SA4D’s staff who are responsible for the vocational training project in Myanmar have good knowledge of how the burmese job market works.

But the young people who have been unsuccessfully applying for jobs, and the local organisations that are helping them look for jobs have even better knowledge.

That’s why SA4D involves the people taking part in projects, local organisations, officials and donors, from planning to evaluation.

Cooperation with local partners

SA4D works with local partners on an equal footing, encouraging participants in the project and local organisations to take responsibility. That way SA4D guarantees the sustainability of its development work. When people affected and local NGOs or authorities participate in planning and implementation, they use existing structures and develop capacities and competencies that can be put to good use after the project has ended and without SA4D’s input.

In its current projects, SA4D is working with these organisations:

Capacity Development

SA4D wants to bring lasting added value to its partner organisations. Whenever possible, cooperation goes beyond project activities related to planning, implementation and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), and includes SA4D’s support in the development of the partner’s organisational capacity. Using tools developed by SA4D, the increase in organizational capacity is measured at the start and at the end of each engagement. Thus, the work’s effectiveness can be assessed also in this dimension.

Depending on the local partner’s needs and interests SA4D provides capacity development in the areas of sport and play, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), health, education, employment, and organisational and strategy development.

Local capacities are for example strengthened through the delivery of workshops, the Training of Trainers (ToTs) or the participatory development of teaching materials that can be used in the local partner’s programmes beyond duration of the project.

Involvement in networks

SA4D is a member of various national and international development networks.

SA4D belongs to the Permanent Consultative Council (PCC) of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS). CIGEPS promotes the role and value of sport in society around the world. As a member of the PCC, SA4D provides technical support and advice to the Committee regarding the implementation of activities.

In addition, the United Nations Economic and Social Council has granted SA4D ECOSOC consultative status. This allows SA4D to participate in and contribute to international conferences and events.

SA4D is a member of the More than Sport Alliance, an alliance of Swiss-based Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) organizations, which work together to raise awareness and advocate for the use of sport for development around the world.

As a founding member of the working group ‘International Safeguarding Children in Sport’, SA4D is an advocate for child protection in sport.

SA4D is also a member of FICD, the Fédération Interjurassienne de Coopération et de Développement, an association that brings together organisations from the field of development cooperation based in the canton of Jura, in the Bernese Jura as well as French-speaking Biel.

In the area of education, SA4D works closely with the Swiss Network for Education and International Cooperation (RECI). RECI is part of a global network that works internationally to promote high-quality education for everybody. As a member of RECI, SA4D contributes expertise on monitoring and evaluation in education projects, as well as being active in managing the network.

SA4D works with the International Labour Organization (ILO) on employment projects. SA4D is part of Taqeem, an ILO Initiative that aims to reduce unemployment among young people in the Middle East and North Africa as effectively as possible.

SA4D is also represented in the working group ‘Sport for Development for Children’, which was initiated by UNICEF and the Barça Foundation with the aim of building a global network to improve the lives of children worldwide through sport.

Furthermore, SA4D is also a member of the following bodies: Centre for Peacebuilding (KOFF), Institute for Research on Management of Associations, Foundations and Co-operatives (VMI), proFonds and the Biel-Seeland chamber of commerce.

Former cooperations

In its completed projects, SA4D worked with these organisations: