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Minimum standards for crea� on of partnership should be ensured, off ering
benchmarks on ways to engage local partners and local communi� es in
a transparent and eff ec� ve ways, including their selec� on and working
modali� es. (The standards will bring together the exis� ng frameworks
within AIN, NGO Federa� on etc like the diff erent partnership guidelines).
Under this framework, the civil society organiza� ons, both na� onal and
interna� onal will voluntary decide to adhere to certain standards to be
observed and prac� ced while suppor� ng or implemen� ng the delivery of
social-economic ac� vi� es for the benefi t of the benefi ciaries. The agreed
minimum standards will not only be complementary and respec� ul of
the exis� ng legal provisions but also will help the GoN to be� er ensure
development outcomes according to the na� onal priori� es.
How to achieve it?
A Na� onal and regional level dialogue could be ini� ated in order to collect
ideas, analyze current concerns and bo� leneck. As part of the consulta� on
process, a series of Accountability Forums (at least one at central level
and one in each development region) could be held where district level
authori� es, representa� ves of non state actors will discuss ways to improve
their working rela� onships. A fi nal central level dissemina� on mee� ng
would be held, off ering the engaged par� es and broader stakeholders a
forum for discussion. From this point onwards, a working group could be
created with the aims of short lis� ng the most important proposi� ons based
on the principle of “doability” and prac� cality.
The selected proposi� ons will be reformulated as a set of standards
that will lead to the formula� on of the Na� onal Compact on Grass Root
Aid Eff ec� veness to be offi cially endorsed by the engaged par� es. Are the
condi� ons ripe for such level of ini� a� ve in Nepal? Are the na� onal civil
society and interna� onal aid community, especially interna� onal non state
actors ready to go the extra mile in order to have be� er aid implementa� on
and consequen� ally being able to achieve be� er outcomes?
Undoubtedly, lots of awareness should be promoted in order to meet the
condi� ons for se� ng up this process and at the same � me the case for be� er
aid at local level should be promoted by external development partners who
can push so� ly the interna� onal and na� onal non state actors in embracing
the case for aid accountability at local level. As we saw before, the current
discussions leading to Busang clearly iden� fy the role of ins� tu� onal donors
in encouraging a more accountability conducive framework. In this way
interna� onal and na� onal civil society start feeling a certain level of urgency
in making their work be� er and more accountable.
Towards a CSO Nepal Aid Eff ec� veness Forum?
Given the diff erent nature of actors, na� onal, local, grassroots and
interna� onal involved in the implementa� on of aid in Nepal, a new innova� ve
forum could be promoted in order to ini� ate the na� onal process leading to
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Changing paradigms of aid eff ec� veness in Nepal