October 28, 2025: The session aimed to learn from partners’ experiences in overcoming obstacles to constructive engagement with governments.
Panelists:
- Vinay Bhargava (PTF’s Chief Technical Advisor)
- Gilbert Sendugwa (Executive Director, Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), Uganda)
- Nadishani Perera (Country Representative, PTF, Sri Lanka)
- Carolina Ungureanu (Executive Director, IDIS Viitorul, Moldova)
Enhancing Public Participation Program
Vinay Bhargava introduced the Enhancing Public Participation Program (EPP), which aims to strengthen public participation in government policies and development programs in developing countries. He outlined the program’s objectives, including improving implementation of stakeholder engagement, building trust and social inclusion, and enhancing accountability and responsiveness. Dr Bhargava emphasized the importance of putting people first in economic recovery efforts and highlighted the challenges of implementing public participation policies in practice. He also discussed the program’s strategy to close implementation gaps between government promises and actual practices.
Moldova’s Public Procurement Transparency Initiative
Carolina Ungureanu, Deputy Director at IDIS Viitorul from Moldova, presented their organization’s experience in improving public procurement transparency since 2020. Through a partnership with Partnership for Transparency, they established a coalition of over 25 civil society organizations and journalists to monitor public procurement, leading to the creation of the National Platform for Public Procurement. The project achieved significant results including the drafting of a new public procurement law, participation in policy dialogue with key stakeholders, and the establishment of formal cooperation agreements with government institutions. Despite these successes, Ungureanu highlighted the need for continued financial support to sustain civil society monitoring activities and expand their work to other sectors like healthcare and infrastructure.
AFIC’s Advocacy and Challenges
Gilbert Sendugwa introduced the work of the Africa Freedom of Information Center (AFIC), a network of 58 CSOs from 30 African countries working on access to information, transparency, and accountability. Gilbert highlighted the challenges faced by CSOs, including funding issues, government investigations, and office break-ins, but emphasized the importance of aligning with African institutions, contributing to government reporting, and framing issues around government policies to make a difference. He also stressed the need for strong relationships with government accountability agencies and the use of citizen monitors to gather evidence and push for action.
Gilbert discussed strategies for addressing procurement challenges, including accessing official information and influencing government entities. He highlighted the importance of building rapport, providing evidence-backed findings, and communicating directly with those who can act on recommendations. Gilbert emphasized the need for internal allies, maintaining a constructive engagement approach, and ensuring accountability through regular follow-ups and matrix tracking of findings and recommendations.
Gilbert discussed the organization’s approach to engaging with the government on procurement reforms in Uganda, focusing on building relationships and offering solutions rather than just pointing out problems. He highlighted several successful initiatives, including redesigning the government procurement portal, improving transparency and disclosure, and working with Parliament to amend laws. Gilbert also described how the organization has gained influence through constructive engagement, even in a restricted civil space, and has been involved in various policy discussions and reforms.
How CSOs in Sri Lanka hold the government accountable
Nadishani shared how civil society organizations in Sri Lanka worked to hold the government accountable for the economic crisis, pushing for reforms through advocacy, legal action, and collaboration with international institutions like the IMF.
Panelist Q&A
The panelists discussed their experiences in engaging with governments to promote governance reforms and anti-corruption measures, particularly in Sri Lanka and Moldova. Carolina described efforts in Moldova to monitor public procurement and promote transparency, including the development of a confidence index. The panelists emphasized the importance of strategic engagement with media, stakeholders, and influencers to raise awareness and maintain public pressure for reform. They also discussed challenges in accessing data and the need for continued advocacy to ensure that governance reforms are implemented effectively.
The video can be watched here:
