Dar Es Salaam – A Workshop for CSOs was held on January 26, 2011 to increase the capacity of CSOs engaging in the aid and development effectiveness agenda. Specifically, the workshop aimed to build understanding of CSOs around aid and development issues and to develop a CSO-led action plan. Around 25 representatives from the CSO sector, both national and regional, the Ministry of Finance and External Affairs (MOFEA) as well as the media attended the workshop.
MOFEA provided an overview of the general aid situation and the aid effectiveness program of the country. CSOs, on the other hand, shared their experiences of the aid situation at the grassroots level, with a concrete case study from the agricultural sector. CSOs in this workshop agreed to address challenges related to CSOs capacity, issues on access to information, and the exclusion of CSOs from the regional and other sectors in the aid discussions. CSOs also agreed to build and strengthen the CSO Platform for Aid Effectiveness. The CSO workshop was conducted a day after a donor Workshop on Mutual Accountability concluded in Dar Es Salaam where CSOs were given very limited space to participate.