Effectiveness & development - an introduction to the debate Presentation at the European Seminar on CSO Development Effectiveness, Vienna, 10 and 11 March 2010

What do we understand by development?

Neo-liberal economics has not delivered sustainable livelihoods for the poorest. Evidence from around the world illustrates that this policy package and related lack of market regulation have widened the rich-poor divide and deepened inequalities.

Growth has not trickled down to the poor.

The CSO Development Effectiveness discussions which started in January 2008 provide us with a unique and historic opportunity to propose a model of development:      Based on social justice, gender equality and environmental protection Based on global cooperation, regulation and redistribution of wealth and resources where the needs of the poor and commitment to a sustainable delivery of the MDGs are put first Which draws on feminist principles of inclusive democratic values where women and excluded people are central to development and decision-making processes That addresses patterns of over-consumption in richer countries and tackles poverty and inequality head on That develops and promotes Active Citizens’ Organisations (not just intermediary resource and service delivery groups)

Roles of CSOs in development

• Mobilising grassroots communities and poor or marginalised people • Monitoring the policies and practices of governments and donors and reinforcing the accountability of government and donor bodies through the application of local knowledge • Engaging in research and policy dialogue • Delivering services and programmes • Building coalitions and networks for enhanced civil society coordination and impact • Mobilising additional financial and human aid resources • Educating the public, and helping to shape social values of solidarity and social justice

CSOs as donors

– In 2006, CSOs channelled 10 percent of all official development assistance and mobilised 20-25B US$ in addition to ODA – Financial support to CSOs varies from donor to donor (i.e. Netherlands: 25 percent of all ODA channelled through CSOs, UK: only 2.25 percent) Sources: Advisory Group on Civil Society and Aid Effectiveness / Reforming government funding of development NGOs (Nijs, Renard, 2009)

What is effectiveness?

• Development can be effective in many ways, but there is no agreement within civil society, let alone all development actors, on which type of effectiveness is most relevant • Effectiveness can be interpreted as efficiency, organisational effectiveness or impact • Development is a complex political process that cannot easily be measured and analysed • Proving and improving effectiveness to the public, donors & peers is however important

Push & Pull Factors for Addressing Effectiveness

• Paris Declaration – a monopoly of donors & governments on defining effectiveness?

• Scepticism about the results yielded by 60 years of development cooperation • Acknowledgement that the changing aid architecture poses challenges to CSOs’ effectiveness: reality of CSO work is often different from what we pretend in our fund raising messages • CSOs need an enabling environment from governments and donors to be effective