Background

In 2011, Moroccans took to the street demanding a more transparent and responsive government.  King Mohammed VI responded by announcing reforms including a new constitution, which provides civil society with increased responsibilities such as monitoring the reform process. While Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are numerous, the majority lack the capacity to enact systemic change. In support of the Government of Morocco’s efforts to increase civic participation, USAID is providing direct grants to five CSOs to strengthen their capacities to act as intermediary support organizations (ISOs) and engage with the government on behalf of the citizens.  

Objectives

Through these direct grants, the five ISOs will:

• Strengthen their internal capacities, organizational practices, and overall skills in order to become the capacity development “go-to” centers for other CSOs.
• Strengthen other NGOs’ core management, fundraising and staffing technical skills to more effectively influence legislation and public policy making and implementation.
• Develop networks among other CSOs to collectively engage in lawmaking, public policy, advocacy work, or enforcing accountability processes.

About the five selected ISOs

Mouvement Alternatives Citoyennes (ALCI)            

Through their project, “Partners for Change”, ALCI aims to enhance civil society’s role in developing and monitoring decentralized policies by providing a suitable space to renew the interconnections between the state and citizens.  Within these spaces, “Partners for Change” will help establish institutionalized dialogue and consultation between civil society and policymakers.  

Association La Colombe Blanche pour les Droits des Personnes en Situation d’Handicap (ACB)

The White Dove Association (ACB) project aims to strengthen the organizational and institutional capacities of associations and networks working on disability issues in order to design and implement more effective advocacy campaigns and better position themselves with decision makers at the local and regional level.  

Forum Ezzahra pour la Femme Marocaine  (FAFM)

FAFM’s “Engage” project works to enhance CSOs’ level of influence in public policy decisions by providing capacity building in advocacy and public policy evaluation to empower other local and regional NGOs to implement more effective local advocacy initiatives for women and youth in particular.  

Association Ennakhil         

Ennakhil Association’s project focuses particularly on strengthening the capacity of 40 direct project beneficiaries, focusing on a wide spectrum of issues, ranging from local development, youth, and women, through a series of trainings, coaching and technical assistance. The project also intends to advocate for the CSO’s right to participate in public policy development, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Finally, the project will help develop partnerships between CSOs and the Regional Council of Marrakech-Safi.

Association Marocaine de Solidarité et de Développement (AMSED)

AMSED’s "Strengthening Capacity Development of CSOs: For Better Civic Engagement in the Process of Public Policy Development and Citizen Mobilization" project aims to strengthen AMSED’s capacity in order to become a technical hub that can sustainably provide capacity building to other CSOs’ capacity building to encourage more effective public policy development.