NICE Voice & Accountability

Voice & Accountability Strategy powered by N.I.C.E.

Consultative / validation Workshop Session 1: Introduction Session 2: Voice & Accountability Strategy Session 3: Group Work on V&A strategy Session 4: Group work on Training, Knowledge Management, and Volunteer Management Session 5: Resource mobilisation Session 6: NICE Communication, Branding and Outreach Session 7: Voice & Accountability Work plan Session 8: Conclusion and next steps Session 9: Workshop evaluation

Expected Results from the Planning Workshop Voice & Accountability Strategy endorsed Training strategy drafted Knowledge Management strategy drafted Resource Mobilisation strategy adopted NICE Communication strategy defined (orientations) NICE branding defined (orientations) NICE Outreach/Partnership strategy defined (orientations) Voice & Accountability Work plan defined (orientations)

A Voice & Accountability Strategy Outline I.Objectives of the consultancy II.Fundamentals III.Sustainable Development Goals IV.Social contracts and Multi-stakeholder dialogue V.Engagement VI.Facilitation VII.Exposure and recognition VIII.Key tools IX.2016 – 2020: Expected Results

Objectives of the consultancy The specific objective of the consultancy is to enhance NICE management and staff in voice and accountability initiatives. Specific objectives include: To assist NICE core staff in the development of methods and approaches to strengthen the new focus of NICE on voice and accountability for creating awareness and mobilisation of citizens on issues of democratic governance and of accountability of duty bearers; To provide capacity building to NICE to effectively implement activities that were jointly conceptualised by NICE core staff and the experts that can promote social accountability at all levels of governance in Malawi. To provide technical advice and guidance that will assist NICE in the initial take off stage of the voice and accountability initiative

Conceptual Mapping Voice is often understood as the ability of citizens to express their preferences and to be heard by the state [as a primary duty bearer], either through formal or informal channels, in written or oral form (Rocha Menocal & Sharma, 2008). Accountability is a process for holding individual actors or organisations to account for their actions. Accountability requires transparency, answerability, and enforceability between decision makers and citizens (Rocha Menocal & Sharma, 2008). Empowerment is a process through which individuals or organised groups increase their power and autonomy to achieve certain outcomes they need and desire (Eyben, 2011). Empowerment focuses on supporting disadvantaged people to gain power and exert greater influence over those who control access to key resources (DFID, 2011).Eyben, 2011

Fundamentals The proposed Voice & Accountability Strategy is based on the following: 1.Governance issues 2.Social contracts 3.Multi-stakeholders dialogue 4.Sustainable Development Goals and their six pillars 5.Gender equality and women empowerment 6.Development effectiveness - Local development ownership and capacity 7.Communication 8.Partnerships 9.Learning - Capacity development 10.Knowledge management

Fundamentals The proposed Voice & Accountability Strategy is based on the following: 1.Governance issues: Participation and community empowerment, transparency and accountability of duty-bearers 2.Social contracts: a modern vision of the social contract, e.g. “a (tacit rather than explicit) agreement between members of an organised society (or between a community and decision-makers) that defines the relationship and responsibilities of each to the other. As a consequence, terms of engagement between public, private and social spheres are shaped often based on a common socio-political vision

Fundamentals Multi-stakeholders dialogue: Some of the requirements for initiating and coordinating a successful dialogue process are: Capacity to organise a group of people around a shared vision Being perceived as a trusted and honest broker by most stakeholders Awareness of the problem system and appropriate scale Capacity to understand and navigate power dynamics Ability to attract the most relevant actors (in terms of skills/knowledge, credibility and authority) and at the appropriate time Multi-cultural mediation skills bridging divides across languages, cultures, literacy levels and unequal access to Information and Communication Technologies

Fundamentals Sustainable Development Goals and their six pillars People: “We are determined to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment.” Planet: “We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations.” Prosperity: “We are determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.” Peace: “We are determined to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence. There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.” Partnership: “We are determined to mobilize the means required to implement this Agenda through a revitalized Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries, all stakeholders and all people.”

Sustainable Development Goals – 2015/2030

A sustainable human development approach “The sustainable human development approach starts with the recognition that people’s knowledge, skills, experience, culture, energy and inventiveness are every country’s most valuable resource, and that people and their traditions must be regarded as assets, not liabilities. This approach gives prime emphasis to the role of human beings in their social context (…) For this reason, a strong civic society, in which norms of reciprocity, co- operation and trust are respected, would be the best way to underpin sustainable human development”. Stefan de Vylder, 1994, UNDP

Fundamentals Gender equality and women empowerment Development effectiveness - Local development ownership and capacity Communication Partnerships Learning - Capacity development Knowledge management

Voice & Accountability Strategy The proposed Voice & Accountability Strategy has three components/modus operandi: 1.Engagement 2.Facilitation 3.Exposure and recognition

Engagement Work on the demand side: Advocacy Citizen Forum and other mobilization mechanisms Local and national campaigns Use of Media and of Social Media Enlisting member support and building a national constituency Key issues: Quality of basic services Gender equality and women empowerment Budget spending Participation: “Nothing about us without us”: voice of the most vulnerable/disadvantaged groups

Facilitation Work on the supply side: Local Political Economy Analysis Social contracts Multi –stakeholder dialogue Capacitation Local Governments/Communities Massive investment in Development Committees Pilot test in 5 districts in 2016?

Exposure and recognition Some hints: 1.Re-branding NICE 2.Communication strategy 3.Outreach/external relation strategy (re. strategic partnerships) 4.International, modern Resource Mobilisation strategy

Key tools Communication Capacity development - Training tools Political Economy Analysis and Theory of Change Knowledge management Volunteer management M&E system

Capacity development - Training tools Specific training tools must be developed for NICE core staff (Central, regional and district offices). It is envisaged to deliver ToT trainings in 2016, targeting notably the RCEO, DCEO and Area Coordinators, in the following areas: V&A Best practices Resource Book Campaigning and Advocacy Participatory governance/development Social Accountability and transparency Participatory budgeting Leadership Mediation and facilitation skills SDGs/MGDGs Gender Development effectiveness

Capacity development - Training tools These ToT will notably train trainers to deliver similar trainings at the community level. What NICE could build through these ToT is a complete capacity development axis, which would include: A training corpus and methodology: trainer’s manuals, trainees’ manuals, training methodology The constitution of a national pool of NICE trainers (with NICE certification!) It could be interesting to contact BRIDGE implementers who could help to develop the overall ToT scheme for NICE.

Knowledge management The first step might be to mobilise two interns, whose function will be to search and index all NICE documents, since its foundation. By doing so, a knowledge base with categories will be constituted. In the meantime, a Data specialist would develop a simple and robust national Content Management System (CMS) to store all NICE content. The CMS should be user-friendly, with a social media interface, which will allow NICE staff and volunteers to submit/upload any relevant information in a central virtual space. The entire NICE to become a learning organisation and adopt tools which allow the indexing of all contents generated: publications, manuals, stories, pictures, videos, etc. Once developed, the CMS would become public through a web site.

M&E system 4 tools will be presented in an Excel format, and used at the district/regional and national levels: MAPI: Map of Activities and Process Indicators ROP: Results Oriented Programme MRI: Map of Indicators of Results RAR: Rapid Assessment Reports

Key results/indicators can be seen as a transitional year, with specific expected results, mostly internal: Elaboration of a communication/branding strategy Elaboration of a training strategy Elaboration of PEA methodology Establishment of a NICE CMS Establishment of a Volunteer Management programme Elaboration of a national/regional/international outreach strategy Finalization of the resource mobilisation strategy Pilot tests of the axis II (Facilitation: work on the accountability/supply side), in selected districts

Key results/indicators will allow the full implementation of the V&A programme, with expected results in terms of: Impact Increased responsiveness of government to citizens’ needs and capacity of duty bearers to deliver services Increased capacity of citizens to hold duty bearers accountable Increased accountability of service providers in the delivery of social services Improved access to information Social contracts Transparency Civic Participation Public campaigns

Key results/indicators will allow the full implementation of the V&A programme, with expected results in terms of: NICE Training capacity Knowledge management Volunteer management Coordination & networking of state & non state actors in CE Media exposure Regional/international outreach Resource mobilisation

Consultative/Planning meeting

Session 3: Group Work on V&A strategy Groups to brainstorm on the following issues: Group 1: Engagement Group 2: Facilitation Group 3: Exposure & recognition

Session 4: Group work on tools Session 4: PEA, Training, Knowledge Management and Volunteer Management Groups to brainstorm on the following issues: Group 1: Political Economy Analysis Group 2: Training and NICE V&A Resource book Group 3: Knowledge Management and Best Practices Group 4: Volunteer Management

Session 5: Resource mobilisation Groups to brainstorm on key issues: Group 1: Group 2: Group 3:

Session 6: NICE Communication, Branding and Outreach Groups to brainstorm on the following issues: Group 1: Communication Group 2: Branding Group 3: Outreach

Session 7: Voice & Accountability Work plan Three axis of the V&A strategy 1.Engagement 2.Facilitation 3.Exposure & recognition Four tools of the V&A strategy 1.Group 1: Political Economy Analysis 2.Group 2: Training and NICE V&A Resource book 3.Group 3: Knowledge Management and Best Practices 4.Group 4: Volunteer Management Resource mobilisation 1.Issue 1 2.Issue 2 3.Issue 3 NICE Communication, Branding and Outreach 1.NICE Communication 2.NICE Branding 3.NICE Outreach Opportunities

Thank you! Kizito Tenthani – Henri Valot