Grants - Environment and Civil Society Partnerships

The US-AEP Environment & Civil Society Partnership Program

Background
US-AEP's engagement with a wide variety of partners serves a key component of the US-AEP vision: supporting U.S. foreign policy interests and fostering improved international relations in many sectors of American society. By facilitating the active participation of the business community and public sector at state and municipal levels, US-AEP makes development assistance relevant to Americans not normally directly concerned with international relations.

Strategic Setting
In the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, domestic and international pressures prompted several Asian countries to adapt sweeping reform agendas to move their societies to greater democratic governance. Rates of reform have varied throughout the region. With different levels of success, governments have moved forcefully to strengthen oversight and transparency over financial regulation and restructure corporate debt. This same trend is also apparent in the corporate and civil sectors. All this has been helped by the activism of numerous civil society organizations and NGOs. These developments mark a profound societal watershed toward better governance, increased transparency and greater civil participation.
Part of this shift to better governance and increased public participation has been renewed vigor in innovating and strengthening environmental policy and management. Thailand, for example, admittedly remains one of the worst polluters in Southeast Asia, but there is open and increasingly informed debate on how to best manage environmental stewardship in the face of globalization and renewed economic growth.

This has brought forward a number of exciting new initiatives from corporate and civil society that offer promise of better environmental stewardship. Likewise in Indonesia and Vietnam, there is a developing constituency of NGOs and associations increasingly interested in environmental issues, especially as they relate to the intersection of environmental policy, public participation and consensus building.

This Initiative
USAID has long recognized the important contribution made by civil society groups to development. This dynamic, independent sector has a long history in the United States and a burgeoning presence in Asia and the Pacific. It encompasses numerous U.S. and Asian-based, traditional, private, voluntary, and not-for-profit organizations (PVOs), think tanks, universities, policy research institutes, green non-governmental organizations (NGOs), professional associations, non-profit trade groups, community groups, and business councils for sustainable development. All of these civil society groups are essential for government to operate effectively.

The non-governmental sector plays an active and increasingly important role in the environmental dialogue both in the general dynamic of environmental public dialogue and policy making and also in the context of US-AEP specific country and regional strategies. Throughout Asia, civil society organizations are involved in working on substantive environmental issues like public participation, environmental impact hearings, dialogues on new policies and regulations, responses to municipal hazardous/toxic waste, acceptable approaches to clean water, mobilizing more efficiency in the energy sectors, etc. These organizations are implementing projects and promoting practical solutions to environmental problems at the local level. They are also engaging in policy dialogues with the government and providing essential feedback to government's plans and policies in the environment sector. They are involved in such policy issues as rethinking mega-development projects, assessing the environmental and social costs of economic development and industrialization, and developing their own alternative models. They also research the links between population growth, poverty and environmental degradation.

Another clear indication of the role of civil society in the environment sector in Asia is that their role is growing. This is especially true as governments in Asia recognize that in a multi- dimensional civil society, civil organizations have a key role to play that is both legitimate and essential for sustainable development to proceed. Like their counterparts in OECD countries, the approaches of these organizations run the gamut from strong advocacy, to research, to more collaborative approaches. As civil society in Asia has evolved over time so have civil organizations. Many have gained skills that are of direct relevance to the "greening" of the business community and promotion of a more rational, participatory policy dialogue. As part of a significant new pattern of interaction, civil society organizations have begun work in a number of countries with governments and businesses, serving as a resource to promote the implementation of environmentally sustainable development. Civil society organizations increasingly represent an important partner to influence decision makers, improve environmental performance, and more specifically advance specific initiatives of US-AEP's regional and country workplans.

That recognition is also being reflected increasingly in the content and approaches of US-AEP. Increasingly we are seeing around the area the common ground that many of our activities share with civil society organizations. Organizations such as the water support groups in Indonesia, legal and research groups such as the Siam Law Society, the Environmental Research Institute of Chualongkorn University, Thailand Environmental Institute, etc., are important organizations and potential US-AEP partners as we carry out the objectives of our strategy and our respective workplans in Asia.

Furthermore, as US-AEP senior staff has traveled the area they have been uniformly told that the expansion of linkages to these civil society organizations -- done in the context of approved regional and country workplans -- would be a valuable instrument to help them succeed in their own efforts. Given that it is the strategy and the current situation under which the US-AEP program operates, we see a need to more actively integrate civil society within our program.

The intent of this initiative is to give us an instrument to array and integrate civil society-type activities around those initiatives derived from and relevant to the respective US-AEP country and regional workplans. As such, they represent a key programming modality that will give us the best chance to have real impact. Increasing Asia's capacity to manage its environment by engaging civil society is the central objective of this activity. In addressing this core objective, US-AEP will build on the US-AEP's now long-standing developmental experience in each of the selected countries.

Purpose
The purpose of the US-AEP Environment & Civil Society Partnership Program administered by The Asia Foundation is to have civil society organizations such as NGOs industry associations, research groups, etc. become important strategic partners for promoting US-AEP's strategic environmental objectives in Asia. The US-AEP Environment & Civil Society Partnership Program will help develop the capabilities of indigenous civil society organizations for supporting programs such as public participation in environmental decision-making, non-confrontational environmental advocacy, community-based environmental monitoring, and environmental education and awareness programs.

In the context of US-AEP program implementation, there is a secondary purpose, namely to provide US-AEP regional and country managers with a readily accessible tool to partner with civil society groups to help advance common environmental objectives in the context of their regional and country plans.

Objectives
With that as the purpose, the program will have the following objectives:

Project Description
The US-AEP Environment & Civil Society Partnership Program will consist of a grants program administered by The Asia Foundation to foster greater linkages between civil society groups and the public and private sector. The grants program will provide funding in the range of around $25,000 to develop programs conforming to the broad objectives outlined in the project purpose above. Examples of possible activities which could be funded by the grants, include collaboration with industry associations, civil society groups, programs of public awareness and information sharing through engaging media, promoting education programs, etc. In addition, careful attention will be given to assuring that the maximum possible cost share, either in funding or via staff time and in-kind contributions, is obtained from individual grant recipients.

Project Length
This activity covers a period of three years from the date of signing of the agreement on 30 September 2001

Country Identification and Coverage
It is anticipated that the program will be phased-in over time and that initially four or five countries would participate in the first eighteen months. Those countries that are eligible to participate in the program will be identified in the following manner: The agreement will first be signed with the grant administrator. The grant administrator's first task will be to work collaboratively with US-AEP to provide an analysis of PVO, civil society activities in each of the US-AEP countries, as well as Cambodia, with the intent to identify in which countries the Civil Society Partnership Program would have the greatest impact.

Impact should be measured in two ways: First, the extent to which the role of civil society organizations can be enhanced and make stronger through the support of this program and as a result have the greatest possible impact in environmental stewardship and effect real change. Second, the extent to which civil society organizations in those countries have interests and capacities which are compatible with the particular US-AEP country strategy and offer opportunities to support the specific workplan in that respective country.

Grant Award Procedures
Grants given under this program will be determined by a three-person committee consisting of the US-AEP Country Manager or Coordinator, the US-AEP Regional Representative, and the selected program agency's designated representative. Given the collaborative nature of the effort it is expected that the persons involved with, like other country program activities, be in regular consultation and communication with their respective country coordinators. Grant proposals will be reviewed at the beginning of each quarter.

Relationships
It is envisioned that identification of specific grants will be a collegial process involving the country or regional program representative, the regional representative, the representative of the implementing agency and the country coordinators. For purposes of grant administration and overall direction, the principal point of contact will be the Regional Representative of US-AEP. He will work with the Regional Procurement Officer and the implementing agency on specific implementation procedures (see annex). He will also work closely with the country and regional program managers and country coordinators on the substantive work of identifying, approving and monitoring actual awarded grants. It will be the responsibility of the Country Managers and Regional Program Managers to nurture proposals, to review and accept periodic reports, to pass on information within US-AEP, and to mediate problems that may arise in implementation of the agreement.

Guidelines for Proposals
Funding is available from the US-AEP Environment & Civil Society Partnership Program administered by The Asia Foundation will to support NGO environmental projects and activities in the range of US$10K-US$25K.

Grants will be provided for civil society and community organizations for projects or activities that contribute to improved understanding and monitoring of environmental issues at the community and national level, and promote improved environmental management practices. Grants will be awarded following review and ranking by the grant administrator in consultation with US-AEP. Priority will be given to projects that complement ongoing activities and programs of US-AEP. Proposal review and reporting requirements are structured according to grant funding levels.

Grant Selection
A Working Group will review grant proposals and select the proposals that will be funded. The working group for this grants program shall meet informally and have representatives from the Country or Regional workplan Manager, the regional representative and the implementing entity.

Grant proposals will be developed and managed by the implementing entity, in coordination with the regional and country offices of US-AEP.

Contact in the United States
Mr. Chris Plante,
THE ASIA FOUNDATION
465 California Street, Suite #1400
San Francisco, California 94104
cplante@asiafound.org

About the sponsoring and implementing organizations:
The Asia Foundation is a private, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization working to advance mutual interests in the Asia-Pacific region. It is funded by contributions from corporations, foundations, individuals, the governments of several countries, and an annual grant from the U.S. Congress. Through its programs, the Foundation builds leadership, improves policies, and strengthens institutions to foster greater openness and shared prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.