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Review from the South: Siemenpuu is much more than a funder

Press release, 28.3.2017

Siemenpuu Foundation has commissioned an external assessment on its work in supporting the Environmental Social Movement in the South between 2010 and 2016. The review was made by Badayl from India in cooperation with Grip.Consulting from Palestine.

According to the review, the support provided by Siemenpuu means a lot more than just funding support to Southern civil society organisations and communities: cooperation is based on partnership. Siemenpuu knows and understands the local context and organisations in most cases already before the funding cooperation. The cooperation approaches are flexible and Siemenpuu also supports the cooperation among the Southern partners also on the global level. This South-South and South-North cooperation is important both in strengthening the civil society and reaching the environmental targets.

Despite the flexibility, Siemenpuu calls for accountability and adequate reporting from its partners. However, the reviewers brought forth the partners’ concern, that increased emphasis on result-based management may lead the partnerships to change towards typical donor-recipient style relationships.

Commissioned review is not a typical evaluation on Siemenpuu’s work and results, but it aimed at bring about the views of Siemenpuu’s Southern partners on the cooperation, and find out whether this partnership has strengthened the environmental movement in the South. More assessment on Siemenpuu’s work results will be received in August 2017, when the Evaluation of the Programme-based Support through Finnish Civil Society Organisations, Foundations and Umbrella Organisations, commissioned by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, will be ready.

Download and read the Review of the Siemenpuu Foundation (pdf, 1,7 MB).

More information:

Chairperson Marko Ulvila, marko.ulvila (at) siemenpuu.org, puh. 044 533 2368.