The much anticipated ADRA Country Office
Licensing process began in Africa with a
stimulating 5 day workshop on the campus of
the East-Central Africa division. Country
directors from the 12 ADRA offices of the
ECD came for two initial days of training
with ADRA International and the Africa Regional
Office and were then joined by the
three executive officers of their respective
church unions for the final two days
of training.

The main presenters were three of ADRA International’s
officers (President Charles
Sandefur, Executive Vice-President Mario
Ochoa and Vice President for Finance Gideon
Mutero) and ADRA International’s person in
charge of Licensing and Governance, Heidi
Straw. “ADRA’s emphasis on the importance
of local governance is unique in the development
world,” said President Charles
Sandefur and “we are pleased to introduce
these Licensing and Governance workshops to
provide additional support our local ADRA
and church partners.”
The ADRA Country Office licensing system is
the result of decisions made by the church
at Annual Council and the ADRA International
Board to take more responsibility
for how the name ADRA is used and to clarify
and formalize the relationships between
all of the various worldwide ADRA offices.
A country office license will be a legal
agreement between ADRA and the church Union
that will give that union the right to use
the name ADRA to operate a country office
and will set some of the standards and
guidelines for its governance and operation.
It is a model that seeks to empower local
ownership and involvement and this
workshop was part of ADRA International’s
commitment to help strengthen
local governance and management in order
to meet this level of responsibility.
It is ADRA International’s hope to do
similar workshops for ADRA divisions
around the world. Initial discussions
are already being held towards the
scheduling of similar workshops for the
WAD and SID in Africa.
Workshop topics included not only
detailed training about the contents of
a country office license and the steps
needed to obtain it, but also presentations
and discussions about the new
ADRA network strategic plan, financial
management and board governance. “It
was great to see a lot of the things we
have discussed at ALC (ADRA Leadership
Council) and in other places getting
implemented and included” said Max
Church, ADRA Tanzania country director.
Church leaders also expressed that they
felt much more equipped to know how to
be involved on their local ADRA country
boards and what to expect from their
offices.
Look for more information soon on the
scheduling of similar workshops for
other Divisions and updates about licensing.
The AFRO office is collecting
the presentations made at this workshop
and will make them available to all offices.

By Heidi Straw, ADRA International