Civil Society Support Programme Phase 2 (CSSP2) (2018-2022) is a capacity development programme to support Ethiopia’s civil society and its contribution to national development, poverty reduction and advancement of good governance. It is managed by the British Council in partnership with UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (PACT UK) and SDDirect, with financing from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the Norwegian and Swedish governments, and Irish Aid. The £16.8 programme builds on the successful CSSP Phase 1 programme (2011-2017) that targeted hard-to-reach civil society organisations (CSOs) through regionally led programming, with a particular focus on people affected by social marginalisation, geographic remoteness, under-resourcing, and neglected development issues.
The CSSP2 grant making strategy, builds on phase one and is set up to support and enable CSOs− individually and collectively− to foster state accountability to its citizens based on trust, evidence and sustained engagement, resulting in better quality of basic public services and civic and political human rights for all. In support of these objectives, CSSP2 offers grants to CSOs around clear thematic policy objectives identified through careful and regular contextual analysis. CSSP2 also provides local level technical and administrative support to the grantee CSOs through its Hub Offices.
CSSP2 has prioritised three strategic themes (with three sub themes under each theme):
-
Young people (substance abuse amongst the youth; youth voice; and decent work);
-
Gender transformation (gender-based violence; land rights; and political participation); and,
-
Citizen-state engagement (social minorities inclusion; persons with disability and creation of stronger better CSOs; and build trust and confidence).
SDDirect leads CSSP2’s work on gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), as well as developing the programme’s approach to safeguarding.
The programme has consistently performed well and has successfully adapted to respond to COVID-19. The programme is proposing an additional 16 month costed extension to the original programme from April 2022 – August 2023.
Some results include:
-
Playing a leading role in the revision of the CSO Law by providing technical and financial support to the Agency for Civil Society Organisations (ACSO) and the Attorney General
-
Supporting the establishment of the ACSO-established Government Partner’s Council for CSOs. The Council seeks to strengthen intra-governmental engagement; and to strengthen federal-regional collaboration for a robust CSO sector’s engagement.
-
Supporting the establishment of the first Ethiopian CSO Council – a forum for enhancing accountable and transparent self- regulation across the sector, and to forge stronger citizen-state engagement
-
Supporting the development of draft national civic engagement policy
-
Supporting the Amhara Regional State to formulate its own regional CSO laws.
