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Interaction with government

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Nigeria Procurement Monitoring Project

Ongoing activities require external funding. Given the need to maintain independence to ensure the credibility of its activities, accepting funding from the government is not an option for the grantee Although some of the longer-established NGOs are able to support some level of monitoring activity from their own resources, inevitably, the overall level of monitoring of procurement activity will decline without additional dedicated funding. Further, there is regular turnover in CSO ranks, and the level of knowledge required to be an effective monitor is significant.
Project Partner
Public & Private Development Centre
Project Description
The project’s overall objective was to increase the effectiveness of procurement monitoring by non-state actors following the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 in Nigeria. The project was built on a thorough analysis of the current situation regarding government procurement and mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on the process. The publication of two carefully researched annual assessment reports on the state of public procurement and stakeholder knowledge of PPA requirements proved effective for connecting public procurement and integrity in governance. The development of new tools for training of trainers in procurement monitoring and the training of 33 monitors were also valuable. Efforts to work closely with the legislature began well. However, the 2011 Parliamentary Elections brought about a wholesale change in the membership of both houses of the National Assembly. The leading champions of reform in regard to public procurement were defeated, and there was no longer an interest among elected members in working closely with PPDC, although a positive working relationship was established with the parliamentary secretariat.
Evaluation Date
April 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Nigeria Procurement Monitoring Project

Efforts to work closely with the legislature began well, with the Committee on Public Procurement of the House of Representatives willing to follow up on concrete problems identified in meetings with grantee and its allies. However, the 2011 parliamentary elections brought about a wholesale change in the membership of both houses of the National Assembly. The leading champions of reform in public procurement were defeated, and there was no longer an interest among elected members in working closely with grantee, although a positive working relationship was established with the parliamentary secretariat.
Project Partner
Public & Private Development Centre
Project Description
The project’s overall objective was to increase the effectiveness of procurement monitoring by non-state actors following the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 in Nigeria. The project was built on a thorough analysis of the current situation regarding government procurement and mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on the process. The publication of two carefully researched annual assessment reports on the state of public procurement and stakeholder knowledge of PPA requirements proved effective for connecting public procurement and integrity in governance. The development of new tools for training of trainers in procurement monitoring and the training of 33 monitors were also valuable. Efforts to work closely with the legislature began well. However, the 2011 Parliamentary Elections brought about a wholesale change in the membership of both houses of the National Assembly. The leading champions of reform in regard to public procurement were defeated, and there was no longer an interest among elected members in working closely with PPDC, although a positive working relationship was established with the parliamentary secretariat.
Evaluation Date
April 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Nigeria Procurement Monitoring Project

The preparation and publication of the Procurement Observation Handbook built on previous efforts. It is also being used elsewhere in West Africa, and has been provided to the World Bank IDF program and Open Society Initiative for West Africa on request for translation to French for use in French-speaking West African Countries. Feedback on the manual from those interviewed for the evaluation was extremely positive.
Project Partner
Public & Private Development Centre
Project Description
The project’s overall objective was to increase the effectiveness of procurement monitoring by non-state actors following the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 in Nigeria. The project was built on a thorough analysis of the current situation regarding government procurement and mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on the process. The publication of two carefully researched annual assessment reports on the state of public procurement and stakeholder knowledge of PPA requirements proved effective for connecting public procurement and integrity in governance. The development of new tools for training of trainers in procurement monitoring and the training of 33 monitors were also valuable. Efforts to work closely with the legislature began well. However, the 2011 Parliamentary Elections brought about a wholesale change in the membership of both houses of the National Assembly. The leading champions of reform in regard to public procurement were defeated, and there was no longer an interest among elected members in working closely with PPDC, although a positive working relationship was established with the parliamentary secretariat.
Evaluation Date
April 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Enhancing Dialogue for Inclusive Constitution

The grantee seemed to have missed the opportunity to convince the project's former beneficiaries of the importance of continued dialogue, negotiation and networking to ensure sustainability. Since the Constitutional Assembly in Nepal failed and, taking into account the project's long-term objective to establish a mutually shared vision of Nepal's future form of governance, the project's former beneficiaries could have played a lasting key role in further disseminating relevant knowledge and information, in particular at the grass-roots level.
Project Partner
National Coalition Against Racial Discrimination
Project Description
This project aimed to improve the situation of Nepal's historically marginalized and indigenous Dalit, Muslim and Adivasi groups. The project was undertaken to correspond with the schedule of the country's Constituent Assembly (CA), which was entrusted with the development of a new constitution for Nepal. It developed coalitions among the country's marginalized groups, in order to increase receptiveness of political parties to Dalit and indigenous issues and to reflect them in the new constitution. The grantee made a deliberate effort to provide the marginalized group representatives and those involved in the drafting of the constitution high quality information about issues related to constitutional processes and examples of federalist practice in other countries. Although the Constituent Assembly dissolved without completing its mission, the extent to which the alternative constitution, the project's central output, has contributed to preliminary constitutional drafts of the Constituent Assembly‘s thematic committees demonstrate the project's impact.
Evaluation Date
February 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Enhancing Dialogue for Inclusive Constitution

Examples witnessed at grass-roots level demonstrate that beneficiaries used their knowledge, both to build relationships and to deepen interaction with stakeholders. These interactions directly affected the general public and political debate, as well as the constitutional drafting process in the thematic committees of the Constituent Assembly in Nepal.
Project Partner
National Coalition Against Racial Discrimination
Project Description
This project aimed to improve the situation of Nepal's historically marginalized and indigenous Dalit, Muslim and Adivasi groups. The project was undertaken to correspond with the schedule of the country's Constituent Assembly (CA), which was entrusted with the development of a new constitution for Nepal. It developed coalitions among the country's marginalized groups, in order to increase receptiveness of political parties to Dalit and indigenous issues and to reflect them in the new constitution. The grantee made a deliberate effort to provide the marginalized group representatives and those involved in the drafting of the constitution high quality information about issues related to constitutional processes and examples of federalist practice in other countries. Although the Constituent Assembly dissolved without completing its mission, the extent to which the alternative constitution, the project's central output, has contributed to preliminary constitutional drafts of the Constituent Assembly‘s thematic committees demonstrate the project's impact.
Evaluation Date
February 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Enhancing Dialogue for Inclusive Constitution

Report on achievements systematically to improve the quantitative and qualitative assessment of impact and of the needs that remain. This may also help to refine long-term strategy. The grantee did not keep track of results-oriented monitoring documentation relative to the initial baseline contextual analysis.
Project Partner
National Coalition Against Racial Discrimination
Project Description
This project aimed to improve the situation of Nepal's historically marginalized and indigenous Dalit, Muslim and Adivasi groups. The project was undertaken to correspond with the schedule of the country's Constituent Assembly (CA), which was entrusted with the development of a new constitution for Nepal. It developed coalitions among the country's marginalized groups, in order to increase receptiveness of political parties to Dalit and indigenous issues and to reflect them in the new constitution. The grantee made a deliberate effort to provide the marginalized group representatives and those involved in the drafting of the constitution high quality information about issues related to constitutional processes and examples of federalist practice in other countries. Although the Constituent Assembly dissolved without completing its mission, the extent to which the alternative constitution, the project's central output, has contributed to preliminary constitutional drafts of the Constituent Assembly‘s thematic committees demonstrate the project's impact.
Evaluation Date
February 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Enhancing Dialogue for Inclusive Constitution

The grantee focused on the empowerment of marginalized groups. The main project output – the alternative constitution – was drafted without including country's dominant political parties. This weakened the chances of the project to establish a lasting effect on Nepal’s constitutional drafting process.
Project Partner
National Coalition Against Racial Discrimination
Project Description
This project aimed to improve the situation of Nepal's historically marginalized and indigenous Dalit, Muslim and Adivasi groups. The project was undertaken to correspond with the schedule of the country's Constituent Assembly (CA), which was entrusted with the development of a new constitution for Nepal. It developed coalitions among the country's marginalized groups, in order to increase receptiveness of political parties to Dalit and indigenous issues and to reflect them in the new constitution. The grantee made a deliberate effort to provide the marginalized group representatives and those involved in the drafting of the constitution high quality information about issues related to constitutional processes and examples of federalist practice in other countries. Although the Constituent Assembly dissolved without completing its mission, the extent to which the alternative constitution, the project's central output, has contributed to preliminary constitutional drafts of the Constituent Assembly‘s thematic committees demonstrate the project's impact.
Evaluation Date
February 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Monitoring and Influencing the Central Budget by Civic Empowerment

Overall, the project demonstrated a commendable ability to adjust and adapt its plans as circumstances changed and new challenges emerged. However, adding new elements to an already multi-facetted project gave it an open-endedness and lack of completeness, particularly in its efforts to support civil society capacity development.
Project Partner
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation
Project Description
The project aimed to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations at local level to influence the government budget and expenditure process, with particular emphasis on the social sector. The initiative took place in a governance environment where there is no tradition of using the budget as a means of holding the government accountable, at national or local levels, even in the Parliament. This project represents one component of the grantee’s broader effort to draw public and media attention to the importance of budget-making, while building the capacity of civil society to engage with government on budget matters, thus enhancing public accountability. The emphasis on the budget for the social sector was particularly relevant as a step towards drawing attention to, and seeking to improve, the situation of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Increasingly, the responsibility for administration of the social sector budget, including health and education, as well as social protection, rests with the municipalities. The selection of the Urban Councils and Women’s Assemblies as the focus for strengthening the role of civil society in monitoring the performance of municipal government was a relevant and appropriate choice, given the project objectives.
Evaluation Date
February 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Monitoring and Influencing the Central Budget by Civic Empowerment

The decision to add a gender equality component to the project by providing special training to Women’s Assemblies reflected the recognition of a significant capacity gap in local civil society in Turkey. Working through the Urban Councils and Women’s Assemblies, the project lobbied municipal authorities to establish municipal Equality Commissions as sub-committees of elected municipal councils.. All five pilot municipalities have now either set up, or are planning to set up, Equality Commissions.
Project Partner
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation
Project Description
The project aimed to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations at local level to influence the government budget and expenditure process, with particular emphasis on the social sector. The initiative took place in a governance environment where there is no tradition of using the budget as a means of holding the government accountable, at national or local levels, even in the Parliament. This project represents one component of the grantee’s broader effort to draw public and media attention to the importance of budget-making, while building the capacity of civil society to engage with government on budget matters, thus enhancing public accountability. The emphasis on the budget for the social sector was particularly relevant as a step towards drawing attention to, and seeking to improve, the situation of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Increasingly, the responsibility for administration of the social sector budget, including health and education, as well as social protection, rests with the municipalities. The selection of the Urban Councils and Women’s Assemblies as the focus for strengthening the role of civil society in monitoring the performance of municipal government was a relevant and appropriate choice, given the project objectives.
Evaluation Date
February 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Monitoring and Influencing the Central Budget by Civic Empowerment

Partnership was a real strength of the project:  the Permanent Monitoring Group, where organizational members had worked with each other for some time, over a series of projects, was an excellent institution. The partnerships that the grantee established with local beneficiaries were also strong, and are likely to continue beyond the project.
Project Partner
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation
Project Description
The project aimed to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations at local level to influence the government budget and expenditure process, with particular emphasis on the social sector. The initiative took place in a governance environment where there is no tradition of using the budget as a means of holding the government accountable, at national or local levels, even in the Parliament. This project represents one component of the grantee’s broader effort to draw public and media attention to the importance of budget-making, while building the capacity of civil society to engage with government on budget matters, thus enhancing public accountability. The emphasis on the budget for the social sector was particularly relevant as a step towards drawing attention to, and seeking to improve, the situation of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Increasingly, the responsibility for administration of the social sector budget, including health and education, as well as social protection, rests with the municipalities. The selection of the Urban Councils and Women’s Assemblies as the focus for strengthening the role of civil society in monitoring the performance of municipal government was a relevant and appropriate choice, given the project objectives.
Evaluation Date
February 2012
Country