Kampala Initiative: Governance and planning

A well-governed “non-institution”

The Kampala Initiative is set up as a “lively and democratic civil society space and structure (alliance, community) of independent, critical-thinking activists and organizations across Southern and Northern boundaries”.

In order to create and grow this civil space, we do not need nor intend to create a new “institution”. However, to take up the ambition of this space being a democratic one, and knowing about the sensitivity of the power issue in convening civil society, some basic governance issues need to be addressed (such as how to access and use this space, who manages it, to whom are those actively engaged in particular activities accountable, who can “represent” the KI etc).

This is the purpose of a “Governance basics” document that was drafted and adopted by the core group (now steering group) of the Kampala Initiative in April 2020, based on a draft shared with KI members for review.

The latest, binding version of the “Kampala Initiative Governance Document” is available in the online documentation of the KI accessible for all members. The document is intended to be a “living” one. KI members/partners are welcome to contribute to further shaping and sharpening the instruments of (good) governance of the Kampala Initiative by proposing amendments.

Find below an digest of “governance basics”.

Kampala Initiative: Governance basics

“Membership” and “members”

The Kampala Initiative was launched by a group of civil society organizations (list: here) on 16th November 2019, the last day of a civil society workshop in Kampala, Uganda, on “How to advance cooperation and solidarity within and beyond aid”.

Since January 2020, and following a call issued by the initiators, many more organizations and individuals have joined the Kampala Initiative by endorsing the Kampala Declaration. By doing so, institutions and individuals confirm their “commitment to advancing cooperation and solidarity within and beyond aid, alongside and as part of the Kampala Initiative.”

In this sense, and for the purpose of Kampala Initiative governance, we call the organizations and individuals who joined the Kampala Initiative by signing the Declaration the “members” of the KI. The full lists of institutional and individual endorsements (members) is available on the website of the Kampala Initiative (as signatories to the Kampala Declaration).

Regulation of membership is easy and informal: Institutional membership is open to civil society organizations; and individuals can join the Initiative without further ado. The registration form states that “we accept endorsements by civil society institutions (we might get back to you for clarification) and by individuals (independent from your institutional affiliation).”

As a consequence, the “civil society space” provided by the Kampala Initiative is not a “protected” one, but can be used by a diverse membership for a variety of purposes and activities. There are no mechanisms for restricting the space e.g. by rejecting endorsements by individuals or by expelling registered participants, except the proper and adequate use of the KI community tools (see here).

Members are invited to engage in the steering of the Kampala Initiative. They receive updates from the secretariat and steering group, are invited to review the basic reference documents (work plan, governance, ToR for community tools, annual reports, others) and to join quarterly or semi-annual review meetings of the steering group (via online platform).

Co-hosts and representation

In practical terms, the Kampala initiative is co-hosted by MMI and the People’s Health Movement (PHM). Together, these two organizations are mandated to represent the Kampala Initiative in relations with an external audience and with potential funders, and involving other member as required/adequate (formal working groups of the Kampala Initiative having their own representation modalities and regulations, see below).

Secretariat

A small secretariat cares for the tasks (administration, accountability, communication, moderation) related to the Kampala Initiative that are not explicitly attributed to particular KI sub-groups such as the steering group, the programme group or any formal working groups, task groups and country groups (see below).

Currently, the secretariat work is shared among steering group members as in-kind contribution to the Kampala Initiative. The final location and composition/staff of the secretariat still needs to be confirmed, depending on the funding available and expressions of interests by KI members to host (part of) a funded secretariat.

Contact information are provided on the website.

Steering group (SG)

As the name states, the steering group is responsible for the overall steering, governance and planning of the Kampala Initiative. It integrates the co-hosts and secretariat and oversees the work of the programme group and other formal subgroups. It reports back to KI members and convenes them for formal processes of reporting, review, and planning, as adequate.

The main tasks of the steering group are specified in an annual work plan of the Kampala Initiative and in the Terms of Reference for KI community tools. If needed, and in particular if requested by KI members, the list of tasks will be complemented and related regulations will be added here.

In the initial phase (2020), the steering group meets on a monthly base or even more often, as and when required. Reports of the SG meetings are made available to the members..

With the informal and diverse membership of the Kampala Initiative, the SG is not set up as an “elected” body, but, after an informal start right after the end of the Kampala Workshop, will be composed by representatives of the following key groups and constituencies:

• Representatives of Co-hosts, as co-coordinators (2)
• Representative of Secretariat (if different)
• Representative of programme group (1)
• Representatives of working groups and task groups (all)
• Representatives of country groups (all)
• 1-2 “free” members, co-opted by the SG based on a call to KI members (early May 2020)

Programme group

The programme group is mandated by the steering group to coordinate and lead the implementation of the two main community tools of the Kampala Initiative: the webinars and the moderated discussions on the “beyond aid” mailing lists.

The main tasks of the programme group are specified in the Terms of Reference for KI community tools. If needed/adequate, and in particular if requested by KI members, the list of tasks will be completed and related regulations will be added here.

> Kampala Initiative as a community

Thematic working groups and task groups

The core of the Kampala Initiative as “lively and democratic civil society space and structure” shall be accessible to all interested. However, more specific informal or formal spaces and structures related to the overall topic of the Kampala Initiative might be set up by dedicated groups of KI members, as a result of interaction within the space provided by the Kampala Initiative.

Regulations are mainly required for working groups that plan to issue or endorse policy-oriented statements or to undertake other public activities under the group’s name, also referring to the Kampala Initiative. We call such working groups “formal” ones.
> Watch the GAP
> Track Changing Initiative

Informal thematic working groups or task teams (referred to in the following as ”informal working groups”) can be autonomously set up anytime by a KI member or a group of members to foster and facilitate communication and cooperation within the thematic field of work of the Kampala Initiative.

Kampala Initiative country groups

Terms of Reference for KI country groups will be set up only if/once there is a concrete demand for such a country group. Potential initiators of a pilot country group are welcome to reach out to the KI steering group for jointly framing such ToR, referring to the ToR of thematic groups as a starting point, but adding all the regulation needed to represent a “KI group” at country level and in a national dialogue on cooperation and solidarity within and beyond aid.

Kampala Initiative: Work Plan 2020

“Through the Kampala Initiative, we commit to expose, explore, challenge and transform health aid through dialogue, advocacy, activism and action. We commit to build cooperation and solidarity for health, within and beyond the practice of aid, to build a future where health justice and equity are realised, and aid is no longer a necessity.” (Kampala Declaration)

After the successful launch of the Kampala Initiative (KI) at the end of the Kampala workshop on “How to advance cooperation and solidarity within and beyond aid” (15-16 November 2019), an initial follow-up action plan was defined by a small “core group” that met immediately after the workshop for a debriefing session. Since then, the initial action plan has been implemented by the steering group.

With the great response to publishing the “Kampala Declaration” in January 2020, a certain “push factor” was added to the already existing ambitions of the steering group and other colleagues and organizations who launched the Kampala Initiative in 2019: there are now some expectations of the institutions and individuals who joined the Initiative by signing the Declaration.

With the “work plan 2020” we herewith want to formalize the core elements of what is to be done in order to sustain the momentum and to consolidate and carry forward the Kampala Initiative. For the year 2020, we propose the following overall objectives and directions:

Formalize and share planning

This is the aim of the “work plan 2020” published as part of the online documentation of the Kampala Initiative and accessible to all members.

Core activities to maintain and consolidate the community function of the Kampala Initiative

The KI is set up as a “lively and democratic civil society space and structure (alliance, community) of independent, critical-thinking activists and organizations across Southern and Northern boundaries”. A set of related core activities shall allow sustaining the initial momentum and commitment and to attract and integrate newcomers.

Governance basics

With the Kampala Initiative, we do not intend to create a new “institution”, but mainly a jointly governed space. However, to take up the ambition of this space being a democratic one, and knowing about the sensitivity of the power issue in convening civil society, some basic governance issues need to be addressed (how to access and use this space, who manages it, to whom are those actively engaged in particular activities accountable, who can “represent” the KI etc).

Strategic communication

We might deal with the communication issue in an ad-hoc way, based on a set of agreed activities. The development of a proper communication strategy and plan is left to a later moment.

Finances/fundraising

Key questions to be assessed and addressed include the following: What activities need to be funded in order to sustain them? How far/long can we rely on continued in-kind contributions by some core members. How to prevent dependency / donor drive and perverse incentives created through the availability of funding etc.. Based on this assessment, draft budgets for core and extended activities and reach out to potential funders within and beyond the membership. 

Structures: Working groups, task groups, country groups

The core of the KI as “lively and democratic civil society space and structure” shall be accessible to all interested. More specific informal or formal spaces and structures related to the overall topic of the Kampala Initiative might be set up by dedicated groups of KI members. Such structures including thematic working groups, process oriented task groups or country groups are the result of interaction within the space provided by the Kampala Initiative. To implement formal structures, they need to fulfil some basic requirements (see the “governance document”) and shall be based on a clear demand and leadership by the convening KI members.

Extended activities and strategic planning

Any more ambitions plans proposed by KI members that are not yet listed in the current work plan need to be carefully planned and prepared in order not to distort or damage the core of the Kampala Initiative, starting with a critical assessment of demand and relevance, then exploring the feasibility, and, if all conditions are given to go ahead, setting up a proper planning process.

And how will the Kampala Initiative look like in three years? After an informal start and the current steps of consolidation and continued work outlined in the work plan 2020, the further development of the Kapala Initiative needs to be carefully reflected and embedded in a vision and strategic plan to be developed and agreed on.