Accountability through Active Citizenship: Improving Petroleum Governance in Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania Final Project Evaluation
The end line project evaluation (EPE) report for the NORAD-funded Accountability through Active Citizenship: Improving Petroleum Governance in Ghana, Mozambique, and Tanzania finalized in 2017.
The NORAD- funded Accountability through Active Citizenship: Improving Petroleum Governance in Ghana, Mozambique, and Tanzania program (from early 2014 thorough early 2017) aimed to support active and informed community participation, civil society´s active engagement and increased and better quality media reporting on oil and gas (O&G) governance issues and processes.
The objective of the EPE (End line Program Evaluation) is to document and analyze performance in the last year of the program and across the entire grant period focusing on: (i) progress of activities; (ii) results achieved; (iii) relevant contextual changes; (iv) program management practices; and (v) recommendations to support the extension of the program planned for 2017-2018.
According to the EPE report, progress in the implementation of planned activities was mixed across the three countries. For historic and contextual reasons, the Ghana program achieved the most notable results with its activities. The Mozambique and Tanzania programs are at an early life-cycle status and results were more moderate and ongoing support would help to strengthen these programs.
Overall, the Oxfam program has largely influenced the way civil society is able to participate in the O&G sector development. Local CSOs supported by Oxfam under Norad funding have gained capacity and recognition and in some instances have become reputable and well-recognized organizations by O&G stakeholders from government and the private sector. Although not yet financially self-sustainable, the CSOs involved are now better equipped to receive funding from other donors to continue and expand their work.
Increasingly, civil society is gaining ground in the O&G debate. The importance of fulfilling a watchdog role in the three countries is highly relevant as governments are negotiating contracts with companies which can have significant impact in the three economies at stake. Creation of a level-playing field, whereby government, the private sector and civil society have similar knowledge and capacity to influence the future of each countries' economy and thereby the livelihoods of many is currently evolving; albeit more rapidly in Ghana than in Tanzania and Mozambique.