By NRCS delegation in Helsinki
11 June 2008

Third Operation Alliance (OA) Meeting of Nepal completed today in Helsinki, Finland which was participated by the representatives of the International Federation, Finnish Red Cross, Danish Red Cross, Belgian Red Cross, Norwegian Red Cross, Swedish Red Cross, Austrian Red Cross and Nepal Red Cross.

The meeting was focused on finalizing the revised logical framework, activity based budgeting and financial reporting, planning process, joint review, mid-term evaluation, final evaluation, impact study, action research and cost effectiveness. The meeting also recapped the minutes of the previous meeting.

Mr. Kalle Loovi, Director of International Department of Finnish Red Cross, highlighted the importance of the Operation Alliance and then briefly explained the progress of Operation Alliance at global level.

“The two day 3rd Operational Alliance Meeting of Nepal held in Helsinki was a milestone towards making Nepal OA a success,” said Saput Bahadur Karki, Chairman of the Central Community Development Committee (CCDC) of Nepal Red Cross Society. “These issues will certainly help NRCS and the OA Task Force in Nepal put together all the concerns and formulate better harmonized approach towards achieving better impact,” he added.

The meeting prepared a guideline for a new operating model of Operational Alliance. The OA manual is thought a living document enabling all partners to have their say and agree upon the different requirements in a collective way.

The meeting agreed to follow:
• The revised version of the CDP log frame is accepted with the flexibility at the activities level;
• The Activity based budget and financial reporting will be based on main activities with detail account codes;
• The proposed guideline and time frame for five year planning and annul review, lesson learnt and planning is accepted;
• The terms of references for situation analysis and baseline survey, mid term evaluation, final evaluation and impact study are accepted with some amendments;
• The concept of action research is accepted;
• Action research and impact studies will be discussed during each annual review meeting and the cost will be shared by all CDP partners;
• The harmonization area for cost effectiveness can be left out as the proposed budget and financial reporting templates leave enough rooms to justify it, however, it is agreed to leave the issue of cost effectiveness open so that partners can find some more details and feed the OA Task Force to adapt it under the OA manual;
• The provision of contribution towards the CDP monitoring and follow up fund is not compulsory but open;
• The Management support cost @ 5% is in principal agreed, and the requirements of the PNSs need to be addressed and the issue to be further discussed with the NRCS senior management;
• The OA manual will be finalized by the end of August.

Finnish Red Cross had hosted the OA meeting. Moreover, Finnish Red Cross had invited the Nepali team led by Chairman Karki to attend their General Assembly which was held in Oulu from 7-8 June.