civic engagement – C4D Network

Civic Tech in the Global South : Assessing Technology for the Public Good (World Bank, 2017)

February 12, 2019

This book is comprised of one study and three field evaluations of civic tech initiatives in developing countries. The study reviews evidence on the use of twenty-three information and communication technology (ICT) platforms designed to amplify citizen voices to improve service delivery. Focusing on empirical studies of initiatives in the global south, the authors highlight both citizen uptake and the degree to which public service providers respond to expressions of citizen voice.

The first evaluation looks at U-report in Uganda, a mobile platform that runs weekly large-scale polls with young Ugandans on a number of issues, ranging from safety to access to education to inflation to early marriage. The following evaluation takes a closer look at MajiVoice, an initiative that allows Kenyan citizens to report, through multiple channels, complaints with regard to water services.

The third evaluation examines the case of Rio Grande do Sul’s participatory budgeting – the world’s largest participatory budgeting system – which allows citizens to participate either online or offline in defining the state’s yearly spending priorities. While the comparative study has a clear focus on the dimension of government responsiveness, the evaluations examine civic technology initiatives using five distinct dimensions, or lenses. The choice of these lenses is the result of an effort bringing together researchers and practitioners to develop an evaluation framework suitable to civic technology initiatives.

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Space to be Heard: Mobilizing the power of people to reshape civic space (Oxfam briefing note, 2018)

February 12, 2019

The space for people to speak out, organize and take action against poverty, inequality and injustice is shrinking on a global scale. People in many countries around the world face serious restrictions and repression when exercising their basic rights. This includes citizens who raise their voices against corruption and political dysfunction, organizations that save lives and provide basic services to people in need, communities that defend their sustainable livelihoods and demand a fair share of natural resources, and activists who fight for gender justice.

Defending civic space is not the responsibility of only one part of civil society – such as human rights organizations or activists. It is the diversity, breadth and vibrancy of civil society that has the potential to successfully reclaim and create civic space. Committed and coordinated actions from activists, academics, journalists, civil society organizations, progressive policy makers and other allies are needed to reverse the trend of shrinking civic space.

This paper outlines the analysis and strategic focus which inform Oxfam’s contribution to the global defence of civic space.

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Inclusive Civic Engagement Toolkit (Inclusion International, 2015)

July 31, 2018

This toolkit was developed as part of an Inclusion International project, Accessing the Ballot Box, funded by the UN Democracy Fund. The project was designed to address the limited political participation of people with intellectual disabilities in Kenya, Zanzibar and Lebanon.

It sought to identify and challenge the barriers people with intellectual disabilities face in exercising their right to civic engagement and political participation and increase the awareness and knowledge of project stakeholders (people with intellectual disabilities, their families and representative organizations, service providers and governments) on building inclusive democratic processes.

While the project was focused on three countries, the tools and resources have been designed to be applicable in ALL countries. The limited political participation of people with intellectual disabilities is a result of a number of factors – law, policy and practice. Even in countries where no legal prohibition exists, the data suggests that political participation remains low.

Political participation is not simply the act of casting a ballot on election day. Political participation – happens before, during and after elections. To increase political participation and to help shape inclusive civic engagement, our focus, too, must extend beyond the ballot box to look at what inclusive political participation means and how people with intellectual disabilities can access the ballot box.

Click here for full toolkit.

Planeamento Participativo para o Desenvolvimento Compatível com o Clima em Maputo, Moçambique (UCL Press 2015)

July 17, 2016

Planejamento Participativo para o Desenvolvimento Compatível Climáticas, em Maputo, Moçambique é ‘manual que se baseie na experiência de um projeto piloto que foi premiado com a Organização das Nações Unidas um praticantes Award Atividade Farol’.

Baseando-se uma longa tradição académica de planejamento participativo, este dois idiomas (Inglês / Português) livro aborda questões cruciais sobre a relevância da participação dos cidadãos no planejamento para o desenvolvimento compatível com o clima e argumenta que os cidadãos tenham conhecimento e acesso a recursos que lhes permitam desenvolver uma visão sustentável para sua comunidade. A fim de fazer isso, o autor propõe uma metodologia de planejamento de ação participativa para organizar comunidades, e também avança mecanismos de desenvolvimento institucional por meio de parcerias.

Este livro está disponível como um Open Access PDF livre

Participatory Planning for Climate Compatible Development in Maputo, Mozambique (UCL Press 2015)

July 17, 2016

Participatory Planning for Climate Compatible Development in Maputo, Mozambique is a practitioners’ handbook that builds upon the experience of a pilot project that was awarded the United Nations ‘Lighthouse Activity’ Award.

Building upon a long scholarly tradition of participatory planning, this dual-language (English/Portuguese) book addresses crucial questions about the relevance of citizen participation in planning for climate compatible development and argues that citizens have knowledge and access to resources that enable them to develop a sustainable vision for their community. In order to do so, the author proposes a Participatory Action Planning methodology to organise communities, and also advances mechanisms for institutional development through partnerships.

This book is available as a free Open Access PDF