NIMD-AWEPA Strategic Partnership with the NL MFA: Conducive environments for effective policy influencing: the role of political parties and parliaments The Strategic Partnership between NIMD, AWEPA and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims to contribute to a conducive environment in which political and civic actors can effectively lobby and influence political and policy processes to advocate for inclusive and equitable social change. The partners concentrate jointly on a selected number of countries in Africa: Benin, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Uganda and Zimbabwe and other African countries under the flexible fund. Within this broad overarching goal, the partners jointly contribute to three specific goals: i. To improve the enabling environment for effective policy influencing on inclusive and equitable development in 10 countries in Africa and South-East Asia and 1 region (Central America) (system level change). ii. To strengthen the policy influencing capacities and responsiveness of political parties, parliaments, parliamentarians and civil society actors as drivers for inclusive social change through trust building, gender-sensitive agenda setting and inclusive dialogue in 10 countries and 1 region (actor and culture level change). iii. To develop the organisational capacities of a selected number of southern partner organizations (implementing partners, political parties and parliament) to autonomously and effectively advocate for effective policy influencing in partnership with civil society (actor level change). The themes of gender equality and inclusiveness are identified as important crosscutting themes for all proposed country and regional programmes. The departing point for the Strategic Partnership is a joint NIMD-AWEPA Theory of Change and the existing country programmes of both organizations. These country programmes –underpinned by a country specific ToC and baseline– are embedded in strong local political networks; are underpinned by a deep rooted knowledge of the local political economy and have a solid institutional infrastructure for programme implementation. To acknowledge the importance of cross-border themes and regional interdependencies that increasingly shape national policy agendas and to stimulate peer learning and exchange, dedicated strategies and instruments for peer learning, knowledge and innovation and PME will be developed as part of the strategic partnership. Furthermore, to maximize opportunities for regional and international lobby and advocacy on issues that emanate from national policy agendas, the programme foresees in the development of dedicated strategies for potential upstream policy influencing at regional and global fora and bodies. System level: An enabling environment exists at national, regional and international levels for political and civic actors to interact and play their roles in inclusive policy making. - A level playing field, for all political actors and civic actors wanting to influence politics - Safe (and institutionalised) space for dialogue between all relevant political and civic actors - Formulation of, proposing to, and approval of jointly formulated policies in parliament securing civil and political rights - (Parliamentary) political parties having equal access to state media and state funding Actor level: Political actors are embedded in society and responsive to citizens. - Political actors that voice and monitor citizen interests - Improved capacity of local partners (based on adapted 5 Core Capabilities of NIMD\\\\\\\'s scan) - Improved capability to attract and relate of political actors - MPs understand the legislative process and have increased capacity to develop and formulate policy ideas into legislation - MPs have increased capacity to scrutinize government legislation, policy and performance. - Influencing policy control and domestic accountability by political and civic actors (including interest groups on gender and inclusion) - Distinctive programmatic profiling - internal, public and in parliament- in relation to electorates and support bases of political actors Culture level: A culture of accommodation and consultation between political actors and with civic actors exists that also facilitates system and actor level change. - Interest in consulting, collaborating, harmonizing, being responsive and a sense of trust and mutual understanding among and between political and civic actors - Political actors are more aware of and have internalised democratic values, rule of law and gender sensitive & inclusive politics - (Political actors advocating for) Gender and inclusion are part of political consultation processes Political actors are defined as the combined main target group of the Strategic Partnership: - (representatives of) political parties - politicians - (Members of) Parliament and its Committees - Other elected representatives at local levels. NIMD will primarily focus on political parties and AWEPA on parliaments and parliamentarians.