The Association for Research on Civil Society in Africa (AROCSA) in partnership with the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), and support from Ford Foundation, is pleased to announce the 2023 call for applications to the Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (ICLTFP), formerly known as the African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (LTFP).
The decision to rename the program after Innocent Chukwuma, who until his death in April 2021, was the Regional Director of the Ford Foundation West Africa office, arose from the combination of the significant role he played in the birthing of AROCSA and the establishment of the LTFP; the secretariat and board of AROCSA’s consideration of how best to honour his legacy; and suggestions from some of the members of the 2021 cohort of the LTFP which took place for the first time on African soil in Ghana from 1st March to 30th May, 2021.
At the AROCSA quarterly board meeting which took place in September 2021, a unanimous decision was made by members present to rename the program after him. The decision was subsequently communicated to his family through his wife; Mrs Josephine Chukwuma who was deeply appreciative of the consideration, and happy to give her blessings to AROCSA’s request.
Her personal statement on the role Innocent Chukwuma played in the birthing of AROCSA and the establishment of its key programs is appended to this call for applications. We pray that his soul continues to rest in perfect peace and that the Almighty continues to give his family the strength to bear his loss. And as part of efforts to further ground the program in the realities of the African experience, this will be the second of 3 planned cohorts of AROCSA’s partnership with the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at the Wits Business School in Johannesburg, who will be delivering the content of the program up till 2024.
Objectives of the program.
The objectives of the ICLTFP are to:
1. Contribute to the process of establishing a supportive infrastructure for leadership transition within the NGO/CSO movement in Africa.
2. Promote the creation of leadership spaces for the next generation of leaders in African civil society to grow and strive.
3. Increase the documentation of leadership experiences/reflections and renewal processes within civil society in Africa.
Timeframe
This iteration of the program will run for three months between March and May, 2023.
Program Support
I. Stipend: $3,000 covering living support and associated expenses for one month.
II. Accommodation: one single furnished bedroom either in a studio/one bedroom, or shared apartment with other fellows for one month.
III. Economy class return ticket from home country to host country for in-person learning sessions.
IV. Visa application fees.
V. Travel Health Insurance
Eligibility
I. Founder/Executive Director of an NGO in Africa, and from Africa, ‘actively’ seeking to transition away from their NGO/CSO.
II. Approval from the board to take a sabbatical from work from March – May 2023
III. Candidate must be above forty (40) years of age
IV. Candidate must have been in the executive leadership position for at least ten (10) years
V. Candidate must be a full-time paid staff of the NGO
VI. Medical fitness certified by qualified medical doctor
Notes
1. Transition for the program is defined in the context of “an NGO leader exiting the NGO in which he/she has been in its full employment and paid staff leadership position for at least 10 years, and moving into a different NGO, academia, business, government, or going into retirement.
2. Once an offer is made, participation may not be deferred.
Application Process
Applicants are required to apply for the Fellowship through the electronic application on the AROCSA website. Applications must include the following:
I. Completed electronic application forms
II. Copy of current passport
III. Curriculum Vitae
IV. Two letters of recommendation (including one from the NGO Board Chair indicating that the board is aware and approves of the applicant’s participation in the fellowship)
V. 3-5 page (double space, 12pt font with one-inch margins) personal statement that includes, but not limited to, the reason for participating in the fellowship and anticipated fellowship objectives that the applicant seeks to achieve
*If selected, you will be required to complete and document a comprehensive assessment of your health status.
Application Timeline
September 23rd, 2022 Applications open
November 11th, 2022, 5:00 PM WAT Application deadline (all materials must be submitted by this time)
November 27, 2022 Selection process begins (reviews and Zoom interviews)
December 16, 2022 Awardee Notification
March 1 – 31, 2023 In-person Fellowship
April 1 – May 20, 2023 Remote facilitated career planning and documentation
May 23 – 27, 2023 Fellow presentations
May 30, 2023 Fellowship debriefs
Deadline:
11th November, 2023.
To Apply: https://arocsa.org/icltfp/