United States (US) Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer yesterday bluntly challenged civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country to move from being mere gadflies and critics to creating political space for real action and providing implementable alternative views.
She was speaking in Lilongwe at the opening of a two-day Civil Society Strengthening Conference organised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Counterpart International.
Among others, Palmer said on the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) and agriculture reforms, CSOs can help articulate why and what kind of change is needed and prod policymakers to make good choices and protect them when they do.
“[Additionally] there are a lot of important people talking about the Public Sector Reform, but what does it mean to ordinary Malawians–to the woman in labour whose clinic worker hasn’t reported to work on time; to kids whose teachers are working second jobs and aren’t in the classroom, to companies whose bills are long overdue?
“When those people understand what Public Sector Reform can mean, they will pay more attention and government will feel greater pressure to reform and hold officials accountable,” she Palmer.
Palmer added that CSOs play a useful role in highlighting where policies are not working or can be improved, or where there are unintended consequences negatively affecting those they serve.
“I often hear civil society organisations bemoaning their limited influence on government policy. While government should be inclusive in its approach to policy-making, there is a lot that you can do to ensure your voice gets heard and that you’re effectively serving your constituencies,” she added.
On the other hand, the US envoy charged that a stronger Malawian civil society will also mean that the services her government funds can more and more be provided by local rather than international NGOs.
“But for that to happen, CSOs need strong governance, clear missions and strong oversight from their boards. They need effective communication strategies, so that they hear and properly analyse information from the people they serve and can provide information and evidence-based policy recommendations to government and the public in a usable way for policy making. And accountability for funds is essential, full stop,” charged Palmer.
Counterpart International Chief of Party Bedilu Shegen said the conference provided a unique opportunity to CSOs to share best practices and establish networks with other organisations in Africa.
“So we are bringing the experts from the region, Malawi and the United States. Some major challenges that CSOs face include governance, financial management and some aspects of CSOs operation.
“We want CSOs in Malawi to coordinate efforts and resources to response to the humanitarian crisis in the country,” said Shegen.
According to Shegen, the conference aimed at supporting a vibrant civil society in Malawi that can effectively deliver services and advocate for policies that will bring about tangible change.
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