Civil society offers an
opportunity for citizens to join forces in an attempt to
influence or monitor the performance of public institutions,
contribute to decision-making processes, and organise the
production of services to meet needs not catered for by the public
sector and private enterprise initiatives. In its broadest
definition, civil society embraces non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) and community-based organisations, trade unions and
employers federations, consumer organisations, employers' and
producers' associations, religious communities, cultural, artistic
clubs and even media.
SIPU International has extensive experience of
assisting organisations and associations to strengthen their
institutional capacities and enhance performance. The EU funded
TACSO programme is implemented by SIPU International (lead) in
collaboration with some of the most experienced NGOs in Eastern
Europe and Turkey. The project offers capacity development
activities, supports networking, monitors EU funded projects on
behalf of the EU delegations, makes available help-desk services,
promotes the further development of an enabling environment for
civil society, as well as a range of other similar services.
SIPU International has on many occasions been
assigned by Sida and other funding agencies to undertake
assessments of the capacity of civil society organisation. The
focus of these assignments is normally on the organisational
capacity of an NGO to successfully implement specific programmes
based on agreements with donor agencies and other development
partners. Examples of such studies are included among the
references below.
Examples of civil society development projects and
assignments:
• Technical Assistance for Civil
Society Organisations (TACSO), Western Balkans & Turkey
(on-going 2009-2013) >>
• System-based audit of the
International Association for Feminist Economics >>
• Systems- and Capacity Audit of
the Palestine Solidarity Association in Sweden >>
For further information please contact Åke Sahlin