ATELIER REGIONAL DU PROGRAMME VNU Dakar 3101106

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PRESENTATION NIGER VOLUNTEER INFRASTRUCTURE
Mahamane I. BABY Chief Technical Advisor
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• CONTEXT
• DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
• RESULTS ACHIEVED
• EXPECTATIONS
• LESSONS LEARNED

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CONTEXT

• The Niger Volunteer Infrastructure development
  was a recommendation of the 2001 IYV National
  Committee (Niger)
  
• Niger had a long tradition in volunteerism both
  the modern and traditional forms
  
• Michele Falavigna, the then RR sold the idea to
  the Prime Minister of Niger who welcomed it.

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CONTEXT (cont.)

• Prior to this contact, there was no legal
  framework regulating volunteerism in Niger
  
• There was a strong political support from the
  Government of Niger to set up the Infrastructure
  
• In 2005, the then UNV PO set up a committee
  composed of representatives of the civil society,
  the government and the private sector

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CONTEXT (cont.)

• The Committee developed terms of references to
  request UNVs support for the feasibility study
  to set up the Niger Volunteer Infrastructure in
  2005. The study was conducted early 2006.
• The Project Document was signed in September
  2006.
  
• The Prime Minister of Niger launched the Project
  on December 5, 2006
  

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DESCRIPTION

• Title Project for the Establishment of a
  National Volunteer Infrastructure for Development
  in Niger
  
• Objectives i) support the Niger Government to
  set up a legal framework for volunteerism in
  Niger ii) to mobilize 100 national volunteers to
  reinforce the capacities of civil society
  organizations, local communities and the private
  sector iii) to promote the spirit of
  volunteerism within the Niger society.

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DESCRIPTION (cont.)

• Partners
• UNDP
• UNVP
• Government of Niger Luxemburg
• AFVP (the French Volunteers)
• Civil Society Private Sector

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DESCRIPTION (cont.)

• Critical events
• The greatest supporter of the initiative was the
  then Prime Minister, impeached in June 2007
  
• Mr. Falavigna, the then RR, also pushed forward
  the initiative by encouraging others to join in.
  
• Volunteerism is not considered a subject of
   legal  act in the constitution of Niger
  
• The participatory nature of the Project that
  involves Government, Partners, Civil Society and
  Private is a great asset of the Project
  

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RESULTS ACHIEVED

• The Government provided the Project with a
  building to be used as Headquarters in 2006.
  
• Solemn ceremony organized in presence of four (4)
  Ministers of Niger to hand in all the draft texts
  on volunteerism in April 2007, largely covered by
  national media
• Adoption of the decree on national volunteerism
  for development in Niger on August 2, 2007
  (signed by the President)

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RESULTS ACHIEVED (cont.)

• Finalization of all remaining texts on
  volunteerism
  
• Law on the creation of the Volunteer
  Infrastructure
  
• Decree completing the law on the Volunteer
  Infrastructure
  
• Status of the Volunteer Infrastructure

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RESULTS ACHIEVED (cont.)

• Signature of the text ( arrêté ) completing the
  decree (signed by the Minister of Community
  Development)
  
• Development of various strategies
• Communication strategy
• Training strategy
• Resource mobilization strategy (on-going)

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RESULTS ACHIEVED (cont.)

• All this work was done through task forces set up
  by the Government, including civil society and
  private sector representatives
  
• Establishment of a roster
• The Project had to use Government local agencies
  to collect data on candidates
  
• Virtual exchange plat-form

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EXPECTATIONS

• The Government of Niger has requested that the
  Project produce a Project document to request
  funding from Canada. Contacts are currently
  on-going to mobilize resources
• In May 2008, the Project is expecting the vote of
  the Law on the Niger Volunteer Infrastructure
  that will replace the current UNV-UNDP Project

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LESSONS LEARNED

• The sustainability of a volunteer infrastructure
  and the creation of a legal framework for
  volunteerism are mostly subjects of sovereignty.
  
• To give more credibility and transparency to a
  volunteer infrastructure, the involvement of
  civil society organizations and the private is a
  great asset.
• Never take for granted the creation of a
  volunteer infrastructure if a thorough
  feasibility study (including legal implications)
  is not undertaken.

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MUCHAS GRACIAS!