African CSOs in a Netted World GSI Assembly London 2-3, December 2008 Jalal Abdel-Latif UNECA/GPAD: CSO Section Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Global WWW Trend Rapidly & constantly changing products and applications Plethora of digital e-initiatives Number Africa oriented projects –E.g. UNECA, Information Society From W site – W portal - KM Standards: Open vs. com Rapidly changing biz model

Philanthropy Today World of Givers : 300B in the US Aid Industry: 35B for Africa Convergence –Asking the same question –Tracking (fiduciary) –Impact: Making difference, saving life, improved livelihood –Putting the human face to it Both Experiences

The Digital Age: Impact on Africa Reinvented Government Impact of connectivity –Vertical Structured – Horizontally integrated Interface –Fascinators and brokers Impact –Deepening and improving social contract ECA function –Tran planter of ideas, knowledge and technology

The Africa NPO portal: design & deployment Perceived Gap –Knowledge site: Gatekeepers –Data Site: Data depositors –Associational site: Community Mobilizes Felt Gap –Independent portals Challenge: –How to balance? –Medium of what? KX + –How do we evaluate: Qlty & or Qunt. Not the pioneers

State of e-Collaboration Goal: supporting electronic NGO networks is to foster more effective civic engagement encourage co-operation, mutual trust and information exchange Aiming at to further develop regional electronic networking

Afri Guide Star: Functionality Afri Guide Star GR: Transactional CitizenryRegulator

Principles Collaboration and transparency –Coalitions with demonstrated reasonable level of alliance building –Have greater potential for leveraging partnership E-readiness: Data & Information exchange & capacity building –Focus on electronic information networks, raise their capacity to use modern information technologies, and engage in international development partners Direction: Country – Sub regional - Continental

Components: STRATEGY: –Degree to which the site has met stated objectives concerning its target audience or market. ARCHITECTURE –The structure of the website and the logic by which the pages interconnect. (navigability) TECHNOLOGY: –Quality of the code and the appropriateness of any technologies used. –Assesses relation to how accessible and available STYLE: –appearance of the website and issues around the layout and display of text and images. CONTENT : –Quality, authority, readability, relevance and timeliness of text and images, and the degree to which user interaction is supported. MANAGEMENT:MANAGEMENT: –Human and financial resources that the site has at its disposal.

DATA SETS InstitutionsContents

CSO Typology Orientation: Secular vs. Faith based Legal Status: Formal vs. informal Local vs. International Governance vs. service delivery Membership based vs. non- membership Self-help and mutual associations Support Organizations: CBOs

African networks distribution GeographicSector-focused Issue based PassiveActive

Outcomes Expanding civic and citizenry space: Engagement Increasing Aid flow: Responding to service delivery Donor grant management changing: Seeking info, data, knowledge I4M: Critical Mandate: ECA serving as the vehicle

CSOs Centrality in Public Policy Growth of nonprofit organizations as service providers in developed market economies –Vehicles of developmental and humanitarian operations in developing countries –Intermediaries for good governance in transitional democracies –Primary contractors in post conflict R & R settings –Instruments of government reform in former socialist countries –Make the central to the public policy agenda

Africa Guide Star Afri Guide Star GR: Transactional CitizenryRegulator