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Civil society participation in the Ethiopian PRSP process

Civil society participation in the Ethiopian PRSP process. Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Helsinki Workshop 19-22 May 2003. Context. Extremely poor country – approx 65% pop living in poverty Food crisis increased time pressure on PRSP

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Civil society participation in the Ethiopian PRSP process

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  1. Civil society participation in the Ethiopian PRSP process Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Helsinki Workshop 19-22 May 2003

  2. Context • Extremely poor country – approx 65% pop living in poverty • Food crisis increased time pressure on PRSP • Post-conflict – donor-govt relations tense, social divisions and sensitivities • Following extensive discussion of devt strategy during 2000 elections • Previous consultations eg Symposium on Performance of the Ethiopian Economy 2000 • Decentralisation process under-way

  3. Nature of Ethiopian CS • Famines had developed emergency relief approach • CS was restricted in 1970s and 80s • Rapid growth of NGOs in 1990s • CS co-ordination around food emergencies set the tone for collaborative working • NGOs and churches play important role in health and education delivery • History of advocacy/ engagement with government • Independent press growing

  4. The interim PRSP • April 2000 • Prepared in under 2 months solely by govt • Based on Second Five Year Devt Programme • CS critique that it was simply a collection of devt plans rather than being specifically focused on poverty and lacked alternatives • Didn’t include detailed plan for consultation process • CSOs initially viewed ‘participation’ in the PRSP with suspicion

  5. Government PRSP consultation process • Consultations Aug 2001 – Jan 2002, PRSP submitted to IFIs July 2002 • Led by Ministry of Economic – Devt and Cooperation (MEDaC), but inter-govt Steering Group • Used existing institutional framework – feasible and sustainable • 3 tier - national, regional and district levels • Discussions held in 115 out of 532 woredas (districts)

  6. consultation process contd.. • Discussion docs – IPRSP and 2nd 5 Year Development Programme • Stakeholders should have been involved in all levels of the analytical process • Participants – political parties, knowledgeable individuals, CSOs, specifically to include most vulnerable groups • Independent observers – confirmed free from govt intervention

  7. Civil society’s engagement with the PRSP • Reactive and proactive • Official spaces and claimed spaces • Started in response to the IPRSP • Worked mainly through CRDA • Undertook detailed sectoral analysis of IPRSP • Thematic working groups – developed sectoral policies • Private sector engagement eg sectoral working groups of Chamber of Commerce • In-depth analysis of poverty

  8. The role of CRDA • CRDA network since 1973 famine • 200 members – very broad, INGOs and local CSOs • listening to the grassroots? • Proactive in engaging with govt. • Awareness-raising workshops – invited govt reps (but they didn’t always attend!) • Circulated information on PRSP • Analysis and policy formulation workshops > submissions to PRSP • Thematic working groups

  9. NGO Taskforce • Formed June 2001 • 20 members, chaired by CRDA network • monitored consultative process • First point of contact with PRSP Steering Committee and negotiated for NGO involvement • Co-ordinated CSO views • In-depth studies on contributions of NGOs to poverty reduction • Encouraged CSOs to participate in consultations • developed position papers - NGO position paper on the PRSP - March 2002 workshop 150 people (UN, NGOs, churches etc)

  10. Role of INGOs and donors • Very high presence of INGOs in Ethiopia • INGOs members of CRDA, so activiely involved • DFID funded person to work on PRSP in CDRA, participation by pastoralists, NGO Working Group and training of journalists • IFIs didn’t fulfil their rhetoric of participation

  11. Civil society involvement in monitoring • Govt stated intention to deepen participation through monitoring • Some CS experience of budget monitoring, tracking poverty indicators and monitoring quality of services • Challenge of the PRSP – it’s a vision paper rather than detailed devt plan • Service delivery improvements and their impact on poverty to be tracked by CS • CS seeking to work in collaboration with govt monitoring plans

  12. Conclusions • Broad satisfaction of CS with consultation process • Unprecedented consultation process – first time without govt moderators, public consultation very new for this government • Mainly reactive to govt proposals rather than forging new ones • Expectations raised – can they be fulfilled?

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