Scaling Up World Bank Group Engagement with Civil Society: A Strategic Priorities Paper

1. Scaling Up World Bank Group Engagement with Civil Society:A Strategic Priorities Paper Civil Society Team EXTIA

2. Introduction • Significant expansion of “space” for civil society since early 1990s • CSOs substantial players in global development assistance • Technological and communications advances have aided CSO growth and linkages • Enabling conditions help CSOs to thrive • WBG has continued engagement: in sectors, projects, policies and strategies, and new constituencies

3. Background • CSO engagement a key part of WBG business model, calls for periodical reviews • Last review 2005 Issues and Options Paper • Identified 5 key priorities, and a 10 Point Action Plan • Progress review shows both progress and gaps on Action Plan

4. Objectives: Assess internal environment for CSO engagement Identify constraints and emerging opportunities Recommend priorities for scaling up

5. Rationale Key Opportunities and Imperatives: • Expansion of Bank-CSO relations • WBG leaders strong interest • Key changes in global and national context • GAC-IP emphasizes role of civil society • Six strategic themes • Need to improve internal synergy

6. Approach and Methodology Phase 1 • Establishing Steering Group and Core Strategy Team • Developing preparatory documents and Draft Outline • Internal WBG consultations – staff interviews and group discussions • External outreach: Semi-structured interviews, group discussions (e.g. Spring Meetings) • Web-based consultation • First zero draft of Paper, review with EXT and Steering Group Phase II • Broad external consultations on zero draft • Final revision • Board process

7. Lessons and Issues from Stocktaking • Shift of engagement from ‘constituency’ to ‘issue- driven’. • Shift from ‘do-no-harm’ advocacy to ‘do-good’ advocay on Bank • Specific themes dominate: climate change; fragile/conflict-affected regions; food security, etc. • Rising CSO interest in more operational relationships • Policy dialogue more intense, but requires better follow up • Policy consultations (e.g. GAC-IP) have improved but require more uniformity and quality

8. Lessons and Issues from Stocktaking • Incentives and capacities of Bank CS focal points in regions reduced • Engage CSOs up and downstream in project cycle, and improve guidance to task teams • Help governments improve knowledge of and engagement with CSOs • Help access to information/FOIA processes and enabling environments for civil society • Improve WBG information disclosure and translations • Increase accessibility of Bank staff by CSOs

9. Need to improve analytical work and generate more knowledge products on civil society. Monitoring of CSO engagement/participation needs to be enhanced Lessons and Issues from Stocktaking

10. Opportunities for Scaling up Issue-based Engagement Governance and Anti-Corruption (GAC) • Harness CSO knowledge and experiences at the country level, linking it to global level lesson learning • Explore collaboration with CSOs around piloting anti-corruption based on civic engagement • Systematically capture lessons from civil society monitoring of GAC

11. Opportunities for Scaling up Issue-based Engagement Agriculture and Food Security • Improve joint planning with CSOs • Link analysis to financial crisis • Identify and engage focal points in WBG, to promote country-level engagement • More systematically ‘map’ CSO actors at all levels to expand and deepen dialogue • Identify specific focus areas for collaboration

12. Opportunities for Scaling up Issue-based Engagement Climate Change • Build on long-standing engagement with environmental CSOs • Develop measures to address CIF and other contentious issues • Innovate partnerships and scale-up engagement

13. Opportunities for Scaling up Issue-based Engagement The Bank’s Six Strategic Themes • Identify CSOs whose work intersect with Strategic Themes • Pilot and develop sustained CSO engagement in planning, implementation and monitoring of Strategic Themes • Explore partnership in core areas

14. Opportunities for Scaling up Issue-based Engagement Global Financial Crisis and IFI Governance • Facilitate systematic CSO engagement in WBG governance reforms • Continue to map and engage CSOs working on global economic governance issues • Define specific strategies and mechanisms for dialogue

15. Recommendations on Strategic Priorities • Substantial global report on CSOs as development agents • Intitute global survey to track and enhance operating conditions for CSOs • Establish programmatic partnerships with global NGO platforms (i.e. InterAction, Coordination Sud) • Establish CSO advisory group for WBG president • Develop instruments to enhance funding to CSOs and help capacity building • Improve WBG coordination on civil society engagement, enhance role of Civil Society Team • Improve monitoring and evaluation system to track CSO engagement

16. Next Steps • Management review of current draft • Internal and external consultations • Further revisions • Technical briefing of Board • Final document and dissemination

17. Questions • What are we doing right in our relationship with CSOs? • Where can we improve • What priorities should our engagement focus on? • How can we balance formal and informal approaches?