Irish Aid’s Civil Irish Aid’s Civil Society Policy and Society Policy and

Development Development EffectivenessEffectiveness

PurposePurpose

• To reflect on the Irish Aid Civil Society To reflect on the Irish Aid Civil Society Policy and its key messagesPolicy and its key messages

• To share with partners how the policy is To share with partners how the policy is influencing strategic direction in Irish Aidinfluencing strategic direction in Irish Aid

• Asking partners to reflect on how their Asking partners to reflect on how their programmes are situated within this programmes are situated within this policypolicy

• Explore how we can strengthen our Explore how we can strengthen our partnerships during 2010 and beyond to partnerships during 2010 and beyond to focus more on impact and outcomes for focus more on impact and outcomes for poor peoplepoor people

Civil Society PolicyCivil Society PolicyBackgroundBackground

• Developed in 2006 with considerable Developed in 2006 with considerable input from Dochas membersinput from Dochas members

• Broadly recognised as a strong policyBroadly recognised as a strong policy• Provides significant clarity on the Provides significant clarity on the

direction of Irish Aid support to civil direction of Irish Aid support to civil societysociety

• During 2009 presented to NGO partners During 2009 presented to NGO partners in a number of countries and used as in a number of countries and used as basis of discussion internally and basis of discussion internally and externallyexternally

Civil Society Policy Civil Society Policy ObjectivesObjectives

1.1. To support an enabling environment for To support an enabling environment for civil society to organise and engage with civil society to organise and engage with government and its own broader government and its own broader constituencies; andconstituencies; and

2.2. To support the role of civil society:To support the role of civil society:– in promoting participation and good in promoting participation and good

governance;governance;– in ensuring pro poor service delivery and pro in ensuring pro poor service delivery and pro

poor growth; andpoor growth; and– globally and nationally, to build a globally and nationally, to build a

constituency for development, human rights constituency for development, human rights and social justiceand social justice

What are the key What are the key messages?messages?

• Civil society support has to be about Civil society support has to be about impact and outcomes for the poor and impact and outcomes for the poor and vulnerable in societyvulnerable in society

• Partnership with Southern organisations Partnership with Southern organisations – developing countries driving their own – developing countries driving their own developmentdevelopment

• Accountability – from State to citizens; Accountability – from State to citizens; from NGOs to intended beneficiaries; etcfrom NGOs to intended beneficiaries; etc

• Explicitly recognises the importance of Explicitly recognises the importance of an enabling environmentan enabling environment

Some implications for IA Some implications for IA and our partnersand our partners

• Imperative to increase the focus on quality Imperative to increase the focus on quality and sustainable positive outcomes for poor and sustainable positive outcomes for poor people – people – communicating the changecommunicating the change

• Need to examine the funding portfolio to Need to examine the funding portfolio to assess balance between human assess balance between human rights/governance work and basic service rights/governance work and basic service deliverydelivery

• Assess how are partners are strengthening Assess how are partners are strengthening Southern organisations/national systemsSouthern organisations/national systems

• How partners are situating programmes How partners are situating programmes within nationally defined priorities within nationally defined priorities

• All support to civil society should be in line All support to civil society should be in line with policywith policy

What is it all about?

It is NOTIt is NOT

some some newnew technocratic technocratic invention to make our lives more invention to make our lives more difficultdifficult

IT IS BASICALLY IT IS BASICALLY

promoting good development promoting good development practice practice

Civil Society Policy and Aid Civil Society Policy and Aid EffectivenessEffectiveness

• The Paris Declaration frames all of Irish The Paris Declaration frames all of Irish Aid’s work including its partnerships with Aid’s work including its partnerships with civil society organisationscivil society organisations

• Its principles are Its principles are ownership, alignment, ownership, alignment, harmonisation, mutual accountability and harmonisation, mutual accountability and managing for development resultsmanaging for development results

• Although implementation is not consistent Although implementation is not consistent and many obstacles remain, the Paris and many obstacles remain, the Paris Declaration has been a very significant step Declaration has been a very significant step for development cooperation for development cooperation

• Accra provided the opportunity for civil Accra provided the opportunity for civil society to engage and make its society to engage and make its commitments to increased effectivenesscommitments to increased effectiveness

Accra Agenda for ActionAccra Agenda for Action

Four clauses on civil society:Four clauses on civil society:

1)1) The participation of civil society in The participation of civil society in national policy formulationnational policy formulation

2)2) An enabling environment for civil An enabling environment for civil societysociety

3)3) Promoting effectivenessPromoting effectiveness

4)4) Donor support which respects the Donor support which respects the autonomy of civil society autonomy of civil society organisationsorganisations

Current thinking in Irish Aid on what all this means for

civil society support

Where are we now?

120+ partners

Contracting budgetary environment

Focus on administering schemes

Difficulty in absorbing budget

Increased focus on quality required

Where do we want to be?Quality rather than quantity

Strong systems in place

Robust criteria for selection of Strategic Partners

Incentives in place for focus on quality and accountability

Clear dialogue mechanisms with Irish Aid

Commitment from SMT for reform

Strong policy framework

Increased capacity

Opportunities for Change

Priorities for 2010Priorities for 2010

• Complete the MAPS review and reflect on Complete the MAPS review and reflect on its findings with our partnersits findings with our partners

• Define eligibility criteria grounded in the Define eligibility criteria grounded in the Civil Society policy and aid effectiveness Civil Society policy and aid effectiveness

• Clarify what way we should fund our Clarify what way we should fund our partners – strategic level funding vis-à-vis partners – strategic level funding vis-à-vis project fundingproject funding

• Strengthen the role of support Strengthen the role of support organisations in assisting the sector organisations in assisting the sector become increasingly professional and become increasingly professional and quality focussedquality focussed

Some challenges for our Some challenges for our partners..partners..

..from our perspective..from our perspective• To clearly define what it is they want to achieve To clearly define what it is they want to achieve

in terms of impact and outcomes for poor peoplein terms of impact and outcomes for poor people• Partnership with Southern organisations – how to Partnership with Southern organisations – how to

make that more real – need for clarity on what is make that more real – need for clarity on what is the value added of supporting Irish NGOsthe value added of supporting Irish NGOs

• Context Analysis – generally very weakContext Analysis – generally very weak• Capacity to account for monies receivedCapacity to account for monies received• Fragmentation of sector – implications for impactFragmentation of sector – implications for impact• How to improve coordination/division of labour?How to improve coordination/division of labour?• Learning and applying lessons – translating Learning and applying lessons – translating

experience into policy and practiceexperience into policy and practice