Levels of Change

We will deliver the aims mainly through open grant-schemes supporting NGOs. Sometimes we will commission or carry-out specific research, evaluation and communication. Very occasionally we may establish major initiatives, directed by PHF. We want our grants to be significant in terms of the work of the organisation, or the particular part of their work we are supporting.
Long term and sustainable change in the lives of vulnerable people requires action at various levels. We expect the work we support to have an impact at some of the following levels:

• Individuals/Communities (Micro/Meso)
• Organisations (Meso/Macro)
• Policy/practice more widely (Macro/Meta)

Works that the PHF supports will thus be at different levels.

At the micro level PHF support will directly help identified target groups make a change in their lives through improved delivery of services, access to opportunities, and even provision of inputs that can help them live better. Such works would provide an opportunity to help them stabilise their lives and be better prepared to take on bigger and more difficult roles. NGOs supported for micro level works will be small to medium with a direct implementation role with communities. They will have a strong field presence and may be implementing many works from different donors with their chosen community in their chosen field area.

At the meso level, PHF will be provide funding to support institutions that operate at a slightly larger level, and which can view the changes occurring from a higher perch. Works at this level will bring together experiences from a number of smaller micro level works and compile and consolidate the learning, and using it begin addressing the factors which help improve the environment for change. NGOs supported at this level are fairly well established with a good track record and which have over the years been able to establish a strong credibility and are in a position to make their voices and experiences heard by both the development sector and the government.

At the macro level, PHF will support institutions which have the ability to support the issues that partners are dealing with at the micro level and can build human capacity. They will take up issues that affect policy and play an advocacy role on behalf of the smaller organisations. We will promote more organisations in this category particularly in states which have few NGOs and where NGOs require capacities to be built.

PHF will also take up work at the meta level. This would include works that provide a better space for addressing issues that impact and affect development thinking, take up discussions and discourse on the sector and on human resources working in the sector. We will facilitate the coming together of different organisations in the development sector to share their concerns and views on issues and take joint action on them. The impact of such initiatives will not be directly observable within the life of the work but will be expected to have far reaching impact on the issue addressed.

Most of the current works in the PHF portfolio fall in the micro level category. We have begun consolidating experiences from these works. Over the next five years, PHF will fund works in all categories the largest (around 60 % of all grants) being at the micro and meso level. A fewer number of works (around 25 %) will be at the macro level and only some selected works at the Meta level.