Project Start Date:
May 2006
Tentative End Date: May 2007 Actual End Date: October 2007 Time Table: May 2006 – June 2006 Collation and critical analysis of past and present literature on resource curse in Nigeria and related thematic issues. This will involve identified useful individual organisation’s projects and interventions and donor agencies supporting the work of civil society in Nigeria. However, emphasis will be on interventions of national and regional coalitions and networks like the Budget Transparency Network (BTN), the National Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Publish What You Pay Coalition (PWYP), the Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC) etc. This will assist in determining answers to questions such as, what are the limitations of civil society in ensuring greater transparency and accountability in governance in view of its multifaceted interventions.To what extent has the approach (es) adopted by civil society in Nigeria been successful in ensuring greater transparency and accountability in Nigeria. To what extent does the capacity of civil society impact on their output and the perception of the resource curse within Nigeria. It will also serve as entry point for identifying the challenges of resource curse in Nigeria. Submission and posting of issue paper. July 2006 – August 2006 Mapping and analysis of government’s civil society engagement mechanisms on issues of transparency and accountability. This will involve meetings and focused group discussions with government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). It will primarily set out to answer the following questions amongst others: Are there permanent mechanisms for government/civil society engagement? Are there adhoc mechanisms for engagement? What are the impediments if any, to the setting up of permanent structures and mechanisms for government/civil society engagement? Specifically the following MDAs will be useful: *Ministry of Finance *Budget Office *National Planning Commission *Members of the Presidential Economic Team *National Assembly (focusing on relevant committees) *Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Civil Society ,etc Perception of resource curse and its challenges within government will also be examined at this stage. September 2006 – October 2006 Field analysis – Measuring civil society’s impact in governance accountability. This will involve measuring the relationship between civil society between civil society and the state. Does civil society have any involvement in ensuring accountability in governance? Do they have any power to hold the government accountable for the use of public funds – especially those budgeted for each year by the government? What policies and strategies are necessary to overcome any existing impediment? What are the missing policy gaps as seen by the people, public officers and civil society -local and internationa. To submit draft policy paper to Group Advisor November 2006 – December 2006 Analysis of comparative options. This will involve sourcing comparative experiences from across the world. There will be analysis of other social, economic and political settings in comparison to Nigeria. Questions such as: Are there clear evidence of civil society impacting governance accountability, especially with regard to the budgeting process? Is the success recorded in such other countries as a result of some clearly spelt out government/civil society engagement mechanism or as a result of their peculiar social, economic or political climate? Are there possibilities that some of the mechanisms that have worked in these other countries can work in Nigeria? Are there institutional reforms that are necessary to replicate such success stories? Are there options for completely homegrown mechanisms to be developed and adopted by Nigeria and other countries? What are the prevailing perception on the resource curse in Nigeria by the international community? What are the challenges in other countries with natural resources -are they peculiar, What missing policy gaps can be used to cure the resource curse? January 2007 – April 2007 Final review: *Elaboration of Policy recommendations *Editing *Final Consultation with stakeholders *Preparation of articles and a book * Public presentation of Policy paper
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