Catalyste+

Published purpose

This program supports 1,402 volunteer advisor assignments in Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Caribbean, Colombia, Guyana, Honduras, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Tanzania and Vietnam. The program aims to: (1) provide support to build the capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to generate revenue and provide employment opportunities for men and women; (2) strengthen local partnership between partner associations, civil society organizations (CSOs) and their respective beneficiaries that support SME development; (3) strengthen government entities in support of a competitive local and national environment for SMEs; and (4) foster increased public participation in the governance process. The key activities supported by this program include: (1) the development of partnerships with relevant organizations; (2) the placement of volunteer advisors (primarily North-South with some South-North and South-South) with selected partners; and (3) knowledge management supported through strong monitoring and evaluation. The program also supports a public engagement program which builds a constituency of educated, informed and active Canadian citizens. An amount of $80,622 has been added to the total amount for each of the Volunteer Cooperation Agency programs for CIDA-led program evaluations.