HR&S COUNTRY BRANCHES

Location

We have HR&S Country Branches in eight sub-Sahara African countries:

  • Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou
  • Kenya, Nairobi
  • Liberia, Monrovia
  • Nigeria, Abuja
  • Togo, Lomé
  • Rwanda, Kigali
  • Uganda, Kampala 
  • Zambia, Lusaka

Justification

The aid sector has failed as, after 60 years in operation,  as the number of extremely poor people in sub-Sahara African countries is increasing with five million every year, and the social contract between the people and its governments are broken. HR&S offers to empower scientific research, innovation and profitable businesses in SSA to provide products and services requested for by the community at affordable prices.

The HR&S Country Branches are tax paying, for profit, private companies limited by guarantee, registered in the HR&S Target countries. They report to the HR&S HQ in Sweden and benefits from the HR&S products and services. Their value proposition is development.

Financial viability

The Branches are independent units with own financial viability, thus they generate income to cover their costs. We have several sources of income, for example:

  1. ActionInvest. With a capital of EUR 25,000 and if giving out overlapping 6 months loans (14%) we can expect an income of EUR 5,000 per year and is sustainable. +RISEmember fees.
  2. 22RISE is expected to generate EUR 10,000 per year as consultancy payment at PM level one, but is volatile. Here we benefit from CRM and ROPEreview pitches

ROPE-SCALE & ROPE-SERV

In our business programme (ROPE-SCALE) are we empowering local enterprises to scale, by offering concessional loans, advice and training. In our serving the under-served programme (ROPE-SERV) are we supporting local businesses to empower fragile institutions and communities.

ROPE-REACH & ROPE-FAST

Empowers scientific research.

ROPE-22RISE

Empowers partnerships for development.

ROPE review

Jan 2024

Ambition

  1. Register and maintain a company and bank account.
  2. RISEagency
    • Set up and manage a lean business model.
      • Sources of income are ActionInvest and 22RISE.
    • Pay tax.
    • Attend BranchTalks, communicate well through joint the HR&S WhatsApp channels, engage in the ROPEtrello board and the 22RISE HubSpot platform.
    • Ensure sustainable impact
      • SOPs & GMP
    • Send written requests for ActionInvest capital from Action10. When requests are sent they include:
      • Progress marker scoring per RISEmember with lessons learned and informed decision compilations.
      • Campaign material. Reports, photos and videos from RISE members that Action10 can use when campaigning for funds.
    • Perform annual professional audit and annual Professional TestE survey of the Branch.
      • Pay EUR 300 for the audit and EUR 300 for the TestE survey.
    • Share annual programme and financial reports with HR&S HQ, due 15 February.
      Updated financial reports with bank account reconciliation.
  3. ActionInvest
    • Assign RISEmembers.
    • Give out and collect loans.
      • Manage RISEtalks and collect RISEmember fees
      • Collect interest
      • Keep the capital safe, a capital of EUR 25,000 is expected to ensure financial viability of the Country Branch
    • Ensure sustainable impact
      • SOPs & GMP
    • Perform annual professional audit and annual Professional TestE survey of every RISEmember, when scaled enough.
      • Pay EUR 300 for the audit and EUR 300 for the TestE survey.
  4. 22RISE
    • Attract financially supporting partners.
      • Benefit from HubSpot, make prioritisations, share pitches and follow-up.
    • Attract tailor-made ROPE training & coaching customers.

 

Outcome Challenges

  1. RISEagency
  2. Financial viability
  3. DEq
  4. SOP & GMP
  5. Performing TestE

 

Stakeholder committee

  1. HR&S HQ
  2. Country branches.

 

Activities & Milestones

  1. ROPE training (HQ)
    • ROPEtrello boards
    • Bi-monthly HR&S on-line meetings
  2. Support with assigning Branch team-members (HQ)
  3. Maintain and empower Action10 (HQ)

Background

HR&S local branches are registered in our target countries with the mission to coordinate HR&S country activities and RISE Support Centres.   

 

The Branches provide support to local social entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators to offer their products and services to the local community.

Each Centre is always on a programme of capacity strengthening through constant interactions with HR&S Sweden.

HR&S shall established HR&S Research, Innovation and Social Enterprising (RISE) Support Centres in Sub-Sahara African countries.

 

 

Each Centre has its own set-up, depending on the needs and the context. Besides the support programmes to the RISE members,  the Centres offer consultancy, seminars and workshops addressing the HR&S practical strategies and ActionAreas to strategic parnters.

Mission

HR&S local branches are registered in our target countries with the mission to coordinate HR&S country activities and RISE Support Centres.  

Context

Sub-Sahara African countries.

Ambition

Empower social entrepreneurs as well as researchers, technicians and sustainable developers.

The RISE Centre support team typically supports RISE members on the same topics as they are assigned to manage for the Country Branch: accounting, evaluation planning, impact assessment, marketing, customer surveys etc.

  • The Country Branches links HR&S Sweden to entrepreneurs and institutions in their country. 
  •  The Local Branches manage the ActionInvest capital, which is provided by HR&S Sweden, from which business loans are given to carefully identified entrepreneurs with 10 % interest. They identify the entrepreneurs, and empower them to be successful. They implement quarterly RISEtalks with all loan-takers, when training is provided and challenges discussed.
  • They work together with HR&S Sweden with the 22RISE programme where we build partnership with other international institutions.
  • They connect with local scientific institutions and laboratories and pave way for scientific and laboratory management capacity strengthening programmes.
  • They attend bi-monthly zoom meetings with HR&S Sweden and the other countries, when Branch issues are discussed and problems solved.
  • The Branch is managed by a Team of Operations as a private company according to the laws of the country. A bank account is arranged, accounting auditing is performed, and tax is paid.
  •  The Branches shall generate their own income from the above activities, including the interest from the loans, and from this income reimburse the members of the Team of Operations, the auditors, and other running costs. 
  • The Branches measure impact real-time. They develop and share the annual report addressing the programme and the finances, due 15 February.
  • —
  • Team of operations is reimbursed from income generated by the branch. It is better for the loan to be given to the group of people with the activities running to support them.
  •  The coordinators should work with the local authority so that the loan is paid back.
  • It could be better also if the people asking the loan shows a certain % of their contribution.
  • New members will come thinking that there is a benefit in terms of money rather than to seek for a change, the coordinators should explain to the new members the vision and objectives and they should be careful in selecting the new members.

Our RISE Centre members, if in poverty, should come out of poverty significantly. In order to know what the members see as their solutions in their lives, this is one key question when initiating a collaboration.

  • Meet the government laws and regulations of being a registered company. 
    • Zambia Required by law to file ANNUAL RETURNS to this Office not later than three months after the end of each financial year irrespective of whether the Company is operating or not using, Companies Form 33 or 34 as the case may be. Note that your financial year end is 31/12/2022 and that annual returns maybe filed online. Failure to file Annual Returns may result in the company being de-registered.
  • Deliver annual programme and financial reports to HR&S HQ.

Outcome challenges

Enough capital for loans

Access to capital to give out as loans.

  • Appoint staff members who understand and agree with the HR&S mission, who have intrisic motivation and agency for change.
  • Financial bootstrapping during the start-up phase. 

Accountability

To run a business

Lack of understanding among RISE members of how to run a business.

 

To manage a private economy

Lack of understanding among RISE members of how to manage their private economy.

Company registration

HR&S Network management

Activity

ActionInvest campaigns

Support ActionInvest campaigns.

RISE member accountability

Develop and implement an accountability strategy.

  • ActionTalks
  • RISEtalks
  • Join procurement events

 

We only scale businesses that are already operational and successful. Reason being that Mzungu money are often considered a donation, and it is diffcult to know if the entrepreneur will be able to pay back the loan if the business is not already running. When it comes to provide small scale loans for example, we address such programmes that have already been implemented and add capital as well as training. Even within loan-giving programmes we only support businesses already running. If someone wants to receieve a loan but does not have a business, the person has to first start something, no matter how small.

Training on how to run a business

Evaluation planning 

  • Develop SfC roadmaps for all RISE members.
  • Perform stakeholder analysis and stakeholder management.
  • Compile the necessary data about RISE members.
  • Support RISE members according to need.
  • Performing programme evaluation planning training according to ROPE.

Impact assessment

  • Perform customer surveys targeting i) research & laboratory management, and ii) social enterprising.
  • Collect photos and videos with consent to be used for fundraising campaigns.
  • Perform programme surveys with scientific evidence.
    • Developing a survey manual.
    • Micro survey management; Compiling baseline data. Compiling monitoring data and evidence according to TestE. 
    • Macro survey management; Compiling baseline data collected from the Programme management. Compiling baseline data collected from the national development plan and related information. Compiling baseline data collected from regional and international documents. Do state-of-the-art research benefitting from the scientific literature.
    • Developing an annual Survey report.

Business management, Branding & Public Relations

  • All aspects of business management in general.
  • Programme public visibility. We benefit from PR management to protect, enhance, and build reputations through the media, social media, and self-produced communications.
  • Performing an analysis on how our brand is currently perceived among supporters and customers, then proceed to plan on how the brand should be perceived if it is to achieve its objectives and continue with ensuring that the brand is perceived as planned and secures its objectives.
  • Connect the programme with the local community and share awareness about how this programme shall benefit the whole community. Invite the community member and leaders to make suggestions about the local benefit and sustainability of the programme.
  • Assess the competition on the market.
  • Develops stories for crowd-funding campaigns, with photos and videos.
  • Share the link to crowd-funding campaigns on social media reaching out to the local and international community that may have an interest in that specific opportunity.
  • Training
    • Coach programmes on branding and public relations.

Laboratory Technician Adviser

Local advisers related to laboratory operations and accreditation can be assigned to the RISE Centres. The RISE laboratory technician advisers have the below assignments.

    • Offer expert advice to RISE members linked to the HR&S Research management and Laboratory management programmes.
    • Link HR&S to laboratories in the target country.
    • Coordinate the country nodes of the HR&S Network of Technicians.

Accounting

  • Overview and support the Branch team-leader with that contracts are developed and signed between the RISE members and the HR&S country branch.
    Compile and store the contracts. Support the team-leader with ensuring that the content of the contract is honoured.
  • Overview that the bookkeeping of RISE Centre members is well managed and prepare for efficient auditing by the end of the fiscal year.
  • Develop and give advice on internal financial control systems.
  • Join when procuring items and ensure good and correct price in accordance with what is presented on the receipt.
  • Accompany the survey management officer while performing surveys to collect financial monitoring data.

Auditing

The auditor is independent from the team of Operations and makes annual auditing of The HR&S local branch as well as each RISE Centre member.

  • Accuracy of the bookkeeping according to international standard. Whether there is supporting documentation related to costs.
  • Accuracy of that all funds related to the programme are kept at one separate bank account, agreed on by the Client.
  • The accuracy of the monthly bank account statements was reconciled.
  • Review if the outgoing balance for the previous period is the same as an incoming balance for the current period.
  • Adequacy of internal control related to disbursement procedures.
  • Follow up whether salary costs debited to the project/programme are recorded throughout the duration of the year in a systemized way.
  • Examine whether foreign exchange gains and losses are disclosed.
  • Compliance with the applicable tax legislation in regard to taxes and social security fees.
  • Follow up whether procurement guidelines have been respected.
  • Adequacy of internal control related to disbursement procedures.
  • Review whether there is an unbroken chain of audited financial reports.
  • Ensure communication around problems encountered.

Awareness raising on how to manage a private economy

Register a company

  • Prior to company registration the programme can operate under the local branch company registration.
  • Practical support with going through the business registration procedures.
  1. Recruitment operations team.
  2. Generate small income and scale. Start with volunteers and small reimbursement EUR 300 per year. The Centre has to generate by them selves the reimbursement amount.
  3. Support RISE Members.

Milestones

Efficient operations

  • Sign & implement Branch ToR.
  • Sign & implement Loan-taker agreement with all RISE members.

ActionInvest campaigns

Provide information about programmes to Action10.

RISE member accountability

  • ActionTalks.
  • RISEtalks.
  • Join procurement events.

Empowering the HR&S four networks

  • Researchers
  • Technicians
  • Social entrepeneurs
  • Sustainable developers

Training Events

The training events targets our RISE members and is free of charge for them, as one of the benefits from paying membership fee.

As part of RISEtalks
by Country Branches

  • The Country branches may want to develop a joint power point presentation, benefiting from the information available on HR&S website, and new information that they introduce to the team.  The RISE operations team PR officer is in charge of the launching of training events.
  • Locate a host during  the start-up phase and arrange with good internet.
  • The arrangements and lessons learned are discussed in the team-leader chat. The reason why it has to be separate is because the different businesses are very different, and we need to understand each entrepreneur as a family member, to be able to help in actual practice.

ROPE/ Lean business model
The ROPE Road-map is developed per RISE member to address progress for this RISE members exactly. We do not have to focus much on the method as such in the beginning but to use it directly. We go through slowly but firmly.

  • What do you want ? – ambition
  • What are your challenges to achieve your ambition? – outcome challenges
  • What can we do together to address the challenges? – activity
  • Who shall do what and when? – milestones
  • Is the road-map developed useful? – outcome
  • How do we measure progress? – progress markers
  • Where do we want to reach eventually ? – sustainable impact
Benefit from the Lean start and scale-up model. Guide on the Lean model through the SfC strategy. Identify and scrutinize the ideal customer segment, reach out and propose an adjusted value proposition for the ideal customer, follow-up and  and secure first new paying customers.
Expected outcome: Increased number of customers in actual practice.
PM: 10% increase after 3 months, 30% after one year. The RISE operations team evaluation planning and survey management officers are in charge of the training together with the team-leaders.

Accounting
A whole package of why business accounting is important.

1. Book keeping.
2. Advantages with bookkeeping.
3. Bookkeeping as important part of financial management.
4. Financial management, expenditure prioritization, and business growth.
5. Auditing and management report.

Reoccuring training
by HR&S Sweden

With examination and certificates for those who passed the exam.

The training events targets our RISE members and is free of charge for them, as one of the benefits from paying membership fee.  Then also non-members are invited who pays a fee, this fee is a direct income to the RISE Centres, EUR 20 for non members (EUR 10 for students and non-employed). The focus of the biannual RISE training events are the members, arrangements are made to also serve non-members.

ROPE training by HR&S Sweden

  • Annual training for researchers and technicians.
  • Annual training for  entrepreneurs and sustainable developers.

Thematic training by HR&S expert advisers

  • Annual training for researchers on writing a manuscript. All participants have to bring a draft manuscript to work on and the progress marker is submission within two / four months after the training.
  • Annual training for researchers on applying for grants. All participants have to bring a draft application to work on and the progress marker is submission within two / four months after the training.
  1. Monthly planning meetings – Cecilia
  2. Target country Branch SfC – Cecilia
  3. Monthly knowledge-sharing meetings; ActionTalks

For more details on Milestones please consult the webpage “Branch Operations.”

Input

  • The support to RISE members shall be carefully balanced. The supporters shall not do the work of the target partners and the supporters shall also not micro-manage. The collaboration must be built on a win-win approach and mutual respect, while mutual trust is established with time and challenges shall be addressed together.
  • All members of the Team of Operations are expected to be pro-active; to take initiatives on their own while all the time be transparent and share everything with the team.
    • To attend all monthly meetings with HR&S Sweden, all monthly ActionTalks as well as minimum one 12 h webinar on the Strategy for Change every second year.
    • To be active on the Branch WhatsApp chat.
    • To have access to a computer, internet, and electricity for efficient communication with HR&S Sweden and the Target partners.
  • ActionInvest: The purpose with the ActionInvest programme is to offer investment capital to facilitate social enterprising (RISE members) start- and scale-up in Sub-Sahara African countries. Social entrepreneurs are offered loans with a 10 % annual interest. The funds are usually paid back within a period of six months to three years. When one loan has been paid back, another larger loan can be given. The partnership agreement is based on mile-stones, after each milestone has been achieve, funds are paid back with interest and new loans are made possible. Each project starts small and scales firmly. The first loan shall be small, around € 500 or 1,000 depending on the context, and a second loan maybe twice the size and scaling. Usually, the total loan for each project is € 10,000. Further loans are only granted if the business is well managed according to periodical bank accounts statements, surveys, supporters, programme, and auditing reports, and when certain pre-agreed on milestones have been achieved. The paid-back capital is re-invested in order to scale up the ongoing social business or to start-up a new. The funds to create the investment fund are raised through donations.
  • Social media:
    • HR&S website: The Team of Operations members mentioned in this agreement are encouraged to be well updated with the content of the HR&S website www.humanrightsandscience.se
    • LinkedIn: The Team of Operations members mentioned in this agreement are encouraged to share their LinkedIn profile, presenting their profession, and to connect to and followHuman Rights & Science as well as Action10 on LinkedIn to be aware of updates www.linkedin.com/company/human-rights-and-science.
    • Facebook: The Teamof Operations members mentioned in this agreement are also encouraged to share their Facebook pages, and to like and follow Human Rights & Science as well as Action10 on Facebook to be aware of updates www.facebook.com/humanrightsandscience.
    • Action10 website: The Team of Operations members mentioned in this agreement are encouraged to be well updated with the content of the Action10 website www.action10.org

Output

Expected Output

  • At the start of a support period, goals are set, indicators developed, and then the outputs are measured real time. The supporters and the target partners shall together effectively discuss, evaluate, and improve aspects of concern.
  • The expected output from the coaching should include, but is not limited to:
  • Monthly (or every second month depending on the need) face-to-face RISE Centre meetings with all target partners, including all assigned administrators and managers of the institution to be supported. In case the distance is far, some of the face-to-face meeting are replace by on-line meetings. The balance between the two depends on the cost and effort of traveling.
  • A collection of minutes from the support meetings. These minutes are prepared by each team members and addresses the topic of the meeting.
  • Follow-up communication between the coaches and the Institution in-between coaching meetings.
  • Meetings (or every second month depending on the need) between the coaches only for coaching strategy planning purposes. These meeting can be on-line or face-to-face.
  • Annual written reports presenting the year’s activities and assessments. These are shared before 31 January of the coming year. The report can preferably be a compilation of all of the team members reports, but can also be per team members.

Achieved Output

  1. Monthly meetings – Cecilia
  2. Target country Branch SfC – Cecilia
  3. Monthly knowledge-sharing meetings; ActionTalks

All branches ensure they have the company security capital on their accounts at all times.

The amount is:
Present for all countries.

Outcome

Expected Outcome

At the start of a RISE membership period, goals are set and progress markers developed. Then the outcomes are measured real time. The expected outcome from should include, but is not limited to:

  • Measure and evaluate progress markers and improve aspects of concern.
  • Measure sustainable impact and improve aspects of concern.
  • Strengthen the dynamic of responsibility and autonomy.
  • Implement a business plan and become financially sustainable.
  • Implement procedures and be financially and programme delivery accountable.

Progress markers

ActionInvest

Amount of capital raised.

Accountability

Entrepreneurs paying back loan with interest and in time.

Progress markers per country

  1. Income generated.
  2. Connect HR&S with local stakeholders.
  3. Empower Country RISE Centres.

Sustainable impact

SOPs

GMP

We benefit from the software Notion to compile and ensure implementation of SOPs within the Branch as well as for the coordination between HR&S Coutry Branches as well as with HR&S Sweden HQ

Test_E

TestE Survey officer

One or more HR&S team member(s) is assigned TestE survey officer/s). The Branch TestE is reported on in the Branch annual reports.