Civil Society Participation in Governance Reform and Poverty Reduction

projekt beendet

ContextZambia is a relatively stable country in political terms. Since the introduction of the multi-party system in 1991, elections and changes of government have taken place peacefully. Zambia benefits from a vibrant civil society which is actively involved in reforms for better governance. However, the opportunities for civil society to participate in social and political decision-making processes or effectively calling for transparency and accountability with regard to government activities and administrative acts continue to be limited. The relationship between state institutions and groups representing the interests of civil society is not without conflict and is characterised by mistrust. Access to justice is severely restricted for large sections of the population. Overall, the conditions for political participation and legal redress are inadequate.ObjectiveThe conditions for political participation and access to justice have improved.ApproachThe project builds on the results and experience of a previous project, the objective of which was to improve cooperation between the state and civil society. The project supports efforts to reform the legal and institutional framework for political participation and legal redress. It advises state institutions on reforming existing laws and policies and developing new ones. It also assists selected civil society partner organisations in their efforts to participate in governance reform processes in a constructive and effective manner.Furthermore, the project supports civil society organisations in developing their capacities and expertise and helps them to access financial resources. To this end, it focuses on the continued strengthening and securing of the sustainability of the Zambian Governance Foundation, a national organisation which supports civil society.Another aim is to enhance the capacity of civil society organisations to provide extrajudicial legal advice to disadvantaged sections of the population. To this end, the project offers financial support and capacity development measures for selected organisations which provide extrajudicial legal advice. The main emphasis in this regard is on criminal justice, but land rights issues – which are especially important for women – are also factored into the advisory services. The project also advises state and civil society institutions on cooperation, coordination and networking, and works with the partners to develop standards and a certification system for training legal advisors.The project raises awareness among the Zambian people of specific political and civil rights and informs them of how to avail themselves of extrajudicial legal advice. To achieve this, it provides financial assistance and specialist and methodological advice to support the distribution of information appropriate to the various target groups by civil society organisations.ResultsThe current project builds on the results of the predecessor project. The civil society partner organisations assisted by this project are now able to participate more effectively as representatives of society’s interests in governance reform processes and in poverty reduction. Major inputs from civil society have been incorporated into the National Development Plan, the annual budgets and other important policies.Partner organisations have improved their internal organisational structures and now operate more professionally. To facilitate access to justice for disadvantaged sections of the population, constructive dialogue and coordination mechanisms between state and non-governmental players have been developed and tested successfully. Together with other donors, the previous project contributed financially and conceptually to establishing the Zambian Governance Foundation.

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