This EU funded Action, “IGNITE CSOs (Improving Governance, Networking and Inclusivity for Civil Society Organisations), seeks to enhance the capacities, policy engagement opportunities and the legislative environment for civil society organisations (CSOs) towards a more inclusive, participatory, empowered, and independent civil society in Trinidad and Tobago.

The impact of the international shift in state oversight of CSOs, in this case driven by FATF, has also impacted perceptions of legitimacy and credibility by donors at a global level, with increased requirements for institutional and staff education and training on operational competencies and skills. However, historically, an abundance of time and resources (human and financial), has been spent on building the capability or skills of CSOs in competencies that development actors believe are necessary to sustain CSOs’ impact. However, in under-resourced environments, these CSOs often do not have the capacity (regulatory, infrastructural, financial, human or mental space) to sufficiently utilise these enhanced capabilities. This differentiation is critical, particularly in environments where institutions are weak and/or under-resourced.

The Action seeks to address three (3) overarching constraints:

  • Inadequate CSO-specific legislation and the resulting consequences of bank de-risking and impacted CSO legitimacy;
  • Lack of national CSO competency standards and associated accredited credentials that are co-designed by CSOs and trusted by external actors;
  • Lack of a dedicated digital support ecosystem for CSOs, accessible to all, that require operational support but lack the capacity to fully utilise enhanced capabilities.

In mitigating these constraints, the Action aims to support an inclusive, participatory, empowered, and independent civil society in Trinidad and Tobago, through removing legislative barriers to their legitimate participation in national development; holistically building their operational capacity and capability; and adopting innovative and inclusive digital tools.

Project Brief

The Action ‘Enhancing Civil Society Capacity for Governance of Environmental Transparency and Accountability in Trinidad and Tobago’s Extractive Industries’ is funded by the European Union. The contents of this webpage are the sole responsibility of the project implementers and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

Key Activities

Civil Society Governance – Capacity Building

Following a request for proposals, the Lloyd Best Institute of the Caribbean’s proposal was accepted and LBIC was awarded the training consultancy titled “Civil Society Governance” with the following mandate:
(a) To enhance governance mechanisms and structures within: the five civil society organizations that are identified as project co-applicants; and in at least (or a minimum of) seven (7) civil society organizations that are identified by the Project Steering Committee as fenceline to extractive-industry activity; and
(b) To enhance governance-related material capacities within: the five civil society organizations that are project co-applicants, and in at least seven civil society organizations that are identified by the Project Steering Committee as fenceline to extractive-industry activity.

Environmental Legislation and Transparency – Capacity Building

Following a request for proposals, Nuada Consulting’s proposal was accepted awarded the training consultancy titled “Environmental Legislation and Transparency” with the following mandate:
(a) Increase the capacity of at least 15-20 civil society organizations in the collection, reporting, and veracity-assessment of State – and company – derived environmental data;
(b) Increase the capacity of at least at least 15-20 civil society organizations in understanding environmental policy, legislation and enforcement, as well as in lobbying and advocacy related to extractive industry accountability;
(c) Increase the capacity of at least 15-20 civil society organizations to train other members of civil society on the monitoring of extractive-industry environmental non-compliance, and on environmental best practices in the extractive industries; and
(d) Increase the capacity of 15-20 civil society organizations to monitor the environmental impact of the extractive sector through the use of an environmental reporting online template
(e) Increase the capacity of 15-20 civil society organizations to contribute to a shadow report on the environmental information provided by the State and Extractive Companies through the Trinidad and Tobago Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TTEITI)

Related Items

Our Partners

Programme

Natural Resource Governance

Theme

Natural Capital, Data for Development, Civil Society Leadership