This week we are implementing a capacity‑building workshop in N’Djamena aimed at strengthening the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in democratic governance and public accountability. These activities, part of the EU‑funded Project for Support to Parliament and the Electoral Process (PAPPE), saw the presence of Joëlle Milquet as a trainer. She is the former Belgian Minister of the Interior, Institutional Reform and Democratic Renewal, President of ECES’ Strategic and Advisory Committee, and President of the Board of Directors of RTBF.
The training is centred on two fundamental themes: monitoring and evaluation of public policies, and advocacy strategies for civil society organisations. While CSOs in Chad play an increasingly important role in promoting citizen participation and accountability, their ability to translate grassroots concerns into effective influence on public decision‑making has been limited. By addressing these gaps, the training aims to equip participants with practical tools to better assess policy effectiveness, relevance and impact, draft monitoring reports and advocacy strategies and strengthen transparency.
Through a participatory and practice‑oriented methodology, participants are exploring the cycle of public policies, the specific contribution of civil society to monitoring and evaluation processes, and the development of performance indicators. Practical exercises, case studies and group work enable participants to apply evaluation methods to concrete policy examples, including national strategic frameworks and human rights‑related policies. Moreover, participants are exploring each stage of an advocacy process, from identifying and framing public issues to defining clear and achievable objectives, mapping power relations, developing evidence‑based arguments and selecting appropriate targets. The programme also covers coalition‑building, citizen mobilisation, media engagement and institutional dialogue, complemented by simulations designed to strengthen negotiation and communication skills.
Through these activities, ECES continues to support local actors as key partners in the consolidation of democratic governance and sustainable institutional reform in Chad.
