The European Union’s EDF Programme for Angola

“FINAL EVALUATION MISSION FOR THE

NON-STATE ACTORS SUPPORT PROGRAMME – (PAANE) PROJECT 9.ACP.ANG.19”

Letter of Contract No. 2011/262444

FINAL REPORT

GRAZIANO TONELLOTTO (TL) MARION BAUMGART DOS SANTOS

September 2011

The project is financed by the European Union The project is implemented by IBF International Consulting In collaboration with BAA (Spain) and Euroconsultants (Greece)

“This report was prepared with the financial aid of the European Commission. The opinions expressed herein are those of the consultants and in no way reflect the official opinions of the Commission.”

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CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 4 2. WORK ORGANISATION METHOD ...... 4 3. SUMMARY OF THE PAANE FA ...... 5 4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 7 4.1. PERTINENCE ...... 7 4.2. EFFECTIVENESS ...... 8 4.3. EFFICIENCY ...... 9 4.4. IMPACT ...... 10 4.5. SUSTAINABILITY ...... 10 4.6. GENERAL CONCLUSION ...... 11 5. ANSWERS TO THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS ...... 13 5.1. PERTINENCE ...... 13 5.1.1. Elements of context analysis ...... 13 5.1.2. Preparation and Conception of the Project ...... 14 5.1.3. Incorporating past and present EC/EU actions and those of other partners ...... 15 5.1.4. State-Civil Society relations and the PAANE response ...... 16 5.1.5. Coherence between areas of work and results and NSA needs ...... 18 5.1.6. Transverse themes ...... 19 5.2. EFFECTIVENESS ...... 20 5.2.1. Analysis of Objectives and Results ...... 20 5.2.2. Analysis of objectively verifiable indicators (OVI) ...... 22 5.2.3. Analysis of the range of results without using OVI ...... 23 5.3. EFFICIENCY ...... 25 5.3.1. Organisation and structure of the PMU ...... 25 5.3.2. Monitoring and evaluation ...... 26 5.3.3. Administrative aspects and management methods ...... 27 5.4. IMPACT ...... 29 5.4.1. Impact result 1 ...... 29 5.4.2. Impact result 2 ...... 30 5.4.3. Impact result 3 ...... 31 5.5. SUSTAINABILITY ...... 33 5.5.1. Strengths ...... 33 5.5.2. Threats ...... 34 6. VERIFICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 35 6.1. PERTINENCE ...... 35 6.2. EFFECTIVENESS ...... 37 6.3. EFFICIENCY ...... 38 6.4. IMPACT ...... 39 6.5. SUSTAINABILITY ...... 41 6.6. CONCLUSION ...... 42 7. GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATIONS ...... 43

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1. INTRODUCTION

The present document is the Draft Final Report, as requested in the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the final Evaluation Mission (EM) of the PAANE (Non-State Actors Support Programme) in Angola, after the field phase and debriefing.

The mission, composed of the consultants Marion Baumgart Dos Santos and Graziano Tonellotto (TL), began its field phase in Angola (22 days) with a briefing meeting with the EUD – EU Delegation in Angola (Ms Filipa Corte-Real) on May 23, and with Mr. José Fortes, Assistant Director of the NAO, on May 24 2011.

From that date, the EUD supported the mission by supplying a list of contacts of the key actors and providing the mission with a room in which it could consult documents and store additional forms. On May 24th, it was also possible to begin organising the Evaluation Work Plan by arranging dates/times for interviews/consultations and visits in Luanda and the provinces of Huila and Malanje.

The mission began its meetings and interviews in Luanda on May 25 2011 (see list of people and chronogram of visits and interviews in Appendix 4). In accordance with the TOR, an Aide Memoire was presented on 31 May 2011, in which the evaluators indicated the methodology adopted by the mission and the initial results/preliminary conclusions. The debriefing was held on 10 June 2011 at the NAO head office. Ms Filipa Corte-Real of the EUD and Mr. Fortes, Assistant Director of the NAO (National Authorising Office) took part in the meeting at which a finalised Aide Memoire was presented with the provisional results, in compliance with the TOR. For further information on the objectives and expected results of the evaluation, see the TOR (Appendix 2).

We are grateful to all those who contributed in one way or another to this evaluation, and who were willing to share their experiences, impressions and criticisms with us. We would particularly like to thank Ms Filipa Corte-Real of the European Commission, Mr. José António Fortes, of the Technical and Administrative Unit for ACP/EE Cooperation and Ketty Tirzi, ex-coordinator of the former PAANE PMU. There was excellent long-distance collaboration (via telephone and e-mail) with the latter as well as during the mission’s last day-and-a-half in Luanda. We would also like to thank Mr. Guilherme Santos, chairman of the ADRA for his wonderful collaboration with our work and our stay in Lubango and Huila.

2. WORK ORGANISATION METHOD

The Mission is divided into three parts: Initial phase: preparation and analysis of documents; perfecting and developing the outlined chronogram for the mission in Angola approved by the EUD when the Mission was hired, taking into consideration the possible logistical constraints in Luanda and the anticipated visits to 2 provinces; first long-distance contacts (e-mails) for the aspects of logistical organisation and mobilisation of the mission in Luanda and the 2 provinces to be visited; organisation of the entry visas for Angola (in Italy and South Africa); preliminary long-distance gathering of opinions and information by the ex-Head of the Programme’s PMU (with a meeting also held in Rome); constant coordination with the consulting companies of the IBF consortium (BAa Consultors and Euroconsultant) and the Delegation of the European Commission in Angola; detailed organisation of the logistical features of the mission, taking into consideration the opinions and contributions gathered long-distance and in advance so as to implement the mission.

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Field phase: Luanda and the provinces of Huila and Malanje. This phase was marked and conditioned by logistical constraints, particularly the travel time in Luanda and only partial operation of the Internet. The main stages were as follows:

- Briefing with EUD (23/5/2011) and NAO- National Planning Service (24/5/2011) to introduce the evaluation team, reception of list of contacts and additional documentation; organising the visit and interview schedule in Luanda; final adjustments to methodology and consensus between the two evaluators on the instruments to be used for gathering information. In Luanda: holding interviews and meetings with the actors involved in the PAANE, as indicated in the contact lists provided by the EUD. - Submission (10 days after the start of the mission) of the Aide Memoire with the mission calendar and schedule for the final list of people and entities interviewed and to be interviewed. - Visits to Huila and Malanje: meetings and individual and reflective interviews, direct observation to consider the level of implementation, coordination, communication and complementarity with CSO/NGO representatives (partners and beneficiaries). - Debriefing with EUD and NAO (10/6/2011).

Final phase: preparation (throughout the mission) of the draft of the finalised Aide Memoire for the debriefing, presenting the main conclusions. Writing and sending the Provisional Report with a view to gathering comments so that the report is consensual and a useful tool for improving the future collaboration of all participants and actors. Once the comments have been received, development and writing of the final evaluation report away from the field.

The methodology implemented is coherent with the evaluation methodology proposed on the EuropeAid webpage: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/evaluation/methodology/foreword_en.htm.

3. SUMMARY OF THE PAANE FA

The PAANE Programme is a pilot programme with a fund of 3 million euros. It is financed by the ACP- EU cooperation under the 9th EDF framework, in accordance with the areas of work indicated in the Cotonou Agreements, which include non-state actors (NSA) in the policies and priorities of bilateral cooperation. In the scope of the National Indicative Programme (NIP) 2003-2007, support for the NSA is expected to complement projects and programmes in terms of good governance and institutional support.

The Financing Agreement, for a total of 3 million euros, was implemented with a PMU from August 2007, ending in December 2010. The duration of the Programme was extended by means of an Amendment.

The PAANE expanded its sphere of influence with the support of local CSOs (also known as “Antennae”) in the provinces of Huila, Benguela, Malanje and Huambo, in addition to Luanda. The main beneficiaries of the PAANE are, on the one hand, the intermediary organisations and existing/emerging networks/platforms of national non-state actors.

The main focus of the PAANE is to strengthen capacities, as provided for in the Cotonou Agreement. According to the FA forecast, the PAANE therefore focuses on certain themes related to governance: participative processes, decentralisation (CACS - Civil Engagement Councils), transparency/accountability, access to information.

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The GLOBAL OBJECTIVE of the PAANE is to promote the participation of Non-State Actors in the transition process and development of Angola in the scope of combatting poverty and of good governance. The activities are developed in the following areas of intervention (SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES):

- Strengthening capacities of the chosen non-state actors in their role of representation/advocacy (actor for dialogue) and execution (actor for development): general and specific training and promoting a component for training trainers; - Improving access of the chosen non-state actors to the information/communication circuits; - Promoting social and political dialogue between the chosen non-state actors and the authorities, both at local and national level on issues of mutual interest.

The EXPECTED RESULTS of the PAANE, established in the Financing Agreement (FA), are as follows: R1. The competencies/capacities of the NSA are strengthened and their decision-making role and actor for complementary development to the State is better defined; R2. NSA access to information is improved; R3. The exchanges and coordination between the group of receivers in a perspective of social and political dialogue are promoted and strengthened.

The main ACTIVITIES anticipated in the FA are:

Expected Result no. 1 o Organisation and promotion of general training with the aim of strengthening the organisational and internal operational capacities of non-state actors with particular approaches, namely related to associations and their internal organisation, the issues of partnerships and coordination, the setting up and managing of projects, etc.; o Organisation and promotion of specific training which enables better planning and technical management of projects; o Organisation and promotion of training for trainers, with a view to taking advantage of and multiplying activities 1.1 and 1.2. Expected Result no. 2 o Production of didactic, awareness-raising and informative material; o Provision of information and advice on the different possible sources of financing; o Use of proximity tools, such as radio, and promotion of the different information spaces in the capital and provinces (cf. roles of the networks); o Support for activities to divulge experiences and good practices (partnership, innovative actions, decentralisation processes, etc.) presented by different non-state actors, especially the existing networks – set up by NSA; o Support for running initiatives that promote the improvement of information circuits – set up by NSA. Expected Result no. 3 o Setting-up, support and promotion of spaces for coordination and dialogue, in a perspective of promoting social and political dialogue as well as citizenship; o Organisation and promotion of national, regional and thematic seminars (e.g. good governance, electoral process, strategy for combatting poverty, gender and vulnerability issues in defining sectoral policies, current legal-judicial framework of NSA, etc.; o Support for undertaking studies and specific research.

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4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In accordance with the requirements in the TOR, the Executive Summary presents the considerations conclusions, lessons learnt and main recommendations (in terms of relevance/pertinence, impact, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability) based on the interviews, field visits and documentary analysis.

4.1. PERTINENCE

The PAANE structures its action on the needs and priorities of Angolan SC organisations to participate in and influence public policies. There is a general problem that has to do with structural elements: State and Civil Society have huge inadequacies in the exercise of good governance. There are laws that have been approved, but are yet to be applied, which are of interest to the SC. However, neither the SC nor the local public administration is aware of them or, if they are, they do not know how to implement them. It is not enough to know about the laws, it is also necessary to be able to interpret them. The PAANE was conceived in 2005 in response to the needs and priorities of the best known Angolan organisations (CSOs/NGOs), coordinating the dynamics and mechanisms of humanitarian aid, cooperation, development and holding greater power of public articulation. There was no significant inclusion of any other NSA (private sector, commerce, professional guilds) with which “exploratory” type actions were undertaken. With the support of the PAANE, new groups, associations and territorial networks from the city outskirts and more isolated provinces began to appear in public debate. The PAANE supported these CSOs during their implementation. Interviewed CSOs indicate that the PAANE has been a great opportunity for working on “priority themes” to consolidate processes that are endogenous and particular to the CS and met the needs for strengthening organisations and leadership, as well as improving the standard and working much better. What is surprising, however, is the total absence of a clear strategy and approach to Gender in the preparatory documents of the PAANE. Among the lessons learnt Initially, it was not always clear what the PAANE aims to do, but it soon became a well consolidated programme with clear and relevant strategies for Angolan civil society. The PAANE proved itself to be a facilitating instrument and an opportunity for supporting changes and constructive dialogues with the State. It must therefore be considered a contributory factor in developing spaces and opportunities, opening the way for the progressive construction of participative democracy. Many CSOs and NGOs have a marked connection with the presence and priorities of international donors. As many donors and international NGOs were reduced or withdrew, most local NGOs/CSOs found themselves either debilitated or in danger of disappearing.

Main Recommendations – Pertinence: to undertake a study into the emerging groups and movements, such as the urban youth, urban and rural CBO, commercial associations, companies and professional orders, with advice and specific support on the participation of other NSA sectors and financing methods; to support more local organisations/initiatives, whose aim is to promote a more “participative” and “representative” civil society; to continue to develop strategies and actions that improve the capacities for dialogue between the parties (public sector and CS sectors); to involve different representatives of the CS in defining and drawing up the strategic lines of the PAANE II; to develop a gender strategy to guarantee that men and women benefit from equal opportunities; study and analysis on the potential of the NGO/CSO’s provision of service to public sector institutions.

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4.2. EFFECTIVENESS

The SO characteristics of (i) strengthening, (ii) improving and (iii) promoting are mainly concerned with supporting, strengthening and complementing the processes underway, covering a very broad spectrum. Their characteristics make it very difficult to determine quantitative and qualitative levels and to attribute any change, either positive or negative, solely and directly to the PAANE. Positive results were achieved in the three areas of empowerment, access to information/communication and dialogue. There was a great deal of articulation with other donors using the available PAANE instruments, which served as a lesson for grassroots organisations as well as excluded and vulnerable social sectors, and those as yet unrecognised. The moral and financial support and the promotion and articulation of the various areas of the Civil Society Conference (municipal, provincial, national) is probably the most evident direct positive effect attributed to the PAANE. It improved the coordination, synergies and collaboration among 2nd-level NGOs and donors. It enabled the inclusion of CBO in the networks of relationships at different levels. Improved dialogue at the level of the CACS (civic engagement councils) between the administrations and the CS representatives is considered one of the successes of the PAANE. Different participating actors highlight an expansion and consolidation of the dialogue and trust between the structures of municipal administrations and the leadership of the CSOs/NGOs in these kinds of processes. The poor experience with “advocacy” and lobbying made an important contribution with regard to the supply of “materials” or “tools” for the possible undertaking of “advocacy activities”. Lessons Learnt – Effectiveness: a training approach to the CSOs that does not include representatives of municipal administration can create an imbalance that can be counter-productive with regard to dialogue. The lack of a baseline study does not make it possible to measure any increase, in either number or percentage, nor can we determine to what extent the goals have been reached either quantitatively or qualitatively. There is an “oversizing” approach to the OVI, which are not adequate for measuring progress. There were unsuccessful attempts to reformulate the OVI. Recommendations – Effectiveness: The PAANE II should strengthen the results achieved by working along the same lines and incorporating some other element. More help should be given to the “thematic” networks (focusing on the “issue”/”problem”/theme”) as opposed to the geographic ones. It should work hard with the beneficiaries, both NSA and public sectors, in order to create spaces for exchanging ideas, mutual recognition, effective coordination capacities, more and improved synergies in implementing and participating in public policies. More support should be given to connections and partnerships between CSOs and the media: there should be work on the aspect of communication, divulgation and sharing of information, spaces for consultation and joint and more participative formulation of ideas and solutions, thus minimising the mistrust and the alienation of the positions. Consultation processes should be promoted with a representative group of the CNSC (National Press Council) about on-going training plans and other needs that could be part of the PAANE II supply for the different levels of CSOs; training should be planned to strengthen the rural CBO networks and their organisational profiles and technical capacity. Attempts should be made to support grassroots organisations (e.g. parents’ associations) to meet up and exchange experiences and to initiate dialogue with the public institutions (e.g.: MAT – Ministry of Land Administration, Ministry of Education and provincial Departments). Strategic alliances should be supported to create mixed training plans (NSA- city councils) and pilot plans with MAT and IFAL – Local Administration Training Institute. A baseline study should be made before the start of the PAANE II in order to establish qualitative and quantitative indicators and to incorporate an on-going Monitoring System.

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4.3. EFFICIENCY

There were delays in implementing the PAANE related to starting up and installing the PMU, with initial changes of PMU team members. The PMU is considered to have been undersized in terms of human resources, especially for guaranteeing a continuous and adequate qualitative and quantitative monitoring system and systemisation. There was no adequate Monitoring System capable of analysing the “overall values” of this pilot programme. The programme was implemented through: direct hiring of consultants and specialists, studies, funds for competitions for small grants. Implementation of the PAANE was closely observed by the Institutions of cooperation and the necessary corrective measures were adopted at the appropriate time. There was a Technical Committee (PMU, NAO, EUD, UTCAH) with different functions from the Supervising Committee provided for in the FA. A system that was decentralised from the PMU was organised in order to coordinate, support and promote actions in the four Provinces. This consisted of provincial operators of the PAANE (or “Antennae”). The system was well received, but the management of the Antennae proved to be weak and the coordination mechanisms were neither well regulated nor clear. The mechanisms and procedures for grants were relaxed with a special derogation. The interviews show that there was a great deal of bureaucracy; however, others indicate that the mechanisms became more flexible. In the scope of the management methods, we also know of direct micro-support and “rapid response” run by the PMU, which is strategic, but also a drain on efficiency. Lessons Learnt – Efficiency: the lack of adequate supervision and qualitative and continuous monitoring led to a poor systemisation of the results. It will therefore be difficult to take advantage of the good practices and lessons learnt. There was little clarity and difficulties arose in the actual implementation of the Supervising Committee, which was done without the participation of CS representatives and with a low level of internal consultation. The management and the roles of the provincial operators (Antennae) revealed different types of weaknesses, but for a NSA support programme, this is strategic and must improve in the future. The relaxation/derogation of the mechanisms and procedures facilitate management and the mutual relations and understandings of the PMU with the different levels of NSA/CSOs/NGOs. The availability of a Fund for small grants and a “rapid response” fund to for financing micro-actions (particularly for the new Organisations and Networks) is an advantage and an element of flexibility.

Recommendations of Efficiency: the conception and implementation of a Monitoring System should be guaranteed, with specific, long-term financial and human resources and maintenance of a monitoring and evaluation system, with possible partnership with a 4th-level entity. The Antennae are an important example of an instrument to be improved for the PAANE II, also in the perspective of monitoring. An Advisory Committee should be guaranteed for “open” monitoring. It should be able to take decisions and include NSA/CSO representatives (representatives of the CS Conferences and the Antennae), representatives of other donors, in addition to PMU, EUD, NAO. At the same time, regular operation of a Technical Committee for institutional coordination (EUD-NAO-PMU) should be guaranteed. The best options for provincial operators (PAANE Antennae) should be identified in consultation with the CSC coordination groups, other donors, UTCAH etc. to continue to support initiatives in the provinces. The Antennae should be given training on the most suitable mechanisms and procedures. The levels of relaxation and derogation of procedures should be maintained in order to facilitate support for new organisations. An external fund for the PMU should be provided (run by the Antennae or a NGO/CSO with experience in the management of similar funds) so as to facilitate micro-support (human, material and financial) for grassroots organisations, emerging CSO and Network initiatives. - When hiring the TA of the PMU, it should be verified that they have effective knowledge of the problems in the field and the country’s dynamics. Short-term TA should only be used when strictly necessary for developing the programme.

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4.4. IMPACT

Impact may be uneven, but the general balance is positive. There are clear dynamics and progress in the scope of the three specific objectives (SO) and expected results (ER). There is also improvement in terms of empowering the citizen, who is aware of the laws and his rights, and with regard to dialogue with the local public actor. In this context, different participating actors appear to be strengthened and there is expansion and consolidation of dialogue. There are better internal dynamics and trust between municipal administration structures and the CSOs/NGOs in rural CACS contexts. The training and information/communication offered helped give the NSA better access to information. There was a marked impact from the Civil Society Conferences in their contribution to the process of coordinating society and changes in building relations with the public sector. Another impact is in the different new organised social sectors emerging from the provinces, which the PAANE succeeded in including and which were previously given no space. With the PAANE, the provincial CSO have greater presence and are more important. Impact was favourable in terms of organisations (better relations with other CSOs), in relations with donors and some networks (human rights, urban territories).

Lessons Learnt – Impact: Intermediate bases were established and better conditions created, which means that more specific and sectoral changes (health, education, etc.) can be generated in the future. The impact could be greater if the application of the existing laws were explicitly promoted. The Civil Society Conference (CSC) contributed to greater and improved dialogue between various CS actors and aims to improve the coordination processes between society and the public sector, with strategies and processes to be built. The CS Conferences’ dynamics enabled new bodies and organisations to emerge, and also did away with the traditional leadership of SCO and “Luanda- centrism”.

Recommendations for Impact: The “thematic” networks should be helped, rather than the geographic ones, to intervene with sectoral networks of health, education or agriculture with the capacity to focus on the “issue”/“problem”/“theme”. Areas of strategic “change” (pilot plans) should be supported. A support strategy should be defined for new groups and a platform provided for the new realities of NSA/CSO actors and networks emerging in the provinces as well as their coordination with other sectors (via CNSC, 4th level, different levels). The organising committee of the CS Conferences should be supported in drawing up a strategy for obtaining useful and realistic results with the public sector, and ones which can be implemented. Strategic partnerships should be sought, e.g. with universities, so that they can represent and analyse the opinions of citizens in an adequate manner at national forums. Information/communication of the laws should continue to be promoted. Support for the Civil Society Conferences should be continued at all levels, encouraging and optimising the local contributions. The CS Conferences and coordination groups for monitoring and supervising the recommendations should be strengthened.

4.5. SUSTAINABILITY

In terms of Sustainability, the support for municipal dialogue will be what will be sustained even without financial support in the future. In the area of training, the processes and plans to generate capacities have better results where the recipients and beneficiaries are both sectors (CS and public sectors). There is a trend towards new partnerships and provision of services between municipal administrations and CSOs/NGOs, progressive evolution in building the dynamics of trust, generating spaces, coordination and complementarity. There are better communicational dynamics. Many members of staff who are trained in the CSOs/NGOs start working for the Government because it

10 pays better. Other non-state actors (NSA), such as the private business sector, professional orders, (doctors, journalists, teachers), unions, producers and chambers of commerce must be invited to join this group with a shared vision of the country. Since many donors have left the country, the question arises: are there suitable conditions for national financing for Angolan NSA? To what extent can national funds be raised for similar programmes in the future? Could the possibility of involving the private sector in this process be studied? Could sectoral CSO/NGO partnerships be formed with Ministries and/or other public institutions to provide services in the country or in others? The Civil Society Conference has become a key reference in the scope of the programme and, with its continuity, a significant number of NGOs/CSOs have contributed with their own resources and have prioritised the search for financing and supervision. Lessons Learnt – Sustainability: the quality of dialogue at the CACS in some towns was improved sustainably. The dynamics of trust have progressively become a part of municipal dialogue. This facilitates the setting up of partnerships to provide services in territories with municipal administrations and finding new ways of national funding (companies, social responsibility of companies, state funding, etc.). Many NGO staff members become state employees and many international donors leave the Country. The withdrawal of many donors endangers the survival of several Angolan NGOs. Recommendations – Sustainability: The necessary transformations of the CS Conferences should be supported with technical and financial assistance. The PAANE II should try to replicate good practices in other towns. Space for coordination with international donors should be promoted so as to ensure and complement support strategies for the processes underway. The generation of conditions for national public funding and that of the private business sector should be more fervently explored.

4.6. GENERAL CONCLUSION

The main conclusion is that the PAANE has proven to be a facilitating instrument and a unique opportunity for Angola in terms of exploring and supporting dynamics of change. It is positioned as an instrument and an opportunity that focuses its activity on priorities and processes underway, on supporting the initiatives of the organised CS and strengthening the CS in the dynamics of public policies, development and governance and a constructive dialogue with the State. The PAANE must therefore be understood as a contribution towards opening up spaces and opportunities for new dialogue between the State and the population and opening the way for “change” and for the progressive construction of participative democracy. It has clearly contributed towards opening up and developing new spaces and opportunities so that the different sectors of non-state actors can participate in the transition and development process in Angola, and can work on “priority themes” to consolidate endogenous processes particular to the CS, such as CS Conferences. The PAANE responded coherently to the need for SC Organisations to become stronger in terms of institution and leadership and access to information and dialogue with government representatives. In this context of evolution, the PAANE therefore represents an opportunity with a facilitating approach to the relationships between civil society organisations and the central and provincial public authorities, and particularly the exploratory work with the municipal authorities, from the CACS sphere of intervention. The successes, positive and negative results, the weaknesses and the delays mentioned in this report seem to be related more to the challenges, history, difficulties and structural constraints of the Country than with the programme management.

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New dynamics and progress are evident in the area of CS and State relations, which must be strengthened in the framework of a future PAANE. The overall balance is positive. There are many things still to be done, but the PAANE I has explored and created more favourable conditions for a future PAANE II to continue.

General classification of the project’s performance: on a scale of A to D (A highly satisfactory to D very unsatisfactory), we can classify the Angola PAANE programme:

B+ Pertinence B- Effectiveness B- Efficiency Impact B+ B- Sustainability B General classification (satisfactory)

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5. ANSWERS TO THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS

In accordance with the Terms of Reference, the consulting team analysed the pertinence, effectiveness and efficiency, impact and sustainability of the programme. The results are presented below.

5.1. PERTINENCE

The analysis of pertinence involves issues such as the quality of project conception, to what extent it was relevant (makes the difference), opportune (in time) and adequate (in approach) to the reality of the country. It also analyses the way in which it contributed to the general objective and the results expected in the project, and to what extent the project was well implemented and coherent with this general objective and project results.

5.1.1. Elements of context analysis The decades of civil war in Angola ended with the Luena Agreement on 4 April 2002. During the following years, the country was in a state of emergency, entire communities had no access to the basic means of survival such as food, drinkable water and medical assistance. In accordance with the needs at that time, one focus of international donors was to empower and finance the local partners that were able to reach the neediest and most disadvantaged quickly and effectively. In March 2005, the first studies were presented for a programme for Non-State Actors. Since 2005, the economic and political situation in Angola has changed in several ways that are relevant for the programme:

 The elections of 5 September 2008 were another step towards the democratisation of the Country.  Reconstruction has advanced quickly; the main roads between Provinces are quickly being recovered and other important infrastructures, such as schools, hospitals or water supply are restored, especially in the urban centres.  As a result of the improvement in accesses, other private and government services are reaching the towns (such as banks, a wide range of shops, telecommunications and Internet access, though this is still very difficult).  During the emergency and transition phases, Angola had the support of a variety of multi- and bilateral donors and international NGOs. However, since 2006/2007, many of these have been leaving the country for various reasons. As a result of the changes in the political and economic context, civil society in Angola is also undergoing transformation. During our evaluation, we observed the following general lines of change between 2005, when the conception of the programme began, and 2011:

 The focus of CSO/NGO work has changed, from emergency and rehabilitation to advocacy and concern for citizens’ rights, human rights, land, environment, etc.  At the same time, the pressure of state organs against individuals and more critical CSO in relation to Government policies has increased.  Many SC actors (CSOs, NGOs and CBOs)1 have a strong link to international donors in the Country and are identified as implementers of their programmes. As a consequence of this, some depend almost entirely on their subsidies for subsistence. The recent closure of offices and the decrease in the presence of many donors and international NGOs has endangered the survival of some NGOs, both old and new.

1 The term CBO is used to identify Community Based Organisations, or organisations with a territorial base; SCO stands for more general Civil Society Organisations, and NGOs are Non-Governmental Organisations.

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 During the visits and meetings in the province of Huila, where until very recently there was a significant presence of projects with national and international NGOs/CSOs, the partners described the present situation as dramatic. A large number of organisations at this time are closing their offices, reducing their activities or minimising their presence. As a result of this, the leaders, those in charge and experts are devoting themselves to other activities – wherever possible – in order to generate income.  Some said that many well qualified members of staff have been recruited by government institutions, which can offer a better salary and social security.  Due to the decrease in financial resources, the competition among the CSOs has increased and the networks, which previously received a lot of financial support, are becoming weaker.  In parallel to the more traditional and well-established NGOs, various organisations and interest groups or movements are appearing, both in local neighbourhoods and city outskirts as well as in the rural environment and isolated provinces. These groups are less involved in the dynamics and debates “of development”. Some of the new groups and social movements that are appearing in the city centres do not fit the traditional profile of a NGO. They are mainly youngsters or organised inhabitants of the city outskirts who spontaneously voice their frustration with unemployment, the perceived absence of infrastructures in the slums and the lack of prospects for a better future.  At the same time, more grassroots SCO are appearing both in rural zones and in urban neighbourhoods. The reason for this rise is that they have an interest or problem in common. Examples are parents’ associations, cattle raisers, saleswomen, etc. Most of these are interested in voicing their interests at the CACS or other forums for social consultation.  All the interviews held in the field and the characterisation studies2 indicate that there is a deep unawareness between the best known organisations and most of the other community- based or territorial organisations3. The latter may have adequate conditions or capacities to interact with the local power, but much less with the provincial or central power.

In short, it can be said that between 2005 and 2011, both the spectrum of SC organisations and their approach and the political/economic climate in which they act have changed substantially. Nowadays, Angolan civil society is characterised by several different components. There is a “mainstream” dominated by two or three well-known older organisations with greater power and capacity for public articulation, which were created and grew during the emergency humanitarian phases of development and reconstruction projects. In addition to this, there are several emerging organisations, both in the urban neighbourhoods and rural periphery, which do not necessarily have ties to the larger NGOs.

5.1.2. Preparation and Conception of the Project The PAANE was designed according to the strategy and rationale of support intervention for NSA under the 9th EDF framework. Within this scope, many ACP countries decided to implement National Support Programmes for NSA under Article 6 of the ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement, in which the non- state actors are defined as:

 private sector;  economic and social partners, including trade organisations;  civil society in all its forms, in accordance with the national characteristics.

2 Study of “Identification of a support programme for Non-State Actors - NSA” coord. Laurinda Hoygaard March 2005, Gianfrancesco Costantini, (coord.) Map of the Angolan SC Organisations, NSASP 2010 3 In the Cotonou documents and other characterisation studies, 1st level SCO are considered.

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A capitalisation study on NSA Support Programmes4 shows several strategies and paths followed by the various PAANE in the contexts of each ACP Country in order to obtain a stronger SC capable of entering into dialogue with the State. As a consequence of the particular history of Angola and the different relationships between the Government and the various NSA, the main beneficiaries of this programme and focus of PAANE activities have been the CSOs and NGOs most closely linked to the dynamics and mechanism of humanitarian aid, cooperation and support for development. No clear strategies were developed for the inclusion of other NSA such as the private sector, trade or professional orders.5 The PAANE was conceived from a study requested by the Angolan Government and the European Commission Delegation in March 2005. During the process of identifying and preparing the programme, there was great participation from a wide range of NSA, State Organs, international NGOs, embassies and other bi- and multi-lateral donors6. The results of this study were presented at three public meetings in the provinces of Benguela, Lubango and Huambo. Although there were some comments as to the fact that the final report had not been submitted to the CSOs, there was great consensus in relation to the participative way in which the programme was conceived and this led to the approval of a programme like the PAANE in Angola.

In this process, some NSA priorities were identified that would be made into specific objectives for the future programme in Angola: 1. to strengthen the capacities of the selected non-state actors in their role of representation/advocacy (actor for dialogue) and of execution (actor for development); 2. to improve access of the selected non-state actors to information/communication circuits; 3. to promote social and political dialogue between the chosen non-state actors and the authorities, both at local and national level, on issues of common interest.

The PAANE’s approach of supporting initiatives of the already existing CSOs or those in the process of being created was evaluated ambivalently. While some appreciate the non-directive method, others claim little strategic vision. However, it was stressed that the intermediate evaluation resulted in a clearer and more consistent strategy.

5.1.3. Incorporating past and present EC/EU actions and those of other partners During the conceptualisation of the PAANE, there was an effort to create synergies with the Rehabilitation Support Programme (PAR), the Decentralisation Cooperation Project and the Social Support Fund (FAS)7. One component of the Reconstruction Support Programme, which was concluded in 2005, was the creation of Municipal Coordination Frameworks, which were conceived as a space for dialogue between administrations and the population and would thus be the predecessors of the present CACS. In formulating the PAANE, however, the possible connection between its activities and those of the PAR is unclear and to what extent this might provide continuity for the work done, or even if any of the missions made such a recommendation.

4 Capitalization study on empowerment support programs for Non State Actors, under the 9th EDF, June 2009. 5 Therefore, it is not possible to evaluate to what extent the programme was relevant, opportune and adequate for these sectors of the NSA. During the NSASP, “exploratory” type actions and first contacts were made with the business sector, professional guilds and unions, without there having been a real strategy. This should probably be given greater emphasis in a future NSASP II. 6 Study of “Identification of a support programme for Non-State Actors - NSA” Laurinda Hoygaard March 2005. 7 Identification of a support programme for Non-State Actors - NSA, p. 31

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During our visits to the towns and our conversations with the CSOs working there, we saw that there are various approaches in relation to how the CACS operate. In some towns there are forums where SC representatives discuss issues related to the town, in others there is no space for discussion. Some forums are being supported by the FAS, others by NGOs such as ADRA or DW. We were told that there is no collaboration or exchange of experience between the various types of forums and that those supported by the FAS are not being invited to participate in the municipal, provincial or national SC Conferences. Analysis of the documents also did not reveal to what extent attention was given to the forums created by the FAS or by other NGOs, such as the SNV or Care, or programmes such as LUPP. Generally, we can see that, in Angola, just as in other countries, there is no inter-organisational institutional memory where experiences, good practices and lessons learnt from other actors are documented and accessible to all. This seems to us to be particularly important in an environment where a growing number of donors are pulling out of the country. During the preparation and implementation of the PAANE, some organisations that worked on strengthening civil society, good governance and/or decentralisation were closed, such as the SNV and GTZ. From the documentation available to us, it is not clear to what extent the experiences of these organisations were incorporated or taken into account during the conception or implementation of the PAANE. In collaboration with the GTZ, the “Administrator’s Manual” was even developed, but we have no knowledge as to how it has been put into use. From the available documentation, it is not possible to conclude to what extent previous experiences, both those of the PAR and of other NGOs, donors or programmes, were taken into consideration. 5.1.4. State-Civil Society relations and the PAANE response In all the studies on the SC in Angola, its relationship with the State has been characterised as complex and difficult. More recently, new laws have opened paths for further dialogue between SC and the Government, especially in the processes of decentralisation and participation in the management of local government. In the meantime, dialogue and the implementation of these new laws are slow and difficult because often neither the SC representatives nor the local public administration know the laws well or, if they do, they do not know how to implement them, for instance, in the civic engagement councils (CACS) or in issues related to monitoring the General State Budget (GSB). In his speech of 27 December 2007, President dos Santos stressed the changes underway with explicit support for the approaches of consultation, which can be interpreted as a more open approach to dialogue with SC actors. These openings are considered highly significant, even vitally important, for civil society and for State organs, especially in the long run. However, approving a new law is not enough for things to change, and historical experiences have a great deal of impact in the long run, which is difficult to overcome. The political participation of the popular Angolan masses has been made more difficult by illiteracy, by the movement of populations and by the daily struggle for survival, as well as by the insidious climate of fear that has been fuelled by long years of conflict and political intolerance8. Thus, Mr. Filomeno Vieira Lopes commented during the final conference of the PAANE, in June 2010, that there is still a general feeling of fear at the level of the country, reducing the intervention of social actors, who adopt the most varied tactics to make their work programmes possible in a context where their interventions are controlled and even threatened by the security agents who are part of many associations9.

8 Tony Hodges, Angola, From Afro-Stalinism to Petro-Diamond Capitalism, 2003, Principia, p.98 9 Final conference of the NSASP, 9-11 of June 2010, intervention by Filomeno Vieira Lopes, “Por uma sociedade participativa, actuante e dialogante”.

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The Governor of Huambo, Mr. José Marcelino, in his closing speech at the 4th CNSC10, indicates that (…) The changes operated in all political, social and economic life of the Country lead us to a national process of the strengthening of democratisation, consolidation of the processes of decentralisation and of an increasingly more binding role of communities in the governmental, social and economic management of the Republic of Angola. Throughout the last few years, for a wide variety of reasons of which we are all fully aware, there have been several limitations and restrictions which have prevented us from fulfilling our duty and right of citizenship and our responsibilities as citizens in an efficient, open and influential way. (..) To finish off, after two days of sharing ideas, healthy discussions and exchange of experiences, we have reached many conclusions and made several recommendations, but mainly we have seen that the Country is ours, the Country is changing and the future begins today, here and now.11

These two respective opinions, the first “pessimistic” and the second more “positive”, are a clear reflection of the two extremes between which the perception of the participations of Angolan SC oscillate: on the one hand, a country living with fear due to previous experiences; on the other, the hope, the awareness and conviction of the need for change. A third point of view is represented by more “traditional”, conservative entities or organisations, both those of the Government and the SC. The former perceive the attempts of the SC to discuss important issues with representatives of the Government as a threat to their strength and sphere of power. On the other hand, there are representatives of the SC that still consider the Government to be their enemy, with which it is not worth trying to enter into dialogue. Thus, we can say that there is a legal opening for dialogue with SC representatives and a willingness on both sides, government and SC, to really enter into dialogue. Actually fulfilling this wish is, however, hindered by various factors:

 unawareness or little familiarity with the respective laws on both sides;  the fear of some members of the SC to freely voice their opinion due to former experiences with the intelligence services;  the perception of the other side as the “enemy” with which it is not worth discussing anything. The aim of the PAANE is to support the NSA in conquering the spaces granted by the government: “to promote the participation of the NSA in the transition and development process within the framework of the fight against poverty and to promote good governance”. The expected results aim, in one way or another, to increase the capacity of the NSA to enter into dialogue with Government representatives, with a view to promoting social and political dialogue between non-state actors and the national authorities, both at central and local level. In order to achieve these objectives, several interventions, training courses and grants were planned whose target group included various types of NSA. According to our experience, however, in order to obtain beneficial dialogue, it is necessary:  for citizens to be capable of articulating their needs and demanding more government responsiveness, openness or transparency;  for government institutions to consider their responsibility towards the citizen as a priority and have the capacities and powers to take decisions and the financial amounts to fulfil them;

10 CNSC, National Civil Society Conference 11 Mr. José Marcelino, Municipal Administrator of Huambo, Closing Speech at the 4th National Civil Society Conference (CNSC), who also adds: “(..) These competencies and personal attributions are often exercised in a way that is highly ideological, theoretical and consequently of little effect. We criticise, we vehemently make our voices echo as a form of protest, we know, the mistakes made are identified and are visible, but most of the time we do not propose practical, realistic and doable solutions.

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 to have partners for dialogue that have the capacity to listen to a different opinion and consider it important and of equal value to their own;  to have partners with the same level of information. Taking into consideration that Angolan civil society is not homogenous, but is characterised by several political and social interests, objectives and approaches, the activities are considered to have been appropriate for CSO needs. Most of them recognise the relevance and coherence of the PAANE. They state that the goals and activities of the PAANE were adjusted to the needs of the CSOs and to the reality of processes underway. While the PAANE strengthened the capacities of the NSA to articulate their needs, it did not take into account the requirements for empowerment of governmental institutions, especially of municipal administrations which are often appointed according to political loyalty and not on merit. We heard that, in this way, there is a risk that the members of the CACS, which represent the SC, are better informed than the civil servants, which can lead to lack of confidence, fear and feelings of inferiority. For both parties (SC and administrations), dialogue can be something new. Both civil servants and the NGO leaders are generally men aged between 30 and 50 who, in one way or another, took part in the war and are marked by the polarisation of the Country at that time. There was no political dialogue for decades and both parties have to learn the relative skills.

5.1.5. Coherence between areas of work and results and NSA needs In the FA, three results are expected through the relative areas of activities:

Expected result Areas of Activity R1 The competencies and capacities of  Training in, for example: the NSA are strengthened and their o Work on networks; decision-making role and actor for o Project elaboration and management; complementary development to the o General State Budget; State is better defined. o Legal instruments and the legal framework of the Country, especially in relation to the new Constitution and legislation; o Communication and advocacy.

 Grants  Occasional technical support R2 NSA access to information is  Training improved  Grants R3 The exchanges and coordination  Support for SC conferences between the group of receivers in a  Support for the CSOs in the CACS perspective of social and political  Support in drawing up municipal profiles. dialogue are promoted and strengthened.

Throughout the entire time of implementation, the PAANE chose to support the initiatives of already existing CSOs or those in the process of being created. It was explicitly decided not to “impose” goals and activities on the CSOs. During our research in the field, we observed controversies with respect to this approach.

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During the meetings and interviews held, most of the CSOs recognise the relevance and coherence of the PAANE. They recognise that the goals and activities of the PAANE were adjusted to the needs of the CSOs and to the reality of processes underway and to meet the needs of information- communication and coordination of SC organisations. The voices in favour of this approach stress mainly that:  in this way the PAANE can react flexibly to the needs of organisations;  it does not impose anything but supports the activities and ideas of the various actors (support for processes underway). Critics of the approach claim that without a clear strategy:

 the assessment criteria of the proposals for grants are neither clear nor transparent;  it becomes difficult to monitor the programme’s progress and impact. It was mentioned, however, that the intermediate assessment resulted in a clearer strategy that is more consistent and has better focused activities. The following aspects were evaluated as being particularly positive:

 The combination of subsidies and /or occasional funding and training. The people interviewed mentioned that, in this way, they were able to put into practice what they had learnt at the training sessions.  The effort to link the Angolan NGOs to each other and to various other donors and partners is increased. As a consequence of this, dialogue between the CSOs and the donors and coordination between them is greatly improved.  Most of the training sessions were considered useful for the CSOs.  They consider the PAANE fundamental for meeting the needs of information- communication and coordination of SC organisations.  Promotion of more and improved forms of coordination between the different actors, which promoted and developed themes that had previously been neglected.  Availability of space and promotion of debates on the existing processes, experimenting, exploring and evaluating mechanisms of dialogue with different State actors, through the generation of new capacities and better access to information.  In terms of improvement of NSA access to information and means of communication, support for municipal or neighbourhood newspapers was mentioned. Despite the many compliments, the following aspects were criticised:  Not all the training sessions were useful. The larger NGOs in particular stressed that they did not need so much training in project management or similar issues, but that technical assistance or short-term “training on the job” would be more efficient. 5.1.6. Transverse themes Three transverse themes were identified in the TOR: gender, vulnerability and environment.12 We understand that the goal of the PAANE to promote the participation of Non-State Actors in the transition and development process in Angola within the scope of the fight against poverty and of good governance aims to involve representatives of the most vulnerable groups in order to articulate their needs and thus simultaneously reduce their susceptibility to poverty in urban and rural areas. Environmental themes are central to the urban territory CBOs and in the CACS debates and environmental themes, urban infrastructure and waste increasingly bring inhabitants together into new groups.

12 Requested in the TOR as the last point of analysis for Sustainability.

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The evaluation team considers the lack of an explicit gender strategy to be one of the weaknesses in the conception of the PAANE. In the implementation, some female organisations, such as the Women in Action Platform and the Female Journalists’ Forum, were beneficiaries of the programme (and also participated in all the training sessions, the human rights work and state budget monitoring). It cannot be said that the PAANE has managed to make the issue of gender mainstream. We recognise that the goal of the PAANE is not to impose activities or approaches on the partners, but we believe that the gender issues could be included in each training session. For instance, would it have been possible, in a training session on the laws of decentralisation, to deal with issues such as: In what way do new laws have a different impact on women and men? How can we guarantee that, in the communities, men and women have equal access to information on these laws? It is therefore unclear as to what extent the concept or the activities supported take into consideration the practical and immediate needs of the female population or the strategic needs of women, which aim to balance the unequal structures of power between men and women. The consequences of this imbalance are that the public space for discussion of the CS is being dominated by men at all levels. In the most theoretical and strategic discussions, for example, during the national CS conference, it is mainly men who present “neutral” opinions, but not even in the thematic or regional groups is there discussion on the needs, obstacles or specific barriers of women, such as access to land and health or in relation to human rights. This unequal access to the public space is repeated at the municipal level, where we find CACS with 23 men and 2 women, one of whom is the representative of a national NGO that works in the town. In this way, the immediate and strategic needs of women with regard to the development of their community go unheard. Without a clear and explicit gender strategy, there is a risk that only 50% of the population can give their opinion and participate in the transition and development process.

5.2. EFFECTIVENESS

The evaluation of effectiveness is based on the analysis of the results achieved so far, comparing them with the expected goals. Thus, it is possible to determine to what extent the results of the Programme have contributed to achieving the goals defined in the Financing Agreement.

5.2.1. Analysis of Objectives and Results From the needs identified and the context reality, the general objective of the PAANE was defined as: to promote the participation of Non-state Actors in the transition and development process of Angola within the scope of the fight against poverty and of good governance.

The General Objective remains wide-reaching and multi-dimensional in nature and dimension in its concept of “promoting” combined with concepts such as “processes”, “transition” and “development”. In this sense, the GO summarises the characteristics of a programme that facilitates the construction of political dynamics, collective relationships, and collective human capital and at many intangible levels.

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SPECIFIC (i) to strengthen the capacities of the non-state actors in their role of OBJECTIVES representation (actor for dialogue) and execution (actor for development); (ii) to improve the access of non-state actors to information circuits and (iii) to promote social and political dialogue between the non-state actors and the national authorities, both at the central and local level. RESULTS 1. The competencies/capacities of the NSA are strengthened and their role as actor for dialogue and complementary development of the State is better defined. 2. NSA access to information is improved. 3. Coordination between the different parties in a perspective of social and political dialogue is strengthened.

Consequently, three priority areas are defined for the specific objectives (SO) and their direct correspondence with the expected results (ER). If we analyse the expected results of the FA, we can already see that the characteristic of the PAANE to support, strengthen and complement already existing activities and processes underway has been reinforced and highlighted. In this sense, it is necessary to remember the characteristics of its SO and above all the verbs used in the SO, that is to say: (i) strengthen, (ii) improve, (iii) promote. At the same time it is difficult to determine the levels and achievements, either positive or negative, that are directly linked to the programme’s interventions.

In terms of the general objective, supporting transition processes and promoting participation and development are seen as a procedural characteristic of the PAANE. Thus, it was conceived as a facilitating programme for political dynamics and for the construction of collective relations and human capital, all of which are intangible objectives. For various reasons, however, it is difficult to analyse to what extent the results obtained contribute to achieving this objective:

 Since no quantitative and qualitative study (baseline study) was made before the start of the PAANE, we will not be able to provide data or concrete numbers regarding the programme’s progress.  The nature of the PAANE is to support, strengthen and complement the processes underway. In this sense, it is necessary to remember the characteristics of its SO to (i) strengthen, (ii) improve, and (iii) promote. In this way it is difficult to attribute direct impact, either positive or negative, which is directly related to the programme’s interventions.  Since it has run so many activities, the PAANE has undoubtedly contributed in several ways towards achieving the specific objective (SO).  Therefore, the main problem in measuring the progress or impact of the PAANE is the way in which the indicators, both for the SO and for the expected results, were formulated. In the following paragraphs, we will analyse this dilemma in greater depth.

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5.2.2. Analysis of objectively verifiable indicators (OVI) The indicators defined in the FA logframe, as well as those from the reformulation done at the start of the programme or of the PB1 and PB2, lack consistency and are not suitable for measuring the impact of a complex programme such as the PAANE. The OVI established in the Logframe of the FA13 probably represent the start of a chain of “oversized” indicators to monitor the implementation and impact of the various results of the Programme.14 One of the indicators for result 1, for instance, says: Au moins 40% des CSO bénéficiaires modifient leurs actions après 6 mois de l’achèvement des actions de formation et de renforcement de capacités et au moins 20% des organisations bénéficiaires ont programmé de le faire après 6 mois de l’achèvement des actions de renforcement de capacités et de formation. Taking into account the amount of training sessions and participants, it seems barely operational and extremely slow to count how many organisations change their actions (which ones?) after having received training, how many are willing to do so (pretension or intention?) and to define whether the “modification of the actions” really resulted in any improvement. Another type of indicator attempts to measure the impact of the programme through numbers of participants in the training sessions, number of trainers trained, etc. This type of indicator does not seem adequate for measuring the impact of a programme because we do not even know: whether the participants understood the content of the training sessions, whether they considered it relevant for their target group and work in general, how the trainers will apply their new knowledge and what will happen to the trainees after they have undergone the training. Apart from that, the opportunities are not always relevant and seem very uncertain in their consistency within the context of the future PAANE programme. It would undoubtedly be necessary to adjust the indicators in order to improve operation of the PAANE monitoring system. This weakness in the rationale of intervention is particularly noticeable at the design stage and conception of general planning. During this process, through the Eco Consortium, the PMU made a first attempt to improve. In March 2008, a first short-term TA mission took place15, which presented the first version of a revised logframe. Indicators for the specific and general objectives were also drawn up. The indicators developed both in the FA and in other monitoring systems developed later, are not adequate for measuring the progress of a programme such as the PAANE for the following reasons:

 The indicators that measure the number of training sessions, their participants or contracts say nothing about what happens during the sessions.

 The simple number of 29 indicators, as established in the logframe drawn up by B. Sanz Corolla, makes it difficult to establish a monitoring system that works, and which is practical and viable.

 It is not possible to attribute progress directly to PAANE interventions. With so many donors and active partners supporting the CACS, it is not possible, for instance, to relate the number of towns in which the Civic Engagement Councils are implemented satisfactorily and the number of municipal development plans that reflect the community priorities directly to the PAANE.

13 The GO and SO of the FA have no identified OVIs. 14 In order to compare the different indicators of the FA, from the B. Sanz Corella mission and from PB1 and PB2, see the comparative table in the appendices. 15 Short-term mission of Beatriz Sanz Corella, March 2008, report on the global budget planning mission of the NSASP and definition of the partners’ actions

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 The fact that there is no baseline study is not taken into consideration.

 Many formulations are unclear and may be interpreted differently, depending on who performs the evaluation. Examples are: o Increase in the organisations that establish provisions for improving the management of their organisation. How can the provision be measured? What happens if the provision does not result in action? Who defines what “improving the management” means? o Number of thematic and geographic networks with a clear strategic vision and which are operative. Who defines what a clear strategic vision is? The network, the PMU or the consultant? o Number of networks, at a national and provincial level, that are operative and have relevant proposals. From what point can a network be considered operative? Who defines what a relevant proposal is? In our opinion, due to the characteristics of the PAANE, the OVI of the SO drawn up by the TA mission: o cannot be directly related as if they were direct and unique interventions of the PAANE (the PAANE is one of several actors/financers) o the interventions made as partnerships with others should be explicitly considered (in collaboration with, together with, etc.) o possible percentage increases (%) should be considered rather than numbers o there should be a minimum initial qualitative and quantitative baseline which enables increases to be seen o more qualitative indicators should be considered (added) than quantitative ones16 The TA mission of March 2008 created a huge total (29 indicators) of OVI from the FA which, in theory, should be the guidelines for PAANE implementation. The simple number of 29 indicators makes it difficult to establish a monitoring system that works, and which is practical and viable. Therefore, the OVI established in the various logframes of the PAANE do not allow the range of the objectives and results to be measured. Attempts to improve the logframe did not result in the expected change. Taking into account that the OVI do not have much operational relevance, it would seem necessary to draw up a system for monitoring activities, results and impacts capable of systematising the positive and negative experiences gathered during the implementation and of qualitatively guiding the processes. With the amount of information potentially available, a system for systematising and organising this would enable the PAANE to be developed as a centre for studies into the NSA, good practices and lessons learnt and other matters of interest.

5.2.3. Analysis of the range of results without using OVI Even without using the OVI of the logframe, we can see that the PAANE achieved positive results in all three areas of institutional empowerment, access to information/communication and dialogue with government entities and between the different NSA.

16 E.g.: 1) Increase in local governments which include in their annual budgets a percentage for programmes prioritised by the CS in the CACS; 2) Percentage of the prioritised budget effectively executed; 3) Themes prioritised by the SC in the CACS budgets; 4) Perception of the actors involved (NSA and municipal authorities); 5) Themes dealt with in the dialogues between CS and State, etc.

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Result 1: empowerment – The competencies/capacities of the NSA are strengthened and their role as decision-maker and complementary actor for development of the State is more clearly defined  Generally, the strengthening of NSA capacities at the level of organisation, internal operation, representation, planning, analysis, project management and communication had a very positive impact.  This positive impact was often consolidated with a subsidy that supported the organisation in implementing the training contents.  Some NGOs, such as the Female Journalists’ Forum, were strengthened in a sustainable and lasting way with unforeseen positive effects (e.g. changes in the Cabinda Police towards domestic violence).  Although still not enough, presentation of proposals and capacity for advocacy (e.g. HR networks, ACC, Omunga, lawyers’ organisations with the support of the Open Society.  Support for internal management, introduction of more democratic and transparent practices.  Emerging groups and CBO benefitted in particular from the training and small direct support and grants. It was at this level that the strongest and most lasting impact was felt (e.g.: Hoja Henda).

Result 2 – information and communication: NSA access to information is improved  The Civil Society Conference gained importance and profile. In this way, it has a good chance of remaining in Angolan society.  The communities’ information bulletins were considered a great PAANE success, and will later continue with other donors.  The coordination, flow of information, synergies and collaboration between the 2nd-level NGOs and national and international donors, between the multi- and bilateral donors and among the various CS actors improved considerably. Taking into account the closure of many donors and international partnerships, better coordination was considered valuable. Result 3 – dialogue with government entities: The exchanges and coordination between the group of receivers in a perspective of social and political dialogue is promoted and strengthened.  The support for dialogue at the level of the CACS between administrations and the SC representatives is considered one of the most important achievements of the PAANE.  More suitable legislative instruments to regulate the participation of civil society in local development, such as the law of decentralisation that regulates the CACS.  Generation and support for experiences (pilot experience) of effective participation in local policies, some of which are related to an increase in the visibility of the CS in cities without experience of inclusive and/or participative practices of the CS.  EU-PAANE-Angolan Government cooperation enabled “sensitive” initiatives to be supported in Angola, e.g. GSB, regulation of the CACS.

There are no platforms where groups, thematic or sectoral CSOs or NGOs can meet and discuss strategies. The representative of a NGO that manages to influence Government policies explains why: If I wait for everyone to meet, discuss and reach an agreement, the law will already have been passed and we won’t be able to influence anything else. Alone, or with a few colleagues, we manage to discuss issues.

The good results, however, are very limited to 1st and 2nd-level organisations and to some networks. It was not possible to significantly strengthen networks or 3rd or 4th-level organisations which may later enter into dialogue with the Government.

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5.3. EFFICIENCY

The analysis of efficiency studies to what extent the expected processes and procedures were carried out successfully; to what extent the project was supervised and monitored and whether the necessary corrective measures were adopted in an opportune way.

5.3.1. Organisation and structure of the PMU The FA bestows the management and administration of the programme upon a Programme Management Unit (PMU) which is responsible for the management of the Programme Budget (PB) funds as set forth in the FA and EDF procedures. In order to put the budget into practice, the National Planner (NP) partially delegates its powers to the Head of the PMU as fund manager and to an accountant, and the actions of both are determined by EDF procedures. The PMU of the PAANE began in August 2007 and ended on December 2010 with an "amendment" to the FA, lasting for a total of 49 months. The anticipated deadlines for implementation of the PAANE suffered delays especially during the start-up and setting up of the PMU. This delay was due to initial changes of members of the PMU17. As a consequence of this, many months were lost at the beginning of the programme in 2007 and the start of 2008. Another possible reason for the initial delay is that a team needs a certain time to be trained, something we would like to call an investment in staff. They have to test ways and methods of working until they form a cohesive team with the capacity to reach the objectives and results (and, therefore, to guarantee quality work). The PMU had a minimum structure of human resource, with 3 members in the ECO TA contract: the head of the PMU and fund manager, an accountant and a social expert. In addition to this, the PMU included in the programme budgets: a financial assistant, 2 training experts, 1 secretary, 1 website expert and 2 drivers. One great advantage of the team that implemented the PAANE was that the ex- director had in-depth knowledge of the dynamics of Angolan CS, without being personally involved in it. Thus, he managed to lead the programme impartially, without being suspected of belonging to any faction within the CS. 18 We will consider the PMU structure (with the “decentralising” option of the Antennae) adequate for a pilot programme such as the PAANE, which aims to support endogenous CS processes. However, it lacked a specialist technician or TA over the long term (or continuous short term) to ensure the continuous qualitative and quantitative monitoring of the activities, indicators and progress of the programme. A lot of TA was hired for specific interventions such as training, research or studies. Some of these studies and works were published, but we know nothing about how they were effectively used. Some of the studies were considered extremely useful, such as Mapping the Organisations of Angolan Civil Society19 and the network studies carried out by the consultant JMJ Angola20. In particular, the mapping of the CSOs helped to raise their profile and their locations, as well as those of other members of Angolan society, international NGOs and donors. Other short-term or backstopping TA missions were not always adequate in terms of quantity and quality. There seem to have been short missions, which may not have understood the context and environment in which they worked and did not always achieve the expected objectives.

17 We know that there was 1 accountant and 2 technicians 18 Many of those interviewed mention Mrs. Tirzi as one of the main promoters of all the NSASP process with Mrs. Paula Cristina Fernandes, responsible for the NSASP at EUD. Both were recognised on many occasions as competent figures who have contributed a great deal to the Programme’s success. 19 Gianfrancesco Costantini, Amandio Mavela, Mapeamento das Organizações da Sociedade Civil Angolana, April 2010 20 JMJ Angola, Mapeamento de Redes de Organizações da Sociedade Civil em Angola, October 2009, and JMJ Angola, Estudo Sobre o Diálogo entre Redes e Autoridades Locais, February 2009

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A pilot programme such as the PAANE, in which it was necessary to create human and social capital and to establish social, political and institutional relations, requires strong and efficient technical assistance and support. Furthermore, a programme that aims to work in several provinces, and expand into others around them, requires human resources and the logistics that will guarantee an acceptable level of implementation and qualitative supervision.

5.3.2. Monitoring and evaluation 5.3.2.1. Technical monitoring and supervision of PAANE actions

Considering the little operative relevance of the Objectively Verifiable Indicators included in the FA Logframe and in the revisions made to it during the 1st TA mission and PB1 and PB2, it is clear that it a system for functional supervision and monitoring is necessary. The lack of a monitoring system and of systematic organisation of information, lessons learnt and good practices was one of the greatest challenges for the PAANE. In this way, a great deal of information is not systematised and is therefore unavailable.

In the FA, no indications are given as to how to draw up a monitoring system that would allow the available information to be compiled and analysed with respect to the programme’s progress and which would be capable of systematising the positive and negative experiences gathered during the implementation and of giving qualitative guidance for the processes. Moreover, we do not know whether annual external monitoring missions were carried out by the EU (ROM) which could have given some guidelines in this area to those responsible for the programme. As a consequence of this, in the absence of an appropriate Monitoring and Supervision System, the PAANE was not able to analyse the “overall values” of this pilot programme. There was no clear definition of the situation at the starting point, nor was there a baseline study. The sources of verification established in the FA logframe do not appear to be used systematically as mechanisms for monitoring and supervision of the project. Unfortunately, the lack of a monitoring system means the almost total loss of institutional memory.21 The lack of adequate supervision and qualitative and continuous monitoring led to poor systematisation and fragmentation of the results. In this way, it will be difficult to take advantage of the good practices and lessons learnt. If the potentially available information had been systematised and organised, it would have allowed the PAANE to develop into a centre of studies on the NSA, good practices and lessons learnt from this and other programmes and other matters of interest. 5.3.2.2. Monitoring by the different participants

The PAANE was well supervised by the EC-ACP institutions of cooperation, which are EUD, UTA, UTCAH and the necessary corrective measures were adopted at the right time. A Supervising Committee was provided for in the FA as a decision-making organ. The FA indicates that:

21 One of the big problems during this evaluation was to recover, order and systematise the large amount of documentation received and which was still incomplete and dispersed over various places.

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We know that there was a technical committee which met monthly and gathered representatives of the UTA, EUD, UTCAH and PMU. However, this Committee is somewhat different to the anticipated Supervising Committee. Therefore, the FA provides for the existence of a supervising committee which should bring together representatives of the NSA, the Planning Ministry and other actors for development in order to monitor, lead and supervise the implementation of strategic decision-making. In practice, it did not work as planned and the representatives of the NSA only took part in the initial phase (FONGA).

5.3.3. Administrative aspects and management methods At the operational level of the activities, the main moments that have marked the pace of planning and execution in terms of the methods and costs of work done by the PMU are summarised in the following tables:

START DATE With the start of technical assistance (August 2007) END DATE 31/12/2010 (operational implementation) 31/12/2012 (period of execution) DURATION 49 months (total duration) – 33 months + 12 months (added) + 4 months (added) GLOBAL € 3,000,000 FINANCIAL COMMITMENT INDIVIDUAL RAL: 495,279.77€ RAC: 114,137.60€ FINANCIAL Individual commitment no.1 – CRIS 195211 (08/08/2007-07/12/2010): COMMITMENT ECO TA Contract: 1,217,650.00 € (RAL: 352,136.17 €) Individual commitment no. 2 – CRIS 195209 (23/01/2008-22/05/2008): Start-up PB: 50,848.37 € - awaiting the auditing report Individual commitment no. 3 – CRIS 195-210 (13/06/2008-30/09/2009): PB1: 927.698,41 € - awaiting auditing report Individual commitment no. 4 – CRIS 195212 (19/12/2008 – 15/06/2009): Medium-term evaluation: 27,447.60 € - closed Individual commitment no. 5 – CRIS 219-292 (01/10/2009-31/07/2010): PB2: 622,413.22 € (RAL: 6,678.00 €) Auditing missing

The various actors of the CS were supported in the following ways:  National and international experts in various fields were hired for different types of training;  Studies were carried out;  A fund was set up for grants. To obtain access to grants, the organisations had to participate in a public tender. The aim of these grants was to support the CSOs in the areas of institutional strengthening and information and communication. During the PB1 and PB2, contracts for a total value of 400,000 € were concluded and executed. The maximum amount of each grant was 20,000 €. Grants were anticipated in Luanda and in the 4 Provinces, but due to delays in formalising the PAANE with the Provincial Government of Malanje, it was not possible in that Province.

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The Grants were organised into 2 groups in the following areas: 1) Empowerment; 2) Information and communication. Within the scope of the PB1 and PB2, grant agreements were made and executed for a total available amount of 400,000 euros, selected from proposals received through a public tender. The grants agreed anticipated the execution of activities in Luanda and 4 Provinces. This was not possible in Malanje due to bureaucratic institutional deadlines of Governance.

STRENGTHENING INFORMATION AND PROVINCES CAPACITIES COMMUNICATION APDCH LAKDES Luanda CI ADRA NCC IDD FAE (Forum of Electoral Agents) Huambo INACAD LARDEF OMUNGA Benguela RAPED KWATOKO AID OJRC Huila CARITAS SINPROF

The method of management set forth in the FA was not altered and the operation of the PMU was refined and improved as the programme progressed. One aspect to be considered is the geographic dimension: a project with national coverage must have the necessary human and operational resources to ensure an acceptable level of implementation and qualitative monitoring. The decentralising option of the provincial Antennae was a good operative choice. In order to manage the programme in the Provinces, the “Antennae” were set up as provincial operators of the PAANE with direct control and grant agreements with 100% coverage. The idea of running the PAANE in the Provinces through local organisations was well received. However, it did not always result in strengthening them. Their task was to promote the PAANE and coordinate their activities in the Province, to support the partners in financial and administrative matters and to serve as a link between the provincial partners and the PMU in Luanda. The management device of the Antennae revealed weaknesses in guaranteeing coordination between the provinces, the PMU and the beneficiaries. There were cases of breakdowns in communication in the sending of sections of grants, which led to constraints and less time for their implementation. Apart from having a partner for implementation in the Provinces, it was expected that the technical capacities of the Antennae would be strengthened and that the institution would benefit not only financially from this partnership, but would also be strengthened after the end of the PAANE. This objective was achieved only partially: of the 2 “Antennae” that we visited, the CED, in Huila, had to close due to lack of funding and the ADRA, in Malanje, has serious problems with reduction. With regard to the other Antennae (IECA in Benguela and DW en in Huambo) we are unaware of the present reality. The collaboration with the Antennae (which have four different “organisational characters”) showed the following strengths and weaknesses relative to the coordination between Provinces, the PMU and the other beneficiaries:

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 Although there were TOR and established agreements, the coordination mechanisms with the provincial antennae were not clear to everyone, which resulted in friction between both the Antennae and the PMU, and between the Antennae and other municipal and provincial actors. One example we were given is the lack of communication in sending and submitting grants, something which caused constraints on all sides and reduced time for implementation of the subsidised activity. Taking into account that the EU procedures are already considered to be difficult, there is a risk that administrative issues will become priority.  Another element that was criticised was the bureaucracy for receiving grants, or as one interviewee said: You have to write a master’s dissertation to receive 20,000 €. Especially for emerging organisations or those that have several activities in the field and fewer in the office, bureaucracy can be an insurmountable obstacle.  We have to point out, however, that the PMU, with the consent of the UTA and EUD, made the mechanisms and procedures for grants easier through a special derogation, particularly the amount to be awarded and the process of approval. This improvement was noted positively by the representatives of NGOs that already had experience of receiving EU funds.  Within the management methods, we also know of direct “rapid response” micro-support run by the PMU for the different CS, We consider that this micro-management could put a strain on efficiency and be potentially negative.  In addition to some misinformation and criticisms on the efficiency of teams and mechanisms, we did not find any significant information (positive or negative) in any of the interviews held on whether the anticipated processes and procedures were followed and well executed.  Nor do we have any knowledge of audits carried out.

5.4. IMPACT

The evaluation of impact studies how the fulfilment of objectives and results contributed and responded to the real needs of the direct and indirect beneficiaries and how it solved the problems raised. In this chapter we will address the question, “What changed as a result of the programme’s interventions?” As we already discussed the problems related to indicators and the monitoring system in general in the chapter on efficiency, we will now discuss the range of the results.

5.4.1. Impact result 1 In the FA, result 1 is defined in the following way: R 1: The competencies/capacities of the NSA are strengthened and their decision-making role and actor for complementary development to the State is better defined As described in the previous chapter, the PAANE contributed significantly to the strengthening of NSA competencies in various aspects. Many NSA that benefitted from the PAANE came out stronger, but were still unable to act in a complementary way to the State. As an example, we can mention Caritas of Lubango, which received a grant and at the same time technical support from the CED (local Antenna of the PAANE in Huila). The aim of the support was to restructure the operation of the internal relations of Caritas and facilitate its organisational transition in order to respond to the new demands of development. Initially, the grassroots Caritas groups expected donations and were not in charge of their development, the different levels of the organisation worked without having the same perception of the Caritas objectives and worked with few connections to other mechanisms within the church or the CS.

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After the intervention, the grassroots groups are leaving behind the dependency on donations and becoming responsible for their own development, all levels of the organisation have a common vision and the ties between Caritas and other religious institutions, for instance, Promaica, have been strengthened.

We could give further examples of where the combination of a grant and technical support resulted in the sustainable strengthening of the organisation itself. Even so, we cannot say that at this moment, the NSA act as an “actor for complementary development of the State”. Reasons for this include:  Little technical capacity to discuss issues with representatives of the State, especially at provincial and national levels.

 Few organisations that can discuss matters related to health, education or basic sanitation with representatives from the respective Ministries.

 The positive effect of institutional strengthening was most visible in 1st and 2nd-level organisations, but it was not possible to strengthen 3rd and 4th level organisations that could act as sectoral or territorial networks.  Many of the organisations that work in a certain sector are also defined as service providers. In particular, organisations with strong links to donors that work in a specific sector feel like an “extension” of the donors to implement the programmes in cities.

 As an exception, we can mention the groups and networks connected to land and human rights issue, such as the ACC or OMUNGA, which influence and discuss with institutions at all levels, with the support and partnership of the Open Society.

5.4.2. Impact result 2 In the FA, result 2 is defined in the following way: R 2: NSA access to information is improved. It can be said that the PAANE contributed towards giving the NSA improved access to information. The interviewees said that prior to PAANE training, they lacked, among other things, information on the following subjects:  National laws and international conventions, especially in relation to decentralisation and local elections;  Work in networks and other issues related to the management of a CSO/NGO;  Possibilities for obtaining funding and information with regard to the different donor policies in the Country;  The work done by other organisations in other Provinces; After the training and other interventions supported by the PAANE, the interviewees reported changes in the following aspects:  Especially those on the urban outskirts and in rural areas reported that they feel more secure and better informed with regard to the Country’s laws. However, despite feeling generally better informed, there are huge differences in the assimilation of legal information. While some, for example, supported drawing up statutes for the operation of the CACS, others only had an idea about regulations concerning this new institution.  With respect to work in networks, the organisations feel better informed. However, they did not consider this way of working interesting or valuable to them. Some interviewees reported that the networks only work when there is a fund of donors channelled through this network or when they have a donor that finances this type of coordination between them.

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 The emerging CBOs and NGOs in particular felt that the training in relation to project management and drawing up of proposals were beneficial and resulted in the elaboration of better proposals.  Almost all of them highlighted that one of the most important impacts of the PAANE is the considerable improvement in the coordination, flow of information, synergies and collaboration between 2nd-level NGOs and national and international donors, between multi- and bilateral donors and between various CS actors. Taking into account the closure of many international donors and partners, good articulation and coordination in this sense is a fundamental support.

5.4.3. Impact result 3 In the FA, result 3 is defined in the following ways: R 3: The exchanges and coordination between the group of receivers in a perspective of social and political dialogue is promoted and strengthened. We understand that the formulation of this result refers mainly to 1) dialogue between the NSA of the various levels and 2) dialogue between NSA and government (at different levels, national, provincial and municipal).

5.4.3.1. Levels of exchanges and coordination between NSA In 2007, the Civil Society Conferences (CSC) was set up with the aim of voicing the most pressing concerns of the different SCO throughout the country, expanding dialogue in the heart of civil society.22. The CSC also break with a past of various limitations in which, for several reasons, some SCO from Luanda took on a leading role and almost entirely dominated the area of intervention of the so-called civil society, both in relations with the central government structures and in relations with the donors23. Since 2007, the conference has been held annually, each time organised by a committee from a different Province. In order to prepare the national conference, provincial and municipal conferences are held. The comments on the usefulness of the conference vary greatly, especially in terms of the cost/benefit relationship. Without going into detail or into a deep evaluation of these conferences, we can say that:

 The city CBOs benefit particularly from taking part in the conferences; they have more chances of communicating with colleagues from other Provinces, something that would be almost impossible without the conference.  Apart from that, by participating in the conferences, the territorial and municipal SCO have the chance to take part in subjects of national interest.  In this way, SCO that previously had no space are now included in the SC discussion, which was formerly dominated by the more traditional Angolan NGOs heavily supported by the donors.  The rotation of the responsibilities for preparing the conference may contribute to a new way of collective working.  Nevertheless, as we have already said, the dialogue is dominated by male or apparently “neutral” subjects and approaches. Although a lot is said about women, there are few issues raised from an explicitly female perspective.

22 Report of the 2nd Civil Society Conference, p.6 23 Report 2nd Angolan Civil Society Conference, p. 7

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 There is no sectoral work, for example in the area of health, education or agriculture, from which networks or coordination groups might appear to enter into dialogue with the national government.  Even after the 4th Conference, there is no clear strategy as to how and which issues the SC is going to discuss with the National or Provincial Government.  It is still not clear how to supervise and monitor the recommendations of past CNSC.

The support of the PAANE for the SC Conferences has managed to include SCO and NSA which were previously not given enough space and which need continuous and persistent effort for inter- institutional coordination. In this way, it was possible to open new spaces and include new actors in the CS discussion and debate. The Civil Society Conference certainly contributed to greater and better dialogue between various CS actors, while aiming to improve the approximation and dialogue between Civil Society Organisations and the Government and strengthening the role of monitoring and participation of Civil Society in the Country’s current public policies.

5.4.3.2. Levels of NSA – Government exchange and coordination As we said earlier, due to the experiences of the single-party era, the government-CS relationship was characterised by mistrust, lack of transparency and often fear. Establishing the mutual trust necessary for dialogue was no easy task. The greatest impact has certainly been at the municipal level, where many CACS, according to what was reported, are functioning better and in the expected manner, with different CS representatives and managing to make their voices heard. On the other hand, we had no knowledge of formal spaces of dialogue between the CS and government representatives at provincial and national level. In addition to the reasons related to the aforementioned CSO capacities, we identified the following reasons for this discrepancy:  The issues that the CACS work on are concrete and relevant to the everyday life of citizens. The more abstract the issue is, the more difficult it is for citizens to participate. While, for instance, almost all townspeople have an opinion on the new school or the town lighting, we do not know of any organisations capable of discussing education policies or the electrification of the Country with the government. What is missing is not only organisational capacity, but also technical capacity in certain areas. Apart from that, there are no mechanisms with which to group and channel the opinions of the town’s citizens to national government.  Living in the same town, it is possible to establish relations through various means, for example administrator and townspeople may go to the same church or have children at the same school, which may facilitate approximation. Thus, discussion is easier in a space such as the CACS. At the provincial and national levels, this “familiarity” does not exist.  Perhaps as a result of living in proximity, or perhaps due to the initial receptiveness of an administrator or the pioneering initiative of a SCO, long-lasting relationships of good collaboration between SCO and municipal administration have been established in some towns. In Gambos, for example, this collaboration has existed for over 12 years and the trust and openness was maintained even when there were changes in administration staff or SCO representatives. We therefore believe that when a good relationship can be established over a certain period, a stable institutional culture is created which survives changes in staff.

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 Positive impacts on the internal dynamics of local governments, causing changes in their strategies and in their model of relationships with civil society and the population in general. There was a change in social behaviour and in the relationship with the political reach of territorial organisations with municipal administrations, namely in contexts of rural CACS (e.g. Cheela and Gambos). It is more problematic to define the dynamics of the CACS at the level of urban contexts. More generally, in terms of Impact, we can say that: 1. In relation to the general objective of promoting the participation of the NSA in the transition and development process (fight against poverty and good governance), the impact may be unequal, but it is positive in improving citizens’ awareness of their rights. 2. Although its development in the territories has been unequal, the programme made a contribution towards relaunching the coordination process of society, by means of networks and, in particular, civil society organisations which are coordinated through the Civil Society Conferences. This coordination led to greater visibility of the agendas and problems of minorities, people with disabilities, gender, economic and social rights and democracy. 3. Also worthy of note is the work model associated with the construction and support of a new management practice of collective processes. The coordinating group of the CSC changes each year to establish greater capacity to work collectively, which also contributes towards following the recommendations. 4. Last but not least, the main impact of the PAANE is reflected in the following changes: the construction of collective identity to influence public policies; participation in the management of public goods; public administration at local, provincial and central levels; more sustained and sustainable dialogue. Since the PAANE has established the intermediate bases and created better conditions, in future interventions it will be possible to generate more specific changes. 5. With the appearance of open spaces, great challenges have arisen for the future in terms of constructing capacities, roles and functions that are fundamental for the SC and for the public sector – particularly the towns – and their interactions, especially in the processes of real decentralisation, transparency and in participative processes, budgeting and the provision of services through sectoral competition mechanisms (e.g. Health and Education).

5.5. SUSTAINABILITY

Analysing sustainability means studying how the objectives, results, activities and processes that the project developed were accepted by the beneficiaries; what knowledge was effectively transferred and learnt; what capacity was tried and tested in order to resolve the problems raised autonomously.

5.5.1. Strengths After the interviews and field visits, we observed that the institutional strengthening activities in support of municipal dialogues are those that will be sustained even without financial support in the future in implementing and participating in public policies. The existence of the CACS is already regulated by law. There is a trend towards developing new partnerships and provision of services between municipal administrations and CSOs/NGOs, above all in rural zones. The sustainability of the PAANE must be analysed within a framework of continuing the dynamics of dialogue between public institutions and CSOs, especially at the municipal level, with good local practices that have appeared in the CACS.

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There is also a progressive evolution, manifested namely at the level of local governments, towards constructing dynamics of trust, generating spaces for exchanging ideas, capacity for effective coordination and more and better synergies at all levels. In several towns, it was possible to establish and maintain a long history of dialogue, where both parties lost their fear or prejudices. Timid steps, small advances and progressive complementarity, which requires a continuous process of mutual influence and persuasion. Only when a similarity is recognised in the other party (and not an enemy) is it possible to begin to find elements of partnership, transforming a relationship of dispute into effective and concrete dialogue which results in an enriched municipal plan. This practice was strengthened with the support of the PAANE. Although its development in the territories has been unequal, the programme made a contribution towards relaunching the coordination process of society, by means of networks and, in particular, civil society organisations which are coordinated through the Civil Society Conferences. This coordination led to greater visibility of the agendas and problems of minorities, people with disabilities, gender, economic and social rights and democracy. Also worthy of note is the work model associated with the construction and support of a new management practice of collective processes. The coordinating group of the CSC changes each year to establish greater capacity to work collectively, which also contributes towards following the recommendations. The Civil Society Conference has become a key reference in the scope of the programme. The CS Conference System will be fundamental in the future PAANE II in influencing public policies, participating in public administration at local, provincial and central levels and in promoting more sustained and sustainable dialogue. In the last few years, there has been less funding for the conferences (municipal, provincial, national) due to the withdrawal of donors from the Country. Some NGOs contribute with their own funds in order to hold the conferences. We take this as a sign that it has been accepted by a large group of organisations in many provinces. Therefore, we must stress that the conference is still very new in Angolan society and will certainly change its profile. Some say, for example, that it should be held every two years, others would like to see more sectoral issues addressed and yet others opt for administrative changes. It would be important for other non-state actors (NSA) to participate in drawing up a shared vision of the Country. These could include the private business sector, professional orders (doctors, journalists and teachers), unions, producers and chambers of commerce.

5.5.2. Threats A generalised threat for most of the CSOs/NGOs is that there is no chance of surviving with only the contributions of their members or with their own financial resources: they need grants from donors in order to undertake their activities. With the withdrawal of many donors, the survival of these CSOs/NGOs is under threat, which endangers the sustainability of the institutional strengthening provided by the PAANE. The CED itself (PAANE Antenna in Huila) is on the verge of closure and the ADRA Malange has been greatly reduced. As many donors leave the country, certain questions arise: Are there adequate conditions for national funding of Angolan NSAs? To what extent can national funds be raised for similar programmes in the future? Could the possibility of involving the private sector in the process be studied? Is it possible to consider the construction of sectoral CSO/NGO-Ministry partnerships and/or partnerships with other public institutions for the provision of services in the territory or others? The next PAANE II must have a strategy of complementarity with other direct or indirect supports for NSA/CSOs, either from other donors or from the EU itself (NSA/AL, Human Rights etc.). Many trained members of staff in the SCO begin to work for the Government, because it pays better or because they want greater social security and continuity in employment. In this way, it is difficult to guarantee that the CSOs/NGOs benefit from training in the long run. At the same time, it is doubtful to say that the new, well qualified staff in the heart of the State will benefit the entire country.

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Many interviewees observe how institutional culture transforms people who previously worked participatively into bureaucrats who are more concerned with their social ascension than with the collective well-being. Another aspect that threatens sustainability of the results achieved is the short duration of the programme. The PAANE aims to contribute towards better dialogue between CS and Government and that is a process that takes time. Attitudes and institutional practices embedded over decades have to change, and that can take years. A pilot programme, with several actors and beneficiaries, a range of themes and activities and entities distributed over the entire country make the map of sustainability more complex in general. Through the support of the PAANE, there are better conditions, more capacities, intermediate bases and improved conditions for future interventions to be able to generate more specific changes. There are great challenges for the future for the functions and fundamental interactions between the CS and the public sector, especially in the processes of real decentralisation, transparency, budgeting and participative processes in the management of local governments, as well as in the NGO provision of services. Nevertheless, for the PAANE II, there are spaces that still have to be built and consolidated.

6. VERIFICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

As requested in the TOR, the final part of the report includes the verifications and corresponding recommendations.

6.1. PERTINENCE

Verification Recommendation Recommendation: To continue promoting There is a general problem concerning activities and training sessions capable of structural elements: State and Civil Society improving the capacities for dialogue between have huge deficits in good governance. On the both parties (public sector and CS). To work on one hand, there is a country that lives in fear the dimension of relationship/communication/ and on the other, awareness of the need to leadership training: creation of trust, spaces for change and overcome this. Different exchanging ideas, mutual recognition, participating actors stress the expansion and implementation and participation in public policies, consolidation of dialogue and trust between information-sharing, spaces for consultation and the structures of municipal administrations and effective coordination, which minimise distrust and the leadership of the CSOs/NGOs with these alienation of positions, To work on the dimension kinds of processes. of the capacities for effective coordination, aimed at benefitting the NSA and the public sectors.

Recommendation: To insist on information and communication at all levels, with strategic There are laws approved, but yet to be alliances with journalists and the press and applied, that are of interest to the CS, but the production of information on laws and their CS and the local public administration are divulgation. To support more connections and unaware of them or do not know how to partnerships between CSOs and the press (e.g. to implement them. Not only do they need to finance reports, debates, divulgation of Laws, know them, but they also need the capacity to etc.). interpret them. One instrument that can be used is the existing PAANE website, which can incorporate the texts

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Verification Recommendation of the Laws, the rules that concern the associations and NGOs, the regulations of associations (in partnership with UTCAH), etc. Recommendation. To undertake a study on the With the support of the PAANE, new groups emerging groups and movements, such as the and emerging territorial networks from the urban youth, urban and rural CBOs (Update urban outskirts and more isolated provinces Constantini Mapping). To support more local began to appear. The PAANE has involved organisations/initiatives, whose objective is to and supported these CSOs during promote a more “participative” and implementation. “representative” society.

Recommendation: To involve and explore other NSA (commercial associations, companies and professional orders, etc.). To guarantee assistance and specific support to generate the No other NSA (private sector, trade, social responsibility of companies. professional guilds) with which “exploratory” Some specific studies, lobby actions and concrete type actions were undertaken were included in initiatives with professional orders, entrepreneurs a significant way. and business circles which were not involved in the PAANE I could facilitate new ways of participating in the fight against poverty, governance and in the strengthening of CS relations with the Government and the State in general. Recommendation: To give continued support to The CSOs interviewed indicate that the the processes underway that are backed by the PAANE has been a great opportunity for PAANE I. To support the systematisation and use working “priority themes” to consolidate of experiences, good practices and lessons learnt, endogenous CS processes and has responded both from the PAANE I and from other institutions to the great need to strengthen organisations and programmes. To involve different CS and leadership and to increase the level and representatives in defining and drawing up the quality of the work. strategic lines of the PAANE II, such as rural CBO, new emerging groups, commercial associations, companies and professional orders, etc. The total absence of a clear strategy and Recommendation: To develop a gender strategy approach to Gender in the preparatory to ensure that men and women benefit from equal documents of the PAANE is surprising. opportunities.

Many CSOs and NGOs have a marked connection to the presence and priorities of the Recommendation: Viability study and analysis of international donors and the reduction or the potential of NGOs/SCOs to provide services to withdrawal of many donors and international institutions of the public sector. NGOs represents a debilitated situation and conditions the subsistence and survival of most of these local NGOs/CSOs.

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6.2. EFFECTIVENESS

Verification Recommendation

Positive results were achieved in all three Recommendation: To undertake a baseline areas of: institutional empowerment, access to study, before the start of the PAANE II, in order to information/communication and dialogue. The establish qualitative (KAP) and quantitative characteristics of these areas make it difficult indicators. Since the programme places an to determine the quantitative and qualitative emphasis on empowerment and changing levels of any changes and to attribute them behaviours, we suggest that for the next PAANE a directly to the PAANE. The lack of a baseline monitoring system with a KAP approach study means it is impossible to measure an (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) should be increase in number or percentage or to used, which allows gradual changes to be determine to what extent the goals have been measured. achieved and at what quantitative and qualitative level. Recommendation: The PAANE II should strengthen the results obtained by working on the same areas of activities. At the same time, the elaboration of a monitoring system is suggested (for which the PMU would be responsible), which would make it possible to measure continuously There is an “oversizing” approach to the OVI whether the changes are going in the desired indicators, which are not adequate to measure direction. The actions and services of this progress. There were unsuccessful attempts to monitoring system could, in part, be externalised reformulate the OVI. in the Antennae and also strengthened for their systematisation through a service contract (e.g. with 3rd or 4th-level entities that support the PMU in this strategic work). The use of the KAP approach would be a simple and low-cost methodology for this purpose. (See previous recommendation). Recommendation: Process of consultation with a representative group of the CNSC on the needs The promotion and coordination between and characteristics of the on-going training plans donors and CSOs in support of the various and other needs that may be part of the PAANE II areas of the Civil Society Conference training supply over the next three years at the (municipal, provincial and national) is probably different territorial levels of CSOs. This is a short the most obvious direct positive effect process of consultation that could be done by the attributable to the PAANE. PMU with the support of a short-term TA for defining the training plan. The coordination, synergies and collaboration Recommendation: To anticipate training or nd between the 2 -level NGOs and donors was strengthening of the rural CBO networks and their improved. This allowed the CBO to be included respective profiles, organisational capacity and in the relations networks at different levels. It technical capacity. To simplify and translate the allowed learning in grassroots organisations as results of research for use by the CBO. well as in excluded, vulnerable and as yet unrecognised sectors, through information on laws and their divulgation and moral and financial support for the community or neighbourhood newspapers.

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Verification Recommendation A training approach to the CSOs that does not include the representatives of municipal Recommendation: To support strategic alliances administrations can create an imbalance for creating mixed (NSA-municipal) training plans between government representatives and the and pilot plans with the MAT and IFAL - Local CSOs, something which can be counter- Administration Training Institute. productive to dialogue.

Better dialogue at the level of the CACS Recommendation: Recipients and beneficiaries between the administrations and the SC should be both NSA and public sector. To work representatives is considered one of the and promote training and advice for both with the PAANE successes. creation of spaces for exchanging ideas, mutual recognition, and capacities for effective coordination.

6.3. EFFICIENCY

Verification Recommendation It is considered that the PMU did not have the chance to guarantee an adequate qualitative and quantitative monitoring system or Recommendation: To design and implement a systematisation. The implementation of the Monitoring System. To anticipate a specific long- PAANE was totally lacking in an appropriate term TA to develop and maintain a monitoring and th Monitoring and Supervision System capable of evaluation system. Possible partnership with a 4 analysing the “overall values” of this pilot level entity. To maintain the short-term TA programme. This lack of adequate supervision (Technical Assistance) on themes strictly and qualitative and on-going monitoring led to necessary to the programme’s development. poor systematisation of the results. In this way, it will be difficult to take advantage of the good practices and lessons learnt. The PAANE was supervised closely by the Recommendation: To guarantee the functioning cooperation institutions and the necessary of an “open” Monitoring Advisory Committee that corrective measures were adopted in good can take decisions and which includes time. There was a Technical Committee (PMU, representatives of the NSA/CSOs UTA, EUD and UTCAH) with different (representatives of the Conferences and the functions from the Supervising Committee Antennae), and of other donors (Member States), anticipated in the FA, which in practice had no PMU, EUD and UTA. At the same time, to ensure participation from SC representatives and a the regular functioning of a Technical Committee low level of internal advisory bodies. for institutional coordination (EUD-UTA-PMU). A system that was decentralised from the PMU Recommendation: Identification of provincial was organised in order to coordinate, support, operators (or PAANE Antennae) in consultation and promote actions. This consisted of with the CSC coordination groups, other donors, provincial operators of the PAANE (or UTCAH, etc. to continue supporting initiatives in “Antennae”). Running the PAANE in the the provinces. Training on the characteristics and Provinces through the local organisations was functioning of the PAANE given to the Antennae. well received, but the management of the Antennae showed weaknesses. Despite the TOR and established agreements, the

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Verification Recommendation coordination mechanisms with the PMU were neither well regulated nor clear. The Antennae are clearly an important example of an instrument that needs improving. For a NSA support programme, they are strategic and must improve in the future.

The mechanisms and procedures for grants were relaxed through special derogation. It is Recommendation: To maintain the levels of understood from the interviews that obtaining relaxation and derogation of the procedures in funding used to involve a lot of bureaucracy order to help the new organisations better and the interviewees stressed that the understand the mechanisms of operation. mechanisms have become more flexible. A relaxation/derogation of the mechanisms and procedures might facilitate management and the relations and understandings of the PMU with the different levels of NSA/CSOs/NGOs.

Recommendation: Provision of a fund external to Within the management methods, we also the PMU (run by the Antennae or a NGO/CSO know of direct micro-support and “rapid with experience in similar fund management) so response” run by the PMU. This is a strain on as to facilitate micro-support (human, material and efficiency, but is beneficial and aids flexibility. financial) to grassroots organisations, emerging CSOs and network initiatives.

6.4. IMPACT

Verification Recommendation Recommendation: To give greater assistance to the “thematic” networks, rather than the geographic ones, in intervening as sectoral Since the PAANE has established intermediate networks of health, education or agriculture with bases and created better conditions, in future the capacity to focus on interventions it will be possible to generate “issue”/”problem”/”theme”. more specific and sectoral changes (health, A PAANE II should try to support strategic spaces education, etc.). for strategic “change” (pilot plans) and intervention, as well as sectoral networks such as health, education or agriculture.

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Verification Recommendation Recommendation: Within the framework of The impact of the PAANE is related to an strengthening capacities, training and improvement in dialogue with the local public communication/information, the processes must actor. In this context, different participating include both (SC and the public sector-municipal actors state that they are stronger as a result administrations) as main recipients and of the expansion and consolidation of dialogue. beneficiaries. There are better internal dynamics and more To work on the training of local and national trust between the municipal administration authorities in terms of participative methodologies, structures and the CSOs/NGOs in the context running “public consultations” on legislation and of the rural CACS. public policies, the functioning of the CACS/ CACS sessions, etc. The Civil Society Conference (CSC) has clearly contributed to greater and better Recommendation: To define a strategy for dialogue between various SC actors. It aims to involving other NSA actors: companies, trade, improve the processes of society coordination professional guilds (lawyers, journalists, educators and changes in relation-building with the public and doctors) and their coordination with other sector through strategies and processes to be sectors (via CNSC, 4th level, different levels). developed. The impacts could be greater if the application Recommendation: To continue with the aspect of existing laws were explicitly promoted. The of information/communication of laws. The impact training and information/communication offered could be greater if the application of existing laws have contributed to improving NSA access to were explicitly promoted. information. The dynamic of the SC Conferences has enabled new bodies and organisations to Recommendation: To continue the support for emerge and break with the traditional the Civil Society Conference at all levels, leadership of some CSOs and “Luanda promoting and optimising local contributions. centrism”. Recommendation: To support the organisation Strong impact of the Civil Society Conferences committee of the SC Conferences in drawing up a on the contribution to the process of society clear strategy to reach and obtain useful and coordination and changes in relation-building realistic results in the public sector which could be with the public sector. Another impact is the implemented. To seek strategic partnerships, e.g. different organised social sectors now with universities, so that they can represent and emerging from the provinces, which previously analyse the opinions of citizens in an adequate were given no space. With the PAANE, there manner at national forums. In addition to this, to is more presence and leadership of CSOs from strengthen the SC Conferences and the the provinces. coordination groups in monitoring and supervision

of the recommendations made.

Recommendation: To support attempts by Impact was favourable within the organisations grassroots organisations (e.g. parents’ (better relations with other CSOs, relations associations) to connect and exchange with donors) and some networks (urban experiences with others and start discussions with territories). public institutions (e.g. Min. Education and

provincial departments).

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6.5. SUSTAINABILITY Verification Recommendation Municipal dialogue will be sustained even without financial support in the future. There is Recommendation: Recipients and beneficiaries a trend towards evolving new partnerships and must be both NSA and public sector. To work provision of services between municipal hard on the dimension of relationships and administrations and CSOs/NGOs. In terms of training for both with the creation of spaces for the training, the processes and plans for exchange of ideas, mutual recognition, capacities generating capacities have better results when of effective coordination, more and better the recipients and beneficiaries are synergies in implementing and participating in NSA/CSOs/NGOs rather than from the public public policies. sector. Other non-state actors (NSA), such as the Recommendation: To define a strategy for private business sector, professional orders involving other NSA actors: companies, trade, (doctors, journalists and teachers), unions, professional guilds (lawyers, journalists, educators producers and chambers of commerce, must and doctors) and coordinate them with other be invited to join this group with a shared sectors (via CNSC, 4th level, or in other ways). vision of the country. As many donors leave the country, certain questions arise: Are there adequate conditions Recommendation: To explore more fervently for national funding of Angolan NSAs? To what (advice, studies, mapping and research) how to extent can national funds be raised for similar generate conditions for national public funding programmes in the future? Could the and for the private business sector, and to provide possibility of involving the private sector in the information and advice on the different sources of process be studied? Is it possible to consider possible funding. There is a need to regulate state the construction of sectoral CSO/NGO-Ministry funding (e.g. public utility entities, competitions for partnerships and/or partnerships with other provision of services, etc.). public institutions for the provision of services in the territory or others? The Civil Society Conference has become a Recommendation: To support the necessary key reference in the scope of the programme transformations of the SC Conferences with and a significant number of NGOs/CSOs have technical and financial assistance. contributed with their own resources and have prioritised the search for financing to guarantee continuity. Many international donors have left the Recommendation: To promote coordination country, endangering the survival of several between the community and international donors Angolan NGOs. to guarantee and complement strategies to support the processes already underway. The quality of dialogue in the CACS was Recommendation: The PAANE II should try to improved in a sustainable way in some cities. reproduce the good practices in other cities. To The dynamics of trust have improved support the systematisation and use of progressively in municipal dialogue. This experiences of SC/local public sector partnerships facilitates the setting up of partnerships for the and lessons learnt from other institutions and provision of services in the territories with programmes. To continue the support for Civil municipal administrations and finding new Society Conferences, motivating and optimising forms of national funding (companies, social the local contributions. To stimulate the responsibility of companies, state financing, participation of companies and Chambers of etc.). Commerce in the territorial Conferences.

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6.6. CONCLUSION

As a main conclusion, the PAANE proved to be a facilitating instrument and a unique opportunity for Angola to explore and support dynamics of change. It is an instrument and an opportunity that focuses its activity on priorities and processes already underway, on support for the initiatives of organised SC and on strengthening the SC in the area of public policies, development and governance and in constructive dialogue with the State. The PAANE must therefore be seen as having contributed towards opening new spaces and opportunities for discussion between the State and the population and paving the way for “change” and for the progressive construction of participative democracy. It has certainly contributed to opening and developing new spaces and opportunities so that different sectors of non-state actors could participate in the transition and development process in Angola and could work “priority themes” in order to consolidate endogenous processes of the SC, such as the SC Conferences. The PAANE responded coherently to the needs of SC Organisations to strengthen their institutions and leadership, improve access to information and enter into discussions with government representatives. In this context of evolution, the PAANE therefore represents an opportunity to facilitate relations between civil society organisations and central and provincial authorities and, above all, to assist in the exploratory work with the municipal authorities, using the CACS as a basis. The successes, positive and negative results, weaknesses and delays mentioned in this report seem to be related more to the challenges, the history, the difficulties and the structural constraints of the Country than to the management of the programme itself. The overall balance is positive. There are clearly new dynamics and progress in the scope of SC-State relations which should be strengthened within the framework of a future PAANE. There are still many things to be done, but the PAANE I has explored and created very favourable conditions for a future PAANE II.

General classification of project performance: On a scale of A to D (A highly satisfactory to D very unsatisfactory), we can classify the Angola PAANE Programme as follows: B+ Pertinence B- Effectiveness B- Efficiency Impact B+ B- Sustainability B General classification (satisfactory)

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7. Glossary and abbreviations

ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States ADRA Action for Rural Development and Environment Angola AECID Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development CBO Community-based Organisation 24 CSO Civil Society Organisations 25 EUD European Union Delegation to Angola DW Development Workshop EDF European Development Fund EM Evaluation Mission EU European Union FA Financing Agreement FAS Social Support Fund GSB General State Budget GTZ German Technical Cooperation ITA International Technical Assistants LUPP Luanda Urban Poverty Programme MP Ministry of Planning NAO National Authorising Office NGO Non-Governmental Organisation 26 OVI Objectively Verifiable Indicator PB Programme Budget PMU Programme Management Unit SNV Netherlands Development Organisation SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats TA Technical Assistance TOR Terms of Reference UNDP United Nations Development Programme USAID United State Agency for International Development UTCAH Technical Unit for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance WB World Bank

24 Community organisations or community-based organisations are civil society non profits that operate within a single local community. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_organization 25We also use this term as a synonym for NGO. 26 Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) currently means an organised social group, not for profit, formally and autonomously constituted, characterised by charitable actions in the field of public policies and by the legitimate exercise of political pressure to benefit populations excluded from the conditions of citizenship. http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organiza%C3%A7%C3%A3o_n%C3%A3o_governamental

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