Much more than a Local Section of the NGO, an OSI Local Group in your country is the de facto gathering of all OSI member operators present in your country, who are active and employed in initiatives started and developed locally.
These OSI members in your country emerge from your initiative to establish an OSI Local Group.
Creating an OSI Local Group in your country enables you to bring “Objectif Sciences International” to your country, its people, and your Government. This includes all associated aspects (UN, UNESCO relations, academic and industry partnerships) and, most importantly, the creation of local jobs focused on science education and research programs.
During the GENEVA FORUM held by OSI at the UN (United Nations) in December 2014, a Simplified and Accelerated Procedure for creating a Local Group of the NGO OSI in a country was developed and finalized with the Permanent Representations to the UN who were present and active in this working session.
The OSI Local Group is the established form of deployment for the NGO Objectif Sciences International in a country.
The Simplified and Accelerated Procedure was published on this link:
The Simplified and Accelerated Procedure published on this link: http://www.objectif-sciences-international.org/-Groupes-Locaux-.html
indicates that once you have gathered a minimum of 15 genuinely committed participants on the Local Group forum, you must begin organizing the Local Group Launch Seminar.
You will need to organize the arrival of the OSI Trainer in your country, who will conduct the NGO’s Level 1 training, “Science Pedagogy by Project, applied to Participatory ResearchParticipatory Researchsee : http://www.voyages-scientifiques.com for Sustainable Development.” This training lasts 3 days. The goal is to bring together between 40 and 100 participants for this training. Around 60 participants is a good number, though we can easily accommodate 100 participants. This training should be organized:
or in the city center of your country’s main urban hub.
This Level 1 training is open to the public of your country, including individuals or professionals not involved in the creation of the Local Group, as the content is attractive to anyone interested in the training theme.
People from countries other than the one hosting the seminar are also welcome.
Following this 3-day training, there is a 1-day break: a rest day for the trainer and for the trainees who will continue with the seminar afterward.
After this rest day, we then organize a 6-day seminar. This Initial Training Seminar on Program Manager Roles is for the 10 to 15 project leaders within the OSI Local Group in Senegal, as well as mentors wishing to better understand the tools used to support their mentees. All future scientific educators are also welcome to participate. During this seminar, OSI will provide you with a complete roadmap to establish OSI operations in your country. We will follow this roadmap to provide you with all the keys and technical training needed, adapting and scaling this toolkit to your country’s specific context. At the end of this first 10-day meeting (3 days of Level 1 training for 40 to 100 people + one day of rest + 6 days of seminar for 10 to 15 people), the OSI Local Group in your country becomes a REALITY. Following this seminar, everything is already in place for you to begin operations.
The following processes will be in place, and each year we will meet again on-site according to the rhythm of operations, as well as at the OSI Annual Convention at the UN in Geneva in December each year.
Within the OSI Local Group in the country: by the end of the Level 1 Training (first 3 days):
there will be Scientific Educators,
colleagues capable of also becoming Program Leaders if they attend the Seminar. by the end of the Seminar (next 6 days):
there will be Program Leaders for Pedagogy and Sustainable Development Logistics,
Program Leaders for Participatory Development,
Program Leaders for Science Research and Education,
individual or professional actors capable of joining the central Resource Center team of OSI in your country (OSI Togo Operations, OSI Peru Operations, OSI Switzerland Operations, etc.).
Additional details on the expected participants:
First 3 days: Initial training in Project-Based Science Pedagogy applied to Participatory Research
Open to all types of audiences:
External teachers who can return to their school with this training,
Students aiming to become Scientific Educators afterward (any scientific or technical field, from hard sciences and electronics to humanities and life sciences),
Sponsors, partners, and observers, journalists...
Heads of scientific departments in Universities, Labs, Engineering Schools,
Business leaders from Service, Industry, or Primary Production sectors,
Educators and Logisticians, Project Managers, NGO Managers,
Sales and Marketing professionals.
Last 6 days: Initial Training Seminar for OSI Program Management Roles
Selected Audience:
Sponsors, partners, and mentors who want to understand the tools and methods their mentees receive to better support them,
Heads of scientific departments in Universities, Labs, Engineering Schools who want to invest in creating an NGO RESEARCH Program in their country,
Business leaders from Service, Industry, or Primary Production sectors interested in establishing an NGO DEVELOPMENT Program in their country,
Educators and Logisticians, Project Managers, NGO Managers who want to help create an NGO PEDAGOGY AND LOGISTICS Program in their country,
Sales and Marketing professionals interested in setting up a DEVELOPMENT Program for the NGO in their country,
Students and Teachers aspiring to become scientific educators who want to understand the tools and methodologies used by future Program Leaders for better collaboration,
Anyone wishing to join the OSI Local Resource Center in the Local Group’s country.
What Organizational Elements Should Be Considered?
Once we confirm with you that we are organizing such a Local Group launch seminar in your country, we will send links to the web pages that will allow you to organize the Level 1 Training “Project-Based Science Pedagogy, applied to Participatory Research for Sustainable Development” and the “Initial Training Seminar for Program Management Roles” in YOUR COUNTRY.
You will have access to the website that will enable you to translate these pages into your country’s language. If another group already speaks your language, the documents will already be available in that language.
On these web pages, your audience will find a description of the session in your country (content, dates, fees, locations, organization, registration form), deployment schedule for the Local Group, and information on the program’s relevance to the country.
These interlinked pages have been used by previously established Groups.
Here is the cost distribution that has allowed other Local Groups to establish themselves.
Objectif Sciences International covers:
all necessary preparation and organizational costs at headquarters,
two-thirds of the trainer’s fees, with the final third to be covered by the Local Group,
part of the trainer’s travel and visa expenses, with the remaining portion covered by the Local Group.
The OSI Local Group in the country is responsible for:
covering its share of the trainer’s travel expenses,
its share of the trainer’s fees (OSI covers the other portion),
arranging homestay accommodation for the trainer with a project member (avoid hotels; budget for a small allowance for the host—amount to be determined),
providing meals for the trainer at the homestay (budget for a host allowance—amount to be determined),
securing a venue for the 3-day training to accommodate 60 people seated around a U-shaped table or 100 people in an amphitheater (venue should be provided for free by a University, association, Ministry, or a nature center that may host future Participatory Research groups),
securing a venue for the 6-day training for 20 to 30 people, based on estimated attendance,
printing training materials (an 80-page workbook per person—costs vary by country).
These costs are covered by participant registration fees for the Level 1 Training and Program Manager Training Seminar.
What Needs to Be Decided/Established to Launch the Operation?
You will receive the pages describing the Training and Seminar. The first and primary task is to widely promote this training description and gather the necessary participants (40 to 100, depending on the participation fee set) by distributing the links to these web pages across the country.
What Happens if We Collect More Funds Than Our Expenses?
If the total registration fees collected exceed the total training costs based on the agreed-upon budget, the remaining balance can be used to fund a small official reception to announce the establishment of the Local Group in your country. This event would be organized at the end of the 6-day seminar following the Level 1 training, before the trainer’s departure.
On Which Days Should We Invite Observers, Partners, and Government Representatives?
On the morning of the first day of the 3-day Training: This is an opportunity to invite journalists to introduce OSI in general, as well as the specific project.
On the afternoon of the first day of the 6-day Seminar: This time is ideal to invite observers, partners, and government representatives, as well as journalists, for an official launch ceremony of the Local Group project in the country.
IMPORTANT: During the 10-day period, a shared meal will also be organized, where each participant brings a simple dish to share. This shared table creates a festive and energizing moment for the project and everyone involved.
Here is an example of what took place in Togo in August 2015.
After 3 months of information dissemination, a total of 95 participants registered, some at the very last minute, even on the morning of the event, as soon as they learned of the opportunity. All participants paid their registration fees individually to receive the training. No special exemptions were granted.
At the end, many approached the trainer to say that, after seeing what they had received, they would have been willing to pay three to five times more. They were very satisfied.
Participants were pleased to have invested in training that not only provided them with valuable content but also established OSI’s presence in their country, creating economic opportunities and employment locally.
Individual registrations fully funded the entire operation. No public aid, which would have taken longer to secure, was necessary.
The launch seminar for the Local Group concluded with all necessary actors identified and trained in their roles. The Togo Local Group is now autonomous and operational in their country.
What Online Presentation Documents and Registration Interfaces Are Available for This Seminar?
Two web pages are created for your launch operation:
A web page presents the significance of establishing the Local Group for the country and provides details of the Launch Seminar dates.
Another web page describes the content of the 3-day Level 1 Training.
One online registration page is created:
A registration form for the Level 1 Training is created specifically for your country and your selected dates.
An existing page is also referenced:
On the web page explaining the importance of creating a Local Group in your country, a link to the Simplified and Accelerated Procedure for creating an OSI Local Group is provided, so those interested can fully understand the current action’s context and purpose.
We will provide you with these links once the operation details are finalized with you (location, dates, and fees).
Funding
What is OSI’s Funding Model? How Will the OSI Local Group in My Country Be Funded?
Objectif Sciences International was established in 1992, since which time the organization has been dedicated to Science Education and Research initiatives. In 2004, Mr. Thomas EGLI, President of Objectif Sciences International, developed the Participatory Research model, combining Science Education and Scientific Research programs to advance research efforts with the help of volunteers who contribute while learning through hands-on practice. Supported by his professional colleagues from various fields, he launched the first Participatory Research projects worldwide in 2005. This was initially a pilot program, as no similar project had ever been conducted. Due to the success of this pilot in educational, scientific, and economic terms, the team decided to continue only with this model. Thus, Participatory Research was born. In this context, Objectif Sciences International was recognized as an NGO in 2009 and received Special Consultative Status with the UN (United Nations, ECOSOC Economic and Social Council) in 2011.
OSI’s funding model, and that of each OSI Local Group worldwide, is based on this operational structure.
OSI consists of Active Members, each of whom is a specialized operator in a field they master (pedagogy, logistics, research, development, projects, etc.). Each of these operators can provide the best of their expertise to others through methodological resources supplied by the OSI Resource Center. Together, these operators can generate high-level Participatory Research activities due to OSI’s platform, which allows them to collaborate and establish the necessary partnerships to carry out Participatory Research projects.
Alone, without OSI, each operator could continue to perform their usual activities effectively. With OSI, however, each operator can, through the methodology unique to this network, provide what is expected by other operators.
Together, without OSI’s presence, these operators would be unable to implement Science Education or Research actions that are Participatory Research Actions. This is achievable due to the NGO’s specialized methodology and over 20 years of expertise. Moreover, the methods and work cycles specific to this field, which Active Members gain access to, enable them to elevate Participatory Research actions to the highest level of implementation, research advancement, volunteer engagement, and, naturally, international visibility (UN, UNESCO, Governments, Partners, Foundations…).
Implementing these Participatory Research activities provides the primary funding for the OSI Local Group in your country.
The establishment of Participatory Research projects activates funding generated by these actions, as they are part of Participatory Research. This funding supports all operators involved in these projects in your country, providing foundational support for ongoing operations. From this baseline, which is then sustainable year after year, you can ensure continuity and access additional funding from national or international sources or from OSI itself. Once you launch Participatory Research actions within OSI, these projects are featured in the OSI international program catalog, bringing in funding from volunteers worldwide.
This unique funding model, developed by OSI, is presented during the Local Group Launch Seminar in your country. By the end of this seminar, you will be familiar with OSI’s work methodology and able to access this Participatory Research funding.
Further down in this FAQ page, you will find additional information that clarifies how this takes practical form in your country.
How is the Local Group Launch Seminar in My Country Funded?
The seminar must be financially balanced. Depending on your country, costs for producing materials and travel may vary slightly. If you contact us to organize this Seminar, we will develop a budget together. Based on whether you anticipate 100 or just 50 participants, the seminar fee will differ to ensure that the budget balances. This detailed budget becomes our shared document for tracking the Seminar’s organization progress.
In any case, we will agree on an affordable fee for residents in your country. The training provided during this seminar is of very high quality and is open both to the general public (additional participants in the Seminar) and to project leaders interested in joining OSI (gaining skills unique to OSI’s expertise). This fee will reflect the level of the content provided.
Once these 10 days are completed, the operators forming the OSI Local Group in your country will be fully operational. During the seminar, we establish and implement the programming for your OSI Local Group’s first activity, allowing you to immediately operate independently, with the support of OSI’s international headquarters to guide you through your first year and a full learning cycle. After the first year, you can significantly expand your activities, especially through partnerships with OSI operators worldwide.
State institutions, both central and local, do not have funds allocated for funding/subsidizing activities or programs like those of OSI. How will the OSI Local Group in my Country be funded?
The Local Group launch seminar includes a section on developing a financing strategy tailored to each specific location, taking into account the country’s, regions’, policies, possibilities, and ambitions.
The training seminar for NGO Program Leaders is practical in format, providing the full methodology and OSI toolkit, directly adapted to the local circumstances of the country. Therefore, this seminar serves as both foundational training and a workshop for defining the operational structure specific to the Local Group.
The funds available to both public and private universities are strictly allocated for internal university programs and are tightly controlled, making it impossible to fund external programs. How can the OSI Local Group in my Country access such funding?
Within the OSI Local Group in your country, by the end of the seminar, there will be:
Program Leaders in Sustainable Development Pedagogy and Logistics,
Participatory Development Program Leaders,
Science Research and Education Program Leaders.
These Programs are entities within your country created during the OSI Local Group launch seminar, making them eligible to establish specific partnerships with public, semi-public, or private organizations interested in such collaborations. For instance, this may include research delegations or private research contracts provided by an OSI Research Program. Thus, OSI Programs in your country can access funding from research grants or receive payments for services rendered by the OSI Program.
However, these funds are secondary, supplementing primary revenue.
The primary revenue for Programs comes from OSI’s Participatory Research activities. OSI brings together the necessary professional skills to carry out Participatory Research. Participatory Research includes its own funding within its activity. This unique OSI expertise is shared during the Local Group launch seminar. After the seminar, members of the OSI Local Group in your country will understand the ins and outs of this funding model, established and developed by OSI. This involves funding Research and Education by creating Participatory Research activities.
In my country, the private sector and business community only sponsor TV cultural programs, shows, concerts, charity events, etc. They do not fund NGOs or other associations, including our areas of focus. How can we access this type of funding?
We will not need private funding as our primary revenue source since Participatory Research activities will fund these operations.
However, we have developed various approaches for engaging the private sector and business community. These approaches will be provided during the seminar, which is specifically designed to give you these tools.
The fact that the Local Group can operate year after year based on the primary revenue from Participatory Research allows time to engage the private sector with attractive new sponsorship themes. OSI has developed a useful guide for potential sponsors, enabling them to calculate their return on investment between a cultural event, a sports event, or a Participatory Research activity.
Foreign donors present in my Country already have their programs and partners, making it practically impossible to access funding through them.
Yes, this is common when launching an activity, as existing donors usually have preferred programs. Any new program must continue operating to gradually attract emerging donors or be selected by existing donors as they renew their funding rounds. OSI Participatory Research revenue enables these Programs to sustain themselves over time, gradually attracting additional donors and securing extra funding.
Opportunities
If we create an OSI Local Group in our Country, will citizens be able to participate in OSI research activities elsewhere in the world?
Each Participatory Research activity is carefully budgeted during its initial design and at each annual renewal. This budgeting includes the planned activities and the cost structure of the Participatory Research activity. This cost structure determines the total, actual cost of the activity. Volunteers who register or are sponsored partially or fully cover the total activity cost. By following and adhering to this cost structure, the OSI Local Group platform you established distributes funds to the relevant operators involved in each Participatory Research activity. Local operators (Research, Logistics, or Development Programs that you created in your country, as well as local scientific educators) receive the funds needed for their work, enabling them to carry out the Participatory Research activity with these resources.
Can OSI secure funding resources from outside my Country, where such resources may be lacking?
In addition to the economic activities and jobs created by the OSI Local Group in your country, OSI International provides supplementary funding from your country’s Participatory Research activities being featured in OSI’s international catalog. Volunteers and sponsors from around the world have access to your country’s Participatory Research offerings.
In my country, interested professionals will only engage if they receive financial support for their work. Is this possible?
We allow volunteer involvement, as those who wish to volunteer should have the opportunity.
However, the funding model for OSI Local Group activities in your country is not based on volunteerism.
It is based on remunerating all operators for their work, using a cost structure defined during the Local Group launch seminar based on OSI tools, aligned with your country’s purchasing power, living costs, and average pay scales.
Thus, this is about creating paid jobs in your country in exchange for quality work across the skill areas represented at the Seminar (see related question on the target audience for the Seminar).
However, as with any startup activity, only individuals interested in building an activity should attend the Program Leaders’ Training Seminar. Those expecting an immediate, ready-made job are not the intended participants for this seminar.
Additional Questions
For additional questions, post a message on this link. You will receive a response directly in your email inbox.
