Issue
SAAYE requires strengthened internal governance, enhanced staff capacity and updated institutional policies to improve operational efficiency and sustainability.
How we are helping
We are supporting SAAYE to deliver staff training, assess institutional needs, and update internal policies and procedures for long-term organisational growth.
About the project
The Foundation’s capacity strengthening grants stream supports smaller Commonwealth civil society organisations in smaller Member States, building their expertise and enhancing their capacity to influence policy.
SAAYE is a youth-focused organisation dedicated to promoting civic engagement and leadership across Southern Africa. With this grant, SAAYE will conduct a comprehensive organisational assessment, deliver tailored training workshops, and update its procedures to support effective administration and project delivery.
The key actions for this project are:
- Organisational assessment and planning
- Assessing organisational structure, resources and skills gaps to identify areas for improvement.
- Creating an updated capacity-building plan based on the assessment.
- Policy and governance development
- Reviewing and updating internal policies, including human resources, procurement, travel, and safeguarding.
- Developing a board charter and standard operating procedures.
- Training and capacity building
- Designing and coordinating targeted workshops with expert facilitators.
- Delivering training on project design, grant writing, resource mobilisation, financial management, and partnerships.
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Conducting regular assessments to track the impact of the initiative and inform continuous improvement.
As a result of the project, it is hoped that SAAYE will benefit from enhanced internal governance, a stronger policy framework, and improved ability to attract and manage resources. Staff will be equipped with the skills needed to support sustainability, and new systems will increase organisational transparency and accountability. These improvements will enable SAAYE to support youth engagement and leadership across the region more effectively.
Project Partners
The Southern African Alliance on Youth Employment (SAAYE) was formed in February 2016 in response to high youth unemployment and vulnerability in Southern Africa. SAAYE advocates for policies and actions that promote youth employment and entrepreneurship in 9 countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe). In Lesotho, SAAYE functions as a central coordinating body for youth-led and youth-focused organisations, serving as a critical platform for amplifying the voices and concerns of young people.
We support people's participation in democracy and development by providing grants, platforms, and expertise.
