Governance

We put local communities at the center

Counterpart supports communities—leaders, organizations, and networks—to work together in shaping governance institutions, systems, and practices that are more fair, inclusive, transparent, accountable, and effective.

Focus Area

Democracies need everyone’s voice

For more than 55 years, Counterpart has partnered with local leaders, organizations, and networks to transform their communities. By elevating the diverse voices of citizens in decision-making, Counterpart’s programs improve the delivery of public services, advance civic and human rights, and ultimately improve people’s lives.

Read more about Counterpart’s history of support to the Open Government Partnership.

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Implementing around the world

Governance approach

At the core of our governance approach is the recognition that our local partners have the capacity and mandate to determine their own futures. Our role is to serve as their “counterpart” on this journey, providing our knowledge, experience, resources, and innovative approaches, modified to the local context through collaboration, learning and adaptation (CLA).

What We’re Doing

Counterpart’s six governance principles

Counterpart maintains six principles across its governance work. Civil society is at the center of our initiatives: without a healthy and diverse civil society, no country can establish fair, sustainable socio-economic growth and inclusive, democratic development. We are proud leaders on localization, at the forefront of developing innovative organizational development, appreciative inquiry, and co-creation tools. We continuously develop new approaches, working with our local partners to think and work politically, challenge unjust power structures to drive transformative inclusion, ensure we are collaborating, learning, and adapting, and work across sectors to generate concrete gains in service delivery and environmentally sustainable development.

 

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Our Projects

From Latin America to Africa and Asia

We’re working across the globe to strengthen civil society and inclusive and effective governance. Read more to find out how.

Resilient Governance in Niger

Resilient Governance in Niger

This project strengthens the social contract between the state and citizens, and enhances individual, household, and community resilience in 19 communes in the Maradi, Tillabéri, and Zinder regions of Niger.
Civil Society in Action

Civil Society in Action

Civil Society in Action will enable local organizations and civic movements to enhance two key dimensions of civil society: civil society organizations’ impacts on policy discourse (the external effect) and civil society’s representation of constituents (the internal effect).
Transparency and Integrity Project

Transparency and Integrity Project

The Transparency and Integrity Project seeks to enhance government transparency and accountability through a series of interlinked supply- and demand-side governance interventions.
New Partnerships in Open Government

New Partnerships in Open Government

Counterpart will ensure that civil society, academia, and private sector stakeholders have the capacity to collaborate and participate in the OGP process and that the new government of Ecuador will be able to effectively improve citizen participation, transparency, and accountability in governance. 
our impact

Changing lives through improved governance

1,733

youth supported through 64 village savings and loans associations in Burundi.

18K

people reached through advocacy events in Bangladesh.

19

Nigerien communes undertook training on core participatory and civic engagement structures.

1,260

marginalized people reached, including women, LGBTQI+ and indigenous communities in Ecuador.

Our Stories

Bringing together experts and activists

We’re touching lives in communities around the world. Read our stories to find out how.

Strengthening Advocacy Through Local Partnership in Timor-Leste

Strengthening Advocacy Through Local Partnership in Timor-Leste

Youth are the future of a country and are eager to establish themselves and become a contributing member of society, but they often face difficulties securing employment. Many Hands One...
Transformative Model Fosters Opportunities for Burundi Youth

Transformative Model Fosters Opportunities for Burundi Youth

Burundi, one of the world’s poorest nations, is still recovering from generations of ethnic conflict and a civil war, with nearly 70 percent of the population living below the international...
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Learn more about our other focus areas

We take an inclusive approach to our programming and in our operations, strengthening communities side by side with our partners.