Phase 3: Identify and match needs and interventions

OVERVIEW

Inclusion and participation are essential elements in the ZEP2030 Movement, starting with the needs and aspirations of the community and more particularly, the families in extreme poverty. ZEP2030 families and communities are not mere beneficiaries of program interventions; they are key stakeholders and partners who drive the development process.

In this phase, the local convergence engages the families and the rest of the community in setting baseline data, collective visioning and planning, and addressing the identified needs.

Desired Results:

1. Baseline information on target families’ condition established
2. Family and community aspirations laid in a community development plan
3. Identified needs matched with appropriate programs and services

Options for Action:

To achieve these results, the following actions may be pursued under this phase:

• Conduct Baseline Profiling of Families

Baseline data provides the local convergence a better understanding of the conditions of the families. The baseline serves as a reference point for identifying the target families based on ZEP2030’s indicators of extreme poverty, against which progress can be measured and assessed over time.

To gather family profiles, the local convergence may make use of the ZEP2030 PPI. This was adopted from the Poverty Probability Index (PPI), a country-specific poverty measurement tool to estimate the probability that a family is below poverty line. It can help determine whether organizations are reaching their intended target families.

• Alternative Means for Baseline Needs Identification

Following the collective impact framework, the ZEP2030 coalition initially agreed to use the ZEP2030 PPI as a common profiling tool to facilitate data collection, consolidation, and collaboration. However, ZEP2030 recognizes that many organizations have already developed systems of data collection in line with their program delivery. The local convergence may opt to explore these as an alternative source of baseline information.  

In some areas, another possible starting point is the local government’s Community-Based Monitoring System. CBMS generates data at the local level which serves as basis in the planning and implementation of government programs geared towards poverty alleviation.

• Conduct Family and Community Visioning

To provide a venue for the target families and other community members to actively participate in the planning process, ZEP2030 recommends the conduct of the Family and Community Visioning (FCV), with the following proposed objectives:

1. present and validate the baseline data
2. engage community stakeholders in visioning and planning
3. come up with a community development plan to address the needs

ZEP2030’s FCV module was patterned after the Participatory Visioning and Planning (PVP) Workshop of the Partnerships for Indigenous Peoples Cluster. While the PVP was designed primarily for IP communities, the FCV is offered as a simple guide for any type of community, with or without an organized group.

The local convergence may modify the FCV module to make it more suitable to the local context. Alternatively, the local convergence may also employ other community engagement approaches to achieve the said objectives. Ideally, participants include representatives from the target families, women, youth and other sectoral groups, barangay leaders, and other community stakeholders.

The results of the visioning and planning process are captured in a community development plan: a summary of the articulated aspirations for the family and community, resources available in the community, gaps and what needs to be done, responsible group/organization/agency, and timeline.

4.   Match Needs with Coalition Members’ Capacities

At the core of the ZEP2030 Movement is collaboration and connecting the programs and services of coalition members with the needs and priorities articulated by the families and the community. The local convergence, led by the local convenor, facilitates this process of mapping members’ programs, matching them with the identified needs, and – together with the community – pursuing strategic partnerships not only with ZEP2030 members but also with the local government, national government agencies, the private sector, and other civil society actors. To support this process, the ZEP2030 Secretariat continuously updates the coalition’s database of members’ profiles and, along with the Technical Working Group, provides leads to emerging partnership opportunities within and beyond the coalition membership.

 

SUCCESS STORIES FROM THE FIELD