Participatory Governance (PG) is a programme aimed at increasing the quality of civil society's effective engagement with governments, intergovernmental agencies and other influencers of citizen participation in governance issues and increasing the number of times that this occurs. PG also aims to systematically and comprehensively build the capacities of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) so that they can engage more effectively on issues of governance.

The PG primary activities of 2006 were the development of a participatory governance toolkit for internal use by German agency GTZ and the initiation of a study into participatory governance in Southern African countries.

Two consultants, including Carmen Malena, a leading expert in participatory governance issues, were hired to take the lead in reviewing, commenting on and expanding the toolkit which had originally been drafted by GTZ which approached CIVICUS for input towards a more global, comprehensive review. Both consultants worked under close CIVICUS supervision. The substantively expanded toolkit was submitted in August and includes:

CIVICUS is in contact with GTZ with regard to plans for the wider dissemination of this toolkit.

After lengthy negotiations with interested parties and the chief partner in the Southern African study (SADC Council of NGOs), it was possible to begin the research under this activity. The study will focus initially on South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. A team of researchers has been contracted to carry out the research and it is anticipated that the resulting draft report will be peer reviewed at the 2007 CIVICUS World Assembly and finalised later that year.

In November 2006, a new 3-year project was launched within the PG programme. This programme was designed to enhance the capacity of civil society in the global south to influence and participate in governance processes at the local and national levels. It draws on CIVICUS' strategic ability to: (i) network globally with a large number of diverse southern-based civil society organisations (CSOs); (ii) serve as a global information clearinghouse and catalyst for international reflection and debate; (iii) build bridges between civil society and other key sectors (such as government, academia and bi/multi-lateral organisations), and (iv) explore linkages between local, national and international development processes. The project aims to directly impact approximately 100 Southern-based CSOs through targeted capacity building (i.e. information-sharing, knowledge-building, skills-development and networking) activities and to have an indirect impact on up to ten times that number (1000 organisations) through the establishment of an interactive, web-based resource centre and information clearinghouse. Start-up activities, including recruitment, were completed in 2006.

CIVICUS will again be working with Carmen Malena in the implementation of this project.

Roseline Zigomo
Participatory Governance Programme Co-ordinator from November 2006