The useful assessment and monitoring tools used by the Relief India Trust

Introduction:

Running an NGO is a very difficult task. It becomes an even more difficult task when an NGO becomes well known and is looking to maintain its standards. The Relief India trust is a prime example of an Indian NGO that is doing well and also facing severe challenges in maintaining their repute at the same time. The assessment and monitoring of the NGOs work, plans and their projects is important, which ensures their success and the repute in the society where they exist. Thanks to technology and other innovation, which has helped the NGOs to effectively do their assessment and monitoring by using some sophisticated tools. This is the approach of Relief India Trust as well as they are using a lot of effective tools for the effective and time saving assessment and monitoring of their projects and other activities.

The useful assessment and monitoring tools:

According to ReliefIndia Trust, the following is a list of some of the most useful assessment and monitoring tools that are there to be used by the NGO’s sector: 

·         CIVICUS Enabling Environment Index – The EEI is a very useful tool for the NGO which helps them to get the governance ranking, social culture and the social-economic environment of the civil society in more than 100 countries. It has been in practice since late 2013.

·         USAID CSO Sustainability Index – It is a useful system which is currently used in for Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. It is not currently applicable in India, but according to the Relief India Trust, India and the South Asian region would also be part of it and could bring this tool in the best of their use. Currently it is covering about 48 countries in Sub-Saharan, Europe and a few countries from Eurasia region.

·         Defending Civil Society Toolkit – It is a toolkit which is actually an online resource which contains useful tips, strategies and tools for the NGOs which can benefit them in a variety of things including their assessment and monitoring activities. It ideally helps all the NGO activists who are working around the world for the advocacy of enabling the environment for the civil society in their countries.

·         CIVICUS Civil Society Index –The CSI is a participatory type of needs assessment tool which helps the NGOs to do their effective action planning by the assessment of the state of the civil society. It is applicable in more than 50 countries worldwide and India is also one of them. It is an innovative tool which is helping the country in a number of ways and ensuring the progress of different NGOs countrywide.

·         CIVICUS Early Warning System – The CIVICUS Early Warning System is used for raising warning to different civil societies of the world against a number of different impending threats. It is an exceptional warning system for the NGOs as they can use it to check their vulnerabilities against the risk and can be well prepared to counter such threats.