Coordination

The NCFC is mandated to coordinate efforts among and between governmental, non-governmental and other civil society organizations involved in the provision of services for children and their families.

What do we mean when we talk about Coordination?

Coordination speaks to the NCFC’s responsibility to spearhead the fight for children and families issues. The legal mandate of the NCFC in this regard is clearly articulated in the Families and Children Act (FACA), CH 173 Part XII, S. 148 (c) of 2000. Coordination pursued within the social sector is participatory in nature and hinged on the fundamental principles of equality, fair play and mutual respect.

The spirit through which relationships over the years have been nurtured, and the Social Sector Coordination Mechanism (SSCM) drafted and adopted, is one of an inviting nature and does not in any way seek to limit the role of agencies in the sector.

Why is Coordination necessary?

There are undoubtedly limited human and financial resources available for the agencies who work for our various social causes. It is very important that we utilize these resouces in an efficient manner ensuring that impact is maximized. A key combatant to this problem is coordinating the efforts of those agencies that work for the same cause. Creating partnerships with each other is a method of reducing duplication thereby increasing the impact of each undertaking.

Social Sector Coordination Mechanism (SSCM)

Coordination, or perhaps the lack thereof, has been the subject of much debate within the social sector for many years. Most recently however, through a consultative process, agencies have taken a bold step and have agreed:

1. To install a mechanism that will clearly spell out the limits, content and related procedures under which effective coordination can be established, performed and maintained;
2. That a pivotal role is carved out for the NCFC given its legal mandate to coordinate. This role would require of the NCFC a number of functions designed to ensure proper coordination as well as monitoring and evaluating interventions in the social sector; and
3. That the social sector coordination mechanism, safeguarded by the NCFC, needs to establish clear lines of communication and procedures with parallel coordination and advisory mechanisms in the social sector to ensure efficiency and effectiveness for the benefit of the people of Belize.

As a result the Social Sector Coordination Mechanism (SSCM) has been drafted and, through consensus and several key initiatives, undertaken to ensure that the NCFC fulfills its obligations in this regard. Included among these outputs are:

1. The development of the National Plan of Action for Children and Adolescents (NPA), as the reference document of the SSCM;
2. The current elaboration of the NPA Implementation Plan (NPAIP) as an integral guiding component of the reference document;
3. The development of the project proposal, RE institutional Strengthening for the social sector and current execution of the project itself.

Click here for a link to the SSCM Directory

The National Plan of Action (NPA) - The Coordination Process in Action

Pivotal to this entire approach is the National Plan of Action for Children and Adolescents (NPA) 2004-2015 and its attendant plans and sub-processes, which forms the basis on which coordination in the social sector is being pursued.

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