PRS NGO Focal Points: A Proposal

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PRS NGO Focal Points A Proposal

• How to further include Civil Society
  Organisations in the implementation of the PRS

2
Introduction

• Whats the challenge?
• How to increase participation of civil society in
  implementation of PRS
• How to enhance dialogue between state and civil
  society
• How to improve communications between civil
  society and PRS IFP
• What are we proposing?
• Present a proposal for strengthening involvement
  of CSOs in PRS implementation

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What was the consultation process?

• Written proposals from NGOs 37 received
• 2 focus groups
• Detailed interviews
• In-depth discussions with PRS team
• Draft report and proposal
• Focus group on draft proposal
• Written consultation on draft proposal
• Revised proposal for presentation today

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Implementation of PRS
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What are the benefits of Civil Society
participation?

• Among other things
• Brings client and local perspective to policy
  making
• Brings additional resources, and new ways of
  doing things
• Improves state accountability
• Brings participation and qualitative approaches
  to evaluation

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What is needed?

• PRS Team identified need for ways to further
• Establish mechanism for dialogue and
  communication between PRS IFP and civil society
• Involve civil society organisations in policy
  dialogue with government
• Share good practice in PRS implementation
• Encourage civil society monitoring of PRS
  implementation
• Develop civil society capacity in evaluating
  impact of PRS implementation

7
What are the constraints?

• Experience of COSD
• Limited time of PRS IFP
• CSOs own financial limitations
• No obvious existing forum where CSOs get together
  to work on poverty-related issues

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What is the proposal?

• NGOs selected to act as PRS NGO Focal Points
• Each NGO Focal Point will cover a specific sector
• Objectives of each Focal Point are, within each
  sector
• To provide a channel of communication between PRS
  IFP and civil society
• To promote, encourage and support involvement of
  CSOs (local and national) in PRS implementation
• To promote encourage and support engagement
  between government and civil society (local and
  national) to step up the implementation of PRS
• Focal Points work together as a Forum for civil
  society inclusion in PRS implementation

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What sectors will be included?(these are
indicative only)

• Unemployed
• Elderly people
• Refugees and IDPs
• Children young people
• People with disabilities
• Roma
• Women/gender

• Employment
• Health
• Social welfare
• Education
• Agriculture
• Justice/rule of law
• Human rights

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What will they do?

• NGOs are encouraged to present own ideas that
  they believe will make PRS implementation more
  effective
• May include, for example
• Sharing information about latest events, policy
  debates, new legislation
• Encouraging best practice in implementation,
  monitoring, evaluation
• Sharing information about monitoring, evaluation
  and other research
• Creating opportunities for dialogue between
  government and civil society

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How will it work?

• Competition to be selected as NGO Focal Point for
  each sector
• PRS IFP provides funds for Focal Point activities
• Selection of NGO Focal Point will be based on
  criteria developed in consultation with CSOs
• One NGO is Lead Agency

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What will the Lead Agency do?

• Selected in open competition
• Provide support and coordination
• Monitor activities of NGO Focal Points
• PRS IFP will monitor Lead Agency

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How will it be organised?
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Other possible action

• Support to research and evaluation
• Involving NGOs in government policy making and
  planning
• Training in monitoring PRS implementation through
  programme budgets
• Local development strategies

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What are your questions and comments?