The Peace Advocacy Cluster of the Strengthening Advocacy and Civil Engagement (SACE) project, funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND Foundation) held a 2 day Cluster Coaching session on June 14 and 15, 2017.
The Cluster comprising Nembe City Development Foundation (NCDF)) as anchor organisation, Iduwini Development Foundation (IDF), Mien Cluster Development Foundation (MCDF), Okordia-Zarama Cluster Development Board (OZCDB), KEFFES Rural Development Foundation (KRDF) and Foundation for the Empowerment of Nigerians with Different Abilities (FENDA) as members, are implementing a Community Based conflict Prevention And Peace Building Initiatives through early warning and response mechanisms in Bayelsa State. The project is also advocating the introduction of Peace and Security Studies in secondary school curriculum in Bayelsa State.
The objectives of the coaching programme are to:
1. Test the cluster’s application of the lessons from the leadership summit held in Abuja in May this year.
2. To evaluate the political economy of the state and identify windows of opportunities as they affect our issue.
3. To develop strategies to take advantage of opportunities and mitigating strategies for negative effects.
4. To evaluate cluster feedback and develop strategies to function better using the Cluster model.
5. Develop follow-on commitments for the project going forward.
Day 1 started with a project summary presentation and draft Community Based conflict prevention and peace building model presentation to bring cluster members to speed on the project, especially the new members the analysis of the political economy of the state, probing what has happened in the last 6months concerning our issue, what changes have occurred in our policy asks and on public awareness concerning the project.
A number of issues were identified that positively or negatively affect our issue. Strategies were then articulated in response to the changes identified in our issue landscape including gender and social inclusion (GESI) and conflict sensitivity issues. Priority points were identified and noted for actor. Following this was the identification of relevant stakeholders we need to influence and include in our work going forward, what incentives and conflicts influence these stakeholders
Day 2 started with a review of the last Outcome Harvester (a result framework) showing planned and executed activities, results recorded and priorities set for implementation. Programme activities of the previous 2 years of the programme was critically evaluated, outcomes harvested and priorities set for follow-on project. Strategies were developed for the priorities particularly on what need to be done in the next 6months, what we will do concerning our policy asks, how we intend to engage and educate the public and how we intend to address GESI and conflict sensitisation issues.
Participants were trained on how to use the STARNET, an online partner mapping tool which show relationships between the anchor organisation and cluster members within the network. An anchor-cluster feedback analysis was conducted to examine how the cluster has worked together, what feedback members had for each other, what responsibilities are assigned to which cluster member and how we intend to work together in the next 6 months.
The coaching sessions which were led by NCDF and supported the Delta office of SACE team was attended by members of cluster organisation, media representatives from radio, Television, local tabloids and online media platforms, security agencies (The Police, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) whose invaluable added lots of spice to priority and strategy sessions
Nembe City Development Foundation 