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OVERVIEW
What is it?
The guidelines for the programming of the Neighbourhood, development and international cooperation – Global Europe instrument - 2021-2027 call for a meaningful engagement with local civil society in all priority areas and policy dialogues. The Programming Guidelines makes CSOs mainstreaming an essential issue by underlining that “meaningful engagement with local civil society should be sought in all priority areas and policy dialogues".
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are indeed vital to the attainment of human rights, the rule of law, liberal democracy, peace, conflict prevention, resilience and stability in our partner countries, and are key partners in devising and implementing policies and programmes that meet people's needs, reduce inequalities, and fulfil the central commitment of the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind.
The present guidance note "The Mainstreaming Civil Society engagement into European Union cooperation and external relations in the post 2020 phase" aims to assist colleagues in EU delegations and headquarters to mainstream civil society into their cooperation and external relations work, within the five new priorities of the European Commission: Green Alliance and Partnerships, Global Digital and Partnerships, Sustainable Growth and Jobs, Partnerships for Migration and Mobility, Partnerships for Human Development Peace and Governance.
This note and the attached sector-specific fiches should help colleagues working in thematic areas and/or sectors gain a better understanding of CSOs and the roles they play. Working more strategically with civil society throughout the EU policy cycle will help fine-tune our actions to local realities, achieving a more reliable risk analysis, and subsequently more sustainability and legitimacy of EU support programmes.
What can it be used for?
This guidance note can be used to mainstream civil society in all of the Commission priority areas. It can be used to inform political and/or policy dialogues, the design of specific action plans as well as call for proposals in terms of objectives and activities. It provides a good introduction to CSOs added value and possibilities of engagement for the various priority areas.
When can it be used?
This methodological note should be used during all the different phases of the EU cycle of operations from the pre and programming phase to the evaluation of specific policies and programmes (Identification and Formulation, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation). Within each of these phases, different potential entry points for mainstreaming apply, providing opportunities, moments and channels where citizens, through CSOs, can organise and act to potentially affect policies, decisions and relationships, which affect their lives and interests.
Who can use it?
Any EU service (INTPA, NEAR, FPI, EEAS, ECHO) either at Headquarters, in Delegation or both
What are its strengths?
The guidance note follows a set of 14 sectoral fiches developing the entry points for Civil Society involvement under each of the 5 new Commission priorities and cross-cutting areas. Each sector is preceded by a brief introduction. Each one of the 14 fiches offers a “menu” of options in terms of policy dialogue and operational support for each one of the phases in the cycle of operations, which will need to be carefully assessed depending on the context, functions and actors.
What are its limitations?
Engaging with CSOs can take place in a very wide range of thematic areas and can imply many different activities. Each fiche provides an introduction to the role CSO can play, but it certainly does not have the ambition to be exhaustive
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Key elements
Effective Mainstreaming of CSO engagement implies exploring four key questions:
- Why should CSOs be involved & what roles do they play?
- Who are the CSO actors to engage with & how do we select the right actors?
- How can CSOs be brought on board?
- When should we engage CSOs within the EU cycle of operations?
Requirements
Data/information:
A key question is how to identify and select the CSOs to engage with. Civil society mappings, political economy analyses and other civil society and governance related studies can be intelligently used to this end. Every context is unique, and there are no blueprints or shortcuts to the identification and selection of actors
Time:
Due to time and/or resource limitations it may not always be possible to launch mappings. EU Country Roadmaps for engagement with CSOs, available mappings and other studies and assessments conducted by EU technical assistance programmes, EU Member States or other actors may serve as a starting point to build up knowledge about both the institutional framework and the civil society actors. Beneficiaries of EU and Member States support programmes, as well as the most vocal platforms and networks can also constitute a first group to establish dialogue with. All in all, what is important is to start from “what is known” and progressively build the case for stronger civil society engagement.
Skills:
Engagement with CSOs need to provide CSOs and citizens transparency, accountability, and participatory policy making and budgeting opportunities.
Facilities and materials:
N.A.
Financial costs and sources:
N.A.
Tips and tricks:
N.A.
RESOURCES
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