Participatory Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment Workshop

The CAPSTONE (Capacities for Social Transformation and Empowerment) programme continues to provide coaching and mentoring support to civil society organisations (CSOs) participating in the first cohort. Following an online course on Strategic Thinking and Planning, offered earlier to 22 CSOs, the PRIA team has been providing follow-up support to the partners in undertaking an in-depth “SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat” analysis based on an organisational environmental analysis (PESTLE Analysis – Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental) and Participatory Organisational Analysis (POCA). In addition, they were supported to undertake Stakeholder Analysis. Based on these analyses, each partner identified the most significant strategic issues faced by the organisation which would help to find future strategies for the organisation. This coaching and mentoring support have been provided both online and onsite. While online support was provided to Synergy Sansthan in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan – RSKS in Rajasthan, Youth Unity for Voluntary Action – YUVA in Jharkhand, onsite visits were made to Viswa Yuva Kendra – VYK and Voluntary Integration for Education and Welfare of Society – VIEWS both based in Odisha. In addition, field visits and documentation support were provided to Satyakam Jankalyan Samiti in Madhya Pradesh, Prayas Kendra Sanstha – PKS, Dalit Vikas Sahayata Samiti – DVSS and Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan – RSKS based in Rajasthan.

In the run-up to recruiting participants for the next cohort of the CAPSTONE programme to be started sometime in October 2022, the PRIA team has been organising several orientation workshops. One such workshop was organised in Bhubaneswar on 6^th July 2022 at the Development Resource & Training Centre (DRTC) of the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD). The orientation meeting was facilitated by Shri Jagadananda, the Founder and Mentor of CYSD and was attended by 20 CSOs.

Another workshop was organised on Participatory Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment which was held from 11^th July to 14^th July at PRIA with a total of 29 participants attending the workshop. Dr Kaustuv K Bandyopadhyay, Director of PRIA explained the rationale, pedagogy and expected outcomes of the CAPSTONE programme to the participants who found it critical to their work and many of them hope to participate in the second cohort of CAPSTONE.