1

Engaging strategically with CSOs

EIDHR SeminarBrussels, 7 February 2012

DEVCO Unit D2 « Civil society, Local Authorities »Virginia Manzitti

2

Table of Contents• CSOs in the Agenda for Change

• Revisiting our partnership: Recommendations from evaluations

• The Structured Dialogue:Objective, participants, topics and follow-up

Bringing it at country level (the Structured Dialogue ‘menu’ at country level)> Promoting CSO participation in national dialogue

-What could Civil Society focus on to be more effective?-What can the EU do to improve its support?-’Mini’ SD at country level-SD follow-up: The Lebanon experience-SD follow-up: The Uganda experience

From the country level to the global level – Policy work and support initiatives:

• The new policy framework

• Policy Forum on Development

• Communication on CSOs in development

• Other support initiatives (HQ)Guidance, EAMR analysis and newsletter

3

The Agenda for Change

Building on the ‘Structured Dialogue’, the EU should strengthen its links with civil society organisations, social partners and local authorities, through regular dialogue and use of best practices.

It should support the emergence of an organised local civil society able to act as a watchdog and partner in dialogue with national governments.

4

Revisiting our partnership:Recommendations from evaluations

• Championing space for CSOs in the policy and political dialogue with partner governments;

• Enhance genuine CSO participation in the programming processes relating to EC cooperation;

• Make better use of the added value of different CSO actors such as trade unions and cooperatives;

• Seeking complementarity between Geographic and Thematic Instruments at country level;

• Investing in understanding the civil society arena, for example through mappings;

• Considering the a disparity in the approach between the ACP countries and Asia and Latin America, resulting from different institutional frameworks, developing capacity development strategies for CSOs in Asia and Latin America;

• Improving selection and delivery modalities for support to CSOs.

5

Structured Dialogue Objective Increase the effectiveness of all stakeholders by finding a

common understanding on the main issues:

• Added value, mandates of different actors; the specificity of European (or International) actors and their partnership with local actors;

• How to reconcile the Aid Effectiveness principles with democratic ownership and CSOs and Local Authorities’ (LAs) right of initiative;

• How to better support CSOs and LAs (aid delivery and selection modalities).

6

Involved stakeholders:

• More than 700 organizations

from 65 countries;

• 51 EU Delegations;

• Member States;

• European Parliament.

Focus on the Global South:

Inclusion of CSOs and LAs from

partner countries - high priority

Structured Dialogue Participants

7

Structured Dialogue topics and follow-up

Promoting an enabling environment for CSOs

and LAs.

Political multi-stakeholder dialogues.

Democratic ownership.

Partnerships and complementarity between

actors (incl. North/South cooperation).

Territorial approaches to development and LAs

and CSOs’ articulation at the local level.

CSOs’ internal governance and accountability.

EU aid delivery mechanisms.

8

Bringing it at country level

Two ways:

• The implementation of the SD recommendations;

• Where relevant; initiation of ‘mini Structured Dialogue’ processes at country level (where relevant).

9

Structured Dialogue menu - country level Identify and map CSOs with a context sensitive perspective Promote a conducive environment CSO participation in (multi stakeholder) dialogues:

• Political dialogue with the Government• Policy formulation• Programme formulation and review • Implementation and monitoring

CSO inclusion in budget and sector support Capacity development e.g. for advocacy/oversight; Focus on representative structures Open up to an appropriate mix of selection and funding mechanisms Improve EU donor coordination

……………….. towards a sort of “CSO country strategy”

(See note of 5 October 2011 by Director D to HoD on the role of Delegations in the follow up of the Structured Dialogue)

10

One example:

Promoting CSO participation in national dialogue

Through national (political and policy) dialogue, CSOs can:

-hold other stakeholders accountable for and monitor their policy choices, implementation and outcomes.

-inform and articulate citizens’ priorities and empower marginalized groups.

The Structured Dialogue proposed political multi-stakeholder dialogue as a good model.

What are best practices or lessons learnt of promoting results-oriented multi-stakeholder dialogues?

What are your challenges in promoting CSO participation in national dialogue and what can headquarters do to support you?

11

SD recommendations: What could Civil Society focus on to

be more effective?1. CSOs should act as legitimate and independent development

actors, putting a human-rights based approach into practice in

their own work.

2. Accountability, transparency and integrity.

3. Be more responsive to its constituency (social base).

4. People empowerment with an emphasis on poor and

marginalized groups.

5. Help citizens to monitor authorities’ commitments.

6. Equitable partnerships to improve local ownership: the

identification of local needs relies primarily on local CSOs.

12

Where relevant, country level “mini” Structured Dialogues could be organized:

Context tailored - no « one size fits all » approach

Links and integration with existing dialogues

(Ideal) format: partner government, CSOs, LAs, delegations

« Facilitated » by EU delegation

Political and technical back-up by HQ

Link with MS, UN and other coordination

‘Mini’ Structured Dialogues processes

13

Follow-up of the SD at country level: the Lebanon experience

• Start in March 2012: Launching a formal, pragmatic and regular consultation with:

150 representatives (including of Local Municipalities and Unions of Municipalities), concerning the experiences, modalities and challenges of the EU cooperation.

•Three levels of discussion:– Analysis on the recommendations of the SD and the

challenges in matter of local governance, territorial approach and of decentralised cooperation in Lebanon;

– Sharing of information and experiences from LA projects funded by the EC;

– How to better achieve results and sustainability of LA programmes/projects.

14

Follow-up of the SD at country level: the Uganda experience

• SD local initiative in Uganda in December 2012: Launching a formal, strategic and longer-term SD at country level with clear roadmap.

Objectives of the Ugandan SD:

i) Design and implement a medium term plan.

ii) Support CSOs self empowerment towards a more influential role in policy discussions within EU-Uganda relationships.

iii) Identify the most suitable processes, including aid modalities, to fully engage with the CSOs.

15

From the country level to the global level:

Policy work and support initiatives at HQ

16

The new policy frameworkAgenda for Change

– Focus on governance, dialogue with all stakeholders– Refer and build on Structured Dialogue– Best practices among EU delegations – Support CSO as watchdog and in dialogue

Communication on Budget Support– Focus on domestic accountability: parliaments, CSOs– Transparency / participatory and inclusive approach – GBS as Good Governance Contract

Busan Partnership Document– Enabling environment– Democratic ownership of development policies and practices– CSOs as independent development actors

17

Announced by Commissioner Piebalgs in Budapest (May 2011) to be set up in 2012 Participation from EU and Partner countries’ CSO and LAs High-level (2 sessions annually) Coordinated by DEVCO with participation from other DGs, EP, Council/MS, EEAS, EESC,

CoR.

Objectives: Ensure effective involvement of CSOs and LAs in EU development

policies and programmes

• Connect and articulate country level with global level (HQ) policies and take stock from SD at country/regional levels

• Provide a space to exchange views and collect opinions on global development policy issues

• Provide a mechanism for ad hoc consultations linked to the launch of new programmes and initiatives and high level events

Policy Forum on Development

18

Considering the SD conclusions, the Agenda for Change and the Busan Partnership Document and the momentum of the design of the new multiannual financial framework for 2014-2020.

Discussions with stakeholders and MS: March-May 2012

Planned adoption: Fall 2012

Communication on CSOs in development

19

Communication on CSOs in development(draft proposal)

Vision:-Enabling environment-Democratic ownership-Policy dialogue-CSOs’ roles – shifting focus from service delivery to governance-Local level CSOs-LAs articulation

Strategy:-Internal governance and accountability-Capacity development-Partnerships

Key questions: How to ensure a coordinated and strategic approach at country level? What about North/South partnerships: what should be the specific roles

of European CSOs? From implementation to capacity development?

20

Other support initiatives (HQ)

Guidance:• 2 seminars for civil society focal points on engaging

strategically with CSOs:• EN: 22-25 May• FR: 26-29 June

Reporting:• EAMR analysis

Information sharing:• Newsletter: ‘Flash Info’ about civil society working in

development• CISOCH

21

EAMR analysis01 Jan 2011 – 30 Jun 2011

Total

(97 countries)

Formal consultations 739

Ongoing projects promoting structured dialogue: 889

Number of dialogues on sectoral policies: 428

Informal meetings 4,724

Participants to meetings 32,773

Projects including CSOs in policy making 1,000

22

Newsletter (EN/FR/ES)

23

Overview focal pointsAccessible via CISOCH/CIRCABC

24

For more information

Consult

the Civil Society Homepage

CiSocH

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/aidco/index.php/Main_Page