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