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Marseille, 5 April 2013 Union for the Mediterranean Senior Officials' Meeting

PARTENARIAT EUROMED DOC. DE SÉANCE N° : 25/13 EN DATE DU : 11.04.2013 ORIGINE : Croatia Building Strategic Framework for Government - Civil Society Cooperation – Experiences and lessons learned from Croatia and Western Balkans. Marseille, 5 April 2013

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Marseille, 5 April 2013 Union for the Mediterranean Senior Officials' Meeting

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  1. PARTENARIAT EUROMEDDOC. DE SÉANCE N° : 25/13EN DATE DU : 11.04.2013ORIGINE : CroatiaBuilding Strategic Framework for Government - Civil Society Cooperation – Experiences and lessons learned from Croatia and Western Balkans Marseille, 5 April 2013 Union for the Mediterranean Senior Officials' Meeting

  2. Creating enabling environment for civil society development in democratic transition processes • Need for longer-term strategies on capacity-building of both governments and CSOs • Need for balanced approach of combining • investing inhuman resources and • establishingenabling structures and procedures for cooperation

  3. Croatia - four pillars of effective Government-civil society cooperation • Strategic documents & legal framework • Structures for State-CSOs cooperation • Standards of consultation in policy making • Sustainable funding of CSO programmes

  4. Croatian National Strategy for Creating Enabling Environment for CSOs 2012-2016 • broad consensus among civil society, government and business representatives about the strategic priorities until 2016

  5. Croatian National Strategy for Creating Enabling Environment for CSOs 2012-2016 • common platform that brings together key stakeholders vital for creating conditions for sustainability of an independent and vibrant civil society

  6. Monitoring the Progress in Implementing the National Strategy • More than 30 institutions involved in the implementation of measures (precise indicators) • Complex area – need for effective vertical and horizontal coordinationand solid mechanisms for monitoring the progress • Annual reports on Strategy implementation - continuous involvement of CSOs and interested public

  7. Structures for supporting State - CSOs cooperation – 15 years of efforts • Government Office for Cooperation with CSOs (1998) • Council for Civil Society Development (2002) • National Foundation for Civil Society Development (2003) • Regional support networks of CSOs (since 2006) • Regional foundations (since 2006)

  8. GovernmentOfficefor Cooperation with CSOs Coordinating Government Policy on Creating Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development: • implementation of National Strategy • public funding policy coordination • improving standards of public consultation • training of civil servants on CSO cooperation

  9. Council for Civil Society Development

  10. NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR CIVIL SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT • Regional /Local Community Foundations • Decentralization of public funding - • ‘’Bringing money where needs already exist” Regional Support Centres - NGOs networks on local level providing capacity building for smaller and newly formed NGOs

  11. Promoting new standards of CSO consultation in policy making • Code of Practice on Consultation with the Interested Public in Procedures of Adopting Laws, Other Regulations and Acts (2009) • Detailed Guidelines for the implementation of the Code developed • consultation coordinatorsappointed in central State administration bodies • Training programmes and peer-to-peer support for consultation coordinators

  12. Promoting new standards of CSO consultation in policy making • Monitoring the implementation of the Code of practice on consultation • Annual reports (120 consultations conducted in 2012) • Change of Government Rules of Procedures - new obligation of feedback to the public on the consultation results • Open Government Partnership –promoting proactive transparency in policy making

  13. Sustainable funding of CSOs programmes and projects • transparency of funding procedures • diversification of funding mechanisms • ensuring operating grants for CSOs • supporting small grass-roots initiatives

  14. Transparency of procedures of funding of CSOs programmes and projects • Code of Good Practice ofPublic Funding of CSOs (adopted by Parliament in 2007) • Data on all grants accessible on internet • Coordination meetings (and training seminars) for public officials at all levels • Annual Info days – debates on forthcoming calls for funding CSOs programmes

  15. Diversification of funding • decentralized system of public funding (20 ministries and other government funding CSOs – 70 to 90 calls each year) • 50% of lottery revenues – to civil society • regional and local government funding (21 counties, 129 cities, 429 municipalities) • National Foundation– operating grants • regional networks and foundations – promoting philantropy at local level

  16. Coordination of Public Funding Direct Funding Indirect Funding State Budget and Lottery Revenues Local Budgets

  17. Monitoring Matrix for Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development –new tool for CSOs and Governments

  18. MATRIX - background • Monitoring mechanism DEVELOPED and APPLIED by civil society from Western Balkansand Turkey • 1st time defines entire enabling environment for civil society development • Including existing global, regional and national standards (legislation & practice) but defining standards where this are not defined (yet)! • Optimum, not minimum standards • Indicators for both legislation in place and esp. implementation (real state of affairs)

  19. AREAS • Basic Legal Guarantees of Freedoms • Framework for CSOs' Financial Viability and Sustainability • Government-CSO Relationship • 8 sub-area • 24 standards • 152 indicators

  20. AREA 1 - Basic Legal Guarantees of FreedomsSUBAREA 1.1. Freedom ofassociation STANDARDS • All individuals and legal entities can freely establish and participate in informal and/or registered organizations offline and online • CSOs operate freely without unwarranted state interference in their internal governance and activities • CSOs can freely seek and secure financial resources from various domestic and foreign sources to support their activities Indicators 22 PRINCIPLE Freedom of association is guaranteed and exercised freely by everybody

  21. AREA 1 - Basic Legal Guarantees of FreedomsSUBAREA 1.2. Related-freedoms STANDARDS • CSO representatives, individually or through their organization, enjoy freedom of peaceful assembly • CSO representatives, individually or through their organizations enjoy freedom of expression • Civil society representatives, individually and through their organizations, have the rights to safely receive and impart information through any media Indicators 23 PRINCIPLE Freedoms of assembly and expression are guaranteed to everybody

  22. AREA 2 - Framework for CSOs' Financial Viability and SustainabilitySUBAREA 2.1. Tax/fiscal treatment for CSOs and their donors STANDARDS • Tax benefits are available for various income sources of CSOs • Incentives are provided for individual and corporate giving Indicators 14 PRINCIPLE CSOs and donors enjoy favorable tax treatment

  23. AREA 2 - Framework for CSOs' Financial Viability and SustainabilitySUBAREA 2.2. State Support STANDARDS • Public funding is available for institutional development of CSOs, project support and co-financing of EU and other grants • Public funding is distributed in a prescribed and transparent manner • There is a clear system of accountability, monitoring and evaluation of public funding • Non-financial support is available from the state Indicators 25 PRINCIPLE State support to CSOs is provided in a transparent way and spent in an accountable manner

  24. AREA 2 - Framework for CSOs' Financial Viability and SustainabilitySUBAREA 2.3. Human Resources STANDARDS • CSOs are treated in an equal manner to other employers • There are enabling volunteering policies and laws • The educational system promotes civic engagement Indicators 13 PRINCIPLE State policies and the legal environment stimulate and facilitate employment, volunteering and other engagements with CSOs

  25. AREA 3 - Government-CSO RelationshipSUBAREA 3.1. Framework and practices for cooperation STANDARDS • The State recognizes, through policies and strategies, the importance of the development of and cooperation with the sector • The State recognizes, through the operation of its institutions, the importance of the development of and cooperation with the sector Indicators 11 PRINCIPLE There is a strategic approach to furthering state-CSO cooperation and CSO development

  26. AREA 3 - Government-CSO Relationship SUBAREA 3.2. Involvement in policy- and decision-making processes STANDARDS • There are standards enabling CSO involvement in decision-making, which allow for CSO input in a timely manner. • All draft policies and laws are easily accessible to the public in a timely manner • CSO representatives are equal partners in discussions in cross-sector bodies and are selected through clearly defined criteria and processes Indicators 20 PRINCIPLE CSOs are effectively included in policy and decision-making process

  27. AREA 3 - Government-CSO Relationship SUBAREA 3.3. Collaboration in service provision STANDARDS • CSOs are engaged in different services and compete for state contracts on an equal basis to other providers • The state has committed to funding services and the funding is predictable and available over a longer-term period • The state has clearly defined procedures for contracting services which allow for transparent selection of service providers, including CSOs • There is a clear system of accountability, monitoring and evaluation of service provision Indicators 24 PRINCIPLE There is a supportive environment for CSO involvement in service provision

  28. UfM - new opportunities for government-civil society dialogue • Developing long-term strategies on capacity-building of both governments and CSOs • Creating mechanisms of peer-to-peer support in development of policies and practices of Government- CSOs cooperation • Enabling regular monitoring of progress in the area of enabling environment for civil society on the basis of precise indicators

  29. Long-term strategies on capacity-building of governments • development of a tailor-made training programmes on establishing institutional, legal and financial framework for cooperation between governmental institutions and civil society • organizing study visits for government officials for the purpose of introducing good practices in developing cooperation with civil society in developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating publicpolicies

  30. Peer-to-peer support for governments on developing cooperation with CSOs • establishing networking mechanism for connecting UfM governments with providers of expertise on cooperation with CSOs • introduce governments to peer governments, CSOs and independent experts with experience, skill sets and technology that can assist governments with conceptualizing and implementing ambitious reforms in the area of cooperation with CSOs

  31. Monitoring of progress in the area of enabling environment for civil society • Establishing precise set of indicators for monitoring of progress in the area of enabling environment for civil society, that could be useful tool for: • 1) self-assessment by governments • 2) independent external assessment by think-tanks, policy anylists • 3) regular dialogue within UfM between EU, CSOs and governments

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