Ranchi, Dec. 8: Indian Institute of Management-Ranchi is toying with the idea of starting a course tailor-made for social service sector personnel working with NGOs.
As part of the proposed management programme, volunteers and full-time employees of NGOs will be trained in preparing project reports, manage finances and develop websites and other related works that together ensure that such an organisation runs smoothly.
Institute director M.J. Xavier hinted at the plans while inaugurating three correspondence courses on community-based rehabilitation (CBR) at Deepshikha, a renowned city NGO working to assimilate special children into the mainstream since 1988.
"Management is the need of the hour. We are planning to start a course in NGO management to train personnel in preparing budgets and project reports and developing websites and other similar activities. The number of NGOs working in the state prompted the idea," he said in his address.
However, he also spoke about hurdles in the way. "We are finding it difficult to implement the course as our fees are high and we are on the lookout for sponsors," he said.
Later he added that sponsorship should not be a problem as public sector units in the state had large budgets for corporate social responsibility, a small part of which could be used to sponsor NGO workers wanting to do the course.
At Deepshikha, Xavier inaugurated a one-year postgraduate diploma course in community based rehabilitation for graduates, a one year diploma in CBR for undergraduates and a three-month certificate programme in planning and management of NGOs and self help organisations for undergraduates. All the courses are affiliated to Bangalore University and are recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), New Delhi. The course fees are Rs 19,475, Rs 10,335 and Rs 2,900 respectively. Forty students attended the induction programme today.
Director (academics) of Deepshikha Alka Nizamie said the NGO at present, as many as 6,000 special children are enrolled with outdoor units of the NGO and around 130 special children come for regular training.