Expertise

Enhancement of the role of civil society Back

Civil society organisations (including NGOs) are vital partners for decision-makers, as they are best placed to know their community’s development needs. Applying innovative approaches to improve dialogue with these organisations is essential. PROMAN’s experience focuses also on capacity building and networking of civil society and the broader set of non-state actors (NSAs).

The role of civil society organisations and non-state actors is expanding from being implementing partners to sharing more responsibility with the state on poverty reduction, as the developing countries claim ownership of their own development. Synergies between states and CSOs can help overcome challenges of poverty, of widening inequality, of social exclusion and of unsustainable development. CSO participation in policy processes is the key to ensuring inclusive and effective policies. In this way CSO contribute to building more accountable and legitimate states, leading to enhanced social cohesion and to more open and deeper democracies.

PROMAN’s expertise focuses on the following support areas:

• Enhancing efforts to promote a conducive environment for CSOs in partner countries
• Fostering the meaningful and structured participation of CSOs in domestic policies of partner countries, in aid programming and in international processes
• Increasing local CSOs’ capacity to perform their roles as independent development actors more effectively

Civil society is a prime beneficiary of specific tools and programmes under EU funding, to which they are invited to participate by means of calls for proposals. PROMAN is providing specialised expertise in the preparation, evaluation and management of these processes, including specialised and practical training.

Samples:

• Technical Assistance for the implementation of the Neighbourhood Civil Society Facility, Morocco
• Technical Assistance to the Civil Society Support Programme, Cameroun
• Technical Assistance to the EUROMED programme Gender Equality and Civil Society

For further information, please visit the Projects page