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à Supported CSO to develop a proposal on climate change adaptation submitted to the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development and Ministry of Environment and engage in revising the new land law.
à Strong partnership with the research and studies centre of the Catholic University of Angola (CEIC), with OSISA being one of the main supporters of the centre’s social agenda and “core of poverty”. Every year the CEIC publishes the economic and social reports, the principal analysis and discussion docu- ments in the country with national impact.
à Through support to the working group on human rights monitoring (GTMDH) in partnership with the Angolan Bar Association, conducted advocacy which led the Constitutional Court to declare the unconstitutionality of the 2015 Presidential decree, which targeted tighter control, interference, legal punishment and included the closure of NGOs that were deemed anti-government.
à Improved relations with the government manifested in the partnership to organise a national conference on “Angola health emergencies” and a consultation meeting with President João Lourenço in 2019.
à Launching the report on “the characterisation of the informal traders in Angola” at the Catholic University.
Lessons learned
The following lessons can be highlighted:
à In Angola, there are very few civil societies organisa- tions working outside the country’s capital Luanda. Due to this deficit, OSISA worked with CSOs based in Luanda to implement projects in other provinces, but these projects ended up having several constraints. Namely, high administrative costs due to frequent trips, distance from the decision-making process, low level of interaction with the target group and low level of engagement with local authorities. Therefore, it is recommended to work with local organisations even if they are not formally legal, starting with small operational projects and gradually increasing the amount. Then, if necessary OSISA should support the legalisation process of these organisations.
à Most projects approved by OSISA are for one (1) year, but the actual implementation period is two to two-and-a-half (2 to 2.5) years. There are sev- eral reasons, including local constraints, change of leadership in organisations and a deficit in project management. However, we have noted in some cas- es that the partners intended to drag the implemen- tation period of the projects, creating a justification for paying salaries and other administrative costs for a non-budgeted period. It is recommended that it is made explicit, during the signing of the agree- ment, that extensions without costs cannot withdraw money from activities to cover wages. But it is chal- lenging to motivate people to implement a project without salaries, so this practice should be strongly discouraged.
à The partnership is fundamental to implementing OSISA’s strategy, however, finding partners commit- ted to long-term causes without the guarantee of funding has been a challenge. Another challenge is to motivate organisations to work in networks with mechanisms to ensure sustainability.
à During the signing of the agreement, OSISA partners seem to realise their obligations in the accounta- bility process of the funds they receive from OSISA. However, in most cases of reporting (narrative and financial reports), we note that they did not fully re- alise their obligations by submitting documents with acts contrary to OSISA procedures. It is recommend- ed that partners should read and sign a document on accountability procedures that should be prepared at the time of signature of the financing agreement.
à There are some leadership changes in civil society organisations. When this occurs, the new leadership struggles to take on the responsibilities of previous management, especially when projects are ambi- tious and require high-level engagement and advo- cacy organisations. It is recommended to emphasise the institutional obligation and involve more people in the organisation than the person signing the fi- nancing agreement.
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