Project Budget: 25,000 Euro

Background: 

The Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA) between the European Union

and the African Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP), aims at poverty reduction and eventual eradication for sustainable development. The CPA emphasizes the participation of ‘non-state actors’ in ACP countries in the implementation of the Agreement to Facilitate deeper involvement of civil society in the country/EU partnership as far as policy dialogue, programming, and review of projects and programs.

Antigua & Barbuda, being a signatory to the agreement, established a

Non-State Actor (NSA) Advisory Panel/Committee with a view towards it evolving into a platform for continuous dialogue for Civil Society Organisation (CSO) networks to allow for a more structured exchange between civil society and policymakers. It would also be a follow-up mechanism essential in helping to ensure the relevance and impact of cooperation policies and programs between Antigua and Barbuda and the European Commission.

A training needs assessment was conducted on the NSA Advisory Committee organisations. The assessment identified various capacity gaps within these organisations, many of which impacted their sustainability and hence their capacity to meaningfully participate in the Committee. The focus of many CSOs is on building the capacity to grow and sustain their organisations.

Overall Objective: 

• To strengthen institutional arrangements for dialogue between civil society and the Government, enhancing the capacity of the NSAs to effectively influence and monitor national and regional (development) policies.

Implementation method:

A Contractor was engaged to coordinate and deliver four (4) capacity-building training workshops to address capacity gaps identified in a survey of a representative group of NSAs/CSOs in Antigua & Barbuda. The training sessions focused on Grant Proposal Writing, Strategic Plan Development, IT Skills, and Effective Use of Media. 

To keep the sessions manageable and interactive, the class sizes were kept between 10-15 persons. The core participation in the sessions came from member organizations of the Non-State Actor Advisory Committee. The competency areas represented on the NSA Advisory Committee include youth relations, women’s support and development, labour relations, credit union management, community development, environmental protection, and fisheries.

Due to the COVID pandemic, all training was conducted in a virtual space.

After the conclusion of the workshop, the Contractor provided direct, individual capacity building support to the NSA Advisory Committee organisations to address specific areas of need within the scope of the areas identified.