Review of Norwegian Democracy Support Via Political Parties
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NIBR-report 2014:22 Einar Braathen Jørn Holm-Hansen Review of Norwegian democracy support via political parties Review of Norwegian democracy support via political parties Andre publikasjoner fra NIBR: NIBR Report 2009:19 Henningsen, E. & Braathen, E. (2009): “Norwegian party assistance in Tanzania”. Rapportene koster fra kr 250,- til kr 350,-og kan bestilles fra NIBR: Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Tlf. 22 95 88 00 Faks 22 60 77 74 E-post til [email protected] Publikasjonene kan også skrives ut fra www.nibr.no Porto kommer i tillegg til de oppgitte prisene Einar Braathen Jørn Holm-Hansen Review of Norwegian democracy support via political parties NIBR-rapport 2014:22 Title: Review of Norwegian democracy support via political parties Author: Einar Braathen and Jørn Holm-Hansen NIBR Report: 2014:22 ISSN: 1502-9794 ISBN: 978-82-8309-040-6 Project number: 3344 Project name: Review of Norwegian democracy support via political parties Financial supporter: Norad Head of project: Einar Braathen Abstract: The Norwegian scheme for democracy support through the political parties aims to contribute to democratic and well-functioning party organizations in developing countries. After having been administered by the parties themselves through a centre for democracy support since 2002 the scheme came under the Norwegian agency for development support – Norad – in 2011. The present Review takes stock of the operation and results of the current scheme and provides a set of recommendations for its future. Summary: English Date: November 2014 Pages: 86 Publisher:: Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research Gaustadalléen 21 0349 OSLO Telephone (+47) 22 95 88 00 Telefax (+47) 22 60 77 74 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.nibr.no Printed: X-ide Org. no. NO 970205284 MVA © NIBR 2014 1 Preface This review was commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). A NIBR team led by Einar Braathen has earlier published an evaluation of the Norwegian Centre for Democracy Support (Norad Report 2010). That evaluation formed the basis for the current review. This time Einar Braathen (project leader) and Jørn Holm-Hansen carried out all the work in Oslo including several face-to face interviews with representatives of Norwegian political parties and Norad, in addition to telephone interviews with partners and experts abroad. The Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research would like to thank all those having shared their time, information and insights with the Review Team. Everybody has been very helpful. Vigdis Halvorsen, Svein Bæra and other staff in the Civil Society Department of Norad have been of great help to the Review Team by discussing very openly and sharing their reflections. Norad has also facilitated interviews with the Norwegian political parties and provided necessary documentation. Thanks to secretary Inger Balberg at NIBR for her contribution to the technical edition of this report. Oslo, November 2014 Geir Heierstad Research Director NIBR Report 2014:22 2 Table of Contents Preface ...................................................................................................... 1 Tables ....................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary ................................................................................ 5 1 Introduction .................................................................................. 10 1.1 On democracy support via political parties ................. 10 1.2 On democracy support via Norwegian political parties ................................................................................ 10 1.3 Aims of the review .......................................................... 12 1.4 The review approach ...................................................... 13 1.5 Methods applied for the review .................................... 14 2 The projects 2011-14 and their results ...................................... 16 2.1 The Norwegian political parties and their projects ............................................................................. 16 2.1.1 Arbeiderpartiet (Norwegian Labour Party) ................. 17 2.1.2 AUF (Labour Youth/The Workers’ Youth League).............................................................................. 20 2.1.3 Høyre (Conservative Party) ........................................... 21 2.1.4 The Christian Democrats (KrF Norway) .................... 24 2.1.5 Young Christian Democrats (KrFU) ........................... 27 2.1.6 Senterpartiet (The Centre Party) ................................... 30 2.1.7 Sosialistisk Venstreparti (Socialist Left Party) ............. 32 2.1.8 Venstre (Liberal Party) ................................................... 35 2.2 Joint assessment of the projects .................................... 36 2.2.1 Norwegian parties’ knowledge of the country contexts............................................................................. 36 2.2.2 Capability to strengthen competence within partner organizations ...................................................... 38 2.2.3 Capability to embed the projects within the organizations .................................................................... 38 2.2.4 Sustainability and cost efficiency of the projects ........ 39 2.2.5 Contribution to democratic party organizations ........ 40 NIBR Report 2014:22 3 2.2.6 The developmental-managerial capacity of the Norwegian parties ........................................................... 42 3 Arrangements of democracy support ........................................ 44 3.1 Assessment of the Norad-administered arrangement for political parties ................................... 44 3.1.1 The purpose and design of the arrangement (the Guidelines) ....................................................................... 44 3.1.2 Norad’s technical and administrative handling of the arrangement: ......................................................... 45 3.2 What has changed since NDS was closed down? ...... 46 3.2.1 The basic project approach of the Norwegian parties ................................................................................ 47 3.2.2 Partner choice and partner relationships ..................... 48 3.2.3 Project design .................................................................. 48 3.2.4 Lasting effects? ................................................................ 49 3.3 Experiences internationally ............................................ 49 3.3.1 A brief overview of the current academic and professional debate ......................................................... 50 3.3.2 The Netherlands - NIMD.............................................. 53 3.3.3 Sweden – PAOs .............................................................. 54 3.3.4 Finland - Demo ............................................................... 56 3.3.5 Denmark - DIPD ............................................................ 57 3.3.6 International experiences relevant for Norway .......... 59 3.4 Other forms of Norwegian democracy support ......... 60 3.5 Three scenarios for the future arrangement ................ 61 3.5.1 Discontinuation ............................................................... 61 3.5.2 Continuation .................................................................... 63 3.5.3 Redesign ........................................................................... 64 4 Conclusions and recommendations ........................................... 68 4.1 The projects ..................................................................... 68 4.2 The arrangement ............................................................. 70 4.3 Recommendations .......................................................... 72 References and documents consulted ............................................... 76 Appendix 1 Interview guide ................................................................ 78 Appendix 2 List of interviews ............................................................. 84 NIBR Report 2014:22 4 Tables Table 2.1 Norwegian democracy support via political parties, 2013 ..................................................................... 16 Table 3.1 Swedish democracy support via party-affiliated organisations (PAOs), 2013 ........................................... 56 Table 3.2 Size and forms of democracy support via political parties, five donor countries .......................................... 59 NIBR Report 2014:22 5 Executive Summary Einar Braathen and Jørn Holm-Hansen Review of Norwegian democracy support via political parties NIBR Report 2014:22 The Norwegian scheme for democracy support through the political parties aims to contribute to democratic and well- functioning party organizations in developing countries. After having been administered by the parties themselves through a centre for democracy support since 2002 the scheme came under the Norwegian agency for development support – Norad – in 2011. The present Review takes stock of the operation and results of the current scheme and provides a set of recommendations for its future. The scheme is small. Only around eight million Norwegian kroner have been allocated annually. Still parts of the annual sum remain unused every year because project proposals do not pass the quality control carried out by the Norwegian agency for development cooperation. Prior to 2011 the parties submitted their project applications to the centre for democracy support and a board of party representatives