EU-UN Spotlight Initiative Equips TT-based CSOs with Successful Strategies to Run their Organisations

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) play a central role in shaping societies, advocating for social justice, and driving positive change. In recognition of this, the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative placed strong emphasis on empowering these organizations and enhancing their effectiveness.

Through Spotlight, UN Women MCO Caribbean is supporting capacity building workshops across the region. To date, UN Women Consultants Melissa Matthews and Michele Matthews-Morancie have conducted 16 workshops and 11 clinics for 26 organisations across Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. They said that CSOs are highlighting the improvements they have been able to make as a result of going through the trainings.

Ms. Matthews said: “The feedback that we have been getting from not just this group but all of the groups that have gone through different iterations of the programme, is that they are feeling more informed, they are feeling better prepared and they feel like they have the tools they need to execute their work more efficiently and that is what Spotlight has been doing in terms of institutional strengthening with the groups that we are working with throughout the Caribbean.”

Facilitator and UN Women Consultant Michele Matthews-Morancie assists a group in streamlining their mission statement for impact and relevance

Recently, representatives from five (5) Trinidad and Tobago-based CSOs were trained in developing strategic plans and stronger donor proposals; aligning donor objectives with the CSOs’ strategic outcomes. The workshop also focussed on targetting specific audiences with the relevant messaging, and tracking valuable data for monitoring and evaluation. This is the first of a three-part series in Trinidad and Tobago. Upcoming workshops will focus on best practices to identifying alternative means of funding and successful fund raising.

Representatives from Rotary Club of Aranguez engage in a strategic planning session for their organisation

Ms. Matthews-Morancie said too, a main impact has been improved succession planning and leadership development. She explained: “Groups like the Quays Foundation have shown us that they implemented things that they learned with us back in 2021 and that their knowledge transfer to younger generations has really been working because they sent a group of four young people who are now coming into leadership in the organization and they were among some of the best in the clinic in terms of being able to narrow down their strategic direction. So, for me, it is not only a full circle moment but a really proud moment seeing that the work that we have been putting in over the years has really been working for some of the organisations we have engaged under Spotlight.”

Youth-representatives from the Quays Foundation present their draft strategic plan, which they developed at the workshop

Participant Russel Henry of the Quays Foundation said: “It (the workshop) helps you build as an organisation and helps you realise how other organisations do stuff and how you can reflect on your organisation so you can see your strengths and weaknesses. Today’s programme was well put together and we really enjoyed attending and learning. We hope to walk away with some new connections.”

The global Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls is a United Nations initiative in partnership with the European Union and other partners