Implementing Organisation: Polish Green Network

Title of the Project: Challenging Poland in EU development policy decision-making

Total Budget: 36.804 euros            

Total Request from Fund: 35.045 euros

Overall Context at the Beginning of the Project:

A ground-breaking report by civil society groups in Poland had revealed that effective ODA management is problematic for Polish government issued this year. This report raised the need to analyse Polish ODA in comparison to MFA strategy and to verify governmental strategy and performance in relation to the real needs of developing countries and commitments made at the EU level.

Description of the Project and Expected Results:

Rooted in this report, the main goal of the project was to identify the lack of coherence between EU Development Policy and the existing and the proposed Polish development cooperation policy.

Thematic working meetings for key NGO interested in advocacy on development were needed for working out arguments coherent with the EU NGO position and based on their experience. Policy partnerships needed to be forged with NGDOs from Polish priority countries to monitor development goals and to ensure that needs of these priority countries were properly assessed and Polish performance would meet MDGs.

The drafting of a report on Polish policy compliance based on an would inform an effective advocacy campaign. This report woud be available to all partners from partner countries. Report would not only focus on the divergences between Polish commitments on EU level and performance of Polish government but would also include recommendations connected with meeting EU commitments.

With the help of the report Polish Green Network supported by allies would advocate for necessary changes through discussion with the decision makers - in a more detailed, convincing and concrete way putting EU perspective to the issue (EDF scrutiny, the problem of genuine aid, choosing priorities, governance standards).

Polish MPs would be engaged to undertake public scrutiny on strategic moves of MFA’s ODA management and the framing of the Polish Development Policy.

Desired results of project were:

Results after Implementation:

Where the first call had focused on increasing the knowledge and capacity of the NG(D)O community, the second call aimed at analyzing the lack of coherence between EU and national development policies and draft a report on the divergencies. By organizing thematic workshops in cooperation with NG(D)Os from the ‘old’ Member States and from Angola and Tanzania, the two Polish priority countries, it hoped to raise awareness for the issue.

In its final report on this project it stated its cooperation with PHO and the Polish Institute for Global Responsibility (which attended the 16 December 2009 PF recipient meeting on the behalf of the PNG) and the Polish NG(D)O platform Grupa Zagranica, particularly working within the platform’s Aid Watch Working Group. Consequently PNG took also part in the Aid Watch workshop together with Czech and Slovak NG(D)Os, continuing the relationship started during the first PF project. It also worked closely with Coordination Sud in France.

Together with its colleague NG(D)Os PNG drafted a report/briefing 84% of Poles endorse Polish development cooperation. What can politicians do about it?, which included an analysis of the implementation of the EU Consensus and disseminated it among the MPs. It mobilized the MPs and gave the NG(D)Os the recognition of being important and knowledgeable information sources, particularly as they also sent out regular briefings. Although the economic crisis meant that there would be no additional government funding available for development cooperation, the NG(D)s were recognized as important stakeholders and the MFA and other ministries were more forthcoming in providing the necessary information for the different government reports.

The PNG, therefore, intended to continue its work developed through both the PF grants and aims at drafting a three year advocacy campaign together with its Czech and Slovak colleagues. Although it had some reservations on the efficiency of the Polish platform it intends to continue its work within the platform.