CSO & Aid effectiveness: some food for thoughts Seminar on thematic programmes 29 January 2008

1. CSO & Aid effectiveness:some food for thoughtsSeminar on thematic programmes29 January 2008

2. The Paris Declaration (1) • Over 100 partner countries and donors have signed • Paris goes beyond previous agreements –twelve indicators to track progress towards targets for 2010 • Stronger mechanisms for mutual accountability

3. The Paris Declaration (2) Five principles: • Ownership: partner countries take the lead • Alignment: donors support partner countries’ strategies • Harmonisation: donors harmonise • Managing for results: improved resource management and decision making • Mutual accountability: mutual assessment of progress

4. Paris Declaration & Aid effectiveness: A donor driven agenda? • CSOs excluded from processes for developing MDGs and Rome/Paris Declaration • Commitments between donors & Southern governments • Documents do not reflect CSO priorities & perspectives

5. CSO Advisory Group Established in Jan. 07 with the aim of engaging CSOs and advising the OECD-DAC WP on AE • Multi-stakeholder initiative supported by CIDA:3 North CSOs, 3 Southern CSOs, 3 Southern governments, 3 donors • 6 regional consultations (Oct.-Nov. 07) • Draft synthesis paper • International Forum in Ottawa (Feb. 08) • Final recommendations for HLF in Accra(Sept. 08)

6. AG - Recognition of role and voice of CSOs • Legitimate actors in development – UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights • Delivering development programmes in the South – but often distinct from governments • Diversity of CSOs’ roles: • Mobilizing grassroots communities, poor and marginalized people • Monitoring government and donor policies and practices, expanding the space for citizens’ voices in policy dialogue • Delivering services and innovative development programming • Mobilizing financial and human resources to support development

7. AG – Key issues for CSOs (1) • PD does not officially recognise CSOs as development actors in own right (focus on donor/government relations) • PD technical & focused on aid delivery – proposal to “broaden & deepen” the PD • CSOs consultation & participation in development of PRSPs essential but diversity also essential - problem of “harmonisation” & “alignment”

8. AG – Key issues for CSOs (1) • CSOs not just donors but mix of roles based on social solidarity – need for diversity and challenging “development models” • New aid modalities (i.e BS) should not threaten CSO space & right of initiative (e.g. threat of sub-contracting) • Yes, CSOs should improve own effectiveness - but developing own principles for development effectiveness beyond Accra

9. Civil Society & Accra 2 types of process: • Internal: Should the PD apply to CSOs? • External: How should donors deliver better aid?

10. Civil Society & Accra Internal: effective use of aid by NGOs (examples) • Improved coordination: emergency situations, national and international campaign, basket funding for local NGOs, participation in sectoral policy discussions • Accountability & Ownership: NGO codes of conduct and good practice, professional use of management by results • Impact assessment and Organisational learning • Capacity building • Increased sectoral professionalism

11. Civil Society & Accra External: contributing to aid effectiveness of donors and governments(examples) Holding national governments and donors to account: • involvement in participatory budgeting • conducting research to feed into national and international policy debates • challenging donor and government policies and practice through participating in NGO forums and donor consultative processes • participation in international debates on aid effectiveness

12. AIDCO F response: DECIM • Test a model for donor coordination • Operational (for practitioners) • For thematic operations (civil society support) • Discover replicable elements (OECD involved) • Take the opportunity to influence the debate • Largest donor but least « assertive » • Drum up support for our soft ways • Place civil society at the centre of the debate • large and iterative consultations • Genuine input in the agenda and oversight over outputs

13. DECIM CONCEPT • Mechanism to Enhance Donor Effectiveness in the Area of Civil Society Development in the New Member States of the European Union, Western Balkans, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Turkey • Donors: • Bilateral : DFID, USAID, MATRA, etc. • Multilateral : EC, WB, UNDP, etc. • Foundations : Mott, GMFBT, etc.

14. CIVIL SOCIETY IN DEVELOPMENT DCI Art. 24 - 2. The non-State, non-profit making actors eligible for financial support under this Regulation operating on an independent and accountable basis include: non governmental organisations, organisations representing indigenous peoples, organisations representing national and/or ethnic minorities, local traders‘ associations and citizens' groups, cooperatives, trade unions, organisations representing economic and social interests, organisations fighting corruption and fraud and promoting good governance, civil rights organisations and organisations combating discrimination, local organisations (including networks) involved in decentralised regional cooperation and integration, consumer organisations, women's and youth organisations, teaching, cultural, research and scientific organisations, universities, churches and religious associations and communities, the media and any non governmental associations and independent foundations, including independent political foundations, likely to contribute to the implementation of the objectives of this Regulation.

15. DECIM FOCUS Civil Society Organisations identified priorities: • CSO legal framework • Public advocacy, policy dialogue and governance • Delivery of social services and creation of social capital • CSO financial sustainability, and • CSO capacity building, knowledge sharing and networking

16. DECIM PORTAL • Password protected, non-googlable • Hosted by CIDA • Access to donors/foundations/consultants • Owned by a community of practitioners http://web.acdi-cida.gc.ca/decim

17. FOOD FOR THOUGHT (1) • Taille : "si pour être pertinent il faut être petit, on fera petit !" KR 24-01-08 • Droit d'initiative : "jamais je ne forcerai un chef de délégation [à accepter un projet], et s'il faut donc [le] suivre à partir du siège, il faudra le faire avec les ressources humaines disponibles, sinon cela ne se fera pas !" RW 13-09-07

18. FOOD FOR THOUGHT (2) • L’approche « acteurs » comme logique d’intervention • The existence of the actor is the core of implementation • Not necessarily with consent of partner country • Meant to promote the values of the UE (soft power) • Implemented by independent third parties • Les richesses de l’approche « multi-acteurs » • Pérenité « sustainability » of actions • Synergies of activities • Non state and local state, closest to people

19. TRUE CHALLENGES • Dialogue: • Consultation des acteurs au Nord et au Sud pour une meilleure programmation • Quadrilogue avec les parties prenantes (EM – PE – COM - NSA) • Cohérence "consistency": • intra-Thématiques • Thématique-Géographique càd. • Compatibilité "compatible" "coherent with" • Complémentarité "en complément" "subsidiary to" • "valeur ajoutée spécifique" "distinctive added value" • "vient s'ajouter" "be additional to"