Netherlands’ strategic partnerships to strengthen civil society advocacy capacity

Challenge

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have a crucial role in advancing inclusive, sustainable development. They are important implementing partners in development co-operation and are also independent development actors in their own right. CSOs fulfil varied roles such as in service delivery, representing the needs of diverse and often marginalised groups, and promoting and defending people’s rights. They have a critical role as a watchdog, monitoring developments and voicing alternative or dissenting views to hold government and business to account. However, this role as an independent and autonomous actor has often been downplayed by the development co-operation community who see them primarily as an implementing partner. Moreover, civic space is shrinking in numerous countries, creating threats and limiting civil society’s operational space.

Approach

In 2016, the Netherlands launched the “Dialogue and Dissent” policy framework to support CSOs in partner countries in their political capacity to lobby and advocate. With a total budget of EUR 925 million, 25 organisations or consortia were awarded grants to work with and support 1 335 organisations in over 65 countries. Key features of the framework included:

• Selection of CSO partners based on proven quality of the CSO, its good track record in lobbying and advocacy, and a sound theory of change, rather than their project proposal.

• Focus on the independent, autonomous role of CSOs rather than their role as implementers of development funding.

• Working in strategic partnerships with select consortia of Dutch and partner country CSOs, having a joint definition of a strategic goal and results while allowing the CSOs to define the details. Long-term, context-specific approach, which builds on capacity development, complementarity, mutual learning, trust and local ownership.

• Use of theories of change to promote a transformative approach and adaptive management.

• Embassies ensured complementarity and synergy between Dutch policy priorities and CSO efforts in-country. They hosted linking and learning sessions to encourage collaboration and supported civil society participation and an open civic space through diplomatic efforts and dialogue. An Accountability Fund allowed embassies to directly fund organisations in partner countries.

• An innovation hub to support learning and innovation among Dutch CSOs and their partner-country CSOs.

• Two CSO-managed funds aimed at reaching the most marginalised groups (Voice) and strengthening women’s rights organisations (Leading from the South).

Results

Programme monitoring in 2020 has documented several direct results of the “Dialogue and Dissent” framework:

• Strengthened capacity of 7 306 participating organisations who undertook 9 473 initiatives to influence policies and behaviours in their countries. This resulted in 1 465 improved laws, policies and social norms, ensuring more people can now enjoy their rights and access services.

• The Accountability Fund has directly strengthened the advocacy capacities of local CSOs in numerous countries. For example, as a result of lobbying and advocacy of civil society partners in Kenya, public authorities have increased the resources, and have delivered more efficient services, to help people counter gender-based violence.

• Monitoring of social transformation has been ensured through establishing of indicators that measure the number of CSOs whose advocacy capacities are strengthened, the number of lobby and advocacy initiatives, and the resulting improvement in laws, policies and social norms and their implementation.

Figure 1. Results framework of the “Dialogue & Dissent” programme

Source: Government of the Netherlands