Cooperation with NGOs and Civil Society

Articles, Speeches, and Presentations

ADB Cooperation with NGOs [ PDF ] by Bart Edes, ADB's Head, NGO and Civil Society Center, presentation to the 2nd Fund Raising Congress in the Philippines and the Kyra Awards on Aug 29-30, 2006. The congress was organized by the Venture for Fund Raising. The presentation discussed various mechanisms through which ADB collaborates with CSOs in the Philippines.

The June 2006* [ PDF ] issue of "Monday Developments" features articles on the potentials of partnerships based on lessons learned from years of international development practice. It features an article on how ADB helped establish a Network that brings together hundereds of interested organizations seeking to learn more about NGO-business partnerships. The"Monday Developments" is published by the American Council for Voluntary Action or InterAction, a broad based coalition of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian NGOs with over 160 members operating in developing countries.

"Poverty Reduction in a New Era: Government-NGO Partnerships in the People’s Republic of China and Global Experience," [ PDF ] by Chris Spohr, ADB social sector economist, presentation to International Conference on Poverty Reduction Strategy in the New Millennium: Emerging Issues, Experiences and Lessons, Beijing 23 May 2006. The paper outlines the role of NGOs as partners in government-funded poverty programs, including pioneering work in the PRC under an ADB technical assistance project.

"ADB and NGO Engagement of the Youth of Asia and the Pacific," by Bart Edes, Head, NGO & Civil Society Center, presentation to Fifth Summit of the Asia-Pacific Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, Laguna, Philippines, 18 May 2006. The paper highlights the contributions of NGOs to development in this region, and how NGOs rely on youth in carrying out their mission. It also describes how the Asian Development Bank engages youth in its antipoverty work, and provide a few examples of how it targets youth at risk or in need.

Articles from the June-July issue of ADB Review

Finding A Voice is an item on ADB's Office of the Special Project Facilitator (OSPF) experience in helping villagers to find solutions to issues related to ADB's Community Empowerment for Rural Development Project. OSPF's role was not to take decisions on right or wrong, solve problems, detect the truth, or arbitrate in favor of one of the parties involved, but to treat all parties with respect, and with assuring procedural fairness.

Global Challenge is a discussion on effective accountability mechanisms that lead to more relevant decision making. The article touches on the issue in the context of multilateral development banks like the ADB.

Lessons from Tsunami Aid Scramble introduces the idea of a universal humanitarian quality management standard in disaster response to ensure quality and accountability in relief operations.

Rhetoric Must Match Action presents recommendations made by the Bank Information Center for ADB to open up to external forms of accountability, ranging from appropriate forms of parliamentary oversight, issue-based tribunals of eminent persons, and project-level citizens' committees.

Valuable Lessons highlights Oxfam's commitment to strengthening accountability in all its work including reinforcing mechanisms in field programs to allow beneficiaries safe access to voice complaints. The NGO's humanitarian response program in Aceh and Nias has made significant advances in the area of accountability.

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Articles from the April-May edition of ADB Review

Big Change Comes in Small Kits features an ADB-supported pilot and demonstration project in two communities in Kaski district in Nepal. The project gets support from the Cooperation Fund for the Water Sector, an ADB program that offers $50,000 grants for fast-track implementation and testing of innovative ideas for possible scaling up. The article presents the effectiveness of drip irrigation and its adoption among women and disadvantaged farmers in Nepal.

Building Livelihoods highlights ADB's work with women's federations in the Surendrangar district of Gujarat state in India. Funded from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), the project aims to restore or improve livelihoods through a locally managed water distribution arrangement intended to overcome acute water shortage during droughts.

Engaging Civil Society reports the experiences and lessons learned from ADB's efforts to engage civil society more actively in the Mekong subregion through deeper and more regular consultation. A 3-year technical assistance project, completed in December 2005, paved the way for early CSO involvement in the formulation of ADB's recent regional and country strategies and programs in the Mekong subregion.

Living the Dream is a piece about a new community housing project that has become a model for improving the lives of informal settlers in Metro Manila, the Philippines. The move was made possible by a $1 million grant from ADB's JFPR, and has become a model for relocating informal settlers in the Philippine capital.

Vision Planning presents the views of an NGO leader in helping to turn around one of Nepal's troubled rural economy. Mr. Narendra K.C. of SAPPROS Nepal, believes that proper irrigation is the best weapon for overcoming Nepal's rural poverty. The article discusses the work of SAPPROS in areas where government has not yet been able to go, and which require several days of walking to reach communities.

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