92203 Cambodia DFGG Learning Note 15 Partnership Partnerships I: State – Non-State Partnerships in Cambodia Typologies: The importance of partnerships An initial overview for poverty reduction in Cambodia is recognized in key policy documents, including work together to align priorities, activities and resources. Typically this form of cooperation, informal or formal, 1 Considering partnerships formed for a function or purpose the Rectangular Strategy and successive National Strategic involves NGOs keeping local or other government actors Development Plans. In 2009, a key goal of the Demand for aware of their plans, though in practice the relationship is Good Governance Project was the development of state– more hierarchical. Most experience is found where non-state partnerships to improve governance. Since that partnerships are formed to deliver services (e.g. time, a number of state and non-state entities have immunization campaigns, pre-schools) or infrastructure worked together on a vast range of activities. These have sub-projects (e.g. water pumps, maintaining village roads). been initiated from both sides: civil society has monitored Some NGOs have also worked in partnership to influence health and education services, worked together to build government programs (e.g. improving the performance of capacity for citizen engagement in councils, and district administrative offices, empowering women in collaborated on the development of alternative dispute maternal health projects, or governance capacity building resolution systems; and government has requested civil in the GRLC). Such partnerships are generally still being society support to monitor administrative services, and tried out, but they create familiarity between the partners obtain feedback on performance. Partnerships between through relatively low-risk activities, and respond to citizens, civil society organizations, subnational emerging situations or specific gaps. They generally don’t administrations and national implementing agencies, start with jointly setting more ambitious, strategic goals or including the Ministry of Interior, are emerging as a jointly sharing resources. potential channel for forging a more accountable and responsive government that addresses the needs of citizens. This Learning Note provides an initial overview of how partnerships are developing, and highlights some of the challenges in the Cambodian context. Introduction The term partnership means many things to different actors in Cambodia. Those concerned with understanding partnerships have different constructs in mind – from loose arrangements with occasional contact, to more integrated agreements sharing resources. With this in mind, a study on partnerships was instigated by the Ministry of Interior Governance Resource and Learning Center to better understand the partnerships that are formed between state and non-state actors, and to identify the enablers and disablers for more effective state–non-state partnerships. How do they work? Analysis of global experience suggests that the most What are partnerships? effective partnerships embody a number of positive Partnerships are relationships that are pro-actively attributes such as harmony and consensus-based decision- developed between organizations to meet common goals. making, shared risks, valued contributions, and striving for They are often quite complex. Mostly they embody a equity. This generates a form of partnership working that different spirit than a contractual relationship that normally places a strong emphasis on working together, joint implies a hierarchical relationship. Partnerships are not creation, shared leadership, and mutual accountability. This always permanent – they may be time-bound is not always easy though as these characteristics require arrangements put in place to reach common goals. There is significant effort to develop and sustain. however an emphasis on mutual need between partners that recognizes the contribution of each partner. In any culture, some norms will be more conducive to making partnerships work and some less so. While many of Partnerships in Cambodia tend to involve two organizations these attributes fit well within the Cambodian culture, that have mutually supporting goals. Many form others don’t, and this seems to have affected the way partnerships because they have recognized that they can partnerships have developed and the kinds of partnerships address their goals more effectively if they work together. that have emerged. On the one hand, consensus-based The most common type of partnership found at the local decision-making is very strong in Cambodia, especially at level in Cambodia is one where state and non-state actors the local level – making the idea of partnership potentially Cambodia DFGG Partnerships I: Initial Overview quite relevant and achievable. Many DFGG stakeholders efforts are of course useful, there is generally insufficient also noted that the Cambodian sense of ceremony creates funding for locally-led initiatives. A second problem noted momentum, and the tendency for state and non-state by government and donors is the lack of capacity in civil actors to adhere to rules and norms makes for some society. Many districts cannot identify local CSOs with the predictability and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. knowledge, skills and experience to add value to government programs. In many cases, this gap is filled by On the other hand, the hierarchies embodied in society in international NGOs, but capacity is a problem that Cambodia have made it difficult to bring about equality in exacerbates the inequality of partnerships. At the same the partnerships that are formed. Civil society actors time, as noted elsewhere, there is a lingering lack of trust emphasize the importance of respecting those with between government and civil society in some situations authority and those with authority often expect to, and are and around contentious issues. mostly expected to, take decisions and control. Reconciling this fundamental attribute is difficult and is reinforced Apart from the overarching cultural issues noted above, the through everyday power relations. Stakeholders have research identified a number of blockages relating to the noted that it is likely to influence the structure of way government functions. Bureaucratic procedures and partnerships and the roles of state officials for some time protocol, for instance, often slows the momentum of to come. Nevertheless, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) partnership development. Accountability is mainly upward mostly report that their relationship with local government in the system, not downward to poor communities. In officials is positive. Feedback suggests positive experiences addition, many government officials in local positions do in local level meetings, good exchange of information and not have the authority for day-to-day decision-making in sharing of facilities. These are critical and helpful elements the partnership. All these factors will need to be addressed of a good working relationship. It is not clear yet whether as partnerships start to evolve and expectations increase. or not they will lead to more advanced partnership forms – Despite the factors constraining partnership development jointly developing strategies, aligning or combining in the Cambodian context, the effort to increase resources, and/or supporting mutual decision-making. communication and interaction between different To get things moving, and because of imbalance of power, stakeholder groups is reported to have positive ends. At much of the partnership practice in Cambodia appears to the beginning of the DFGG project when the focus on be framed around personal relationships rather than more partnerships was new, there was a tendency to count institutionalized or formalized mechanisms and processes. “interactions” – whatever they were. As the project In the past these have also relied more on informal progressed, the project teams started to consider the negotiations, than on transparent and open meetings, and quality of partnerships and thereby the effectiveness of in this way also deviate from what is generally considered these relationships. Similarly, stakeholders have recognized to be good practice in partnership building. that increasing the numbers of partnerships alone would not necessarily lead to greater accountability or Enablers and disablers of partnerships in Cambodia development impact. And as the project nears closing, it is CSOs have also filled a gap where the state may not be able recognized by state and non-state actors alike that to deliver services. These actors are extremely diverse – partnerships need to be carefully constructed to ensure knowledge, skills and resources vary. Many CSOs are that partners are able to deliver on their mutually agreed struggling to find a balance between supporting objectives. This is also leading to greater selectivity. government in fulfilling its responsibilities, and advocating on behalf of communities for more accountability to local Overall, the concept of partnerships is becoming accepted communities. While many CSOs see their role as advocating at the local level in Cambodia. In the future, there will for improved ways of meeting the development needs of need to be further reflection on the formation, purpose poor communities, there is a dilemma in this position. Local and terms of partnerships, and there will need to be some NGOs often contribute in the “provider” role, delivering effort to create more equity. To enhance understanding of services under contract. And delivering services directly how partnerships work, DFGG Learning Note 16 sets out a generates more income for CSOs through donor funding or typology of partnerships around function and form, with fees (see DFGG Learning Note 3). This makes partnership examples from Cambodia. This effort is only a start. development less manageable and switching roles is not Moving forward, more systematic analysis of partnerships always easy. is needed, more understanding of the differences between sectors and more consideration of how key Another problem in the development of partnerships that blockages can be overcome. The work of the DFGG project focus on addressing local needs is that, in certain sectors at has only started a process, providing the opportunity for least, the national level partnerships determine local level state and non-state actors to work together to reflect on activity. Civil society financing is often defined with a how partnerships can help meet developmental goals. particular purpose (often by donors with sector-based financing) which may support development, but not be The DFGG Learning Note Series provides quick summaries of lessons learned in driven by the prioritization of local needs. While these the DFGG project. Learning Notes 15 and 16 are based on a study and workshops conducted by the GRLC in 2012-2013. Written by Ken Caplan. Series editor, Janelle Plummer.