Multi-stakeholder Working:Lessons from the Frontline

Richard Calland

MIAG

Conceptual Understanding of MSIs Mode of Governance: ie a decision-making forum

about the rules of the game for a particular issue MSIs comprise a process-orientated, joint approach

to benchmarking, rule-making and implementation

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Rules/Lores of the (MSI) Game

True joint decision-making power of the participating actors may not be certain…but:

Deeper legitimacy for the role of non-state actors at the negotiation table

Therefore, MSIs are a step beyond “mere” consultation: NGO stakeholders are active role-players - they are at the table and in the game

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MSI Typology*

Purpose Drivers & Motive Status & Composition Arena of Intervention

*This Typology is drawn from the work of

Lucy Koechlin of the Basel Institute of

Governance – with whom I am

collaborating on a book chapter on MSIs.

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Purpose

Dialogue/forum

Institution-building

Rule-Setting

Rule Implementation

Rule Monitoring

Purpose/Area of Intervention

Dialogue/ Forum

Institution-Building

Rule-setting Rule-implementation

Rule-monitoring

Peace-agreements COIEPA (Angola)

National Peace Committees (S.A.)

Tax-Reform Guatemala

Sustainable development International Alert (Azerbaijan)

EITI, Global Reporting Initiative

EITI

Conflict financing EITI, Kimberley Process

Kimberley Process

Human Rights Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

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Consensus-Finding Potential of MSIs

Compare: Eye on EITI October 2006 Report: Civil Society (PWYP/Revenue Watch) International Advisory Group of the EITI: Final Report, September 2006

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…large degree of consensus:

1. Real Implementation by Governments

2. Validation by Companies (including disaggregation)

3. Need to deepen the multi-stakeholder approach

4. Deepen the sub-national system

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Main Differences/Concerns:

1. Incentives 2. Cheating – ‘bogus’ representation by corporations

and especially host governments3. Particular stakeholders being marginalised4. Self-selection of CSO participants5. Some evidence of harassment 6. Co-option…and:7. Funding/resources8. Uneven information base

It’s all about TRUST…

And POWER!

…OR GOOD, CONSISTENT PROCESS & CLARITY ABOUT OBJECTIVES AND THE RULES OF THE GAME?

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Other Issues/Challenges

Differences in language and culture (individual and institutional)

Each set of stakeholders has to learn a new lexicon in relation to the other

And, to ignore the “parrot on the shoulder” So as to get past previous, often deeply ingrained,

prejudices…

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THE CHALLENGE OF VALIDATION Is this just a question of M & E? Or is there a process element? Or, if transparency is the means to the end, is it also about how to measure

the ends as much as the means?