and facilitators, in close relationship with the consultant and the partners.
Expected deliverables
It will be expected from the consultant to deliver: two country specific reports on the practices and experiences of each partner (1ststep), and a final report (2nd step). Tools are also expected to be produced, such as a practical guide with important steps and milestones related to the support, follow-up and monitoring and withdrawal process; grids, check-list, tips, or questionnaires listing key elements to be considered to ensure a the best possible empowerment of the SCG; short videos presenting best practices, etc.
All final products must be approved by the SCCF and participating partners, and will be published and disseminated. English is the working language for all tools to be produced.
Tentative timeline
This schedule is subject to modification to take into account the local constraints and partners’ agenda and in the current context(pandemic), the start of the mission will be fixed by mutual agreement between the partners and the consultant while respecting the rules / constraints of the government of the countries (India and Bangladesh) where the process will be carried out.
• January15, 2022 : Reception of bids
• Mid-February 2022 : Selection of the consultant and signature of contract;
• 1st March 2022: Start of assignment for step 1
• April - May 2022: Capitalisation of experience in each country;
• June 2022: Publication of capitalisation of experience deliverables for step 1;
• July 2022: Step 2 to be confirmed depending on the potential of mutual learnings emerging from the first deliverables
Skills required for consultants
• Significant experience in capitalisation of experience;
• Suitable experience in the field of cooperation and international solidarity;
• Technical expertise in the field of Savings and Credit Groups support, ideally in Asia;
• Suitable project coordination, management and monitoring experience;
• Experience in the relevant geographic area would be appreciated;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Superior writing skills for reports and copy;
• Excellent command of English required.
How to apply:
Only companies or free lance consultants duly registered may answer
Candidates may submit an application form in free format, with
- •technical proposal including timeline and deliverables; profile of the consultant(s);
- detailed budget including taxes, proposed breakdown of days per consultant for each phase) (The currency used must be euro)
- 2-pages executive summary highlighting the strengths of the proposal and how the consultants meet the eligibility requirements
Applications must be submitted by 15 January 2022 at the latest to missioncourteduree@secours-catholique.org