All resources
CSO Development effectiveness & enabling environmentThe main tools developed by the Task Team are the Guidance & Good Practice and the Online Interactive Guidance. These tools are designed to build awareness on the need to engage civil society organizations (CSOs) in development processes. All other resources from the Task Team Studies, Events and Workshops are also published under resources.

Filter by:
- Online Interactive Guidance Description
- Task Team Brochure (français)
- Task Team Brochure (español)
- Lignes Directrices et bonnes pratiques pour l’efficacité du développement et l’environnement propice des OSC
- Guia y Buenas Practicas de desarrollo eficaz y entorno propicio para las OSC
- Résumé Lignes Directrices et Bonnes Pratiques pour l’Efficacité du Développement et l’Environnement Propice des OSC
- Resumen Guía y buenas prácticas de desarrollo eficaz y entorno propicio para las OSC
- Full meeting report HLPF TT Side event 2020
- TT HLPF 2020 Side Event Press Statement
- HLPF 2020 side-event: “Delivering on SDG17: Going further together”
- 2020 Studies Synthesis Report – 4-part framework findings
- 2020 Studies Synthesis Report – Main Messages
- 2020 Task Team Studies Synthesis Report
- 4-part Framework
- Task Team History
- Civil Society Days 2019 – Program
- Civil Society Days 2019 – concept note
- Task Team Brochure (ENG)
- Abstract Guidance and Good Practice on CSO Development Effectiveness and Enabling Environment
- Guidance and Good Practice on CSO Development Effectiveness and Enabling Environment
- Development of Guidance for Indicator Two: An Invitation to Engage
- Input for Civil Society Space Report
- Input for Civil Society Space Report
- Contribution to High-Level Event
- Contribution Partnerships with CSOs
- Response to Synthesis Report
- Discussion Paper: Assessing CSO Engagement
- Contribution to stakeholder consultation
- Review of Evidence Since Accra
- Key Messages for HLF4 Busan
- Key Messages for GPEDC HLM1 (ES)
- Key Messages for GPEDC HLM1 (FR)
- 2016 MSI Studies Extended Summary
- 2018 Task Team Literature Review Summary
- Stock-take Summary
- Task Team Blog on ‘Partnering to achieve the SDGs’
- Full GPI-12 Stock-take Report
- GPEDC’s Monitoring Guide 2015-2016
- Ownership dynamics in local multi-stakeholder initiatives
- Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives for Sustainable Development Goals: The Importance of Interlocutors
- Policy Summary
- Volume III – Country Comparison and Reports | Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives and Contextual Conditions
- Volume II – Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) as a Multi-stakeholder Initiative | Making Local Ownership Real
- Volume I – Synthesis Report | Country Ownership – Building from Within
- Extended Summary
- GPEDC’s 2018 Monitoring Guide
- Discussion Paper on Progress since Busan
- Task Team Review of Evidence
- Task Team Key Messages Extract
- Task Team Full Key Messages
- Focus Session Summary
- Focus Session Concept Note
- HLM1 Meeting Summary
- Mexico Communique
- EDD15 Proceedings
- 2016 ICSW concept note
- Nairobi Outcome Document
- HLM2 Meeting Summary
- GPI-12 Stock-take Summary Report
- Monitoring Workshop Summary
- Invitation Side Events Nairobi
- Invitation Amphitheatre Nairobi
- Key messages Nairobi
- Task Team Session PowerPoint Presentation
- 2030 Agenda
- 2016 MSI Studies Policy Summary
- 2016 Studies Published article – ‘Ownership dynamics in locals MSIs’
- 2016 Studies Published article – ‘MSIs for the SDGs’
- 2018 Task Team Full Literature Review
The Online Interactive Guidance
The Online Interactive Guidance is designed to build awareness on the need to engage civil society organizations (CSOs) in development processes. It consists of five modules that each play a part in creating an environment in which CSOs can meaningfully and effectively contribute to implementation and monitoring of international development processes. Each module starts with an animated video introducing the topic and is followed by good practice examples; insights from the field in the form of video interviews; in-depth readings; and an online activity.
Research Studies – CSO participation in the SDGs
The 2030 Agenda recognizes that the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can only be successful with strong global partnerships and cooperation. Civil society organizations (CSOs), due to their direct connection with poor, vulnerable and marginalized communities, are recognized as key partners in the successful implementation and monitoring of the SDGs. In the face of this increasingly urgent agenda, the Task Team on CSO Development Effectiveness and Enabling Environment commissioned a research study with the following research question: “What factors in a country’s environment help or hinder effective CSO participation in SDG-related processes and how is this practically felt/experienced?”
The study was undertaken by the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), a renowned higher education and research institute of social science that is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam, under the leadership of the principle researchers Professors Kees Biekart and Alan Fowler. The report synthesizes evidence from 21 case studies in six countries, selected because of differences in their freedom or ‘space’ available for CSOs. The countries are: Costa Rica, Ghana, Hungary, Lao PDR, Nepal & Tanzania.
The research design applied an ‘SDG’ lens as the empirical way to find out about CSO experiences when facing different degrees of constraint.
Delivering on SDG 17: Going Further, Together (HLPF 2020)
The Task Team co-hosted a virtual side event with The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland on Thursday 16 July on the margins of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development: “Delivering on SDG 17: Going Further, Together”. The side event focused on the crucial role civil society organizations (CSOs) must play in the implementation of SDG 17 (multi-stakeholder partnerships), and with that, all SDGs. For the full recording of the session, please visit the our YouTube channel.
HLPF 2019 Side-event
The Task Team engages with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) because of their relevance to the Task Team’s work (link to about us). CSOs are expected to play a critical role in the SDGs, both as implementers and as watchdogs for accountability. Every year, progress in the realization of the SDGs is reviewed at global level at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York. The theme of the 2019 HLPF is empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality. The SDGs that will be subjected to an in-depth review are: SDG 4 (education and lifelong learning), 8 (sustainable economic growth and decent work for all), 10 (reduced inequality), 13 (climate change), 16 (peaceful, just and inclusive societies) and 17 (means of implementation).
OECD Civil Society Days 2019
On 4-7 June 2019, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Co-operation Directorate (DCD) and the Task Team on CSO Development Effectiveness and Enabling Environment (Task Team) hosted the Civil Society Days at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris.
2018 Multi-stakeholder Initiative Literature Review
2017 Indicator 2 Refinement Workshop
Indicator 2 of the GPEDC monitoring framework assesses whether civil society operates within an environment that maximizes its engagement in and contribution to development. The OECD/UNDP Joint Support Team (which oversees the GPEDC monitoring process), in collaboration with the Task Team, held a full-day workshop on 7 April 2017, to refine the GPEDC’s approach to monitoring Indicator 2.
2017 Stockholm Civil Society Days
The Task Team organized the session Switching gears: Imagine you are someone else! Shift positions between CSO, donor and partner country government representative at the Stockholm civil Society Days. Incorporating a role-play, the purpose of the session was to create awareness of what drives other actors and what challenges they face in their environments.
2016 GPEDC High Level Meeting Nairobi
Please find more information about HLM2 and the various events and outcomes by clicking on the resources below. For more information about HLM2 please see the website of the GPEDC.
For further news on the GPEDC, including progress in implementing the Nairobi Outcome Document, please see the GPEDC News & Events page.
Global Partnership Initiative 12
Global Partnership Initiatives (GPIs) are voluntary initiatives which aim to advance the effective development cooperation commitments under the auspices of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC). From 2014-2016, the Task Team led Global Partnership Initiative-12 (GPI-12):”CSO enabling environment framework and guidelines”. GPI-12 is referenced in the GPEDC’s Mexico Communiqué.
2016 Civicus Civil Society Week
2016 Multi-stakeholder Initiatives Study
The Task Team sees value in commissioning studies that may guide or inform its work. The 2016 Comparative Studies on Multi-stakeholder Initiatives (MSI study) examined what makes multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) work well and why. It involved research in 4 countries and resulted a report (comprising 4 volumes), a Policy Summary and two academic articles.
2015 European Development Days
The European Development Days 2015 (EDD2015) were held in Brussels on 3-4 June 2015. For the development sector, 2015 was a historic year as it was the closing year for the Millennium Development Goals. The EDD mobilized the development community around a new, more inclusive and united approach. Sustainability was at the heart of the dialogue, with an important emphasis placed on themes relating to climate change and disaster risks, renewable energy and sustainable consumption and production.
For more information on the European Development Days, including past editions, please see the EDD webpage.
2014 GPEDC High Level Meeting Mexico
The 1st High Level Meeting (HLM1) of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) was held in April 2014 in Mexico City. More than 1,500 development leaders participated to review progress in making development co-operation more effective, agree on actions to boost progress, and anchor effective development cooperation in the post-2015 agenda. The Task Team organized a focus session at HLM1.
Online Interactive Guidance Description
Task Team Brochure (français)
Lignes Directrices et bonnes pratiques pour l’efficacité du développement et l’environnement propice des OSC
Guia y Buenas Practicas de desarrollo eficaz y entorno propicio para las OSC
Résumé Lignes Directrices et Bonnes Pratiques pour l’Efficacité du Développement et l’Environnement Propice des OSC
Resumen Guía y buenas prácticas de desarrollo eficaz y entorno propicio para las OSC
HLPF 2020 side-event: “Delivering on SDG17: Going further together”
2020 Studies Synthesis Report – 4-part framework findings
2020 Studies Synthesis Report – Main Messages
2020 Task Team Studies Synthesis Report
Task Team Brochure (ENG)
This Task Team Brochure (April 2019) provides a snapshot of the Task Team, its objectives and key areas of work.
Abstract Guidance and Good Practice on CSO Development Effectiveness and Enabling Environment
This Abstract is based on the Task Team’s full length Guidance and Good Practice on CSO Development Effectiveness and Enabling Environment. Using a four-part framework, the abstract offers a quick introduction on the inter-related commitments on the CSO enabling environment and CSO development effectiveness. It explains what the commitments mean in practice for different actors. A limited selection of good practice examples is also included.
Online Interactive Guidance Description
Task Team Brochure (français)
Lignes Directrices et bonnes pratiques pour l’efficacité du développement et l’environnement propice des OSC
Guia y Buenas Practicas de desarrollo eficaz y entorno propicio para las OSC
Résumé Lignes Directrices et Bonnes Pratiques pour l’Efficacité du Développement et l’Environnement Propice des OSC
Resumen Guía y buenas prácticas de desarrollo eficaz y entorno propicio para las OSC
HLPF 2020 side-event: “Delivering on SDG17: Going further together”
2020 Studies Synthesis Report – 4-part framework findings
2020 Studies Synthesis Report – Main Messages
2020 Task Team Studies Synthesis Report
Task Team Brochure (ENG)
This Task Team Brochure (April 2019) provides a snapshot of the Task Team, its objectives and key areas of work.
Abstract Guidance and Good Practice on CSO Development Effectiveness and Enabling Environment
This Abstract is based on the Task Team’s full length Guidance and Good Practice on CSO Development Effectiveness and Enabling Environment. Using a four-part framework, the abstract offers a quick introduction on the inter-related commitments on the CSO enabling environment and CSO development effectiveness. It explains what the commitments mean in practice for different actors. A limited selection of good practice examples is also included.