McCO proud to be a sponsor of the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, an annual event that brings together diplomats, military, media, scientists and academic experts to discuss critical international issues. This year’s conference is being held from February 15th through the 18th and focuses on four themes to highlight the broad topics addressed by the conference’s sessions, panels, keynotes, interviews and presentations. These include climate, equality, corruption, and migration on a global level and how they align with challenges in St. Petersburg, FL. Fellow sponsors include the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Times, Florida Humanities, and WUSF Public Media, among others.
“This conference is an important space for international experts to engage with members of the St. Petersburg community and beyond on the world’s most pressing issues,” said Victoria McColm, Managing Director. “We’re pleased to be an active member of the St. Petersburg foreign affairs and national security community and join the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs in sharing a greater knowledge and understanding of critical challenges affecting communities around the world.” McCO is committed to delivering critical diplomacy, development, and security objectives for its customers through bespoke professional training and research programs. Our firm currently supports the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Learn more about the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs. The event is free to attend online. McColm & Company (McCO) is proud to announce the firm’s support of PeaceCon, an annual conference dedicated to peacebuilding and hosted by the Alliance for Peacebuilding in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The theme for PeaceCon’s tenth annual conference (PeaceCon@10) is COVID, Climate, and Conflict: Rising to the Challenges of a Disrupted World and is scheduled to be held virtually January 26 – 28, 2022. Photo by PeaceCon This year’s conference will examine the most pressing challenges facing the peacebuilding field, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, displacement, disinformation, and democratic backsliding. “McCO is excited to support PeaceCon@10 as it aligns with our commitment to peacebuilding and diplomacy efforts globally,” said Victoria McColm, Managing Director. “Our firm has delivered effective peacebuilding and violence prevention programming in fragile states and conflict affected areas since our founding, so supporting this critical conference aligns squarely with our mission.” McCO incorporates systems-based approaches into our cross-sectoral programs to identify, manage, and mitigate fragility, conflict, and reduce violent conflict. Our conflict-sensitive programs adapt to rapidly evolving local contexts and are focused on peacebuilding and prevention. Learn more about PeaceCon. McColm & Company (McCO) has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI) to support the operationalization of the Women, Peace, and Security Act. McCO is supporting PKSOI with the inclusion of the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda into Department of Defense (DOD) and Service doctrine, training, and Professional Military Education (PME). Photo by the U.S. Army via Flickr Drawing on McCO’s expertise in designing and delivering effective solutions for training and capacity building, our team will work to identify and provide recommendations on where WPS principles need to be appropriately reflected in professional military education, institutional training, and Army doctrine, as well as provide research and technical support related to WPS, and provide conference/workgroup support. “McCO is excited to support the U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute in this critical task,” said Victoria McColm, Managing Director. “Supporting the operationalization of the Women, Peace, and Security Act falls directly in line with our commitment to empower women and include them in critical decision-making roles.” McCO recognizes that women experience and can be affected by conflict differently than men. We believe that the empowerment, inclusion, and protection of women – when based on their own agency – contributes to the overall health, wealth, and stability of communities. Learn more about McCO’s gender and inclusion practice and peacebuilding and diplomacy practice. McCO delivering training support to the USDA's International Institute for Tropical Forestry11/23/2021
McColm & Company is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, State and Private Forestry (SPF) branch to provide training support services to the International Institute for Tropical Forestry (IITF). In collaboration with other IITF Programmatic Areas, McCO will develop and support the delivery of virtual and in person trainings tailored for the U.S. Caribbean region’s – including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands - forestry stakeholders and local Institute collaborators. The program aims to improve technical capacity among State and Private Forestry staff and partners in the U.S. Caribbean region as well as improve resilience and recovery from major climate events, such as hurricanes, and broaden knowledge of tropical forestry issues. Image by Thorsten Schmidt via Flickr “We’re proud to support the IITF in developing tropical forestry and hurricane recovery capacity building trainings,” said Victoria McColm, Managing Director. “This is an incredible opportunity to build on IITF’s current offerings and broaden the reach of their programs. This is McCO’s first engagement under our new Conservation, Energy, and Climate practice and we look forward to supporting the USDA and IITF.” McCO believes that environmental issues are a critical policy challenge and is committed to addressing conservation, energy, and climate issues through policy solutions and capacity building for local communities. Training programs developed by the firm build on years of experience working on projects around the world and draw on the firm’s deep bench of subject matter experts. McColm and Company is pleased to share Dr. Nilofar Sakhi's latest article written with for MEI. The piece discusses the emerging characteristics of Taliban governance, the current state of human security in Afghanistan, and how these new conditions affect the protection of human security. Read the article at mei.edu. Photo by MARCUS YAM/LOS ANGELES TIMES/via Getty Images ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Nilofar Sakhi is the Director of Policy and Diplomacy at McColm & Company. Nilofar is a scholar and policy practitioner who has written extensively on various aspects of transitional security, human security, peacemaking, and peacebuilding processes, and has been involved in peacebuilding and counter insurgency policy formulation. Her recent book is Human Security and Agency: Reframing Productive Power in Afghanistan. Dr. Sakhi's thematic expertise is peacebuilding, security, and terrorism. Her regional expertise is on South Asia and Afghanistan, with focus on regional security architecture.
McColm and Company is pleased to share Dr. Nilofar Sakhi's latest article written with Ms. Annie Pforzheimer, former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan and former Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The piece, published by MEI, provides policy recommendations for the way forward after the U.S. withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan. Read the article at mei.edu. Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Nilofar Sakhi is the Director of Policy and Diplomacy at McColm & Company. Nilofar is a scholar and policy practitioner who has written extensively on various aspects of transitional security, human security, peacemaking, and peacebuilding processes, and has been involved in peacebuilding and counter insurgency policy formulation. Her recent book is Human Security and Agency: Reframing Productive Power in Afghanistan. Dr. Sakhi's thematic expertise is peacebuilding, security, and terrorism. Her regional expertise is on South Asia and Afghanistan, with focus on regional security architecture.
A new phase of regional cooperation is in bloom following US President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, revitalizing efforts to develop consensus around common security challenges. Officials from Islamabad, Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran are meeting or plan to meet with the leadership of the Taliban and Afghan government, in addition to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s consultations with Afghan and Pakistani leaders and the March conferences in Moscow and Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's deputy leader and negotiator, and other delegation members attend the Afghan peace conference in Moscow, Russia, on March 18, 2021.There can be no sustained solution to the Afghan war without a national consensus on a political roadmap for the country. Still, these regional efforts are a parallel and crucial phase of the political peace process because the conflict in Afghanistan is multidimensional. Each country in the region has specific interests that influence its engagement in Afghanistan’s future, and the relations of regional powers demonstrate the realpolitik at play. In particular, Russia, China, and Iran have much to gain (or lose) from Afghanistan’s peace process. In recent years, they have been directly involved in Afghan politics: both formally, through state-to-state diplomatic relationships, and informally, through support to various political factions. Russia and Iran have become more proactive regional players in Afghan affairs since the start of the Afghan peace process in 2018. Additionally, China’s partnerships with these countries will further define the Afghanistan that emerges after the US military withdrawal. Read the full article at atlanticcouncil.org. Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via Reuters. ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Nilofar Sakhi is the Director of Policy and Diplomacy at McColm & Company. Nilofar is a scholar and policy practitioner who has written extensively on various aspects of transitional security, human security, peacemaking, and peacebuilding processes, and has been involved in peacebuilding and counter insurgency policy formulation. Her recent book is Human Security and Agency: Reframing Productive Power in Afghanistan. Dr. Sakhi's thematic expertise is peacebuilding, security, and terrorism. Her regional expertise is on South Asia and Afghanistan, with focus on regional security architecture.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated socio-economic disparity in societies across the world. Initial indications are that the pandemic has increased the risk of direct and indirect violence and further inflamed structural violence such as poverty, racial discrimination, and gender disparities. In such circumstances, economic stability can be disrupted and ideological differences more easily manipulated, resulting in a higher tendency among the population to seek alternative, often illicit, economic gains and leading to high levels of crime, insurgency, and radicalization. These forces and factors will have a serious impact and create conditions ripe for terrorism. On Wednesday, 16 June 2021, Ms. Victoria McColm hosted three experts with extensive experience in developing strategies and techniques for countering violent extremism to discuss the core causes of violent extremism under the current context of pandemic and the practical strategies and approaches to counter those causes. View this timely discussion at the Youtube link below. Connect with the Panelists to follow future commentary on countering violent extremism and U.S. strategy:
The international development community has focused vast time and resources on launching and growing micro and small enterprises producing niche, handmade, and high value products as a means to livelihoods and job creation for vulnerable and marginalized groups, particularly women and disadvantaged youth. However, the global market for consumer goods is highly competitive, and the international infrastructure to facilitate trade has significant hurdles. Yesterday, Ms. Victoria McColm, Director of Economic Growth and Trade for McColm & Company, hosted a webinar featuring four founders who have all experienced success in creating demand for their products. They discussed the valuable lessons they’ve learned while operating in the challenging markets of Afghanistan, Iraq, and other fragile economies. Like all businesses, producers of niche handmade products have to determine whether or not there already exists a market demand for their goods. “Do you focus on the product, or do you focus on creating demand?” said Mr. Keith Alaniz, formerly of Rumi Spice. “In my mind, the answer is both.” He explained that businesses should pursue a process of expanding their customer base by validating and iterating products, then building on from the initial customer base. For Rumi Spice, this meant initially targeting high-end chefs to build and grow their direct to consumer model, which they then leveraged to become a supplier for Whole Foods. Creating and maintaining demand for your products is “a constant struggle, and it requires constant attention and investment,” said Mr. Alaniz. Emphasizing the quality of their products was an effective strategy to compete with cheaper manufactured goods produced in India and China. Mr. Zedan Mohammed, manager of the Akkadian Collection said that while they may not be able to compete on price, they are able to compete with the quality of the materials that go into the crafts the group sells. “The Akkadian Collection...is giving the customer, regardless whether internationally or locally, this experience that there is something unique about that product,” he said. Additionally, seeking the best domestic suppliers of the raw materials they need then has knock on effects within Iraq. “You have like a multiple layer of effect on that supply chain [so that] even the vendors could really benefit from that,” said Mr. Mohammed. But there remain significant challenges in expanding the handcraft sector to support more people. Ms. Hedvig Alexander of PoweredByPeople said that “friction” caused by the lack of financial infrastructure reduces the number of transactions between international buyers and artisanal vendors. She added that her organization seeks to “bridge that financial gap between the buyer and the vendor,” which is crucial to “unlocking the markets.” After fifteen years in the handmade craft sector, Ms. Alexander said: “We always focus on the beauty and the design and the story, and these things are important. But not more important than the rest of the work.” Other panelists described how they have yet to find long-term or cost-effective solutions to this source of friction. According to Mr. Mohammed, Iraq remains a cash-based society. The use of mobile payments, which are more common in other countries, are becoming more accepted, but remain best used for the small transactions used in the local market. “For someone to pay in Iraq for a product, or to purchase material from outside of Iraq, there is a lot to be done in that area,” he said. Shipping product is also a significant challenge and source of costs for producers of handcrafts and other niche consumer goods. “There's a lot of artisans who make very good product, but there's a challenge of how they're going to send it to the global market,” said Ms. Tania Aria of Veezha Jewelry. To lower the cost of shipping orders to customers, she has strategically placed stocks in different geographical markets. “We cover the entire UK market, and to some extent the European markets, from our UK stock. And Canada from the U.S.,” said Ms. Aria. “That's kind of my way of reducing, to some extent, the shipping costs.” Panelists said that policymakers have a crucial role to play in supporting the growth of the handmade craft sector. One example cited by Mr. Alaniz was the new subsidized airfreight routes to Turkey and India from Afghanistan. “This pays for itself in the creation of business activity for modest investments on behalf of the government, to help exporters reach these international markets,” he said. It also “allows for much more product to be moved out of the country than through traditional trucking routes and eliminates some of that risk [that may be] preventing commodities from being exported currently,” added Mr. Alaniz. Panelists also discussed how increasing investment in the handcraft sector was key to its expansion. “People often ask us, why are you a private company, as opposed to a charity? Why don't you raise free money?” said Ms. Alexander. But the strictures on the use of donor money means that its very difficult to respond to changes in the market. “The nice thing about private capital is that they say, ‘We trust in your plan, we trust in you entrepreneurs,’” she said. “And if the plan doesn't go well, we know that you can adjust for it”. Thus, private firms in the handcraft sector can be a major source of sustained economic growth in developing countries. Ms. Aria underlined this point, having the perspective of a business owner and a background in international developmental policy. While the main objective of her company is to make a profit, it also invests in the education of Afghan workers, women, and children. “If I am profitable, I will make sure that the good causes that we are supporting in terms of educating the future generation of Afghanistan [continue],” said Ms. Aria. “The challenges of getting people out of poverty is the same as ten years ago,” observed Ms. Alexander. “But the way to do it, I think is very different.” Connect with the Panelists to learn more about their businesses and the challenges facing the export handicraft sector:
Since the tragic events of September 11, combatting terrorism has been a major U.S. national security and foreign policy priority. But terrorism is evolving, the threat landscape is changing, and new American domestic political considerations are forming. McColm & Company convened a panel of experts to discuss these trends and their implications for U.S. counterterrorism strategy going forward. The session was organized and moderated by Dr. Nilofar Sakhi, Director for Policy and Diplomacy. Although American counterterrorism operations have found success, terrorism remains a significant threat to peace in the Middle East and South Asia. Mr. Michael Kugelman, of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, observed that American officials have often declared the defeat of terrorist organizations “only to have to eat those words when the group shows its continued ability to strike.” He pointed to President Barack Obama declaring ISIS “the JV team,” while President Donald Trump insisted on the defeat of ISIS. The reputation of terrorist groups “may have shifted to the point they're perceived as also-rans by some, but they've nonetheless remained resilient and deadly,” he said. For example, ISIS remains a significant threat despite their losses on the battlefield and setbacks to their political goals. Dr. Asfandyar Mir of Stanford University pointed to the recent attack on three female Afghan journalists in the city of Jalalabad as evidence that the group is dangerous even without its physical caliphate. ISIS cells in urban Afghanistan “continue to engage in highly deadly violence, especially against vulnerable populations: religious minorities, ethnic minorities, and working women,” said Dr. Mir. In recent years, terrorist groups are also shifting their goals in a bid to gain recruits in the face of military pressure from the U.S. and its partners. Mr. Kugelman said this change is most notable in South Asia, where groups like Al-Qaeda have focused attention on Indian security forces in Kashmir and the plight of the Rohingya minority in Bangladesh. He also noted that still other groups pursue intensely domestic goals, like when the Pakistani Taliban threatened to attack the local electricity utility in Karachi during a severe heatwave in 2015. “That's a very hyperlocal grievance right there,” said Mr. Kugelman. In addition to these external changes, Dr. Mir also noted that domestic concerns will force changes in U.S. counterterrorism strategy. He said that the American public is stressed by the continued coronavirus pandemic and its concomitant economic challenges. Political polarization, in addition to a larger push towards reducing American deployments abroad will necessarily force a reexamination of the use of American power to respond to terrorist threats. “The kind of free flowing, hard counterterrorism policies we have pursued over the last decade, they're just not feasible anymore,” said Dr. Mir. With these trends in the national security landscape, panelists highlighted several areas that deserve attention in a new counterterrorism strategy. In general, policymakers need to shift their analytic framework to keep up with adaptations by terrorist organizations. Dr. Mir recommended that we see these groups as “political organizations” that have local, regional, and transnational priorities, and an interest in forming partnerships with other groups to advance their interests. He noted that groups like the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS have cooperated with other groups despite their different theological roots. “[Terrorist groups] will always advance some pretty radical ideas, but we have to understand them politically, to examine their over time and across space variation in behavior,” he said. Ms. Barbara Slavin of the Atlantic Council said that the terrorist designation system by the U.S. government should be reformed because it negatively affects American diplomacy. “In many cases, it does not help us resolve underlying problems, and it's kind of an easy way to make one feel morally superior without really dealing with root causes,” she said. Peacebuilding and humanitarian agencies have also called for reforming the system because terrorist designations have negatively impacted their work abroad. The terrorist designation “makes it harder, if not impossible, for the U.S. to engage with them,” said Ms. Slavin. “You often wind up isolating the United States more than the targeted country or group.” Monitoring the relationship between terrorist organizations also deserves significant attention. Al-Qaeda and ISIS have a complicated relationship, because of their history of starting out as partners but becoming rivals in recent years. Mr. Kugelman stated that a rehabilitated relationship between the two, while perhaps unlikely, is not impossible. Combined with Al-Qaeda’s relationship with the Taliban, a renewed partnership between Al-Qaeda and ISIS would severely strain American counterterror operations in Afghanistan, particularly if U.S. forces withdraw from the country. “An already challenging future counterterrorism mission in Afghanistan could become much more challenging if you were to have that black swan event,” said Mr. Kugelman. Despite longstanding difficulties, there should be renewed focus on countering terrorist narratives and addressing their use of social media platforms. For example, Mr. Kugelman noted that hateful ideologies can be readily found in Pakistan, from school textbooks to television programs. Even nonviolent, mainstream Islamist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir echo terrorist groups by their call for a global caliphate. But counter messaging in this space remains a challenge, as deep-seated anti-American sentiment undermines the credibility of U.S. efforts in this space. American policymakers must continue to investigate ways to pushback against terrorists in social media and communication channels. “These groups, and especially the newer ones, they've been able to be very clever with how to use these platforms,” said Mr. Kugelman. “As social media continues to expand and remain the multiplier that it is, it's going to be really difficult to try to catch up with that.” While American counterterrorism strategies have found successes in the last two decades since 9/11, changes in the threat landscape and the American domestic sphere call for a review of U.S. policy going forward. “Policymakers need to carefully think about which terrorist organizations they care about the most, which ones are most relevant to the security of the American public and come up with strategies to counter only those organizations,” said Dr. Mir. Connect with the Panelists to follow future commentary on terrorism and U.S. counterterrorism strategy:
For Immediate Release - McColm & Company (McCO) is excited to announce St. Petersburg, Florida as the new location for its headquarters office. McCO relocated in late January 2021 and hired two additional staff immediately, with plans to further grow the company locally. “We chose the city of St. Petersburg because its culture, walkability, and location offers an incomparable lifestyle for our staff. It fits with our mission to advance the quality of life, not just for our clients and beneficiaries, but our employees as well” said Managing Director, Victoria McColm. McCO now maintains staff in Washington, D.C. and St. Petersburg, Florida to best serve clients in the diplomacy, defense, and development communities focused on national security and foreign assistance portfolios. The company offers nearly a decade of experience supporting mission critical training, advisory, and technical consulting requirements in fragile states, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. Contact: Mr. Matthew Gardell, Business Development Specialist, matthew.gardell@mccolmandco.com
The on-going peace process in Afghanistan has raised questions on the procedures of peacemaking, and critiques of the political and diplomatic approaches taken to end the war between the Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban. Last week, McColm & Company hosted a panel of experts on peacemaking, to discuss past attempts to resolve conflicts in states like Bosnia, Colombia, and Turkey, and their lessons for Afghanistan. One important lesson discussed by the panel was the limited effectiveness of consociational agreements. The Dayton Agreement, which was signed after the conflict in Bosnia, was largely a failure in the view of Mr. Edward P. Joseph, a senior fellow at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He said that the agreement was predicated on the belief that giving the Serbs territory and certain rights would resolve the conflict. “By giving them territory and rights attached to it, it contributed to the separatist effort,” he said. “It perpetuated the dynamics of conflict, rather than the opposite.” Because consociational agreements are formed along ethnic lines, it would not be appropriate for the Afghan context. But any kind of powersharing agreement between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban would be difficult because of the stark differences between them on the right form of government. Dr. Asfandyr Mir, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University noted that one side supports a government based on liberal notions of democracy, while the other believes in a government formed on conservative Islamic principles. “An Islamic emirate as the Taliban conceive can't be a democratic, constitutional order or vice-versa,” said Dr. Mir. Panelists also discussed the need to expand the peace process to include other segments of society. So far, negotiations have only been held by officials representing both sides of the conflict. Dr. Lisa Schirch, from the Toda Peace Institute, said that in her conversations with members of Afghan civil society, they have told her they are waiting for invitations and suggestions from the American and Afghan governments. “I think what we've learned from other processes is, civil society needs to just go ahead,” she said. “If they're not being included, go ahead, organize things, come up with your own white papers, get those creative options that you can see from a civil society perspective.” Dr. Schirch highlighted her own experience looking at negotiations in states such as Colombia, as well as the Philippines and Guatemala, where tiered forms of negotiation brought grassroots engagement with the peace negotiations conducted by higher level officials. Her research demonstrates that “if the public is excluded, there is a higher chance that they fail, because there is not the public support for implementation.” In a similar way, a peace process that engages with the wider society, and addresses the larger structural issues driving the conflict is also essential. Unfortunately, this did not happen in Turkey, an issue that was discussed by Dr. Alpaslan Özerdem, the Dean of the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. He said that the negotiations between the Turkish government and the Kurds were elite-driven, and did not engage the wider prejudices in society, which were the root causes of the conflict. Dr. Özerdem said that it bodes badly for the Afghan peace process if it does not engage all segments of society. “If we are going to leave this to the leaders only, I am afraid this is going to fail,” he said. International factors play an important role in achieving peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan in particular has significant influence because of its relationship with the Taliban. “The Afghan conflict has many stakeholders,” observed Mr. Dawood Qayoumi, from the University of Afghanistan. “If regional countries increase pressure on the Taliban, they will change their behavior and stop their violence.” Outside actors are also important to shaping the behavior of the Afghan government as well. Dr. Mir noted that a perennial problem in international relations is the enforcement of any agreement reached between states. “Once you have the terms agreed and signed upon, how does one enforce an agreement, given that in the international system, you don't have a world government to enforce the terms of a deal?” he said. In this way, outside states become critical forces for accountability and incentivizing compliance with the agreement by both the Afghan government and the Taliban. Bringing all of the stakeholders together in enforcing a peace agreement when it is reached is “a very tall order,” observed Dr. Mir. “I don't know if the US government has the political bandwidth to broker such a complex, multination pact,” he added. “We will see how the Biden administration approaches this.” The Afghan peace talks remain ongoing, and these remaining challenges will require new and innovative thinking to resolve. Dr. Schirch said that most peacebuilding approaches remain western-centric, and need to take into consideration the local context in which conflict takes place. “I think we just constantly are thinking in a very limited box of what can work for this government,” she said. “We have to get ourselves out of that very limited state system.” Connect with the Panelists to follow future commentary on peacebuilding and peace processes:
The way we use knowledge and the processes through which policy and practice can be better informed have been a recent focus of academic and policy research literature. In this new era of increased data availability and public demand for rigorous and objective policy outcome, there is greater demand for evidence-based research. The use of evidence-based research to inform any policy is not a new concept. However, the methods we use to gather evidence-based research require new tools to ensure validity, credibility, and fairness. This article provides insight into research utilization and challenges to evidence-based policy research. It identifies a set of skills and a systematic evidence-based policy research process that could contribute to more effective policymaking. Evidence based policy research both informs policy and contributes to how policy makers implements a specific policy. That is to say, evidence-based policy and practice rooted can produce more effective outcomes [1]. Despite years of effort to develop evidence-based and more efficient policy research, barriers – including inadequate information, political agenda, budget constraints, limited accessibility to resources - persist, which impede policy researchers and policymakers using evidence effectively. Policy research could be more complex as it has to create a relationship between science and politics. On the other side, the theoretical research models developed by the researchers might clash with the actual socio-political process that policy makers may face. The effectiveness and efficiency of policy research can be ensured through a systematic approach which is process of knowledge gathering, utilization, exchange, and production of knowledge and disseminating it. Evidence has the potential to influence the various stages of policymaking from agenda setting to the formulation and implementation of policy [2]. Evidence-based policymaking also encourages a virtuous cycle of knowledge building [3]. Investigating the realities (of an issue) creates new knowledge and, thereafter, the formulation of policy. The evidence of what works and what does not can also help governments reform their policies and approaches to service delivery. Therefore, the evidence used to inform, and support policymaking should be based on scientific knowledge, which includes a combination of primary and secondary data to ensure a detailed study of the context. Gathering primary data is effective given the direct engagement researchers have with the context under study and the people involved through fieldwork and interviews. Gathering secondary data includes conducting systematic reviews and critical analyses of existing literature, reports, and theories. The benefit of using primary data to support claims is the ability to gather that data in a controlled setting. The researcher should study both the setting (the environment or situation under study), which will receive resources and the effect of those resources on the setting. Data collection tools such as survey questionnaires, interviews or direct observations hare three characteristics: consistency, validity, and fairness. We measure the effectiveness or the ineffectiveness of an existing policy or the need for new policy based on the effect of the resources used in a particular setting There are multiple factors that can influence the production of effective evidence-based research. I will discuss those factors using a medical analogy. This is appropriate given how evidence-based policy research is derived from evidence-based medicine, as argued in Archie Cochrane’s in his seminal work in 1972 [4]. Let’s consider a policy researcher as a physician whose goal is to find out the cause of a particular disease in order to generate a prescription to eliminate the disease. Following this analogy, the first phase in policy research is to study the context. Insufficient information about the context can misguide researchers on effective and efficient tool development. By context, I do not only mean the particular setting where resources or a policy is planned to be implemented by government. Context also refers to the socio-economic and political environment of the country where a policy will be implemented. This initial phase should also focus on the study of people and their relationships; the dynamics of those relationship, and the socio-political factors that influenced those relationship. Doing so also helps researchers understand the factors that affect the internal and external validity of the research. The aim of this phase is to find out whether there are deep-rooted problems that require policy solutions. This phase requires policy researchers and policymakers to engage in regular open channels of communication to identify both the contextual needs and the policy limitations and exchange information to formulate the policy question. In addition to defining issues and identifying gaps in an existing policy, the process will inform data collection methods and the identification of target populations, and sources of information. The second phase is the lab test which is investigating and collection of data which can help in identifying the strength and weaknesses of the existing policies or understanding the gap for a policy solution. Government programs could benefit from using and building on evidence. Generating evidence often requires studying a particular environment in-depth through interactions with local populations to better understand the factors that could contribute to more tangible and effective policies. This phase is an important step. It is during this phase that issues are first analyzed systematically through the use of coding and categorization and then prioritized based on the need for solutions. Here, a professional statistician could help design surveys, experiments, or a questionnaire to better understand the factors that could hinder the effect of a particular policy. During this data collection phase, it is crucial researchers allow sufficient time to engage location populations and gather the relevant information. Researchers should avoid limiting their time to a few days, but rather opt for extended time periods for data collection and analysis. New researchers often make the mistake of only making short visits to conduct face to face interviews, thinking this is not enough to understand the context and collect data. It isn’t an effective approach since evidence building is actually to uncover and examine the impact of policies or programs on the setting context. Therefore, understanding all the factors that influence the effectiveness of policies requires longer-term engagement strategies with target populations. Of course, longer-term research strategies are more costly but investment in these processes will raise the chances of policies being more effective. With that said, technology can also help improve the efficiency of data collection and qualitative observation. Qualitative observation and rigorous data collection contribute a great deal of depth to policy research. Often qualitative observation takes place though ethnographic research, but limited funding and time constraints can prevent researchers from using these methods. Though it is challenging to replace direct observation, technology can facilitate the use of some qualitative techniques, which can save time and reduce costs. The use of computer software to collect and analyze data can give researchers flexibility in sampling and qualitative behavioral analysis, which reduces the amount of time needed for assessment and analysis. In addition, access to internet within communities and among individuals is providing researchers with more flexibility when collecting primary data qualitatively. Increasingly, researchers are able to use social media platforms and various communication software to conduct interviews remotely, which can help reduce the cost in some circumstances. The third phase for the physician is to provide a prescription to address the identified disease or, in the case of policy research, a policy solution. After analyzing the collected data (or evidence depending on the word you prefer), research should develop number of potential policy options. The policy options should be analyzed based on their effectiveness and efficiency. There may be minimal differences among the options, but the one with maximal benefits and minimal harm should be selected. The above processes, which combines these three phases, requires sustained engagement between policy and policymakers. In sum, policy research should be based on pragmatism and maximizing scientific data as well as simplifying and contextualizing data. Policy researchers should avoid promoting political agendas and be aware of their own biases and emotions. They should remain engaged with the target population and policymakers throughout the research so as not to rely too heavily on desk research and their own beliefs and information about the setting under investigation. They should avoid short cuts, which will impede them from developing effective policy options. Rather, they should rely on scientific methods with long-term engagement strategies to generate evidence-based choices, rather than political ones. [1] Principle of Evidence based policy making (Sept 2016), Accessed Oct 2020. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99739/principles_of_evidence-based_policymaking pdf. [2] Sutcliffe, S. (2005). Evidence-Based Policymaking: What is it? How does it work? What relevance for developing countries? (No. Folleto 1427.). [3] Principle of Evidence based policy making (Sept 2016). Accessed Oct 2020. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99739/principles_of_evidence-based_policymaking pdf. [4] Cochrane, A (1972). Effectiveness and Efficiency: Random Reflections on Health Services. London: Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust. ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Nilofar Sakhi is the Director of Policy and Diplomacy at McColm & Company. Nilofar is a scholar and policy practitioner who has written extensively on various aspects of transitional security, human security, peacemaking, and peacebuilding processes, and has been involved in peacebuilding and counter insurgency policy formulation. Her recent book is Human Security and Agency: Reframing Productive Power in Afghanistan. Dr. Sakhi's thematic expertise is peacebuilding, security, and terrorism. Her regional expertise is on South Asia and Afghanistan, with focus on regional security architecture.
On 29 September 2020, McColm & Company hosted a webinar and panel discussion that explored the significant challenges and unique opportunities of the IntraAfghan negotiations. This discussion provided expert analysis of the current state of IntraAfghan talks, the challenges and prospects, and the regional dynamics and competing strategic interests that could potentially influence the outcome of the process. Moderated by Dr. Nilofar Sakhi, McColm and Company's Director of Policy and Diplomacy, the distinguished panel featured Former Ambassador Omar Samad, Dr. Jen Murtazashvili from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Ijaz Khan from QAU University Islamabad, and Dr. Jonathan Schroden from the Center for Naval Analyses.
COVID-19 and its responses have impacted all aspects of human security and affected the livelihoods of people across the world. It has surged the risk of direct and indirect violence and further exacerbated structural violence such as poverty, racial discrimination, and gender disparities. It changed conflict dynamics and created instability both at the community and national levels that further complicate and interrupt the peacebuilding processes. In addition, bottom up and top-level peacebuilding processes have been impacted by the unexpected shift of focus from development to humanitarian aid. This article begins with a discussion on some of the major impacts of COVID-19 in societies that require a different approach to peacebuilding work, and will then lay out peacebuilding approaches that practitioners should adopt for an effective peacebuilding practice in COVID affected communities. From Kenya to Rwanda, Afghanistan to Pakistan, and Yemen to Lebanon and Darfur, the COVID-19 pandemic is decimating the livelihood of people. It has impacted the socio-economic conditions of most of these conflict-affected countries and further disrupted their social fabrics. Many people in these vulnerable communities live from day to day and have no savings to rely on. Therefore, they prefer to go out and work instead of dying from starvation. However, the closure of businesses, shrinking of the outside market, and lack of customers impacts their ability to work, further deteriorating their economic condition. In such circumstances, there is a high tendency among the population to seek alternative economic gains, leading to high levels of crime, insurgency, and radicalization. Crime, in particular, has been taken to a different level due to these intensified economic hardships: robbery, bribery, misuse of resources related to COVID-19 and kidnapping for ransom are kinds of societal crimes that have been reported across the fragile and conflict-affected countries. These illegal means of accessing resources become necessary for survival in communities where no other viable economic opportunities are in sight and access to critical support services are unavailable. The economic crisis caused by COVID-19 also has far reaching effects in the well-being of communities. Particularly, growing evidence shows that COVID-19 has affected many people’s mental health globally. Social distancing has limited people’s relationships, which has caused frustration and intensified grudges without proper outlets, making any minor incident triggering and resulting in aggression. Collective societies become particularly vulnerable to societal trauma in these times of lockdown and social distancing. In these communities, vast social networks allow people to share stories and receive moral support, playing a critical role in everyday life. As highlighted by trauma experts, sharing stories help in addressing past grievances which could reduce the frustration of an individual. This moral support plays a vital role in healing the trauma caused by war, political instability, and poverty. Furthermore, COVID-19 has increased instances of domestic and gender-based violence while accessibility to legal institutions and psychosocial resources are limited during lockdown. This affects the poorest and most marginalized women and children, further increasing social gaps and fueling discrimination and inequality. In summary, the COVID-19 public health crisis has caused subsequent crises in the economic sector and social tapestries, seen by these elevated instances of insurgency, societal trauma, domestic violence, and crime. These impacts each play a role in the peacebuilding process. At the top-level, the pandemic has slowed down peacemaking activities due to lockdown: restrictions on travel prevents meetings between conflicting parties, causing one party to benefit over others. Initially, attention on the peace industry has been diverted to humanitarian supports to address the COVID-19 crisis. This delay has impeded the continuity and consistency of peacemaking processes and has caused stagnation in the areas of ceasefire and reducing violence. Though ceasefire has been negotiated in some places like Yemen, Darfur, and reduction of violence negotiated in Afghanistan, these measures didn’t have any substantial outcome. The targeted killing and attacks on journalists, commentators, and intellectuals have been reported in countries undergoing peace processes. In countries like Afghanistan with the peace process underway, COVID-19 has impacted bottom-up peacebuilding measures. People have lost trust in these processes due to the high levels of violence, misuse of resources by government officials, and economic instability-related crimes caused by COVID-19. COVID-19 has further strengthened the centralized systems of governance and state power in countries such as Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Tunisia, causing far-reaching effects on the peacebuilding process. In addition, as most COVID resources are channeled through the government, there are chances that governments will unequally distribute resources in favor of particular populations to strengthen constituencies, which could end up causing resistance by the marginalized population. It could add to people’s grudges and grievances and impede their ability to articulate demands. Furthermore, the redirection of funding and programming from peacebuilding has further limited conflict sensitivity, anti-radicalization, trauma healing, and conflict prevention activities. More than ever, peacebuilding requires more programming and strategic engagement to address the COVID-19 crisis and build cohesion and resilience among communities. As the pandemic could cause further lockdowns and restrictions on travel, peacebuilding requires a different approach to connect parties in conflict, and here are some prospects for the way forward: 1 - Utilize TechnologyThe use of technology such as social media, radio, and phone messaging should be used to trace communities and parties’ basic and political needs and help in prevention of conflict and building peace. As articulated by Alp Ozerdem, “peace engineering can include the development of technologies for conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Peace engineering incorporates the study of how digital and other type of technologies can be leveraged to support the pursuit of more peaceful societies.” The peacebuilding industry, particularly the multilateral organizations, should equip both the practitioners and the beneficiaries with the accessibility to phones, radio programming, and internet facilities. Peace advocates should be provided with specific training on message developing, strategic communication, and effective use of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platform for influence. In countries like Yemen and Afghanistan, the non-state actors have used social media and screen media to advance their advocacy outreach and with successes in outreach to policy makers and impacting peacebuilding strategy. 2 - Address DiscriminationThe peace industry can also help addressing the inequality and racial discrimination that has fueled during COVID-19. According to International Alert, “several countries have reported violence against Asian communities and tensions between Lebanese communities and Syrian refugees have worsened during crisis.” Peacebuilding practitioners could address these challenges through blogs, social medial platforms, and by arranging and introducing peacebuilding panels to media outlets on countering polarization and in. 3 - Teach Tech SensitivityAs technology is becoming the dominant source of communication, sensitization becomes critical to educate people in far and remote areas about the use of technology. Tech-sensitive manuals should be created and used alongside technology to affect the relationships of parties in conflict and human behavior. The smart and ethical used of technology to create new peace terminologies to build trust between the parties in conflict should be developed. 4 - Support Humanitarian WorkersAs humanitarian workers are the service providers in many countries, peacebuilders and government service providers should partner with them to provide conflict assessments and conflict analyses to highlight the gaps in resource allocation. 5 - Address TraumaTo address the societal trauma caused by social distancing measures, trauma healing through psychosocial training and exercises (such as circle processes, appreciative inquiry, strategies and initiatives) should be included in the peacebuilding programs. To bridge all these initiatives, a multitrack approach to peacebuilding is a workable model that includes simultaneous efforts to building cohesion among political elites, civil society leaders, and community leaders through creation of conflict sensitive trainings, media outreach, strategic advocacy through social and problem-solving online events. Peace building practitioners can help articulate the massaging and people’s demands to prevent violence activism against the government and promote peaceful ways of changing the status quo, despite restrictions and challenges faced by COVID-19. ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Nilofar Sakhi is the Director of Policy and Diplomacy at McColm & Company. Nilofar is a scholar and policy practitioner who has written extensively on various aspects of transitional security, human security, peacemaking, and peacebuilding processes, and has been involved in peacebuilding and counter insurgency policy formulation. Her recent book is Human Security and Agency: Reframing Productive Power in Afghanistan. Sakhi's thematic expertise is peacebuilding, security, and terrorism. Her regional expertise is on South Asia and Afghanistan, with focus on regional security architecture.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented impacts to all aspects of daily life, including how we work, socialize, and access childcare. With many schools, businesses, and childcare providers closed, normal arrangements are unavailable to many women and families. Additionally, many companies face management challenges as they pivot comply with government guidelines or rapidly transition to telework environments. Although the long term impacts of COVID remain uncertain, we are already beginning to see how its impacts to the workplace are disproportionally affecting women. McColm & Company is committed to advancing the empowerment and inclusion of women throughout society, including the workplace. We’ve outlined below some of the impacts of COVID-19 is already having on women and suggest some ways that businesses can support their female employees during these difficult times. In the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fact that women make up a vast majority of essential workers, including 78 percent of all hospital jobs, 70 percent of pharmacy jobs, and 51 percent of grocery store positions. However, women have also suffered the most job losses compared to any other group. According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, the economy lost 20.5 million jobs between March and April 2020, 55% of which were held by women. Additionally, the National Women’s Law Center reported that the number of unemployed women is greater than the 11.1 million jobs women gained between the end of the Great Recession in July 2010 and the beginning of the coronavirus crisis in February 2020. Further, while the unemployment rate for all women in June was 11.2%, compared to men’s 10.2%, Black women and Latina women continue to be the hardest hit by the economic crisis, facing unemployment rates of 14.0% and 15.3% respectively. As of June 2020, 1 in 3 of women’s jobs lost between February and April have returned. Many of these jobs were in leisure and hospitality (including businesses like bars and restaurants) and in retail trade. However, these newly returned jobs are at risk of being lost again, as some states have re-imposed restrictions in response to surging cases in June. Not only have women-heavy sectors faced high rates of unemployment and business closures, but in the home, women perform the bulk of care work, unpaid and invisible. Before the pandemic, women globally were already doing three times as much unpaid care and domestic work as men: 4.1 hours/day for women compared to 1.7 hours/day for men. Now, with children out of school in countries around the world, 1.5 billion students are confined to their homes, according to UN Women, initial research suggests this figure may have more than doubled. Societal gender roles place the burden of caring for and providing educational support to these children on women and girls. A U.S. survey conducted for The New York Times in April 2020 found that, among parents with children under 12 years old, women consistently reported spending more time on home schooling and childcare than men. Women are also becoming default unpaid caregivers for elderly or ill family members, as overwhelmed health care providers release patients early to make room and scale back services for other illnesses. With these unpaid care loads increasing rapidly, workplace flexibility is not the only solution to retaining women. Achieving a fairer balance at home or providing resources and supports to single mothers, is perhaps an equally critical gender-equitable practice to ensuring women can continue to work. Many measures that would support women in the workforce should come from federal and local governments, in the form of unemployment resources like cash stipend and temporarily suspending rent and utility bills, or tax cuts for women-owned businesses. Congress has attempted to help families with caregiving by temporarily providing workers up to two weeks of emergency paid sick leave and an additional 10 weeks of emergency paid child care leave through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFRCA), although the law’s loopholes and exemptions exclude an estimate 68 to 106 million private sector workers from receiving these paid protections. Beyond direct assistance, there are specific measures that communities, businesses, and families can take to ensure women are able to continue working when and where it is safe to do so and continue promoting gender-equitable work environments during COVID-19:
Since it is clear that flexible work arrangements allow for greater balancing of work and care responsibilities, employers in sectors where flexible work environments are possible should take these steps where possible to reduce barriers to equality and make accommodations for women that must engage in caregiver responsibilities. A recent paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research argues that this normalization of remote and flexible work will expand opportunities to a broader segment of working women. Furthermore, the paper argued that with so many women continuing to work outside the home as essential service workers, fathers assume primary or shared caregiver roles. This may have positive impacts on the division of labor and entrenched gender roles post crisis. However, we do not want to rely solely on the hope that these changes will improve gender equality, and we should put in place measures that reinforce this goal. ABOUT THE AUTHORSierra Arnold is a Program Assistant at McColm and Company, supporting the Economic Growth and Trade and Gender and Inclusion practices. Sierra is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer currently completing graduate studies in Global Health at the George Washington University.
For Immediate Release - McColm & Company (McCO) is pleased to announce that the firm has been awarded a new 5-year contract to support the Area Studies Division of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) at the U.S. Department of State. The new contract award builds on, and significantly expands, McCO's work with FSI. Through this award, McCO will provide essential training and administrative support for the Area Studies division including the design and delivery of essential area studies training to foreign service officers and USG personnel preparing to take up posts at American embassies around the world and program support to course guest speaker honoraria, travel, and expenses. Prior to this award, McCO worked with FSI for the last six years to design and deliver the mandatory Afghanistan Familiarization course and provided support to the National Security Executive Leadership Seminar (NSELS), earning superior ratings from FSI leadership and course participants. "We're excited to continue and expand our work at FSI," said Victoria McColm, Managing Director. "The effective and comprehensive training of our nation's diplomats and foreign service professionals is critical to our national security and McCO is honored that Area Studies has entrusted us with this mission essential work." By leveraging our extensive network of foreign policy subject matter experts, applying best practices in instructional design and dynamic adult learning teach methods, McColm & Company will provide training to an estimated 6,000 State Department employees and contractors each year of the contract. McCO Area Studies courses will cover a range of topics on regions and countries globally, including history, culture, politics, economics, history, gender, geo-politics and other subjects directly related to U.S. foreign policy objectives around the world.
Diasporas are groups of individuals that have emigrated from their country of origin. They may also be a largely untapped and valuable resource for driving sustainable development. The strong ties that diaspora population members possess for their home country often translate into significant sums of money sent back home to family, friends, and businesses - or remittances. For developing countries, remittances can have a significant impact on the local economy. According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), formal remittances totaled nearly $450 billion USD globally in 2010. While larger countries like India, China, and Mexico consistently remain in the top 3 remittance receiving countries by monetary values, smaller countries often experience a more significant impact to their overall GDP. For example, nearly half of Tajikistan’s entire GDP was comprised of remittances in 2014 with a total of 41.7%. However, many countries have yet to take action towards utilizing the full potential of their diaspora population. Such is the case with the Bosnian and Herzegovinian diaspora, which equals approximately 1/3 of the total in country population, but receives remittances reaching 11.5% of total GDP. When engaging diaspora networks and creating innovative investment models for sustainable development, here’s three keys to consider. 1. Large & Affluent or Well-Connected Diaspora NetworkThe size and affluency of a specific diaspora network relative to home country population is perhaps the most important factor to successfully leveraging diaspora communities for sustainable development. Small countries must first evaluate the current state of their diaspora network globally. India has the largest diaspora population worldwide and sits at the number one slot for remittance receiving countries according to the World Bank in 2014. The U.S. Indian diaspora hold advanced degrees at four times that of the U.S. general public and have a median annual income approximately $40K above the U.S. median. Furthermore, about half of all U.S. Indian diaspora households fall into the top 25% of annual income across the entire U.S. income distribution. However engagement levels can trump diaspora size when working to maximize diaspora benefits. For example, Tajikistan’s network of 602,821 is dramatically smaller than India’s 16 million, Tajikistan’s diaspora significantly impacts the local economy because 89% of the diaspora population sends remittances. The Carribean global region is another example of significant impact. An InfoDev study found that the Caribbean diaspora nearly matches the region’s native population in size. The members’ common heritage and strong familial relationships across the entire region allow for a deep connection and a strong desire to contribute. Of the people surveyed, 90% would like to be more connected to their home country. 2. Confidence in the Government and DonorInvestors uncertain of whether or not the people or organization handling an investment can be trusted are highly unlikely to go ahead with the transaction. Following the devastating Haitian earthquake in 2010, diaspora bonds were widely considered to assist in recovery. It was common for remittances to surge in Haiti following natural disasters, so diaspora bonds were considered by the government and donors a viable option. But Haiti’s history of weak governance and a general lack of trust in public institutions made efforts to raise funds through diaspora bonds difficult and unsuccessful. While its neighbor India has successfully implemented diaspora bonds, Pakistan has yet to do so. The Pakistani population has an extremely low rate of confidence in its national institutions with 84% of individuals stating they have “not very much” or “no confidence at all” in Pakistan’s federal government. In 2010 during the Pakistan floods, many Pakistani-Americans were hesitant to send money to relief efforts out of fear that it would end up in the pockets of a corrupt government. Countries with high levels of corruption must first inspire confidence for diaspora groups to feel comfortable contributing to impact investment. When there is a lack of confidence in the local government, donor agencies may be able to fill the gap with social impact investing instruments. Of course, donor agencies must inspire the same level of confidence a strong government would to attract investors. 3. Risk & Return: Transparency and Clearly Outlined Guidelines for Investment ProjectsDiaspora bonds hold an advantage as they are often perceived as having a lower risk of devaluation because the bonds frequently pay out in local currency with a 4-5% interest rate. “Patriotism” as a motivator will only go so far; it is critical to create a transparent process that ensures low risk and promise of return on investment. The most effective to gain investor trust is to create an environment of total transparency. Gaining the trust of an investor is the key to creating individuals who invest in multiple projects over various years. Total transparency, accountability checkpoints, and unwavering regulations are critical. Investors want to know what they are investing in, when they can expect a return on their investment, and what that return will look like. An investor wants to see the physical impact of their investment, whether it be schools, libraries, housing, or other public institutions. Enticing the investor largely relies on value they perceive in the use of their funds. Many governments and independent investment entities rely on emotional ties to attract diaspora investors. However for those holding money in low-yielding bank accounts or cash under the mattress type savings, the opportunity to grow savings through accumulated interest can be very alluring. ABOUT THE AUTHORVictoria McColm is a social entrepreneur and advocate focused on the nexus of economies, poverty, equality, and conflict. She founded McColm & Company in 2013 as a mission-driven consultancy delivering cross cultural advisory and economic growth strategies for fragile states and vulnerable communities.
CLIENT CHALLENGE McCO's client was a U.S.-based philanthropist who wanted to assess the impact and organizational capacity of a local partner in Karachi, Pakistan. An on-the-ground assessment was needed in the sometimes volatile villages and rural communities served by the local partner in order to better understand their programs and impact. The client also needed to assess the viability of the partner’s model for social enterprise development and efforts at craft product production as a women’s economic empowerment and workforce development strategy. OUR SOLUTION McCO leveraged cross-cutting expertise to design and implement an assessment of the local partner that included a desk study and fieldwork in key locations in Sindh, Pakistan. We traveled to project locations in rural villages to conduct site visits, key informant interviews, and focus groups with staff, constituents, and beneficiaries. McCO then provided the client with a robust analysis of the program’s impact, of current organizational capacity and a product and market assessment which focused on the organization’s efforts to build a viable social enterprise around local craft products for female workforce development. The report culminated with an outline of potential ways forward for the relationship. RESULTS AND IMPACT McCO’s in-depth analysis enabled the client to make an informed decision regarding the ROI of additional funding and viability of new craft program prior to investing time and resources. Our team identified also found challenges in the organizations attempt to transition from a traditional NGO into a mission-driven, revenue-generating social enterprise. While the plan to transform was an excellent sustainability strategy to reduce donor dependence, it also requires a combination of non-profit and for-profit management skillsets that would need to be developed by management or acquired in order to be viable and sustainable. ABOUT THE AUTHORVictoria McColm is a social entrepreneur and advocate focused on the nexus of economies, poverty, equality, and conflict. She founded McColm & Company in 2013 as a mission-driven consultancy delivering cross cultural advisory and economic growth strategies for fragile states and vulnerable communities.
A number of businesses have emerged in the last ten years as alternative suppliers of goods and services traditionally provided by long-established industries. Whether sharing transportation, homes, or private kitchens, sharing resources with strangers is the newest trend in urban marketplaces. Collaborative consumption, also often referred to as the “gig economy” or “sharing economy,” inverts traditional marketplace economies by allowing supply to find demand. While Uber, AirBnB, TaskRabbit and other online platforms have democratized access to a number of services and facilities, some are concerned about the public safety, health, and limited liability of these sharing economy practices. As these companies grow more popular, questions arise about their impact on small businesses: will peer-to-peer platforms materialize as viable alternatives to traditional providers? How are these businesses to be regulated and taxed? How are their workers to be categorized and treated? Companies like Uber and AirBnb extol the value of what and, more importantly, how they are selling by claiming they are making the world work better in a modern setting: by making use of dormant or underused resources and allowing for more people to earn a living they’re providing a double-whammy positive impact on the economy. Consumers, meanwhile, typically pay less than they would if they purchased the item or service through a traditional provider, like a hotel or car-hire firm, or receive a more personalized experience. Further, there are environmental benefits: renting a car ad hoc rather than owning one, for example, means fewer cars are required and fewer resources must be devoted to making them. However, not everyone sees this emerging market as a blessing. As with any new frontier, the advent and exponential growth of collaborative consumption presents as many problems as it does opportunities, particularly from the view of the already existing industries – for example, the taxi and hotel industries – and those in charge of regulating them. Regulators argue that all businesses should compete on a fair playing field where the same rules apply to everybody, and businesses that operate in the Sharing Economy blur that line. For example, Uber claims their more than 160,000 drivers in the United States are “self-employed independent contractors,” but just yesterday the California Labor Commission ruled that they are to be considered employees. This decision contributes to the growing number of questions for policymakers: How are these businesses to be taxed? Are on-demand businesses responsible for providing “employees” with benefits? Furthermore, with such unprecedentedly direct collaboration between consumers and providers, what mechanisms can be used to prevent or monitor illegal and criminal activity? The laws that govern these industries predate gig economy businesses by 30 to 100 years, meanwhile the Sharing Economy is growing and evolving at a rapid pace. Before policymakers respond with new regulations, it’s critical to understand this new frontier and the validated benefits of collaborative consumption on the economy overall. Research, analysis, and dialogue among policy makers, platform owners, providers, and users are needed to understand this fascinating new marketplace in order to reevaluate policy in a 21st century context. ABOUT THE AUTHORVictoria McColm is a social entrepreneur and advocate focused on the nexus of economies, poverty, equality, and conflict. She founded McColm & Company in 2013 as a mission-driven consultancy delivering cross cultural advisory and economic growth strategies for fragile states and vulnerable communities.
In the business world, sustainability is linked to the triple bottom line – consideration for not only profits but also people and the planet. For NGOs, the term has a bit of a different meaning. NGOs focus on the external sustainability of their programs at the behest of their donors, their desires to carefully and effectively utilize funding, and the internal durability of their organization. They are universally guided by the mantra of, “do no harm.” In this sense, the measure is how the program will sustain if additional donor funding doesn’t materialize. Can it stand on its own two feet after implementation? Can other donors be recruited to carry the project? In my work to build the capacity and effectiveness of NGOs, particularly small, local NGOs in fragile states and medium-sized international NGOs working to support civil society in fragile states, the same four ingredients for sustainability appear again and again. 1. Clear Vision & Strong LeadershipWhat do you want to achieve, and how will you achieve it? Sustainable NGOs have a clear vision, actionable mission, and strong, engaged leadership. Sustainability starts with a comprehensive strategic plan that is focused and realistic to the current resources (both human and financial) of the organization. At a minimum, the program should define the goals, objectives, budget, and fundraising plan for the next three years. The most effective strategic planning sessions are held off-site and led by an objective, outside facilitator who understands the type of work the organization is engaged in and can assist the team with creating the plan, balancing priorities, staying realistic and focused. Building an effective Board of Directors is one of the essential things an NGO – no matter the age, size, or scope – can do for sustainability. There are many strategies for curating the right influencers. Still, the primary goal is to identify individuals who will provide good governance to the organization while also leveraging their own networks or resources to empower the work. 2. Demonstrated ResultsIs your approach effective? How do you know? The most important thing an NGO can do to ensure sustainability is to show real results and lasting impact. Donors no longer fund projects that aren’t proven to have the desired impact. The days of anecdotal stories of benefit succeeding as a fundraising strategy are mainly behind us and for a good reason. Knowing that your interventions are genuinely having the desired impact is a critical part of an organization’s responsibility to do no harm. That means effectively piloting and testing theories of change before scaling them, iterating program approaches according to findings, and being open about lessons learned from failures so that other organizations don’t make the same mistakes. Human-Centered Design and Lean Start-Up are two methodologies for designing and testing programs while evaluating their effectiveness that McCO uses in our client work frequently. 3. Effective Advocacy & External Communications StrategiesNGOs have challenging and sometimes competing communications agendas. Often they find themselves simultaneously tackling a problem that the public and their potential donors may not be informed about, working diligently to draw and sustain attention to a significant crisis, rallying their members to action, and implementing campaigns to affect behavior change of their constituents. Without defined strategic and sustained advocacy plans, maintaining advocacy and communications can become a daunting and costly duty. The communications strategy should be a pillar of an organization’s strategic plan with a clear road map to how the organization must communicate to be effective. There are many tools available to help reign in the cost of communications, especially for campaigns that utilize social media. 4. Innovative & Diversified Funding ModelsNGOs continue to be impacted by changing attitudes towards charitable giving. Trends in venture philanthropy and social impact investing have led many traditional NGOs to work to define the return on investment for their donors and better measure their social impact. The evolution of charitable giving has also created new opportunities for NGOs, leading many to examine ways to innovate their funding models. The right strategy depends on the size, focus, and reach of the individual NGO, but mixing traditional giving with revenue generation through social enterprise models is an increasingly attractive approach. ABOUT THE AUTHORVictoria McColm is a social entrepreneur and advocate focused on the nexus of economies, poverty, equality, and conflict. She founded McColm & Company in 2013 as a mission-driven consultancy delivering cross cultural advisory and economic growth strategies for fragile states and vulnerable communities.
CLIENT CHALLENGE The U.S. Department of Defense was engaged in a range of job creation activities in Afghanistan as a stabilization strategy to support the U.S. mission and mitigate insurgency. Jewelry making is a core artisanal skill that represents immense opportunity for job creation and value chain development in Afghanistan given the indigenous supply of high quality gemstones and metals. There is international demand for low minimum order quantity jewelry manufacturing - which Kabul workshops can meet. The client’s challenge was that the quality of Kabul jewelry production and production management capabilities for high volume orders was unknown. Our client needed to understand current capabilities, capacity and quality levels of Kabul jewelry workshops quickly, and then train local workshops to produce jewelry at international quality standards for export. OUR SOLUTION McCO designed a rapid impact sector survey and responsive training methodology to develop a baseline of existing capabilities and quality. We then leveraged a production order from the social enterprise – Aayenda Jewelry – as a training and capacity building tool. Our solution was designed and successfully delivered over a five month period by a four person engagement team made up of two international consultants and two local Afghan consultants. OUR APPROACH McCO designed and implemented a responsive evaluation and training methodology that enabled our engagement team to rapidly respond to the precise training needs of the workshops and pivot our approach to meet realities on the ground, as needed. Rather than utilize rote memorization and classroom based training to improve quality of a vocational skill, McCO utilized the Aayenda Jewelry production order to provide real time, one-on-one technical training, quality control, and production management mentoring to workshop owners and their employees. Participants reported in the post training survey that they favored our approach over past donor trainings because it directly correlated development of skill and quality improvement to income and real business opportunities. SOCIAL IMPACT Jewelry production quality improved dramatically during McCO’s five-month engagement, as did understanding of international quality standards and customer service expectations. Consider that a single company – Aayenda Jewelry – placing a single medium sized jewelry production order provided employment and generated a living wage income for 38 Afghan artisans at the primary level for 30 days, as well as unknown numbers of secondary and tertiary beneficiaries. Now consider that most jewelry companies place orders at least three times per year – collections for Spring/Summer, Winter/Fall and Resort – and the result is that attracting just four companies to move their production to Kabul would have the potential to maintain the businesses of a quarter of the known Kabul sector each year. OPPORTUNITIES
LESSONS LEARNED
ABOUT THE AUTHORVictoria McColm is a social entrepreneur and advocate focused on the nexus of economies, poverty, equality, and conflict. She founded McColm & Company in 2013 as a mission-driven consultancy delivering cross cultural advisory and economic growth strategies for fragile states and vulnerable communities.
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