Introduction to ELBAG
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Transcript Introduction to ELBAG
Introduction to ELBAG
By
Ene Obi
Regional Training & Development Advisor
MS-TCDC, Arusha, Tanzania. (ActionAid Denmark)
Context
Drawn from experiences of working with communities to
support peoples actions to claim citizenship and rights and
use of participatory methodologies and tools - the PRA and
REFLECT approaches, PVA and STAR etc.
Economics, a key area of policy making, has largely remained
out of the reach and realm of the poor and excluded people’s
action in their effort to seek justice
To firmly establish people centred rights based governance at
the local level, there is a strong need to politicize economic
decision making process and place it squarely within the
domain of people’s agencies and public action. The need to
hold government and its institutions accountable.
Understanding that bottom up processes lead to
democratisation of local, national and international level
public policy making processes.
What ELBAG is!!
Economic Literacy and Budget Accountability for Governance,
ELBAG is a process and methodological framework that
combines
organising people, developing grassroots
monitoring mechanisms, democratising knowledge (particularly
political economy and economics)
and using participatory tools and methods for building public
accountability and transparency, to initiate people centred
advocacy processes
it creates space where people can discuss economics and use it as
an entry point to build inclusive, democratic and just governance
It is about understanding how economic processes operate,
asking questions about political economy and about taking action
Objectives
It seeks to address the disconnection between local, national and
international level
Facilitate empowerment of people, ensure participation of poor and
marginalized people
Support the realisation of the rights of people and help in
encouraging democratisation of national level policy making
processes
It facilitate serious mobilisation of the people to hold their
government to account
Reduce corruption, increase accountability in the processes of
governance and policy making, particularly with regards to budget
formulation, economic planning and government decision making
that impact their lives
Case studies from Nigeria
Budget tool, as it reflects public policy and priorities:
Engaging the Abia Parliament: Capacity building of
the Parliament resulted into the Bureau of Budget the
state now have
BELBAG – Shadow Budget and engaged the Govt using
the media – immediate responses. It encourage serious
networking of CSOs within the state to monitor the
spending of their govt, and many are asking questions
and demanding answers (and getting responses)
Media as a critical partner in the process – Journalist
Against Poverty
Reflections & Lessons
Facilitated the empowerment of the people through series of
mobilisation, sensitization and capacity building
It’s earlier focus was more on the demand side engineering a lot of
capacity for CSOs with engaging the supply side on debates
Capacity gap on the supply side
Critical engaging govt. through advocacy facilitates faster process in
meeting demands
Increase capacity building for the media, made media a partner
Critical engagement with other stakeholders/peer review
Continuous research on issues are very critical
Challenges and Opportunities
Transparency and accountability (corruption now embedded in
every facet of the many countries)
Political will and capacity gap on both sides/Poverty level still dropping
Lack of true democracy in many countries/representation
Lack of passage of Freedom of Information Bill/and where passed,
implementation is an issue
Project timeline/continuity
Opportunities
New democracies in some of the countries
Encouragement/feedback of participants from the impact their
work
Willingness of AAI to continue to support the process
More CSOs and groups interest success
Political will (with some government)