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CHRISTIAN RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

ROLE OF THE LIAISON OFFICE IN USA

Purpose of the Liaison Office

The Liasion Office is established to represent CRDA and serve as its base in the United States of America. The office will be responsible for the establishment of long-term partnership with Ethiopians, Ethiopia’s friends in Diaspora, and Development Partners in the USA, with the objective of mobilizing resources that are required for the realization of CRDA’S development endeavors in Ethiopia.

Duties and responsibilities of the Office

Major Activities

	Represent the CHRISTIAN RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION in the United States, with accreditation to;
	Prepare three-year plans and annual plans.
	Awareness Raising - Raise the awareness of Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia in Diaspora, potential donors and other development partners as well as the public by using available means of communication, such as,the internet, regular news-lette and up-dates produced by the Liaision Office, media programmers, the documentation of CRDA Home Office, organized forums, etc., on the,
		Development needs and challenges in Ethiopia.
		Work of CRDA membership and the NGO Community in general.
		Possible modality of cooperation and collaboration.
	Technical Assistance - Identify and establish links with International networks and development partners that haveStrategic importance to the work of CRDA member organizationsin the areas of training, research, exchange of information andexperience, transfer of appropriate technology as well as exchange of expertise.
	Advocacy – Support the Home Office in its advocacy activities requiring the backing of the international community on policy and development issues of concern to the people of Ethiopia.
	Resource of Mobilization – Facilitate resource mobilizations, such as financial and material, for capacity building programs and developmentprojects of CRDA member organizations through the following strategies.
Target partners that are Ethiopians in Diaspora and Friends of Ethiopia
	Establish a membership of Ethiopians and Friends of Ethiopia, and a fixed membership fee as contribution.
	Form a Fund-raising Committee composed of appropriate prominent and motivated members of the society to; Organize annual fund-raising events to at least one major development need every year. Devise mechanism to secure resources for the establishment of delegated funds for development projects. Design a long term project to acquire assets in the USA that can generate income and strategize to raise the necessary funds for the investments. This will ensure the sustainability of the Liaison Office’s support to the Home office.
Target partners that are donor partners;
	Identify potential donor partners, establish and expand a donor-base in the USA and North American countries.
	Organize a Donors’ Round-table Meetings every three years, present the three-year plans of CRDA and secure the necessary financial support.
Target partners in Government
	Establish long-term cooperation and collaboration with relevant Government agencies and secure matching funds for resources secured locally.
	Plan and organize expertise exchange programs, exposure visits, etc.,
	Report to donor partners and other relevant stakeholders on the utilization of the resources secured by the Home Office in general and the Liaison Office in particular.
	Provide relevant information on various development issues of concern and use to the Home Office.
	Prepare and disseminate newsletters and up-dates, periodicals, and annual activity reports of the Liaison Office.
	Disseminate the publication of the Home Office.
ROUTINE ACTIVITIES
	Prepare activity reports for the regular and special meetings of the Board, which should include the summary of;
		Mobilized and transferred resources to the Home Office.
		Other supports acquired and allocated.
		Policy issues requiring decisions of the Board.
	Set agenda, organize and facilitate regular and special Board meetings and telephone conferences as well as other Committee meetings.
	Prepare and keep minutes of Board and other Committee meetings.
	Maintain members and donors’ data base.
	Handle the day-to-day overall management of the Liaison Office, by putting in place and maintaining sound management and accounting systems.
	Execute (perform) such other duties as are assigned to it by the Board.
Few Strategies for Efficient and Effective Management of the Office
	The Liaison Office should be kept as small as possible in order to avoid overhead costs.
	Complete project proposals for fund-raising from donor partners and they should be forwarded by the Home Office in order to reduce the volume of work of the Liaison Office.
	Most of the resource mobilization through events could be handled by volunteers
	Some of the routine activities of the Office could also be handledby volunteers.
	Some of the routine activities of the Office could also be handledby volunteers.