Implementing Comprehensive HIV/STI Programmes with Sex Workers Implementing Comprehensive HIV/STI Programmes with | Page 36

1 Community Empowerment

Financial management is another key component of organizational sustainability. It can be developed
in a number of ways depending on the potential capacity of the organization, its resources and the
complexity of its finances. An organization may manage its finances in-house or may outsource the
work to another local organization. Regardless of the size of the organization, important components
of a strong financial management system include:
• well-documented financial systems and financial controls
• financial files documented and audit-ready
• financial reporting procedures known and understood by members
• an adequate number of qualified financial staff, depending upon the complexity and size of the
organization.
Community systems strengthening—strengthening the collective—also involves developing
procedures to sustain group operations, including a transparent and democratic process to
elect leaders, as well as the mentoring of new leaders and planning for succession. Sex worker
organizations are often started by a small number of dynamic individuals. However, to be sustainable,
these organizations must ensure strong leadership and organizational management and invest in
developing future leaders. This requires resources for leadership training and capacity-building as well
as connections with national, sub-regional, regional and global networks of sex workers to exchange
knowledge, experience and support. Organizational leadership and management activities include:
• strategic planning that reflects the organization’s vision and mission
• leadership that includes a broad range of staff and other community members in organizational
decision-making and ensures sharing of information across the organization
• processes in place to manage change and seek new opportunities.
Developing a wider base of skills and leadership within the collective and linking with other
organizations can help ensure the sustainability of a sex worker organization in the face of changing
donor funding or changing leadership in other governmental or nongovernmental organizations.

1.2.7 Shaping policy and creating enabling environments

2012 Recommendations: Good Practice Recommendation 3

Community empowerment processes reach beyond the community to influence policy and create
enabling environments. For example:
• HIV programmes should take affirmative steps to promote the universality of human rights for sex
workers, including their rights to health, dignity and lives free from violence, discrimination and
stigma. (For details on addressing violence, see Chapter 2.)
• National strategic health plans should recognize sex workers’ heightened HIV risk and vulnerability
and ensure that integrated, high-quality health services are available, affordable and accessible for
female, male and transgender sex workers.

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