APCOM has been collaborating with nine other regional and global networks of advocates, including MSMGF as the lead organization, under The Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks. The Consortium members dedicate their work to maximizing efficiency and coordinating global efforts to support the sexual health and human rights of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people. Collaboration is more important than ever given decreases in available funding to advocacy groups.
“(Even) Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts: A Case Study on Working Together as the Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks” documents the impact of the Consortium’s efforts and describes the added value of collaboration. The primary context of the case study is the Consortium’s implementation of two grants by the Robert Carr civil society Networks Fund (RCNF) over the past two years. The Case Study highlights multiple examples of how working in a Consortium has benefited member networks and MSM and transgender communities in general. Among others, these benefits include:
- Providing opportunities to strengthen the organizational capacity of member regional and global networks, and laying the foundations for strengthened advocacy
- Improving the quality of programs and advocacy for MSM and transgender communities, by streamlining communications, pooling expertise and agreeing on good practice
- Providing a stable, global platform that serves as a united front to tackle sensitive issues and hostile environments by offering credibility, legitimacy and protection to individual networks
- Facilitating joint access to funding opportunities, reducing competition and producing a more time- and cost-efficient model of grant management.
