<incom> forget stockholm

[Daniel Pimienta]

>(Time and again, people contact me and ask what to make of the Stockholm 
>Challenge and whether or not to apply. I think it's a waste of time and 
>alway tell them not to. True or not? Geert)

I just can share my experience of Stockholm Challenge 2000 which was 
publically documented in form of a spontaneous user evaluation form (and is 
still accesible in the web and googlized in position 3 with the search 
"stockholm challenge evaluation").
http://funredes.org/mistica/bdd/men.php3/idi/en/id/304

The evaluation hold a strong conclusion:

"EXTERNAL NETWORKING (funding, business opportunities): 0
It is worth noting that those expectations were over cultivated by 
representatives of the organization doing an intense telephone activity to 
motivate projects of the South to join the Stockholm Challenge.

Apart the presence of the two representatives from WB/Infodev and EU/ISPO 
(Challenge sponsors), the opportunities for such contacts were null. As for 
local agencies, attempts to meet with Swedish Cooperation representatives 
(SIDA and SAREC) also failed because the 3 first days of the event were not 
working days and apparently those organizations were not informed of the 
event and requests for meeting were not relayed to them.

In that context, one could personally feel abused; institutionally one have 
to regret to have invest NGO staff time and supporting agencies funds.
...
In dealing with the non profit sector working for development there are 
some basic rules which has not been respected by the Stockholm Challenge."

This was back in 2000. I do hope that in spite of the total lack of 
feedback this evaluation, which was sent to all parties, has provoked some 
positive changes and I am curious and eager to read testimonies...