EKAK

Estonian strategy for building effective civil society with civil dialogue at the national level

Kristina MändNetwork of Estonian Nonprofit Organizations (NENO)

Civil society

Civil society – people and participation

Self-initiated cooperation of people for following their interests, discussing public issues and participating in decision-making processes, also the associations, networks and institutions which enable such co-operation.

Key words: people’s ability and capacity, tasks and roles of the nonprofit sector, communication.

Link: http://www.ngo.ee/1027

Options

AnimosityOppositionIgnorance

CommunicationStrategic communication

FriendsDependence

Sustainability

• Legislative environment • Organizational capacity• Financial viability• Advocacy• Services delivery• Infrastructure• Reputation and public image

Link: http://www.usaid.gov/locations/europe_eurasia/dem_gov/ngoindex

Values

RespectPartnershipParticipationCivic activism

Equal treatmentSustainable development

Accountability and transparencyPolitical and financial independence

No conflict of interest and no corruption

EKAK

EKAK (Estonian Civil Society Development Concept) is a strategy which describes the different roles of the public sector and the nonprofit sector which supplement each other, and the co-operation principles in developing and implementing public policies and building up the civic society.

It defines:• mutually complementing roles of public authorities and civic initiative• principles of their cooperation• mechanisms and priorities for cooperation

in shaping and implementing public policies and building up civil society in Estonia.

Link: www.ngo.ee/1030

Process• Idea launched 1999• Estonian NGO Roundtable formed that adopted EKAK 2001• EKAK submitted to Riigikogu April 2001• EKAK adopted by Riigikogu December 12, 2002• Riigikogu sent EKAK to the Government for implementation in 2003• Responsible institution – Ministry of the Interior• EKAK joint committee of 8 government representatives and 14 nonprofit representatives,

chaired by the Minister for Regional Affairs (Ministry of the Interior) convened in 2003 • EKAK implementation plan for 2004 – 2006 adopted by the Government in 2004• Government prepared its own Civic Initiative Support Development Plan (KATA 2007 – 2010)

in 2006• EKAK joint committee reformed in 2007• All 11 objectives being implemented• EKAK clamorings in 2008: how to proceed with EKAK, including some changes in legislation,

better implementation mechanisms and the formation of similar agreements at local levels• Every two year, EKAK Parliamentary hearings (so far in 2005 and 2007)

EKAK structure

• Introduction and goals• Principles of cooperation and shared values• Ways of achieving goals: - acknowledgement and representation - partnership - development of policies - resources• Implementation of EKAK:

- Long-term priorities (3)- Short-term priorities (11)

EKAK goals (11)1. to promote civic initiative and involvement democracy;2. to support the idea of voluntary action;3. improve the better acknowledgement and implementation of the economic, social and political rights and obligations of citizens;4. the citizens' sense of responsibility towards their family, other citizens, home neighborhood, state and world;5. to make conscious the values and principles which are the basis of co-operation between the nonprofit sector and public sector, to frame mutual obligations, rights and priorities of action;6. to establish a favorable environment for the functioning and strengthening of citizens' associations as an inevitable factor for the development of democracy;7. to develop a support system for nonprofit sector;8. to spread good co-operation practices and the knowledge on favorable co-operation of the public institutions, citizens and citizens' associations;9. to involve citizens and their associations more widely in the process of developing, implementing and analyzing public policies and legal acts, to develop necessary information channels and mechanisms;´10. to acknowledge and consider the specific rights and interests of insufficiently represented or unacknowledged citizens and their associations in arranging public life;11. to create an environment supporting charity and philanthropy, and involve business sector.

EKAK results (1)

• Code of Ethics for Estonian Nonprofits (http://www.ngo.ee/7457)• Civil Society Fund (http://www.kysk.ee/?s=21)• Code of Good Practice on Funding is in process• Code of Good Practice on Public Service Delivery• Manifesto for national elections (http://www.ngo.ee/1019)• Amendments to the Law of Nonprofit Associations that will make the

annual reports of NGOs accessable in the public registry from 2010, thus making the sector more transparent and accountable

• Amendments to the Law of Income Tax which, among other things, also specifies the public benefit (charity) status of nonprofits for tax incentives

• Good practice of Involvement (http://www.ngo.ee/11583)• Strategy development plans for Voluntary Work and Civic Education (latter

is currently in process)

EKAK results (2)• Establishment of regional development centers in every county, providing free,

broad-based consulting to NGOs and basic trainings at an affordable price based on NENO’s NGO resource centers (

• Several research on civil society issues and training programs for both public and nonprofit sector

• Prinicples of a Good Citizen• Events and educational programs on good governance, legitimacy, accountabilty,

transparency, and efficiency• Hamornization of knowldedge, skills, atitude and motivation• Since the adoption in the Parliament, NGOs can always refer to this agreement in

case of problems with cooperation between the sectors• Strategic approach to civil society development (as opposed to just doing random

projects).

As a result, Estonia has a functioning civil society and a sustainable nonprofit sector.

Money

• In 2007, ministries funded NGOs with nearly 700 million EEK (approx. 55 million USD)

• Two new opportunities emerged in 2008:(1) The National Foundation of Civil Society (NFCS) started in 2008. Financed by the state budget, NFCS should distribute 20 million EEK annually (approx. 1.6 million USD);(2) The Norwegian/EEA Financial Mechanism’s NGO Fund distributed the first grants from its budget of 36.5 million EEK for three years (approx. 2.9 million USD).

• n 2007, ca. 280 million EEK (approx. 22.5 million USD) of private donations were reported to the Tax and Customs Board.

Organization of the sector in 2009

• 26,198 associations and 788 foundations for a total of 26,986, May 1, 2008• Of them, ~12,000 are apartment and other cooperation associations; about 150

business associations, and 125 umbrella organizations • Of the remaining 14,000, ~1,500 are public benefit organizations• A great number of unregistered (non-formal) groups• Many nonprofits are created by the public sector, especially foundations

(hospitals, government funding agencies, Enterprise Estonia, etc)• 2 registered organizations working on general issues as partners, NENO and

Kodukant• It is estimated that about 28 000 people or 4-5% of the Estonian workforce is

employed in the nonprofit sector.

Challenges

• Dialogue – conversation, talk, exchange of views but what about actual results?

• Usually focus on NGOs and politicians but what about civil servants?• EKAK is there but problems with the implementation: lack of political interest;

insufficient financial and human resources, and unclear role of the Joint Committee and its members members who have to be at the same time responsible for implementation and evaluation

• EKAK is there b´ut what about locla EKAKs and civic activism?• EKAK and the sector is but the Russian-speaking NGOs in general are

remarkably weaker• Constant work to keep both sides accountable• Level and depth of involvement• What steps to take and what steps to fund

How to foster dialogue?

• Is dialogue the only things that is needed or is it a change in the society?• Have a plan but be future and process oriented, flexible and patient• Agree on joint goals and values and have a WE attitude (no I in TEAM)• Involve many but keep your head cool about suggestions – no need to

please everybody• One tool cannot serve everybody, think diverse and open• Is Baltic strategy different from national strategies – why, where, how?

Do not give up and do not push. Talk and exchange views till a common one is achieved. Then act.

Further reading in English• Full text of EKAK and its activity plans: www.ngo.ee/1030• Estonian reports in USAID NGO Sustainability Index:

www.usaid.gov/locations/europe_eurasia/dem_gov/ngoindex/• Kertu Ruus „Change of mindset underway as Estonian parliament adopts

agreement on civil society“:• www.policy.lv/index.php?id=102558&lang=en• Katerina Hadzi-Miceva „Legal and institutional mechanisms for government-NGO

cooperation in Croatia, Estonia and Hungary“:• www.ngo.ee/orb.aw/class=file/action=preview/id=20327/

Legal+and+Institutional+Mechanisms+for+Cooperation_KHM+Final.pdf• Report by Urmas Reinsalu, the chairman of Civil Society Support Group in

Riigikogu: www.ngo.ee/20508• You can also join NENO’s free newsletter (published in every two months) to keep

yourself posted with developments of Estonian civil society: www.ngo.ee/index.aw/set_lang_id=2