Transcript The context of NEPAD: Afro-pessimism and the partnership puzzle

PRSPs and the role of Civil
Society
Finnish Aid in a PRS Context
Helsinki Workshop
19-22 May 2003
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Plan for today
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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 itself
Legal 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…
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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
Finnish Aid in a PRS Context
Helsinki Workshop
19-22 May 2003
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Reminder
Policy
formulation
Poverty
analysis
Financing
PRSP process:
Results oriented, evidence based
policy making?
Monitoring and
evaluation
Communication
Policy
implementation
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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 Analysis
Policy
formulation
Poverty
analysis
Financing
• Analysis from community/constituency
• PPA/direct
qual research Communication
PRSP process:
• Issue based
research and analysis
the theory
Monitoring
and
Monitoring
evaluation
Policy
implementation
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Policy formulation
Policy
formulation
Financing
• Representing concerns of communities
Communication
PRSP
process:
constituencies/networks
the theory
• Gathering opinion/comments
on drafts
• Produce formal statements/comments on drafts
• Lobby/advocate for particular policy positions
• Promoting alternative strategies
Poverty
analysis
Monitoring
Policy
implementation
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Financing
Policy
formulation
Poverty
analysis
Financing
• Participating
in budget
PRSP
process:formulation Communication
theory
• Ensuring large the
CSO
expenditures are
recognised in the budget
• Lobbying on financing plan
e.g. tax, aid, cost recovery
Monitoring
Policy
implementation
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Communication
Policy
formulation
Financing
• Providing information on
broader PRS process
Poverty
• Disseminating PRS documents
Communication
PRSP
process:
analysis
• Preparing or digesting
the PRSP
the theory
for a specific audience
• Disseminating digested version
• Encouraging media to take up issues
• Collating
Policy
Monitoringfeedback and
communicating to others implementation
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Policy implementation
• TechnicalPolicy
assistance to
formulation
government officials
and service providers
• Continuing to provide services
but within PRS framework
Poverty
PRSP process:
analysis
• Running pilot projects
the theory
within PRS framework
• Implementation of (new)
poverty programmes
within
PRS
Monitoring
• Assisting communities
to access PRS funds
Financing
Communication
Policy
implementation
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Monitoring and Evaluation
Policy
formulation
Poverty
analysis
Financing
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Participating in design
of m&e systems
• Taking part in
monitoring/evaluation
of…
Communication
PRSP process:
Aid flows/donor behaviour
the i.
theory
ii. PRSP process
iii. Policy commitments
iv. Budget processes
Monitoring
and
v. Inputs/outputs
Policy
Monitoring
evaluation
implementation
vi. Poverty
outcomes
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Policy formulation process
Policy
formulation
Poverty
analysis
Financing
PRSP process:
Results oriented, evidence based
policy making?
Monitoring and
evaluation
Communication
Policy
implementation
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Experiences of civil society
participation in PRSPs
Finnish Aid in a PRS Context
Helsinki Workshop
19-22 May 2003
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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…
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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 25
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
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