ODCMT
STATEMENT OF CAPABILITY

1. Introduction:

Organisation Development and Community Management Trust (ODCMT) is a local NGO registered in March 2000 to provide assistance building the capacity civil society to enhance their missions. The organisation undertakes popular campaign activities on poverty and trade issues, offers short-term development skills training courses and provides information and advisory services to leaders and members of civil society.

2. Summary Profile:

In the last four years the organisation has managed to build and consolidate its capacity to gain a reputation as an alternative training resource institution to universities and colleges in the provision of practical skills training services to development practitioners.

Development activists, retirees, the unemployed and Students and members of civil society in general have accessed the services provided at ODCMT. In the last 4 years a wide cross-section of people including children, who have began to be serviced in information technology through the children computer skills club, have benefited from the training services. Information and advisory services provided by ODCMT at the NGO Business Centre facilities have tended to be available, affordable and therefore accessible to a wide cross-section of the people who may not easily afford such services on the open market and in high institutions of learning.

The organisation offers various tailor-made short-term social development-related skills training courses on numerous topics and subject. These include courses in advocacy, lobbying and popular campaigns, and information technology – computer skill courses.

ODCMT has in the last four years become a household name in development in Zambia. Just to illustrate the point from one example by Russell Ndhlovu of Action on Disability and Development, an international development organization, who made the following observation:

“It is interesting to learn how your organisation is growing and spreading in development work. ODMCT is becoming more strategic and relevant to Zambia's developing society. Please keep growing as much as you can – Russell Ndhlovu of ADD.”

3. Collaboration/Networking:

The ODCMT maintains active networks and collaborates effectively with local, especially small and emerging NGOs and other regional organisations and international development NGOs.

3,1. Government

The organisation has good relations with relevant Government Ministries who have occasionally co-operated with the organisation when need arose. Like the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry.

“I look forward to working with you and to discuss development strategies and including the promotion of employment through agro-based economic activities in Zambia” – Lt. Col. Patrick Kafumukache; Minister of Labour and Social Security in Zambia.

3.2. Region

The ODCMT is a member of SADC regional network of NGOs called Community Regional Network through collaboration with ZERO based in Harare. The organisation also is a member of the SEATINI (Southern Eastern Trade Information and Negotiation Institution).

3.3. International

Some of the international development organisations that have closely collaborated with ODCMT either as a local training resource or popular campaign organisation include: Oxfam, Action on Disability and Development (ADD) and of late CARE International who have asked ODCMT to train some of their field staff.

According to Oxfam “World Trade could lift millions of people out of poverty but right now, it ruins their lives and leaves them on the edge of survival because trade rules are rigged so that the poorest lose out every time – we have to make trade fair!”. With this objective in mind, ODCMT partnered with Oxfam to make Big Noise to make trade fair. Working with cotton commodity producers and members of the general public along with other civil society organisations, ODCMT spearheaded a popular campaign that was able to mobilize over 750 000 signatures petitions in a period of 6 months in its Big Noise activities.

As part of our campaign materials, we produced three Big Noise CDs; two with songs and one of sound and voices of cotton producers and that of Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry highlighting concerns on the prevailing unfair world trade rules and their negative impact on small scale producers. The two musical CDs on the ‘Make Trade Fair’ and ‘Masulani Malonda’ feature popular musicians like the duo - Sakala Brothers, James Chamanyazi and Saga Che Mutale. These Zambian musicians along with the volunteers, appear in a Make Trade Fare video on the campaign in Zambia. The video has attracted many development activist including Oxfam international who supported ODCMT’s activities in this popular campaign.

“We will certainly make sure that your video is shared with our Big Noise colleagues in Southern countries. We will also look to see if we can used some of the footage as one of the case studies in a Big Noise Training Video for distribution to partners around the world. The Big Noise gets louder and louder. Well done to everyone involved” – Jo Fox of Oxfam (GB).

ODCMT also maintains liaison with other international organisations like HIVOS, Trade Justice Movement, Christian Aid and KEPA Zambia sharing information, on development and campaign issues on poverty, trade and social justice.

“Although I am aware that most developed countries are so selfish and greedy that they would continue to exploit African resources unabated, your contribution towards the campaign against such unfair tendencies would finally bear fruit” – Lt. Col. Patrick Kafumukache; Copperbelt Deputy Minister.

3.4. Local

As a capacity building organisation ODCMT closely maintains contacts with a wide sector of local NGOs. Its qualified and experienced volunteer staff and externally sourced skilled volunteers form a formidable ODCMT team that also offers back-stopping, research, organisation assessments (OD) and provide on the spot field support services. Such a service mainly aims to target some of the small community based organisations in the Movement of Emerging NGOs in Zambia (MENGOZ), which is a loose alliance of civil society organisations, for whom ODCMT serves as secretariat since formation of the movement in May 2002. It is also a member of the Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) an umbrella organisation for NGOs in Zambia.

3.5. ODCMT Secretariat:

The organisation has a small 2 roomed office that serves as secretariat. The office serves as campaign, training and administration centre.

At its secretariat, ODCMT also maintains a Business Centre that service small and emerging NGOs who may not have access to secretarial services such as e-mail facilities, fax, Internet and other information communication technology facilities.

The secretariat comprises a full-time volunteer staff establishment of 8 members. A team, which is led by an executive director who is a highly qualified social advocate with vast practical development and advocacy, work experience (see attached cv).

3.6. Location and Postal Details

The secretariat of ODCMT is situated on Plot 59/A at the Zambia Council for Social Development Building, along Cha cha cha Road near Fidelity House. Phone: 231322 Email: [email protected] Fax 231518