Skip to main content

Jersey Overseas Aid: 2019 Annual Report

This content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost. Let us know if you find any major problems.

Text in this format is not official and should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments. Please see the PDF for the official version of the document.

R.104/2020

Foreword

1 - 2  Foreword

3 - 4  Map of JOA Funded Projects

Development Grants

5  Introduction

9  Financial Inclusion

11  Conservation Livelihoods

13  Dairy for Development

17  Specialist Health

19  Water, Sanitation and Hygiene  

(WASH) in Schools

Emergency and Disaster Relief 21  2019 Overview

Local Charities

27  Summary of JOA

funded local Charities

Outreach

29  Community Work Projects 33  Internship

35  Bursaries

36  Launch of JIDN

and Event Summary

List of 2019 Grants

41  Director s Report

44  International Development Grants 44  Jersey Charities

45  Humanitarian

47  2019 Accounts

2Over0seas A1id, w9ith nu wf  am anste aar so ntu iocs t  hyeear r for Jersey

additional improvements in

the reach and effectiveness of

our programming, and in our accountability to taxpayers and politicians. However, as I look back on them from the vantage point of 2020 it is impossible not to see these achievements through a new (and extremely unwelcome) lens: the fact that by about February of this year

a deadly new disease was racing around the globe, to be followed almost everywhere by complete paralysis of social, cultural and economic life.

Crises tend to pull people (and countries) in two directions. On the one hand there is the urge to circle the wagons, shut out the world

and focus only on ourselves. On the other, something like a global pandemic can help us realise that whatever our nationality or creed we are all just vulnerable human beings, that we are all connected, and where one can help one must. I m enormously proud that in 2020 Jersey rose to the challenge, and was able to provide life-saving aid across the world to those worst affected by Covid 19. Not all small countries did. And we were able to do so not only because Jersey is

a nation which has long taken its responsibilities as a good global citizen very seriously, but because in recent years we have invested in the quality and professionalism of our aid programme.

This brings me back to 2019. You will read below about some notable events of the year, as well as the details of some of the fantastic new projects begun with our support.

I can t dedicate an annual report

1


without singling out the wonderful Jersey volunteers who represented the Island abroad in 2019 in Tanzania, Lebanon and Kenya nor the amazing people who raised funds for and administered Jersey Charities. JOA spent more money on these efforts in 2019 than any year in its 51-year existence. We also launched a series of talks and events (the Jersey International Development Network) which brings together

the many Islanders interested in

our work to discuss relevant issues with invited speakers. I would like to thank all those who participated, and especially our distinguished guests from Toronto, Kigali and Washington DC. However, what I really want

to highlight in this year s Foreword are the behind-the-scenes efforts which set us up so well for the Covid crisis and continue to turn JOA into the kind of relief and development organisation of which any country could be proud.

In 2019 JOA increased the size of its ordinary development projects once again and reduced their number

and geographical extent, enabling

us to concentrate our efforts and achieve more with the resources available to us. We also narrowed our development focus to three areas where Jersey already excels and where we can add particular value: Dairy, Conservation and Financial Inclusion. The fact that our Dairy- for-Development event in Rwanda in June was attended by 20 nationalities is a testament to the Island s growing reputation in at least one of those sectors. And we continued the process of specialisation by creating another full-time position (now,

I m delighted to say, filled by one

of our ex-Interns) and brought in a new Commissioner with decades

of experience at the top level of the United Nations.

FOREWORD

JOA s experienced and professional  governance and control environment.

employees have been both  Most importantly in 2019, Ministers

instruments and drivers of these  and States Members approved a

changes, and I would like to thank  significant increase in our budget for

them again for their dedication.  2020, reversing the real-terms decline

Thanks to them, other key  in Jersey s aid spending caused by

achievements of 2019 included  freezing our settlement between

a further leap forward in our due  2016 and 2019.

diligence procedures, with rigorous

field assessments of all potential new  These are all votes of confidence

multi-year grantees conducted by our  in Jersey s aid programme. But

in-house experts, and an ever more- the proof of the pudding has been

rigorous project selection process.  the way that JOA has been able to

Additionally, we introduced an  respond to the still-unfolding crisis of

electronic grant management system  coronavirus: rapidly adapting existing

to digitalise the application, reporting  projects; monitoring and supporting

and payment processes, while  grantees; sharing up-to-the-minute

allowing us to monitor and analyse  information with implementers

our entire grant portfolio (now worth  and other donors; and launching

over £25m).  vital new emergency interventions.

Jersey can do this pull its weight

These and numerous other more- internationally; join hands with

incremental improvements to our  others; change and save tens of

effectiveness and accountability  thousands of lives not because it

are bearing fruit in different ways.  signs the cheques, but because it

A Jersey Trust Company pledged  has been building an effective and

£300,000 to our dairy work,  professional national aid agency. That

recognising that we can maximise  continuous improvement is the story

their donation s impact and value for  that shines through the pages of this   Carolyn Labey

money while accounting for every  report, and is also the narrative which  Chairman of  

penny spent. Internal audit completed  increasingly characterises Jersey on  J&e Mrsienyis Otevre frosre Ia ns t  eAri nd a  tional a highly-complimentary review of our  the world stage. Development

www.joa.je 2

JOA FUNDED PROJECTS 2019

JERSEY OVERSEAS AID JOA

is an international aid agency funded by the States of Jersey that has been providing life-changing assistance to people in developing countries since 1968.

3

KEY

Community Work Projects Emergencies Development Projects Jersey Charities

Jersey Overseas Aid

Jersey Overseas Aid is governed by six unpaid Commissioners, three States members

and three non-States members, who are appointed by the States of Jersey. The Chair

of the Commission represents Jersey as the Island s Minister for International Development.

The daily management of the organisation and its grants is conducted by staff members who have experience of selecting, implementing, overseeing and evaluating development and emergency projects all over the world.

www.joa.je 4

Multi-year International Development  grants remain at the heart of Jersey  Overseas Aid s (JOA) programming  and in 2019 accounted for over  

55% of its expenditure. A total of  eight grants were awarded across  

six countries and addressed five  

core development themes: Health,  School Water Sanitation and Hygiene  (SWASH), Dairy for Development,  Financial Inclusion and Conservation  Livelihoods. The reduction in both  target countries and number of grants  awarded compared to the previous  year is indicative of a more focused  development strategy that was  initiated in 2017 - in particular a more  select approach to where JOA funds  are spent geographically and the  value of each project.

This year JOA target countries were  further reduced in number: from 16  to 12 initially, and then down to six:  five in Africa (Sierra Leone, Rwanda,  Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia) and  

one in Asia (Nepal). Narrowing the  geographical focus and having fewer target countries allows us, as a donor, to understand the development landscape in more detail, get to

know who is doing what and where, and forge relationships with key- stakeholders including government departments, civil society and international organisations. This better enables us to select projects that address the particular needs of each country and significantly improves our ability to monitor their impact.

THE PERCENTAGE OF JOA 2019 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS SPENT OVERSEAS.

3 3 2

SPECIALIST  CONSERVATION  SWASH

HEALTH  LIVELIHOODS  PROJECTS PROJECTS PROJECTS

5

Collecting milk from a goat, South Omo, Ethiopia

(Farm Africa, Medhanit Gebrmichael)

Further changes to JOA s programming related to the monetary value of projects and echoed the move in 2018 to increase the size of envelope per project - in 2019 the value rose from £450,000 to £600,000. Although this will reduce the number

of projects JOA will be able to fund per annual cycle, it will enable us to apply additional oversight to each one and ensure the projects are achieving what they are designed to. This size of grant means Jersey-funded projects have the potential to impact beyond community and district level to introducing lasting change at regional and national level.

These changes have not been introduced without investing in JOA s own capacity. In 2019 JOA introduced a Grant Management System, an online software package that significantly bolsters our ability to track project progress, gather project results and data and fulfil our commitment to measuring impact. The system further enhances our due diligence, with all applications for development grants now submitted online along with mandatory documentation including financial statements, audited annual reports, safeguarding policy and articles of association. In parallel, this


year also saw rigorous in-country assessments being embedded within the project application process. These assessments allow JOA staff to sit face-to-face with the implementing partners and analyse the proposed project in detail, ask searching questions about governance and administration and test their financial management. It has significantly increased JOA s capacity to ensure that we select the most effective programmes managed and delivered by the most effective partners.

JOA is becoming a better and more respected organisation, reflected not only in the standard of grants it is now awarding but the seats it occupies at various working groups, advisory boards and panels. In 2019 Jersey was represented, through JOA, at the Annual Meeting of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) in Beirut, attended the annual meeting of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health in Edinburgh

and was present in Kigali for the World Jersey Cattle Forum. In Jersey, JOA led workshops with leading experts in Dairy, Financial Inclusion and Conservation Livelihoods and began to engage with the Jersey public through the Jersey International Development Network.

DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

FINANCIAL INCLUSION  

CONSERVATION LIVELIHOODS

DAIRY FOR  DEVELOPMENT  

HEALTH

WATER, SANITATION  & HYGIENE WASH  IN SCHOOLS  

Inclusive WASH for schoolchildren,

Sierra Leone (Able Child Africa, Chris Parkes)

 

1 GRANT AWARDED IN SIERRA LEONE IN 2019 1 GRANT AWARDED IN ZAMBIA IN 2019

2 GRANTS AWARDED IN ETHIOPIA IN 2019

1 GRANT AWARDED IN TANZANIA IN 2019

1 GRANT AWARDED IN MALAWI IN 2019

2 GRANTS AWARDED IN NEPAL IN 2019

In 2019 JOA implemented a new grant management system, Smart Simple, a cloud- based tracking and reporting platform that helped us to automate our critical processes, enabling JOA to manage grants from application right through to completion, across multi-year programmes, humanitarian funding and local charity funding, giving us a very clear picture of the progress of any project at any point in time.

Smart Simple acts as an interface between the grantee and the donor, allowing both parties to upload information directly rather than by e-mail, meaning that the flow of information between the two parties and subsequent reporting and payments are easy to track.

Smart Simple gives JOA greater analytic capabilities, we have the ability to interrogate our data more rigorously and present it in an informative but easy to read way. It is also set up to give our Commission the ability to review projects remotely and in 2019 all potential Community Work Project volunteers were

able to apply directly through the system.

Trudy Le Bas, Operations Officer

REAL PEOPLE FINANCIAL

INCLUSION REAL STORIES

2019 built on the successful first

year of JOA s and Comic Relief s co-funded programme Branching Out: Financial Inclusion at the Margins - a four-year £8 million collaboration designed to increase access to basic financial services

such as loans, savings, money- transfers and insurance to struggling families currently excluded from formal banking in Zambia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. This programme is allowing individuals to invest in small businesses, cope with unexpected emergencies and spend more on education and health care. Jersey,

as a world-leading Financial Services Centre, can help to build responsible and inclusive financial systems through technical assistance and knowledge exchange, deploying

our significant expertise as well

as our funds.

Following the five multi-year grants awarded under this programme in 2018, Branching Out funded a further nine in 2019 under its Technical Assistance and Digital Financial Services streams. Organisations awarded funding ranged from large UN agencies, which are bringing together FinTech companies and national regulators, to grass-root organisations improving access to markets for small-scale farmers. The range in size of organisation allows Branching Out to support projects and organisations addressing a variety of needs across the whole Financial Inclusion spectrum.


In acknowledgment of this partnership

and Jersey s growing reputation in

the Finance Inclusion space, JOA

hosted three leading experts in this

field. Greta Bull, Chief Executive of

the Consultative Group to Assist

the Poor (CGAP) and a Director at

the World Bank Group, was invited

by JOA to discuss with Ministers

the role of the island as a financial

services centre in building responsible

and inclusive financial systems that

help move people out of poverty,

protect their gains, and advance

global development goals. Babak

Abbaszadeh, CEO and President of

the Toronto Centre (an independent,

non-profit organisation which

collaborates with leading regulatory

and supervisory agencies to promote

financial stability and inclusion,

particularly in emerging markets and

low income countries), visited Jersey

to discuss JOA s future Financial

Inclusion strategy and was a key note  

speaker at the Building Champions in  

Jersey on Financial Inclusion event  

along with Gerhard Coetzee, Lead of  LUNGA, LUAPUL Customer Value at CGAP.  don't have mone

From 2020, JOA will start accepting  improve the lives

proposals for Financial Inclusion  send their children

projects outside of the Branching  services. They will

Out programme, a significant  for themselves."

milestone as the agency continues  CHIEF NSAMBA.

to invest in themes where the

Island can add value and provide  FINANCIAL INCL

value for money. Another landmark

event on the horizon is JOA s  THROUGH TRADITIONA admission as a Member of CGAP.

Joining this group of over 30  LEADERSHIP.

leading development organisations

including the UK s Department for

International Development (DfID), the

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and

European Union (EU), will significantly

raise Jersey s profile and strengthen

future Financial Inclusion programing.

9

OPLE Chief Nsamba,

Zambia

(FSD Zambia) ORIES

 As a leader in global finance, Jersey has a vital role to play in helping foster inclusive and responsible financial markets that meet the needs of poor people. We have seen over the past decade just how important inclusive financial systems are to the stability, safety and successful functioning of economies and markets. CGAP applauds Jersey s interest in exploring ways it can contribute its knowledge and expertise toward financial inclusion. We all benefit from creating opportunities and advancing the livelihoods of the least advantaged.

Greta Bull,

Chief Executive of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) and a Director

 at the World Bank Group

 

PROJECT IN FOCUS

FINANCIAL INCLUSION AT THE MARGINS

COUNTRY: Zambia PARTNER ORG: FSD Zambia DURATION: 2018-2021

SUMMARY: FSD Zambia is working with Traditional Chiefs to use their influence and power to improve the availability, understanding of, and access to formal

and informal financial services. The project is also addressing the mismatch between supply and demand of

formal financial services, examining

how the needs of poor clients can be

better met. It aims to reach 300,000 smallholder farmers, rural households

and micro-entrepreneurs.

APULA PROVINCE

ey. People have money but they don't have

es of our people because they will be able to

en to school and be able to access health will even be able to construct good houses

A.

LUSION  Funded by TRADITIONAL

Bee keeping in the  Bale Zone, Ethiopia   (Farm Africa, Lisa Murray)

CONSERVATION  LIVELIHOODS  

JOA s Conservation Livelihoods theme centres on the premise that protecting the environment can be

a virtuous circle if programmes are designed to tie human wellbeing and conservation together. We

look for projects that establish or strengthen this relationship - finding ways and means of conserving and protecting the environment and natural resources while sustaining economic growth and promoting social justice and human rights. The theme focuses on regions where environment/livelihood pressures are strong, especially those under threat from population growth, habitat destruction and changing weather patterns. In 2019 three new Conservation Livelihoods grants were awarded, following four grants in 2018.

In Malawi, Excellent Development will use sand dams as a new rainwater harvesting and climate change adaptation technique, paving the way for improved natural resource management, hygiene, agricultural production, and poverty reduction in rural areas suffering from water and food insecurity.

Beneficiaries engage in planting seeds (Renewable World)

11


Self Help Africa will build the resilience, income, nutrition, and food security of 3,000 households in the Monze, Namwala and Mazabuka districts of Zambia. The project will promote the sustainable use of natural resources to diversify livelihoods and increase incomes, whilst protecting and restoring essential and fragile eco-systems within the Kafue Sub-basin.

In Ethiopia, rapid economic and demographic growth is putting natural resources under severe

strain and having devastating consequences for the livelihoods and food security of some of the world s poorest and most vulnerable. Farm Africa, with funding from JOA and the EU, will enable local communities in the Bale Eco-region to prevent forest degradation and develop sustainable forest-based livelihoods. This will contribute to the protection of more than 360,000 ha of forests, impacting the livelihoods of half a million people directly and 13 million people indirectly.

 

 

SOLARMUS III: ALLEVIATING POVERTY IN NEPAL IN THE FACE OF A CHANGING CLIMATE

COUNTRY: Nepal  

PARTNER ORG: Renewable World DURATION: 2018 2021

SUMMARY: In rural Nepal, unreliable water access is placing increased pressure on communities which rely on agriculture to generate income. As a result, men and boys often migrate for work, leaving women and girls to work the land and maintain the households, which can involve travelling long distances to collect water. This three-year project is working to support ten rural communities in Surkhet district to access water directly outside their homes, through the provision of solar-powered water pumps.

In addition, the communities are being provided with agricultural training including on irrigation and pest management and connected with agricultural inputs and markets, enabling them to generate a better income and adapt to the increasingly unpredictable water availability. Prior to the start of the project, a survey of 178 households, across three communities, revealed that only two out of 178 households surveyed sold their produce. Now, just two years into the project, over 30 households are selling their produce, demonstrating that the project is already enabling households to grow surplus to their household requirements and to generate income.

Jersey-cross cows changing lives, Ethiopia (Jersey Overseas Aid)

DAIRY FOR DEVELOPMENT

The largest single development

grant awarded in 2019 was for a dairy project, based in Rwanda. In many ways JOA s Dairy initiatives represent the agency s flagship projects; not only do these life- changing interventions utilise

Jersey s internationally renowned Jersey cow, they also use the island s considerable expertise to advance

the wellbeing of thousands of households. The island is uniquely well-placed to assist farmers, charities, cooperatives, extension workers and national governments with improving the quality and profitability of milk production. Through its development partners,

in particular the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society (RJAHS), JOA is building a global reputation for its dairy projects, adding to the foundations laid by previous Jersey visionaries.


The highlight of JOA s 2019 Dairy for Development programme

was the launch of Phase II of the Jersey Inka Nziza project. Building on the success of Phase I (2017- 2019), this programme is mobilising an increased number of trained artificial inseminators, improving access to Jersey breed semen

and increasing 12,000 smallholder farmers knowledge of animal management, including the merits

of the Jersey breed in Rwanda. As a direct result thousands of Rwandans are benefiting from better nutrition and increased economic opportunity. Other significant elements of the programme include research into the profitability of Jersey crossbred cows, the introduction of a cattle database and the development of a gene bank for Jersey sperm and embryos. Under the existing project alone there is enough semen being supplied for a female Jersey calf to be born every hour for the next three years.

PRACTICAL ACTION

COUNTRY: Nepal

PARTNER ORG: CARE International DURATION: 2018 2021

SUMMARY: This project aims to improve the livelihoods of low-income communities in Nepal by strengthening the milk industry to sustainably increase the production and productivity of over 5,000 smallholder dairy farmers.

The three year project began in 2018 and, after the initial two years, has already increased the overall income of 6,083 smallholder farmers by 31% through a variety of approaches, including strengthening village animal health workers, supporting improved animal feed production, improving 24 rural milk collection centres and establishing 8 new milk collection points.

13

 

DAIRY FOR DEVELOPMENT  

WHY JERSEY S?  

With the Jersey, we have an animal that is smaller, uses fewer  natural resources and produces a smaller carbon footprint. In  this same animal, we have a dairy cow with a longer productive  life that produces a more nutrient-rich milk.

Compared to average milk a glass of Jersey milk  has a greater nutritional value:  

  1. 15% to 20% more protein,  
  2. 20% more calcium,  
  3. 10% to 20% more phosphorous,  
  4. and considerably higher levels of an essential vitamin, B12.

This nutrient-dense milk Jersey milk tastes better, even  in a semi-skimmed or skimmed form, as there are more  solids-not-fat, protein, calcium and lactose in her milk  compared to other breeds.

All this comes from a remarkably sustainable breed population.  A 2010 scientific peer-reviewed life-cycle assessment determined  that for Jerseys and Holstein-Friesians to produce the same  amount of protein, milk-fat and other solids, the Jersey cow:

  1. 32% less water,  
  2. requires 11% less land  
  3. and uses substantially less fossil fuels with a 20% reduction  in total carbon footprint.

In terms of the amount of Jersey milk required to produce 500  metric tonnes of cheese, the reduction in carbon footprint is  equivalent to taking 443 large cars off the road annually.  

Jerseys are renowned for being more adaptable in weather  extremes, whether hot or cold. Jersey herd owners around the  world consistently remark that even when the temperature rises  above 100 degrees Fahrenheit the Jerseys will still be at the feed  trough or grazing when other breeds are seeking shelter from  the heat.

David Hambrook, RJAHS

Minister of International Development, Carolyn Labey , with Rwandan Minister for Agriculture, Geraldine Mukeshimana

A Jersey-cross calf (RJHAS)

DAIRY IN FOCUS: MINISTERIAL VISIT TO RWANDA

JOA Chair and Minister for  Station, a 390 hectare pastoral farm International Development, Deputy  located south of Kigali, where the Carolyn Labey , addressed the World  Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Jersey Cattle Bureau (WJCB), in Kigali,  Resources Development Board

where the African Jersey Forum  (RAB) are trialling different crosses of was officially launched. The WJCB  indigenous and exotic cattle breeds represents Jersey breeders and their  to help identify a more suitable hybrid organisations all around the world  cow for local dairying conditions.

and provided the perfect opportunity

to showcase why the Jersey cow  The event presented the opportunity

is proving such a suitable breed for  to officially launch the concept of the smallholder farmers in the region. The  Africa Jersey Forum (AJF). Aligned via 5-day programme brought together  the WJCB to both the European and personnel from numerous dairy- Latin American Jersey Forums, the focused NGO organisations across  AJF will create a mechanism through the region as well as Rwandan  which Jersey breed research and livestock experts and technicians  experiences can be shared amongst

and included workshops, visits  all those involved in these fields of

to working dairy farms, community  work, in particular with reference to initiatives and ongoing research  the specific suitability of the Jersey projects. The programme also  cow in tropical farming situations. involved a visit to Songa Research

SPECIALIST  HEALTH  

Barriers to health services continue to impact billions of people around the world. Experts anticipate that up to 5 billion people will be unable to access healthcare by 2030 if countries fail to invest more in

their healthcare systems and don t ensure that health services are both affordable and accessible for all.

JOA s Health funding stream targets organisations that specialise in health services for the poor, building their capacity and financing projects

that tackle ill-health and prevent premature mortality. A key focus

of this programme is capacity- building, both of health services

and of funding partners, in order to strengthen vulnerable health care systems to ensure that Jersey s contribution has a lasting impact.

In 2019, JOA funded three new specialist health projects designed to facilitate a healthier life for vulnerable people in Tanzania, Nepal and Ethiopia. HelpAge International UK was provided with a grant in order to improve the health and wellbeing of 25,500 older people in Tanzania, who face limited access to quality health and care services, do not benefit

from national interventions, and

often lack the means to advocate

for their needs and rights.


A grant was awarded to Sense International to improve the quality of life for people with Deafblindness in Nepal through interventions aimed at improving identification, improving access to basic healthcare, skill- building professionals and families

to enhance the self-care of deafblind people, and reduce social exclusion. In the course of the project, it is planned that 3 day care centres will be established and 295 health care professionals will be trained, amongst other activities.

In Ethiopia, JOA funded a project to empower girls whilst combatting harmful traditional practices

through a community-wide approach. The project will look to engage with over 25,000 people, including local health, education, women and child  offices, the police, community groups  and leaders, committees, religious  leaders, school clubs, and youth  groups, as well as 60 practitioners of  female genital mutilation and other  harmful traditions.

Older women crafting  baskets and mats  

to sell, Tanzania  (HelpAge)

Effia, who has received preventative treatment, and her visually-impaired mother, Ghana (SightSavers)

 

 

SIGHT SAVERS

COUNTRY: Ghana PARTNER ORG: Sightsaver DURATION: 2017-2020

SUMMARY: In 2017, JOA granted funds to Sightsavers to support the elimination of

river blindness and elephantiasis in Ghana.

In collaboration with other donors and the Global Health Service, the project trained volunteer drug distributers and health workers, administered medicines to people across 82 districts, and supported surveillance of the diseases and means of transmission. The three year project ended in 2019 and supported

the training and work of tens of thousands of volunteer drug distributers. In addition, in 2019 alone, JOA funding enabled the treatment of 2,608,925 people for river blindness.

WATER,  SANITATION AND  HYGIENE WASH  IN SCHOOLS

Access to water, sanitation and  hygiene (WASH) has wide socio- economic impacts, particularly for  girls. Substantial progress has been  made in recent years but there is  

a long way to go, with half of the  schools in the world lacking student  handwashing facilities with soap and  water. Furthermore, improvements are  not being made equally, with WASH  coverage higher in secondary schools  than primary schools, and higher in  urban schools than in rural schools.

JOA s WASH funding stream focuses  on improving education, health and  gender-equality through WASH  projects that target learners, in  schools or elsewhere. In 2019, JOA  funded two new WASH projects, one  in Nepal and one in Sierra Leone.

JOA s grant to ChildHope UK will  improve WASH facilities in 20  earthquake and flood-affected  

schools in rural Nepal, empower  students and teachers to raise  awareness of the importance of  sanitation and hygiene, and build the  capacity of the communities to meet  the WASH needs of families. A lack of  access to menstrual hygiene products  and facilities impacts the ability of  girls to attend school for several days  every month, making them more  likely to drop out of education and  more vulnerable to unsafe migration,  increased risk of trafficking and early  marriage. In a country where only  17.9% of girls, and 50% of people with  disabilities, attend secondary school,  the facilities will be designed to be  inclusive of their needs in order to  support their continued education.

Children fetching water from new water point, Ethiopia (H264 Waves)

In rural Sierra Leone, a grant from

JOA will enable Street Child to

improve the education and health

of vulnerable children through the construction of inclusive WASH

facilities in schools, accessible to girls

and children with disabilities, in order

to reduce illness and absenteeism.

To ensure the sustainability of the

initiative, the project will look to  provide 150 teachers, head teachers  and school management committee members with comprehensive WASH training workshops, and also plans to   undertake awareness-raising activities

to help promote inclusive WASH

facilities in schools and communities.

Improving access to education for girls with disabilities, Rwanda (Plan International)

 

 

PLAN INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY: Ethiopia PARTNER ORG: Plan International DURATION: 2017-2020

SUMMARY: In 2017, JOA funded a 3 year project to reduce barriers to education in rural Ethiopia, by promoting sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene for life across 20 primary schools and 12 communities. This involved a range of activities, including constructing roof water-harvesting systems, rehabilitating water infrastructure, training teachers, government officials, and local leaders, and strengthening community ownership of, and responsibility for, the new and refurbished water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

www.joa.je 20

Disinfecting an  ambulance near Katwa  Ebola treatment Unit,  North Kivu, DRC  (UN, Martine Perret)

JOA spent over £2.4 million  

on humanitarian aid in 2019,  representing just under 25% of its  total aid budget. In parallel with  JOA s development programming,  changes have been introduced  

to emergency funding that have  significantly improved the efficiency  and impact of Jersey s aid. In  

2016, 44 emergency grants were  awarded each for £30,000 or less.  In 2019 exactly half that number  were awarded (22), with the highest  single grant valuing £250,000. Not  only will this ensure more people  will are reached, it means more can  be done with each pound, and less  is wasted on fundraising, reporting  and admin.

Another notable change in 2019 included how JOA allocated

its emergency budget. Today, humanitarians are better equipped to anticipate the onset of an emergency than ever before.

Aid agencies are able act earlier, mobilise for a response and forewarn those communities likely to be affected. This doesn t only apply to natural hazards like drought or flooding; countries entrenched in protracted, complex crises experience violence, displacement and outbreaks

of disease year round. It is not

a question of if a humanitarian response is required but when.

In recognition of this, JOA s humanitarian programming

is gradually re-addressing the proportion of funds it spends reactively to prepositioning

funds where we know lifesaving interventions will be required.

DISASTER RELIEF

 

 

CRISIS IN FOCUS: THE EBOLA OUTBREAK COUNTRY: DRC

SUMMARY: On 1 August 2018, an outbreak of Ebola was recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The outbreak quickly became the second largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history and the DRC s tenth outbreak. By mid-2019, the

outbreak had intensified greatly, passing 1,000 deaths and spreading to Goma city

and to South Kivu province, with several confirmed cases in Uganda.

In 2019, JOA responded to appeals for support in the midst of the growing cases of Ebola in the DRC. An initial grant was given to UNICEF in February to enable their staff to raise local awareness of the disease, strengthen WASH infrastructure, support those affected, and introduce prevention measures in schools.

In August, as Ebola continued to spread, JOA provided additional grants to the British Red Cross, UNICEF and OCHA to undertake essential activities including support for safe and dignified burials, facilitating infection prevention and control in health facilities and at community level, and providing support to those affected.

In total Jersey allocated £442,600 to combatting the outbreak.

Commissioner Philip Le Sueur visits  humanitarian activities in Kaga- Bandoro, Central African Republic

In 2019 JOA continued to support  the United Nation s Country Based  Pooled Funds (CBPF) in Syria  (£300,000) and the Central African  Republic (£300,000). CBPFs are  multi-donor funds that operate in  countries affected by humanitarian  crises. Resources are pooled and  un-earmarked, empowering donors  both big and small to support  humanitarian organisations in  providing lifesaving aid to those who  need it most. In 2019 JOA added  

the CBPF in Yemen with two grants  totalling £400,000 to address the  world s worst humanitarian crisis  where over 24 million individuals  require humanitarian assistance  (80% of the population). Through  the CBPF, funding is provided to  national and international NGOs,  organisations of the Red Cross /  

Red Crescent, and to UN agencies;  those best placed to make informed  decisions on the ground as to how  funds should be spent.  

In addition to the CBPFs, JOA  continued its support of the Start  Fund; a rapid, flexible, locally-driven  humanitarian tool for overlooked or  forgotten crises. It remains the first  non-UN, global, multi-donor pooled  humanitarian funding mechanism  and is managed exclusively by Start  Network members, consisting of  over 40 NGOs. Now in its sixth  

year of operation, the Start Fund  

has awarded lifesaving grants to  people across 62 countries and in  2019, thanks to JOA contributions,  reached 4.2 million people in need  from the effects of, among others,  drought, floods and conflict.  

DONOR MONITORING TRIP CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

In April 2019 I was fortunate

to be part of a group of donor representatives who spent a week

in CAR as guests of OCHA. I was privileged to see at first hand through a series of meetings and field trips the outstanding work of the Central African Republic Humanitarian Fund (CAR HF). This experience brought home to me the vital important role that In Country Pooled Funds play in the delivery of vital humanitarian aid through a prioritised and structured framework.

The ability to provide funding direct to the humanitarian actors on the ground who are acutely aware of the immediate needs of the most vulnerable people are those best placed to deliver aid in a timely, flexible and effective way that achieves the best outcomes.

Until I experienced for myself the enormity of the crisis in CAR I had no real appreciation of the scale

of this humanitarian emergency. Many other countries around the world are in a similar state of chaos where civilians in particular women and children live, in constant fear of violence, disease and starvation.

Realistically there will never be enough aid and therefore it makes absolute and moral sense that we ensure it is delivered to maximum effect. This is why I firmly believe that In-Country Pooled Funds are an effective delivery vehicle for Humanitarian Aid.

JOA Commissioner Philip Le Sueur

Such pooled funds allow JOA to provide aid in  multiple sectors at the absolute frontline of a  humanitarian emergency without the risk and  

cost of choosing individual partners, and in so  doing contribute to - rather than undermine  

- response coordination. The professional,  transparent and low-cost administration of  

the funds make them an efficient and low-risk  way for JOA to provide support. Furthermore,  our role in is not as a silent benefactor JOA  remotely attends the quarterly meetings in  Damascus of the Advisory Board of the UN s  Syrian Humanitarian Fund, the START Network s  Donor Council as well as the Pooled Fund  Working Group made up of other government  donors, UN agencies and international  organisations. In addition, in 2019, JOA staff  

and Commissioners attended donor visibility  

trips to the Central African Republic and Kenya,  organised by UN Office for the Coordination  

of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) and Start  Network respectively, to see first-hand how

Jersey funds are making a difference overseas.

JOA also contributed to several emergencies

outside the pooled funding mechanism

including £442,600 (split between multiple

agencies) allocated to the Ebola outbreak in the

Democratic Republic of Congo the second-

largest in the history of the virus (see below)

and £180,000 to CARE, UNICEF and The British

Red Cross to address the devastation caused  Abdul and his Mum at a Dispensary by Cyclone Idai in East Africa. (Ibrahim Zanoun)

PROPORTION OF HUMANITALLOCATED T1O POOLED FUNDS7.25 ARIAN AID % 38.15%

59.21%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

DISASTER RELIEF

Aerial view of camp for internally displaced persons, Central African Republic

Another key development in JOA s humanitarian programming was the award of multi-year humanitarian funding, aligning Jersey with other government donors committed to increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the humanitarian sector. In 2019 JOA awarded 2-year grants

to International HealthPartners (IHP) for the work in South Sudan and

the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) for their ongoing neurosurgical project in Gaza. Multi-year programmes enable organisations at the heart of protracted crises to plan their response with the confidence funds are in place to complete lifesaving activities. It means lower operational costs - less time is

spent on fundraising and proposal writing and more on actual project implementation. It leads to more effective programming - lessons

can be learnt, projects can adjust to evolving circumstances and longer term relationships can be established.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH PARTNERS

COUNTRY: Occupied Palestinian Territories PARTNER ORG: International Health Partners DURATION: 2019-2021

SUMMARY: The healthcare system in Gaza is in crisis, with a protracted shortage of medical supplies creating a serious health risk for patients. IHP organises, co-ordinates and transports donations of medicines and health supplies to where they are most needed. During the first months of this two year project to provide access to essential medicines to Palestinians, JOA s grant enabled IHP to ship 106,158 treatments to Gaza to support individuals with chronic health conditions.

As the medicines were donated by healthcare providers, for every £1 granted by JOA, over £18 worth of essential supplies were transported and distributed to patients, free of charge, easing the significant financial burden of healthcare and allowing patients to use their income for other essential needs, such as food and housing.

2019 was another ground-breaking year for local  charities with more money than ever being given  to Jersey registered charities working overseas,  six grants totalling £1,574,735. Not only was the  total bigger than ever before, but the recipient  of JOA s largest ever grant of over £2 million was  a local charity the Royal Jersey Agricultural &  Horticultural Society for its continued dairy  work in Rwanda.  

Jersey-based charities working overseas range  from tiny kitchen-table organisations to large  international NGOs and it was pleasing to  

see another Jersey charity access the multi-

year funding normally reserved for the larger,  established, development organisations such as  Durrell and the RJAHS. In 2019, Hands Around  the World were awarded a three-year grant worth  over £250,000 to develop schools in Rwanda.  This award and scale of grant is a reflection of  the charity s own progression and comes after  regular consultation with JOA staff, reflecting  JOA s commitment to building capacity amongst  the local charity network.  

Other new grants included the construction of  

a new kitchen and multi-purpose hall in Gambia  (Jersey Gambia Schools Trust), a new community  hall in Uganda (Education Fund for Luweero  Orphans), pre-monsoon Water and Sanitation  projects in Nepal (Gurkha Welfare Trust Jersey),  and the construction of a kitchen and dining hall  for a preparatory school in Kenya (Sundeep Watts  Memorial Fund).

FUNDING DISTRIBUTED TO JERSEY CHARITIES

£0 £200,000 £400,000 £600,000 £800,000 £1,000,000 £1,200,000 £1,400,000 £1,600,000

LOCAL CHARITIES

Preparing a meal, Madagascar (Durrell, Hanitra Rakotojoana)

DURRELL

COUNTRY: Madagascar PARTNER ORG: Durrell DURATION: 2017 - 2021

SUMMARY: This five year project is assisting 4,436 poor households, across 20 villages, to improve food security and nutrition, household income and reproductive health, whilst reducing reliance on natural resources.

By supporting communities dependent on vulnerable eco-systems, such as Baly Bay, which is home to several species of lemur and the endangered ploughshare tortoise, this project aims to break the cycle of poverty whilst contributing to the health of the environment.

As part of this initiative, by the end of 2019 a total of 15 primary schools had market gardens and more than 10% of community members were engaged in village savings and loans associations. In addition, workshops and awareness-raising events took place across the villages, resulting in 661 women choosing to receive support with family planning.

Jersey volunteer, Kenya CWP (Fredrik Lerneryd)

COMMUNITY WORK PROJECTS

Since 1972 Jersey residents have participated directly in changing the lives of those most in need. Jersey volunteers have brought clean water to those without, built classrooms, orphanages and clinics where there have been none, and provided one-to-one care for those who have no one. For many in Jersey it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, bringing with it a sense of achievement, life-long friendships and extraordinary memories.

Working hard  constructing toilets,  

Tanzania

In 2019, 33 Jersey residents  travelled overseas to support  communities in Kenya, Lebanon  and Tanzania.

TANZANIA: In March  KENYA: In September 2019, Jersey volunteers  2019, Excellent

worked alongside Raleigh  Development and Africa International to support a project  Sand Dam Foundation welcomed a improving access to, and the use  team of Jersey volunteers to support of, safe and sustainable sanitation  the construction of a sand dam that facilities for 1,800 children. Volunteers  would provide a subsistence farming supported activities designed to  community with a reliable, year-

teach students about good hygiene  round water source.

behaviours, and raise community-

awareness of the importance of  Working alongside the community, good sanitation and hygiene. They  the team engaged in building a sand also engaged in the construction of  dam which was designed to address new school toilets and handwashing  the key issue of water scarcity and facilities.the team engaged in building  provide families with the time and

a sand dam which was designed to  opportunity needed to focus on food address the key issue of water scarcity  production and income generation.

and provide families with the time and

opportunity needed to focus on food

production and income generation.

Community work  project team,  Lebanon

LEBANON: In July 2019, Jersey volunteers  

provided one-to-one care to underprivileged  

people suffering quite profound physical and  mental disabilities. Lebanese with intellectual disabilities  receive little state support, and often end up in crowded  

and underfunded institutions. These camps, operated by the  Sovereign Order of Malta, offer the opportunity for volunteers  to provide much needed care and attention where guests  

can benefit from sunlight, fresh air, outdoor walks, and the  beautiful surrounding landscape of the Lebanese mountains.

31

Jamie Paull, Kenya CWP (Fredrik Lerneryd)

My name s Jamie, I m 24 years old

and I went on a Jersey overseas trip in September 2019 to Kenya to build a sand dam with Excellent Development.

If you enjoy traveling to new places, meeting new people, trying exotic tasty foods, having a laugh and seeing a completely different way of life, a then a JOA trip might be just what you need!

I wasn t sure what to expect from the trip to Africa. We went with a great group of people of various ages and backgrounds

so everyone brought different skills to the table. When we arrived our accommodation was luxury compared to some other

trips, we all had individual bedrooms and showers, which really helped when coming home covered in cement.

The work was very physical and hands on but between all the laughs and shovelling the days flew by and gave a great sense of achievement on the drive home each day. The dam came on loads while we were there and I noticed what an impact our presence had with the community, the fact that people they had never met from an island they didn t know existed wanted to help, seemed to create motivation and the number of people on site grew drastically. It s better than a handout as it s a way to help people become self-sufficient and create their own growth.

- CWP Volunteer Jamie Paull

Interviewing a resident  

prior to the construction of  infrastructure that will enable  households to access electricity.  (Practical Action)

Talking to the Active Ageing  club about the impact it has  

on their health, Tanzania  (HelpAge International)

INTERNSHIP

Jersey school-leavers or career- changers often lament the lack of diversity for entry-level positions in sectors other than finance. Acknowledging this - and the

fact that getting your first job in international development can be hard JOA launched its inaugural annual internship programme in 2018. This exciting initiative run in partnership with two leading UK charities and JOA partners - offers someone from Jersey the chance

to spend twelve months with a respected charity including a six month assignment in a developing country. The ultimate goal is to equip the successful candidate with the skills and experience necessary to enable them to take frontline roles with international relief and development organisations.


This important initiative continued in 2019 and, following a competitive recruitment process midway through the year, selected Faye Coggins as JOA s third intern. Faye spent two months with JOA in St Helier before embarking on a four month stint in London at HelpAge s Headquarters. In early 2020 Faye will then head to Tanzania for

three months, working on active development projects including a JOA funded programme (Boresha afya ya wazee: Improved Health and Wellbeing for Older Women and Men in Tanzania) before packing her bags again and moving to Addis Ababa for the final three months of her internship.

JOA INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

NAME: Faye Coggins

ORG: HelpAge International DURATION: 2019 - 2020

 My internship so far has been a brilliant learning

experience. It has exposed me to a variety of different areas of development work, and has provided me

with the hands-on experience and skills required to build my career in the sector. I began my internship in the Jersey Overseas Aid office, where I learned about Jersey s international development projects and funding themes. I then had the opportunity to work with one of JOA s partner charities, HelpAge International, where I contributed to one of HelpAge s biggest advocacy campaigns of the year, and participated in the development of a gender training programme, amongst other tasks. This experience allowed me to gain an in-depth understanding of the different concepts and approaches in development work.

 Perhaps what I ve appreciated most about the internship

is the learning and development opportunities that it provides. A highlight was the chance to participate in

a Hostile Environment Awareness Training course, an intensive practical course with hands-on activities that teaches participants the skills required to work in high

risk environments a valuable qualification for anyone wishing to pursue a career in the humanitarian sector.

This training, and indeed the internship as a whole, has provided the valuable opportunity to learn from inspiring

individuals in the career field I want to pursue and develop my professional network. I m very much looking forward to putting the skills and knowledge I ve developed to use, when I travel to Tanzania next year to undertake a field

placement with HelpAge s Tanzania office. An opportunity to gain valuable on-the-ground experience and understand

first-hand the practicalities of project implementation.

Faye Coggins The scheme is a fantastic stepping stone for islanders

wishing to contribute to global development challenges,

and I would encourage anyone looking to pursue a INTERN UPDATE career in this sector to apply.

An indication of whether the internship is a success can only be gauged if previous interns are finding employment in the development sector. It is therefore very pleasing to report that previous JOA interns are doing exactly that. Lauren Midgley, JOA s first intern, is now employed by Farm Africa as Communication Officer and Becki Curtis is currently in Geneva working for a Human Rights organisation following her 13 month internship with Practical Action.

BURSARIES  

At the end of 2018, JOA expanded its public  

outreach programme by launching two new  

bursaries. These aimed at offering Jersey  

residents financial support so they can  

contribute towards international development  HARRIET projects abroad, either for short periods as  HALL enthusiastic volunteers, or for longer periods

on a professional basis.  In October 2019, I embarked on a 3 month

ICS placement with Raleigh International in In 2019 a total of five bursaries, at £500 each,  Nepal. Though this placement was partially were awarded to young Jersey residents  funded by the UK Government, I was required volunteering overseas. These ranged from  to fundraise a further £800, thanks to the JOA two school leavers working in a kindergarten  Bursary I was able to achieve this target.

in Zambia, to a graduate contributing to

International Citizen Service (ICS) in Nepal  I was based in Yangdi, Gorkha on a

with Raleigh International. Livelihoods project working with Goreto

Gorkha. Our primary target was to diversify Yangdi s economic income through the

THE JOA PROFESSIONAL BURSARY.  construction of Polytunnels and drip-irrigation

systems - combatting the problems caused Transferring knowledge and providing  by yearly water shortages. As the first cycle technical assistance is one of the most  of volunteers based in Yangdi, we conducted efficient forms of aid. It can also greatly  baseline surveys to introduce ourselves and benefit the individual who is sharing  Raleigh to community members. From this, their skills in a new context - deepening  we deduced what training sessions would proficiency, adding new perspectives and  be most helpful for the community - for experience, and providing a great sense of  example, how to sustainably use fertilisers professional satisfaction. JOA s Professional  and pesticides. To ensure the longevity of the Bursary Programme enables Jersey residents  project we also established a Farmer s Group with relevant skills to spend time overseas  Co-operative so that community members utilising their expertise to help communities  and Polytunnel beneficiaries would feel

and organisations in need of professional  supported in the long-term.

assistance. JOA provides funding of up to

£4,000 for extended placements abroad,  Our team was comprised of both Nepali and sometimes partnering with employers who  UK volunteers - living in a homestay was realise this is a great way to develop staff as  instrumental in feeling fully immersed in

well as to give something back.  Nepali culture. An incredibly strong bond was

established between myself, my counterpart

Stuti and my Aama (host mother) despite the THE JOA VOLUNTEERING BURSARY.  obvious language barrier. A personal highlight

was being in Yangdi for Tihar, a week-long JOA s Volunteering Bursaries provide a  festival which saw villagers return from modest contribution (£500) towards living  across Nepal.

costs while volunteers give up their time for

others abroad. Applicants simply needing to  This placement has solidified my desire demonstrate that they will be working with a  to pursue a career in International

recognised organisation for a minimum of two  Development and I would like to thank weeks and doing something that evidently  JOA again for its support.

helps those less fortunate than ourselves.

Engaging with school children, Nepal

LAUNCH  OF JIDN  

In parallel with JOA s ambition to be a more effective international agency

is a commitment to engage and inform the very people who make JOA s work possible the Jersey public. As part of JOA s ongoing public outreach programme, 2019 saw the launch of the Jersey International Development Network (JIDN), a forum aimed at raising Jersey s international development profile and encouraging dialogue and new partnerships on the Island. Over the course of the year JOA hosted three public events where a specialist speaker from a leading charity or international organisation imparted their own unique and frank insight into the humanitarian and development sectors.

These free public events, open to all, are designed to bring together interested individuals from charities, finance, government, philanthropy and the private sector to hear about current trends in aid and development and find out

how Jersey is making a difference on the international stage. Each event

was moderated by JOA and gave the assembled audience a chance to ask questions of the effectiveness and impact of programmes funded by Jersey.

Alexander Matheou, Executive Director  of International for the British Red Cross, talks  

about challenges in delivering humanitarian aid

DELIVERING EMERGENCY  AID IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Alexander Matheou  

(Executive Director of International,  British Red Cross)

The British Red Cross and its partners  work around the world to prevent  

or ease human suffering. They  protect people in war and conflict  

and provide emergency assistance  

in the wake of floods, earthquakes  and famine. From Myanmar to the  DRC, Mongolia to Yemen, they are  at the frontline, negotiating complex  and often dangerous environments  trying to reach those in need of  urgent help. But what does a disaster  zone look like? How is a response  coordinated? What challenges do  

aid workers face and how do they  

go about protecting and supporting  those affected? How has the Red  Cross s aid work evolved in the 75  years since Jersey itself was receiving  Red Cross parcels?

26 March 2019, Attendees: 106

 The links between the Red Cross and Jersey go back to WWII, and this  

shared history has always created a strong bond between the British Red  Cross and the Island. We are extremely proud of our partnership with Jersey  Overseas Aid, and to be part of this occasion. We are grateful to the people  of Jersey for their continued support of our international work and look  forward to engaging with the Jersey International Development Network.  

Alexander Matheou  

(Executive Director of International,  British Red Cross)

HABITATS VS HUMANS: CAN YOU HELP ONE WITHOUT HURTING THE OTHER?

Dr Lesley Dickie (CEO Durrell Conservation Trust) & Sean McGough (Programme Manager at TreeAid)

Ever since Gerald Durrell settled in the Island, Jersey has been

a world leader in conservation, earning an international reputation for its reintroduction of endangered species and the protection

of the ecosystems on which they rely. JOA itself has stepped up

its involvement, introducing a core funding theme of Conservation Livelihoods and supporting multi-year programmes in Madagascar, Ghana, Ethiopia and Nepal.

But the over-exploitation of natural resources, population growth

and climate change are contributing to the degradation and destruction of many of these habitats, threatening wildlife preservation and creating a negative cycle where the reduction of human wellbeing drives further devastation. The conservation of ecosystems and poverty eradication are intrinsically linked, but how can we ensure that communities are able to grow their incomes without placing increased pressure on the natural environment?

16 July 2019, Attendees: 105

THE JERSEY COW OVERSEAS: OUR GREATEST AMBASSADOR

Angelique Barongo, (Programme Manager, Send a Cow Rwanda),

Dr Oluyinka Opoola, (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) & David Hambrook (Head of Overseas Agricultural Development, Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society)

Agriculture is of vital importance to the economy of Rwanda; over 80%

of the Rwandan population depend on small-scale agriculture for their livelihoods but productivity is low, and 45-61% live in poverty and are food insecure. 37% of Rwandan children under five are stunted, an indicator of chronic malnutrition. The Government of Rwanda addresses poverty and food security with its ground-breaking Girinka programme, focusing not only on increasing access to livestock, particularly cows, but by supporting interventions to help build food production systems, particularly those which are low cost, nutrient rich commodities high in protein.

The Jersey Inka Nziza project is built to reinforce this ambition. Jersey cows and crosses are proving particularly suitable for smallholder farmers where resources are scarce. With their fattier, more nutritious milk, higher feed conversion rate and tolerance of heat, drought and disease, Jerseys make much more sense for low-input systems than other exotics.

The impact on poor families is huge: milk yields can treble or quadruple, providing both a sustainable livelihood and an excellent source of nutrition for a family.

13 November 2019, Attendees: 102

 

www.joa.je 40

DIRECTOR S REPORT

Jersey Overseas Aid has taken significant steps in the past three years to improve its governance, risk management, internal controls and accountability.

Since our best ever Internal Audit ratings in June 2018 we have continued to make progress, implementing numerous new measures which should provide additional comfort that Jersey Overseas Aid is a responsible and well-run custodian of public funds, and an effective and professional international aid agency.

1 ACCOUNTABILITY

JOA s Executive Director is accountable for the performance of the organisation to its 6-member Commission, who are appointed by the States Assembly and legally entrusted to manage and administer the monies voted by the States of Jersey for the provision of humanitarian aid overseas. The Commission s Chair is by definition the Minister for International Development, who is accountable to the Chief Minister, the Council of Ministers, the States Assembly and the public for the performance of Jersey Overseas Aid.

Accountability is significantly improving in JOA. Since 2018 powers have formally been delegated to the Executive Director (through a document lodged with the States) to manage the day-to-day operation of the organisation, and to implement its strategy in accordance with the parameters

set by Commissioners. Since 2019 the law

has allowed the appointment of the Executive Director as the Accountable Officer, which was formalised in January 2020 and adds two new lines of accountability (of the ED to the Principal Accountable Officer and to the Public Accounts Committee). Government is officially represented on the Commission in the person of the Minister, though independence is preserved by the equal voting system. Minister and Director are now answerable to Scrutiny, and appeared three times in 2019 before the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel. The Minister is also answerable to the States Assembly as a whole, and was questioned without notice twice in 2019.

41


2 PARTNERSHIP AND ARRANGEMENTS

Since 2017 all new development projects

have been covered by a comprehensive Grant Agreement, setting out the terms of any funding and the conditions for reporting, payment and termination (among others). JOA instituted its most comprehensive due diligence process ever for new projects selected in 2019 (more details below). Partners are kept informed of developments

within JOA, including through industry members organisations like BOND, and several are being involved in the organisation s ongoing strategic planning process. Several new partners have been on-boarded in 2019 in JOA s first-ever empirical and open partner selection process. Non-funding partnerships have also been developed through MOUs with the Bailiff s Office and the Trackers Apprenticeship scheme.

3 DEPARTMENT / SERVICE MANAGEMENT

JOA has spent 2019 developing its first-ever strategic plan, which will be published in 2020. This sets out four high-level and 11 more-specific goals, together with the means and principles it will adopt to pursue them over a five year period. It also sets out three priority themes and six target countries, defining much more narrowly and measurably the benefits Jersey will bring in terms of overseas aid. Later in 2020 we aim to finalise even more specific thematic objectives for our work in Dairy, Conservation Livelihoods and Financial Inclusion.

All JOA development projects must now specify their outputs, outcomes and impact, defining in advance their objectively verifiable indicators and the means of verification. A schedule of powers officially delegated to the Director and

his Officers was lodged with the States Assembly in 2018. Staff job descriptions are being aligned to organisational objectives.

JOA participated actively in the production of the 2020 Government Plan, ensuring Government and JOA goals were harmonised.

4 OPERATIONAL ISSUES & COMMUNICATION

In 2019 JOA designed and introduced an electronic grant management system, systematising many workflows and vastly improving our ability to access and analyse project data. A comprehensive project monitoring system is in place, linking tranche payments to the achievement of milestones. Where charities have fallen short

of their obligations we have withheld payments

or demanded money be returned. There have been no complaints about JOA.

In 2019 JOA instituted a social media strategy

to improve its communication with the Jersey and international public. It revamped its website, and published an updated Explanatory Booklet which also explains its grant-making procedures. JOA also established the Jersey International Development Network, which held three

public events to explain aspects of international development and JOA s work to the Jersey public.

5 ETHICS & INTEGRITY

As per Internal Audit recommendations, JOA Commissioners now declare any conflicts of interest before every formal meeting. None have been identified, and nor were there any instances of staff or Commissioners behaving unacceptably. JOA Staff are not formally bound by States of Jersey codes of conduct, but their employment contracts specify certain standards of behaviour. Volunteers are also required to sign agreements governing their behaviour when abroad.

Development grantees must submit copies of their safeguarding policies. JOA keeps a register of gifts and hospitality, although none have been declared this year.

Simon Boas visiting a cross-breeding centre in Ethiopia


6 PEOPLE

JOA Commissioners are empowered in law to appoint and remunerate JOA officers as they see fit, and the Executive Director and other JOA staff are not employees of the States Employment Board but of JOA directly. However, they are appointed and managed in accordance with Jersey s employment legislation, and paid through States Payroll. Staff and Commissioners are selected following a competitive Jersey-wide or international recruitment process, in the case of Commissioners and Director one overseen by the Appointments Commission.

JOA expanded the number of paid staff members to four in 2019, although the fourth role became vacant again at the end of the year and will be filled in 2020. Benchmarked against other national development donors, JOA spends considerably less (c. 3.5%) on overhead costs than the international average (7%).

Partly in order to address the lack of Jersey- qualified people with relevant skills, JOA instituted a paid internship in 2018 in partnership with two large UK development charities. The first two interns now have jobs in the sector, and the third

is currently starting her UK placement.

7 FINANCE

JOA Budgets are drawn up the Executive and approved by JOA Commissioners, who review progress about 10 times a year. JOA grantees budgets and their capacity to manage them

- are reviewed against various criteria before projects are started.

JOA has been exempt from Financial Directives for 2019 while in the process of finalising bespoke arrangements which reflect its unique situation as an overseas philanthropic grant-maker. In 2019 it worked with Treasury to agree a special section of the new Public Finances Manual, which details which sections of the manual it fully complies with, partially complies with, or is exempt from. This came into force on 1st January 2020.

In 2019 JOA formulated and instituted its own travel policy, tailored specifically to the nature of its work in difficult environments abroad.

We value the support provided by Treasury in ensuring that our payments and accounting follow States best practice, especially since we do not have a qualified finance professional on our staff. JOA benefits from a good relationship with its Finance Business Partner, and it is hoped that the occupant of this role will not change as frequently as it has done since 2018.

8 RISK MANAGEMENT

JOA has significantly reduced the risk of fraud, loss and mismanagement in its overseas grant-making. In addition to the improvements noted in its most recent internal audit, JOA has now:

  Introduced its most rigorous project-selection

process ever, involving a two-stage application process to narrow down funding proposals, and then empirical desk assessments and field visits of the highest-scoring projects

  Formalised a two-stage approval process,

meaning that projects must be recommended by the Executive AND approved by JOA Commissioners


 Introduced even more rigorous DD procedures

for new development grants (on top of scored Financial Health Checks and analyses of the financial health of sub-grantees).

  Introduced a requirement for an independent

external evaluation for larger development grants (2019) and for an independent project financial audit (2020 projects).

  Procured and launched an electronic grant

management system, making selection and payment decisions systematic and auditable

  Further specialised its grant-making to six

countries and three sectors, enabling JOA to build up specialist knowledge and contacts and improving our ability to select competent partners and spot irregularities.

  Instituted risk assessment visits for Community

Volunteering Projects

  International Development and Jersey Charity

projects must now include risk analyses in project documents

JOA has its own insurance (travel, public and employers liability, Directors and Officers, Special Risks). JOA did not have its own risk register in 2019, but had developed one by the time of writing in 2020.

9 INFORMATION GOVERNANCE

JOA is compliant with Jersey s version of GDPR and has a nominated Information and Data focal point. It has also digitised its records, which are now held on a portal managed by Jersey Post. It is actively engaging with the Corporate Records Management to ensure it complies with relevant legislation. There have been no data or security breaches that we are aware of. JOA is currently not a scheduled public authority in terms of the Freedom of Information (2011) law.

Simon Boas Executive Director

LIST OF 2019 GRANTS

Note that because all development grants, all local charity grants, and a handful of emergency grants are paid in tranches against milestones, the totals will not equal the amount actually disbursed in 2019.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

 

AGENCY

PROGRAMME

COUNTRY

THEME

VALUE

Farm Africa

Protecting Bale Eco-Region forests through sustainable livelihoods

Ethiopia

Conservation Livelihoods

£600,000

 

Disability and Development Partners (DDP)

Improving Women and Girls Health and Wellbeing, Combatting Harmful Traditional Practices

Ethiopia

Specialist Health

£311,647

Self Help Africa

Protecting and Restoring the Environment and Supporting the Emergence of a Resilient and Vibrant Economy in Kafue (PRESERVE Kafue)

Zambia

Conservation Livelihoods

£600,000

 

HelpAge International UK

Boresha afya ya wazee: Improved Health and Wellbeing for Older Women and Men in Tanzania

Tanzania

Specialist Health

£598,180

Street Child

Inclusive WASH for Sustainable Schools in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

SWASH

£599,832

 

Sense International

Healthy Life for People with Deafblindness in Nepal

Nepal

Specialist Health

£309,648

Excellent Development

Strengthening Climate Resilience of Smallholder Farmers

Malawi

Conservation Livelihoods

£250,882

 

ChildHope UK

Clean Futures for Rural Children (CFRC)

Nepal

SWASH

£365,249

 

 

 

 

 

JERSEY CHARITIES

 

AGENCY

PROGRAMME

COUNTRY

THEME

VALUE

Gurkha Welfare Trust Jersey

Nepal WASH Projects

Nepal

WASH

£61,185

 

Hands Around the World

Bugarama three-year Education Projects

Rwanda

Education

£278,580

Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society

Phase II of the Improved Dairy Cow Project

Rwanda

Dairy

£2,396,872

 

Education Fund for Luweero Orphans (EFLO)

Construction of a Community Hall in Luweero

Uganda

Education

£22,776

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF 2019 GRANTS

Note that because all development grants, all local charity grants, and a handful of emergency grants are paid in tranches against milestones, the totals will not equal the amount actually disbursed in 2019.

HUMANITARIAN

AGENCY PROGRAMME COUNTRY THEME VALUE

OCHA Prolonged Crisis Reponse Syria April £250,000

Central African

OCHA Prolonged Crisis Reponse April £250,000

Republic

OCHA Prolonged Crisis Reponse Yemen April £250,000

 

START Fund

Underfunded Emergencies

Global

April

£200,000

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)

Medical

OPt

June

£65,646

International Health Partners (IHP)

Medical

South Sudan

June

£62,500

International Health Partners (IHP)

Medical

OPt

June

£35,500

British Red Cross  Ebola Response DRC August £142,600 UNICEF  Ebola Response DRC August £100,000

 

OCHA

Ebola Response

DRC

August

£100,000

International Health Partners (IHP)

Medical

Syria/Iraq

December

£13,500

OCHA Prolonged Crisis Reponse Syria December £100,000 OCHA Prolonged Crisis Reponse Yemen December £150,000

Central African

OCHA Prolonged Crisis Reponse December £100,000

Republic

British Red Cross Displacement Syria December £100,000

 

Self Help Africa

Drought

Zambia

December

£48,576

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Cyclone and Flooding

Madagascar

December

£16,139

START Fund Underfunded Emergencies Global December £100,000

PROJECTS

HUMANITARIAN cont..

AGENCY PROGRAMME COUNTRY THEME VALUE

UNICEF  Ebola Response DRC February £100,000 CARE Internatioal Cyclone and Flooding Mozambique March £70,000 UNICEF  Cyclone and Flooding Mozambique March £36,667

 

British Red Cross

Cyclone and Flooding

Mozambique

March

£73,333

 

 

 

 

 

2019 ACCOUNTS

All JOA transactions are made through the States Treasury, and the figures below come from the States  Accounting System (J D Edwards). JOA is subject to internal and external audits like other departments,  though is exempt from adhering to States Financial Directions. JOA s accounts are also found in a  slightly different format in the 2018 States of Jersey Annual Report.

2019 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

Year ended  31 December 2019

Funding Stream  % of Spending  Total Funds

£ Incoming Resources

States Grant  10,340,500  Project Co-Financing from Trust  £100,000 Insurance Claim Return  £1,315

Total Incoming resources £10,441,815

Resources Expended

International Development Projects  57.5  £5,987,586 Emergency and Humanitarian Aid  23.1  £2,416,192 Community Work Projects  1.1  £114,637 Local Charities Working Abroad  15.1  £1,574,735

TOTAL resources expended  96.8  £10,093,150

Commission Administration

Salaries, Pensions and Social Security  2.4  £248,339 Printing & Stationery  0.1  £8,107 IT Support  0.1  £9,393 Travel and Accommodation  0.3  £33,573 Meals and Hospitality  0.0  £3,840 Premises and Maintenance  0.1  £14,906 Insurance  0.1  £10,528 Other expenses  0.2  £16,311

TOTAL Commission Admin expended  3.3  £344,997  

TOTAL SPEND  £10,438,147 Unexpended funds carried forward  £3,668

47

 

The Commission

Chairman: Deputy Carolyn Labey

Members: Mr. Douglas Melville (Vice Chairman), Deputy Judy Martin, ConnØtable Philip Le Sueur , Mr. Alistair Calvert , Therese Morel

Therese Morel replaced Mr. Peter le Seelleur

Executive Officers  Operations  Programme

Director: Mr. Simon Boas  Officer: Ms. Trudy Le Bas  Officer: Mr. Edward Lewis

Address Jersey Overseas Aid, Town Hall , St Helier, JE4 8PA

Tel +44 (0)1534 446901 | Email enquiries@joa.je | Website www.joa.je Twitter @JerseyOAC | Facebook Jersey Overseas Aid

49