Civil society advocacy and results measurement: a case study of the Save Zimbabwe campaign.

Abstract

This thesis critically examines attempts by civil society organisations (CSOs) working in the area of democracy advocacy in Zimbabwe to account to international donors in the context of a repressive political environment. The thesis examines how CSOs cope and adapt to the demand for results in international development, particularly upward accountability and the use of accountability mechanisms thereof. The study instrumentally uses the case study of the Save Zimbabwe Campaign (SZC), a democracy advocacy initiative that took place in Zimbabwe from 2006 to 2009, to explore how democracy advocacy results were measured and how requirements of upward accountability affect the organisational behaviour of CSOs. Through the deployment of accountability theory complemented by Foucault’s approach to discourse and power/knowledge framework, this thesis argues that results measurement is part of the dominant discourse in the field of international development and thereby constitutes a “discursive practice”. The discourse of results measurement is premised on “evidence of change” and the logical connection between interventions and outcomes. This is despite the fact that some results, especially of democracy advocacy based on mass mobilization of activists may take some time to gestate. However, this discourse is not free from judgmental values (subjectivities) of the social actors involved and is characterised by the exercise of power. As CSOs and donors interact through different communication typologies, perceptions and biases about the projects and implementation capacities inevitably form. These ultimately affect how results from advocacy initiatives are measured. The accountability requirements consequently affect the already asymmetric relationship between CSOs and donors as CSOs cope with and adapt to the upward accountability through improvisation and a combination of partial and reluctant compliance as a survival strategy. The thesis is based on a qualitative study and data was gathered through document analysis and semi-structured interviews. Findings contribute to the field of upward accountability particularly with regards to CSOs involved in democracy advocacy based on mass mobilisation of activists and how they become accountable to donors within a politically repressive environment. The thesis also contributes to an understanding of how CSO - donor relations are shaped by accountability mechanisms and practices. The findings will be of interest to those involved in civil society and advocacy studies, development practitioners, donors and evaluators of development interventions.