Exploring Public Engagement Effectiveness in Canada
What are the Istanbul Principles? Where do they come from? Where are they going? And why do they matter?
1. What are the Istanbul Principles? (And what implications
do they have for our work in Canada) – PART II
Public Engagement Hub Webinar, November 8, 2011
2. Parts I & II: Presentations
• Part I: Aid vs. development effectiveness
• Part II: The Istanbul Principles (IP) – in
principle and practice
•Accra and civil society
•A time for self-reflection
•The Open Forum Process
•The International Framework and the IP
•The Eight Principles – in theory and practice
•Current status ahead of Busan
•Looking ahead – the Open Forum, CCIC, the
ICN and you!
3. Aid vs. Dev’t. Effectiveness
Charity Justice
Symptoms of poverty Root causes
Human needs Human rights
Trickle-down Equitable distribution
Short term results Long-term outcomes
Donor driven All dev’t actors*
Women’s equality Gender equality
Jobs Decent work
A-political delivery Politics and power
4. CSO response post-Accra:
The BetterAid Platform
Changing the discourse
Evaluate and deepen Paris and Accra
Move beyond aid to development effectiveness
(results → outcomes)
Centrality of rights-based approach, gender
equality and decent work
Support CSOs as development actors and
commit to an enabling environment
Make current aid architecture equitable and just
5. Back to Accra –
One step forward
•Recognizes CSOs as “independent
development actors in their own right” (§20)
Beyond just service delivery providers
Aid donors ($20-25 bn) and channels ($9 bn)
Aid recipients and development actors – own
priorities, programs, partnerships
Change agents – policy, advocacy,
accountability
•CSOs part of WP-Eff process
6. Accra: One step forward
Accra envisaged the following for CSOs
To “broaden country-level policy dialogue on
development” (preparing, implementing,
monitoring nat’l dev’t policies and plans) (Para
13a).
To “deepen our engagement with CSOs as
independent actors in their own right…[so CSO
can] reach their full potential” (Para 20), AND
“We will work with CSOs to provide an enabling
environment that maximises their contributions
to development” (Para 20.c).
7. Accra: One step forward
BUT, “enabling environment” key element
legal frameworks and mechanisms to provide
for freedom of association, right to organize
and participate in national
decision-making, free
and open media, etc.
And since then, increase
“disabling environment”
8. A time for reflection…
•Response to external criticisms of CSOs:
•Aid effectiveness (implementing PD)
•Legitimacy (impacts, representation, credibility)
•Transparency (to constituencies)
•Accountability (volunteerism)
•And internal criticisms
•North-South relationships
•INGOs and local CSOs
•Solidarity
•Multiplicity
9. The Open Forum
Objectives
1. Create an open process, through
country-based, sectoral/thematic,
regional and global consultations and
multi-stakeholder dialogue.
2. Develop a common CSO vision on DE .
3. Agree on common principles of CSO DE.
4. Provide guidance on how to apply the
principles.
5. Articulate the minimum standards for
an enabling environment for CSOs.
10. The Open Forum
70 NATIONAL CONSULTATIONS
6 THEMATIC PROCESSES
11 REGIONAL WORKSHOPS
2 GLOBAL ASSEMBLIES
INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR CSO
DEVELOPMENT EFFECTIVENESS
Istanbul Principles for CSO Statement on CSO Conditions for Enabling
Development Effectiveness Accountability Environment
11. Overview of the
1. Introduction
International Framework
• Reiterating commitment to CSO DE
• Understanding of DE (and definition of CSO)
• What is unique about CSOs
2. Reiteration of each principle, further background and
then guidance
3. Strengthening mechanisms for CSO Accountability
• Existing practice
• Challenges to strengthening
• Principles to guide stronger accountability practice
4. Critical conditions for enabling environment for CSOs
12. So what are the eight
Istanbul Principles?
1. Respect and promote human rights and social justice.
2. Embody gender equality and equity while promoting
women and girls’ rights.
3. Focus on people’s empowerment, democratic
ownership and participation.
4. Promote environmental sustainability.
5. Practice transparency and accountability.
6. Pursue equitable partnerships and solidarity.
7. Create and share knowledge and commit to mutual
learning.
8. Commit to realizing positive sustainable change.
13. …and what does this look
like in practice?
1. Human rights: CIDA policy on disability (Handicap
International), RBA (CCIC)
2. Gender equality: Feminitarianism, farmers co-ops
(Oxfam Canada).
3. Ownership and participation: Haitian beneficiaries
texting (Oxfam Québec), budget monitoring
4. Environmental sustainability: Integrating climate
change into development (Care Canada)
5. Transparency and accountability: IATI compliant
(EWB), Keystone Accountability (Oxfam Canada).
14. The Istanbul Principles
in practice
6. Equitable partnerships: Transparent budget and
agreements (CHF-Partners in Rural Development)
7. Knowledge and mutual learning: Haiti/Pakistan
evaluation (Humanitarian Coalition)
8. Realizing positive sustainable change: Disaster risk
reduction (CHF, Aga Khan), Climate pilot (CARE).
15. Busan and the IP
• IP and Siem Reap CSO consensus key input for Busan
• Referenced in Para 19, 3rd Draft Outcome Document
(see next slide for details
• Officially endorsed by the hosts, South Korea
• BetterAid part of negotiating team
• Lost Accra space on policy dialogue
• Our minimum demands around
enabling environment uncertain
16. For reference: Para 19 BOD
“19. Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a vital role in
shaping development policies and new partnerships,
overseeing their implementation. They also provide services
in areas that are complementary to or go beyond those
provided for by states. Recognising this, we will:
a) Implement fully our respective commitments to enable
civil society organisations to exercise their roles as
independent development actors, with a particular focus
on an enabling environment that maximises the
contributions of CSOs to development.
b) Encourage CSOs to implement practices that strengthen
their own effectiveness, accountability and contribution to
development results, guided by the Istanbul CSO
Development Effectiveness Principles.”
17. Post-Busan, the IP
and Canada
• Form and function of the OF post-Busan
• Implementation and Advocacy toolkits
• Pre/Post -Busan – Canadian engagement (2012-13)
• CCIC AGM – endorsed support for working on IP
• Workshops on DE with ICN, PE Hub, pre-Busan event, blog
• Survey of CCIC and ICN members (January-February)
• Popular materials on each IP with case studies
• Modules on three or four of the IPs (2011) and workshops
18. 2012: And what about you?
1. What is the thing you do best?
2. How could you strengthen your own development
effectiveness on each of the Principles? in the areas
where you are weakest?
3. What are the challenges? What tools would you need?
4. What role could CCIC/ICN play in facilitating this?
