Lessons learned

 Reforming the Tanzanian Mining Act – Fiscal, Social Environmental Aspects.

On 12th to 14th October, 2009, the Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) in collaboration with Policy Forum, organized a workshop that assembled over 40 participants from various Civil Society organizations (CSOs) and Media organizations in Tanzania.

The workshop aimed to provide the participants with the knowledge on the mining sector globally
and in particular Tanzania in the key issues related to maximizing its contribution to national development with focus on revenue generation, socio-environmental rights and obligations as well as local economic development. Read more 

SAM in Babati: Public participation crucial in LG decision-making

Since Policy Forum introduced Social Accountability Monitoring (SAM) in 2008, a number of important lessons have been learnt to-date. This brief summarises critical issues that were identified by CSOs when they met in Babati in October 2009. Policy forum in collaboration with its two regional CSO networks (Kiteto Civil Society forum and Macs – Net) facilitated a public presentation of SAM in Babati. Participants identified the following as critical issues in social accountability monitoring in Tanzania: Read notes

Lessons learned in Tax Justice 2009

Lessons learned during seminar aimed at raising awareness and sharing experiences on emerging tax issues for Civil Society Organisations in the East Africa region. The Seminar, held in Dar es Salaam in May, 2009 and organized by Policy Forum in collaboration with Tax Justice Network – Africa, also aimed at building research and advocacy capacity on tax issues for participants. More

Collaborating with Parliament to increase oversight in the Mining Sector

in 2008, Policy Forum in conjunction with the Revenue Watch Institute, together with IDASA organised two workshops on revenues obtained from the mining sector. For more, read notes .

Notes on Parliamentary Advocacy

According to the Roadmap produced by PACT Tanzania as a tool for policy work, there are several different entry-points for CSO in the legislative process. Below are a few that have been picked up from that document and the Fact Sheet on the legislative process that is available from the parliament website. Read more

Quality Engagement: Towards better working terms between Government and Civil Society

While there have been instances where Government and civil society have worked together constructively, the relationship between the two sectors is more often characterized by mutual suspicion and antagonism. Government has validly criticized civil society for not being transparent, and for not always offering tangible solutions when it is critical of Government policy or practices. On its part civil society has often had to fight to be included in policy processes, and has on many instances been included in a superficial manner not intended to give it an opportunity for substantive input. Developing a binding agreement on the way in which these two sectors can engage with each other in a constructive manner can address these problems, and contribute to creating a healthy and beneficial working relationship between civil society in all its diversity and Government. In this note, we are guided by the Code of Good Practice on Policy Dialogue developed in Canada. The document is available at: http://www.vsi-isbc.ca/eng/policy/policy_code.cfm . Tanzania is about to undergo an African Peer Review Mechanism self-evaluation exercise on a national scale, and this could provide an excellent opportunity to address the possibility of an agreement between civil society and Government on quality engagement between the two sectors. Read More