Capacity Of Civil Society Organizations Research Articles

Incidences of human rights violations and practice of the voluntary principles on security and human rights in selected mining communities in Ghana

The paper examined the implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) in Ghana's extractive sector from the perspective of three selected resource-endowed host communities. An exploratory design involving the use of stakeholder analysis in sequential phases was used for this study. Transect walks, in-depth interviews and community-based focus group discussions were the techniques employed in the data collection. The results indicated that there is a general lack of awareness of the VPSHR by most stakeholders, especially at the local level. Even though some mining companies have signed onto the voluntary principles, implementation and adherence are not adequate because there is no community participation in any risk assessment and mitigation strategies developed by mining companies thereby resulting in a lack of trust in the process. The paper concludes that there is a general lack of knowledge of the VPSHR and an absence of mechanisms to demand social accountability which presents a challenge to adherence and achievement of desired outcomes. This calls for efforts to be made to improve the capacity of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and national-level VPSHR implementing agencies and departments.

Mapping the Needs of Different Groups of Athletes of the City of Zagreb and the Republic of Croatia During Crisis Situations (Covid – 19 and Earthquake) – Athlete Perspective

This paper was created as part of the project "Trešnjevka Wrestlers for Civil Society Sports Organizations (SOCD) in Crisis Situations." with a specific ambition - to pursue improving the capacity of civil society organizations to respond to the needs of the local community in crisis situations. For this purpose and as one of the project activities, the mapping of the needs of different groups of athletes and sports workers of the City of Zagreb and the Republic of Croatia during the crises of Covid – 19 and the earthquake is carried out. This research used a qualitative approach that includes focus group pre-research. To ensure broad coverage of the researched topic and for the purpose of heterogeneity, research deliberately focused on 17 different groups of sport. The structure of pre-research participants who were selected intentionally from 17 sports resulted in a total of 17 athletes. All respondents are athletes and adults who have consented to participate in the survey. Qualitative research was conducted through pre-questionnaires and semi-structured interviews and the survey was guided from February to April 2022. Each athlete belonging to a defined sports community (club or federation) was examined separately. Respondents were introduced to the aim of the research and general questions asked and were also informed about the confidentiality of the answers. Collected data materials were processed by comparative analysis. Alternate observation of the responses, similarities and differences among them, and according to the superior aspect of the research (improving the capacity of civil society organizations to provide an effective response to the needs of the local community in crisis situations) along with the intensity of life quality for athletes managing sport during the pandemic, led to the following question: What needs have been identified by different groups of athletes of the City of Zagreb and the Republic of Croatia during crises (Covid - 19 and earthquakes)? The most frequent declarations are associated with impaired training continuity or suspension of training due to epidemiological measures and earthquake-damaged infrastructure, cancellation of the competitions and a decrease in motivation. 
 Keywords: occurrences, crisis situations, athletes, needs assessment, quality of life

Using evidence in shaping disability policy in Romania: the case of sheltered workshops

Background: The importance of using evidence to inform the policymaking process has been well established in the literature and practice. In Western countries evidence-based policy (EBP) is already accepted and implemented in many policy areas, including disability policy. In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) the interest in EBP (evidence-based policy) is new and limited, hampered in many aspects by the regional specificity of the public administration and welfare services reform. Aims and objectives: The present article aims to explore the development of evidence-based disability employment policy in Romania, in a specific area of work integration: sheltered workshops. Methods: The article draws on the findings of extensive research on sheltered workshops that included multiple research methods, such as public policy analysis, social documents analysis, and secondary data analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Findings: A number of issues concerning the implementation of evidence-based disability policy in Romania have been identified. Some of these issues are related to the administrative and policy capacity of the government. Others are linked to the limitation of the advocacy capacity of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) active in the disability area, or to the weak presence of the academic/research community in the disability policy forum. Discussion and conclusions:There is a limited knowledge of how evidence-based disability policy is developed in CEE countries. This article will emphasise the role of the sheltered workshops in shaping the policy solutions in the area of work integration for persons with disabilities. The article will contribute to better understanding of the disability policy reform, looking closely at how the evidence is built and used within the disability policy process.

“STK-BELEDİYE-YÖNETİŞİM EKSENİNDE” BİRBİRLERİNİN GÖZÜNDEN AKTÖRLER: BURDUR İLİ ÖRNEĞİ

Değişen yönetim anlayışı, kamu faydasına gerçekleştirilecek faaliyetlerin sadece devlet eliyle gerçekleştirilmesi anlayışını değiştirmiştir. Topluma yapılacak hizmetlerde devlet kurumları ve organlarının yanında sivil toplum kuruluşları da çaba harcamaya başlamış ve bu çabalar giderek çeşitlenmeye ve artmaya başlamıştır. Devlet organlarının zaman zaman tek başına yürüttüğü faaliyetler, bazı zamanlarda sivil toplum kuruluşları gibi gönüllü kuruluşların ortaklıkları ile de gerçekleştirilebilmektedir. Bu çalışmada yönetişim anlayışı çerçevesinde Burdur İlinde faaliyet göstermekte olan sivil toplum kuruluşları ve yerel yönetimler incelenmiştir. Burdur’da hizmet vermekte olan hak temelli, dayanışma temelli vb. dernek, vakıf ve sendikaların yerel yönetimlerle ve Sivil Toplum Kuruluşlarının birbirleriyle işbirliği yapma kapasiteleri ile bu işbirliklerinin kurulabilmesi için ortaya çıkan engeller ya da fırsatların hem yerel yönetimler hem de Sivil Toplum Kuruluşları açısından nasıl değerlendirildiği ve yorumlandığı araştırılmıştır. Çalışma, nitel bir çalışma olup verilerin toplanması için hem yerel yönetim hem de sivil toplum kuruluşu temsilcileriyle derinlemesine mülakatlar gerçekleştirilmiştir. Verilerin çözümlenebilmesi için içerik analizinden faydalanılmıştır. Sivil toplum kuruluşlarının yerel yönetim temsilcilerinin yetkilerini paylaşma konusunda istekli olmadığı ve yerel yönetim temsilcilerinin de sivil toplum kuruluşlarının kuruluş amaçlarının dışına çıktığıyla ilgili endişeleri çalışmanın dikkate değer bulgularındandır.

CHANGING APPROACHES TO STATE FINANCING OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN UKRAINE

Introduction. The functioning of the civil society institutions is beneficial for the state, as it delegates part of its powers to them. Accordingly, it is important for the state that the activities of these institutions be effective and efficient, which significantly depends on the financial resources at their disposal. The state cannot influence the financial position of all civil society institutions, the financial literacy of their representatives, the activity of individuals and legal entities in their support, and so on. Therefore, in order to increase the level of financial capacity of civil society organizations, it should use those tools that are directly available to the state. However, in our opinion, one of such tools is public funding, which still needs to be completely reset and revised. The purpose of the article is to investigate the current state and features of the distribution of public funding between those non-governmental organizations that have the right to it, and to suggest ways to improve it. Results. The current state of the state funding of non-governmental organizations of Ukraine, which, in accordance with current legislation, are entitled to it, is studied. Indicators of general financing of public organizations of Ukraine from the State budget, as well as such indicators as the share of revenues from state funding in the general structure of revenues of non-governmental organizations of Ukraine and the share of expenditures to support non-governmental organizations in the State Budget of Ukraine are analyzed. The presence of elements of discrimination and subjectivity in the distribution of public funding in favor of non-governmental organizations of Ukraine was revealed. It is proposed to use the method of "money follows the client" to eliminate these shortcomings and improve the process of distribution of public funding between non-governmental organizations that have a legal right to it. The possibility of pilot introduction of the above-mentioned method for the distribution of state funding between non-governmental organizations of physical culture and sports and the legislative changes that need to be adopted for this purpose are substantiated. A mechanism for determining the amount of funding for a particular organization is proposed.

Connecting Society and Policymakers? Conceptualizing and Measuring the Capacity of Civil Society Organizations to Act as Transmission Belts

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are considered important intermediaries between citizens and policymakers. They are assumed to function as transmission belts that filter societal preferences and channel them to policymakers. Although the ability of CSOs to connect civil society with policymakers has been put into question, it has rarely been theoretically specified and empirically tested. This paper develops a conceptualization of CSOs that examines their capacity to function as transmission belts. It does so by distinguishing two organizational dimensions related to member involvement and organizational capacity. The paper draws on a large survey of CSOs active at the EU to empirically assess these organizational dimensions and relate them to basic CSOs’ characteristics. The findings indicate that one out of three organizations approximates the ideal-type transmission belt. The findings contribute to a better understanding and assessment of CSO’s potential contribution to policy-making in representative democracies.

An analysis of capacities of civil society organizations (CSOs) involved in promotion of community participation in governance in Kenya

Although civil society organizations (CSOs) often receive attention in development discourse, they are particularly deemed to provide a new way that ensures good governance. Hence, an understanding of their contributions against the backdrop of governance‐related challenges in Kenya calls for fresh and new research. This article gives attention to CSOs' role in the promotion of community participation in governance. Specifically, it looks into capacities of CSOs involved in these efforts on governance. It links persistent poor governance happening at the counties to inadequate capacities of CSOs involved in the fight against the vice. It argues that CSOs lack vital capacities including adequate funds, staff, offices, and equipment, to be able to sustain action against poor governance. The study methodology involved a survey, focus group discussions, and in‐depth face‐to‐face interviews. A variety of tools were used that included a survey questionnaire, focus group discussion guide, and in‐depth interview guide. Some of the recommendations are that it is important for stakeholders including the government to understand CSOs and provide them with required support. CSOs also need to be given training and exposure to programs in other countries that have successfully addressed governance issues.

Structural Analysis of Civil Society Organizations (CSO): Developing CSOs’ Organizational Capacities in Mexico

The purpose of this research is to analyze, through quantitative methodology techniques, the organizational capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in Mexico and their influence on public policy. It will seek to determine CSOs’ main characteristics (internally and externally) to identify the different channels through which they can exercise their influence, specifically in the agenda-setting process and the implementation of their proposals. The final objective of this article is to lead its findings toward public policy recommendations that empower CSOs by means of strengthening their organizational capacities.

When Laws Are Not Enough: Violence against Women and Bureaucratic Practice in Nicaragua

Despite the passage of numerous laws in Latin America, impunity in domestic violence cases remains a serious concern throughout the region. This article draws on feminist theories of the state to analyze how the routine practices of low-level state bureaucrats impact women’s experiences navigating legal institutions in urban Nicaragua. Drawing on ten months of ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews, I show how, contrary to theories of representative bureaucracy, the increased presence of women officials within state institutions does not improve most women’s treatment by police or prosecutors. Rather, only when women have access to specific forms of social capital are their cases granted legitimacy by state actors. This article illustrates the routine practices by which gendered governance operates, as well as how feminist organizations disrupt patterns of bureaucratic indifference by assuming the banner of legitimacy that is rarely afforded to women victims themselves. These findings raise critical questions about the efficacy of traditional legal and bureaucratic strategies for eliminating violence against women, and suggest that one key alternative is to strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations that provide accompaniment to women victims.

한국 시민사회단체 역량 연구

한국 시민사회단체 역량 연구

Revisiting “Upstream Public Engagement”: from a Habermasian Perspective

The idea of conducting “upstream public engagement,” using nanotechnology as a test case, has been subject to criticism for its lack of any link to the political system. Drawing on the theoretical tools provided by Habermas, this article seeks to explore such a “link”, focusing specifically on the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to distil, raise and transmit societal concerns in an amplified form to the public spheres at the European Union (EU) level. Based on content analysis and semi-structured interviews with relevant actors, this article examines the evolution of CSO approaches towards nanotechnology over the past decade and investigates whether and how upstream public engagement could contribute to more vibrant public spheres and facilitate the formation of communicative power. The answer to these questions is twofold: on the one hand, moving public engagement “upstream” enables CSOs to be better informed and to become part of the debates more quickly. A “green alliance” is taking shape, which calls for more stringent regulation on nanomaterials. On the other hand, upstream public engagement has turned out to be unsuccessful in generating substantial and sustained interest. A number of CSOs have quit this field in frustration at the tokenistic engagement and out of fatigue after the intense lobbying battle for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

Corporate Social Responsibility through Cross‐sector Partnerships: Implications for Civil Society, the State, and the Corporate Sector in India

AbstractCorporations are increasingly forced to widen their agendas to include social and environmental concerns, or corporate social responsibility (CSR). This development has been recorded in the current academic debate, and the views regarding its implications for business, the state, and civil society diverge. However, there is agreement within the CSR and corporate governance literatures that there is a lack of thorough empirical studies of these effects. Based on a case study of the multinational wind energy company Suzlon Energy's CSR projects in rural India, this article contends that CSR projects implemented through cross‐sector partnerships can help to build the capacities of civil society organizations (CSOs). Although the risk of corporate steering of the civil society agenda is reduced when CSR prioritizes community needs over business imperatives, CSOs tend to bear the highest costs in partnerships, through credibility losses and insecurity concerning project terms and funding, reinforcing the importance of critical cooperation and complementary core competencies in cross‐sector partnerships. The results have implications for the strategies of corporations, CSOs, and governments as well as for the planning of national and international development aid.

Political capabilities for democratisation in Uganda: good governance or popular organisation building?

Opinion is divided about the capacity of civil society organisations (CSOs) to enhance the political capabilities of disadvantaged groups in neo-patrimonial contexts, and particularly through a hegemonic paradigm which seeks to advance poverty reduction through good governance. Drawing on a qualitative study of CSOs in western Uganda, this paper argues that strategies focused on increasing the participation of rural citizens in formal decentralised planning spaces may be less effective in enhancing their political capabilities than those facilitating social mobilisation through the formation of producer groups and federations. This has important implications for thinking and practice around popular empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Civil Society in Context of a Legal Temperament: Is the Watchdog a Capable Person?

This paper critically analyses the concept “civil society” within a legal temperament, in an attempt to present the legal capacity of civil society organisations in their cooperation in state-society governance in South Africa. The paper argues that civil society organisations in their legal capacity as corporate person, should act as a partner in governance rather than being just a watchdog to government functions or clean administration. In its foregoing purpose the paper examines literature on the foundations of civil society and the natural law theories. The paper further explores the basis of state, market and civil society relations in good governance, where civil society is considered a legal person with capacity to act legally as a partner. The paper concludes that the legalised expression of civil society organisations legitimises the agency of human interest to the high levels of engagement and interaction as a partner in governance. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p908

Apomediated marketplace

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play an important role in the socioeconomic development programmes in the developing countries. For instance, donors prefer to channel development funds through CSOs rather than directly to governments. However, the lack of adequate capacity to work with governments, donors and other stakeholders has hampered the ability of local CSOs to deliver effective services. Different approaches, including mentorship and formal training, have been used to try to strengthen the capacity of CSOs, but with little apparent impact. Knowledge needs a facilitative context to be created and shared effectively. The ba concept, originally proposed by Japanese philosopher Kitaro Nishida in 1921, is a shared context in which knowledge is created, shared and utilized. It encompasses physical, virtual and mental spaces where participants interact. The key focus of any ba is not the individuals in it but their interactions, which lead to information creation, sharing and learning. The apomediated marketplace, as a knowledge ba, is a combination of face-to-face events and a digital interface through which CSOs, as buyers, and capacity-building consultants, as vendors, meet directly to develop partnerships, share knowledge and transact business. As opposed to intermediation, which involves ‘standing between’ the parties, or disintermediation, implying ‘standing aloof’, standing by the participants through apomediation increases the level of social interactions, which in turn enhances the quality of knowledge sharing in the ba. This paper unravels and describes the concept of knowledge marketplace and reports instances of its implementation in developing countries. It also analyzes the mediation techniques applied in existing knowledge marketplaces and their effectiveness in creating a ba suitable for sharing and learning. The study was conducted through exploratory survey. Data was collected through literature searching and analysis. The findings indicate that apomediation facilitates the creation of a safer, more versatile and effective knowledge sharing ba than its alternatives.

Fighting gender-based violence: The women's movement and the enforcement of rape law in Liberia

Many African states have adopted laws that criminalize rape and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV) but the enforcement of such laws is often weak. Many rape cases are never brought to court and victims are frequently encouraged to accept reconciliation instead of prosecution of offenders. Drawing on research from post-conflict Liberia this article investigates the ability of womens movements to influence the states implementation of rape law and seeks to theorize the relationship between womens activism and the enforcement of rape law. It documents the range of strategies adopted by the Liberian womens movement and argues that these tactics have contributed to an increased referral of rape cases to court. This was made possible by two conditions: a relatively open political environment and political and material support from international organizations which in turn enabled womens NGOs to gain access to and make an impression on the implementation process. This demonstrates the capacity of civil society organizations in Africas more open and internationally connected states to influence policy at the implementation stage - even in particularly challenging areas such as womens rights.

Towards an agenda for disability research in Europe: learning from disabled people’s organisations

This paper addresses the challenges of building capacity for collaborative participatory research with disabled people’s organisations in European countries. The paper presents initial findings from the project ‘European Research Agendas for Disability Equality’ (EuRADE), which seeks to build the capacity of civil society organisations to participate in future research collaborations in partnership with academic institutions. The findings draw on survey data identifying the research capacity, needs and priorities of 68 organisations in 25 countries and focuses, in particular, on responses from national or European level representative organisations of disabled people. The findings demonstrate a high degree of motivation and readiness for collaboration in academic research but raise concerns about the readiness of academic institutions to engage disabled people as equal partners within social model and rights‐based approaches. Respondent organisations identified a wide range of research needs that raise challenges for collaborative responses from the academic community. In this way, the findings provide a basis for developing user‐led agendas for European funded research within the emancipatory paradigm, and indentify important opportunities for new international research collaborations between activists and academics.

Civil Society, Democratization, and Foreign Aid: Civic Engagement and Public Policy in South Africa and Uganda

Drawing on comparative research in South Africa and Uganda, this article examines how far civil society organizations influence government policy and legislation and extend citizen participation in public affairs. The article also considers how far external funding influences policy engagement and outcomes. The main finding is that few civil society organizations have either a consistent level of engagement in the policy process or make a significant difference to policy outcomes. The nature of internal governance practices in galvanizing citizens' voices and the relationship to the state and political parties are the most decisive factors in civil society organizations achieving policy influence. The article concludes that the capacity of civil society organizations to offer citizens a say in decisions and to enhance pluralism may be as important as their ability to influence policy and demand accountability from state actors.

Civil society and the new democracy in post-devolution wales—A case study of the EU structural funds

It was anticipated that devolution and the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales would promote partnership, inclusiveness and openness in governance in Wales. Civil society engagement was viewed as crucial to making this new democracy work. Consequently, civil society's engagement with the Assembly is one of the benchmarks against which to assess political and economic developments post-devolution. This article takes advantage of the coincidence between devolution and the development of the European Structural Fund Programmes for 2000–2006 in Wales to examine the engagement of civil society organizations in these programmes, focusing particularly on the West Wales and the Valleys Objective 1 Programme. The article concludes that the first term of devolution promoted a more inclusive and open policy-making culture. However, disparities in the capacities of civil society organizations to engage in the programmes, more executive forms of government and a greater emphasis on the effectiveness of the Structural Funds during the second term of devolution highlighted the challenges facing the Assembly in order to deepen democracy in post-devolution Wales. In addition to contributing to the literature on devolution and policy making, the findings inform broader debates on contemporary governance; social networks; notions of participatory democracy; models of public policy making; and the state in post-industrial development.

Informal governance in structural policy

This article explores the different ways in which informal governance may variously complement, correct or undermine the formal procedures surrounding Structural Funds management. Although mandated, the involvement of civil society organisations in the Monitoring Committees has turned out to be a disappointment in many national contexts. Yet, civil society representatives manage to interact with their institutional counterparts in a variety of ways that reflect the traditions of state – society interaction in the Member State, the assertiveness of territorial institutions in acting as liaisons between European citizens and institutions, and the capacity of civil society organisations to provide expert input into the decision-making process. Building on extensive research in several Member States, the article suggests that territorial institutions see themselves and are seen also by civil society actors as the main vehicles for citizens' participation in structural policy.