PARTENARIAT EUROMEDDOC. DE SÉANCE N° : 25/13EN DATE DU : 11.04.2013ORIGINE : Croatia
Building Strategic Framework for Government - Civil Society Cooperation
– Experiences and lessons learned from Croatia and Western Balkans
Marseille, 5 April 2013Union for the Mediterranean Senior Officials'
Meeting
Need for longer-term strategies on capacity-
building of both governments and CSOs
Need for balanced approach of combining
◦ investing in human resources and
◦ establishing enabling structures and
procedures for cooperation
Creating enabling environment for civil society development in democratic transition processes
1. Strategic documents & legal framework
2. Structures for State-CSOs cooperation
3. Standards of consultation in policy making
4. Sustainable funding of CSO programmes
Croatia - four pillars of effective Government-civil society cooperation
Croatian National Strategy for Creating Enabling Environment for CSOs 2012-2016
broad consensus among civil society, government and business representatives about the strategic priorities until 2016
Croatian National Strategy for Creating Enabling Environment for CSOs 2012-2016
common platform that brings together key stakeholders vital for creating conditions for sustainability of an independent and vibrant civil society
More than 30 institutions involved in the implementation of measures (precise indicators)
Complex area – need for effective vertical and
horizontal coordination and solid mechanisms for monitoring the progress
Annual reports on Strategy implementation - continuous involvement of CSOs and interested public
Monitoring the Progress in Implementing the National Strategy
Government Office for Cooperation with CSOs (1998)
Council for Civil Society Development (2002)
National Foundation for Civil Society Development (2003)
Regional support networks of CSOs (since 2006)
Regional foundations (since 2006)
Structures for supporting State - CSOs cooperation – 15 years of efforts
Coordinating Government Policy on Creating Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development:
implementation of National Strategy public funding policy coordination improving standards of public consultation training of civil servants on CSO cooperation
Government Office for Cooperation with CSOs
12 electe
d representatives of
NGOs
1. Union2. Employers Association3. Foundation
1 Trade
Unions1
Employers1
Foundations
12 appoin
tees from state
administrativ
e bodies
Council for Civil Society Development
10
Regional Support Centres
- NGOs networks on local level providing capacity building for smaller and
newly formed NGOs
Regional /Local Community Foundations
- Decentralization of public funding -
‘’Bringing money where needs already exist”
NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR CIVIL SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT
Promoting new standards of CSO consultation in policy making
Code of Practice on Consultation with the Interested Public in Procedures of Adopting Laws, Other Regulations and Acts (2009)
Detailed Guidelines for the implementation of the Code developed
consultation coordinators appointed in central State administration bodies
Training programmes and peer-to-peer support for consultation coordinators
Promoting new standards of CSO consultation in policy making Monitoring the implementation of the
Code of practice on consultation Annual reports (120 consultations
conducted in 2012) Change of Government Rules of
Procedures - new obligation of feedback to the public on the consultation results
Open Government Partnership –promoting proactive transparency in policy making
transparency of funding procedures
diversification of funding mechanisms
ensuring operating grants for CSOs
supporting small grass-roots initiatives
Sustainable funding of CSOs programmes and projects
• Code of Good Practice of Public Funding of
CSOs (adopted by Parliament in 2007)
• Data on all grants accessible on internet
• Coordination meetings (and training
seminars) for public officials at all levels
• Annual Info days – debates on forthcoming
calls for funding CSOs programmes
Transparency of procedures of funding of CSOs programmes and
projects
decentralized system of public funding (20 ministries
and other government funding CSOs – 70 to 90 calls
each year)
50% of lottery revenues – to civil society
regional and local government funding (21 counties, 129
cities, 429 municipalities)
National Foundation– operating grants
regional networks and foundations – promoting
philantropy at local level
Diversification of funding
16
Coordination of Public Funding
CSOs
Direct Funding
Indirect Funding
State B
udget and Lottery Revenues
Local Budgets
Monitoring Matrix for Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development – new tool for CSOs and Governments
MATRIX - background
Monitoring mechanism DEVELOPED and APPLIED by civil society from Western Balkans and Turkey
1st time defines entire enabling environment for civil society development
Including existing global, regional and national standards (legislation & practice) but defining standards where this are not defined (yet)!
Optimum, not minimum standards Indicators for both legislation in place and
esp. implementation (real state of affairs)
AREAS
Basic Legal Guarantees of Freedoms Framework for CSOs' Financial Viability and Sustainability Government-CSO Relationship
8 sub-area 24 standards 152 indicators
AREA 1 - Basic Legal Guarantees of FreedomsSUBAREA 1.1. Freedom ofassociation
PRINCIPLEFreedom of association is guaranteed and exercised freely by everybody
STANDARDS All individuals and legal entities
can freely establish and participate in informal and/or registered organizations offline and online
CSOs operate freely without unwarranted state interference in their internal governance and activities
CSOs can freely seek and secure financial resources from various domestic and foreign sources to support their activities
Indicators 22
AREA 1 - Basic Legal Guarantees of FreedomsSUBAREA 1.2. Related-freedoms
PRINCIPLEFreedoms of assembly and expression are guaranteed to everybody
STANDARDS CSO representatives,
individually or through their organization, enjoy freedom of peaceful assembly
CSO representatives, individually or through their organizations enjoy freedom of expression
Civil society representatives, individually and through their organizations, have the rights to safely receive and impart information through any media
Indicators 23
AREA 2 - Framework for CSOs' Financial Viability and SustainabilitySUBAREA 2.1. Tax/fiscal treatment for CSOs and their donors
PRINCIPLECSOs and donors enjoy favorable tax treatment
STANDARDS Tax benefits are available for
various income sources of CSOs
Incentives are provided for individual and corporate givingIndicators 14
AREA 2 - Framework for CSOs' Financial Viability and SustainabilitySUBAREA 2.2. State Support
PRINCIPLEState support to CSOs is provided in a transparent way and spent in an accountable manner
STANDARDS Public funding is available for
institutional development of CSOs, project support and co-financing of EU and other grants
Public funding is distributed in a prescribed and transparent manner
There is a clear system of accountability, monitoring and evaluation of public funding
Non-financial support is available from the state
Indicators 25
AREA 2 - Framework for CSOs' Financial Viability and SustainabilitySUBAREA 2.3. Human Resources
PRINCIPLEState policies and the legal environment stimulate and facilitate employment, volunteering and other engagements with CSOs
STANDARDS CSOs are treated in an equal
manner to other employers There are enabling
volunteering policies and laws The educational system
promotes civic engagement
Indicators 13
AREA 3 - Government-CSO RelationshipSUBAREA 3.1. Framework and practices for cooperation
PRINCIPLEThere is a strategic approach to furthering state-CSO cooperation and CSO development
STANDARDS
The State recognizes, through policies and strategies, the importance of the development of and cooperation with the sector
The State recognizes, through the operation of its institutions, the importance of the development of and cooperation with the sector
Indicators 11
AREA 3 - Government-CSO Relationship SUBAREA 3.2. Involvement in policy- and decision-making processes
PRINCIPLECSOs are effectively included in policy and decision-making process
STANDARDS There are standards enabling
CSO involvement in decision-making, which allow for CSO input in a timely manner.
All draft policies and laws are easily accessible to the public in a timely manner
CSO representatives are equal partners in discussions in cross-sector bodies and are selected through clearly defined criteria and processes
Indicators 20
AREA 3 - Government-CSO Relationship SUBAREA 3.3. Collaboration in service provision
PRINCIPLEThere is a supportive environment for CSO involvement in service provision
STANDARDS CSOs are engaged in different
services and compete for state contracts on an equal basis to other providers
The state has committed to funding services and the funding is predictable and available over a longer-term period
The state has clearly defined procedures for contracting services which allow for transparent selection of service providers, including CSOs
There is a clear system of accountability, monitoring and evaluation of service provision
Indicators 24
Developing long-term strategies on capacity-building of both governments and CSOs
Creating mechanisms of peer-to-peer support in development of policies and practices of Government- CSOs cooperation
Enabling regular monitoring of progress in the area of enabling environment for civil society on the basis of precise indicators
UfM - new opportunities for government-civil society dialogue
development of a tailor-made training programmes on establishing institutional, legal and financial framework for cooperation between governmental institutions and civil society
organizing study visits for government officials for the purpose of introducing good practices in developing cooperation with civil society in developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating public policies
Long-term strategies on capacity-building of governments
establishing networking mechanism for connecting UfM governments with providers of expertise on cooperation with CSOs
introduce governments to peer governments, CSOs and independent experts with experience, skill sets and technology that can assist governments with conceptualizing and implementing ambitious reforms in the area of cooperation with CSOs
Peer-to-peer support for governments on developing cooperation with CSOs
Establishing precise set of indicators for monitoring of progress in the area of enabling environment for civil society, that could be useful tool for:
1) self-assessment by governments 2) independent external assessment by
think-tanks, policy anylists 3) regular dialogue within UfM between EU,
CSOs and governments
Monitoring of progress in the area of enabling environment for civil society