How to Make a Successful

Transition from External to

Locally Funded Civil Society?

Some lessons from Croatia

Igor Vidačak

Government of the Republic of Croatia

Office for Cooperation with NGOs

e-mail: igor.vidacak@uzuvrh.hr

1.Strategy for creating enabling

environment for civil society

development - requires strong local

ownership and effective horizontal

and vertical policy coordination

National strategy for creating enabling

environment for CSOs – local ownership

broad consensus among civil society and

government representatives, about the

strategic priorities in the period 2006-11

common platform that brings together

different key stakeholders vital for creating

conditions for sustainability of an independent

and vibrant civil society

basis for better cooperation among national/

international donors

Allignement and harmonization of

donors in supporting the Strategy Strategic goals alligned with EU accession

requirements

EU actively supported implementation of

strategy – basis for PHARE 2006, IPA

2008-2011 grant schemes, TACSO

DECIM (donor exchange,coordination

and information mechanism) in Croatia –

efforts in 2007-2008

Importance of coordination of national

public funding for CSOs

Monitoring Strategy progress

More than 30 institutions involved in the

implementation of measures

Complex area – need for effective vertical and

horizontal coordination, consultation and

monitoring mechanisms

Annual reports on the Strategy

implementation

Important of continuous involvement of CSOs

- Council for Civil Society Development –

monitoring progress of achieving strategic

goals

Council for Civil Society Development

1. Protection & promotion of human rights

2. Health protection & improvement of quality of life

3. Disabled persons care

4. Child care

5. Environmental protection & sustainable development

6. Social welfare

7. Youth

8. Democratization & social development

9. Culture

10. Homeland war-veterans care

11. Sports

12. Technical culture

12 elected representatives of

NGOs

1. Union

2. Employers Association

3. Foundation

1 Trade Unions

1 Employers

1 Foundations

1 Ministry of Science, Education and Sports

2. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

3. Ministry of Culture

4. Ministry of Family, War Veterans and Intergenerational Solidarity

5. Ministry of Finance

6. Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction

7. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration

8. Ministry if Administration

9. Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship

10. Office of Prime Minister of Croatia

11. Government Office for Human Rights

12. Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs

12 appointees from state

administrative bodies

2. Structures are essential - but not

substitutes (or excuse for the

lack of) genuine dialogue - need

for active search for inputs from

CSOs and continuous opening of

new entry points for dialogue with

CSOs and citizens

Structures for State-CSOs dialogue

– 13 years of efforts

Specialised bodies: Office for Cooperation with

NGOs (1998), Council for Civil Society

Development (2002), National Foundation for

Civil Society Development (2003)

more than 100 Government advisory bodies

involving around 800 representatives of CSOs

25 Parliament working committees involving

more than 100 representatives of CSOs

Increasing number of local charters of

cooperation between CSOs and local

governments

3. Sustainable funding:

transparency of funding procedures

(essential for confidence building)

diversification of funding mechanisms

ensuring operating grants for (advocacy)

CSOs

do not forget small CSOs

Ensuring transparent funding of

CSOs programmes and projects

◦ Code of Good Practice, Standards and

Benchmarks for the Allocation of Funding to

Programs and Projects of CSOs – 2007 (adopted

by Croatian Parliament)

◦ Transparency of funding – all data on grants

awarded accessible through internet

◦ Coordination meetings/ regular training seminars

for public officials at all levels

◦ Annual Info days – presenting all forthcoming

calls and discussing possibilities for their

improvement with CSOs

Diversification of funding

Decentralised system of public funding - 20

ministries and other central government bodies

providing funding for CSOs – cca 70 calls for

proposals each year

extensive funding from regional and local

government bodies (21 counties, 129 cities, 429

municipalities);

National Foundation for CSD – operating

grants – mainly for advocacy CSOs

regional networks and foundations –

promoting philantropy at local level

Ensuring institutional support

(operating grants) to CSOs increase the level of sustainability of CSOs

which contribute to the democratization and development of civil society in Croatia

invest, over a three-year period, into organizational development or stabilization of the work of CSOs

encourage the development of self-financing strategies of CSOs

support the adoption of quality assurance mechanisms in the work of CSOs

National Foundation institutional

grants - lessons learned institutional support - very delicate issue requiring a

deep understanding of CSO operations, organizational

development, the donor-CSO relationship, and other

issues such as financial management or governance.

importance of clear objective criteria and reporting

requirements

special attention to conflict of interest policies to

ensure transparent and fair process

need for continuous evaluation of impact of institutional

grants on CSO sustainability

Involve CSOs in discussing criteria for institutional

grants (annual consultation meetings)

Small CSOs/civic initiatives

4 regional foundations focusing on supporting

small civic initiatives

Importance of ensuring EU funding mechanisms

for small CSOs after the accession (micro

projects)

Encouraging partnerships between big and small

CSOs through specific CfPs /GfAs requirements

Make adequate use of country system and

processes

Direct involvement of citizens in drafting and

evaluating funding strategy