Current Scope and Commitments

In the last  years the number of projects grew from 12 in 2017 to 36 in 2024, which 200% increase in the size of the project. The total beneficiaries in 2017 was 185,679 and this increased to 561,435 people. This is an increase by over 202%.

Gender equality and Social inclusion

Promoting gender equality is a priority for the organization. While it is already gender-sensitive and responsive, ECC-SDCO/S recognizes the need for further progress. Efforts are underway to transform the organization into a gender-proactive entity that meets the required standards.

  • Gender policy at place
  • Gender focal person women empowerment expert assigned
  • Gender transformation commitment signed
  • Gender transformation guide line & Action plan prepared
  • Genders need assessment undertaken in the specific need of women
  • Women given priority during targeting
  • Gender considered during Establishment of Beneficiary Selection Committees
  • Sex- disaggregated data
  • Women and men are involved in selecting & approval of Selected beneficiaries,community activities and leadership
  • GESI Committee Formed

Safeguarding and child protection

Upholding the human rights policy of the global Church, ECC-SDCO/S ensures that all staff and management sign codes of child protection and safeguarding. The organization's HR policy explicitly states the rights of everyone involved, be it staff, beneficiaries, or volunteers. The general code of conduct, signed by all individuals associated with the organization, incorporates protection for all human rights. Induction and workshops reinforce awareness and understanding of these principles among the staff. As preventive measures ECC-SCS has the following as way of strong safeguarding practices:

  • Has policy of safeguarding and child protection;
  • Strengthen procedures and practices that prevents and responds to abuse and vulnerabilities in programs and operations
  • Put in place organizational structure that follows and monitors the safeguarding practices of organizations;
  • Safeguarding focal person expert assigned
  • Risk assessment was implemented
  • Safe Recruitment policy and procedures
  • Staff reference check
  • Police clearance before recruitment is finalized
  • Request for guarantee
  • All its staff are trained on the Safeguarding and protection policy of the organization
  • All staffs signed code of conduct
  • All staff signed commitment respect the organizational safeguarding policy
  • ECC-SDCOS is committed for 11 of Inter agencies GBVIE standards
  • ECC-SDCOS is Committed for safeguarding and Protection
  • Safeguarding Advisory committee
  • Safeguarding and Protection Advisory committee Assigned
  • ECC-SDCOS Meet 4 safeguarding standards.

ECC-SDCO/S boasts well-experienced and established departments dedicated to coordinating resilience and livelihood development for women, girls, and the broader community. The organization's expertise extends to both rural and urban contexts, supporting individuals and groups in their pursuit of sustainable livelihoods. Current projects focus on building resilience in specific geographic areas, ensuring communities can better withstand challenges.

 

To Responsive and safe complaints and Feedback mechanism

  • ECC-SDCOS has well organized Complaint handling and feedback mechanism and Complaint handling committee in both coordination and sub-branch level.
  • All the safeguarding and CH material of the organization are well recorded and filed properly.
  • Complaints are received, coded, registered, responded and filed (Both sensitive and non-sensitive).
  • Responses are summarized and recorded for review and learning.
  • At times Safeguarding issues reported through The Complaints & Feedback Response Mechanism of the organization.
  • ECC-SDCOS has adopted Safeguarding Reporting and Escalation Flow Chart.
  • Clear information sharing on complaint structure and guide.
  • Service providers mapping was conducted and service providers are identified.
  • Draft MoU was prepared and on review for final signing with service providers & sensitization to stake holders.

Capacity improvement efforts:

ECC-SDCO/S, deeply rooted in the project target areas, enjoys a proven presence and high trust from the community, government, and other stakeholders. Its well-established structures facilitate easy community mobilization, supported by offices strategically located in grassroots and remote areas such as Gessa/Dawuro, Soddo/Wolaita, Dubbo/Boloso Sore, Boditti/Konso/Karat, Jinka, Dimeka/Hamer, Omorate/Dassenech, Doyiso/Maale, and Woyito/Bena Tsemay. These offices serve as the organization's intervention points, equipped with efficient logistics and a dedicated workforce. The Project management unit, based in the main office in Soddo, ensures effective coordination with donors and stakeholders, harmonizing activities and providing technical expertise.

In the current years the Vicariate's office has taken a strong measure to develop the program implementation and grants management strategies for strong partnership.

  • Conducted organizational capacity gap assessment
  • Set 5 years' Road Map of capacity development for strategic partnership
  • Designed Action plan for capacity improvements
  • Tracked the changes through periodic (annual) regular assessment
  • Followed with improvement actions
  • Indicators of improved capacity
  • Current Capacity Assessment Result
  • Unqualified (Clean) audit report fiscal year 2022 and 2023; qualification point decreased from 6 to 0 and ICM from 69 to zero on coordination office and 4 among the institutions!!!
  • Strong Stakeholders trust(Donor, community, government and other NGO working in our jurisdiction)
  • Increased strategic partners ( CST, SoH, DKA, CRS, FAO, CiB, Manos Unidas, DCA, GFFO … )
  • Implementing 36 active projects (6 Omorate sub branch 5 Jinka sub branch and 25 coordination office)
  • Witness of government and community
  • Increased Budget – --- annual income 2020 (76,092,385.59) 2023 (228,089,537.54) 300% increased by
  • Increased # of Direct beneficiary Over 540,000 people Compared to 340,000
  • Significantly improved Communication, Networking and Advocacy (Regular Meetings, High Responsiveness for donor and other stakeholders, Clear and defined communication flow chart, Organizational Web page developed and functional, Active Platforms/Social Medias utilization, officer assigned ….)
  • Strong program quality improvement(MEAL, Safeguarding and Protection, Empowerment and Inclusion)

CURRENT BUDGET

Currently the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Economic Development of Soddo has more than 36 projects (including sub branches): 5 Health and HIV related, 11 Integrated (Education, Rehabilitation, Health, Livelihood and Women Empowerment) 10 Food security and Livelihood, 8 Emergency and Humanitarian and 2 Natural Resource Management with a total Budget of over 1.76 billion ETB (Over 29.97 Million Euro).

ADVOCACY

ECC-SDCO SODDO commits itself for right based approach in its interventions (Right for food Right for clean water, Right for compensation of loss and damages due to climate change etc.) SCS Strongly believes in the equal right of every person by being sacred human being. All our actions emanate from our belief to promote justice and fairness in the world.