About Us

CSSC History

In February 1991, a consultation was held in Moshi town, Kilimanjaro Region with approximately 100 participants from churches, agencies, government institutions and international organizations. The consultation was a culmination point of a dialogue process that had been going on for some time between leaders of the German Churches, the Government of Tanzania and German Churches respectively their agencies.

The dialogue was about the grave setbacks in the quality of social services in Tanzania, caused by the economic difficulties, which had stuck Tanzania during the 1980s. As a result, Tanzanian Government had reduced its support to the social sector and the Tanzania Churches were no longer in the position to maintain a reasonable standard for their social services. The church owned hospitals, health centers, dispensaries, schools and other social institutions which were suffered the adverse economic conditions. Thus, the church leaders approached their friends overseas to discuss the issue.

The German Church agencies became aware of the problem, which was beyond their capacity to solve; therefore, they started searching for additional and more powerful partners to support the process. Having well established relations to the German Government, it was logic to discuss the issue with the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Ministry realized how serious the situation was and recommend for intergovernmental funds that is the funds that are provided for the cooperation between government of German and Government of Tanzania should be available to support churches’ social services.

Therefore, The Moshi consultation meeting was to allow church leaders and experts to explore state/ church cooperation in Tanzania. The task force was formed with the main task to study the acceptability of a direct cooperation between German government and Tanzania, to identify areas of cooperation and propose a type of structure needed for the implementation of program.

The result paved the way for the new type of cooperation that had been envisaged and Christian Social Services Commission was established and charged with the duty to carry out programs in health and education with funds made available from bilateral cooperation.The result paved the way for the new type of cooperation that had been envisaged and Christian Social Services Commission was established and charged with the duty to carry out programs in health and education with funds made available from bilateral cooperation.

The result paved the way for the new type of cooperation that had been envisaged and Christian Social Services Commission was established and charged with the duty to carry out programs in health and education with funds made available from bilateral cooperation.

The issue was documented in the Memorandum of Understanding which became a formal agreement signed by the Government of Tanzania, the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) and the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC).

Christian Social Services Commission was registered as a society with the Registrar of Societies in Tanzania in January 1993. It became a legal entity by being incorporated under the trustees’ Incorporation Ordinance.

CSSC was established with the view of planning, financing, coordinating, improving, expanding and/or rehabilitating social services, with special emphasis in the education and health sectors (1st Constitution of CSSC p.1)

Objectives

• To contribute to the physical, mental and spiritual development of the Tanzania people through facilitating the provision of quality social services to all the people regardless of colour, race and creed.

• To foster promotion, improvement and expansion of education, health and other social services all over Tanzania

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT-Specific Objectives

• To establish a small and efficient organizational structure for CSSC
• To give high priority to the central core function of policy advocacy in the organizational structure of CSSC
• To establish a structure that reflects the distinction between core functions and programme work
• To rationalize and optimize the size of support staff to the core functions
• To develop a structure that will enhance additional income in support of CSSC budget from consultancies and other technical services.

Size of the Structure

The old structure had 47 staff positions whereas the new structure has 35 staff. The new structure has reduced core positions from 16 to 10 out of which there would be 8 core professional positions. 

• The two fully fledged Technical Departments under the old structure have been reduced to four small core units under the Deputy Director:

o    Policy Advocacy and Research (Health)

o    Policy Advocacy and Research (Education)

o    Technical Support Services (Health)

o    Technical Support Services (Education)

• The fully pledged Department of Finance and Administration was reduced to two small units of Finance under the Chief Accountant and Administrative Support Services under the Head of the Unit. The two units have been placed in the office of the Director as advised by GTZ for control purposes.
• There is a Programme Work Unit directly under the Deputy Director. The unit is responsible for developing programmes/projects for sale.

ACHIEVEMENT OF SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Size and Efficiency
• The proposed structure is small as outlined above. The line of communication for the professional positions under the Director, Deputy Director and Units are optimal and for efficiency.
• Priority of Core Functions
• The central core function of Policy Advocacy & Research has been given high priority, commanding six (6) core professional positions out of the total (10) in the organizational set up.
• Separation of Core Function from Programme Work
• The central core positions of Policy Advocacy and Research are not involved with programme work. There is a separate unit that will deal with the programme work. The Unit has been separated from the core functions to give more weight to the core function of Policy Advocacy and Research.
• Size of Core to General Support Position

The total number of non -professionals/General Support staff is twelve (12) out of a total 

• staff compliment of 35. The ration of professional to non -professional positions is 19:12 or 4:7:3. This is close to the recommended ration of 5:3 for professional organization like CSSC.
• Management Information Systems will be strengthened.
• Unification of activities for efficient and effective performance by having units rather than Departments.
• Facilitation of succession in the Office of Director. The Deputy Director (DD) will be a prospective successor.
• Coordination of activities at the level of Deputy Director thus giving more time for the Director to concentrate on policy and planning issues.
• Cost centers are established for sustainability of CSSC.

Vision and Mission

Mission

CSSC strives to support delivery of social services through partnership, lobbying and advocacy in a manner that will ensure transparency, quality, equity, availability and accessibility with compassion and love of Christ.

 

Vision

An enlightened and well-educated community that is enjoying quality life and free from diseases of poverty

Governing Body

Governing Board

Annual General Meeting

There shall ordinarily be convened an Annual General Meeting of the

Commission once in every calendar year at a place and time to be determined by the Executive Council

Executive Council 

Deals with management of the affairs and conduct of business of the commission. Deliberate on policy papers presented by the Secretariat and present them to the Annual General Meeting for endorsement;

See to it the proper and effective use and management of the funds, property and other resources of the Commission;

The secretariat

Discharge the day to day operations, execute all activities, and coordinate the efficient running of activities of the three

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees has membership of not less than five (5) but not more than Nine (9) Registered Trustees of the Commission, who represent the parent Church Assemblies of the CCT and TEC.

Each Church Assembly represented by appoint three members who are persons of high integrity and good standing in the Commission to serve on the Board of Trustees; while two members, shall be elected by the Commission.

Trust Fund

To serve as the recipient of all loans, grants and the depository of all monies generated through