About Me


Rev. Beltran Esrame Pacatang
General Secretary

Friday, July 18, 2008

Welcome to CONCORD

Brief History of Concord

The Consortium of Christian Organization on Rurban Development (CONCORD) arose from the situation of poverty, diseases, illiteracy, powerlessness and underdevelopment in Mindanao. Moved by the need to respond collectively to these situations, the Christian churches, development service agencies and institution of learning organized themselves into a consortium.

The consortium owes its beginning from the annual fellowship of women and men in the late 1960s` who were then rural church workers. They founded and gave shape and substance to Concord in Midsayap, Cotabato on June 23, 1970, as a vehicle for coordinated planning and action. It was originally constituted by 6 member agencies namely: Cotabato Annual Conference, Cotabato Rural Uplift Movement, Mindanao Christian Services Foundation, Southern Christian College, Southern Mindanao Annual Conference and the Mindanao Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and was incorporated on February 1, 1978. It has since then expanded to the Visayas. It now has 27 members including 8 development and services agencies, 11 church conferences and 8 church related schools.

For over a period of thirty seven years, Concord through joint strategizing and efforts, have undertaken a wide variety of programs ranging from functional literacy, land titling, community health, agriculture, adult education, out-of school youth, relief & rehabilitation, justice and human rights, community organizing, cooperative formation, scholarship programs and other development works.

Strategic Directions

Vision

CONCORD envisions a society

Where justice, unity and love reign supreme without discrimination of culture , creed, race, gender and social status;

Where all people are empowered and free to determine their future

Where God`s creation is responsibly managed such that all are able to partake of the abundance in life

Mission

As venue for joint and coordinated development efforts in Mindanao, CONCORD is committed to develop the organizational capacities of member agencies working towards the holistic development of the poor, deprived, oppressed and exploited, and struggling sectors of the society.

Goals

1. To develop self-sustaining, self-reliant and self-governing peoples` organizations that significantly influence the development of their own communities;

  1. To reinforce work towards justice, peace and care of God`s creation by strengthening and expanding coordinated linkages and networks among member agencies and with the other Christian organizations, NGOs and peoples` organizations;

  1. To promote greater Lumad-Moro-Christian coordination and dialogues by supporting the establishment and strengthening of Moro-Lumad peoples` self- organization;

  1. To contribute to the advancement of gender and development efforts by deepening the consciousness and enhancing the capability of member agencies to address gender issues and concerns;

  1. To ensure the sustainability of the benefits derived by the target sectors from CONCORD`s endeavors.

Programs and Services

A. Integrated Development Program in Mindanao (IDPM)

IDPM brings together the resources and expertise of member agencies in a committed effort to bring about holistic development of the poor, deprived and oppressed and struggling sectors in Mindanao

  1. Community Based Development Program (CBDP)

CONCORD has built more than 300 peoples` organizations and cooperatives. It continues to consolidate their capabilities and ensures the sustainability by undertaking the training of community organizers and development workers and of leader-managers in cooperative livelihood projects.

  1. Institution Building Program (IBP)

CONCORD builds its own capacity for continuous education and training of leaders of the member agencies in gender relations, values and commitment, social awareness, leadership and various management skills.

  1. Research and Documentation Program (RDP)

In the new information age, CONCORD seeks to build its capacity to generate, analyze, store and disseminate information for action through training of researchers, writers and data handlers.

  1. Advocacy and Networking Program (ANP)

This program seeks to broaden dialogue and linkages between CONCORD member agencies with and among Moro-Lumad-Christian peoples` organizations and non-government organizations in the work for justice, peace and integrity of creation and for gender and development issues. Under this program is the Discretionary Fund; CONCORD encourages and supports the development initiatives in broader society and among Moro-Lumad-Christian communities.

B. Scholarship Program

CONCORD has undertaken human resources development program to train future leaders of CONCORD and member agencies through an academic scholarship program. The beneficiaries are youth who are poor but who have the potential for leadership in peoples` organizations, development agencies and church related institutions.

Concord Organizational Structure

General Assembly


Board of Trustees






Executive Committee

Projects Committee


CDEC Committee









Secretariat

Scholarship Committee

Finance Committee



Personnel Committee




Member Agencies

( MAs )


Church Conferences


Church Related Institution


Development Service Agencies









The General Assembly (GA) that is the highest policy-making body of the consortium governs CONCORD. Composed of two representatives from each of the member institutions, the GA sets the direction of CONCORD based on their assessment of the needs and interests of the people of Mindanao in an annual meeting. Decisions are made by consensus.

The CONCORD Board of Trustees exercises corporate powers of the GA in between meetings. It is composed of nine (9) representatives elected during the general Assembly sessions and equitably distributed to the three sectors namely the Church (3), Service Agencies (2) and Academe (3). The Board meets regularly twice a year, conducts business and controls the consortium’s properties

The Executive Committee oversees CONCORD’s operation. It is composed of the president, the vice president, and the corporate secretary. The treasurer and the general Secretary sits as ex-officio members. The executive committee members are elected from

Among the members of the Board and hold their positions for a one year term

Apart from these structures, CONCORD has created different committees to coordinate plans and programs related to the consortium’s life and work. These are 1) Projects committee 2) Finance Committee 3) Personnel committee 4) Scholarship committee and 5) Concord Development Education Center (CDEC) Committee. These committees assist the Board in setting directions, plan, and monitor and evaluate particular programs.

The secretariat oversees the daily operations of the consortium and provides the necessary staff support to the committees.

Board and Staff Composition

Board of Trustees

President : Rev. Eliaquim de Aquino

Vice President : Rev. Pablo de la cruz, Jr

Secretary : Ms. Leilaneeh Sabacahan

Members :

Rev. Gil Alamarez

Dr. Alexis Montes

Rev. Manuel Rapisura

Rev. Ruth Janoras

Rev. Gerson Senturias

Mr. Rodolfo Alegado

Coopted Members:

Rev. Melzar Labuntog

Rev. Ruben Balonga

Secretariat

General Secretary : Rev. Beltran E. Pacatang

Corporate Treasurer : Ms. Marely Prado

Comptroller : Mr. Marvin Daul

Information Management

Officer : Mr. Leonardo Vicente Corrales

Officer Secretary : Mr. Francisco Arguelles

Bookkeeper : Ms. Erika Sanchez

Program Coordinators :

Mr. Elmer Sagbigsal (Community-Based Development Program)

Rev. Cromwell Esteban Rabaya ( Research Documentation Program)

Mr. Armando Naul (Advocacy, Networking and Dialogue Program)

Rev. Amancio Benigian (Institution Building Program)

Number of Male and female = Male 17 . female 4

Track Records and Work Experience

In its 37 years of serving the poor deprived, oppressed and struggling sector in Mindanao, Concord has been working with various funding partners and agencies.

In the 1970s and 1980s` Concord has linked with the Bread for the World (BfW) in setting up the cooperative and literacy program for the indigenous peoples. It program also geared towards solving the century problem of the farmers through land titling program

The Integrated Development Program in Mindanao (IDPM) was designed to comprehensively address the problems of the farmers, fisherfolks, Moro, Indigenous peoples and women. The IDPM 1 to 3 was realized through the partnership of EZE and IDPM 4 and 5 with the support of EED.

Four scholarships program has been implemented The first scholarship was the Action M then it was followed with the SPADES, deserving but poor (DBP) and the Sedec –Scholarship for Education and Development of Communities. This program was realized through the partnership of Ecumenical Scholarship Program (ESP)

Cooperation & Representation in Networks of the Civil Society

CONCORD has twenty-five participating institution representing various sectors like the church- 11 conferences of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, 8 Service and Development Agencies and the remaining 8 belongs to the Academe

Concord is related to programs of:

1.Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)

2.Yong Dong PO Asian Urban Industrial

Mission

Member, Kalinaw Mindanao (InPeace Mindanao

Concord related to Ecumenical Bodies such as:

1. National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)

2 .United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)

3 .United Methodist Church (UCM)

4. Episcopal Church of the Philippines

5. Christian Missionary Alliance Church

6. Ecumenical Bishops Forum

7. Aid Watch Philippines
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INTERNAL ASSESSMENT: Terms of Reference


CONCORD Evaluation
June 2008
1 of 5
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Consultancy Plan for the Internal Evaluation of the
Consortium of Christian Organizations for Rurban Development
(CONCORD, Inc.)
1. Consultancy Mission Statement
On July 2008, The 18-month phase out period of the Integrated Development
Program for Mindanao (IDPM VI) Project with EED ends. For the Consortium of
Christian Organizations for Rurban Development (CONCORD), the occasion
marks more than 25 solid years of partnership with EED (formerly EZE) and over
15 years of integrated program planning for the 25 Consortium members.
In the Board meeting of December 2007 and the subsequent 38th General
Assembly last February 2008, the need to evaluate the whole Consortium was
identified. The 38th General Assembly called for new directions with renewed
challenges as brought about by the major change in the Consortium’s long
strategic resource partnership with EED.
Essentially, the evaluation-consultancy will be an internal review of the recent
programs operations with emphasis on identifying the institutional, organizational
and governance aspects impinging on the optimum pursuit of the Consortium’s
vision, mission, goals and programs. Such an evaluation has not occurred since
the IDPM III 1998 midterm exercise.
An external person will be commissioned to facilitate the internal evaluation of
CONCORD.
2. Problem Statement
EED phasing out of the partnership is a major juncture in CONCORD’s life as an
organization. It will be an opportune time to review, reflect and seek new
directions. Direction-setting and its pursuit is a function of leadership and
governance. Finding directions is a function of weaving vision and reality.
Emanating from the General Assembly, the Board of Trustees is mandated to
perform the function.
The emergent concern for CONCORD is forging new strategic resource partners
and future learning to deal with a host of donors, which unfortunately the
consortium has not undergone in the last 2 decades as it had a special almost
exclusive relationship with EED.
Another subject of concern is the dilemma of governance. With regards to joint
program such as the IDPM, who governs whom and on what matters? What are
the priorities in the multiplicity of Consortium and member goals? How are
CONCORD Evaluation
June 2008
2 of 5
performance accountabilities defined and distributed? What is the Consortium
Secretariat’s pertinent decision-making span?
As a consortium, it is said to be “congregational in heritage, autonomous in polity
and devolved in operation” (1998 IDPM III Evaluation Report.) In terms of
Consortium leadership and management, this may need to be operationally laid
out.
This evaluation is being initiated in order to help the Board to find new courses of
action not only in program goal terms but to include the development and
maintenance of the consortium-building function itself. The evaluation exercise
should help the Board define and address leadership and management issues in
a consortium such as CONCORD.
3. Boundaries
a. The evaluation engagement will focus the Consortium Secretariat and
Board and pertinent program-functional relationships with the Member
Agencies as defined in General Assembly terms.
b. The review will neither examine nor analyze the operations of individual
member agencies, which are not covered by prior agreements. They will
be dealt with as clusters or aggregate.
c. The engagement will provide a periodic feedback and report of the
process and recommendations to the General Secretary and/ or the
Internal Evaluation Project Committee.
d. The engagement will not examine nor analyze the financial operations of
the Consortium.
e. The proposed structure & policy changes arising from engagement is
recommendatory and subject to approval by the appropriate decisionmaking
bodies and authorities.
4. Specific Issues to be Addressed
The evaluation will:
a. With the IDPM as platform, analyze the strengths and weaknesses, the
facilitating and hindering factors that influence the degree of
consortium joint programming, its implementation and delivery
b. Identify the issues related to management and implementation
processes of the consortium (institution) building programs
CONCORD Evaluation
June 2008
3 of 5
c. Identify the good practices and the lessons learned from selected
consortium intervention and approaches.
d. Analyse and list the requirements and demands of the memberagencies
and various stakeholders to be defined in consultation with
the Secretariat.
e. Analyse and list the requirements of policies generating from the Board
members and the General Assembly
f. Consult with allied NGOs and agencies who can help provide advice
and assistance on the social issues and contexts CONCORD wishes
to address.
g. Analyse the existing organizational strategic resource levels to
ascertain if institutional resources are at optimum to conform to the
relevant future consortium goals.
h. Ascertain the demands placed on the Secretariat to guide the Board in
their governance and support function.
i. Prepare and submit report to the General Secretary and or the
Evaluation Project Committee.
5. Methodology
The proposed evaluation shall use a combination of methods as follows:
a. Review of Documents
• Review of literature: proposals, reports, program conceptual and
planning papers, feasibility studies, evaluation reports and other
relevant documents.
• Review of Existing Performance Information Sources. Identify the
existence and availability of relevant performance information sources,
such as performance monitoring systems and/or previous evaluation
reports. A summary of the types of data available, the time frames, and
an indication of their quality and reliability will be requested by the
evaluation research team to build on what is already available.
b. Key Informant Interviews
• Interviews will be conducted with persons who have direct participation
in program management and implementation. This includes trainerCONCORD
Evaluation
June 2008
4 of 5
resource persons, board members, members as well as former
executives who can provide pertinent information for the evaluation.
c. Focus Group Discussions
• FGDs will be conducted among representatives of the member
agencies in clusters, participants, staff, local church and community
leaders that have participated in the program. These will be held one
each for each of the four clusters.
d. Survey of Service Delivery and Member agency perceptions.
6. Evaluation Work Plan
Activities Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Proposed
Dates
Finalization of Contract x June
Start-up & review of project documents x June
Field work to conduct interview & focus
group discussions, survey
x x x x June 10-30*
(Staggered)
Cluster 1
Cluster 2
Cluster 3
Cluster 4
Feedback & Initial Analysis x July 7/8
Write-up of draft report
Validation meeting with core staff and
Board or representatives
July 28
Final Report Submission x August 1
* Specific dates/itinerary to be worked out
CONCORD Evaluation
June 2008
5 of 5
7. The Cost of the Engagement
For the above services, we will charge a professional fee in the amount of three
hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00). We request for a down payment of 50%
of the amount upon signing of the agreement, 30% upon the submission of the
draft report and the payment of the balance upon the submission of the Final
Report. Out of pocket expenses such as required travel to sites will be billed as
incurred or at the end of the engagement.
If the terms of this proposal are acceptable to you, please signify your
concurrence by signing on the space provided on the two copies of this letter and
returning the duplicate copy to us at a convenient time.
We thank you for this opportunity to offer our services to you and we look forward
to working with you on this engagement.
Truly yours,
CONFORME:
Delfin Teodulo A. Borrero II Rev. Beltran Pacatang
Evaluation Team Leader General Secretary
CONCORD