In December 2018, SCS introduced FHI 360’s SCALE+ methodology in Jamaica by engaging stakeholders representing civil society, government, faith communities, young people and more in a Whole System in the Room (WSR) workshop to address youth crime and violence.

One of the ways SCS Global is supporting USAID missions is by co-creating projects and activities. Read More >

The Youth Lead Activity, launched in October 2018, is a three-year SCS Global program which has two inter-related components: The first will build youth’s civic engagement skills through an internship and training program that culminates in grant-funded, youth-led projects; the second will establish structures and systems for engaging youth as leaders in government agencies, n Read More >

SCS Global partner ICNL has developed a toolkit to help CSOs ease excessive financial restrictions imposed as a response to Financial Action Task Force (FATF) anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF Read More >

We have updated our popular Implementation Tips for USAID Partners to reflect recent ADS changes. Implementation Tips are short articles providing practical information about common organizational development questions.

In September, SCS conducted a Learning Forum with USAID, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law and Aga Khan Foundation to explore methodology innovations for the Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index. Read More >

SCS Global’s first Associate Award—focusing on CSO, social enterprise and community engagement in Jamaica (2017-2022)—found that grassroots CSOs struggled to understand the Organizational Performance Index’s (OPI) more abstract concepts, even with the support of experienced facilitators and especially when CSO staff have lower levels of educational attainment.

Regardless of where an organization sits on the capacity spectrum— nascent, emergent, or mature—SCS Global’s new Capacity Development Interventions (CDI) Guide offers USAID partners, working in any sector, ways to identify the best approaches to shaping an intervention and achieving meaningful results. Read More >

Recent evaluations of the CSOSI identified shortcomings in its 20-year-old methodology, including an over-reliance on small groups of experts, its cost and time inefficiencies, and the unsustainability of the current model. However, the USAID funded appraisal reinforced that the Index remains a useful resource for donors, implementers, intermediary support organizations, and local CSOs. Read More >

Press repression is a disturbing trend that continues to dog CSOs worldwide. SCS Global Associate Award projects are battling a range of official challenges including legal action, close monitoring and intimidation, direct attacks, isolation, rhetoric, and finance and tax penalties.