What is SNV?
Who work for SNV?
What does SNV want to achieve?
In what sectors do we work?
What do we do?
What is our approach?
What is the role of Inclusive Business in our work?
How does SNV finance the programming?
Who are SNV’s funders?
What are the positive results of SNV’s work?
About the organisation
What is SNV?
SNV is an independent international development organisation, established in the Netherlands in 1965. We have over 40 years of experience in the field, and are currently working in 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Balkans.
Who work for SNV?
SNV’s advisors in the field come from a variety of cultural and technical backgrounds, and an increasing number are nationals of the countries where we operate. At the moment, we employ over 900 professional advisors across 35 countries. Altogether SNV works with around 1,500 fulltime staff worldwide. SNV has more than 100 offices around the world. The head office is based in The Hague, the Netherlands. We also have a partnership office in Washington DC.
Our mission
What does SNV want to achieve?
Our aim is to alleviate poverty by integrating those on the lowest incomes into social and economic networks, enabling them to increase their income and employment opportunities.
At the same time we improve people’s access to basic services like water, sanitation and hygiene, energy and education. Both objectives provide lasting impact in terms of reducing poverty in all its dimensions.
SNV empowers local people to deal with their own situation. Their own knowledge and experience alone will lead to sustainable and balanced growth in developing countries. This capacity development allows them to take their lives into their own hands and overcome poverty. The objectives of SNV reflect strongly the Millennium Development Goals.
Work in the field
In what sectors do we work?
We work in agriculture, renewable energy, education, water, sanitation & hygiene and tourism. Our work in each region is tailored to local needs and opportunities. Cross-sector solutions play an important role in our work.
Cross-cutting themes in our programmes are gender, transparency, anti-corruption and good governance, depending on the region. We believe they add to building stronger societies. In West Africa, for example, we trained municipalities in six countries on how to in fight corruption and delegate authority.
What do we do?
SNV provides the framework which allows the development of a sustainable future. These are some of the steps in this process in which we play an important role:
- identify and open up new markets (as well as opening up existing markets to specific groups)
- value chain and stakeholder analysis (to better understand the complexity of processes)
- bringing parties together (by advocacy and building relationships)
- providing strategic and longer-term advice
- finding funding or setting the structure for people to apply for funding
- stimulate innovation
What is our approach?
We are an expertise based organisation; we do not give any money. Our work goes beyond helping people; it’s about building capacities and learning from each other. Local presence, thorough analysis, building longer-term relations and engaged advisory services are vital for this. Local solutions can then be replicated and adapted to other sectors, regions and countries. In this way we are able to scale the activities and investments in areas where it really matters.
We do not undertake local development ourselves, but share our expertise in projects from our partners. Close collaboration with partners is essential for what we do. SNV works together with national, regional and local governments, non-profit and public organisations as well as the private sector.
Thorough analysis
Analysis lies at the basis of our work. We analyse what problems stand in the way of sustainable growth, and which services are required to solve these, and which opportunities arise. Stakeholder research helps us to identify the right partners to work with. Based on this knowledge, we decide what exactly SNV’s role should be in a project.
Value chain analysis is carried out in the different sectors and regions in which we operate. For each part of the chain we analyse how improvements can make a difference.
Bringing parties together
Our role in many projects is to bring parties together that do not automatically connect. We enable them to find solutions and opportunities together, thus creating longer-term links. These parties could be the producers, exporters or consumers of certain goods, as well as governments and representatives of sectors. In Ecuador, an advisory board for bamboo production was created, to influence local politicians. In Mali, these contacts led to the abolishment of illicit taxes for livestock along border roads. We connect people at a local, regional, national and international level.
Longer-term advice
We do not offer training as a standard product, as this often does not address local needs. Our advisors pass on their deep and varied, yet complementary knowledge and experience from different sectors through mentoring. In Niger, we have helped prepare future mayors for their democratic responsibilities. In Asia, SNV has been advising various parties for many years on the use of domestic biogas installations. So far, more than 1,8 million people have benefited in terms of energy supply and improved health conditions.
What is the role of Inclusive Business in our work?
SNV stood at the basis of Inclusive Business (IB) development, in which local communities and the low-income segment are linked into the market of leading businesses. Increased profitability is the starting point of this entrepreneurial strategy. Low-income communities gain access to the economy chain, and the leading companies benefit in terms of market expansion and lower supply costs.
In Latin America, SNV works in an alliance with the World Business Council since 2006. Together we set up more than 70 inclusive businesses in 8 countries in the region. One of our tasks is advocacy with local governments to create the legal framework and the infrastructure for IB to expand. It is now finding its way into Asia, the Balkans and the Africa regions.
Finance
How does SNV finance the programming?
We do not donate money to local projects, but we stimulate access to funding and leveraging funding. Working with our partners, we are building a long lasting framework for finance in the regions where we operate. For example, with the Asian Development Bank we developed sustainable loan structures for biogas installations.
Who are SNV’s funders?
The core of SNV’s funding is through an agreement with the Netherland’s Foreign Ministry’s Directorate General of International Cooperation (DGIS). SNV projects and programmes are also funded by other bi-lateral donors, multi-lateral donors, foundations, institutions and co-funded partnerships. These include, but are not limited to, the Western Union Foundation, UN World Tourism Organisation, USAID.
Partnerships
Who are we working with?
Partnerships are essential for our work. We engage strategically with parties that are critical in poverty reduction in terms of commitment, linkages to poverty reduction strategies and potential for change.
Our partners are, amongst others, Agriterra, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Harvard University, Unicef, the World Bank, the European Commission, the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) and private corporations including Unilever and Dole.
Positive results
What are the positive results of SNV’s work?
People in more than 35 countries in the world will benefit from better access to basic services and national and international value chains. SNV programmes allow people to strengthen their capacities, take ownership of their own sustainable development, and overcome poverty.
* Examples of achievements?
- An increase in number of jobs in agriculture of approximately 650,000 in East and South Africa.
- 30% increase of milk and milk products marketed by women producers in West and Central Africa.
- Forestry Networks effectively exchange joint learning of forestry practices and methods in the Balkans.
- Access to domestic biogas for 308,000 households in Asia.
- In Tanzania, the Water Point Mapping initiated by Water Aid and SNV has now reached a national scale.
- In Latin America, 50.000 low income people participated in vocational education and/or improved employment activities.
- 15% income increase from Tourism activities in 100,000 households in Asia.
History
What do the initials ‘SNV’ stand for?
SNV was derived from Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers (Dutch Volunteers Foundation). The name was formally established in 1965, when two separate development organisations joined forces. Since a long time, SNV does not work with volunteers anymore.