fbo engagement

GUIDELINESFORENGAGINGFBOsASAGENTSOFCHANGE

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Atatimewherebasicneedsarebecomingincreasinglyhardertoprovideformorethanhalfoftheworldspopulation,wecannolongeravoidacknowledgingtheparallelfaithbaseddevelopmentuniversewhichreachessomanyandprovidessomuch.

GUIDELINESFORENGAGINGFAITHBASEDORGANISATIONS(FBOS)ASAGENTSOFCHANGE

TheseGuidelinesprovide a critical framework forengagementwith faithbasedorganisations (FBOs).Theyarenotablueprint.Likeallsimilarguidelines,theseareprovidedwiththepragmatismthateachUNFPACountryandRegionalOfficewillconsider them in lightof the specificpolitical, social,culturalandeconomiccircumstances.

The Guidelines are designed to provide a rationale for the engagement of and with, faithbasedorganisations, the principles structuring such engagements, and the strategy for partnership. TheelementsoftheseguidelinesarederivedfromUNFPAstermsofpartnershipwithotherconstituencies(i.e.parliamentariansandyouth).Inaddition,theguidelinesarebuiltonthelessonslearnedfrompriorCountry Office engagement, gleaned from the mapping exercise undertaken from 20062008; bestpracticesfromcasestudiescompiledfrom20022008;aswellastherecommendationsanddiscussionscarriedoutwithFBOsthemselvesoverthecourseof20072008.

RATIONALE

Thecase forworkingwith faithbasedorganizations ,asonecommunityamongmanycriticalagentsofchange,isnolongeramatterofdiscussion,butrather,oneofconsidered,systematicand deliberate engagement of the likeminded partners among them. For many years,international development has been a field dominated by largely secular agents ofdevelopment,withapreference forkeeping faithand faithrelatedmattersstrictly in thesocalledprivatedomains.Atthesametime,manyscholars,humanrightsactivists,andindeed,development actors, have argued persuasively that the dividing line between public andprivate is increasingly blurred. This is increasingly the case in a globalised world whereinformationtechnologyenablesrapidandpervasiveinformationflows.

Moreover, there is clearly an important parrallel faithbased universe of development, onewhichprovides anywherebetween3060%ofhealth care and educational services inmanydevelopingcountries.Atatimewhenbasicneedsarebecomingincreasinglyhardertoprovideformore than half of theworlds population,we can no longer avoid acknowledging theseparallel faithbaseddevelopment interventions which reach somany andprovide somuch.Manyarecriticalvenuesforoutreach,resources,andservicedelivery.

The world of faithbased development organizations is filled with a diversity of mandates,missions,expertise,services,modalityofwork,amongotherthings.Religionsthemselvesareavastand complex tapestry,and this is reflected in thepluralityof faithbasedorganisations.AmongstthisworldarefriendsoftheMDGsandthe ICPD.And it istothesefriendswithalegacyofengagementandserviceprovisionthattheinternationaldevelopmentworldturns,

aswasthecaseoveraquarterofacenturyago,withothercivilsocietyorganizations.


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An important realisation from themapping of FBO engagement undertaken byUNFPA from20062008,isthatevenwhereheadquartersofUnitedNationsanddevelopmentagencieswerethemselves toohesitant toengagewith the faithbasedsectors,someof thecountryor fieldbased offices did anyway. Thiswas a natural evolution not necessarily alwaysmandated bypolicy,butinmostinstances,becausetherealitiesonthegroundrequiredit,anditwasstrategictorealisetheirobjectives.

PRINCIPLES

UNFPAbelievesthatpartnershipwithfaithbasedorganisations isvitalforthe implementationof theProgrammeofActionof the InternationalConferenceonPopulationandDevelopment(ICPD, Cairo, 1994), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, New York, 2000) and the

OutcomeDocumentofthe2005WorldSummit(NewYork,2005).

The legacyofengagingFBOsasculturalagents,complementedwith recentinitiatives, provides important opportunities to reflect on and formulateUNFPAs lessons learned and respective policy considerations aroundengaging FBOs, as part of its overall strategy to create conducive sociocultural environments, and consoliate partnerships for population anddevelopment. While continuing indepth consultations and partnershipoutreach(withinUNFPA,attheUNinteragencylevel,andbeyond),UNFPAisguidedbythefollowing5policyconsiderations:

1. Strategic issuebased alliances: focusing on the common ground(insteadofdivisiveaspects)allowsconsiderationof jointeffortstoachieve theultimateobjectives captured inUNFPAsmissionstatement.This isrealisticwhen focusingonspecific issues.Thecommongroundisacriticalbuildingblockofthesepartnerships.UNFPA has found that leaders of faith and interfaith basedorganizationsareopentodiscussingreproductivehealth,ifissuesareaddressedwithcareandsensitivity. It isclear thatwomen'sequalrights,andreproductiverightsinparticular,arenotusually

theissueswhichgenerateconsensusinthefaithbasedworldandespeciallynotpublicly.Nevertheless, UNFPA recongises the importance of rallying those within the faithbasedcommunitieswhoarealreadysupportiveofthecommongoalsandtargetsembodiedintheICPDPoA,arereflected inandreindorsedbytheMDGs,andhaveongoingprogrammestothateffect.Oneeffectiveapproachhasbeen touse scientificevidence,on issues suchasinfantandmaternalmortality,violenceagainstwomen,andHIVandAIDSprevalenceratesforinstance,totapintoethicalpositions.

Moreover,noneof these allianceshave tobe lifelongpartnerships. Each engagement ispredicateduponcertaincircumstancesandneeds,andmaywellbe,asper thediscretion

PRINCIPLES:

1. Strategic,issuebasedalliances

2. Alevelplayingfield

3. Diversityofoutreach

4. Clarity,accountabilityandconsistency

5. SouthSouthengagementandglobalcontinuity


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andconsiderationoftheUNFPAOffice,timebound.Thisisavalidandnecessaryaspectofastrategicalliance,whichalsorequiresanticipatinganexitstrategy.

2. A level playing field: While UNFPA recognizes the differences between its mandate andapproachandthoseofFBOs,itneverthelessseekstocooperateasequalpartners,dependingoneachotherscomparativeadvantageandrespectivestrengths.Partneringasequalsalsoentailsthat neither side is utilized or perceived as ameans, but both are relevant agents of actionbased on their different, and in many instances, complementary strengths. While thepartnerships soughtwithin the FBO community are expected to share the objectives of theICPDlinkedMDGs,UNFPA respects that theywould reach theseobjectivesdifferentlyusingtheirownlanguage,networksandmodusoperandi.Andinthemeantime,UNFPAacknowledgesthat the diverse languages andmethods requiremutual understanding and sensitivity, at alltimes.

3.Diversityofoutreach:UNFPAensuresthatitsoutreachismultifaithandbalancedaccordingtothereligiousdiveristywithincommunities,nationsandglobally.Thisisoftenmadeexplicitinthe termsof referenceof theprogrammes.Oneof the lessons learned is that thismultifaithoutreach approach cannot be implicit. UNFPA also recognizes that in order to identify likeminded partners and continuously enhance themodality and programme delivery, engagingwithalreadyestablishedmultifaithorganizationsandcommunitieswhichalreadyworkonaninterandintrafaithbasisiscritical.

4.Clarity,accountabilityandconsistency:Aswithanyotherpartnership,UNFPAsetsoutclearly(inMemoranda ofUnderstanding, joint proposals, or other project documents) the concreteoutcomesexpectedofthejointendeavours.Howthepartnershipfallswithintheparametersofthe Strategic Plan (and its Global and Regional programmes), defines joint mechanisms ofaccountability,monitoringandevalution,whicharethendiscussedandonwhichagreement isreached.Moreover, theengagementwithFBOsneeds tobe consistent,notaoneoff,eventoriented alliance which creates false expectations. An engagement that is designed with acollectivesenseofownershipandresponsibilityforspecificoutcomesinmind,isalsoonethatissustainable.Together,clarity,accountabilityandconsistencyareessentialforbuildingthetrustnecessarytoestablishalegacyofrealisticpartnerships.

5.Throughoutthesepartnerships,UNFPAmaintainstwoimportantdimensionsandtargetsofitscommitmentwhichsignificantlyenrichtheexperienceandinformthepolicyconsiderations:

9 SouthSouthengagement:Withineach region,andamongst its five regions(e.g.Africa,ArabStates,AsiaandPacific,EasternEuropeandCentralAsia,andLatinAmericaandtheCarribean),thereismuchscopeforknowledgesharing,creationofknowledgenetworks,and thestrengtheningofalliances. Indeed,severalUNFPACountryOfficesexpressedan interest in learning fromotherexperiences of engaging FBOs and indeed, in strengthening their ownnetworksoffaithbasedpartners.


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9 Globalperspectives,comparisonsandcontinuity: There ismuch tobe saidfor a continuous feedback loop where the national, regional and theglobal/international enrich one another. There are several cases wherenational and regional efforts at engagement have been informed byorganizationswhich,atthegloballevel,advocateagainstsomeaspectsoftheICPDProgrammeofAction.Yet,thereareother instanceswheresomeFBOsareactually findingverycreativemeans toprovide ICPDrelevantservicesatthefield levels,mandatedbycircumstancesandneeds.Suchknowledgeandcomparisonofengagementsatthenational,regionalandinternationallevels,i.e.feedbackloops,enablebetterappreciationofFBOinterventions,aswellasgroundingandsustainabilityofthepartnershipsformed.

STRATEGY

ThemaingoalsofUNFPAinworkingwithfaithbasedorganizationstherefore,areto:

1. Create a conducive sociocultural environment (impacting on behaviour, attitudes andpractices)toultimatelypromoteandmobilizekeycommunitiestowardsachievingthegoalsoftheICPDPoAandtheMDGs;and

2. StrengthentherangeofproICPDagentsandfriends,throughintegratingvariouspartnershipsformed at the national, regional and global levels, formed to impact on socioculturaldynamics,policies andprogrammeswhichwould further implement the ICPD PoA and theMDGs.

Generally,UNFPAwillbuildonandexpanditsworkwithvariousnational,regionalandglobalinterfaithNetworksbyparticipatingintheirmeetingsandprovidingfunding,technical,logisticalandothersupportfortheiractivities. UNFPAwillstrengthen itspartnershipwith faithbasedorganizationsaroundthreekeyareas:capacitybuilding,knowledgesharingandadvocacy,asfollows:

UNFPAsworkingdefinitionofFBOs

Faithbased organisations are religious, faithbased groups, and/or faithinspiredgroupswhichoperate as registeredorunregisterednonprofit institutions.UNFPApartners with human rightsoriented FBOs which are service deliverers and/oradvocates(existingandpotential)oftheICPDPoAareas.


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CapacityBuilding

Strengthening national, regional and the global FBO/Interfaith networks to bring themtogetherwithbroader stakeholder coalitionswhich can supportandendorseeachotheraswellasUNFPAsmandateareas.

Providing and facilitating trainings, workshops, and safe spaces around humanrights andrightsbasedapproachestoprogramming.

Securingthenecessaryresourcesthroughendorsingtheirintegrationinnationaldevelopmentplansanddevelopmentassistanceprogrammesforpopulationanddevelopmentprogrammes,particularlyforSRHandfamilyplanning(FP).

KnowledgeSharing

SharingandfacilitatingaccesstolatestevidencebasedknowledgeandinformationamongstInterfaithNetworksaroundsexualandreproductivehealth(SRH),genderequality(GE)andpopulationanddevelopment(PD)issues.

DocumentingandupdatinginformationonpartnershipsbetweenFBOsandUNFPAaroundSRH,GEandPDtoensurecollationandanalysisoflessonslearnedforenhancedrespectiveoutreachandadvocacy.

Advocacy

Integratingthe InterfaithNetwork(atnational,regionaland international levels) inadvocacyeffortsforICPD+15togetherwithothernetworks.

Protectingandpromotingthe ICPDagendaandtheworkofUNFPAand itspartnersthroughcounteringmisinformationcampaignsandbuildingsocialsupportwithinthegovernmentsfortheICPD.

More specifically, in programme countries, UNFPAs Country Offices will facilitate the creation ofnationalInterfaithNetworksonpopulationanddevelopmentincountrieswheretheydonotexist.TheCountryOfficeswillthereforecontinuetoworkcloselywiththenationalFBOsworkingonICPDrelatedissuesand integratethemwithinothercivilsocietyoutreachtocreateandnurtureafavourablesocialenvironment for RH issues. This will be particularly strategic since most FBOs tend to be maledominated(attheleadershiplevels)andthereforesuchInterfaithNetworksalsoserveasanimportantmeansofengagingmeningenderequalityrelatedinitiatives.UNFPACountryOfficeswillalsoadvocatefor effortsby rightsorientednational FBOs tobe involved innationaldevelopmentplanning aroundpopulationanddevelopmentprogrammes.

Indonor countries,UNFPAHeadquarters and the LiaisonOfficeswill strengthen theirworkwith theglobal interfaithnetwork to garner support for the further implementationof the ICPDPoA and theMDGs. Theywillalsosupporteffortsbymembersofthe interfaithnetworkstopromoteawarenessofpopulation issues and build supportive coalitions. In addition, the UNFPA Headquarters and LiaisonOffices will continue to provide interfaith network members with factual information on the ICPDagendaandtheworkofUNFPAanditspartnerstocounteranymisinformation.


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At the regional level, UNFPA Headquarters, in collaboration with the Regional Offices (ROs), willpromotedialogueandcooperationamongFBOsbysupportingsubregional,regionalandinterregionalconsultationsandcapacitybuilding. ItwillcontinuetoassisttheregionalFBOnetworksonpopulationanddevelopment inenhancingRHrelatedserviceprovisionmodalitiesand/orreferralservices,wherenecessary;andassistingwith thedevelopmentofmodelsofbestpracticeswhichcouldbeadapted indifferentcountries.

Finally, at the global level,UNFPAHeadquarterswill seek to coordinate andmonitor FBO/Interfaithinitiativesconductedat thenationaland regional levels inorder tobringcoherence to,maximize theimpactof, and safeguard, theworkofUNFPA and itspartnerswith this critical constituency. Itwillcontinue to liaise at the interagency level, specifically around policies and strategies as regards FBOengagement. It will also develop mechanisms, such as a sociocultural observatory, socioculturalprogrammeindicators,tomonitortheimpactofFBOengagementoncreatinganenablingenvironmentand mobilizing resources for population and development. As the permanent secretariat for thisInterfaithNetwork,UNFPAHeadquarterswill continue tokeep FBOs informed, through thedatabaseandLISTSERV,ofopportunitiesandprogressbeingmadeonpopulationfunding,directions,policiesandprogrammes.

ENDS.FEBRUARY2009.

TheIstanbulConsensus

PrinciplesofaGlobalInterfaithNetwork

forPopulationandDevelopment[October2008]

ThegatheredrepresentativesofUNFPAandFBOsfromaroundtheworldcommitto:

Theprinciplethatfaithssharethesameaimstosafeguardthedignityandhumanrightsofallpeople,womenandmen,youngandold;

Worktogethertoadvancehumanwellbengandrealizetherightsofallindividualswithattentiontowomenandyoungpeople;

IdentifyregionalandnationalUNFPAFBOfocalpoints; ExchangeexperiencesandlearnfromeachotherthroughtheInterfaithNetwork; EnsurethatFBOpartnersowntheprinciplesoftheNetworkandmaintainlinkageswith

eachother,withthesupportofUNFPA; Continue to maintain strong regional and national networks supported by UNFPA

CountryOffices,feedingintoaGlobalNetworkfacilitatedbyHeadquarters,asaworkingmodalitytorealizetheICPDmandate.

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