Csos and Aid Effectiveness-recognition of the Roles and Voice of Csos

8/6/2019 Csos and Aid Effectiveness-recognition of the Roles and Voice of Csos

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RECOGNITION OF THE ROLES AND VOICE OF

CSOs AS DEVELOPMENT ACTORS:

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

By

Otive Igbuzor, PhD

Executive Director, Centre LSDE-mail: [email protected]



PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION

1. To locate the role of CSOs as development

actors and part of the international aid

architecture.

2. To identify the challenges and opportunities

to NGOs as development actors.

3. To make suggestions for effective NGO

engagement



OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION

1. Introduction

2. Aid Effectiveness and Development

effectiveness3. Role of CSOs

4. CSOs as part of the International Aid

Architecture5. CSOs and Voice



6. CSOs and Legitimacy

7. Challenges

8. Opportunities9. Conclusion



1. INTRODUCTION

� There is a debate as to whether aid can helpany country in achieving development.

� It has been argued that every society has thecapacity to develop. Meanwhile, thedevelopment of some societies have led to theunderdevelopment of others.

�

There is a challenge in the world on whatneeds to be done to bring aboutdevelopment.



Introduction Contd

� The confusion on what needs to be done to

bring about development has been

compounded by aid ineffectiveness arising

from multiple channels of delivering aid; lack

of long term predictability; high transaction

costs; lack of alignment with national

priorities; tying of aid to procurement of goods and services from donor countries and

high burden on partner governments.



Introduction Contd

� CSOs have roles to play in the development processincluding making aid effective. The role of CSOs isbeing amplified with the neo-liberal triumphalism of the 1980s and 90s leading to rolling back the state.

� But it must be recognised that CSOs are not monolithic.They are many ways to classify them: Positioning(Abolitionist, Transformist, Reformist and Conformist);Membership (Traditional, Membership and

Entrepreneurial); Approach (Service Delivery,Development, Participatory Development and RightsBased Approach).



Introduction Contd

� CSOs have been defined as all non-market andnon-state organisations and structures inwhich people organise to pursue shared

objectives and ideals.� Trisector model: Government, Private sector

and civil society.

�

Civil society is seen as one of the five pillars of democracy: Executive, Legislature, Judiciary,independent media and civil society.



2. AID EFFECTIVENES AND

DEVELOPMENT EFFECTIVENESS

Aid Effectiveness: the extent to which aid resourcessucceed in producing sustainable development.It has been noted that effective development

requires more than effective institutional aid.Development effectiveness: impact of actions of

development actors(including government anddonors) on improving the lives of the poor and

marginalised. Development effectivenessintegrates the principles of HR, gender equity,environmental sustainability and decent work.



Consensus on Development

� People are the real wealth of a nation (UNDP HDR1990)

� There is increasing inequality in the world.

� Over the past twenty years, many countries have madeprogress in development indicators. Only threecountries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia andZimbabwe have a lower HDI than in 1970.

�

Some countries have made the greatest progress inimproving HDI including the Asian miracles- China,Indonesia and South Korea and in Africa- Ethiopia,Botswana, Benin and Burkina Faso.



Consensus on Development Contd

� While there are no silver bullets, some development approachesbring better outcomes.

� Progress in health and education can drive success in humandevelopment.

� Country factors such as policies, institutions and geography areimportant.

� There is a lack of significant correlation between economic growthand improvement in health and education e.g. kerala in India, CostaRica, Cuba and Sri Lanka attained higher human development thanthe countries at their income level.

�

Markets are very bad at ensuring the provision of public goods suchas security, stability, health and education.

� A capable, focused state can help achieve development and thegrowth of markets.



Consensus on Development Contd

� Human progress never rolls in on wheels of

inevitability. It comes through tireless efforts

and persistent work without this hard work;

time itself becomes an ally of the forces of

social stagnation.- Martin Luther King Jnr



3. ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY

As noted above, the role of CSO will depend on thetype of CSO. But in the aideffectiveness/development effectivenessdebate, the role of CSOs can be classified intothree:

1. Promoting citizen participation

2. Providing effective delivery of developmentprogrammes and operations

3. Empowerment of citizens and realisation of human rights (mobilisation, capacity building,advocacy and campaigns)



4. CSOs as Part of the International Aid

Architecture

a. As donors especially Northern NGOs: In 2005, theOECD Development Assistance Committee estimatesthat NGOs had $14.7 billion (14% of ODA).

b. As channels or recipients of official donor assistancec. As watchdogs of both government and donors to

ensure public good by pushing for donor funds to beused effectively.

d. As development actors: In 2006

, CSOs raised $20-25billion on their own in addition to ODA of $104 billion



5. CSOS AND VOICE

� CSOs deserve a voice in discussions of aid effectiveness/development effectiveness debate.

� CSOs have a great role to play in operationalising theprinciples of aid effectiveness as espoused in Paris

Declaration and development effectiveness as alluded to inAAA:

-Local ownership, alignment and partnership

Donor co-ordination and harmonisation

Managing for results-drawing attention to outcomes and

impact Mutual accountability

CSOs as development actors



CSOs and Voice Contd

� Increasingly, CSOs are being involved in the aideffectiveness debate:

� In March, 2005, donors, recipient government andmultilateral organisations established the working party on

Aid effectiveness (WP-EFF) to monitor progress onimplementaing the commitment of the Paris declaration.

� In January, 2007, the WP-EFF established the AdvisoryGroup on Civil Society and Aid Effectiveness. This group wasinstrumental to achieving paragaph 20 in the 2008 AAA that

recognises CSOs as development actors ion their own right.� In February 2009, CSOs became full members of the

working party on aid effectiveness.



6. CSOs and Legitimacy

� Legitimacy is the right to be or do something in society-a sense that an organisation is lawful, admissible and

justified in its own chosen course of action.

�

CSOs have legitimacy to participate in the aid discoursefrom 3 perspectives:

a. Official legitimacy: registration and governmentrecognition.

b. Democratic legitimacy: from beneficiaries and thepublic, and

c. Legitimacy of purpose: expertise and value addition



7. CHALLENGES

� CSOs are conceived by many as helpers of governmentand donors to improve their own performance failingto recognise CSOs as development actors in their ownright.

� Private sector organisations competition with CSOs e.g.accounting firm implementing programme of waterand sanitation.

� Power dynamics of donor recipient

�

Donors channel their aid through Northern NGOs(Confession of Economic Hit Man)

� Lack of appreciation and involvement of CSOs indeveloping countries.



8. OPPORTUNITIES

� Important role of CSOs in the aid effectiveness

and development agenda.

�

Continuing Challenges of development� The availability of dialogue mechanism for the

aid effectiveness/ development debate



9. CONCLUSION

� There is a challenge as to how to bring about

development in the world.

�

Aid can contribute to acceleratingdevelopment but it needs to be made more

effective and development focused.

� CSOs have legitimacy and capacity to promote

aid effectiveness and development

effectiveness.



Conclusion Contd

� CSOs need to improve their knowledge of the

aid effectiveness and development

effectiveness debate.

� CSOs need to engage the dialogue process in a

deeper level.

� There is the need for the creation of platform

to engage the aid effectiveness and

development effectiveness debate.



�THANK YOU

Documents

Csos and Aid Effectiveness-recognition of the Roles and Voice of Csos