BUILDING BRIDGES LEARNING & EVALUATION REPORT · Building bridges Learning and Evaluation Report 5...

BUILDING BRIDGES LEARNING & EVALUATION REPORT 30 April 2015

Building bridges Learning and Evaluation Report

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Contents

1. Executive summary 2

2. Introduction 5

2.1 Project background 5

2.2 Challenges and changes 5

3. About the evaluation 8

4. Intended impact, outcomes and outputs 9

5. The work and the difference it has made 11

5.1 Consultation and Needs Assessment 10

5.2 Training programmes 12

5.3 Formation of Networks 19

5.4 Campaigns 24

5.5 National Forums 31

6. Achievement of programme purpose 33

7. Key Learning and recommendations 34

7.1 Flexibility in work plans 34

7.2 Supporting CSO networking around a common issue 35

7.3 Ensuring the process is owned in-country 35

7.4 Maintaining good partner communications 36

7.5Training improvements 36


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1. Executive summary

Building Bridges was a programme that aimed to bring together civil society organisations (CSOs) in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya to strengthen their capacity, networks and ultimately their democratic participation. The programme was a collaboration between The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) and CIVICUS – the World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

Programme delivery took place between August 2012 and April 2015, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

A number of challenges were faced in programme delivery which resulted in key changes to the work. These include:

An unstable political situation in Libya and subsequent withdrawal of the programme

A repressive political environment in Egypt resulting in a specialist CSO network and campaign

A change in the focus of the training in all three countries following needs assessments.

This end-of-project evaluation was conducted by NCVO between January and April 2015. The evaluation reviewed the work that was delivered, what difference it made and key learning points that could be relevant for similar work in future. Evaluation evidence was collected from existing project documentation and reports, training evaluation forms, interviews with trainers and technical advisors and National Forum evaluation forms.

Findings are presented in this report against the five key strands of programme activity.

1.1 Consultation and Needs Assessment Summary

Engagement with the consultation was as good as expected in Egypt and better than expected in

Tunisia. In Libya, engagement was lower but considered to be adequate given that there were no

existing contacts and a restrictive political environment.

As planned, a full needs assessment report was produced for each of the three countries. These

gave a picture of training and development needs and the overall environment that CSOs are

working in.

Changes were made to the planned training programme that reflected the newly identified needs

of CSOs.

1.2 Training summary

Security concerns in Egypt and Libya meant that not all of the training sessions could be delivered

or that not all of the intended participants could attend. Despite these significant issues, the

programme still managed to deliver some training in each country and in Egypt and Tunisia

delivered all sessions and reached more than the target number of participants. In total 82

organisations received training.


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The training was very well received in all countries. 96% of participants rated it good, very good or

excellent overall. This is a very positive reflection of the quality of the training. The quality of the

interactions between the trainers and trainees were notably highly rated, showing the strong

expertise of the trainers.

There are indications that the training was useful in improving participants’ skills in governance,

strategy and advocacy, with 86% feeling that the new materials would be of use in their work.

Several examples of organisations applying some new skills from the training in project or

organisational settings were found.

The training made initial contributions to creating enhanced networks of CSOs at a national level.

In each country there was a good national representation of organisations and 97% of participants

felt that the training would be effective in improving communications between them.

Suggestions were made to increase the duration of training, expand the topics covered and add

more activities to the training material.

1.3 Networks summary

The network in Egypt is made up of around 50 specialist CSOs (Independent Syndicates), 8 of which

form the ‘core group’. At least 6 network meetings have taken place during the last year of the

programme, in addition to the final National Forum.

The network in Tunisia is a national generic network of around 30 CSOs. They have met twice

regionally, since the training, and all together at the National Forum.

A network could not be built in Libya due to security concerns.

The enhanced networks of civil society organisations in Egypt and Tunisia that now exist are the

most significant direct impact of Building Bridges within the lifespan of the programme.

The trainers and technical advisors in Egypt and Tunisia predict that the networks in both countries

will continue beyond the life of Building Bridges.

Campaigns summary

In Egypt the written petition for a new law guaranteeing freedom of association and rights for

Independent Syndicates had over 100 signatures.

In Egypt, one third of those engaged in the campaign, who completed an evaluation form, said that

this was the first campaign they had been involved in. Eighty eight per cent said it had inspired

them to take part in more campaigns in future. This, alongside examples of new skills the CSOs

have gained, indicates significant contribution towards the outcome of improved capacity of CSOs

to engage in advocacy and democratic dialogues.

In Egypt, 79% of those who responded said that the campaign had inspired more people to get

involved with their organisation. This indicates that the campaign has contributed to the outcome

of increased participation in/with CSOs.


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In Egypt, it is hoped that the campaign will continue to make progress towards the longer term

impact of Legislation in the country better supporting CSOs and networks. In pursuit of this impact,

so far Building Bridges has been able to facilitate shedding light on an important issue.

In Tunisia, the petition for a written code for partnership working between civil society and

government had received over 200 signatures. The campaign received national media coverage.

In Tunisia, it was not possible to collect direct evidence about people’s past involvement in, or

enthusiasm for more, campaigns. However, individual cases suggest that involvement in the

campaign led to improved capacity to engage in advocacy and democratic dialogues for some.

In Tunisia, the Government have positively engaged with the campaign, leading to positivity about

future impact in terms of Legislation in the country better supporting CSOs and networks. It is

considered that the progress that Building Bridges has made towards that so far is in raising an

important question and initiating a dialogue with government.

A campaign was not developed or supported in Libya due to withdrawing the programme because

of security concerns.

1.5 National Forums summary

In Egypt the National Forum had 60 attendees. This was slightly lower than hoped due to security

concerns in the country.

In Tunisia the National Forum had over 100 attendees, which was as expected. This included

representatives from the Government and the Media.

A National Forum was not held in Libya, due to the earlier withdrawal of the programme.

The National Forums contributed to the continuation of the networks and advancement of the

campaigns. They were also a chance to celebrate the programme and campaigns.

Achievement of programme purpose

Despite significant in-country political and security challenges, the programme is considered to have achieved its purpose to strengthen CSOs’ democratic participation through national networks, in two of the three countries that the work was carried out in.

Additional resources from the terminated work in Libya meant that the programme could provide additional support to achieve further changes in line with its purpose in Egypt and Tunisia.

Learning and recommendations

A number of key learning points were identified during the work of the programme and through this evaluation that were important for achieving change. They are:

Flexibility in work plans

Supporting CSO networking around a common issue

Ensuring the process is owned in-country

Maintaining good partner communications


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2. Introduction

2.1 Project background

Building Bridges was a collaborative programme that sought to build the capacity, networks and voice of civil society organisations in the emerging democracies of North Africa.

Following the Arab Spring, civil society has a crucial role to play in the reconstruction process and in establishing an open and equitable future for citizens. In recognition of this, The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) brought together their experience of supporting civil society organisations to facilitate their development in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. The programme was delivered in partnership with CIVICUS – the World Alliance for Citizen Participation and funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Building Bridges work took place between August 2012 and April 2015. The programme had four main strands of activity:

In-country consultation and needs assessment of civil society organisations

Training in good governance, strategic planning and campaigning

Network building

Campaign support on identified areas to promote policy dialogue with government

National Forums to share results and learning

A full-time project officer was employed by NCVO. ANND provided project resource to co-ordinate events, contact organisations and lead the needs assessment, among other things. Trainers were recruited from in-country specialists and also acted as technical advisors for the campaigns. Members of the newly formed networks stepped forwards as co-ordinators for the campaigns.

Through this work, the programme aimed to bring together at least 30 civil society organisations in each of the three countries to strengthen their organisation, networks and ultimately their democratic participation.

2.2 Challenges and changes

A number of challenges were faced in the delivery of Building Bridges programme work, principally driven by the unstable political situations in the countries in which the work was being carried out. The key challenges, their effect on the planned programme of work, and the resulting programme changes are explained below.

Libya- unstable political situation and withdrawal of the programme

Building Bridges work in Libya was initially delayed and eventually cancelled in August 2014, due to security issues resulting from an unstable political situation.


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Following the revolution in February 2011, and the end of the Gadhafi regime, Libya began to make encouraging moves towards building a stronger participatory and democratic environment. Power was handed over to a newly elected General National Congress (GNC), which although unpopular with the militia, did enable the beginning of civil society development. Although it was still far from the ideal environment, civil society organisations did begin to emerge and were set up all over the country. However, in early 2014, the GNC caused uproar when they refused to disband after the expiration of the mandate. The following election was deeply affected by security issues and a country-wide boycott. The internal conflict pushed out many foreign nationals including embassy and UN staff. Islamist Libya Dawn militia eventually took hold of Tripoli and formed a new government; one that directly opposed the elected congress.

The increasing instability and conflicts between the two opposing governments caused chaos for the newly emerging civil society. Government priorities shifted and civil society organisations were no longer able to register and there was no enabling environment within which these organisations could operate. With the withdrawal of foreign support and increasing conflict between neighbouring cities, the prospect of creating a functioning cross-country network of organisations was looking more and more slim. In August 2014, due to these issues affecting the security situation in the country, the FCO decided to discontinue all activities within Libya.

Following the closure of the programme in Libya, the unspent resources were re-routed to additional activities in Egypt and Tunisia, to support the networks to campaign on an issue of their choosing.

Egypt - political environment and division of networks resulting in specialist campaign

Since the beginning of the Building Bridges programme, there have been ongoing issues related to governance and security in Egypt. This resulted in a change in the formation of the planned generic civil society network, instead leading to the emergence of smaller, specialised networks and a more achievable campaign for Independent Syndicates (trade unions). The challenging political environment is also threatening civil society organisations and reducing their freedom to work with international bodies, which created some hesitancy in engaging with the programme.

While the revolution in January 2011 resulted in the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, stability was not achieved straight away. In the following three years, Egypt saw several different parties lead the country and faced a period of increased violence and instability while conflicting parties and groups fought for power. In this context, although civil society organisations were able to establish themselves during times of peace and stability, it is now increasingly difficult to maintain networks and promote polices with changing governments. With the current government becoming increasingly unpopular, civil society organisations are doing their best to remain separate and independent from government intervention.

The original intention of Building Bridges was to support a generic national network of civil society organisations to campaign for changes to a draft law relating to freedom of local association. However, the relevant ministry (Ministry of Social Solidarity) has indicated that they aren’t interested to engage and have other priorities, such as security. The campaign was developed but has been stopped, due to concern and fear from the civil society organisations to progress it.


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Instead, the focus moved to advocating for the role and freedoms of a distinct sub-sector of civil society organisations: Independent Syndicates (trade unions). Their relationship with government is through a different ministry (Ministry of Labour). These Independent Syndicates, which represent employees in different sectors, face intimidations by company employers, backed by government. They are a new entity in Egypt, established following the Arab Spring three years ago. Therefore, they also struggle to make the general public and employees aware of the importance of their role. Building Bridges supported their effort to build an awareness-raising campaign and to advocate for their rights and freedoms with the ministry responsible for their registration and regulation in the country. Through this process, the network has been widened to include more Independent Syndicates nationally.

Alongside the work with Independent Syndicates, Building Bridges also brought together smaller networks of general civil society organisations (general associations) and of specialists Co-operatives, to discuss their current issues and challenges. However, a campaign was not taken forward with these groups.

All countries - Change in training focus

It was originally intended that the Building Bridges training for civil society organisations in each country would be focused on governance and advocacy. During the first phase of the Building Bridges programme, the specific needs of civil society organisations were assessed (see section 5.1).

The needs assessment revealed that huge numbers of NGOs in each of the three countries were newly registered in the last two years. Before supporting these new organisations on governance and advocacy the need was recognised to ensure they were aware of advocacy, power and roles, able to think strategically and set clear priorities and objectives. Broad needs of more established organisations were also revealed, including better strategic thinking and skills for networking.

While project partners were realistic in acknowledging that not all organisational skills could be addressed within this programme, it was agreed that it would be of benefit to widen the remit and deliver two sets of training in each country instead: 1. Strategic thinking and good governance 2. Campaigning and networking.


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3. About the evaluation

This end-of-programme evaluation was conducted by NCVO between January and April 2015 and covers the whole period of the Building Bridges programme, from August 2012 to April 2015. The purpose of this evaluation is to:

Confirm the extent to which the planned programme outputs were delivered

Find out what difference the work made and which areas created the most change

Gather and reflect on learning points for future work in this area. A monitoring and evaluation framework was put into place early in the Building Bridges programme. When this end-of-programme evaluation work began, this framework was reviewed, updated, and a map of the planned impact, outcomes and outputs created (see section 4.) Some of the planned changes in the framework are intended to be realised in the longer term, beyond the life of this project (e.g. legislative changes). Therefore, this evaluation focuses on the more immediate outcomes that were planned for the project, and whether there is evidence that they have been met. In parts, there will be reflection on any initial indications of movement towards the longer-term impact, but evidence was not specifically collected in these areas. To meet the purposes outlined above, the following existing information was reviewed for this evaluation:

Quarterly project reports to the project funder (FCO)

Needs assessment reports for each country

A sample of evaluation forms from the training courses

Videos produced about the programme and media coverage for the national forums

In addition, new information was collected from the following sources:

Interviews with the trainers and technical advisors in each country

Interview with the project officer (International officer at NCVO)

Evaluation forms from the National Forums

The evaluation was conducted in English. Some challenges were faced in gathering and interpreting information for the evaluation including language barriers, translation changing meaning and political situations in the three countries creating sensitivities around being seen to be engaging with the programme and the evaluation. For example, not all of the intended evaluation questions could be asked at the National Forums because there was nervousness from some organisations around overt association with a foreign funded capacity building project of this kind, as opposed to the now embedded country-specific campaigns that were a result of the project. These challenges were mostly overcome by using interpreters who knew the programme and collecting information anonymously, but did limit the extent of the information that could be collected or attributed to some extent.


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4. Intended impact, outcomes and outputs

Impact 1: Increase in democratic participation

of CSOs in each country

Impact 2: Civil society networks are stronger

Impact 3: Legislation in the country better supports CSOs and

networks

Outcome 1: Improved governance

and operations of CSOs

Outcome 2: Improved capacity

of CSOs to engage in advocacy and

democratic dialogues

Outcome 3: Enhanced networks of CSOs at a national level

Outcome 4: Increased

participation in/with CSOs

Output 2: Needs

Assessment Reports

Output 5: Petitions

Output 1: Launch event

Output 3: Training

programmes

Output 4: National networks

Output 6: National Forums

Programme purpose: The programme aims to strengthen democratic participation through national networks in each country. It will provide core training for civil society networks and act as a hub to exchange knowledge on best practice models of engagement.


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5. The work and the difference it has made

5.1 Consultation and Needs Assessment

The first key output of the programme was a needs assessment report for each country, delivered in the third quarter of year one.

The needs assessment was conducted in order to better understand the nature of civil society in each country, the governance of civil society organisations (CSOs), their activities and networks, their strengths and weaknesses and their current capabilities to influence policy-making processes. The needs assessment reports presented this information within the changing context for civil society, before and after the revolution. The training offer was based on this information. The assessment process included:

A desk review of information regarding the nature of civil society and the political context that

CSOs are operating in. Reviewed relevant reports, articles, blogs and news items.

A questionnaire sent out to CSOs

A national consultation event in each country

Egypt Tunisia Libya

19 questionnaire responses. 34 questionnaire responses. 16 questionnaire responses

33 representatives of CSOs and

trade unions at the consultation event.

45 representatives of CSOs and

trade unions at the consultation event.

20 representatives of CSOs

attended the consultation event.

In Egypt and Tunisia, the ANND already had good contacts with organisations, that were drawn on to elicit contributions to the needs assessment. Questionnaires were sent out to around 40 organisations in each country, with the aim of engaging with 30 per country through the full consultation process. Therefore, the level of engagement in Egypt was as good as expected and in Tunisia was even better than expected. In Libya, it was anticipated that the engagement level would be slightly lower due to the restrictive political situation and the fact that ANND does not have member organisations in Libya. Seeing as it was the first time that most of the Libyan respondents would have heard of NCVO or ANND, the level of engagement here was adequate.

The needs assessment gave the project partners an overview of the training and development needs of CSOs in each country, based on their current capacity and the environment in which they’re working. This is information that had not existed before. It allowed the partners to develop the most appropriate support for CSOs to try to create the programme outcomes of improved governance and operations, improved capacity to engage in advocacy and enhanced networks of CSOs at a national level.


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Bringing CSOs together at the consultation would also have enabled them to initiate new contacts and discuss common issues, which were to be built upon through the Building Bridges programme with the intention of strengthening networks of CSOs.

The needs assessment reports were presented and discussed with relevant stakeholders at the

Building Bridges launch event, which took place on 17 May 2013 at NCVO. Twenty people attended

including project partners, the project funder, the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the

British Council, Department for International Development, BOND and other interested parties.

Consultation and Needs Assessment Summary

Engagement with the consultation was as good as expected in Egypt and better than expected in

Tunisia. In Libya, engagement was lower but considered to be adequate given that there were no

existing contacts and a restrictive political environment.

As planned, a full needs assessment report was produced for each of the three countries. These

gave a picture of training and development needs and the overall environment that CSOs are

working in.

Changes were made to the planned training programme that reflected the newly identified needs

of CSOs.


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5.2 Training programmes

Informed by the results of the Needs Assessments, two different training programmes of two and a half days’ duration were developed for delivery in each country (see section 2.2 for more detail):

Training 1: Strategic thinking and good governance (2.5 days)

The role of NGOs

Institutional thinking behind NGOs

Taking a human-rights based approach Setting a vision and mission

Strategic planning for NGOs

Network building

Training 2: Campaigning and networking (2.5 days)

The campaign cycle

Analysing policy

Understanding change

Working with others with a common cause

Skills for lobbying, campaigning and advocacy

The same group of civil society organisations (CSOs) in each country were offered both training courses. The aim was to train 30 organisations in each country in both of these areas.

NCVO and ANND worked in partnership to select three local trainers to deliver the courses. They were run between September 2013 and April 2013.

For this evaluation the occurrence and attendance of each course was reviewed, along with participant evaluation forms for one course in each country. The trainers were also interviewed.

Egypt

The first training in Egypt was scheduled for the beginning of September 2013, but had to be cancelled due to security challenges at the time. The training was eventually delivered in Cairo at the end of September, despite the challenging context. These security issues also affected the number of participants that could attend the training, meaning that numbers fell just short of the target of 30.

Training 1 September 2013 27 participants

Participant Profile: A range of different organisations attended including general development and community engagement organisations, specific issue organisations such as women’s rights, co-operatives and several trade unions. Participants came from across the country.


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Following the first training session, the group opened a Facebook group to stay connected with each other. The numbers increased significantly for the second training, far exceeding target.

Training 2 March 2014 39 participants

(from 35 organisations)

Participant evaluation of Training 2 in Egypt

Overall

96% rated it as good, very

good or excellent.

Group interactions

96% felt that the interactions

and discussions between the trainers and trainees were

good, very good or excellent.

Communications

92% felt that the training

would be effective in improving communications between the organisations.

Right people

81% felt that they were a

suitable person to be attending the training.

[The remaining 19% were unsure, rather than felt they

were the wrong person].

Training material

77% felt it contained a

sufficient number of appropriate activities.

81% thought that the

material would be useful to them in their work.

More topics

69% felt that the selection

of topics covered should be expanded.

Suggestions included:

Negotiation

Global standards

Regional issues

Ideas and suggestions: - Two people suggested providing information before the training session to introduce the topic and save time during the session - Two people wanted more tools and case studies - One person wanted to limit the group to 25 participants to get the most out of it.


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Tunisia

The first training course was delivered in Tunisia in November 2013 and the target of 30 participants was exceeded.

Training 1 November 2013 31 participants

Participant Profile: Participants came from a range of groups with diverse aims including several gender-based organisations, human rights organisations, a student union, and an association for visual impairment, another for learning disabilities, a youth organisation and an individual activist (journalist). These individuals were from both urban and rural environments.

Training 2 April 2014 32 participants

Participant evaluation of Training 2 in Tunisia

Overall

93% rated it as good, very

good or excellent.

Group interactions

96% felt that the

interactions and discussions between the trainers and

trainees were good, very good or excellent.

Communications



Right people





Training material



93% thought that the

material would be useful to them in their work.

More topics & time



Only 50% thought that the

duration of the training was adequate

“This program was very intense, so either mitigate or prolong the period of time.”


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Libya

Due to significant security issues, only one training course was delivered in Libya, with around half of

the intended number of participants. This course had to be rescheduled from its intended delivery time

of January 2014. It is believed that the lower than predicted participant numbers were due to the fact

that the programme partners did not have existing contacts in Libya as well as the political situation

making organisations more reluctant to travel and to be seen to be engaging with foreign funded

projects.

Training 1 February 2014 15 participants

Participant Profile:

A range of organisations were represented including a youth organisation, women’s organisation,

debate club, general development organisations and a peace foundation. There was a good

geographical spread with some from Tripoli, some from Benghazi and others from more rural areas.

The second training course could not be held and project work was cancelled due to security issues.

Participant evaluation of Training 1 in Libya

Overall

100% rated it as good,

very good or excellent.

Group interactions

100% felt that the

interactions and discussions between the trainers and

trainees were good, very good or excellent.

Communications



Right people





Training material



83% thought that the material

would be useful to them in their work.

More topics & time



Only 8% thought that the

duration of the training was adequate.

Ideas and suggestions: - One person wanted to practice visual exercises - One person suggested more communication with other countries


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Contribution to programme outcomes

The training sessions were principally intended to contribute to the following programme outcomes:

The participant evaluations of the individual training courses did not directly assess whether new skills and knowledge had been gained to enable the participants to improve their organisation’s governance, operations and capacity to engage in advocacy. However, of the participant evaluations reviewed, 86% felt that the training materials would be useful in their work. This gives us an indication that the vast majority could apply the learning around governance, operations and advocacy to their work. 83% of the participants felt that the training objectives were clear to them, indicating that they understood the purpose of the sessions, when saying that they could apply the materials.

The trainers were also able to give examples of participants demonstrating new skills from the first course during the work on the second course:

Following the training, many participants were involved in creating and running a campaign. Through this process the trainers were also able to see them putting into practice some of the advocacy skills that they had learnt in the second training:

Finally, a trainer was able to give further examples of organisations that he kept in touch with applying their new knowledge:

Outcome 1: Improved governance and

operations of CSOs

Outcome 2: Improved capacity of CSOs to engage in advocacy

and democratic dialogues

When we started training on advocacy, it was obvious they had used the strategic planning skills from the first training. For example, they were connecting the campaign to their vision and mission. Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia

When I saw them again, some had applied the SWOT analysis and the principles of good governance. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt

When we started planning for the advocacy campaign, those who contributed actively to drafting the document and attending the meetings showed real improvement of their advocacy skills in general. Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia


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For many, simply having access to such training was a big step in moving towards improving their organisation:

The training sessions also significantly contributed to a further project outcome:

In each country, a national spread of organisations attended the training. Across all of the training courses reviewed, 97% of participants felt that the training would be effective in improving communications between the organisations.

When asked whether participants had gained anything more than knowledge and skills from the training sessions, a trainer responded:

Undoubtedly, this initial time spent learning together, helped the initiation of networks between the participants, built upon by further Building Bridges work.

I can think of one organisation in particular that I was working with in the field of judging and court – supporting admin workers and service workers. They applied the tools in their own planning and when they faced institutional problems. Most of the organisations in Egypt don’t have a mission and vision. I know that after the training lots of them sat together with their members and agreed their vision and mission from a rights based approach. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt


They started to know each other better. Some of the organisations have worked together before but they never went into depth in terms of what could be done together or the possibilities of complementarity of their work.

We’ve had a diversity of organisations involved, all working on different issues (e.g. gender, handicap). It was especially good for them to all work together and for them to know there are other groups or NGOs that might have specific needs. Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia

For most organisations it was the first time for them to attend anything to help them to understand strategic planning, the principles of good governance and how they can plan based on rights based association. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt


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Suggestions for improvement

Few participants felt that the duration of the training sessions was adequate. Most also felt that the selection of topics should be expanded. There could also be more activities added to the training material.

It is to be considered that, although this undoubtedly shows a desire for a longer duration of training and more activities, when people are asked directly whether they would like more time or activities, they are likely to say yes. This doesn’t mean that they haven’t derived adequate benefit from the time that was available and gives a positive indication that the appetite is there for more training in future. More time spent on future training would also allow suggested topics, such as negotiation, to be covered. A suggestion was also made to allow two people from each organisation to attend, so they can support each other to make resulting changes.

Training summary

Security concerns in Egypt and Libya meant that not all of the training sessions could be delivered

or that not all of the intended participants could attend. Despite these significant issues, the

programme still managed to deliver some training in each country and in Egypt and Tunisia

delivered all sessions and reached more than the target number of participants. In total 82

organisations received training.

The training was very well received in all countries. 96% of participants rated it good, very good or

excellent overall. This is a very positive reflection of the quality of the training. The quality of the

interactions between the trainers and trainees were notably highly rated, showing the strong

expertise of the trainers.

There are indications that the training was useful in improving participants’ skills in governance,

strategy and advocacy, with 86% feeling that the new materials would be of use in their work.

Several examples of organisations applying some new skills from the training in project or

organisational settings were found.

The training made initial contributions to creating enhanced networks of CSOs at a national level.

In each country there was a good national representation of organisations and 97% of participants

felt that the training would be effective in improving communications between them.

Suggestions were made to increase the duration of training, expand the topics covered, add more

activities to the training material and allow two people from each organisation to attend.


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5.3 Formation of Networks

The needs assessment consultations and the bringing together of CSOs for the resulting training were the initial steps in the formation of national networks in each country. The programme target was to identify 30 CSOs for inclusion in a network in each country and to build on any existing national networks by 25%.

The needs assessment showed that, before the work of programme, CSOs were networked around thematic areas of interest to varying degrees, but there was no legitimate, national, cross-cutting CSO network in any of the three countries. Building Bridges has been successful in establishing CSO networks in two of those countries. The types of networks have been fluid, reacting to situations in each country.

Initially it was intended that generic networks would be formed amongst the members of the Building Bridges training group and that these would simply be continued beyond the training sessions. However, following the closure of the programme in Libya, some resources became available for additional work in the remaining countries. The training groups identified that they wanted to put their new campaigning skills, gained in the training, into practice and to take forward a common issue. Based on this, and information from the needs assessment that showed that CSOs most often networked around common issues, Building Bridges re-routed these resources to support the new networks in Egypt and Tunisia to take forward a campaign on the common issue they had identified (see section 5.4 for information on campaigns).

Egypt

Initial situation The needs assessment for Egypt reported that in recent years some ‘informal’ networks and movements had begun to be formed by CSOs for a specific period to advocate for an issue. Eighty five percent of the organisations who responded to the questionnaire confirmed they had been part of a coalition around a specific activity. But this level of activity was reported to be fairly new and undeveloped and government restrictions over federations and unions had deterred genuine CSO participation. Forty Nine percent of the respondents to the questionnaire had never participated in any capacity development activities around networking.

The work of Building Bridges Through Building Bridges, a group of Egyptian CSOs were initially brought together for the in-country needs assessment consultation. Most of the same organisations attended the training and started to communicate more and to build relationships (see section 5.2). Following the training, the group took forward a common campaign issue, around which most of the network activity has taken place.

The issue that was progressed related to the freedom of association and rights of Independent Syndicates (trade unions) and what effect that would have on civil society. This was felt to be an achievable campaign and one that did not endanger the participants’ safety. (see section 2.2 for background on why the campaign in Egypt was chosen).

The focus of this campaign has meant that the strongest, national, network that has been formed has been between Independent Syndicates.


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Led by a core group of eight people from different Independent Syndicates who attended the training, the network met at the following times:

21 September 2014: Wider group of 25 people 8 December 2014: Core group of 8 people 27 December 2014: Core group of 8 people 12 January 2015: Wider group of 30 people 12 March 2015: Core group of 8 people 13 March 2015: Core group of 8 people

This work has enabled the formation of a wider network of around 50 Independent Syndicates. The full group also met at the National Forum in March 2015.

The difference it made

Building Bridges has been successful in facilitating an enhanced national network of around 50 Civil Society Organisations in Egypt. The trainer and technical advisor describes the change and the role of Building Bridges:

When asked at the final programme event, what difference they felt Building Bridges had made, several people mentioned the formation of relationships and networks:

However, due to the political situation, the network in Egypt has become focused on a specific issue led by Independent Syndicates, instead of the broader issue for CSOs that was originally intended.



Before they [the CSOs] would meet individually and to service their members but they didn’t work collectively and if they did have the chance to then it was one-off and they never continued. I am sure they will stay in touch and continue this time. Building Bridges played the facilitator role and the role

of trainer and sometimes observer. Trainer & Technical advisor, Egypt

Opening a space for organisations / unions to get to know each other Delegate at National Forum

The change achieved by the project is the importance of networking and co-ordination between stakeholders and knowing and sharing the issues pertaining to CSOs Delegate at national forum


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Although this has enabled a strong core network to develop, it has meant that less progress has been made in strengthening a more general national network of CSOs in Egypt.

Tunisia

Initial situation

In the needs assessment for Tunisia, many CSOs expressed that they “strive for more cooperation among peer organisations”. It was noted that there was a “fragmentation of the association community, worsened by the division between modernists and traditionalists”.

A need was identified for training and capacity building on how to work jointly in coalitions and networks.

The work of Building Bridges

As in Egypt, the participating CSOs in Tunisia initially came together for the needs assessment consultation and most of the same organisations attended the training, where they established initial relationships. Following the training, the new network took forward a common campaign issue.

The political situation in Tunisia has been more conducive to networking and campaigning than in Egypt. The group of general CSOs have been able to stay together as one national network and campaign on the general issue of institutionalising the relationship between civil society and government.

The network in Tunisia has 30 participants in total. Since the training, they met regionally. One meeting of around 15 organisations took place in Tunis and another meeting of around 15 organisations took place in the North of the country. The whole group then met a third time at the National Forum in March 2015.


Building Bridges has been successful in initially creating an enhanced national network of around 30 civil society organisations in Tunisia.



One of the problems here in Tunisia is a big polarisation between some NGOs with a very strong human rights and social background and civil society faith based organisations. This was reflecting the political polarisation in the country as well. This polarisation is tricky to work with and to unite people in civil society. Trainer and technical advisor, Tunisia


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This network has been at a national level, but that has brought its own challenges, as the trainer and

technical advisor in Tunisia explains:

Although there has been more success in Tunisia than in Egypt at creating a general, national network of civil society organisations, it feels as though the trade-off is that the network is not quite as strong as the thematic network in Egypt. As with any joint working, the strength of the network, and its continuation beyond Building Bridges, will depend on individual contacts and relationships.

The fragmentation and polarisation of the civil society association community that was noted in the needs assessment, was a challenge that the project faced in building a wider network in Tunisia.

It was not anticipated that Building Bridges would make a significant change to this ideological fragmentation, but it is hoped that the campaign acted as a uniting movement for civil society organisations. The evidence of a united network indicates that foundations have been laid for future shared work.

Libya

The work to develop a national network in Libya did not progress due to having to withdraw the programme from the country because of security issues (see section 2.2).

There has been a geographic challenge as organisations located in different cities and regions will find it hard to be in touch regularly. But at least they are speaking about exchanging information, invitation to events, consulting each other for their own work. Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia

I know that 3 or 4 of them are regularly consulting each other, especially for the campaign. Sometimes it is about the individuals. These contacts can’t always be seen as institutional contacts. It will probably continue but through the individuals. Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia

Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia

When we are running the wider campaign, we have to deal with and to unite different organisations and this is a challenge.

But I remember something interesting said by a participant in Building Bridges. She said that the most left wing CSO and the most right wing CSO are sometimes sharing the same problems. When we are talking about the law and practice of administration it affects both. So we probably shouldn’t have the polarisation in mind and should think that they could all share in the benefit of the campaign. Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia


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Networks summary

The network in Egypt is made up of around 50 specialist CSOs (Independent Syndicates), 8 of which

form the ‘core group’. At least 6 network meetings have taken place during the last year of the

programme, in addition to the final National Forum.

The network in Tunisia is a national generic network of around 30 CSOs. They have met twice

regionally, since the training, and all together at the National Forum.

A network could not be built in Libya due to security concerns.

The enhanced networks of civil society organisations in Egypt and Tunisia that now exist are the

most significant direct impact of Building Bridges within the lifespan of the programme.

The trainers and technical advisors in Egypt and Tunisia predict that the networks in both countries

will continue beyond the life of Building Bridges.


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5.4 Campaigns

Through the Building Bridges campaigning and networking training, the organisations in Egypt and Tunisia discussed and identified common issues concerning them and restricting their work. During the training, they worked on developing the plan for a campaign around a key common issue.

After the training, the new networks of organisations progressed these campaigns, with the support of their trainer as a ‘technical advisor’. The initial networks engaged other civil society organisations and produced a petition with a collection of signatures that will be presented to the relevant authority.

These campaigns were not part of the original Building Bridges programme plan. It emerged during the programme that the organisations who had attended the training wanted to put their new strategic planning and campaigning skills into practice. Information from the needs assessment also indicated that networks were stronger with a purpose and focus for all concerned. Following the closure of the programme in Libya, there were some additional resources available and these were directed to supporting the campaigns. In particular, the participants had requested extra support in terms of communication, organising regional meetings and advising on campaign techniques. This was provided through project partners and the role of the trainers being extended to ‘technical advisors’.

It was considered that the campaigns would be an appropriate way of delivering the intended programme outcome of improved capacity of CSOs to engage in democratic dialogues. They would also enable the potential to reach the longer term programme impact of legislation in the countries that supports CSOs and networks, after the life of the programme. The nature and results of the campaigns vary between the two countries.

Egypt

The work As explained in section 2.2, the political situation in Egypt meant that the most appropriate campaign to progress was that around the freedom of association and the rights of Independent Syndicates (trade unions).

As discussed in section 5.3, a network of around 50 organisations has been engaged in progressing the campaign. A member of the training group acted as a local co-ordinator for the campaign, taking the lead on organisation. At least six meetings were held to organise the campaign and it was presented and discussed with a wider audience at the National Forum in Cairo in March 2015. A DVD was also created to summarise the background and aims of the campaign.

Some journalists were involved as campaign supporters but, due to the changing political situation, the campaign organisers were careful about generating media coverage. Association with a foreign funded project is not always seen as desirable. Discretion and soft campaigning techniques, directed to selected targets were employed throughout the campaign.

By the end of April 2015, the written petition for a new law guaranteeing freedom of association and rights for Independent Syndicates had over 100 signatures.

Petition 100+

signatures


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The campaign technical advisor summarises the work behind the campaign in Egypt:


The campaign around Freedom of association and rights for Independent Syndicates allowed the civil society organisations to put the knowledge and skills they had learnt in the training room into practice. For some, this will have contributed to an improvement in their ability to engage in advocacy, as the trainer indicates:

Another indication of organisations’ improved capacity to engage in advocacy and democratic dialogues is whether or not they are involved in public campaigns and whether or not they will engage in future.

One third of the 42 individuals who filled out an evaluation form at the National Forum in Egypt said that this was the first co-ordinated public campaign they had been involved in. This means that Building Bridges has succeeded in getting significantly more CSOs involved in a public campaign than they were before.

Eighty eight percent of those who filled out an evaluation form at the National Forum in Egypt said that this campaign has inspired them to engage in more campaigns and democratic dialogues in future. This means that Building Bridges has built their interest and motivation to continue democratic participation in future.

Outcome 2: Improved capacity of

CSOs to engage in advocacy and


The Freedom of independent syndicates’ campaign has been moving forward. There have been many meetings and visits with around 30 participants each involved since last September. There is a specific plan for the campaign and there will be continuous efforts even after the Building Bridges project. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt

They gained skills to apply in the field, which is very different to the training room. In the training

room it’s easy to plan and dream about what you want to achieve. But there are lots of challenges

in the field. For example, it can be hard to motivate and mobilise people. We have to use softer

skills for advocacy because of our political situation. For example, signatory campaigns, meetings

with rights holders and independent syndicates. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt

1/3: first campaign

88%: inspired for more


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The trainer and technical advisor also reflected on how the CSOs now have improved skills that will enable them to engage in advocacy and democratic dialogues in future:

An aim of the programme was to get more general citizens involved with civil society organisations, to increase their strength. This was a very ambitious intended outcome, extending programme changes past the civil society organisations and into the general public.

However, when asked at the National Forum in Egypt, 79 per cent people reported that the campaign had inspired more people to get involved with their organisation. This indicates that the campaign element of Building Bridges has been successful in increasing participation in and with CSOs in Egypt.

It is the view of programme staff that this was also enabled by the changing political environment in the country, which has opened up more space for engagement with civil society organisations in some ways. This is particularly true for Independent Syndicates who do not face the same repression as other civil society organisations.

The focus of the campaign petition in Egypt is to ask for a new law that guarantees the freedom of association and rights of Independent Syndicates. If this campaign is successful in its goal then this will contribute to the programme impact of legislation in the country better supporting CSOs and networks. However, it is to be noted that the specialist nature of this campaign means that legislation would only be changed to better support Independent Syndicates, rather than civil society organisations in general.

This impact is beyond the life of the programme, but it is hoped that the campaign achieves some change. The technical advisor explains that even if the legislation change is not achieved, progress will still have been made.



They have declared that they are going to continue after the project. So am I. The campaign is not ending. Later on they may join other campaigns. The syndicates have the skills now. Some have campaigned before but didn’t have time to plan and a focal point. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt

79%: increased participation

Impact 3: Legislation in the country better

supports CSOs and networks

The campaign is connected to the political situation and affects a large number of workers. Even if we don’t succeed, at least we have shed light on the issue. In advocacy you cannot guarantee success but shedding light is still an achievement you can celebrate. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt


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Tunisia

The work The campaign progressed in Tunisia was around institutionalising the relationship between civil society and government. This was inspired by the Compact; an agreement for partnership working between the government and civil society organisations in England. Members of the campaign group received a presentation about the Compact in the Building Bridges training.

As discussed in section 5.3, a network of around 30 organisations has been engaged in progressing the campaign. A member of the training group acted as a local co-ordinator for the campaign, taking the lead on organisation. Two regional meetings were held to organise the campaign and it was presented and discussed with a wider audience at the National Forum in Tunis in March 2015. A DVD was also created to summarise the background and aims of the campaign, with expert speakers on civil society.

The campaign and associated National Forum in Tunisia received significant media coverage including on National Television channels: National TV1 and Nessma TV.

By the end of April 2015, the petition for a written code for strong, effective partnership working between civil society and government had received over 200 signatures.

The trainer and technical advisor is confident that the campaign will continue beyond the life of Building Bridges:

Petition 200+

signatures

The campaign will continue after Building Bridges ends. Because we’ve chosen a campaign that is mobilising a large spectrum of civil society, regardless of their sphere of intervention or their target. It will continue even after the project. Probably a new law for civil society will start to be drafted and at least part of the NGOs will continue, regardless of the project timeline. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt

http://www.compactvoice.org.uk/sites/default/files/the_compact.pdf


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As in Egypt, taking part in the campaign enabled the civil society organisations to put the knowledge and skills they had learnt in the training room into practice. For some, this will have contributed to an improvement in their ability to engage in advocacy. In particular, the local co-ordinator for the campaign in Tunisia was an inexperienced campaigner from a newly formed organisation. She gained a lot of experience through the campaign in engaging in democratic dialogues.

Unfortunately, information could not be collected from the National Forum in Tunisia about whether it was the first campaign that people had taken part in and whether it had inspired them to engage in more in future. This was because the audience for the National Forum in Tunisia was different to the network members who had been engaged in the campaign. The audience members were new to the campaign and could therefore not provide any information about the difference it might have made to them. The trainer and technical advisor reflected on whether he felt those who had been involved in the campaign would be better able to engage in advocacy in future: Based on the information available, it is not possible to say with any certainty whether this outcome was achieved by the campaign in Tunisia, but individual cases suggest that a contribution was made to this change for some. Specific information was not collected from the National Forum in Tunisia about whether involvement in the Building Bridges campaign had inspired more people to get involved with their organisation.

Outcome 2: Improved capacity of

CSOs to engage in advocacy and




Some of them have always been involved in public campaigns. The problem was with how they conducted their campaigns before and whether that is different now. The difference that I can see is a better identification of the dynamics and the actors involved.

The people who took part in Building Bridges showed real involvement in advocacy in general and public campaigning. Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia


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However, it is to be noted that many attendees of the Forum had been invited by members of the CSO network to engage with and participate in the campaign. It is likely that this also inspired new links with the CSOs themselves.

The focus of the campaign petition in Tunisia is to create a written code for strong, effective partnership working between government and civil society. The petition makes a call for this code to be part of the legal framework regulating civil society associations. If this campaign is successful then legislation will better support CSOs. This impact is beyond the life of the programme, but it is hoped that the campaign achieves some change.

So far, this petition has received an encouragingly positive response from the Government. The Minister sent a representative to the National Forum in Tunisia to read out a letter. This letter from the Minister highlighted his appreciation for the role of civil society, within a framework, and acknowledged that civil society needs to continue to be organised. The technical advisor highlights the change that has already been achieved towards this longer term goal:

Libya

A campaign was not developed in Libya due to having to withdraw the programme from the country because of security issues (see section 2.2).

Impact 3: Legislation in the country better

supports CSOs and networks

At least so far we’ve succeeded in initiating a dynamic between the Tunisian administration and CSOs through Building Bridges, since we’ve raised an important question. For example, we’ve seen that the Director of the Government organisation in charge of civil society is very supportive of the idea that we’ve raised through the Building Bridges campaign. A delegation of the CSOs went to have meetings with the Government Department and present their demands. They succeeded in getting his approval to introduce it to the ministry. Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia


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Campaigns summary

In Egypt the written petition for a new law guaranteeing freedom of association and rights for

Independent Syndicates had over 100 signatures.

In Egypt, one third of those engaged in the campaign, who completed an evaluation form, said that

this was the first campaign they had been involved in. Eighty eight per cent said it had inspired

them to take part in more campaigns in future. This, alongside examples of new skills the CSOs

have gained, indicates significant contribution towards the outcome of improved capacity of CSOs

to engage in advocacy and democratic dialogues.

In Egypt, 79% of those who responded said that the campaign had inspired more people to get

involved with their organisation. This indicates that the campaign has contributed to the outcome

of increased participation in/with CSOs.

In Egypt, it is hoped that the campaign will continue to make progress towards the longer term

impact of Legislation in the country better supporting CSOs and networks. In pursuit of this impact,

so far Building Bridges has been able to facilitate shedding light on an important issue.

In Tunisia, the petition for a written code for strong, effective partnership working between civil

society and government had received over 200 signatures. The campaign received national media

coverage.

In Tunisia, it was not possible to collect direct evidence about people’s past involvement in, or

enthusiasm for more, campaigns. However, individual cases suggest that involvement in the

campaign led to improved capacity to engage in advocacy and democratic dialogues for some.

In Tunisia, the Government have positively engaged with the campaign, leading to positivity about

future impact in terms of Legislation in the country better supporting CSOs and networks. It is

considered that the progress that Building Bridges has made towards that so far is in raising an

important question and initiating a dialogue with government.

A campaign was not developed or supported in Libya due to withdrawing the programme because

of security concerns.


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5.5 National Forums

The National Forums were end-of-project events planned to be held in each country. Their aim was to bring the networks together, engage with government and the wider public and celebrate learning and achievements. Since the additions of the campaigns to the Building Bridges programme, the Forums were also used to explain and promote them.

Egypt

The National Forum was held in Cairo on 15 March 2015 and 60 people attended.

The attendance was lower than anticipated, due to security concerns and reluctance to be publicly associated with a foreign funded project. There was also little promotion of the event due to the need to be sensitive to the political environment.

Tunisia

The National Forum was held in Tunis on 22 March and over 100 people attended.

A representative from government was present and read out a letter from the Minister. Several representatives from the national media were also present including from National TV1 and Nessma TV.

A further workshop was held at the World Social Forum in Tunis, linked to Building Bridges. The topic was the shrinking space for civil society. This included speakers from all over the Arab country, apart from Egypt, where the political situation had made organisations reluctant to speak internationally.


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The National Forums in Egypt and Tunisia provided another opportunity for the established networks to meet. They also helped to engage a wider audience in the campaigns.

Libya

A National Forum was not held in Libya due to having to withdraw the programme from the country because of security issues (see section 2.2).

National Forums summary

In Egypt the National Forum had 60 attendees. This was slightly lower than hoped due to security

concerns in the country.

In Tunisia the National Forum had over 100 attendees, which was as expected. This included

representatives from the Government and the Media.

A National Forum was not held in Libya, due to the earlier withdrawal of the programme.

The National Forums contributed to the continuation of the networks and advancement of the

campaigns. They were also a chance to celebrate the programme and campaigns.


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6. Achievement of programme purpose

Despite significant in-country political and security challenges, the programme is considered to have achieved its purpose to strengthen CSO’s democratic participation through networks in two of the three countries that the work was carried out in.

It is also to be acknowledged that strengthening democratic participation is a long-term goal and further change may happen beyond the life of the programme.

Additional resources from the terminated work in Libya meant that the programme could provide additional support to achieve further changes in line with its purpose in Egypt and Tunisia.

Egypt

A strong national network of around 50 specialist civil society organisations (Independent Syndicates) has been successfully created, with wider engagement of around 100 organisations through the campaign. The trade-off for the strength of this network has been that it is specialist in nature. However, it operates at a national level and indications are that it will continue beyond the life of the programme.

A realistic and targeted campaign has allowed this network to work to advance their democratic participation. A third of the individuals completing a form at the final National Forum event said that the Building Bridges work was the first campaign that they had been involved in. Eighty eight per cent of them said that the campaign had inspired them to get involved in democratic dialogues in future. This indicates an increase in their level of involvement in public campaigns.

Core training for a wider group of organisations was delivered, exceeding the target of 30 organisations overall. Those that attended training built their skills in campaigning and advocacy, as evidenced by training evaluation forms, trainer feedback and their actions in the resulting campaign.

This programme could also only realistically hope to create change in the knowledge, skills and networks of those CSOs involved in the programme. The political situation is out of the sphere of influence and it is clear that there is still a long way to go in Egypt before the democratic process includes regular participation of CSOs. However, it is a significant achievement that for the first time in Egypt, Independent Syndicates are advocating for their rights and freedoms.

Tunisia

A generic, cross-cutting national network of 30 civil society organisations has been successfully created, with wider engagement of around 200 organisations through the campaign. The trade-off for the generic and national nature of this network is that the members did not meet as frequently as those in

Programme purpose: The programme aims to strengthen democratic participation through national networks in each country. It will provide core training for civil society networks and act as a hub to exchange knowledge on best practice models of engagement.


34

Egypt. However, they have drawn together polarised organisations and indications are that the network will continue through individual contacts built.

A realistic and targeted campaign has allowed this network to work to advance their democratic participation. Initial response and engagement from government has been positive, with meetings taking place between government staff and CSOs and a representative speaking at the National Forum.

Core training for a wider group of organisations was delivered, exceeding the target of 30 organisations overall. Those that attended training built their skills in campaigning and advocacy, as evidenced by training evaluation forms, trainer feedback and their actions in the resulting campaign.

Presentations at the National Forum and World Social Forum showed the programme to be a hub of information sharing about engagement.

As in Egypt, this programme could not realistically hope to create change in the overall democratic participation of CSOs, which is affected by the political situation. However, advances made through the campaign in engaging with government to discuss partnership working with civil society represent a significant change.

Libya

Work in Libya was terminated in Year 2 of the programme due to security concerns (see section 2.2).

While the capacity of some organisations was built, through attendance at the first training session, a national network and campaign could not be facilitated. Therefore, no progress was made towards strengthening democratic participation of CSOs.

7. Key Learning and recommendations

The success of Building Bridges in a difficult political environment has, in part, been down to learning as the programme progressed and making changes accordingly. This evaluation has also drawn out additional learning points for future work. Key learning and associated recommendations are discussed below.

7.1 Flexibility in work plans

With rapidly changing in-country political environments, the programme has needed to be flexible to achieve change. This flexibility has ranged from re-arranging training sessions to ensure a greater attendance to closing work in one country and re-routing it to additional work in others. In particular, changing the training content following the needs assessment and responding to the CSOs’ requests for support to develop a campaign has resulted in a more relevant programme, greater achievement of the project outcomes and an anticipated legacy of the work. It has greatly helped that the programme funder has been supportive in this flexibility.

The people in charge of Building Bridges proved that they want to continue the work despite the difficulties Delegate at National Forum, Egypt


35

Recommendations:

A needs assessment as the first stage of this programme worked well. This could be built into

future programmes where existing up-to-date knowledge of needs does not exist.

Allow for flexibility in work plans. If clear and realistic outcomes are set at the beginning of the

programme then work plans can be reviewed against these as changes or challenges occur to

check that they are still the most appropriate way of delivering the agreed outcomes.

7.2 Supporting CSO networking around a common issue

The Building Bridges needs assessment revealed that existing networks of CSOs were most often formed around a thematic issue or challenge. Building Bridges originally aimed to create national, generic, cross-cutting networks of CSOs based around the training sessions.

However, it soon became clear that CSOs are not driven to network for networking alone and are drawn together by a specific common goal. The trainer and technical advisor in Tunisia explains what drives the CSOs to come together:

Had a common advocacy issue been identified earlier in the programme, for example at the first training session, this would have allowed even more time for the network to develop in strength through the project.

Recommendations

Any similar programme of network development would be wise to start identifying a common

advocacy issue from the beginning of the project to maximise the time for development.

7.3 Ensuring the process is owned in-country

It became clear through the programme that more change could be achieved if the CSOs really ‘owned’ the process. For example in identifying the common issue and deciding the best way forward, when network meetings would happen and what support they needed. As project managers, the partners found that providing the support requested by the CSOs, rather than establishing a process or trying to lead the advocacy plan, reduced the risk of CSOs losing interest and trust. In a time-limited programme, the involvement and ownership of the CSOs is also crucial to ensuring a legacy of the work.

Most of our CSOs were involved in different priorities. I think that will always be the case. Trying to identify good subjects for the campaign is what brought them back to continuing the work. Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia

Change requires time and effort but you don’t have to be involved deeply sometimes you sit back and encourage people to be together. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt


36

Maintaining strong relationships with local CSOs was also essential in Egypt for advising project partners on security. In addition, in Egypt the political situation made some CSOs nervous about engaging with a foreign funded project. Having a strong sense of ownership amongst local CSOs meant that the work could continue without overt branding or association (e.g. at the National Forum).

Recommendation:

Handing over a significant level of control to in-country CSOs will help to foster interest and trust in

future projects.

7.4 Maintaining good partner communications

Close cooperation, daily contact and strong relations with implementing partners was a key success factor the project. It is acknowledged that partners have a deep knowledge of the region and many direct contacts that were crucial to the success of the project.

However, communications between countries were highlighted as an area of weakness later on in the programme:

Recommendation:

Creating mechanisms for ongoing communication between countries would help learning to be

shared as a programme progresses.

7.5 Training improvements

Despite the training being very well received by participants, with 96% rating it good, very good or excellent overall, several suggestions were made for improvements.

Recommendations:

Few participants felt that the duration of the training sessions was adequate. Most also felt that

the selection of topics should be expanded. There is obviously an appetite for further training

covering a wider range of development issues for CSOs.

More activities should be added to the training materials, on request of the participants.

I would have liked to hear more about what was happening in the other countries and to share learning. For about a year we haven’t been able to share our success or failure, since the campaign started really. Earlier on in the project, when the training was happening, we would sit down and discuss things. Trainer & technical advisor, Egypt


37

Consider accommodating two people from each organisation to attend any future training so

they can support each other to make resulting changes in their organisation.

The future

As presented in this learning and evaluation report, some significant changes have been achieved through Building Bridges in terms of new CSO skills, networks and campaigns to increase democratic participation in Egypt and Tunisia. It is hoped that further changes will be realised as the new networks continue to work together and progress their campaigns.

However, there is still a long way to go in each of the North African Countries that this programme worked in to increase the role of civil society in democratic participation. Hopefully Building Bridges has opened the door for future work to come.

If we succeed in getting the administration to accept our demands this could be real inspiration for

others. It could be a real model for them.

Trainer & technical advisor, Tunisia

Building Bridges is a good start and we hope to engage more people

Delegate at National Forum, Egypt

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