Community activism

The project targeted the Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (TANGO) in the Gambia, and more specifically its 121 member NGOs (including the staff of some 60 NGOs) including over 2,000 members (community based organizations, religious and cultural bodies, youth organizations, trade unions and farmer associations). While the country has a plan for decentralization, the implementation of the plan has been incomplete. Civil society in the country has lacked advocacy capacity and communication channels to cooperate with regional and local level administrations so that decision making takes into account the most pressing needs of citizens.  The project attempted to increase the level of understanding between government and civil society about the positive effect that joint dialogue could have while aiming to increase the association of NGO members’ capacity to effectively engage with the government on issues of concern to civil society. The project in most cases achieved or exceeded the targeted outputs. Beneficiaries praised the usefulness of the advocacy strategy framework tool the project introduced. In addition, advocacy skills trainees confirmed that the knowledge they acquired serve their professional needs. In addition, the project’s communication forum effectively informed the public discussion about discrepancies between legal provisions and current policies.

The project motivated both the local population and local government in Kyrgyzstan to jointly assess community needs and to jointly prioritize actions addressing the most pressing concerns within the limits of available resources. The approach of putting a monitoring system in place was implemented by Voluntary Citizen Committees (VCCs), as well as by local authorities. Having generated 16 project-driven and 37 beneficiary-driven Development Pacts (DP), of which most have already produced tangible results, the grantee significantly contributed to an improved responsiveness of local authorities in Kyrgyzstan to citizens’ concerns.

The project motivated both the local population and local government in Kyrgyzstan to jointly assess community needs and to jointly prioritize actions addressing the most pressing concerns within the limits of available resources. The approach of putting a monitoring system in place was implemented by Voluntary Citizen Committees (VCCs), as well as by local authorities. Having generated 16 project-driven and 37 beneficiary-driven Development Pacts (DP), of which most have already produced tangible results, the grantee significantly contributed to an improved responsiveness of local authorities in Kyrgyzstan to citizens’ concerns.

The project motivated both the local population and local government in Kyrgyzstan to jointly assess community needs and to jointly prioritize actions addressing the most pressing concerns within the limits of available resources. The approach of putting a monitoring system in place was implemented by Voluntary Citizen Committees (VCCs), as well as by local authorities. Having generated 16 project-driven and 37 beneficiary-driven Development Pacts (DP), of which most have already produced tangible results, the grantee significantly contributed to an improved responsiveness of local authorities in Kyrgyzstan to citizens’ concerns.

The project motivated both the local population and local government in Kyrgyzstan to jointly assess community needs and to jointly prioritize actions addressing the most pressing concerns within the limits of available resources. The approach of putting a monitoring system in place was implemented by Voluntary Citizen Committees (VCCs), as well as by local authorities. Having generated 16 project-driven and 37 beneficiary-driven Development Pacts (DP), of which most have already produced tangible results, the grantee significantly contributed to an improved responsiveness of local authorities in Kyrgyzstan to citizens’ concerns.

The project motivated both the local population and local government in Kyrgyzstan to jointly assess community needs and to jointly prioritize actions addressing the most pressing concerns within the limits of available resources. The approach of putting a monitoring system in place was implemented by Voluntary Citizen Committees (VCCs), as well as by local authorities. Having generated 16 project-driven and 37 beneficiary-driven Development Pacts (DP), of which most have already produced tangible results, the grantee significantly contributed to an improved responsiveness of local authorities in Kyrgyzstan to citizens’ concerns.

The main objective of the project was to strengthen the capacity grassroots organizations, and enhance the participation of citizens in governance to promote a democratic culture in Kenya and in eastern and central Africa. While some project activities were highly relevant and empowering to individual beneficiaries, others lacked follow-up. Among the project’s successes were the election observation trainings which had a multiplier effect with grassroots organizations. Following the workshop trainings, 12 observation groups were established to monitor the Kenyan election of 2013, all of which later obtained a long-term accreditation status as election observers. In general, the project was activity-driven which made outcomes and institutional impact difficult to assess. Project design showed some weaknesses, as several challenges that appeared during implementation could have been anticipated by the grantee beforehand. For example, the shortage of staff and a better coordination with the electoral timeline in Kenya could have ensured a smoother implementation.

The main objective of the project was to strengthen the capacity grassroots organizations, and enhance the participation of citizens in governance to promote a democratic culture in Kenya and in eastern and central Africa. While some project activities were highly relevant and empowering to individual beneficiaries, others lacked follow-up. Among the project’s successes were the election observation trainings which had a multiplier effect with grassroots organizations. Following the workshop trainings, 12 observation groups were established to monitor the Kenyan election of 2013, all of which later obtained a long-term accreditation status as election observers. In general, the project was activity-driven which made outcomes and institutional impact difficult to assess. Project design showed some weaknesses, as several challenges that appeared during implementation could have been anticipated by the grantee beforehand. For example, the shortage of staff and a better coordination with the electoral timeline in Kenya could have ensured a smoother implementation.

The main objective of the project was to strengthen the capacity grassroots organizations, and enhance the participation of citizens in governance to promote a democratic culture in Kenya and in eastern and central Africa. While some project activities were highly relevant and empowering to individual beneficiaries, others lacked follow-up. Among the project’s successes were the election observation trainings which had a multiplier effect with grassroots organizations. Following the workshop trainings, 12 observation groups were established to monitor the Kenyan election of 2013, all of which later obtained a long-term accreditation status as election observers. In general, the project was activity-driven which made outcomes and institutional impact difficult to assess. Project design showed some weaknesses, as several challenges that appeared during implementation could have been anticipated by the grantee beforehand. For example, the shortage of staff and a better coordination with the electoral timeline in Kenya could have ensured a smoother implementation.

The project sought to enhance the capacities of Ukrainian NGOs and citizens to influence political processes by providing citizens with tools to monitor and evaluate the work of their elected officials and to advocate for needed change. Its intended outcomes were to: increase NGO activism in engaging citizens to undertake citizen monitoring and advocacy activities; increase access to information for citizens about their local representatives and electoral officials; and increase civil society demand for more accountability from their local representatives and elected officials in eight targeted regions. The main tool used by the project to achieve these outcomes was a dedicated website. However this was under-developed in the design and during implementation. The assumption that these websites alone could result in more responsive party lists or more accountable deputies was unrealistic .The impact of this project is difficult to assess as it did not collect outcome information.. The limited use of the site and its lack of links to activities in the sector reduced its potential for impact but from the anecdotal information gathered, it seems that on a limited scale, this project resulted in an increased awareness among some deputies that their activities were being watched and that information on their work could get out to the public through NGOs and websites such as these.