NGO and Civil Society Center

ADB's NGO and Civil Society Center (NGOC) - working closely with an institution-wide CSO cooperation network - supports CSO participation in ADB operations.

Launched in 2001, the NGOC:

• integrates CSO knowledge and experience into ADB operations;
• stays current on CSO issues of concern and areas of work in Asia and the Pacific;
• engages CSOs in continuing dialogue and manages ADB's overall communications with civil society;
• identifies and develops strategic partnerships between ADB and CSOs;
• improves ADB's institutional capacity to share knowledge and collaborate productively with CSOs; and
• provides resources, guidance, and training to ADB staff sovereign and non-sovereign clients.

The NGO and Civil Society Center is part of the ADB's Public Management, Governance, and Participation Division of the Regional and Sustainable Development Department (RSDD).

The CSO Cooperation Network

NGOC coordinates and trains an institution-wide network of some 30 operational key staff, or CSO anchors.

The CSO Cooperation Network's goals are to:

• monitor and review CSO-related needs in the operational divisions;
• provide the inputs into the NGOC annual work program and prioritize the Center's activities;
• ensure consistency and synergy in NGO cooperation initiatives across ADB; and
• enable active exchange of knowledge and on good practices around the Network and throughout ADB

The network consists of designated anchor staff in each of the operational departments, civil society specialists in the resident missions and representative offices, and anchor staff from RSDD, the Department of External Relations, and other ADB departments such as the Office of the Secretary and the Independent Evaluation Departments.

Personnel

Head, NGO Center, Christopher I. Morris
Responsible for the NGOC's institutional interactions, planning, capacity building, and outreach programs; provides information and advice on CSO-related issues particularly in South East Asia and ADB's private sector operations; coordinates the Civil Society Cooperation Network within ADB and he leads the Civil Society Program at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors.

Senior Social Development Specialist (Civil Society and Participation), Samjhana Shrestha (Sama)
Responsible for the monitoring and reporting of CSO participation ADB-wide and supports to staff training; provides information and advice on CSO-related issues particularly in the Central, East and West Asia regions.

Social Development Specialist (Civil Society and Participation), Haidy Ear-Dupuy
Provides knowledge sharing on CSOs-related issues, provides support to the ADB's CSO Anchors Network, supports and facilitates engagements with CSOs in South Asia region through the ADB's CSO Anchors Network.

Social Development Officer (Civil Society and Participation), Suzanne Nazal
Responsible for knowledge management and reporting issues within the NGOC; coordinates major consultations with civil society organizations at ADB headquarters; supports CSO-related issues in the Pacific Asia region; contributes to staff training; and organizes the Civil Society Program at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors.

Senior Operations Assistant, Jo Aquino
Provides operational support services for NGOC's various activities relating to policy and strategy-related work, and knowledge dissemination activities.