Support to the Capacity Development of CSOs Ensuring CSOs are in the Driver’s Seat 4 th April 2014 Simon Forrester / Tine Veldkamp

By the end of the seminar participants will… Be aware of the key messages in the ‘Guidance on Support to the CD of Local CSOs’ at the organisational level and of the various mechanisms available to them for enhancing their knowledge and skills in the provision of that support; Have strengthened their understanding of the issues impacting on CSO capacity development, from the perspective of different types of CSOs and within different contexts.

Seminar Schedule Session 1 (09:30-10:30) Objectives/Expectations Policy context of EU’s support to the CD of CSOs Overview of the ‘Guidance’ Session 2 (11:00-12:45) The concepts & realities of CSOs, and their role-related capacities Exercise: identifying priority capacities Lunch Break (12:45 – 14:00) Session 3 (14:00-15:30) Options for supporting CD of CSOs and how best to deliver them Exercise: sharing lessons learnt from the implementation of support Session 4 (16:00-17:00) Applying ‘lessons learnt’ to the new programmes and other opportunities

Policy Context for Support to CD of CSOs EC’s 2012 Communication on ‘Roots of Democracy…’  Promoting a conducive environment for CSOs;  Promoting structured and meaningful Participation of CSOs in domestic policy making, EU programme cycle, and international processes and debates;  Increasing the capacity of local CSOs to perform their roles more effectively.

Policy Context for Support to CD of CSOs In line with the ‘Agenda for Change’ & 2012 Communication, “the EU supports the capacity development of CSOs, particularly local actors, as part of a long-term, demand- driven and flexible approach, giving particular consideration to constituency building and representativeness.” Taken from Guidance on Support to the CD of CSOs, with reference to ‘Increasing the Impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change’, EC Communication, October 2011

Policy Context for Support to CD of CSOs Furthermore, the policy encourages: engagement and capacity development of the widest possible range of local actors and not just the usual players long-term and equitable partnerships for capacity development between local and European CSOs, based on local demand, and including mentoring and coaching, peer learning, networking, and building of linkages from the local to the global level.

Policy Context for Support to CD of CSOs Istanbul Principles underpin the conditions that CSOs have determined as being fundamental to their effectiveness The 8 Principles were set out at the 1 st Global Assembly of the Open Forum, in September 2010, in Istanbul, Turkey

Guidance Materials Consultations With EUD Staff Emphasised: - Relating CD support to the new Communication - Understanding different types of CSOs and how they develop as organisations - Dealing with context Especially the CD of CSOs in fragile states - Understanding different ‘capacities’, how to build and measure them - Operational strengths & weaknesses - Assessing who can best provide support (intermediaries, TATs) - Integrating cross-cutting issues And requests that the materials be practice-based and ‘open ended’

Guidance Materials Finalising the Draft Open to views and suggestions so that the Guidance ‘hits the spot’

Guidance Materials Concepts & Evidence-base Wide definition of ‘CSO’ Meaning of Capacity Development (CD) Focus on CD at the organisational level Reference to recent evaluation findings and practitioner recommendations

Guidance Materials - Policy context - Terms & Definitions - Different levels of Capacity Development Chapter 1 Introduction

Guidance Materials Chapter 2 Understanding CSOs & Their Capacities - Structuring of organised civil society - Roles of CSOs - Types & particularities of CSOs - Capacities

Guidance Materials - Understanding context - Assessing existing capacities - Setting objectives - Strategies for support - Formulating support (financial/non-financial support; intermediaries) - Good practices in implementation - Measuring changes in capacities Chapter 3 Support to the CD of CSOs

Guidance Materials Annexes - Glossary of terms - Approaches to Organisation Assessments - Tools & Methods for measuring capacity changes - Case Studies - References & Recommended Reading