WHY LOCAL SUPPORT ORGANISATION

LOCAL SUPPORT ORGANISATION

Present CO/WO are very small, informal setups having no proper structure & strategy.

they are organized around a common interest and

willing to receive services from service providers. The number of CO/WO is ever increasing in a field unit while SRSP has only one male and one female social organizer.

What has to be done

SRSP should have two pronged strategy;

To establish CO/WO for under taking activities at HH & group level. In this case very few 10-15% of CO/WO will mature into sustainable organization. To establish sustainable organization which will be responsible to became service providers to its members e.g LSO.

WHAT IS LSO?
Local support organization is a secondary level institute in which CO/WO of a particular geographical proximity are represented with the purpose to provide them technical & managerial support in order to keep them active and strengthened.

OBJECTIVES
To facilitate the CO/WO strengthening process on continued basis

The number of CO/WO is ever Increasing in every district of the programme area and it is beyond the capacity of a SO to reach them as facilitator and catalyst. But on the other hand there are activists in each CO/WO who have acquired social mobilization skills after activists training. Such people can be very helpful in overcoming this situation. The only need is to institutionalize it.

To keep continue the process of participatory development initiated by SRSP

Participatory development has become a popular Approach of many bilateral and government programmes. This has created another opportunity for the CO/WO to collaborate and get access to resources. But this may not be possible for a single CO/WO to do it and again institutionalized efforts would be needed

To ensure good governance and conflict resolution among the partner CO/WO.

It is natural that CO/WO will face the issues of good governance and conflict resolution; LSO will provide a very useful forum to resolve these issues on the principles of participation and democracy.
(Each district may add additional objectives keeping in view the opportunities and constraints of the area.)

Structure of LSO
EXECTIVE COMMITTEE 7 to --- number depends the number of memr;

SOCIAL ORGANIZERS & TECHNICIANS

GENERAL BODY

CO

WO

CO

WO

CO

Each CO/WO will nominate at least two persons among its members by passing a resolution in the general body meeting of the CO/WO.

The GB decides the number of members in EC and elect the executive committee accordingly. The important point is to think on women representation. Whether they will join LSO with men together or they will form it separately. In both cases there are some fears. The men may dominate them if they form a joint LSO or they may not be able to run an independent LSO due lack education, social constraints and management skill.

Capacity Building of LSO

Financial Assistance Technical Assistance

Preparation of Strategy, strategic plans exercise, & Development of work plan proposal.

Conti.

Capacity Building of LSO

FUNCTIONS
Strengthening of the community organizations by attending their meeting, conflict resolution, record improvement, review of progress and initiation of social and development activities.

Conti.

Assessing the development and capacity building needs of the member organization and helping them in the preparation of project proposals.

Help the member organization In resource mobilization for These projects/ programmes and Social guidance.

Create linkages of CO/WO among themselves and with out side organizations for taping resources, services. And starting of joint ventures.

Capacity building of CO/WO by organizing capacity building activities like manager conferences, formation of coordination forum/ alliances and training activities.

Conti.

Effective utilization of extension workers, TBAs and other service providers to communities by enhancing their skills and provision of inputs and also linking them with service providers at the district level.

Special efforts to activate the inactive/ dormant CO/WO and bring them to the main stream of community development.

Explore opportunities for initiating in come generating activities to achieve its own financial sustainability. Such as lending, marketing, enterprise development, selling of training and handicrafts

HOW TO FORM LSO

Step-1

Prepare yourself for the task. Make your-self clear on the need of LSO, its scope of work, structure and functions and make a strategy how to do so.
Step-2 Train and educate your staff on the subject. Create a common understanding on the task. Go a head slowly and gradually.

Conti.

Step-3 Identify potential area, CO/WO and activists with out committing any thing to them. Step-4

Hold workshop with the identified activists. Do brain storming on how to sustain CO/WO? Facilitate the idea of self-control and self-management. Dont finalize things at this stage. Just form a committee of activists to consult the CO/WO, discuss the idea in their GB meetings and obtain their willingness through resolution.

Conti.

Step-5
Upon receipt of resolution & fee from all interested CO/WO. The activists committee may arrange a meeting of the nominees and decide the arrangement for the election of the executive committee. Step-6 Holding of election and declaration of the elected body through resolution and press note if possible.

Conti.

Step-7

Holding of oath taking ceremony in a formal manner.

Step-8

Office establishment planning

and

future

Important Points to ponder on before Formation of an LSO

Important Points to ponder on before Formation of an LSO

1. Decide the operational area of LSO. It may be a UC, Tehsil, District or any geographical proximity / location. In any case more then 60% coverage in terms of CO / WO formation will be required.

Important Points to ponder on before Formation of an LSO

2.
3.

Efforts should be made to avoid overlapping of Functions as well as of operational area. How much should be the representation of CO / WO in the general body of an LSO. The GB should be of reasonable size. If the number of CO/WO is less in an area then in that case the nomination from CO / WO should be more then two.

Important Points to ponder on before Formation of an LSO

4. Think on the effective participation of Women in the LSO and design the mechanism for this purpose. Women may form separate LSO, if so what should be the operational area. Think on the tenure of the representatives in GB, ONE, TWO or more years, but should no be on permanent basis. Door for the entry of new shall remain open to add new ides and energies.

5. 6.

Important Points to ponder on before Formation of an LSO

7. There should be membership fee, of what amount. Must be seasonable to meet the initial expenses like books and stationary etc. Ensure that GB meets at least quarterly and EC monthly. Regular meeting is a must to train member and learn. Think on the financial sustainability of LSO from day one. Identify ways and means for it. Please do not create, dependency do this is a manner that in the end the LSO say it was done by it.

8.

9.

THE END