SMC Network at Risk as Funding Structure Changes
The Swedish government has tasked Sida with investigating whether the agency could take over the development cooperation currently channelled through Swedish civil society. This makes it even more crucial for SMC’s member organisations to respond to the survey the board has already distributed.
The deadline to complete the survey is March 8. The SMC secretariat will compile the responses to serve as a basis for the board’s discussions at its March 21 meeting.
– Even though the board’s survey initially focused on the more limited question of what would happen if the government decided to cut out an intermediary in the funding process, it will provide valuable insights for the board in analysing the consequences for the network if this policy is implemented, says Charlotta Norrby, Secretary General of SMC Faith in development.
The funds SMC distributes come from a strategy previously known as “Strategy for Support through Swedish Organisations in Civil Society.” When the government adopted a new strategy on February 1, it was renamed “Strategy for Sweden’s Development Cooperation with Civil Society.” According to Sida’s mandate, the aim is to “nationalise” the allocation of funds, with Sida providing more direct support to partners in collaboration countries rather than through Swedish civil society organisations.
In the first phase of the review, Sida must report by April 8 on the financial consequences if it were to take over the responsibility for distributing funds to civil society organisations in developing countries from 2025 onwards. By May 15, Sida is also expected to present proposals on how the agency could take over this funding and alternative models where some funding would still be managed by civil society partner organisations but with fewer intermediaries in the distribution process.
– While we were aware that this review was underway, we had expected the mandate to be more open-ended and receptive to different solutions. Instead, it clearly signals a shift towards marginalising Swedish civil society organisations in Sweden’s development cooperation—at least within the CSO funding framework, says Charlotta Norrby.
She emphasises the importance of the network’s perspectives being heard, both from directly and indirectly affected member organisations, as these decisions will ultimately impact the entire network’s ability to operate—especially its partnerships worldwide.