Institution Building Support Scheme (IBSS)

A scheme for structured assistance,

to strengthen Seva organizations in India.



The main objective of this Institution Building project is to help the overall process of Organizational Development (OD) of selected voluntary organizations (VOs) operating in India by making them more professional and effective in their functioning. Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) will monitor this scheme as a nodal agency. Like-minded Non-resident Indians and their organizations abroad will financially support this scheme. With this overall aim, the exact objectives of this project are as follows:

  1. To create an awareness among the office bearers and volunteers of such institutions about contemporary professional work culture and to create an informed commitment towards such professionalism.
  2. To help in creating awareness about crucial areas like proper documentation of the ongoing social work, financial discipline, reporting systems and media relations and publicity and accordingly create an action-plan.
  3. To help in creating awareness about crucial areas like proper documentation of the ongoing social work, financial discipline, reporting systems and media relations and publicity and accordingly create an action-plan.
  4. To find out as to what kind of changes are required in the style of functioning of such organizations, while keeping in mind the requirements of modem times, as also to undertake efforts to create the required mindset to implement those changes and help in imbibing those relevant skill sets through a structured training program.
  5. To encourage participation of talented and service oriented youths, from India as well as abroad; by way of internship of a particular duration and with a well-defined set of tasks to be completed, with a view to helping the voluntary organization concerned.
  6. To develop, over a period of time; a structured training material in different media on aspects of non-profit management for the purpose of trainees, both from India as well as from abroad.

Selection of the organizations:
The protocol to select those organizations based on the following considerations:
  1. Organizations, which have been working in the social sector for at least past 5-10 years and who are a registered body under either the Bombay Public Charitable Trusts' Act or the Societies Act, or under any similar legal framework.
  2. Organizations working as a part of a broad network of service projects/activities undertaken by the nationalist movement.
  3. Organizations working broadly on the lines of true nationalist ideology.
  4. Organizations, having 80-G certificate will be given preference.

Applications are openly invited from such organizations in order to be a part of this project and they will be considered after consultation with office bearers of nationalist organizations. The selected organizations will be together called for a meeting in order to make them aware about the objectives of this project and their responsibility in making it a success.

Implementation:
After these organizations enter into a formal agreement with Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) which is the nodal agency for the implementation of this project, about their participation in the same. This agreement will be in the form of a commitment to implement the suggestions/recommendations offered by the experts about further professionalisation of the organization's functioning.

Implementation of the project
This project will be implemented in three different segments

Segment 1
A general survey of the working of the organization:
A study-cum-survey will be conducted with the help of knowledgeable volunteers and professional experts, covering, among other things; following key areas:

  • The overall purposefulness of the organization. Commitment to the cause behind the organization on the part of the office bearers and its reflection in their functioning. The level of clarity amongst them about the organization's mission in general and their own plan, if any; to accomplish that mission.
  • Day-to-day management and general style of functioning of the organization, work culture in its office and the level of responsive institutional administration.
  • Decision-making processes in general, as also element of functional team spirit amongst the office-bearers and structured efforts for cultivating a second line of command within the organization.
  • Overall financial condition, financial discipline and transparency. Ability to function as per the norms lay down by the charity commissioner or similar agencies.
  • The general quality of relationship between the office bearers and employees/volunteers. Also, overall ability to deal with the issues like discrimination between the paid workers and volunteers.

A detailed written study report of this survey will be prepared and presented to the office bearers of the organization. Discussion will be held with them in order to cultivate a conducive mind set in the organization for implementation of the recommendations from the report. This survey will be completed in 3-5 days. There will be a suitable feedback/reporting mechanism to all the stake holders (donors included) for every segment.

Segment 2
Assistance promotion of visibility through publicity:
This segment of the mss will entail creating a website for the organization (in case the said organization does not have) or improving the existing one, its maintenance and Updation for about one year, and creating and implementing a broad visibility promotion plan (VBP).

A structured plan of action to promote the visibility of the organization through a multi-media strategy after reviewing the needs of the organization will be prepared in consultation with the office bearers of the organization. Under this segment, mss will cover expenses incurred over consultancy, preparation of strategy, creative inputs for limited publicity material, booking of the web space for one year and creation of the web site as also limited training concerning the updating of the web site.

Segment 3
Placement of Interns and Functional Training:
This segment will primarily focus upon, among all other things; use of appropriate technology and tools to improve the productivity and responsiveness in the day-to-day administration of the org. concerned. Emphasis will be upon database maintenance, tracking, better communication and follow-up mechanism for a result oriented and time-bound completion of tasks and assignments.

In this segment, RMP will try and after due consent of the organization concerned, appoint one/two interns; preferably students or young volunteers who will work for the org. concerned for a period of not less than six months in order to work on specialized assignments with the help of the organizations existing set of volunteers. In case the org. concerned prefers to have its own volunteers working as trainees/interns for the relevant specialized task and if this suggestion is considered as feasible in all respects; in-house interns will be appointed for at least six months. In either of the cases, these interns will simultaneously undergo some relevant training in a structured manner and will work with the org. concerned and offer their services.

Besides this, functional training will be conducted for about 20-25 major volunteers and office bearers of the organization; the objective of this training will be to develop a mindset, which will help in cultivating a contemporary work culture, in line with modern management practices. This will involve a residential training for a minimum of three days and this will happen at the RMP KEC at Uttan-Bhayander, near Mumbai. This training session will focus mainly on mindset change and introduction to the relevant skill sets.

Reporting System:
Almost like an MIS, a proper Reporting Protocol will be in place right after the commencement of this project. As the nodal implementing agency, RMP will circulate a Report at the end of every segment of this project. This report will also cover general feedback and reactions from the people in the area of project implementation.

For the year 2007-08 These five organizations were selected for IBSS

No. Voluntary Organizations Location Work Area
1 Jan Adhar Sevabhavi Sanstha Latur Waste Management
2 Bhagirath Gramvikas Pratishathan Zarap Sindhudurga Health and Rural Development
3 Keshav Seva Sadhana Phonda, Goa Hostels for Tribal Children
4 Udyog Vardhini Solapur Women Entrepreneurship
5 Mata Balak Utkarsha Pratishathan Sangola,Solapur Upliftment of women and children

Supported by India Development Relief Fund and sewa international