The Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations for Elections (CECOE) conducted a four-day series of capacity-building and civic engagement activities under the Civil Society Innovation Fund (CSIF II), funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), from August 5–8, 2026, at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Addis Ababa. The activities brought together participants for discussions and practical sessions focused on project management, grant management, reporting, civic engagement, community challenges, and developing innovative solutions.
Opening Remarks
The sessions commenced with opening statements by Abera Haile Mariam, CECOE’s Executive Director, alongside Project Officer Fikadu Ashuro. They elaborated on the program's goals, indicating the importance of enhancing technical standards while ensuring meaningful, grassroots-level results throughout the initiative.
The first day focused on a Partner Capacity Building Workshop covering project overview, grant management, and reporting requirements. Participants received an overview of the project, the Bequ Zega Hub and Bequ Zega E-learning Platform, as well as sessions on financial management, cost principles, grant management, and compliance requirements.
The workshop also included sessions on communications and visibility materials, safeguarding policy, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), including narrative reporting and change stories. The day concluded with reflection and question-and-answer sessions.
The subsequent sessions focused on innovative problem-solving and civic engagement, with participants engaging in brainstorming activities and working on civic innovation projects, prototyping concepts, and beneficiary journey mapping. Participants also worked on developing a Theory of Change and took part in group exercises and peer review sessions.
The concluding phase focused on the refinement of project concepts, where participants worked on results frameworks, work plans, budgets, concept notes, and pitch presentations. Following a comprehensive evaluation, the activity transitioned toward the next phase of mentoring and continued proposal refinement within the Biqu Zega Hub network.
Key Takeaways
The four-day activity provided participants with practical knowledge and skills in project and grant management, financial management, reporting, safeguarding, and compliance, while also strengthening their understanding of civic engagement and community-driven innovation. Participants had the opportunity to identify community challenges, develop innovative solutions, and work with practical tools for planning, budgeting, and proposal development.
Closing Statement
The activity concluded with a post-training assessment and evaluation, followed by discussions on next steps and the transition to the next phase, including the mentoring and refinement of proposals by the Biqu Zega Hubs. The four-day activity provided a platform for participants to strengthen their capacities, exchange experiences, and further develop ideas aimed at advancing civic engagement. CECOE extends its sincere appreciation to all participating organizations and facilitators for their active engagement, as well as to the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) for its continued support under the Civil Society Innovation Fund (CSIF II).
The Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations for Elections (CECOE), with the support of UK International Development, conducted a two-day training for its sub-grantee member organizations from July 31 to 1 August 2026 at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Addis Ababa. The training brought together 30 participants three representatives from each of CECOE's 10 sub-grantee member organizations, representing senior management, programme, and finance functions to strengthen institutional capacity in grant management, financial reporting, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E), while building practical skills in innovative peacebuilding and conflict mitigation at the grassroots level.
The participating organizations included the Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations (CCRDA), Omo's Morningstar Children (OMC), Benishangul Gumuz Development Associations Network (BGDAN), Pro Development Network (PDN), Tiret Community Empowerment for Change Association(TCECA), Federation of Ethiopian Associations of Persons with Disabilities (FEAPD), Pastoralist In Action Development Organization (PIADO), Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), Green Initiative Ethiopia (GIA), and Synergy for Community Development (SCD).
Opening Remarks
The training opened with welcoming remarks by Eyuel Zelealem, CECOE's Program Director , who outlined the objectives and expected outcomes of the two-day programme, emphasizing the importance of strengthening both technical compliance and practical, community-level impact.
Day One: Grant Management, Financial Reporting, and M&E
Day one featured five core training modules. The CECOE Programme Team led sessions on grant management and compliance, reviewing the Sub-Grant Agreement article by article, together with the Sub-Grant Manual, roles and responsibilities, prohibited costs, procurement procedures, and audit requirements.
The CECOE Finance Team facilitated two sessions on financial management, covering cost principles, eligible expenditures, supporting documentation, and budget management. Participants also took part in a practical exercise on disbursement requests, financial reporting, and the use of CECOE's reporting templates.
The CECOE Programme Team introduced participants to project monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, including logframes, indicators, and data collection methodologies through a practical exercise.
The day's programme also included a session delivered by CECOE's Safeguarding Focal Person on the organization's Safeguarding Policy, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) principles, and reporting and referral mechanisms. In addition, the Communications Team provided guidance on CECOE and UK International Development branding requirements, visibility reporting, and photo consent procedures.
Day one concluded with a wrap-up session, an interactive question-and-answer discussion, and a briefing on the sub-grantee proposal presentations scheduled for the following day.
Day Two: Innovative Peacebuilding and Conflict Mitigation at the Grassroots Level
The second day focused on practical approaches to peacebuilding and conflict mitigation. Sub-grantee organizations presented their project proposals in two rounds, with each presentation followed by structured peer feedback. A plenary discussion highlighted common innovative peacebuilding strategies and key lessons emerging from the presentations.
The afternoon featured an interactive session on conflict mitigation and peacebuilding planning, during which participants developed context-specific approaches using peacebuilding risk mapping tailored to grassroots realities. This was followed by a collaborative group exercise that enabled participants to apply these approaches to real-world community contexts.
The programme concluded with a joint session on CSO collaboration planning, where participants identified shared peacebuilding and conflict mitigation actions, communication channels, and next steps for future collaboration among member organizations.
Key Takeaways
Grant management, financial reporting, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) were reinforced as essential foundations for transparent and accountable project implementation across CECOE's sub-grantee organizations.
Safeguarding, branding, and visibility requirements were emphasized as integral components of responsible sub-grant management alongside financial and technical compliance.
Sub-grantee organizations shared their peacebuilding proposals, received constructive peer feedback, and strengthened cross-organizational learning.
Participants enhanced their practical skills in designing context-specific peacebuilding and conflict mitigation approaches tailored to grassroots realities.
The training concluded with agreed next steps for continued collaboration among CSOs on shared peacebuilding and conflict mitigation initiatives.
Closing Statement
The training ended with a post-training assessment and evaluation, followed by closing remarks from Yisihak Abebayehu, CECOE's Senior Program Officer. CECOE extends its sincere appreciation to all participating organizations, facilitators, and partners whose active engagement contributed to the success of the training, as well as to UK International Development for its continued support. CECOE remains committed to strengthening the institutional capacity of its member organizations and advancing innovative, community-driven peacebuilding initiatives across Ethiopia.
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