SOUTH CENTRAL INDIA NETWORK for DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES is a reputed pioneering Networking NGO that has been specializing in the field of development for the past 18-20 years. The Network is constituted of 14 field based organizations that are geographically situated in south central regions of India – 3 districts Andhra Pradesh, 2 district Karnataka and 10 districts in Tamil Nadu. The togetherness strengthens and supports the goal of the Network to collectively participate in empowering the vulnerable, marginalized, underprivileged, socially, degraded, culturally alienated and the politically and economically powerless communities. Through partnerships, programme designs, programme management, impact and sustainability assessment, SCINDeA has built a fairly good community rapport with different sectoral grass root communities covering 283 villages, 205 panchayats, 39 blocks, 26 taluks, 15 districts & a population of 2,73,576.

SCINDeA primarily works with the Dalits, fisher folk, quarry workers, slum dwellers, adivasis, small and marginalised farmers and ex-miners. It is registered as a Society and also with FCRA division of the Home Ministry, Govt. of India having its own character and legal identity. While being an independent Network we are also accountable to our members, communities and Resource Sharing Agencies.

SCINDeA works with the poorest of the poor among the  dalits, adivasis , slum dwellers , quarry workers, fisherfolk  and small and marginalized farmers. Being  a Network  working among multisectoral groups, SCINDeA is involved in integrated rural and tribal development  covering aspects of education, livelihood , child and youth development , community health, women empowerment etc.,  

 While projects/programmes are sublet to partner organizations of the Network and monitored and coordinated by the Secretariat, SCINDeA also directly implements projects from the Secretariat.

Good Practices of the Network

• Decentralised Coordination of programme and finance done by programme staff and accountants of partners of the Network periodically
• Maintaining a single identity within the Network without loosing the  individual organisational identity
• Human resource sharing/expertise available in the Network at all levels
• Capacity building of programme staff at all levels.
• Strengthening individual partner organisations based on need by partners of the Network
• Sharing of audited statement of accounts & narrative reports openly in the Network
• Sharing of budgets with programme staff
• Upgrading skills & managerial capacities by partners of the Network to partners who require it based on need.
• Working collectively on issues of common concern
• Sectoral people’s organizations take the cause forward
• Committees formed for direct programme implementation & monitoring with beneficiary/clients as members of the committee
• Promoting social capital through CBOs like SHGs, cadres, village units, children’s clubs, farmer’s clubs & village level committees.
• Developing assets for BPL families through income generation activities
• People based monitoring tools like FDGs and committee meetings being practiced

Core Non Negotiable Values of the Network 

• Collective democratic participatory decision making
• Gender sensitivity
• Decentralization
• People centered initiatives
• Transparency & accountability
• Mutual sharing
• Solidarity
• Respect for partner organizations in the Network

Salient features of SCINDeA

• Members of the Network have field experience of about 20-30 years
• Corporate identity of the NGO in the Network is maintained while networking between the NGOs is strengthened
• Work among women, quarry workers, youth and children, tribals, dalits, fisherfolk, slum dwellers, eco-workers are some of the unique features of the Network
• One third of the member NGOs are headed by women including at the SCINDeA Secretariat
• SCINDeA is coordinated by the Secretariat with a full time Executive Director
• Training and education of NGOs and the community in various aspects of development is one of the main features
• Planning, implementation, reporting and evaluation of the Network are done collectively ensuring transparency and accountability.  The collective decision of the Network is final
• Project reports and audited statements are consolidated by the Secretariat once in six months and submitted to the resource sharing agencies. It is also shared with the members of the Network
• Member NGOs share a cordial relationship with one another and with the Secretariat
• Within the Network there is no hierarchy and all members are equal
• Policy decisions are taken by the Executive Committee of the Network and ratified by the SCINDeA General Body Association
• The Executive Committee takes all interim decisions such as making provisions for budgetary requirements that are required to ensure the smooth running of the Network
• Deviation of programme implementation with adequate justification is placed before the Executive Committee for consideration via the Secretariat
• At the Annual General Body meeting of SCINDeA narrative reports of the programmes of all NGOs along with their audited accounts and balance sheets are shared and discussed. A minimum of one beneficiary and two programme coordinators participate in the meeting
• Conflicts within the partner organisation or between the partner organisations of the Network are resolved by the Network itself.

The time has come for NGOs to no longer depend on foreign funds which are now shrinking. Since the Indian economy is growing there is sufficient funds for rural development within the various corporate houses.  It is also necessary for corporates to now be involved in socio economic development of the communities by using a portion of their profits for the poor and marginalized communities. This will add to the branding of the corporate and promote corporate products while at the same time improving the quality of life of poor families.     

SCINDeA is a long standing NGO working in the south central region of India for the last 23 years. Good rapport has been built with the communities. Programme objectives have been achieved because of the detailed collective planning of activities that is important for the success of any programme. Sustainable positive outcomes are visible because the programmes are owned by the communities. A robust mechanism for programme and finance monitoring is in place.

We assure you that the corporate funds for people’s development  are safe with SCINDeA and will be used judiciously through careful programme  monitoring  and fund utilization.