Technological Capacity Building and Support for Digital Security and the Defence of Digital Rights

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 

The use of information and communication technologies is one of the main factors influencing the modern world. Digital technologies are essential for strengthening the resilience of civil society organisations in times of crisis, shock and disruption, as demonstrated by the Covid19 pandemic. However, they can expose organisations to new and sophisticated types of risk, despite their considerable benefits. It is essential that civil society organisations do not lag behind when it comes to digital security, but strive to improve their digital awareness, skills and capabilities in order to develop greater resilience and better navigate the complex and ever-expanding digital space within their mandates.

WACSI, with the support of the Ford Foundation, is seeking to build the capacity of fifty (50) civil society organisations (CSOs) in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone in digital rights and security, so that they can better protect themselves and advocate for a more conducive and secure online space to advance their mission and maximise their impact.

Organisations will benefit from Cloud and Antivirus software licences to help them strengthen the security and resilience of their actions. A series of training courses covering the types of digital threats and attacks, cybersecurity risks, prevention mechanisms and risk assessment and mitigation will also be organised for eligible organisations to equip them with the skills and expertise needed to prepare them for digital security.

Organisations wishing to take part in the programme are strongly encouraged to apply. here before Tuesday 09 August 2022.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

The specific objective of the programme is to strengthen the capacity of 50 CSOs in West Africa through access to technological tools and support for digital resilience to promote organisational effectiveness and social change.

DURATION

The programme will run from July to September 2022.

EXPECTED RESULTS

The expected results of the technological capacity-building programme are as follows:

• Participating organisations receive digital technology tools;
• Participating organisations adopt and use the digital tools they receive;
• Improving the organisational productivity of participating organisations;
• Strengthening the digital security of participating organisations;
• Strengthening the digital resilience of participating organisations.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To benefit from this project, organisations must meet the requirements below.

• Be a civil society organisation operating in West Africa;
• Be legally registered as a not-for-profit organisation;
• Register or start registering on the platforms TechSoup and Microsoft;
• Be willing to dedicate suitable staff to take part in the training and mentoring phase;
• Commit to the programme and take part in the various activities.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINE 

Interested organisations are invited to complete the application form and submit it by Tuesday 09 August 2022. We will inform you of our decision the week after the deadline.

FOR ALL ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT

• Whitnay SegnonnaProgramme Assistant - Tech, wsegnonna@wacsi.org / +233 501 398 469
• Stella Yawa WowouiProject Manager - TechSoup, swowoui@wacsi.org / +233 500 550 662

CONFIDENTIALITY

Please note that all your personal data submitted as part of this project will only be used to implement the project.Technological Capacity Building and Support for Digital Security and the Defence of Digital Rights"for any related activity falling within the mission and scope of activities of WACSI or its partners.