Strengthening civil society organisations

The project Fostering Communication and Cooperation among Non State Actors (NSAs) for the benefit of Swazi civil society aims at enhancing the impact and effectiveness of civil society in Swaziland, through the increase of Civil Society Organisations’ (CSOs) advocacy and communication effectiveness and of their capacities and skills in accessing and managing resources.

The project is implemented by punto.sud and the Italian NGO Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti (COSPE), in close collaboration with the CSOs in Swaziland. With an overall amount of 1,1 M €, the project is co-funded by the European Commission – Directorate General EuropeAid. It started in August 2013 for a duration of 42 months.

The strategy of the action has been articulated around three results:

1. Swazi NSAs have access to quality information and are included in coordination/info sharing mechanisms;
2. Improved NSAs ability and increased opportunities to coordinate, negotiate and advocate with different stakeholders (Government of Swaziland, Local Authorities, EU, etc.);
3. Access to key information for capacity building and procedural alignment to EC/main donors standards and regulations is ensured to Swazi NSA (on project planning, project management and organizational accountability.

The project seeks to improve cooperation, participation and collaboration of CSOs in development processes in Swaziland and harness common priorities in order to strengthen and better coordinate advocacy efforts by CSOs. It also aims at improving communication systems, networking and information flow between CSOs and networks and at building their capacities, through trainings that offers practical tools for more effective participation in development processes.

It is envisaged that at the end of the project the following results would have been achieved:

• A vibrant civil society with sound institutions with systems in place that are able to tap into available opportunities at international and regional levels;
• Strengthened advocacy efforts within CSOs;
• Improved networking and communication flow;
• Enhanced organisational systems and governance structures;
• Improved ability to manage projects and better access to funding opportunities.

In the frame of a co-ordinated strategy, PuntoSud is in charge of the component n.3, and of the following activities:

• Design and delivery a comprehensive learning programme: a package of capacity development activities have been designed including class frontal training, helpdesk, tutoring & mentoring activities, distance learning, to address key and non-key staff of CSOs.
• Establish the Monitoring and Evaluation Association of Swaziland (MEAS) and favour its positioning in the Country and in the Region, with the aim to develop capacities on monitoring and evaluation and contribute to create the culture of transparency and accountability through data and evidence.
• Development of a web-platform, delivery of distance training courses and provision of a helpdesk service for projects screening and day-to-day support.