Engaging Civil Society Organizations in Conflict-Affected and Fragile States : Three African Country Case Studies

Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a prominent role in conflict-affected and fragile states. In the absence of capable or credible public institutions due to conflict or weak policy environments, CSOs tend to substitute for public institutions and become primary providers of basic social services. At the same time, the international donor community has increased its involvement in countries affected by conflict and instability, often relying increasingly on CSOs to reach the poor. While the prominent role of CSOs in social service delivery and other development activities is often seen as an interim solution, it may extend for years, even decades. Recognizing that reliance on CSOs is likely to prevail for the foreseeable future in many countries, there is a need to consider how to make CSO engagement more effective and sustainable. The objective of this report is to identify approaches to more effectively engage CSOs in the context of weak public institutions in conflict-affected and fragile states. The report will: 1) Examine the roles, strengths, and weaknesses of CSOs in terms of service delivery, community development, advocacy, peace building, and governance; 2) Identify the factors that influence CSO effectiveness in performing these functions; 3) Assess donor influence on CSOs and their indirect influence on governance by supporting CSOs; and 4) Discuss the relationship between CSOs and government including their changing roles, weak communication, and government efforts to coordinate and regulate CSO activity. Key findings are presented from pilots of the Civil Society Assessment Tool (CSAT) in Angola, Guinea Bissau, and Togo. The pilots were carried out from January 2004 to February 2005.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2005-06
Subjects:	ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS, ANALYTICAL WORK, ASSESSMENT METHODS, ASSESSMENT TOOL, AUTHORITY, BENEFICIARY ASSESSMENT, BENEFICIARY ASSESSMENTS, BUSINESS INTEREST, CAPACITY BUILDING, CASE STUDIES, CASE STUDY, CITIZEN, CITIZENS, CIVIL SOCIETY, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, CIVIL WAR, COLLECTIVE ACTION, COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, COMMUNITY LEVEL, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, COMMUNITY STRUCTURES, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT, CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, CONSTITUTION, CORRUPTION, COUNCILS, COUNTRY CONTEXT, CRISES, DECISION MAKING, DECISION MAKING PROCESSES, DECISION-MAKING, DECREES, DEMOCRACY, DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM, DEMOCRATIZATION, DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS, DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, DISABILITIES, DONOR AGENCIES, DONOR COMMUNITY, DYSFUNCTIONAL GOVERNANCE, ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, EXERCISES, FAMILIES, FARMERS ASSOCIATIONS, FIELD RESEARCH, FIELD VISITS, FINANCIAL CAPACITY, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FREE PRESS, GENERAL ELECTIONS, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, GOVERNMENT EFFORTS, GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, INCOME, INCOME COUNTRIES, INCOME GENERATION, INSTITUTION BUILDING, INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT, INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERMEDIARIES, INTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY, INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, INTERVIEW GUIDE, LEGAL FRAMEWORK, LEGISLATION, LEGISLATIVE ENVIRONMENT, LEGITIMACY, LIBERATION, LOCAL COMMUNITIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, MACROECONOMIC STABILITY, MEDIA, METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES, MOTIVATION, NATIONAL LEVEL, NATIONS, NATURAL RESOURCES, PARTICIPATORY APPROACHES, PER CAPITA INCOME, POLICY CHANGES, POLICY INFLUENCE, POLICY MAKERS, POLITICAL CONTEXT, POLITICAL ELITE, POLITICAL PARTIES, POLITICAL PARTY, POOR COMMUNITIES, POOR GOVERNANCE, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY, PRESIDENCY, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PRIVATE SECTOR, PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, PUBLIC EDUCATION, PUBLIC EXPENDITURES, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, PUBLIC INVESTMENT, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, PUBLIC RESOURCES, PUBLIC SECTOR, PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY, PUBLIC SERVICES, QUALITATIVE DATA, QUALITATIVE INFORMATION, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH, REFUGEES, RELIGIOUS ENTITIES, RELIGIOUS GROUPS, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, RESEARCH INSTITUTES, RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION, RURAL AREAS, SCHOOL SYSTEM, SCHOOLS, SERVICE DELIVERY, SHORT TERM, SINGLE PARTY SYSTEM, SOCIAL ACTION, SOCIAL ACTIVITIES, SOCIAL ANALYSIS, SOCIAL CONDITIONS, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL GROUPS, SOCIAL SECTORS, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, TASK TEAM LEADERS, TRADITIONAL LEADERS, TRANSPARENCY, UNEMPLOYMENT, URBAN AREAS, URBAN COMMUNITIES, VIOLENCE, VULNERABLE GROUPS, YOUTH,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/06/6065711/engaging-civil-society-organizations-conflict-affected-fragile-states-three-african-country-case-studies https://hdl.handle.net/10986/8680
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