1 PRSPs and the role of Civil Society Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Helsinki Workshop 19-22 May 2003

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PRSPs and the role of Civil Society

Finnish Aid in a PRS ContextHelsinki Workshop19-22 May 2003

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Plan for today

• Priorities and questions from day 1• Civil Society and participation• CS and the PRS cycle• Some experience to date• Opportunities and dangers of

engagement• Case studies- Vietnam, Ethiopia

and Tanzania

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What is Civil Society?Term Civil Society is used to mean

very different things…

• Definitions• Legal frameworks• Typologies

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Descriptive• 3rd sector of ‘associational life’

between State and Market • Includes: NGOs, trade unions,

business associations, cooperatives, clubs, religious and interest groups, social movements, media and sometimes political parties

• BUT in practice often just equated to NGOs

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Normative• CS increases openness, democracy,

transparency, accountability, participation, representation etc

• Which it may… but NOT necessarily (e.g. Interahamwe, militant direct action organisations)

• Means to an end/end in itselfLegal frameworks• Distinctly different traditions-

licensing existence vs just regulating actions

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Typologies of CSOs• Membership or non-membership• Common interest- economic, sport,

environment, ethnic…• Accountability- broad vs elite• Values- faith, ethics, social justice…• Location- local/international,

northern/southern, rural/urban…• Scale- S, M, L, networks, coalitions…• Independence- set up by government

(or donors or INGOs)

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And by function…

• Welfare/service delivery• Advocacy• Communication• Research• Monitoring/watchdogs• Representation…

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What is Participation?Again, use to mean all kinds of things…

common uses include• statement of openness• information sharing• qualitative data collection methodology• consultation on problems• consultation on solutions/policies• inclusion in design or decision making

process• joint decision making• initiation and control by stakeholders

By whom? legitimacy, representation, expertise

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Opportunities to engage in the PRSP

process


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ReminderPolicy

formulation

Communication

Policy implementation

Monitoring and evaluation

Poverty analysis

Financing

PRSP process: Results oriented, evidence based

policy making?

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Caveats Highly idealised and stylised version of process

PRSP is only one part of policy-making process

Civil society is only one influence on policy making process

Policy making is also heavily influenced by donors

Policy also influenced by domestic politics

Policy making also takes place at federal/subfederal/local level

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Poverty AnalysisPolicy

formulation

Communication


Monitoring

Poverty analysis PRSP process:

the theory

Financing

• Analysis from community/constituency• PPA/direct qual research

• Issue based research and analysis


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Policy formulationPolicy

formulation

Communication


Monitoring


the theory

Financing

• Representing concerns of communitiesconstituencies/networks

• Gathering opinion/comments on drafts• Produce formal statements/comments on drafts

• Lobby/advocate for particular policy positions• Promoting alternative strategies

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FinancingPolicy

formulation

Communication


Monitoring


the theory

Financing

• Participating in budget formulation• Ensuring large CSO expenditures are

recognised in the budget• Lobbying on financing plan

e.g. tax, aid, cost recovery

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CommunicationPolicy

formulation

Communication


Monitoring


the theory

Financing

• Providing information on broader PRS process

• Disseminating PRS documents• Preparing or digesting the PRSP

for a specific audience• Disseminating digested version

• Encouraging media to take up issues • Collating feedback and communicating to others

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Policy implementationPolicy

formulation

Communication


Monitoring


the theory

Financing• Technical assistance to government officials and service providers

• Continuing to provide services but within PRS framework• Running pilot projects within PRS framework

• Implementation of (new) poverty programmes

within PRS• Assisting communities

to access PRS funds

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Monitoring and Evaluation

Policy formulation

Communication


Monitoring


the theory

Financing

• Participating in design of m&e systems

• Taking part in monitoring/evaluation of…

i. Aid flows/donor behaviourii. PRSP process

iii. Policy commitmentsiv. Budget processes

v. Inputs/outputsvi. Poverty outcomes


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Policy formulation process

Policy formulation

Communication


Poverty analysis

Financing


PRSP process: Results oriented, evidence based

policy making?

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Experiences of civil society participation in

PRSPs


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Over the past 3 years in PRSP countries…

• Many different approaches have been tried by CSOs to engage with and influence PRSPs

• Trial and error• Learning and capacity development• Experience-sharing between countries• However, expectations have been raised…• There is some disillusionment…• But broad consensus there is more space

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In deciding whether/how to engage, CSOs

consider…• Are there official spaces for participation?• Govt-CS relations• What’s the potential for policy influence?• Level of awareness among the public/

CSO constituencies • Positions of donors – allies or adversaries?• Should approaches change over time? • Capacity of civil society to influence

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Insider approaches…

• Involvement in working groups/drafting committee eg MEJN, Malawi

• Commenting on draft docs eg Cambodia NGO Forum

• Attending consultation workshops eg CRDA, Ethiopia

• Technical assistance to ministries on process eg Action Aid, Rwanda

• Collaboration on implementation eg UDN in Poverty Action Fund, Uganda

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Outsider approaches

• Alternative consultation processes eg Jubileo 2000 Bolivia

• Proposing alternative policies eg INTERFOROS alternative PRSP, Honduras

• Critiquing processes eg CA case studies, open letters from Bangladeshi CSOs

• Using the media eg Uganda Debt Network• Conflictive – civil unrest eg Bolivia 2000

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Involving communities

• Raising awareness of PRSP eg Swahili version of PRSP, Tanzania; radio programmes

• Community analysis of poverty eg PPA in Vietnam, Voices of the Poor in Yemen

• Community consultations on policy eg policy options discussions, Rwanda

• Community monitoring eg HIPC-Watch Ghana, UDN in Uganda

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Developing CS capacity• Drawing-in organisations that don’t

normally work on policy ie churches, service delivery NGOs

• Workshops on advocacy skills eg CA/Trocaire in Rwanda

• Local policy NGOs working with others to broaden base of skilled organisations eg UDN, Uganda

• Training of local activists eg MEJN community budget monitoring trainings

• Economic literacy skills ie budget analysis and connection with policy eg ISODEC, Ghana

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Working collaboratively

• Forming networks and coalitions - nationally eg ZIMCOD in Zimbabwe, internationally eg AFRODAD

• Speaking with one voice to increase influence eg Bolivia CSOs reject PRSP

• Greater access eg CRDA, Ethiopia• Thematic working groups as first port

of call for government eg CHAM, Malawi

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Obstacles to participation

• Government suspicions of CS eg initially in Malawi

• Lack of capacity and co-ordination among CSOs

• Lack of policy influence of CSO contributions and results of participation processes

• Women’s participation limited eg most places! UK Gender and Devt Report eg Tanzania

• Rush to access HIPC resources eg Mozambique

Documents

1 PRSPs and the role of Civil Society Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Helsinki Workshop 19-22 May 2003