Testimonies

“My institution has been sponsored from an institution abroad. My institution used the equipment sponsored for another purpose than agreed. The sponsor withdraw the support and over 30 staff members lost their job and the laboratory lack equipment.”
“We are totally dependent, either empower in the wrong way or dis-empowered.”
“While the sponsor is there the receiver do not try to arrange own funds and own solutions.”
“There is a problem among us Africans with responsibility. That is the reason for lack of accountability.”
“We Africans do not know how to manage an institution, if we did then some problems would be avoided.”
“Sometimes the institution has very bad systems, so that it is really difficult to be accountable. The many layers of bureaucracy, creates a problem with that we do not know who is responsible for things that has happened.”
“If someone is really serious and really trying, they get frustrated by the bureaucracy, which makes it impossible to excel in actual practice”
“Let us say that some one is placing an order, and that order passes through the institutional system, then maybe the wrong items shows up. If it happens there is no one to make accountable for the mistake.”
“Most of the time we lack personal motivation, if someone do not earn money then the motivation is lacking.”
“A social entrepreneur may have their own way with weak accountability and may not want to change.”
“What I have seen in Europe is that the government is more interested in the results from the Universities, lack of interest by the government as in African countries  can dis-encourage the researchers.”
“The salary for researchers in Europe is higher enabling the researchers to sustain their families. If we need to look for extra income, as in Africa, then we become less accountable.  Especially if you are the only the person sustaining your family. Maybe someone needs to pay hospital or funeral costs, the person may want to borrow money urgently and intends to replace that money later, but replacing then maybe it is more difficult than expected.”
“In Europe they share ideas, but in Africa there is a hierarchy instead. The high level may take decision that we do not agree on. People do not tell what they want when in meetings with high level people.”
“In a meeting everyone was agreeing with the leader, but after the meeting when the leader had left, all other participants n the meeting said they will actually not do what has been agreed on.”
“When people come back from studies abroad they come with high ambitions, but after two years they give up, because the environment is too challenging.”
“Also in meetings in Europe, people can choose to hide their opinion.”
“If using money for something else than agreed on, donors in Europe is of the opinion that people have been steeling, and they feel cheated upon.  Europe cannot comprehend this situation, that it can really bed bad like that so that people actually have such difficulties that they see no other alternative than to divert money. This is lack of understanding across cultures.”
“In Europe we just have have to pay back, and if you do not pay back, you will have to pay more and more. This is imposed on Europeans through the country rule-of-law.”
“Regarding the patronizing system, the system is so common that we do not reflect on it. For example building a school, we are used to it, an see no problem. A changed mind-set will require a lot of explanation.”
“People in Europe want to help, but people are born into how to help in a patronizing way.”
“We Europeans can make easily make mistakes and cause problems by imposing our ways on others.”
“Lack of reporting in Africa, even in the government there is lack of reporting. This results in that people do not know what is actually happening. If there would be reporting, then survey would be efficient. Even when for example the World Bank transfer funds they cannot make a proper survey of the impact, because there are no reports. To sort this our African Institutions need to have workshops to discuss progress or no progress.”
“Also within Africa we have different cultures. For example in some places, girls should not go to school, they should focus on helping their husbands. The Europes must show cross-cultural respect, to understand the differences.”
“We lack communication, people are often reluctant to share information because they are afraid that the idea they had will be stolen.”
“People work by themselves and do not want to share information, this also crates a distance between donors and target partner.”

Activities

Sharing knowledge about cross-cultural respect.
Milestone: ActionTalks. Progress marker:  xxx
Milestone: Webinar, 2h per day, 10 days. Progress marker: xxx
Milestone: Sharing the personal stories by the RISE team when they deal with our Target partners. Share this on social media, discuss. Progress marker: xxx
Milestone: Each RISE Centre can make a survey according a pre-prepared template. This will also share about differences. And then we publish. Progress marker: xxx

Scientific Institution Evaluation Planning
Milestone: Provide paid-for training and coaching on the HR&S Strategy for Change (and ROPE) to Institution managements. Progress marker:  xxx
Milestone: Ensure the development of policy-briefs withing scientific institutions to facilitate the communication with the Government. Progress marker:  xxx
Milestone: Transparency and accountability

1. Research funds given to institutions with weak accountability structures must be made well-known. The institution and department management must know exactly how the institution and department will be benefit, also all researcher who shall benefit must be aware of exactly how the shall benefit, so that if funds are diverted the stake-holders will notice and they will know that they suffer.
2. All financial data, reports, auditing reports and management responses must be transparent for the the institution management, department management and the researchers expected to benefit.
3. Platforms to communicate and discuss the scientific environment must be made available, for example Strategy for Change webinars with HR&S.