Since the negotiation of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, the issue of governance has moved to the forefront of ACP-EU relations. ACP countries have embraced the governance agenda with differing levels of intensity and commitment. Some of them have addressed far-reaching political and institutional demands, responding to increasingly strong societal demands for accountability, transparency, participation, improved service delivery, etc The challenge remains to translate the rhetoric on governance into an operational agenda that recognises that good governance is about social, institutional, and political change and that these are long-term processes that need to be locally ‘owned’. In this context, ECDPM’s Governance programme pursues three broad objectives 1. to assist Africa’s search for home-grown strategies to promote governance at local, national, regional and continental levels; 2. to raise the EU’s capacity to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate governance support strategies in partnership with ACP actors; 3. to promote effective linkages and synergies between policy debates, research, and hands-on initiatives in support of governance in the ACP countries - primarily Africa - and the EU. The focus the programme’s work lies on assistance to policy processes in Europe and ACP countries in a number of focal areas. For a more detailed description of our programme, see the governance chapter in the ECDPM Workplan for 2010-2011, the general overview of focal areas. · ACP Governance initiatives · Governance and development partners · EU-Africa governance dialogue · Decentralisation and local governance · Civil society

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Programme news and events

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22 January 2010 - African institutional actors discuss the African Governance Architecture Since its inception in 2002, the African Union (AU) has launched a number of governance instruments and has created institutions to support their implementation. It has also paid attention to the need for coordination and an integrated approach to governance by these institutions through the framework of the so-called African Governance Architecture (AGA). In December 2009, the AU Commission convened a meeting in Nairobi with key stakeholders and discussed how, in very practical terms, to create the basis for elaborating, consolidating and implementing a common vision and the objectives of the governance architecture. The meeting focused in particular on the creation of an African Governance Platform to strengthen dialogue, coordination and harmonisation of activities and ensure that Africa “speaks with one voice”. In 2010, the Governance Programme of ECDPM, in conjunction with its African counterpart, the African Governance Institute (IAG) in Dakar, will continue its engagement with the AUC on this timely process. . Read the informal note : African Institutional Actors Discuss the African Governance Architecture in Nairobi . ECDPM's Jean Bossuyt presents Sector Governance research to EuropeAid Anti-corruption seminar

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Meet the governance team

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Core staff of the governance team are: • Mr. Jan Vanheukelom, Programme Coordinator • Ms. Alisa Herrero Cangas, Programme Officer • Ms. Christiane Loquai, Programme Officer • Ms. Faten Aggad, Programme Officer • Ms. Noelle Laudy, Executive Assistant

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Recent programme publications

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• Discussion Paper 93: Supporting domestic accountability: Exploring conceptual dimensions and operational challenges • Un regard ouest-africain sur l’appui à la redevabilité politique (PDF) • The OECD DAC Network on Governance and ECDPM have recently completed a survey of donor practices in assessing governance, read the reports: Donor Approaches to Governance Assessments: Guiding Principles for Enhanced Impact, Usage and Harmonization (PDF) Sourcebook on Donor Approaches to Governance Assessments (PDF) Further information on the OECD DAC GOVNET Conference on Governance Assessments and Aid Effectiveness including access to the case studies • Governance and sector work Together with EuropAid’s Governance, Security, Human Rights and Gender Unit, ECDPM organised multiple workshops, which finally resulted in a ‘step-by-step’ guide to back up EC practitioners. • EC Evaluation on aid delivery through Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) In 2008 ECDPM together with its partner Particip prepared an evaluation for EuropeAid shedding light on the challenges the EC and other donors face when engaging with and supporting CSOs. • Assessing decentralisation and local governance in West Africa Taking Stock of Strengthening the Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity of Local Actors (PDF) See the full list of programme publications