The Regional Stakeholder Consultative workshop on testing and adoption of the MIS/CSO directory was organized by the Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO) and Palladium under the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project, funded by USAID. The workshop took place at Bon Hotel, Rumudara, Port Harcourt on the 15th day of June, 2023. The workshop which had participants from various states in the southern region of Nigeria had the objective of participants supporting the development, review, implementation and monitoring of a civil society friendly Management Information System (MIS) and Public Directory (PD) which is known as the “CSO Atlas”.
The workshop began with introductions of on-line and in-person participants and opening remarks by Barr. Ayo Adebusoye, he welcomed participants and shared an overview of the NNNGO-SCALE project. The SCALE project comprises of 5 program components, they are as follows:
1. Improve organizational capacity
2. Enhance advocacy and collaboration
3. Improve policy and regulatory enabling environment
4. Countering trafficking in persons
5. Curbing sexual and gender-based violence and child and early forced marriage.
NNNGO’s efforts towards achieving the SCALE component 3 program goal of Improving the policy and regulatory enabling environment for civil society has been conducted through expanding opportunities for CSOs’ participation by extensive co-creation consultative workshops to review the legal and institutional framework of CSO regulatory policies, self regulatory models, the use of information systems such as the CSO Directory and Management Information System (MIS). He further stated that outcomes from consultation have led to using ideas and insights provided by 172 leaders from 156 CSOs, including BMOs. The project has worked with Astract, an IT firm consulted by Palladium to make progess in the design and development of a MIS and CSO Directory that can improve CSO networking and collaboration, facilitate strategic alliances and strengthen CSO-government relations. The platform has been developed and NNNGO is facilitating the onboarding of CSOs unto the CSO Atlas platform which can be accessed on www.csoatlas.com. The outcomes of the project include an increased transparency and accountability of CSOs as more organizations subscribed to the MIS and national directory of CSOs; and partnerships between CSOs/BMOs as a result of the MIS/CSO directory.
Mrs. Nnenna Nkata shared an overview of CSO Atlas platform with participants with a step-by-step guide on how to register on the CSO Directory. The CSO Atlas is a technology-based platform designed to enhance collaboration among CSOs in Nigeria, foster strategic alliance, and strengthen relations between CSOs and the government. The CSO Atlas is aimed at promoting effective coalition building and local resource mobilization by providing user-friendly platform accessible to low-income and marginalized groups with limited internet access. The MIS is built to share resource materials and grant opportunities for CSOs registered on the platform. Miss Oyindamola Aramide, NNNGO communications officer guided participants on how to upload data on the platform. She encouraged CSOs to share accurate information and proper documents and images on the platform as potential donors and partners will look out for CSOs to fund and partner with.
The workshop gave participants opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas and contributions on the CSO Atlas platform, participants were shared in groups to discuss recommendations and next steps on increasing the use of the platform by the sector. CHHELD program officer, David Prince which represented a group during the workshop shared some recommendations and next steps, which includes the development of mobile applications, helpline/chat box for assistance and effective service delivery, review of criteria on the ranking of CSOs on the platform, advertisement of CSO job vacancies, continuous social media awareness, verifications of documentations of CSOs, etc. The recommendations presented by each group were deliberated upon and NNNGO adopted most of the ideas and recommendations for the sustainability of the platform.
The Regional Stakeholder Consultative workshop came to a close at about 3:30pm and participants took group photographs.