Enhancing Sustainability of Civil Society Organisations
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Sustainability is an ever growing challenge for NGOs. This trend is likely to continue as the unmet needs for FP and RH services persist, and as external resources become more scarce, competition for them increases.

ICOMP’s NGO sustainability framework illustrates sustainability as multi-dimensional, and comprises interlocking and reinforcing dimensions namely, organisational viability, financial continuity, programme effectiveness and enduring impact (see figure below).

Enhancing Sustainability of Civil Society Organisations in the Philippines In 2003, based on this framework developed in ICOMP's earlier Organisational Effectiveness (OE) project, the Ford Foundation, Philippines office funded Enhancing Sustainability of Civil Society Organisations in the Philippines. This project assisted 25 of their RH grantees through a participatory process in enhancing their sustainability using a systematic and holistic approach. In a span of 30 months, these NGOs benefited from the project through a mix of technical support, peer learning, networking and action research. Achievements: Organisational viability - clearer shared values - revised systems and processes - improved governance of board members - better executive leadership - improved knowledge and skills of staff Programme effectiveness - better programme monitoring and evaluation for improved performance - strengthened programme operations (cost -effective ness and scope of service provision) Financial continuity - increased resource base from earned revenues - diversified donor base - set up core funds Enduring impact - empowered marginalised groups - developed a pool of local capacity-builders /trainers With ICOMP’s guidance, sustainability plans ensued and interventions undertaken with various achievements (see box). The project showed that achieving sustainability does not happened overnight nor by accident. It requires systematic planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation. Furthermore, introducing a complex concept such as sustainability requires effective change management approach as it will certainly face resistance. Sustainability is a continuing process and thus, what these NGOs have achieved so far should be nurtured, further improved and leveraged.