1. FUTURE PROSPECTS OF LOCAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION IN CAMBODIA: Moving Beyond aid and the Relevance of Social Entrepreneurship
Cambodia Research CJCC, Phnom Penh
24 March 2011
Chhith Sam Ath, Executive Director,
The NGO Forum on Cambodia

2. Outline of Presentation
What is Civil Society in Cambodia? Five categories
What are the roles of Civil Society?
In what sectors are NGOs active?
Trends of local and international NGOs
Funding and Contribution
Challenges face by CSOs/NGOs
Future prospects and trends of local NGOs
NGOs and Associations Law
Funding sources and its challenges
Future prospective on funding and effectiveness
Introduction to the NGO Forum
Conclusions

3. What is Civil Society?

4. Five categories of civil society Organizations
Traditional Associations/religion groups frequently linked to pagodas (1,111 association registered).
Community based organisations, village development committees, women, youth, farmer groups etc.
Non-Governmental Organisations, 1,564 registered local NGOs (450 active) and 316 International NGOs
Trade Unions, 370 trade unions by August 2005
Other, think tanks, business associations, etc

5. Functions of Civil Society
Check, monitoring and restraining the government’s exercise of power- Advocating for changes- demanding accountability
Training and empowering community and broad sectors in human rights
Serving as channels by which ideas, concerns, demands of affected people can reach decision makers
Serving as school of democracy and human rights- fostering democratic culture and social capital

6. What are the roles of Civil Society?
Channel for service delivery where governments are unable or unwilling to provide basic social services
Facilitator of dialogue and negotiation
Social conscience – holding authorities accountable for their actions,
Corrective – campaigning against abuses of power and for the protection and promotion of Human Rights
Source of policy advice - e.g. for peace building or poverty reduction

7. In what sectors are NGOs active ?
CSOs/NGOs significantly contribute to social and economic development in Cambodia.
Important sectors are:
Health & Education
Governance & Administration
Community, social development
Rural Development & Land Management
Environment & Conservation
Agriculture
Gender
etc.
NGO disbursements exceeded USD 203 million in 2009

8. Trends of LNGOs and INGOs Registered at the MOI and MFA

9. NGO core funding sectors and delegated cooperation 2009 (USD million)

11. Key Challenges faced by CSO/NGOs
Limited technical capacity, notably in relation to management and governance
Lack of recognition for represented in dialogue with Gov’t and DPs
Difficulties in accessing relevant information
Lack of long term, sustainable funding
Uncoordinated demands from donors
Lack of coordination, overlapping catchments and project
Limited democracy space for dialogue with Gov’t and DP
Concern over the draft law on NGOs and Associations

12. Issues of development aid and its effectiveness: Future prospects and trends of local NGOs
CSOs/NGOs depend on donor findings
Donor driven toward ownership of NGOs and community people
Good governance among the sector need to be improved
(16 of 3,000 NGOs registers as NGO good practices)
Localization process
International to local NGOs
NGO project/s to community based organization (empowerment)

13. Continue
Rehabilitation, reconstruction, development (service delivery) and advocacy
Emerging trend of social entrepreneurship toward self-reliance is still limited.
Community mobilization to protect their rights and interest.

14. Update on the NGOs and Associations Law
Since late 2008, NGO Forum has worked very hard on this issue by strongly coordinating with CCC, MEDiCAM and CHRAC.
A joint statement was issued in mid 2010 asking RGC to: 1) release the draft law, 2) allow resource persons from ministries to attend NGO hosted consultations, 3) seek meaningful and series consultations.
Our collective efforts have resulted in:
the draft was shared by MoI on 15 Dec. 2010
National Consultation was postponed from December 28th to 10th Jan 2011.
Most of the NGO/CSO concerns and comments were heard by the MoI and MFA and the public with the hope that these be reflected/incorporated in the second draft.
NGO and MOI representatives will meet on 29th March to discuss on the second draft.

15. Funding mobilization and Soruces for NGOs/CSOs
Funding mobilization and sources
Provide training, evaluation, assessment etc.
Provide catering services
Generate income from the credit and savings project
Member contribution and support
Renting meeting and workshop room etc.
From core fund (churches, and other NGOs)
Development partners
Other from individual

16. Challenges for fund mobilization
Key Challenges
Lack of clear plan and implementation for the sustainable of the organizations
No clear resources diversification strategy
Lack of initiative toward social entrepreneurship
Less donors who have a long-term supports
Confusion of profits and non-profits organization.
Idea of commercialization of the NGOs is limited.

17. Future prospective on funding and effectiveness
CSO/NGOs need to coordinate planning, funding, implementation and evaluation
Improved internal governance system
Continue to have strong coordinating among NGOs to have a strong voice (advocacy)
Improve quality of the programme -- research and evident based advocacy.
Improve technical capacity to be effective engage with the gov’t and DP.

18. Introduction of the NGO Forum on Cambodia
The NGO Forum on Cambodia is a membership organisation for 87 local and international NGOs
It exists for information sharing, debate and advocacy on priority issues affecting Cambodia’s development.
The NGO Forums seeks for pro-poor policies, fair and just benefits from the development and good governance.
NGO Forum facilitates and maintains the activities of 11 NGO networks/Fora.
NGO Forum wishes to engage constructively with all development stakeholders
NGO Forum has four programs: Core; Development Issues; Land & Livelihoods; Environment 18

19. NGO Forum’s networks/forum
River Coalition in Cambodia (RCC)
Environment Core team (ECT)
Pesticide Reduction Network (PRN)
Economic Development Network (EDN)
Development Policy Forum
Aid Effectiveness
Budget Monitoring
Land Action Network for Development (LAND)
Forestry and Plantations Network (FPN)
Indigenous Minority Rights network
Resettlement Action Network (RAN)

20. Advocacy Relationships through the NGO Forum
Com m
unity
NGO
NGO Network
Project Officer
Program Manag.
Admin/Finance
Exec Director
Dep. Exec. Dir.
Management
Committee
NGO Forum membership
NGO Forum
office
Government
Donors,
Embassies,
Aid Agencies
Regional/
Internat -
ional Advocacy
Campaig ns
Through the NGO Forum, NGOs are
coordinated
and
able to speak with one voice to :

21. Development Issue’s Framework
All NGO Sector/Group
Monitor NSDP, JMIs, Priority Development Agenda
PFM, EI revenue Management
Development Issues Forum
Development Issues Forum
Economic Development Network
Economic Development Network
Aid alignment, transparency, accountability, development effectiveness
Aid alignment, transparency, accountability, development effectiveness
Aid Effectiveness Working Group
Aid Effectiveness Working Group
Budget Monitoring WG
Budget Monitoring WG
Budget transparency, credibility, PFM monitoring

22. Conclusion
CSOs/NGOs have significantly contribute to economic and social development in Cambodia.
For sustainability of their funding, CSOs/NGOs need to have a long term planning.
Coordination among the CSOs/NGOs is important to ensure effectiveness.
Building capacity of the community is an importance for NGOs that need to be considered.
Democracy space is an important for CSOs/NGOs to ensure effective development.
Social entrepreneurship is a movement toward self-reliance.

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