Civic Engagement in Sudan (September 2006)

Civic Engagement in Sudan (September 2006)

1. Background

The experience of the Sudan Country Office (CO), the Technical Secretariat for MDTF-National and MDTF-Southern Sudan in engaging Sudanese CSOs in MDTF operations has been increasing the over the past nine months. Since the establishment of the Sudan MDTFs, the TSs has committed themselves to develop a coherent strategy to help guide operations, designs and products in a consultative manner. Civic engagement is now an integral part of MDTF operations. This has resulted in a more constructive engagement.

The progress of this engagement is reflected by steps taken in addressing key and emerging issues. Differing situations and enabling environments exist in Sudan, with particular implications for encouraging participation in post conflict reconstruction and recovery of Sudan at national and sub-national levels. Recognition of such differences has resulted in the beginning of a constructive engagement. As informed and effective advocates, Sudanese organizations and Sudan based international NGOS will have had a role in shaping the MDTF operations and its agenda from the very beginning

The level of interface can be grouped into two categories: facilitation and partnership. As a facilitator the TSs have sponsored and organized a series of events with networks in Khartoum and Juba. During the development of the Strategy Note it solicited views and comments on the strategy. In the area of partnership it is working with NGOs on CDD operations, emergency public works, and health and education projects. MDTF funds are channeled under CDD operation in Khartoum and a grant making mechanism has been established under RIEP. Health and Education projects also allow for opportunities for NGO involvement in a wide range of activities.

During this period, the efforts of the MTDFTS (i) produced the MTDTF strategy note in a consultative manner which was approved by the MDTF Oversight Committee (OC); and (ii) incorporated flexible procurement procedures in its Operational Manual; (iii) designed a grant window mechanism that channels funding for community level projects; and (iv) the CO leveraged additional resources from its Headquarters under its Small Grants Program, and Development Marketplace.

B.Facilitation

1.The Strategy Note

A series of consultations were supported by MDTF in Khartoum, Juba and Nairobi and additional feed back was solicited from UNDP. Prior to the meetings, the draft notes were disseminated to the participants to help in framing discussion. The content of the Notes entitled, Framework for MDTF/NGO Cooperation in Post-Conflict Sudan, was examined in the light of the emerging relationship with the MDTF TS and the World Bank Country Office. Three specific aspects were highlighted; coordination, funding, and enabling environment in the context of Sudan.

This framework laid out an approach and work program for strengthening institutional arrangements through creation of mechanisms to promote and support effective MDTF collaboration with NGOs. It defined forms of participation in support of the common effort for the recovery and reconstruction of Sudan. The frame work will help MDTF in the selection and building of operational relationships with NGOs. The outcome envisaged is a shift from limited and sporadic consultative processes, to the involvement of NGOs during the identification, appraisal and evaluation of MDTF supported projects. This would include, during the planning and execution, of existing and future projects.

Issues central to effective cooperation between MDTF and the NGO constituencies at large are:

(i) to strengthen stakeholder participation in MDTF-supported projects; (ii) to enhance transparency and accountability through access to information; (iii) to strengthen Government-NG cooperation; and (iv) to build NGO capacity for effective and responsive service delivery and good governance.

The MDTF NGO Strategy development laid the ground for civil society engagement with the Bank and the UN system, and enabled the forging of important relationships with both northern and southern NGOs/CSOs. This engagement has been broadened in the context of the MDTF.

2.Procurement Issues

During MDTF implementation, the issue was raised about whether there would be enough flexibility in procurement procedures to enable NGO access to MDTF funding. Expectations among NGOs regarding access to MDTF funding were high. The Oversight Committee also raised concerns over whether NGOs would be able to comply with Bank procedures. The donors were concerned about ensuring NGO access. In response to these concerns, the MDTF-TS reviewed the procedures in consultation with World Bank procurement specialists and this review has been incorporated into the MDTF Operational Manual with a view towards facilitating collaboration with NGOs and other agencies.

As a general modality of operation, the World Bank encourages NGOs (and indeed any partners in service delivery) to participate in implementing projects/sub-projects that are financed in whole or in part by the World Bank. The responsibility for the implementation of the project, and therefore for the award and administration of contracts (to NGOs, private sector or others) under the project, rests with the Borrower/Government. Since public funds (including those from MDTF donors) are involved, the Government and the Bank would need to be assured that these funds would be used for purposes intended, with due care to economy and efficiency and are finally accounted for. To this end, the World Bank recommends that an agreement signed with an NGO should include an Annex describing the procurement procedures the NGO would follow. Such procedures must meet the World Bank's procurement guidelines for economy, efficiency and transparency (see relevant sections from the Bank's Procurement Guidelines (Box 1) and Consultants Guidelines (Box 2)).

However, the complexity of the procedures to be followed will depend on the size of the expected contracts. As such, NGOs handling large sums of money generating large contracts would be expected to apply rigorous procurement methods like International and National Competitive bidding. On the other hand, NGOs handling small sums of money generating small contracts would be expected to apply simplified procurement methods like shopping procedures (see Box 3 – this is just one example). It is a critical requirement for NGOs to maintain proper records of all procurement, contracting, invoices, payments and other banking details which will be audited in accordance with the agreements.

World Bank's procurement guidelines would not of necessity constrain NGOs and make them unable to comply with the Bank's regulatory framework, and sufficient flexibility is built into the systems to allow for a wide range of partners to participate, without compromising any of the basic principles of economy, efficiency, fairness and transparency, including accountability.

Box 1:

Box 2:

Box 3:

C.Partnership

MDTF – South

1.Grant Window

Under the MDTF-South approved project, RIEP, a grant-making mechanism has been instituted whereby NGOs and CBOs will have direct access to its funding.

RIEP is a project that has been approved and is now operational. It is a two-year project in the total amount of over USD 27m, supporting the emergency needs of GOSS in the health, education and public service sectors. RIEP is providing a special grant window for speedy rehabilitation community facilities of all the primary cities of the State capital, with the exception of Juba.

This funding framework is a joint initiative project between the GoSS and MDTFs supported through a financing agreement between the World Bank and UNDP South Sudan in the amount of USD 12 million. This is supplemental project under RIEP will be implemented through UNDP thus UN procurement procedures will be followed. This project, requested by the GoSS, operates through grant making to non-profit organizations in four state capitals; Yei, Wau, Aweil, and Malakal. The project is engaged in initiation of labor-intensive/emergency activities and hospital repair work programs in collaboration with UN agencies and NGOs with competencies and a reasonable track record.

More than 40 projects per town will be executed or co-executed by NGOs. More than 15 international and local NGOs are expected to be involved in the design and implementation of the RIEP sub-component .This grant making will be administered by UNDP and OCHA regional offices and will provide grants of up to $25,000 to finance a single project.

2. Operational Cooperation

For the MDTF-S Umbrella Program for Health System Development, primary areas of NGOs involvement are as follows: (i) implementing activities for high-impact intervention; (ii) providing consultancy services for health system development; (iii) delivery of Health Services; and (iv) evaluation of the performance of contracted NGOs in delivering health services.

• As part of the high-impact interventions, final negotiations are underway for contracting Population Services International (PSI) for the distribution of health goods (Long Lasting Insecticide Nets [LLIN], safe water systems, diarrheal disease treatment kits, etc.) and African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) for the development of human resources (HR). A small sole source contract with CHAS, to complete the health facility network mapping exercise, including basic information on rural hospitals.

• As to activities contributing to development of the health system, request for expression of interest (EoI) were advertised and NGOs were short-listed along with firms for: (i) strengthening institutional program management capacities of MoH/SMoH, (ii) strengthening technical capacities of MoH/SMoH; (iii) providing basic package for health services (BPHS), (iv) contracting out tertiary hospital management services, and (v) contracting an external evaluation agency (EEA) to monitor project’s progress and measure NGO’s performance.

MDTF – North

3.Direct Funding of CSOs: Community Development Fund (CDF)

CDF is specifically designed operation that provides direct funding to indigenous organization at locality (district) level. The project supports community-led development in Northern Sudan through partnerships among local stakeholder, incl. local communities, NGOs and community-based organizations, on the basis of sub-projects submitted by local communities and developed through a consultative, participatory planning process. The project’s objective is to meet urgent community-driven recovery and development needs in the war-affected and underdeveloped areas of Northern Sudan incl. the Three Areas by providing social and economic services and infrastructure.

The funding process and procedure is clearly stipulated in the CDF operational manual. The process requires each locality that fulfils the Minimum Qualifying Criteria (MQC) to seek support and services from an NGO r private sector service provider that will be selected according established eligibility criteria. The roles and responsibilities of ob-state actor server providers include: organizational development; capacity building, project executions; technical assistance proposal and project appraisal as well as in monitoring and evaluation.

The CDF is USD 50 million project that is being implemented by the GoNU through project implementation unit.

4.The Small Grants Program

The Small grant Program is a Bank managed program administered at the HQ level. The aim of this grant is to enable CO management to establish and enhance its relationship with CSO in the area of empowerment and participation. During the FY 06 Sudan country awarded 3NGOs in the amount of USD 27,000. The NGO networks that have been awarded grants to create synergies and linkages among their individual NGOs and external stakeholders with the overall aim of building an active civil society constituency in the post-conflict context of Sudan.

5.The Development Marketplace (DM)

The Development Marketplace is a Bank initiative. Following the success of Global DM events, the Country Office is encouraged to sponsor similar events. The Sudan Country Office is in an appropriate position to launch DM. The DM arises from recognition of the need to encourage and nurture issue and locality-linked development innovation at the grassroots level. It uses idea-targeted small grants to stimulate and support identification and propagation of innovative approaches to addressing specific poverty issues at the grassroots level. The DM provides a mechanism to mobilize and support grassroots organizations to develop local solutions to specific local problems that they have identified, to build new partnerships, and seek new resources to scale up their undertakings.

The Sudan Country Office is will launch a Sudan country DM. It has secured funding form its HQ in the amount of USD 150,000, to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the establishment of the Government of Southern Sudan. This initiative will be undertaken in two parts, at the national level, and at the South Sudan level.

The DM will address issues of sustainable peace, poverty and equity, in Sudan through support to innovative solutions identified and “owned” by the implementers; it will help to identify innovative approaches to contribute towards the expected “peace dividend” for Sudan; It will engage CSOs, private sector entities, local government, and development agencies as partners in innovative solutions to development problems; help to broaden partnerships and mobilize new resources for post conflict reconstruction of Sudan; and strengthen World Bank engagement with civil society.

Communications Mechanism for MDTF – NGO Cooperation