Introduction to ELBAG

ByEne ObiRegional Training & Development AdvisorMS-TCDC, Arusha, Tanzania. (ActionAid Denmark)

ContextDrawn from experiences of working with communities

to support peoples actions to claim citizenship and rights and use of participatory methodologies and tools - the PRA and REFLECT approaches, PVA and STAR etc.

Economics, a key area of policy making, has largely remained out of the reach and realm of the poor and excluded people’s action in their effort to seek justice

To firmly establish people centred rights based governance at the local level, there is a strong need to politicize economic decision making process and place it squarely within the domain of people’s agencies and public action. The need to hold government and its institutions accountable.

Understanding that bottom up processes lead to democratisation of local, national and international level public policy making processes.

What ELBAG is!!Economic Literacy and Budget Accountability for

Governance, ELBAG is a process and methodological framework that combines organising people, developing grassrootsmonitoring mechanisms, democratising knowledge

(particularly political economy and economics)

and using participatory tools and methods for building public accountability and transparency, to initiate people centred advocacy processes

it creates space where people can discuss economics and use it as an entry point to build inclusive, democratic and just governance

It is about understanding how economic processes operate, asking questions about political economy and about taking action

ObjectivesIt seeks to address the disconnection between local,

national and international level

Facilitate empowerment of people, ensure participation of poor and marginalized people

Support the realisation of the rights of people and help in encouraging democratisation of national level policy making processes

It facilitate serious mobilisation of the people to hold their government to account

Reduce corruption, increase accountability in the processes of governance and policy making, particularly with regards to budget formulation, economic planning and government decision making that impact their lives

Case studies from NigeriaBudget tool, as it reflects public policy and priorities: Engaging the Abia Parliament: Capacity

building of the Parliament resulted into the Bureau of Budget the state now have

BELBAG – Shadow Budget and engaged the Govt using the media – immediate responses. It encourage serious networking of CSOs within the state to monitor the spending of their govt, and many are asking questions and demanding answers (and getting responses)

Media as a critical partner in the process – Journalist Against Poverty

Reflections & LessonsFacilitated the empowerment of the people through series

of mobilisation, sensitization and capacity building

It’s earlier focus was more on the demand side engineering a lot of capacity for CSOs with engaging the supply side on debates

Capacity gap on the supply side

Critical engaging govt. through advocacy facilitates faster process in meeting demands

Increase capacity building for the media, made media a partner

Critical engagement with other stakeholders/peer review

Continuous research on issues are very critical

Challenges and OpportunitiesTransparency and accountability (corruption now

embedded in every facet of the many countries)Political will and capacity gap on both sides/Poverty level still

droppingLack of true democracy in many countries/representationLack of passage of Freedom of Information Bill/and where

passed, implementation is an issueProject timeline/continuityOpportunities

New democracies in some of the countriesEncouragement/feedback of participants from the impact

their work Willingness of AAI to continue to support the processMore CSOs and groups interest successPolitical will (with some government)