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CSO Development Effectiveness and Promotion of an Enabling Environment
www.cso-effectiveness.org
Main Objectives
The Open Forum is a CSO-led global initiative to:
– Define and promote a framework for CSO development effectiveness, including principles, guidelines, and accountability mechanisms
– Engage in a political dialogue with donors, governments and other stakeholders to build understanding and to create an enabling environment for CSOs work
The Accra Agenda for Action (paragraph 20)
We will deepen our engagement with CSOs as independent development actors in their own right whose efforts complement those of governments and the private sector. We share an interest in ensuring that CSO contributions to development reach their full potential. To this end:
a) We invite CSOs to reflect on how they can apply the Paris principles of aid effectiveness from a CSO perspective.
b) We welcome the CSOs’ proposal to engage with them in a CSO-led multistakeholder process to promote CSO development effectiveness. As part of that process, we will seek to i) improve coordination of CSO efforts with government programs, ii) enhance CSO accountability for results, and iii) improve information on CSO activities.
c) We will work with CSOs to provide an enabling environment that maximizes their contributions to development.
Framework: CSO Development Effectiveness
Guidance on Application (guidelines)
Performance Indicators Key Principles
3 - 5 dynamic indicators per principle
Self assessment; Peer reviewIntegration into existing NGO platform standards and Codes
Third party independent assessment; Donor evaluation
5 - 10 Principles capturing CSOs' development vision, programmatic approaches, relationships, and impact of actions (including outputs/outcomes)
Donor funding models and engagement in developed and developing countries
To focus on both the objective (good development) and the actors (CSOs)
To integrate human rights, gender equality, decent work and environmental sustainability -- the three pillars of any sustainable development undertaking
etc;Critical Elements of an Enabling Environment for CSO Effectiveness (guidelines for enabling
Government regulations and engagement in developing countries
North/South CSO relationships
Context Relevant Implementation Mechanisms
Elements of an Effectiveness Framework
Istanbul Principles
• Respect and promote human rights and social justice.
• Embody gender equality and equity while promoting women and girls’ rights.
• Focus on people’s empowerment, democratic ownership and participation.
• Promote environmental sustainability.
Istanbul Principles (cont’d)
• Practice transparency and accountability.
• Pursue equitable partnerships and solidarity.
• Create and share knowledge and commit to mutual learning.
• Commit to realizing positive sustainable change.
Categories of an Enabling Environment
1) Elements provided by any government in keepingwith existing commitments in international & regionallegal instruments that guarantee fundamental rights (freedom of association, expression, right to operatefree from unwarranted state interference, right to communicate & cooperate, right to seek and securefunding, and the state’s duty to protect)
Categories of an Enabling Environment
2) Elements provided by donor governments to CSOsin the donor country & CSOs in recipient countries (through funding mechanisms). Includes policies,relationship with CSOs, policy dialogue.
3) Elements provided by recipient governments to CSOs in the development context, i.e. true participationin formulation of national development strategy, policy dialogue, etc. = COUNTRY OWNERSHIP
Enabling Environment
Last decade especially hard on CSOs & human rights defenders, particularly since 2009.
Documentation: “Civil Society: The Clampdown is Real”, Civicus (www.civicus.org)
and “Changing political spaces of Civil Society Organizations”, Act Alliance (www.actalliance.org)
Enabling Environment Asks
Agree on minimum standards for government, donorpolicies, laws, regulations for an enabling environmentfor CSO development effectiveness
Assure Paris Declaration principles not interpreted tonarrow enabling environment for CSOs
Incorporate indicators for progress on enabling environment into formal monitoring mechanismsagreed upon at HLF4 in Busan
