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2017-09-19
Community Chest;
The Charter was created as part of a collaborative process to help guide the philanthropic sector's data-related work and instil a data culture. The updated Charter it is soon to be released as a toolkit along with 4 of our Members' Case Studies – as the last organization to present its case study, the Community Chest of the Western Cape presents us the results of a survey conducted in 2015 amongst 10 Cape Flats schools to investigate patterns of absenteeism due to menstruation and other sexual education and feminine health issues.
2015-01-01
Stability: International Journal of Security & Development;
VPUU has a wealth of experience to share and is engaged with broader national and international policymakers and implementing agencies. Researchers are grappling with the difficulty of providing a rigorous project evaluation for these collaborations which could identify project elements that work with a view to their replication. This paper traces the evolution of an evidence-based approach to violence prevention in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) project in Cape Town uses such an approach, and relies on a 'whole-of-society' methodology as well. The project and the difficulty of its evaluation are discussed. A partnership between VPUU, researchers, the community and local government has revealed both opportunities and obstacles, which are the subjects of a case study described here.
2011-04-11
IDRC;
This paper seeks to identify leadership success factors of cross-sector partnerships. We start with an overview of relevant scholarly and practice-oriented work, and motivate our research with reference to the need to add nuance to existing constructs, to explicitly consider the implications of different partnership types, and to assess the role of socio-economic and other contextual factors in an emerging economy. Our methodology focuses on ten comparative case studies, premised on two intermediate steps to develop a typology and evaluative criteria for partnerships.
2015-08-01
MASS Design Group;
In 1959, South Africa's apartheid government founded the University of the Western Cape (UWC) as part of its separate and unequal system to prepare "coloured" students for low- and midlevel positions in schools and civil service. During that time, the government underfunded UWC and prohibited it from teaching many subjects. The poor state of campus science facilities, constructed in the 1970s, limited the University's research outputs in particular. Even before the fall of apartheid and establishment of a democratic government in 1994, UWC sought to overcome oppressive ideologies and racial inequality. In a new era of South Africa's development, campus leaders aimed to transform the University's reputation into that of a world-class academic institution while continuing to serve students from historically disadvantaged groups.In 2006, UWC set out to increase the volume and quality of scientific research through a capital project that would house its life sciences departments. With investment and design support from The Atlantic Philanthropies, UWC opened the Life Sciences Building in 2010 -- introducing an iconic landmark on campus and signaling the University's intended leadership in this arena.The Life Sciences Building is two structures connected by an atrium: the two-story Learning Centre with a green roof, and an impressive six-story laboratory facility visible from a highly-trafficked thoroughfare leading to Cape Town. The building provides access A nature reserve surrounds the building and provides flora and fauna for research.UWC science departments -- biosciences, anatomy, biotechnology, and bioinformatics -- have flourished since the Life Sciences Building opened. High-quality laboratory, instructional, and gathering spaces have enhanced collaboration between faculty and students, supported an increase in research capacity, and conveyed prestige. The building has helped the University attract increased investment in the sciences, and UWC is now recognized nationally and internationally for its excellence in research -- including receiving top rankings by the South African National Research Foundation and Times Higher Education. According to students and staff, the Life Sciences Building has succeeded in changing perceptions of the school and has spurred renewed pride and confidence on campus. The building has also been lauded as a symbol of hope and a demonstration of what is possible in South Africa.This case study is based on research conducted by MASS Design Group between July and August 2015. Funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, this case illustrates how a capital project can address historic legacies of inequality and dramatically transform an organization's reputation to enhance morale and attract funding. It also demonstrates how capital project teams can learn from the successes and failures of other relevant buildings as they conduct their planning.
2013-10-03
The Africa America Institute;
The role of leadership in rapidly developing African countries is fundamentally important and the need for leadership development across the African continent is critical for social and economic progress. Since 1953, the Africa-America Institute (AAI) has advocated for educational and human capacity building on the African continent by offering a wide range of scholarship, training and exchange programs that have benefited over 23,000 people from 54 African countries. In 2007, AAI launched its Transformational Leadership Program (TLP) with a grant from The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF) to offer business training and broader leadership development for managers of African NGOs and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The program has reached 351 participants from 14 countries through certificate and degree programs at United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi, Kenya; Pan-African University (EDC) in Lagos, Nigeria; and University of Stellenbosch (USB) in Cape Town, South Africa.In 2013, an evaluation of the TLP was conducted using surveys, questionnaires, individual interviews and focus groups with strategically selected stakeholder groups, site visits, participant reflective writing, Town Hall meetings, and a comprehensive review of program and university documents.
2014-01-01
MASS Design Group;
Capital projects can inspire and empower users, improve work processes and culture, and open doors to new revenue. They can strengthen the social and economic fabric of the communities where they stand. Some serve as powerful symbols of progress on a regional or national scale. Others catalyze larger systems change -- leading to new partnerships, demonstrating practices that can be adopted by others, or sparking policy shifts.While many projects succeed in fulfilling their ambitions, others fall short of reaching their potential. The best results occur when a project is built with purpose -- grounded in a clear and strategic mission that informs design decisions, with a scope that matches what its organization can afford to build, operate, and maintain. Projects that fail to achieve this balance can cause harm, damaging a nonprofit's short- or long-term financial health, operating systems, culture, or public reputation. The Purpose Built principles can help project teams avoid common pitfalls and generate a greater return on investment in capital projects. This overarching report describes each principle, illustrated with lessons drawn from Purpose Built case studies.About the Purpose Built Series: Capital projects often bring lasting benefits to nonprofit organizations and the people they serve. In the United States alone, foundations grant more than $3 billion per year to construct or improve buildings. To help these funders and their nonprofit partners make the most of capital projects, The Atlantic Philanthropies and the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation commissioned Purpose Built -- a multi-faceted study by MASS Design Group, a nonprofit architecture and research firm. In 2015 and 2016, MASS conducted interviews, held workshops, reviewed literature, and examined a diverse set of complete projects around the world. Each project was supported by one of the above funders.
