Monrovia- The Multi-Actor Platform for Land Governance and Responsible Agriculture Investment in Liberia (MAP Liberia Land Platform) has launched a comprehensive capacity-building session focused on resource mobilization and project proposal development involving Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Community Land Development Management Committees (CLDMC) members involved in land reform in Liberia.
The goal of this capacity enhancement initiative is to empower participants within the MAP Liberia Land Platform to secure resources for sustainability. To achieve this, the MAP Liberia Land Platform has developed a resource mobilization strategy aimed at implementing urgent and sustainable measures for long-term viability. This strategy focuses on diversifying donor funding partnerships and enhancing internal resource mobilization to gradually reduce reliance on external funding.
The training session provides an opportunity to establish a team of technical experts dedicated to resource mobilization. It will also help create a comprehensive framework for mapping stakeholders and donors, facilitating engagement with potential donors and development partners.
Moreover, the training aims to improve the technical capacity of participants by offering essential insights into project proposal development. It covers the various components of a proposal and provides a detailed understanding of the proposal development process and its basic format.
The session attracted over twenty participants from CSOs and CLDMCs in the decentralized western region of the MAP Liberia Land Platform. This training is crucial for the platform’s sustainability.
Mr. Richard Holf who facilitated the exercise highlighted the importance of project proposals, stating that their goals should be broad, high-level, and long-term. He emphasized the need to first identify the problem when developing a proposal, and then articulate the underlying cause and its effects.
He also mentioned that the project goal differs from the project objectives. The latter are very specific and must be addressed solely by the project. However, a project cannot achieve its goal independently, as other entities, such as the government and various agencies, will also be working towards that goal. The project goal serves as a significant benchmark for comparing work across different projects.
Mr. Holf further added that typically there is one project goal, which can also be reflected in the project’s title. This goal should ideally align with the overall policies of the government or donor agency.
Following the session, a five-member technical team was assigned the task of creating a concept note in response to a USAID call for proposals. This effort aims to develop a thorough and detailed concept on behalf of the MAP Liberia Land Platform.
Participants expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude to the MAP platform for organizing such a valuable learning session. They remarked that the training broadened their understanding of the principles of “smart” proposal writing, which emphasizes understanding the format of proposals, including the rationale/justification, problem analysis, expected results, and outcomes, as well as monitoring and evaluation.
