How we work with Partners

Partnership provides the framework for development support and if required volunteer placement. Prospective organisations looking for development support funding and/or a volunteer development worker, must, in the first instance, seek to become a partner. Partnerships must be aligned with VC’s strategic direction and area of expertise.  VC is focused in four key countries in Africa – South Africa, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya –  however, VC will respond to needs outside these target countries if it is deemed viable.  VC also works in Haiti and Dominican Republic and has a number of projects in South America, namely Brazil and Peru. We have a limited presence in Thailand and Cambodia also.

How does my organisation obtain a volunteer development worker?

VC will first of all assess the need of the project through the expression of interest form . It is not always evident or necessary that a project needs a volunteer worker and VC must make sure that a local person is not available or affordable for this role. All VC volunteers are  trained for skills-sharing.  If it clear from the form that a volunteer may be needed and that the project can accommodate a volunteer, VC will take it to the next stage.  Some partners can afford to keep the volunteer from their own resources, others require donor support to pay for the necessary, flights, monthly allowances, and insurances.  This will be determined from the vetting process. Should VC agree to proceed to the next step, a clear job description is required for the role. VC  will then go begin the recruitment, training and selection process. There is no direct cost to the partner for this as this is built into the grant proposal. At the same time VC will seek funding support for the project  and the development role that the volunteer will undertake  (if required).

Don’t need a volunteer yet but need funding support?

VC is not a funding agency but works closely with a number of funding agencies to support its development interventions.  VC can assist partner projects in the faith-based sector in a number of key ways. On its vetted projects, VC offers full ‘development office’ support for your organisation. In other words it will apply on a partner’s behalf to donors, funders, and foundations.  It will assist in the writing of projects to ensure that they are of suitable quality to obtain funding.  It will carry out monitoring and evaluation and assist with the necessary reporting.  It provides this service for congregations and faith based organisations who may have difficulty in translating the good work on the ground into development outcomes. This too is at no direct cost to the field partner as it forms part of the funded proposal.

How to we become a vetted partner?

Prospective partners need first to fill out the expression of interest form.  From there VC will take the organisation through a due diligence process to see at what level, if at all, VC can work with the applicant. If approved, VC can then go about the raising vital funding for the development intervention and organise a support volunteer to assist in this process if required.

Memorandum of Understanding

A written Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) provides a framework of understanding and agreed objectives for the relationship. Volunteer placements and other forms of capacity development support are planned and reviewed within the overall context of shared and agreed objectives. These partnership objectives are revisited and updated as the relationship progresses.

VC offer partners a range of services from support with proposal development through to assistance with monitoring, evaluation and reports.

Interested partners should fill out an expression of interest form and forward it to info@viatoreschristi.com  marking it as a partner enquiry.

 

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