Stakeholder analysis

Which stakeholders (NGO’s, government, private sector) did you identify as allies and how did you involve them?
Allies:
Education Department: Teachers
Police Department: Police Officer
Social Services Department: Social Services Officers, Rural Development Officer
Women Development Officer, Local NGO: Viluthu Organization, Sarvodhaya, Aham Organization, Healthy Lanka, etc.

We had a meeting - organised by the volunteers in the village -  with villagers, volunteers and identified stakeholders including the religious leader. The prevailing difficult situation was analysed and it was jointly observed that a lack of understanding of the importance of a functioning women's group led to a lack of support for the existing group as it seeks to transform itself into the Asian Muslim Women Union for the development of women in rural villages.
During the meeting, it was proposed to reorganise the existing women's association, by selecting a new executive committee and members, drafting a constitution, taking minutes and opening a bank account for the newly formed union. This proposal was adopted.
We then visited some other allies such as education and police department: teachers and police officer, respectively, to brief them.
Another meeting was organised with the Social Services Department: Social Services Officers and Women Development Officer, to finalise the constitution, arrange the opening of the bank account and continue writing minutes of the meetings during the requested period of 6 months, in order to be able to complete the registration process of the Asian Muslim Women Union.
Local NGOs such as Viluthu Organisation, Sarvodhaya, Aham and Healthy Lanka, etc. were also present during the meeting. They saw the active participation of the leader and the women volunteers, with the result that they were willing to provide necessary support to strengthen the Asian Muslim Women Union by pledging funds for a project in the near future, soon after the association's registration. They also agreed to assist in writing a proposal for an activity to provide livelihood for women in the village.

Which stakeholders did you identify as neutral and how did you mobilise them?
Neutrals:
Rural women/men volunteers

A meeting was organised to sensitise and mobilise villagers, supported by the village volunteers, where the importance of registering the Asian Muslim Women Union for implementing rural Muslim women's development activities in the village was explained.

Which stakeholders did you identify as opponents and why were they opposed?
Opposed:
Religious Leader

The religious leader was seen as an opponent because his lack of knowledge prevented him from understanding why a women's union was so important for the women in the village.

How did you involve your beneficiaries in the stakeholder analysis/campaign?
Identification of skilled, interested/ leader, women groups, volunteers and Muslim leader; they were involved in the following analysis

1. Meeting with beneficiaries and women's group to discuss a general meeting to reorganise the existing organisation. Volunteers for the sensitisation of the society about the reorganisation were selected.
2. Problem and solution through Question & Answers, listing of many problems, selection of key women-related problems by beneficiaries, prioritisation and solution proposal based on the women-related problems through participatory approach.
3. To change the attitude of the religious leader and reach an agreement on the establishment of a women's civil society organisation, an integrated team was formed with beneficiaries, volunteers, religious leader and leader of local interfaith committee (LIRC) to plan and implement religious activities.
4. Meeting organised and beneficiaries involved for stakeholder analysis, including religious leader, women's groups, field volunteers. Also action plan on reorganisation, awareness on membership fees, opening bank account, draft constitutional project proposal for civil society organisation prepared and finalised.
5. The action plan for the activities was implemented during the Muslim Women's Union/Civil Society reorganisation, and the action plan was shared with the stakeholders with participatory approach of the beneficiaries.

Short description of the organisation implementing the action/campaign

The action plan and follow up focused on the following issues:
1. Asian Muslim Women Union, established in 2014, was unable to register and strengthen itself due to barriers put up by the religious leader.
2. Lack of livelihood opportunities, education awareness and hesitant behaviour on socialisation for interaction to re- organise the Asian Muslim Women Union.
• Sensitisation through individual and pocket meetings with the Muslim community to make them aware of the importance of reorganisinig the women's society in the village, in collaboration with Women Development Organization (2- 6 weeks).
• Mobilising them to change attitude of the young and elder women groups and selection of volunteers for work with Women Development Organization (2-3 weeks).
• Organise meeting to change the attitude of the religious leader (2-4 weeks, involve religious leader to participate in different meetings, including religious activities).
• Organise meeting and involve beneficiaries for problem identification and solution (2-3 days by the volunteers).
• Organise meeting and involve beneficiaries for S
stakeholder analysis (2-3 days, including field visit with stakeholders and the volunteers).
• Organise general meeting, reorganisation, select new members and board for drafting constitution, action to open bank account and finalise (2- 8 weeks by volunteers, selected board members, executive board directors and key stakeholders etc.).
• Registering the Asian Muslim Women Union, dealing with relevant identified stakeholder (2-4 days, submitting 06 months monthly meeting minutes, including constitution and bank details for the completion of registering process).
• Dealing with related stakeholder for preparing proposal and submission for livelihood activity (2- 4 weeks, board of directors and key stakeholders).
• Implementation of livelihood project by the volunteers, board members and directors (for 06 months).
• Coaching will be done, and further follow up by Women Development Organization as needed for the registration process, project implementation and collection of success stories for donor agent.

Action period
From October 2020 to May 2021

Objectives
1. To make villagers and the religious leader aware of the importance of a women's civil society organisation for Muslim women in the village wanting to implement rural development activities.
2. To mobilise the women's group for their participation in various analyses such as stakeholders, problem solving, action plan preparation, proposal preparation and implementation of project activities.
3. To prepare a constitution, open a bank account and register the society, in order to make it systainable.
4. To build a network with other stakeholders in order to improve empowerment of the society and rural villages.

Action results
1. Villagers and the religious leader agreed to reorganise, strengthen and register the Asian Muslim Women Union.
2. Women group and volunteers started working together, actively participated in stakeholder analysis, problem solving, action plan, preparation of proposal and and got ready for implementation of project activities, etc.
3. Drafted constitution, opened bank account, finalised and processed registration for association.
4. Started writing a proposal for financing a livelihood project for rural women in the village.

Description of preparatory activities
1. Sensitisation and mobilisation meeting to change the attitude of the women's group and religious leader towards organising a union/civil society for women's groups.
2. Sensitisation and mobilisation meeting for women's group to deal with different stakeholders for reorganising the Muslim Women Union/civil society.
3. Organise meetings for various relevant stakeholders to discuss problem of school drop-outs and raise parents' awareness about criminal activities to be monitored in school and public places, prepare and monitor measures to prevent criminal activities, submit documents for registration and proposals for livelihood project.

Description of implementation
1. Sensitised and mobilised the women community and religious leader for a change in mindset through selected volunteers from the village, all of whom agreed to reorganise and register the existing Muslim Women Union.
2.Organised meeting and field visit for the stakeholders, religious leader and selected volunteers. Selected board members and executive director to carry out the work. Drafted and finalised constitution and advised to organise meetings once a month for 6 months and prepare and submit minutes for registration.
3. Organised meeting with women's group, religious leaders and relevant stakeholders. Provided awareness to parents, school teachers and the police department. Discussed and prepared joint venture project to minimise criminal activities in the school and public places and also minimise drop-out of the school children. Submitted registration documents for the registration process and drafted and finalised a project proposal for a livelihood activity in the village.

Description of time investment
35 days, board members
50 days, CSO volunteers

Costs
• Sensitisation and mobilisation meeting to reorganise the Asian Muslim Women Union (stationery and refreshments): SLRs. 34000
• Refreshments for stakeholder meeting, stationery and printing: SLRs. 10000
• Fuel for field visit with volunteers and stakeholders: SLRs. 3x2000= SLRs. 6000
• Proposal writing, society registration and submission: SLRs. 5000
• Opening bank account from the membership fee: deposited to the bank society saving account: SLRs. 16000

Follow up
Those involved prepared the action plan together with the beneficiaries in order to:
- have a smooth implementation of the Asian Muslim Women Union, with the help of village volunteers and religious leader;
- link with different stakeholders for the reorganisation and registration process of the Asian Muslim Women Union;
- write and submit a proposal for a livelihood project activity to strengthen the newly formed Union.
Coaching will be done and success stories will be collected when starting the local fundraising activities and the implementation of the livelihood project in the village.