Executive Summary
The primary objective of the NGO Project Proposal is to attract funding and related support from donors. Dignity International hopes to improve the general socio-economic conditions of the war victims in the rural villages of Sierra Leone. The NGO was established in 1995 with the main objective of promoting human dignity. The entity’s fight against poverty and injustice in poor countries such as Sierra Leone has attracted global admiration. Dignity International believes that every human beingdeserves a dignified and comfortable life. The organization’s operations in Sierra Leone, a country ravaged by years of Civil War and economic instability, are in line with its mission and vision on human dignity. Against this background, the NGO is promoting human rights and socio-economic development among struggling communities in the country. The “Read to Succeed” program and the WASH campaign are critical flagship projects in the impoverished West African country that require about $821,000 to accomplish. The projects target poor Sierra Leoneans displaced from their homes during the war and victims of brutal amputations, rapes, and assaults who are struggling to survive in the developing country. The proposed budget is $821 000.
Statement of Need
The conflict in Sierra Leon that took place between 1991 and 2002 was a humanitarian disaster that threatened to reach an apocalyptic level. The situation rapidly worsened and claimed over 50,000 people and displacing more than one million people during the same period (Forsberg 4). Moreover, the country has a population of approximately 7.5 million people and fragile public education systems, deteriorated healthcare, and low social protection. The low level of commitment from the government has prolonged the country’s struggle to overcome the impacts of the decade-long conflict. The country is grappling with water shortages, sanitation problems, and hygiene problems.h poor governance, gender inequality, energy, food security, and high levels of poverty are other common challenges facing the country. A higher illiteracy level is also a significant problem facing theimpoverishedWest African country.The recent outbreak of Ebolafurther slowed down the country’s socio-economic progress. Humanitarian disasters such as floods and mudslides, which are very common in Sierra Leone, exposed the poor population in a constant need for relief, rehabilitation, and coordinated recovery systems.The current global public health pandemic further threatens Sierra Leone’s fragile socio-economic systems.
Dignity International is committed to promoting the political and socio-economic empowerment of poor communities in Sierra Leone. The organization majorly targets vulnerable children, youth, and women struggling to improve their livelihoods. For instance, the organization believes that the provision of effective support systems to women seeking to join elective politics currently dominated by men will influence relevant policy and structural changes. Dignity International and its partners are addressing such socio-economic inequalities in Sierra Leone by promoting access to essential services such as vocational education among the poor and marginalized. Currently, the NGO plans to implement a rural WASH project with the primary intention of enhancing household hygiene and other sanitation needs. Through such programs, the organization hopes to construct water points in the targeted communities to sustain its handwashing campaigns with the overall objective of preventing the spread of infectious diseases. The proposed plan will also see the building of sewerage systems within the poor communities to promote safe human safe disposal to help in preventing the spread of infections spread through contact with refuse.
In essence, the handwashing practices proposed under the WASH Program refers to the vigorous cleaning and rinsing of hands under a stream of flowing water to prevent the spread of infections spread through contact. The essence of the practice is to facilitate the suspension of microorganisms by mechanically removing them from the hand surface, suing soap/disinfectants, and rinsing with water (Pandve et al. 190). Hand washing practices contribute tremendously to the prevention and control of different forms of infectious conditions, such as COVID-19andfoodborne and water-borne infections. While handwashing is increasingly becoming a viable public health strategy in most non-healthcare settings, some rural population in Sierra Leone is yet to adopt the practice, thus the need to promote the practice.
Dignity Internationalalso seeks a grant to assist in the establishment and expansion of its “Read to Succeed” program. The program targets disabled war veterans, women, and youth who are still struggling to overcome the impacts of the decade-long war. The primary objective of the project is to help all the targeted population to improve their reading skills, and the program requires funding to facilitate its staffing needs, training, and purchase of necessary software and hardware for the program’s resource room. Dignity International is planning to facilitate the construction of modern learning facilities to ensure improvement in the reading and learning skills among the targeted population. The “Read to Succeed” program will also help Dignity International to implement essential rehabilitation vocational education, training, and skills acquisition and expose the vulnerable population to various income-generating activities, improving their general standards of living.
Overall, Dignity International recognizes the various challenges facing the rural population in Sierra Leone. The organization hopes fora solution to socio-economic challenges, such as poor hygiene, illiteracy, and the disenfranchised healthcare system. Indeed, after 11 years of Civil War that lasted from 1991 to 2002, these current challenges are not surprising (Forsberg 4). The high number of victims of brutal amputations during the war, the raping, and general assaults left Sierra Leone in ruins. The proposed WASH and “read to succeed” program by Dignity International will improve the prevailing socio-economic conditions for the war victims. The organization also plans to support more women and youth seeking active involvement in political activities.
Project Description
Objectives
The primary objective of Dignity International is to empower and improve the quality of life of war victims in Sierra Leone. The organization engages in numerous community-based programs in rural villages of the impoverished West African nation. However, the NGO is facing funding challenges, limiting its ability to execute most of its plans and programs. The implementation of essential rehabilitation vocational education programs is a key objective of the NGO. The success of these programs will translate into the acquisition of necessary life skills and introduce the locals to income-generating activities, thus develop them. Moreover, the proposed WASH programs in the rural villages of Sierra Leone will improve public health, especially in the face of the current outbreak of COVID-19. The last objective is to promote youth and women empowerment, especially in the country’s political discourses. Once these programs are implemented, Dignity International expects to record a general improvement in the general quality of life in the targeted rural villages.
Methods
The Project Manager will be responsible for facilitating the execution of the proposed projects within the stipulated timeframe. The Project Manager will provide a clear definition of the start and end date of the projects based on different strategies. The chart below provides a detailed analysis of the proposed project timelines.
Figure 1. Project Timeline
Source: Own Compilation
Figure 1 shows specific tasks that the NGO will undertake during the project execution phases in the rural villages of Sierra Leone. These tasks will include feasibility studies and analyses, risk and cost assessment, worker’s appointment, task allocation, and material purchasing. Other activities will include actual implementation of the proposed projects, quality assessment of the progress, closure and report preparation, and project transfer.
Feasibility analysis will include the comprehensive assessment of the practicality of the proposed projects. Through the feasibility study, the NGO will attach an objective and analytical report to ascertain the efficacy of the proposed plans to the targeted population. Moreover, the study will include the socio-economic, legal, and technical factors that can affect the successful implementation of the proposed project activities. For instance, technical feasibility will access the general level of infrastructural developments in the targeted regions. The organization will determine factors that may limit or promote its activities in the regions through such operational or technical feasibility analysis. The project team members who will be assigned this task must have the technical ability to analyze the conditions facing the local populations and the unique ability to communicate effectively with the locals and to negotiate better conditions.
Risk and cost assessment will also help Dignity International to define its overall operational objectives. For instance, through such an evaluation, the entity will determine whether the proposed programs, such as the WASH campaigns and the “read to succeed” project will meet their objectives of improving general socio-economic conditions and welfare of the poor communities. Notably, the entity will rely on its innovative and skillful team to conduct feasibility tests and related analytical analyses. Thus, the appointment of the workers will be the most critical phase of this project. The hiring and training of skillful and innovative personnel will facilitate the successful implementation of the project plans and related aspects. Similarly, given the complexity of the projects, the organization will require individuals with strong analytical skills and a profound understanding of local challenges. Some of these employees will include local professionals capable of improving the general numeracy and related educational skills of the illiterate locals through the “read to succeed” program.
Community healthcare workers and caregivers will also participate in the implementation of the proposed WASH programs because of their expertise in health matters. The organization will also base the allocation of specific tasks to the selected employees on their professional qualifications and knowledge level. The material purchasing will also facilitate the implementation of related programs, such as the building of vocational training schools and handwashing points within the targeted rural villages of Sierra Leone.
| Project Milestone Dates | ||
| Item | Major Events / Milestones | Days |
| 1. | Developing project charter and important guidelines | 3 days |
| 2. | Onsite or field examination | Three day |
| 3. | Assembling project teams | 1 day |
| 4. | Briefing the project team members on important deliverables | 3 days |
| 5. | Consulting other relevant project stakeholders | 2 weeks |
| 6. | Assembling important materials and equipment | 3 weeks |
| 7. | Project execution and analysis | 1 month |
Figure 2.Project Milestone Dates
Source: Own Compilation
Staffing
The organization will rely on special project teams to execute the proposed programs. The team will comprise individuals with similar passions and objectives of achieving the set goals and plans. The following are some of the vital project team members that will facilitate the implementation of the project deliverables.
Project Sponsor Responsibilities
- Overseeing high-level project progress
- Providing vision for project overall goal and objectives
- Resolving organizational policy issues
- Selecting project team members and coordinating ongoing project development processes
- Approving project completion
- Approving all changes to the project scope and size
- Providing additional funding to implement the project scope changes
- Supporting the implementation of critical project deliverables
Project Manager Responsibilities
- Developing project implementation plans
- Initiating and coordinating meetings related to the proposed projects
- Monitoring and reviewing the project activities
- Ensuring regular communication of the project progress to all stakeholders
- Assisting with various change management plans
- Maintaining project records and creating master documents for project implementation processes
- Assisting in defining the project deliverables
- Gathering critical information on the targeted population
- Testing solutions and validating project objectives
- Establishing project schedules and determining activities in each phase
- Assigning tasks to project team members
- Providing regular updates on project implementation to upper management
Project Team Members Responsibilities
- Implementing various project team activities and related deliverables or contributing the overall project objectives
- Escalating policy issues and providing necessary expertise in project development and implementation
- Working with other personnel to establish and meet various business needs
Evaluation
The organization will provide constant updates on the progress of the overall project implementation processes. Such updates will enable the project sponsor to understand whether the overall execution of the projects is on the right track. The project manager will rely on a particular checklist to ascertain whether programs are successful. The organization can check the project’s progress and success against the initial plans. Similarly, the organization can use detailed feedback forms to ascertain the success of the projects. For instance, vocational trainees can fill a feedback form with multiple-choice boxes on the perceived impact of the programs.Particularly, through such pretest and posttest measures, the organization will establish whether vocational training and WASH programs are having the expected impacts. The project manager will also send detailed images of the field projects and documentary videos of the projects. An outside panel of professional evaluators will also be used to determine the success of the project and write detailed reports on the organization’s activities, changes to the original plans, and the actual impacts of the flagship projects initiated by Dignity International.
Sustainability
Dignity International currently depends on well-wishers and goodwill ambassadors in Sierra Leone to facilitate its operations. We also receive help from local government agencies in terms of security and logistical support. International donor organizations such as Well Wishers are playing a significant role in our operations. The figure below is “thank you” note to Well Wishers for their generous donations towards Dignity International. Overall, the NGO is attracting global recognition and appreciation through such generous donations.
Figure 4. Evidence of Funding
Source: Own Compilation
Budget
| Project Budget | |
| Budgeted items | Amount budgeted ($) |
| Hiring project team members | 400,000 |
| Feasibility and field analyst services | 10,000 |
| Financing project team movements | 40,000 |
| Transporting project materials to sites | 34,000 |
| Salary expenses and other important utilities | 70,000 |
| Generating important documents | 7,000 |
| Office stationeries and services | 20,000 |
| Project site machinery | 220,000 |
| Miscellaneous | 20,000 |
| Total | $821,000 |
Figure 5.Proposed Project Budget
Source: Own Compilation
Organizational Information
Dignity International NGO is a global movement comprising of likeminded people whose primary objective is to reduce inequality and poverty. The entity was formed in 1995 with the primary aim of fighting against global poverty and injustice. At Dignity International, we are committing to improving the socio-economic standards of poor societies. The entity’s primary objective is to tackle inequalities in poor communities and to protect the lives of vulnerable populations. As an NGO, we want a universe where everyone can speak up to various human rights issues. The organization believes in the power of creating a cohesive and fairer society. Notably, by joining together to fight societal inequalities, the entity can rebuild their livelihoods and ensure sustainable and lasting changes to modern challenges facing their contemporary societies. Some of the scopes of Dignity International NGO include facilitating the establishment of key project management infrastructural and managerial processes. The organization is also responsible for the implementation of crucial project plans and activities in the rural villages of Sierra Leone.
Conclusion
Overall, the funding of activities proposed by Dignity International will improve the conditions of the poor war victims in the country. The project plan provides a comprehensive analysis of how we plan to invest the grant funds to provide basic rehabilitation vocational education, training, and skills, exposing the locals to income-earning opportunities. The WASH program will also improve the overall public healthcare in poor communities.
Work Cited
Forsberg, Sanna. “Violence Against Civilians in Civil War: A Comparative Case Study of the Sierra Leone Civil War.” (2017).
Pandve, Harshal T., et al. “Study of hand washing practices in rural community of Pune, India.” International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health 3 (2017): 190-193.