MALAWI
Country Strategic Plan
2009-2013
Contact address:
Cecily Bryant
Country Director
Josephine Marealle-Ulimwengu
Assistant Country Director
Telephone (265) (1) 774 738; 775 846; 775 740
Fax: (265) (1) 774 172
Email address:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.Executive Summary 2 pages Hestern
Brief overview of key issues in Malawi
Shifting in donor funding – budgetary support
Political changes – budget approval delays, approaching general elections in 2009
Climate change
Changing in donor funding approach
Weak governance
HIV/AIDS gender inequity
Innovate in redesigning of programme
Change in the level of engagement with donors, government and CSO
Partnerships in relation to sustainable change
CARE Malawi’s responses Moving from Projects to Programme
Care Malawi Programme will be long-term and focused on impact and flexibility in modifying things as implementation is in progress. There will be merging and integration of several small projects within a specified geographical area. A programme enhances linking community implementation with policy advocacy and goes beyond single funding source. Synergies will be optimized and proposal development will be integrated across sector addressing all aspects of the Unifying Framework (UF)
Purpose statement
Underlying Causes of Poverty In Malawi
Background of how these
CARE Malawi’s Program Themes seek to address the following five priority underlying causes of poverty in Malawi:
1.Social Exclusion: People’s inability to fulfill their rights, responsibilities and aspirations as citizens in society due to inequality and discrimination.
2.Inequitable Access to Resources And Services: Situations whereby information, services and resources (which are in themselves inadequate) do not reach everyone due to differences in economic, social and political status.
3.Weak Governance: The failure of political, formal and informal institutional processes to contribute to poverty reduction.
4.Gender Inequity: Social construction of roles and positions that disadvantages one sex, leading to discrimination, exploitation and vulnerability of the disadvantaged sex.
- Poor Macro and Micro Economic Environment: Deterioration of economic opportunities and productivity of the natural resource base, and thereby, the erosion of social and economic capital.
Geographic focus – CARE Malawi will continue to implement program activities in the Central Region of the country while identifying greater opportunities for synergy across different programs – both those implemented by CARE Malawi as well as other government and non-government partners. In other parts of the country where CARE Malawi has a presence, the focus will be to work with and through partners – building and strengthening their capacity. We will build upon and find synergies between programmes and projects within our programme areas while being cost efficient and reinforcing community based relationships to maximize impact.
Guiding Principles for Moving Forward
To sustain the quality of our work we shall use available resources in the best possible way while questioning ourselves and our actions to be creative and effective as we look for solutions to meet our challenges. We shall strive to take personal responsibility and accountability in setting achievable targets and meeting them while ringing personal skills and experience into the team. Building synergies and trust among ourselves will focus on complementary skills and outcomes that will enhance impact maximization in a team achieving greater results than the sum of our individual members.
Population & key strategies
CARE Malawi will pursue the following new Strategic Directions in 2009-13
SD 1: Reduced Vulnerability of marginalized Women and Girls through active policy engagement on key issues
- Actively participate in the implementation and monitoring of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
- Strengthen capacity of local government and community structures on Fiscal Decentralization (within CARE’s work and in the central region)
- Strengthen good governance in service delivery in priority areas: health, education, agriculture and microfinance.
SD 2: Enhanced equitable access to quality basic services by marginalized groups, especially women and girls
- Achieve improvements in access to quality health and education services in the central region.
- Enhance capacity of civil society, local government institutions and other key stakeholders to improve service delivery.
SD 3: Vulnerable households are achieving sustainable economic empowerment and food and nutrition security
- Support the economic development of vulnerable households.
- Support vulnerable households to attain food and nutrition security.
- Design and engage in programming which addresses social protection and the needs of the most marginalized households, ultra-poor and destitute.
SD 4: Enhanced capacity of vulnerable households and communities to adjust to and mitigate the impacts of environmental shocks and degradation, and emergencies
- Develop long-term strategy for dealing with climate change, emergencies and disaster mitigation.
- Enhance current programming through the effective integration of climate change interventions.
SD 5:Enhanced internal culture that promotes staff-wellness, productivity, accountability and quality
- Hire, develop and retain talented, creative, motivated and competent staff
- Increase resource base to innovative programming and enhanced impact
- Create a culture of documentation, sharing, dissemination and practice
2.Overview of country & key trends (+ & -ve) 1.5 - 2 pages Josephine
Summary of key trends in Malawi
Care Malawi External Environment Trends Analysis
Improved macro economic indicators have not translated into improved people’s lives and livelihood
Increased ultra poor that are labour constrained
Of the 52.4% of the poor (Below a dollar a day) 10% are destitute - labour constraint and consume less that MK27/person/day
12% are ultra poor with some labour capacity and own few assets
30% of the population are moderate poor consuming between MK27 – 43/per person/day
Increased dependency
Increased gender inequity and gender based violence
Inequitable access to resources and services to poor communities and households
2.MDGS
MDGS prioritizes six key areas for Malawi’s economic growth, namely:
Agriculture and food security;
Irrigation and water development;
Transport infrastructure development;
Energy generation and supply;
Integrated rural development; and
Prevention and management of nutrition disorders, and HIV/AIDS
Opportunity for Care Malawi is to form strategic partnership with Malawi’s development partner agencies and government ministries at macro level to influence equitable budget allocation, utilization and reporting (Public Expenditure Tracking)
3.Governance
Improved fiscal management
Reached acceptable HIPC threshold debt cancellation
Parliament and CSOs demanding Government. to be more accountable e.g. budget scrutiny
Government. more accountable to donors than to citizens
Decentralization
Weak political framework to support decentralization process (dysfunctional NEC, No local government. election etc)
Inadequate Capacity and high vacancy rates
Multiparty system
Political impasse/turmoil budget crisis, section 65 etc
Government. with minority seats in parliament
Increased freedom of speech/expression
Emerging of activism CSOs
Increased Corruption
From 94 to 105 out of 165 countries (CPI - TI rated 2.7 out of 10: 10 = Least corrupt 1 = Most corrupt)
Low culture of critical/active citizenship
Emerging/developing civil society organisations/networks
Inadequate principles of separation of powers Low checks in balances (Executive, legislature and Judiciary)
Opportunity for Care Malawi
More strategic engagement in the decentralization process Identify and work with strategic partners that are already working on the decentralization e.g. GTZ and networks
Engage in policy and advocacy on good governance – Public expenditure tracking, strengthen the policy and advocacy unit and its work
Provide strategic support to Civil Society networks
Promote active citizenship e.g. strengthen voice of the marginalized members of society, use of UF and RBA as a tools for accountability for Care, community, LG, central government. etc)
4.HIV/AIDS
Estimated adult HIV prevalence (NAC annual review Oct 2007)
Rural HIV prevalence may be rising as urban is falling (NAC annual review Oct 2007)
Gender
Increased gender inequity
High level of illiteracy among women and girls
Access to credit still a challenge
Limited access to markets
Shift from male dominated crops to female dominated crops negative impact on intra poor household decision making, access and control of resources?
Gender and HIV/AIDS
Women spend more time caring for sick people less productive time
Inheritance issues causing problems
Gender based violence
95% of gender based violence is against women and children
Increased gender awareness in government
Teen mothers readmission policy, gender ministry, national gender policy etc challenges in implementation e.g. stigma caused by teachers and boys
But weak institutional framework for advancing gender equality
Systemic and deeply rooted culture and practices that defeat the good policies and protocols signed by government
Weak Capacity of Government & CSOs to mainstream gender
Few CSOs engaged in gender mainstreaming
6.Climate Change
Weather and climate-related disasters
High death tolls (International and at regional levels)
Decline in production of food,
Pollution of waters and land surfaces,
Destruction of production capacity and infrastructure
Poor populations disproportionately threatened by man-made and natural disasters
Increasing impact of disasters and conflicts on lives of poor
Livelihood of poor increasingly affected by climate change
Scarcity of natural resources compounding issues of poor populations
Need to learn more about climate change and its implications and should design long term projects and programmes to mitigate and adapt to climate change
Mitigation
Examples of Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use projects include:
Helping farmers increase the organic (i.e. carbon) content of their soils
Helping farmers convert their fields to multi-story agro-forestry systems that increase below- and above-ground carbon stocks
Helping communities establish or restore forests
Helping communities protect threatened carbon sinks (e.g. forests)
Adapting to the adverse impacts of climate change
Examples of adaptation-oriented activities include:
Soft measures, like raising people’s awareness about traditional ways to cope with climate variability, or helping local authorities and communities develop disaster preparedness plans
Hard measures, such as rainwater harvesting, or the planting of agricultural crops and trees more suited to warmer temperatures and drier soil conditions
Trends in External aid
Changing donor environment affecting charity funding sources
Western governments’ funding becoming more politicized
Funding from all sources becoming more constrained and focused on results measurement
Direct budget support (the Paris Declaration) (General and Sector Budget Supports) – DFID, EU,
Increased donor support to government
Demand by donors for a more accountable and transparent government
Government control over donor funds
Reduced direct funding to INGO
Increased direct funding to local NGOs
Support to social protection
Policy formulation
Cash transfer (e.g. UNICEF pilot project)
Demographic trends
Demographic trends complicating issues of the poor
Greatest population growth expected in areas with highest concentration of poverty
Increased urbanization of poverty
Malawi’s and other developing countries’ populations becoming younger,
Poverty increasingly affecting women in disproportionate manner
Globalization
Globalization complicating and enabling development agencies’ operating environment
Technology facilitating global awareness of poverty
Non-state actors have greater ability to organize
Increased relevance of markets’ role as cause of and solution for poverty (e.g., private sector)
Information Communication and Technology (ICT)
Access to internet, mobile phones
Access to information e.g. market
Challenge exorbitant prices/costs
Only a small proportion of the population has access to computers and internet and phone
Private sector
Increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from US $ 52 m (2005) to US 185 m (2006) – Annual Economic Report 2007
Increased domestic investment
Others trends
Low government expenditure
High vacancy rates e.g. Number of doctors per 100,000 inhabitants is 2 instead of 20 (WHO standard)
Number of Nurses per 100,000 inhabitant 56.4 instead of 100 (WHO standard)
Number of health providers per 100,000 inhabitants is 58 instead of the WHO standard of 228
60% vacancy rate for rural nurses
Source: MSF confronting the health care worker crisis to expand access to HIV/AIDS treatment
High Government staff turnover in various ministries and local government
Increased demand for micro finance services in the rural areas
12.Opportunity for Care Malawi
Advocate for more resources allocations to INGOs e.g. INGO to play a more facilitation role than direct implementation
Support in strengthening capacity at both local and central government levels
Provide evidence from the field on Government. HR challenges
Establish strategic partnership with the private sector
Identify opportunities for urban programming
Need to ensure that Care Malawi program and strategic choices capitalize on positive trends and design strategies to mitigate the negative trends
Need to identify policy issues on various policy related trends and their implications to Care Malawi programming design projects/interventions
Operationalise frameworks that can help address root caused of poverty e.g. UF
Building and utilize M & E systems that can help assess the impact of Care Malawi’s work evidence based advocacy agenda.
3.History of CARE in Malawi1 – 1.5 pages Hestern
Brief history maybe broken down by decades to show how your work has evolved
CARE Malawi History
In May 1997 CARE international conducted an in-country programming probe with the involvement of CARE USA, CARE UK, CARE Norge and CARE Canada. The program probe team made a recommendation to begin operating in Malawi by establishing a Country Office presence in a manner that was both ‘light’ and ‘flexible’. In addition, it was recommended that initial program activities be concentrated in the Central Region of the country and to conduct a participatory livelihood assessment exercise leading to the design of CARE’s initial programming in Malawi. These recommendations were accepted by the CARE International board in November 1997, and CARE USA was granted lead member status.
CARE subsequently established a Country Office presence in December 1998 with the opening of its Country Office in Lilongwe. Through the adoption of its household livelihood security (HLS) framework and rights based approaches, CARE Malawi’s current program has been developed around a thorough analysis and understanding of peoples livelihoods, and currently covers activities in the food security, agriculture, health, education, economic opportunities, social and economic empowerment (especially of women), social protection, rural infrastructure and emergency sectors. CARE is currently operational in a number of districts in the Central Region of Malawi. In addition, CARE’s geographical coverage continues to expand into additional districts and regions as a result of activities implemented through a growing number of partners and involvement in Malawi’s emerging Civil Society coalition and networks, especially in the education, health and agricultural sectors.
Since then CARE Malawi has been evolving from an organisation that was purely addressing immediate causes of poverty (human conditions) of vulnerable households to an organisation that is addressing a combination of immediate, intermediate and underlying causes of poverty (human conditions, social positions and facilitating enabling environment).
4.Rationale for new plan 1 – 1.5 pages Cecily
Reasons for new plan now what new things will we address. To include consistency with CI principles, vision & mission, government orgs, MDGs, MGDs., etc.
Vision & CARE Malawi purpose statement
5.Overview of plan 1 page Hestern
Key elements of the plan,
The 2006 five year strategic plan was originally planned for implementation till June 2010. However, progressive changes within the global organisation that continually strives for “greater programmatic focus and higher operational standards for impact and program quality” required CARE Malawi to re-examine its strategy. Therefore during the last quarter of 2007, CARE Malawi reviewed and revised its strategy plan for the period 2008 to 2015. This will allow CARE Malawi to: “become a recognized leader in the fight against poverty and social injustice and inequity”.
Implications of the new strategy for CARE Malawi’s work include the following:
- Theory of change
- Aligning Care Malawi strategy with CARE strategies (CI, UK, USA, Osterrich, Canada)
- Focus on marginalized women and girls
- Contributing to the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and Malawi Growth and Development Strategy
- Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS, gender, governance, social inclusion and climate change
- Internal capacity building of staff and operationalization of systems
- Increased accountability and redefining our role in advocacy and partnerships
- Developing capacities in economic empowerment, food and nutrition and social protection
- Developing the capability to move from projects to programme while putting in place transition plans for the current projects
- Aggressively secure long-term sustainable programme funding
In the new strategy CARE Malawi will accomplish its plan by:
Strengthening the overall system from national policy and budget allocation, to district planning and community services delivery
- Strengthening relationships among civil society partners agencies, line ministries and local government to improve the overall system from national policy and budget allocation to district planning and community service delivery
- Ensuring that all of our programmes are built on effective analysis of human conditions, social positions and enabling environment with particular focus on the identified underlying causes of poverty.
CARE Malawi will pursue the following new Strategic Directions in 2008-15
- Reduced Vulnerability of marginalized Women and Girls through active policy engagement on key issues
- Enhanced equitable access to quality basic services by marginalized groups, especially women and girls
- Vulnerable households are achieving sustainable economic empowerment and food and nutrition security
- Enhanced capacity of vulnerable households and communities to adjust to and mitigate the impacts of environmental shocks and degradation, and emergencies
- Enhanced internal culture that promotes staff-wellness, productivity, accountability and quality.
6.Theory of Change 1 - 1.5 pages Dziko