LJP 4.0

Description

The aim of the project LJP 4.0 is to strengthen The National Youth Council of Latvia [LJP] by integrating a quality management and M&E (monitoring & evaluation) approach in the daily work of the NGO and by developing the economic activity of the NGO (e.g., providing services).

The planned activities and outputs are:
A1. Purposeful implementation of quality management system and M&E approach in LJP daily work - we create a quality management system, which also includes M&E approach, ensures transparency of the processes and decision-making, traceability, process efficiency, as well as easy transfer of processes to new board members and employees. 
A2. Development of economic activity services and informing our target groups about their availability – we ensure income diversification, raising the prestige and visibility of LJP though our work and professionalism in the field of youth.
A3. Publicity and communication - to improve the visibility of the LJP and the youth field

The long-term impact we aim is a strong youth sector in Latvia, which supports the development of our civic society and promotes the growth of young, strong, active citizens and promotes an active participation in the development of the democratic culture in Latvia. LJP 4.0 will contribute to LJP''s capacity, financial sustainability, visibility and local cooperation in the short and long term.

Summary of project results

Based on the 2020 strategy established by LJP (Latvian Youth Council), the following needs have been identified for further development:

1. One of the need of the LJP is the improvement of internal governance. There is need to for a systematic way to monitor ongoing processes, regular evaluation and improvement of operational methods and optimization of workload distribution (limited capacity and potential burnout). Implementing a purposeful monitoring and evaluation approach in daily operations is considered necessary to ensure the organization''s sustainability, regardless of specific board members or office staff, and to effectively progress toward common youth-related goals at national and international levels.

1. The diversification of income is considered essential to improve organizational sustainability. It is aimed to enhance financial independence from projects and government funding to better represent youth interests and policies. Developing economic activities would stabilize the organization and improve the ability to inform society about youth policy, youth civic engagement, and democratic values in Latvia. Both economic activities and fundraising campaigns are seen as avenues to diversify income of organisation. Currently, fee-based services such as training and seminars on advocacy and civic participation are offered by LJP, however, there is a lack of sufficient financial and human resources to develop methodological materials and a comprehensive training offering to strategically approach schools, student councils, youth NGOs, youth councils, and municipalities. Micro-fundraising campaigns have also been experimented with, including participation in the White Friday campaign in November. Given the economic situation in the country, the focus in this project will be on economic activities rather than donations.

1. Implementation of Quality Management and M&E Approaches

With support from the ACF and in collaboration with quality and change management specialists, LJP initiated the implementation of quality management. 17 key organizational core processes were identified, process diagrams were created (using the Mural platform, available free of charge to NGOs), and a dynamic quality handbook was developed to describe the organization''s overall quality approach. The process diagrams created during the project now serve as easily accessible and valuable support in the daily work of employees and volunteers and they are periodically reviewed and enhanced as needed.
 

1. Development of Economic Activity Services and Target Audience Awareness

To increase the volume of non-project-related income, the organization developed fee-based services. After comprehensive research on historical services and analysis of team skills, a new training and consultation package was developed to strengthen the capacity of other non-governmental organizations. Using social media, organizational visits, and monthly newsletters, the organization informed and engaged target groups about the available training services. As a result, more than EUR 25,000 was generated in revenue from providing these trainings.

Implementation of the quality management system has significantly improved the organization''s internal management – namely, helping to identify and streamline internal processes, understand their interrelations, reduce the number of ineffective operations, promote a consistent approach to implementing organizational processes, and ensure sustainability, which is particularly crucial during changes in leadership and staff within the organization. Whereas development of new services has helped to improve confidence in providing quality services to other NGOs and engaging in financial negotiations with potential partners/clients as well as strengthened financial independence.