OVC Support Toolkit  >  Running a programme  >  Improving the Work 

Working with Others

This section looks at ways in which organisations can work with other groups conducting activities aimed at orphans and other vulnerable children. It is part of improving work. Related sections include working with volunteers and monitoring and evaluation.

Key points about working with others are:

1. Links to other organisations can be very useful in learning about what others are doing. This can be extremely helpful in improving practice.

2. Working with others may take many forms. It may consist of informal linkages, official networks and formal partnerships

Reasons for Working with Others

Organisations often find it useful to develop linkages with other organizations. Reasons for this vary. First, it provides organisations with ways of sharing information about what they are doing and learning about what others are doing. This may be done in a number of different ways including electronic and print media, meetings and site visits. Such learning can be helpful in improving an organisation's work. In addition, such linkages provide encouragement for staff and volunteers in organizations who often feel they are working in isolation. They also provide opportunity for organisations to work constructively together to meet the full range of children's needs. Such joint working may result in improved services for orphans and other vulnerable children.

Types of Relationships between Organisations

Relationships between organisations take many forms. These include:

• Informal links - such as exchange visits for staff and volunteers
• Formal networks - such as the Children in Need Network (CHIN) in Zambia
• Formal partnerships - where two or more organisations agree to work together on a particular activity

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