The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Lead Donor) together with Norway and Sweden are supporting the Civil Society Facility (CSF) in South Sudan. The CSF is designed to strengthen the capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to enhance inclusive governance, voice and accountability. A stronger civil society can contribute to restoring social trust and facilitating the interactions between citizens and the state for lasting peace and strengthened governance. South Sudan context is amphoteric with unsettled conflict and a peace agreement under negotiation for the past 4 years. This has impacted on the functioning of civil society. South Sudan civil society organisations are challenged by a shrinking political space that affect their function. There are structural weaknesses, including fragmentation and organisational capacity that limit their capability to take on this role.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Lead Donor) together with Norway and Sweden are supporting the Civil Society Facility (CSF) in South Sudan. The CSF is designed to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to enhance inclusive governance, voice and accountability. A stronger civil society can contribute to restoring social trust and facilitating the interactions between citizens and the state for lasting peace and strengthened governance. South Sudan context is amphoteric with unsettled conflict and a peace agreement under negotiation for the past 1 years. This has impacted on the functioning of civil society. South Sudan civil society organisations are challenged by a shrinking political space that affect their function. There are structural weaknesses, including fragmentation and organisational capacity that limit their capability to take on this role. The CSF project is a long-term gradual process phased into 2-years cycles. The first cycle (Preparatory period of Phase I) laid the foundation for the CSF. The preparatory period set the mode for operation including refining the theory of change, defining civil society role in the South Sudanese context, defining scope of the project and initiating the roll-out of activities as indicated in the CSF Programme Document. In taking such a long-term strategy, the CSF has the potential to set a benchmark for civil society funds globally, and particularly in fragile and conflict-affected states, as long as “learning” is built-in from the start. As indicated in the CSF Programme Document, a Fund Manager (FM), under guidance of the steering committee and subject to the oversight of the Management Board (MB), assumes responsibility for all operational activities and expenditures carried out.