monitoring and oversight of government

MONITORING AND MONITORING AND OVERSIGHT OF OVERSIGHT OF GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENTAdvocacy, Research, Coalition Building and

Negotiation

The National Democratic Institute

• Introductions • Ground rules• Ice breaker exercise

ICEBREAKER/INTRO/ICEBREAKER/INTRO/GROUND RULESGROUND RULES

OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES

• To provide strategies for holding governments accountable

• To demonstrate how to use these tactics for advocacy

TOPICSTOPICS

• Research and data collection• Shadow reporting• Government score cards• Budget monitoring

IMPORTANCE OF IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING MONITORING GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT

Citizen awareness Citizen involvement Information to support advocacy Government transparency and

accountability

RESEARCH AND DATARESEARCH AND DATA

• Tools for collecting data• Documentation• Sharing with partners• Transparent process

WHAT IS A SHADOW WHAT IS A SHADOW REPORT?REPORT?

Strengths Weaknesses• Presents big

picture• International

forum for advocacy

• Civil society perspective

• Ongoing advocacy tool

• Opportunity for coalition building

• Very labor intensive

• Requires a lot of resources

SHADOW REPORTINGSHADOW REPORTING

EXAMPLE: BURKINA FASO EXAMPLE: BURKINA FASO CEDAW SHADOW REPORTCEDAW SHADOW REPORT

Women from Burkina Faso writing the shadow report during an NDI workshop.

Photo: National Democratic Institute

HOW TO STRUCTURE A HOW TO STRUCTURE A REPORTREPORT

• Adhere to page limits• One shadow report per country• Follow the organization of the

source treaty• “Credible, accurate, and

reliable”• Focus on substantive articles

Follow the Committee guidelines for submitting your report!

Follow the Committee guidelines for submitting your report!

ADVOCACYADVOCACY

•Long-term strategy•Tool for civic education•Way to engage media•Ongoing collaboration

Photo: European Parliament

GOVERNMENT SCORE GOVERNMENT SCORE CARDSCARDS

• Establish criteria and metrics

• Use it as an advocacy tool

Photo: AJ Cann

GENDER RESPONSIVE GENDER RESPONSIVE BUDGETING (GRB)BUDGETING (GRB)

• Analysis of budget from a gender perspective

• Disaggregation of budget in terms of its impact on women and men

• Highlights the gaps between policy and resources committed

• National, regional and local levels

WHAT GRB IS WHAT GRB IS NOTNOT• Not a separate budget for women• Doesn’t necessarily seek to increase

the amount of money spent on women• Not an end in itself• Not a one-time initiative

WHAT IS A BUDGET?WHAT IS A BUDGET?• Main policy statement and

executing tool of government • Reflection of a country’s values

GRB AND THE BUDGET GRB AND THE BUDGET PROCESSPROCESS

• Budget cycle: planning, execution, evaluation/auditing

• Timing of GRB is critical• Different budgeting models require

different GRB approaches

The GRB process should be flexible, adaptable & should be tailored to

one’s needs AND capacity.

The GRB process should be flexible, adaptable & should be tailored to

one’s needs AND capacity.

GRB STAKEHOLDERSGRB STAKEHOLDERS• Government• Lawmakers• Civil society organizations and citizens• International actors

EXAMPLE: EXAMPLE: GRB IN SOUTH AFRICAGRB IN SOUTH AFRICA

• Cross-sector Women’s Budget Initiative

• Analyzed national ministries, public sector employment and taxation• Case studies on local government, donor funding and job creation

GRB FIVE STEP APPROACHGRB FIVE STEP APPROACH

EXERCISE: GRB IN EDUCATIONEXERCISE: GRB IN EDUCATION

Photo: Alamy

FOLLOW UP!FOLLOW UP!• Advocacy• Continue budget monitoring• Conduct oversight

Photo: SantiMB

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

• Research and data collection• Shadow reporting• Government score cards• Budget monitoring

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