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UNDP/CSO Relations Maintain the Status Quo or Time to Think Differently?. Geoffrey D. Prewitt Poverty Reduction and Civil Society Advisor. Rationale for Working with CSOs?. Force to be reckoned with Smaller government and diminished social expenditure
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UNDP/CSO RelationsMaintain the Status Quo orTime to Think Differently? Geoffrey D. Prewitt Poverty Reduction and Civil Society Advisor
Rationale for Working with CSOs? • Force to be reckoned with • Smaller government and diminished social expenditure • Raise legitimacy and improve initiative effectiveness • Promotion of transparency and accountability • Enhancement of a conducive development environment
Where We Are (potential) CSOs • Enormous growth in number, diversity and influence of CSOs. • Greater authority in shaping local, national, and global agendas. • Increasing resources directed through CSOs. • Independence (non-profit, non-state)
Where We Are (potential) United Nations • International Covenants/Declarations • Millennium Development Goals • Cardosa Report UNDP • Civil Society Advisory Committee to the Administrator • N(HDR)s • Trusted, Impartial Partner (neutral broker role) • Progressive Policy Tools and Instructional Guides • Statement on Civic Engagement, NGO Execution, Information Disclosure, etc. • Sourcebook, Partners in Human Development, The BlueBook
Where We Are (limitations) CSOs • Competitive and Aid Dependent • Accountability, representativeness, and legitimacy (quasi-CSOs?) • Capacity of the Sector • Hostility from the State
Where We Are (limitations) United Nations • Unilateralism, Iraq war, and terrorism • Private Sector Emphasis UNDP • Distance from the Client • Target orientation and the preoccupation of delivery • Competition (i.e. – grantization of IDA) • Illusion of plurality, diversity, and social inclusion
Questions to be Addressed • How do we reduce aid-dependency to create a sustainable and self-sufficient civil society? • How do we encourage self-regulation of CSOs? • How can CSO better position vis-à-vis unfavorable State environments?
Questions to be Addressed (cont.) • Is UNDP aptly suited to engage at the community-level? • How can UNDP better adapt to geo-political concerns (as perceived by local partners) and differentiated civil society structures? • How do we encourage sincere diversity in our selection of partners? • How does UNDP maintain our competitive edge in a crowded (and rich) field? • Why do institutions of Civil Society want to work with UNDP?