Financial Services Volunteer Corps Inc

FSVC'S MISSION IS TO HELP BUILD SOUND FINANCIAL SECTORS TO SUPPORT HEALTHY MARKET-ORIENTED ECONOMIES IN DEVELOPING AND EMERGING MARKET COUNTRIES.

NIGER: WITH FUNDING FROM THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FSVC LAUNCHED IN 2019 A PROGRAM FOCUSED ON THREE KEY OBJECTIVES: 1) HELPING CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSOS) MORE ACTIVELY AND EFFECTIVELY HOLD THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE AND BUILD DEMAND FOR TARGETED POLICY REFORMS AND IMPROVED GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTATION; 2) ASSISTING KEY GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS IN BECOMING MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO CITIZENS AND MORE EFFECTIVE AND TRANSPARENT IN THEIR OPERATIONS; AND 3) CREATING AND/OR STRENGTHENING CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT SPACES BETWEEN CITIZENS, CSO AND THE GOVERNMENT, TO IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT TARGETED PRIORITY REFORMS. IN 2021, FSVC COMPLETED A SERIES OF 43 LONG AND SHORT-TERM PROJECTS THAT INCLUDED: 1) ASSISTING THE OMBUDSMAN OF NIGER IN DEVELOPING A CITIZENS' CHARTER; 2) A SERIES OF TRAININGS FOR CSOS IN NIAMEY, MARADI AND ZINDER IN KEY AREAS SUCH AS MONITORING AND EVALUATION AND ADVOCACY; 3) SMALL GRANTS PROGRAMS FOR LOCAL CSOS; AND 4) OPEN HOUSES ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION, AMONG OTHER PROJECTS.

ANGOLA/ESWATINI/LESOTHO/SOUTH AFRICA (48): WITH FUNDING FROM THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FSVC LAUNCHED IN 2020 A PROGRAM FOCUSED ON THREE OBJECTIVES, WITH IMPLEMENTATION IN ANGOLA ESWATINI, LESOTHO AND SOUTH AFRICA: 1) STRENGTHEN THE GOVERNANCE, ACCOUNTING AND PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CAPACITY OF KEY GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS; 2) ENHANCE THE OVERSIGHT CAPACITIES OF KEY GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSOS) TO MINIMIZE FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE OF STATE RESOURCES AND REINFORCE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY; AND 3) CREATE A KNOWLEDGE-SHARING NETWORK TO CONNECT KEY GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND CSOS ACROSS THE REGION TO PROMOTE SOUTH-SOUTH LEARNING. IN 2021, FSVC COMPLETED A SERIES OF 12 PROJECTS THAT INCLUDED: 1) CONSULTATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF LESOTHO ON STREAMLINING THE BUDGET PROCESS; 2) TRAINING FOR THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL IN ESWATINI IN HOW TO AUDIT SERVICE DELIVERY MINISTRIES; AND 3) TRAININGS FOR THE ANGOLAN MINISTRY OF FINANCE IN KEY PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SECTOR ACCOUNTING STANDARDS (IPSAS), AMONG OTHER PROJECTS.

MOROCCO FHI360: FROM 2020 TO 2022, WITH FUNDING FROM THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FSVC SERVED AS A SUB-AWARDEE TO FHI 360, THE PRIME IMPLEMENTER OF THE PROGRAM IN MOROCCO TITLED "INCLUSIVE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE BENI MELLAL KHNIFRA REGION (BMK-ISED)". BMK-ISED HAD TWO COMPONENTS: 1) IMPROVE GOVERNANCE AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION BY INCREASING SUB-GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS (SGIS)' PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY, PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSOS) IN GOVERNANCE AND ADVOCACY FOR YOUTH, WOMEN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES; AND 2) ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS AND BUSINESS ACTIVITY BY INCREASING INCLUSION OF YOUTH, WOMEN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN BUSINESS VIA INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND INCREASING BUSINESS AND JOB GROWTH VIA IMPROVED MARKET ACCESS, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, FINANCE AND SMALL GRANTS. IN 2022, FSVC CARRIED OUT 17 ACTIVITIES UNDER BOTH COMPONENTS, INCLUDING: 1) BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF SGIS AND CSOS IN APPLYING AND USING MOROCCO'S NEW RIGHT-TO-INFORMATION (RTI) LAW; 2) WORKING WITH BMK'S REGIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE TO DESIGN A ROADMAP AND ACTION PLAN TO IMPROVE REGIONAL BUSINESS CLIMATE POLICIES; AND 3) CONDUCTING AN ANALYSIS OF THE POMEGRANATE VALUE CHAIN IN BMK TO IMPROVE ITS COMPETITIVENESS.