Neighborhood Civil Society Facility Regional Seminar Brussels, 9 and 10 February 2012 ENGAGING STRATEGICALLY WITH CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD.

Neighborhood Civil Society Facility Regional Seminar

Brussels, 9 and 10 February 2012

ENGAGING STRATEGICALLY WITH

CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD

Purpose and structureof this session

Provide overview of guidance

Reflect and integrate

recent EC/EU developments: ENP review, new policies, etc.

Recent developments in ENP South and East

Present cases of Morocco and Belarus Exchange experiences and ideas

PART 1: THE CORE QUESTION

PART 2: CASES – BELARUS – MOROCCO

PART 3: STRATEGIC AND OTHER GUIDANCE

PART 4: MORE CASES – QUESTIONS - DISCUSSION

PART 1:The core question:

How can the EC:– engage strategically and operationally

– with both the state and non-state actors

– on various development related issues

– when it provides Budget Support

– When it engages in Sector Policy Support Programmes?

– Or when it cannot engage in these aid modalities?

EC guidance on strategic CSO engagement: three agendas….

.. And how to adapt or apply the guidance to the

European Neighborhood

What’s new?

(Or, to what extent is this new?) Modernising budget support

A new response to a changing Neighbourhood

The Neighboorhood Civil Society Facility(Action Fiche)

Fundamental values Fundamental values Encompass and reinforce support to NSAs

Domestic accountability Domestic accountability In structured way

Transparency And move beyond “simply providing financial support”

Civil society Civil society Towards enhancing engagement with civil society

Coordination between EC and Member States

Coordination and alignment

And increasing its involvement in policy dialogue

Differentiation Three components

PART 2: Examples from the field

• Morocco

• Belarus

Examples from Belarus and Morocco

Non-state actors State-society relations

EC/EU and the state -

EC/EU and state-society on development and poverty reduction

PART 3: operational and strategic

guidance

The basic rationale

Rationale and fit with EU policies and processes

More effective aid and so-called New Aid Modalities

• EC and other donors look for ways to make their aid more effective

• These efforts include among other things ways to:• Align behind country policies (if these reduce poverty)• Align behind country systems (if there are serious efforts to

make these systems work for the poor)• Reduce the burden on partners (through harmonization)• And move from government ownership to country

ownership, • And from mutual to domestic accountability

• New Aid Modalities include Budget Support and Sector Policy Support Programs

ParticipatorydevelopmentParticipatorydevelopment

Development assistance includes support to and through NSAs

Development assistance includes support to and through NSAs

Development is a multi-actor participatory process

Development is a multi-actor participatory process

Development is a multi-stakeholder process where the central state is one of the actors

Development is a multi-stakeholder process where the central state is one of the actors

NSAs are not only implementing agencies but also promoters of democracy, justice and human rights

NSAs are not only implementing agencies but also promoters of democracy, justice and human rights

EU is committed to strengthening NSAs to fully participate in political, economic and social dialogue processes

EU is committed to strengthening NSAs to fully participate in political, economic and social dialogue processes

Civil Society is recognised in all its diversity

Civil Society is recognised in all its diversity

Participatory development and Non-State Actors

Potential entry points for NSA participation in context of NAM

Participation incontext of NAM

Poverty Reduction Strategies

Monitoring the monitors (such as parliament)

Monitoring the implementation (of the budget, of the policies, ..)

Dialogue on priorities in the budget and policies

Contributing to the implementation of the policies

Etc….

Yet in real life, many obstacles to overcome

ARE YOU KIDDING?

Is there political will behind pro-poor policies?

Does civil society have the capacities/interest to engage with the state?

Is there an enabling environment for Non-State Actors to participate?

Is the budget transparent? Does it reflect priorities? Is it credible?

Is there an open and transparent dialogue with NSAs?

Do parliamentarians respond to demands from citizens?

Understanding state-society relations

In order to overcome these obstacles,

And in order to make and more effective and PARTICIPATORY,

Two more P-words matter: POWER and POLITICS

• What affects the opportunities for NSAs to participate?• How are the relations between state and society?

Between elites/power holders with civil society?• What are entry points for civil society to engage with the

state? • What are the incentives for state actors, elites, power

holders to engage with civil society?• What prevents collective action?

Some generic guidance

Consider NSAs as full fledge

actors

Consider NSAs as full fledge

actors

Analyze state-society

relations systematically

Analyze state-society

relations systematically

Explore full potential

within and beyond NAM

Explore full potential

within and beyond NAM

Be prepared to play new

roles

Be prepared to play new

roles

Operational Guidance: potential entry points in state-society

Participation in policy dialogue,

sector coordination, mid-term and joint

reviews

Participation in formulation PRSP

and sector policies

Performance, budget monitoring

and users consultation

Contributions to implementation

and service delivery

Operational guidance:Entry points in the EC cycle of operations

Guidance in the Reference Document includes:

Points of attention:develop knowledge about

state and non-state relations• Participation in dialogue on poverty

reduction strategies and sector policies

• Engagement in sector coordination

• Involvement in performance budget monitoring

• Efficient service provision

• Capacity development with other NSAs

• EC will have to address capacity shortages if necessary

Points of attention: Ensuring Complementarity of

Instruments

• Support to NSAs within new aid modalities

• Support of NSAs around new aid modalities

• Preparing the ground for NSAs involvement in NAMs

• Remaining engaged….

Points of attention:promote Smart Partnerships

• With other donors (division of labour, complementarity, harmonisation, etc.)

• With domestic state actors

• With domestic non-state actors

• Facilitate smart partnership between NSAs and Local Governments

• Promote transparency

Points of attention:new roles for the EC

• What does it mean for the EC to adopt a political facilitation role?

PART 4: How does all this relate to

the field – the EN?

What are entry-points for engagement with CS? Around these aid modalities? Operational, funding, policy related

issues? Are there opportunities to engage more

strategically? What would help? What is holding you

back?

The Approach Tools and guidance

•Treat NSAs as Actors» Mapping methodology» Governance Analysis Framework» RD: Methodological tool 1, 2, 6

•Analyze state-society relations systematically

» Governance Analysis Framework» RD: Methodological tool 4» Capacity4Dev (Political Economy Analysis)

•Explore and support the full potential of NSAs involvement in and beyond NAM

» RD: Key questions to be posed through policy cycle (4.3)» RD: Methodological tool 1» RD: Dialogue with NSAs, capacity development, combining tools, instruments and approaches (4.4)

•Do no Harm-be prepared for new roles

» RD: EC new roles (6)» RD: Methodological tool 5, 6, 7

Practical info: where to find? Tools and practical Guidance

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Thank you

Jan [email protected]