The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Norway has been given a status that means a simpler application process and closer follow-up in its cooperation with Norwegian aid authorities. ADRA Norway is one of the first seven aid organizations in Norway approved to work within a new cooperation model with Norad, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
Plus Partnership is the name of the new cooperation model that will ensure a simpler application process for development projects, closer follow-up during the implementation phase, and greater flexibility in the face of changing conditions both geopolitically and in the project countries. “The aim of the Plus Partner model is to free up time for strategic cooperation, thus ensuring better and more effective aid,” Norad states on its website.
“ADRA’s Plus Partnership with Norad applies to our work in the field of education,” Birgit Philipsen, secretary general of ADRA Norway, said. “Education is ADRA Norway’s special area of expertise, and this agreement gives us great flexibility as we also embark a new five-year program agreement.”
Other organizations with Plus partnerships are Save the Children Norway, Norwegian Church Aid, Norwegian People’s Aid, Norwegian Refugee Council, Care Norway, and the Stromme Foundation.
Stromme Foundation secretary general Erik Lunde emphasized the importance of processes like thisfor furthering development effectiveness. “In an unstable world, trust and flexibility have become more important,” he said. ADRA, represented by Philipsen, emphasized the importance of the civil society’s role in engaging with communities at the grassroots level and reaching those whose need is greatest.
The Norad Plus Partnership model has been developed after extensive consultation between Norad and civil society organizations. It is intended for large civil society organizations that meet certain criteria relating to funding volume, implementation capacity, strategic focus, organizational systems, and professional expertise.
Norad’s director general Bård Vegar Solhjell praised minister of international development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim for her direction, drive, and capacity. “Our ambition at Norad is to think even more wholistically,” he said. “We hope for further engagement and commitment.”
The purpose of the Plus Partner model is to make the administration of Norad and its partners more efficient, leaders behind the initiative explained. “Aid should be knowledge-based, flexible, and innovative,” they said.
The Plus Partner Agreement is initially valid for five years.
About ADRA Norway
ADRA Norway works for equality, peace, and reconciliation through sustainable development projects, mainly in education, but also in health and food security. ADRA Norway’s programs focus on help for self-help in active partnerships that build local capacity. The agency’s programs place particular emphasis on improving the working and life situation of women and children, with a focus on human rights, education, democratic participation, and the environment.
The humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Norway also works for an efficient utilization of funds and resources. In addition to regular donors and contributors, ADRA Norway’s most important partners are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Norad.
ADRA Norway is an independent foundation with a board appointed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Norway. The agency is registered in the Fundraising Register and meets all the requirements to be a member of the Fundraising Management in Norway.
This article was originally published on the website of ADRA Norway.
