What Does Closing Civic Space Mean for Development? A Literature Review and Proposed Conceptual Framework

This paper summarises the findings of a literature review in support of research on this theme

From:
Department for International Development
Published
1 July 2018
Document Type:
Working Paper
Theme:
Governance and Conflict
Authors:
Hossian, N, Khurana, N, Mohmand, S, Nazneen, S, Oosterom, M, Roberts, T, Santos, R, Shankland, A, Schröder, P.

Abstract

What does closing civic space mean for development? Aid donors are concerned about the implications of restrictions on civil society for their partners and programmes, but to date there has been little clarity about what this means for development.

This paper summarises the findings of a literature review in support of research on this issue. It concludes that:

  • civic space has changed more than shrunk, although new restrictions affect aid-supported groups disproportionately;
  • new regulations are not all unwelcome, but nonetheless shift power from civic to political actors;
  • how that power shift shapes development outcomes depends on how political elites deploy that power, and in whose interests;
  • while there are instances where civil society has been curtailed to advance ‘developmentalist’ agendas, it more often enables land and natural resource grabbing, or the abuse of labour or other rights of marginalised and disempowered groups;
  • while short-term economic growth is unlikely to be adversely affected, economic crises are more likely in settings where civic space is closed, and it is highly improbable that development has any chance of producing equitable, sustainable, or inclusive outcomes under conditions where civic space is restricted or closing.

These 3 publications are related to this research:

The paper is published in association with the Action for Empowerment and Accountability Research Programme (A4EA). This review was supported by the Department for International Development’s Policy Research Fund

Citation

Hossain, N.; Khurana, N.; Mohmand, S.; Nazneen, S.; Oosterom, M.; Roberts, T.; Santos, R.; Shankland, A. and Schröder, P. (2018) What Does Closing Civic Space Mean for Development? A Literature Review and Proposed Conceptual Framework, IDS Working Paper 515, Brighton: IDS

What Does Closing Civic Space Mean for Development? A Literature Review and Proposed Conceptual Framework

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Published 1 July 2018
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