Civil Society Organisations' engagement in the Millennium Development Goal (CSO-MDG) processes in South Africa 2013

This data set contains 11 transcripts of interviews conducted with the key informants and civil society organisations' representatives.

• Independent individual key informants (4)
• Government representatives (1)
• Civil Society Organisations (6)

The National Development Agency contracted the Economic Performance and Development Unit, HSRC, to conduct a rapid assessment of the nature of engagement by civil society organisations (CSOs) in the design, implementation, and review of country specific Millennium Development Goal (MDG) strategies and processes. This is aimed at making recommendations on the role and contribution of the NDA in strengthening CSOs engagement with country specific MDG processes in order to enable South Africa to meet its MDG targets.

The objective of this study was therefore to assess the extent and nature of CSO engagement in MDG processes in South Africa and to identify gaps and challenges in strengthening CSO engagement towards accelerating progress towards meeting MDG targets.

• Two main data collection methods were utilised for this study namely, a literature review and a limited key informant survey. The literature review covered the regulatory and policy environment within which CSOs are enabled to participate in MDG processes as well as a review of international experience of CSO involvement with MDGs. A second component of the study involved conducting limited key informant interviews with selected representatives of civil society organisations and government officials in South Africa. The scope of the study was as follows: A rapid assessment of extent and nature of CSO engagement in MDG processes in South Africa; this will include a few case studies of the contribution of CSOs to MDG goals;
• A review of the regulatory, policy and programmatic environment within which CSOs are enabled and encouraged by government to participate in national MDG processes;
• Identification of potential roles for CSOs in the MDG process and the support required to enable effective participation;
• Make recommendations on effective interventions to be implemented by the NDA in supporting CSOs to effectively participate in MDG processes.

The research gave rise to a research report as well as separate electronic files for each of the 11 interviews conducted with key informants. The file is an MS Word file containing the record of the interview conducted.

The major themes were:

• Understanding MDGs in the context of National Development Priorities in South Africa;
• Stakeholder engagement in MDG processes;
• Experience with MDG processes in South Africa

The sources included published secondary literature and these secondary data sources were supplemented by interviews carried out by the research team.

Universe = sample.

The sampling was purposive. Key informants were consulted to help identify CSOs in South Africa who had some engagement with MDG processes. This included identifying key organisations and individuals who had contributed to producing MDG publications and consultations with the NDA to help identify CSO representatives who had represented CSOs as part of the country delegation to the MDG Summit hosted by the UN.

Certain NGOs also assisted in terms of providing a list of CSO/NGOs that attended the Southern African CSO Consultation on Post-2015 Development Agenda which their organisation had hosted and identifying a list of their partner organisations who were actively involved in MDG activities. Arising from this exercise, a database of 25 CSOs were identified. The list was firstly stratified by geographical location of the organisation to get a good regional spread and was secondly stratified in terms of the MDG focus that the CSO were working on.

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