Nongovernment Organizations and Civil Society

This section discusses the core ideas and operations behind ADB-CSO cooperation.

1. What do you mean by ADB-CSO Cooperation?
2. Why does ADB work with CSOs?
3. Can we get ADB support and grants?
4. How can we take part in ADB activities and projects?
5. Where do we find studies, publications and other resources on ADB-CSO cooperation and, in particular, on CSOs?
6. How do we contact ADB to learn more about civil society issues?

ADB works with civil society organizations (CSOs) which include NGOs, but also other types of groups such as trade unions, faith-based groups, and professional organizations. ADB-CSO cooperation can be summed up by these activities:

• Implementation- increasing the involvement of NGOs and civil society in ADB's activities, often as consultants or implementing partners of the recipient governments. Tapping civil society organizations as a resource for expertise, experience, and innovative approaches to development improves ADB-funded activities.
• Consulting- ADB seeks input from civil society on its draft and revised policies and strategies. Civil society organizations also participate in ADB annual meetings and provide feedback on projects from the field.
• Partnerships- fostering stronger working relationships among NGOs, civil society, governments, and, in some cases, the private sector.

For more details, see how CSOs can work with ADB.

Two organizational documents describe ADB-NGO cooperation in detail:

• ADB's Policy on NGOs is the document that guides all ADB activities with NGOs.
• ADB and NGOs: Working Together is a brochure that describes how ADB works with NGOs in development projects. It also encourages NGOs to interact with governments and ADB.

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ADB recognizes the important role of civil society organizations in development. In ADB's newly approved Strategy 2020, ADB lists five drivers of change to help the organization reach its goals, one of which is partnership. ADB aims to integrate the experience, knowledge and expertise of CSOs into its operations because it contributes to making projects more effective in meeting the priorities and needs of the intended beneficiaries. See also a discussion of directions in development thinking and the changes--in the CSO sector and within ADB--that shaped ADB's approach to CSOs.

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As a rule, ADB works through the governments of its Developing Member Countries and does not provide funds directly to CSOs. However, CSOs often apply for and are awarded contracts for components of projects and technical assistance activities. The Business Center provides information on ADB's proposed projects and contract awards.

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Civil society organizations can work with ADB in a variety of ways. In addition to these general opportunities, CSOs who work in areas similar to the projects and technical assistance activities that ADB is funding should coordinate with representatives of the host country government or ADB resident mission to identify other opportunities for collaboration.

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The ADB website includes an archive of thousands of publications. Although CSOs are interested in a wide variety of topics and geographical areas, there are some that are of more general interest to CSOs.

• Review all NGOC publications and resources
• View other key documents that may be of interest to CSOs, such as poverty statistics, policy papers, and newsletters
• Contact the Department of External Relations and read how CSOs can obtain documents from ADB

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As ADB is a large institution, it is important to identify which department to contact. ADB's Contact Us page, includes full details of all ADB offices as well as comprehensive staff lists. CSOs based in countries where there is a Resident Mission should identify who on the staff is best positioned to answer their questions and contact the office directly. The website includes full contact information, including telephone, email addresses, and office hours, and in some cases, maps to the offices.

For general questions about civil society, please contact the NGOC at: ngocoordinator@adb.org