VNG International’s Ethiopia Social Accountability Program (ESAP) celebrated its final month in November of this year. At the ‘Closing and Knowledge Sharing Event’ held on November 14 and 15, 2024, a diverse group of stakeholders came together to reflect on the programs' impact and explore strategies for sustaining their gains. This gathering was a moment to celebrate achievements, share insights, and chart a path forward for equitable service delivery and accountability. This marks the end of an era that has transformed service delivery and social accountability in Ethiopia.

Over the last twelve years, VNG International has worked together with Civil Society in Ethiopia to improve governance. Formal civil society—that is, organizations with legal personality—is a recent development in the country. Building on an opening of the civic space in Ethiopia, under ESAP, we partner with a wide range of civil society organizations to hold government in Ethiopia accountable to deliver efficient, inclusive and better targeted services.

The overall goal of the project is a realized transition towards an equitable access to scarce water resources and increased water-use efficiency in the Awash Basin, through improved water resources management and water regulation.<br />
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The project aims to strengthen civic and community-based actors' capacity to engage in policy analysis, advocacy, dialogue, and collective action for peaceful, democratic change; and foster multi-stakeholder civic partnerships in support of inclusive dialogue, respect for human rights, and advancing more effective, citizen-responsive, and accountable governance. It will deploy a Collective Impact (CI) Approach to empower civil society to drive successful implementation and impact of the project.

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ethiopia Civic Engagement Activity is a four-year program designed to strengthen civic and community-based actors’ abilities to engage in policy analysis, advocacy, dialogue and collective action for peaceful, democratic change. The US$21 million programme has been awarded to Creative Associates International and its consortium of local, regional and international partners, comprised of VNG International and the Centre for International Private Enterprise.

In April, VNG International has come to an agreement with Sidama Regional State, the Mayor of Yirgalem and the Municipality, to update the assessment and taxing of properties in the city of Yirgalem. Yirgalem is currently only collecting 3% of all possible tax revenue. Yet, increasing the own income base is a crucial way for cities to increase their services to their citizens.

The wider objective of the project is on to empower, amplify voices and creating resilience among people (including men, women and youth) with disabilities (also referred to as PWDs) and other excluded groups, particularly those faced with food insecurity in areas of protracted crises. Implementation countries are Burundi BDI, DR Congo DRC, Ethiopia ETH, Sudan SDN, South Sudan SSD, Uganda UGD.

The overall objective of ESAP3 is to strengthen Social Accountability (SA) mechanisms for enhanced service delivery in Ethiopia. Social Accountability refers to citizens holding service providers and local governments accountable for service delivery. Through dialogue and feedback loops between basic service users and service providers, joint action plans are developed to enhance the quality and accessibility of services. The five basic service sectors are Education, Health, Rural Roads, Agriculture and Water and Sanitation (WASH).

The wider objective of the project is to strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of local governments to deepen Ethiopia's decentralisation process as a pathway to sustainable development. <br />
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