Ownership and Partnership : What Role for Civil Society in Poverty Reduction Strategies Partnership Forums are the means by which the OECD Development Assistance Committee provides a venue for non governmental actors to express their points of view and to offer their own contributions to development policy and strategy. In December 2000 the DAC and the Development Centre held a Forum on ways of integrating civil society into policy formation in developing countries and to identify obstacles to such involvement. Participants agreed that civil societys role in poverty reduction strategies had been an important element in succesful implementation. This book contains 8 papers presented at the Forum covering experience in a variety of countries with a variety of stakeholders. The wide ranging discussion concluded that civil society participation in policy making not only enhances efficiency in implementation but also contributes to the creation of more pluralistic and democratic political systems.