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    How ADB engages with CSOs

    Are you a civil society organization seeking to work with ADB? Lainie Thomas, social development specialist for civil society and participation at the Manila-based bank, highlights some of the basic things you need to know about ADB engagement with CSOs.

    By Manola De Vos // 27 June 2014
    In the past few years, the Asian Development Bank has increasingly recognized the importance of strengthening stakeholder participation to achieve improved development results. In fact, ADB’s long-term strategic framework presents partnerships as a key driver of change. One consequence of this prioritization has been a growing focus on collaboration with civil society organizations, whose sectoral expertise and local knowledge can help ensure that the bank’s activities are more closely tailored to the needs of beneficiaries. Today, a vast majority of ADB-financed projects involve CSOs in one way or another. But in more practical terms, how does the Manila-based institution determine its engagement priorities with civil society groups in Asia, and which types of partnerships does it seek to foster? To find out, Devex’s Rolf Rosenkranz asked Lainie Thomas, social development specialist for civil society and participation at ADB, to share her insights. When it comes to determining areas where ADB and CSOs can cooperate, Thomas emphasized the importance of finding “natural connections” — areas of intervention where both the bank and civil society already share common goals and activities. “We’re not trying to put a square peg in a round hole. We’re looking to see where ADB and civil society already intersect,” she highlighted. But once common areas of interest are identified, how can CSOs effectively start working with ADB? A crucial first step is to familiarize themselves with the bank’s mission, structure and procedures. “To start with, it’s really helpful when organizations understand what the ADB is,” Thomas noted. This will not only help them understand what fundamentally differentiates ADB from other donors, but also enable them to grasp where they can complement the bank’s development efforts. “We lend money to governments for development projects, so for a local organization to engage with us effectively, they need to understand how that relationship works and how they fit into an ADB-government relationship,” Thomas said. Afterward, there are essentially no limits to CSO involvement — which can cover all phases of a project, and to varying extents. “Right now, ADB’s engagement with civil society is mainly focused at the design phase,” Thomas explained. “But we are moving more and more toward working with civil society organizations in implementation.” To learn more about ADB-CSO cooperation, take a look at the video below. What other opportunities should the ADB explore to enhance its cooperation with CSOs? Share your point of view by leaving a comment below. See our Devex Partnerships Forum topic page, check out our Storify page and tweet #DevexForum!

    In the past few years, the Asian Development Bank has increasingly recognized the importance of strengthening stakeholder participation to achieve improved development results. In fact, ADB’s long-term strategic framework presents partnerships as a key driver of change.

    One consequence of this prioritization has been a growing focus on collaboration with civil society organizations, whose sectoral expertise and local knowledge can help ensure that the bank’s activities are more closely tailored to the needs of beneficiaries. Today, a vast majority of ADB-financed projects involve CSOs in one way or another.

    But in more practical terms, how does the Manila-based institution determine its engagement priorities with civil society groups in Asia, and which types of partnerships does it seek to foster? To find out, Devex’s Rolf Rosenkranz asked Lainie Thomas, social development specialist for civil society and participation at ADB, to share her insights.

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    About the author

    • Manola De Vos

      Manola De Vos

      Manola De Vos is an Engagement Lead for Devex’s Analytics team in Manila. She leads and designs customized research and analysis for some of the world’s most well-respected organizations, providing the solutions and data they need to grow their partner base, work more efficiently, and drive lasting results. Prior to joining Devex, Manola worked in conflict analysis and political affairs for the United Nations, International Crisis Group and the EU.

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