IFAD/NGO Consultations

The IFAD/NGO Consultations began in 1990, following the establishment of the IFAD NGO Extended Cooperation Programme (ECP) in 1987, when IFAD's Executive Board considered the need for a formal forum for IFAD NGO dialogue and exchange. The overall goals of these meetings, as articulated at the 2nd Consultation, are to:

• provide a framework for strengthening IFAD’s collaboration with NGOs and a forum for policy dialogue and exchange of operational experiences, knowledge and lessons learned;
• facilitate the involvement of NGOs as IFAD’s partners and promote mutual cooperation; and
• suggest areas for pilot activities that can lay the groundwork for future IFAD interventions.

In order to ensure broad participation and reflect IFAD's collaboration in the field, NGO participation is on a rotational basis and reflects a geographical balance among regions as well as between local and international NGOs. Prior to the Consultation, NGO participants elect the two NGO cochairpersons.

Over the years, the Consultations have provided a forum for close interaction between selected development NGOs and IFAD on a number of policy and operational issues of common concern. The meetings have contributed to forging stronger partnerships around common objectives. They have also offered opportunities for IFAD to tap NGO knowledge and know-how, which can contribute both to increasing the responsiveness and sustainability of the Fund’s operations and to strengthening its role as a knowledge institution on poverty and poverty alleviation. To date, 200 NGOs have participated in the Consultations. More than 50% of these have worked or are working with IFAD in the field.

The number of participating NGOs has ranged from 23 to 40. Case studies of NGO and IFAD projects are the point of departure for discussions, and some of the topics have included:

• Pune, India, 2000: IFAD/NGO/Governments: Tripartite Partnerships for Poverty Alleviation and Food Security through Programmes and Projects
• Cairo, Egypt, 1998: Networking and Cooperation Mechanisms
• Rome, Italy, 1997: Local Area Development Programmes for Sustainable Resource Management
• Rome, Italy, 1996: Capacity-Building at the Local Level
• Rome, Italy, 1995: Land Degradation and Poverty
• Rome, Italy, 1994: Rural People's Organisations
• Rome, Italy, 1993: Providing Credit to the Rural Poor
• Rome, Italy, 1992: Beneficiary Needs Assessment: The Role of NGOs
• Rome, Italy, 1991: Effectiveness of IFAD/NGO Collaboration
• Rome, Italy, 1990: Review of IFAD/NGO Collaboration – Policy Issues

Papers and Documents section contains summaries of these consultations.

Since 1998, the consultations have been held outside IFAD headquarters. The locations vary and are usually near an IFAD-supported project so that participants can examine on-the-ground activities and exchange views.