FEDERATING, ADVOCATING AND CELEBRATING AT HAF-MOHAMMEDIA CONFERENCE

By Mouhssine Tadlaoui-Cherki

HAF Program Director

The event took place at the local Cultural Center and was an opportunity for the newly created Coalition of over 30 CSOs in the city of Mohammedia that benefited from HAF program (funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative) in participatory democratic planning and project management – to present their strategic plans and advocate for their social and economic opportunities.  The President of the Coalition, Mr. Ben Kacem El Yamani, presented their mission, goals and objectives and a detailed action plan for the upcoming six months.

The event also presented an opportunity for representatives of government agencies and elected officials to share their feedback and suggestions on the programs and activities presented. They commended the CSO initiatives and invited them to coordinate efforts and resources in order to address key social and economic issues of their city.

The culminating part of the conference was when Professor Khalid Mayar El Idrissi facilitated a discussion on CSOs’ contributions towards achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Morocco. After presenting the goals and the country’s present status towards achieving them as highlighted in different reports, many questions were discussed: Is the CSO community rising to the challenge? Are the partnerships among NGOs and with the government and the private sector productive and optimal?

At the end of the session, Dr. El Idrissi summarized several recommendations for the CSOs, including working towards improving:

1. Local capacity, in terms of knowledge and skills to implement the MDGs

2. Local information and public awareness about the MDGs

3. Capacity to undertake integrated and participatory planning (horizontal coordination)

4. Skills in introducing performance budgeting for effective implementation

5. Capacity for creating a framework of MDG indicators and monitoring mechanisms

6. Local procurement capacity which acts as an impediment for high quality and the efficient delivery of public services

7. Lack of a national enabling environment for effective local development (e.g. legal and regulatory framework supporting decentralization, financial resources, organizational systems and mechanisms, values, norms and social practices that influence people’s decision and behavior)

8. Support from international agencies and donors to promote local governance and local poverty reduction activities