Open Budget Meeting, Bangladesh | © Helvetas Bangladesh

Governance & Civic Space

© Helvetas Bangladesh

At Helvetas, together with our trusted partners, we work with people and communities to raise their voices and claim their rights to actively shape the decisions that affect their lives. In a global context of growing authoritarianism and shrinking civic space, we support civil society in its role to be a legitimate voice for communities, a witness and advocate for accountability, and a driver for equitable change. At the same time, we strengthen the capacities of national and local government institutions so that they can fulfill their responsibilities and provide services that are inclusive, equitable and accessible to all. We place particular emphasis on ensuring that women, young people and marginalized groups are meaningfully included in decision and policy-making processes.

Why governance matters

In recent years, many countries have made notable progress towards more inclusive and accountable governance. They have established democratic and often decentralized systems, strengthened government capacities and created greater space for people to engage in shaping public policies and local development. These efforts align with the vision of SDG 16: building peaceful, just and inclusive societies with effective and accountable institutions. 

However, access to quality and inclusive public services remains out of reach for millions of people, particularly those facing poverty, exclusion and discrimination. Inequality and social justice are rising, especially in contexts where state institutions have limited capacity or legitimacy.  The challenges include rapid urbanization and rural depopulation, high youth unemployment, the impacts of climate change, pressure on natural resources, geo-political power play, and latent and active conflicts. 

In many countries where Helvetas works, the space for civil society to organize, collaborate and engage in public life is increasingly restricted. These restrictions undermine the ability of civil society actors to engage in meaningful dialogue with their constituents, with governments and private sector, propose policy changes, implement development initiatives, and advocate for the rights of marginalised groups. 

What we do

Active Society and Accountability

Our activities support civil society actors and communities by providing them with tools, strategies, and spaces that help amplify their voices, strengthen their networks, and grow their impact. We advocate for the creation of safe, inclusive and accessible spaces – both physical and digital - where people can express their concerns and needs. By promoting non-violent collective action, we help expand opportunities and resources for informal groups and social movements. We also strengthen accountability and transparency through responsible and accessible digital platforms, citizen-led oversight, and improved public participation mechanisms. By collaborating with local actors, the private sector, independent media, and civil society organizations, we strive to build inclusive and equitable systems that foster transparency and hold public institutions accountable to the people they serve. 

Strengthening municipalities

HELVETAS promotes effective governance at the sub-national level – across rural, peri-urban, and urban areas - by supporting legitimate local governance frameworks and strengthening the capacities of municipalities and service providers. We focus on administrative, political, and fiscal dimensions of decentralization to make sure that decision-making is closer to the people it affects. At the national level, we advocate for policies that foster local decision-making and meaningful participation.

At the local level, we work with municipalities to improve fiscal management, stimulate inclusive and equitable economic development, build institutional legitimacy and strengthen accountability and participatory budgeting mechanisms. In response to the growing challenges of urbanization -such as rapid population growth, informal settlements, and infrastructure gaps - we support urban municipalities in collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, including the private sector, to develop inclusive, governance-driven, people and environment friendlier solutions.

Across all levels, we prioritize socially inclusive and gender-responsive practices, integrating social protection into service delivery, promoting equitable practices, and implementing gender-responsive budgeting to reduce inequalities and ensure equal opportunities for underserved and marginalized groups.

Preventing corruption 

HELVETAS is dedicated to preventing corruption by enhancing equitable access to public services and goods. The organization strives to ensure that local governments deliver equitable and high-quality services while avoiding the reinforcement of existing power imbalances. By employing analytical tools such as PEPA (Political Economy and Power Analysis), HELVETAS analyzes enabling and disabling spaces and factors of corruption at various levels, concentrating on the interactions between culture, behavior, power dynamics, and institutional norms and in/formal rules. In partnership with civil society organizations and community networks, HELVETAS gathers insights regarding perceptions of corruption and disseminates relevant information. To effectively tackle corruption, we reinforce institutional knowledge on the costs of corruption to socio-economic and political stability and security, develop capacities for participatory planning, implement social auditing and community-based monitoring, and promote transparent public reporting of revenues and expenditures. Moreover, HELVETAS is committed to building inclusive institutions that foster trust between the public, private, and people sectors. The organization utilizes participatory platforms and tools to facilitate broad input and feedback in decision-making processes. 

© Helvetas
Example Albania: authorities that consider themselves as service providers for citizens enjoy greater public confidence. © Helvetas
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© Helvetas
In order to provide access to justice, especially decision-makers (generally men) at different levels are trained in legal rights and implementation of the legal framework. © Helvetas
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© Helvetas / Simon Opladen
Good maintenance is just as important as getting the water system installed. Only then does clean water actually flow from the tap. © Helvetas / Simon Opladen
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community-led tourism in Bhutan | © Helvetas/Lekey Wangdi
Training on food preparation. © Helvetas/Lekey Wangdi
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What we offer

  • Expertise in strengthening local governance by supporting people to understand their rights and responsibilities, build confidence and engage meaningfully in and influence decisions that affect their lives. 

  • Supporting public institutions on all levels to fulfill their responsibilities, address pressing challenges, deliver quality public services, and respond to people’s and societal needs while adhering to good governance principles. 

  • Experience working with local administrations including mayors, local councils, and elected representatives and more. 

  • Supporting participatory and inclusive decision-making on the use and distribution of local public resources, with a focus on people-driven planning and monitoring. 

  • Protecting and reclaiming the civic space by mobilizing local collective action and strengthening civil society organizations, alliances and networks, including with responsible private sector, academia, media — particularly by deepening their connections with people and the groups they represent and support, and building their capacities to strategically and constructively engage in evidence-based advocacy and policymaking. 

  • Geographical coverage: Our advisors are based in countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Western Balkans as well as Switzerland and provide technical, thematic, methodological, and strategic tailored and context sensitive support to the initiatives of people, service providers and decision makers we partner with around the world. 

Contact our team

Our multilingual advisory team offers wide-ranging thematic expertise and has in-depth experience in navigating complex processes. Helvetas’ work builds on over 60 years of experience in more than 30 countries.

Governance and Urban Engagement Senior Advisor
Governance and Public Services Senior Advisor

Check out our blog for the latest updates

Governance and civic space

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Gender and social equity

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Conflict transformation

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Selected projects

HELVETAS considers and works on Governance and Civic Space as a precondition for more social, economic, environmental and political equity, inclusion, and cohesion, therefore stability and security. Helvetas’ works on Governance and Civic Space in two ways: standalone Governance and Civic Space focused (e.g. principal) programmes or projects where the main goal and specific objectives are to improve the Governance and Civic Space environment in a given context, and/or, mainstreamed in a sensitive or responsive manner (e.g. significant) as part of another working area or working field project e.g. our Water, Food and Climate projects e.g. natural resource and/or land or water governance, and our Skills, Jobs, Income projects e.g. labour rights, business and human rights, TVET sector or employment sector governance, or our Humanitarian Response projects e.g. accountability toward affected populations and social protection.  

© Helvetas
Laos Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Fostering Civic Engagement

© Helvetas
Ethiopia Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Taking Responsibility for Village Administration

© Helvetas / Simon Opladen
Guatemala WASH & Water Governance

Good Governance Makes for Good Water

© Helvetas
Pakistan Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Economic Prospects for Peace and Stability

Sri Lanka Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Making Labor Migration a Success

© Helvetas / Bruna Fossati
Sri Lanka Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Young People on Course for Reconciliation

© Helvetas
Tajikistan Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Justice for All

© DLDP
Albania Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Building Confidence in Local Government

© Helvetas / Armand Habazaj
Albania, Serbia Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Social Sciences for a Better Society

© Helvetas
Tajikistan Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Water for Sustainable Development

© Helvetas
Bhutan Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Partnership for Diverse Civil Society Actions

Bangladesh_CSO-LA_5 | © Julia Thienhaus / Helvetas
Bangladesh Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Strengthening Capacities of the Disadvantaged

© Helvetas
Nepal Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Making Labor Migration an Informed Choice

© Helvetas
Kyrgyzstan Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Public service improvement in Kyrgyzstan

© Helvetas
Kyrgyzstan Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Contributing to a More Cohesive Society in Kyrgyzstan

© DEMOS
Kosovo Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Building a Democratic Kosovo

© Water for food
Global Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Tackling Corruption in the Water Sector

© HelvetasBhutan
Bhutan Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Bringing Decision-Making to Local Communities

© Helvetas
Guatemala Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Entrepreneurship in the Guatemalan Highlands

Sri Lanka Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

A journey towards a Human Trafficking Free Sri Lanka

Open History Exhibition Dawei | © Helvetas Myanmar
Myanmar Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Open History: Arts for Peace

Serbia Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

ACT for a Stronger Civil Society

Myanmar Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

For a Pluralistic, Inclusive and Peaceful Society

© Helvetas
Vietnam Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Strengthening Land Rights of Ethnic Minorities

© Dalia Khamissy
Lebanon Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Strengthening Civil Society through Digital Literacy

Myanmar Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Artists Relief Fund

© Helvetas Bolivia
Bolivia Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Economic Empowerment for a Strong Community

Tunisia, Mali, Niger Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Supporting children and young people on migration routes

© Helvetas / Alim
Bangladesh Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Supporting communities to raise their voice

Uzbekistan Education and Vocational Skills

Vocational Education on a Moving Ground

Nepal Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Support for returning migrant workers

© Polina Cupcea
Moldova Skills, Jobs and Income

Work for Refugees and Locals in Moldova

Laos Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Empowering Civil Society for Citizen Engagement

Tajikistan Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Establishing Climate-Resilient Groundwater Resources

Migration

Helvetas neither encourages nor discourages people from migration. We recognize migration as a viable livelihood strategy.

Conflict Transformation

Sustainable development can only happen in a peaceful context, where human rights are respected and promoted.

Gender & Social Equity

Helvetas promotes policies, strategies and interventions which address structural causes of inequality, inequity and injustice, faced by in particular women, and underserved, marginalized or at-risk individuals and groups.