83717 September 2013 - Number 97 MAINSTREAMING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION: A BRIEFING NOTE Franck Bousquet, Nina Bhatt, Najat Yamouri, Sanjay Agarwal, Helene Grandvoinnet, Jeff Thindwa, Marieta Fall, Janmejay Singh, Preeti Ahuja, and Astrid Manroth.1 Introduction: This MNA K&L Fast Brief provides an introduction to the issue of Citizen Engagement (CE) as well as the piloting of the agenda in the Bank’s Middle East and North Africa Region (MNA). Its intended audience is Bank staff and managers in MNA. This note is complemented by a Young Tunisians – A key constituency for MNA specific Citizen Engagement Guidance citizen engagement and consultation Note2 intended to support operational teams. objective is to develop sustainable country Definition and Objective: Citizen systems for citizen engagement. It includes Engagement (CE) refers to transparent and participation of citizens in all spheres of effective processes and mechanisms3 for greater development, whether the making of policies and citizen voice and participation in the preparation, decisions that affect citizens, the formulation and implementation, monitoring and evaluation of execution of budgets or delivery of public policies, programs and projects to improve services. At the policy, program and project accountability of governments and service level, CE work includes strengthening providers, trigger a tangible response and government-citizen interaction and results increase the development impact of policy through citizen-beneficiary consultation, and project interventions for all citizens participation and collaboration in all aspects (‘closing the feedback loop”). A parallel of projects, programs or policies. At the level of national and local governments, 1 The Authors work at the World Bank. This MNA K&L information sharing, communication of Fast Brief was prepared under the guidance of Franck findings and access to information about Bousquet, Sector Manager, Urban, Social, and Disaster rights and entitlements are a pre-requisite of Risk Management, the Middle East and North Africa Region, (MNSSU), The World Bank. an effective state-society engagement. 2 Detailed information is available in the forthcoming Guidance Note on Mainstreaming Citizen Engagement in the As part of its new strategy, the World Bank MNA Region, October 2013. Group has committed to mainstreaming CE in 3 Citizen engagement mechanisms include community- based monitoring systems/processes, third-party country engagements and operations to monitoring systems/processes, citizen satisfaction achieve improved development results surveys and other consultative, participatory and through participatory planning, management collaborative processes and tools which solicit beneficiary and monitoring, participatory budgeting and feedback or citizen engagement and result in a response by service providers, governments and development grievance mechanisms. Embedding citizen providers. engagement in country engagements and operations is linked to how the WBG delivers guidance for integrating CE and providing development solutions and results. For technical assistance on social accountability instance, the institution’s overarching goal of and transparency to MNA governments eradicating extreme poverty recognizes that seeking to engage a broader range of poverty encompasses lack of opportunities stakeholders on development programs and and capabilities, lack of voice and reforms, specifically on Bank requirements in representation, and vulnerability to shocks. the current environment. Citizen Engagement and Development Dividends: Citizen Engagement has clear development dividends. In MNA, CE is an imperative across the portfolio. Citizen movements globally and in MNA have mobilized to demand greater voice and participation in decisions affecting their lives in places where they are not heard or given opportunities to engage. Several studies highlight that citizen-government relations are best fostered at local levels through inclusive Improving service delivery for the most processes. Fostering a more inclusive, vulnerable – Orphans in Morocco (World participatory approach to development is premised Bank Photo Collection) on the belief, supported by emerging evidence, that this approach contributes to a wide range of Middle East & North Africa Region - development priorities including enhanced Opportunities and Challenges: With several poverty targeting (and more effective poverty countries in transition or emerging from reduction measures), improved service conflict, CE has an especially critical and delivery, expanded livelihood opportunities, important role to play. As noted in the 2011 greater voice and increased demand for good WDR (Conflict, Security and Development), governance, among others. political transitions are followed by an extended period where the risk of a CE brings dividends at the national and resurgence in conflict is elevated. Non-state subnational, as well as project levels . CE actors—including CSOs, informal youth and processes provide platforms for fostering women groups—have been energized and are increased voice and participation during the seeking to enhance their legitimacy and voice. preparation, implementation, and/or The ongoing transformation is challenging monitoring and evaluation (M&E) phases of governments and development partners’ policies, programs, and projects. At the traditional approaches to development and national and local level, greater and consultation. People are advocating for more sustainable opportunities for voice and inclusive and innovative methods. Several accountability in the context of public governments recognize that engaging civil engagement can catalyze public sector society and other constituents is crucial for reforms, by addressing the demand-side achieving positive development outcomes. aspects of public service delivery, monitoring Such engagement is also important for and accountability. Such mechanisms have mitigating risks, including social and proved particularly useful in the context of environmental challenges. The Region’s work decentralization, by helping to strengthen on CE is a key response4 to Bank staff seeking links between citizens and local-level governments and assisting local authorities and service-providers to become more 4 The Region is finalizing a MNA specific Consultation responsive and effective. At the project level, Guidance Note intended for operational staff. This note is intended to provide technical assistance on consultations involving citizen-beneficiaries in project to MNA governments that are seeking to engage a preparation, implementation, monitoring and broader range of stakeholders on development programs and reforms, specifically as it relates to Bank consultation requirements and best practices. September 2013 · Number 97 · 2 evaluation can improve service quality, citizen budgeting; (iii) support programs and empowerment, sustainability and project projects. results. At all levels, by monitoring government performance, demanding and Broadly speaking, the first set of six entry enhancing transparency and exposing points strengthen CE at macro institutional government failures and misdeeds, civic levels through policy reform or engagement engagement can also be a valuable tool for with new state actors to effect systemic fighting corruption. change. Typical Bank instruments in this arena include Development Policy Loans Figure 1: Entry Points on Citizen (DPLs), Economic and Sector Work (ESW) and Engagement Technical Assistance (TA) programs. Moving forward, a Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) will inform the development of each new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) which can help with a diagnostic on country- level CE systems, including a crucial analysis of political economy and country context. The SCD will help clients and country teams identify critical constraints and opportunities for supporting the Bank’s poverty/prosperity goals.5 The latter set of six entry points complements CE efforts at the program and project levels. The tools specified are tried and tested, with evidence indicating that participatory decision-making and grievance redressal mechanisms are critical for promoting stronger state-society relations and better development outcomes. This is not an exclusive list, and considerable overlaps can occur. In addition, there is room for improvement in the application of existing mechanisms and policies, such as the consultative processes and grievance redress mechanisms related to safeguards. Using a country-based, country specific application of approaches, tools, and financial instruments available at the Bank will help task teams identify a menu of specific CE Entry Points: CE principles and design activities that can be included in project measures are cross-cutting. They can apply components and sub-components. The results equally to country-level policy dialogue across of CE will need to be measured through sectors, strategic frameworks, as well as to appropriate CPF, program and project results investments and/or analytical work carried indicators, drawing on core sector indicators out at program or project levels. as well as tailored indicators to be developed The World Bank Group (WBG) is developing a strategy to scale up the use of CE principles, mechanisms and processes in its engagement 5 This diagnostic will take into consideration all available with non-state actors, as well as with data and analysis, as well as citizens’ voices. It is government counterparts. Entry points for CE anticipated that the WBG’s analysis will seek through dialogue to build upon and influence the country’s own work can be conceptualized into the following vision of its development goals to give an understanding tracks: (i) strengthen country systems; ( ii) of the key constraints and opportunities towards inform strategy formulation, planning and achieving the goals of reducing poverty and increasing shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. September 2013 · Number 97 · 3 with the help of regional quality teams and By making feedback public, an open space following corporate guidance. with clear rules is created which incentivizes PFIs to provide quality services and Finally, ICTs, especially mobile technology, beneficiaries to stay engaged in providing with its growing use in developing countries feedback. In Yemen, the Maternal and and social media, can be harnessed effectively Newborn Voucher Project, the public display in operationalizing these CE entry points. of information (billboards, information Existing Bank infrastructure on ICT-enabled boards), information campaigns, community CE such as the Open Development report cards on services received as well as Technology Alliance (ODTA) can be leveraged community monitoring of services delivered to broker external expertise (consultants and are some of the basic tools that are under pre-procured firms). A ‘one-stop shop’ of consideration to ensure outreach and pooled, internal expertise on CE can support community feedback on services provided. In TTLs in rolling out CE mechanisms addition, a robust grievance redress (engagement leaders). Learning from country mechanism will be designed which will be pilots in the region will generate knowledge culturally appropriate to ensure the greatest for mainstreaming. Used strategically, ICTs outreach. can be a unique enabler to help sustain, systematize and scale-up CE approaches. But Next Steps: Mainstreaming CE in MNA is an as with all tools and approaches, country, initiative coordinated by the Bank’s MNA cultural and project level specificities must be region in full partnership with WBI, OPCS, the taken into account. Social Development Anchor and ICT. This is being done in collaboration with all MNA Sample of MNA Projects Using CE: The Country Management Units, Sector Managers MNA portfolio across sectors has been and Task Team leaders to seek their experimenting with an explicit CE focus, agreement on the FY14 and FY15 priority especially at project levels. Examples of CE operations for the integration of CE for projects under implementation include for mechanisms using the following two criteria: instance, the Yemen Social Fund for (i) projects with scale up potential to integrate Development which purposively elicits citizen feedback into country systems for more citizen participation in project preparation and sustainability; (ii) projects with directly design and seeks to revive traditional forms of affected citizens and a critical mass of social capital and self-help groups to support beneficiaries who can provide meaningful community level decision-making. feedback to inform the design and implementation of the project with a view to For projects in the pipeline, the Iraq Transport improve project results. The project selection Corridors Project will facilitate CE through process will be completed by October 4th, 2013. broadband installation along the expressway Engagement Leaders from the ODTA Platform to enable citizens to receive and share are being selected, in consultation with Task information relating to road usage, including Teams, to support with the design of specific on travel congestion and crashes, or closures. CE mechanisms that will be tailored to the The Tunisia Urban Development and Local project context and to relevant stakeholders. Governance Project will facilitate CE through a national web platform to provide public access to municipal-specific budget information and municipal regulations. Here, Citizens’ Report Cards at the municipal level will help in the design of new citizen “hotlines” via internet and SMS to report municipal service problem concerns. In Egypt, the MSME for Inclusive Growth Project will make beneficiary feedback public to rate Participating Financial Institution (PFI). September 2013 · Number 97 · 4