{"id":13827,"date":"2020-04-23T11:08:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T10:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/?p=13827"},"modified":"2021-07-02T14:47:27","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T13:47:27","slug":"the-value-of-your-network-whos-your-inside-woman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/en\/blog\/the-value-of-your-network-whos-your-inside-woman\/","title":{"rendered":"The value of your network \u2013 Who\u2019s your \u201cinside (wo)man\u201d?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Header photo by: BEES<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u2018I\u2019m not good at networking\u2019 is a phrase we hear all too often. Talking to strangers about your latest plans can feel uncomfortable, but \u2018networking\u2019 is much, much more. Maximin Djondo even goes as far to say that networking is not only effective, but easy-going. In this article, he explains how a government official helped him establish an administrative alliance that\u2019s built to last.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\u201cFor most civil society organisations (CSOs) in Benin, it\u2019s not easy to influence government bodies without having what we call \u2018our (wo)man inside\u2019,\u201d says Maximin Djondo, Director of the Benin Environment and Education Society (BEES). \u201cPeople in government want to separate civil-society from law-making. But recently, things have started to change for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The inside man<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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One of Maximin\u2019s contacts, Mr. Raphael Edou, plays a vital role. Raphael has worked as a consultant for CSOs, including Maximin\u2019s organisation BEES, for many years. For people working for nature conservation, he\u2019s managed to obtain a key position.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Maximin: ‘We used to cooperate with Raphael in a coalition of CSOs to lobby for clean, sustainable wetlands. We\u2019d consult him for expert views on solid waste management, so that we\u2019d know what to discuss with the government during our lobby.’ And guess what? In 2013, Raphael was appointed Minister of Environment in Benin. This is when he became Maximin\u2019s \u2018man inside\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Maximin: ‘Now we could directly call all Raphael\u2019s staff members, like the person responsible for international agreements or the person working on climate change. We\u2019d talk about what we need from them, and what they want from us as CSOs. Communicating directly helps a great deal in advancing our work. Now formal letters actually find their way to the person responsible, instead of being lost in a huge pile on the assistant\u2019s desk.’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The importance of institutionalizing<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Being in touch with the right people inside the government is one thing, but institutionalizing your connection is equally important.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Maximin: ‘Raphael left his position as Minister of Environment about two years later. Often, a collaboration then stops. But what we did is institutionalize it in a memorandum of understanding, which helps us to continue our work even if our man or woman inside leaves office. However, a little more action is desirable. Because a new minister can simply choose to ignore such a memorandum. That\u2019s why you still need continuous, strong lobby and advocacy for your efforts to be successful.’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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‘Over the last 20 years, the most important thing I\u2019ve discovered is that only together we stand strong.’<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The memorandum of understanding states that the CSOs and the government meet every six months to discuss the status of the environment. Here, the government informs the CSOs about their plans impacting the environment and the CSOs present the projects they\u2019re implementing in the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Discussing plans impacting the environment<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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So what were the outcomes of Maximin\u2019s efforts? Maximin: ‘We are truly happy about working together with the government. We meet every six months and I get invited to discuss new policies, for example on forestry. But even though we talk a lot, we as CSOs would like to implement more projects in the country.’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Luckily, whenever they do set up a project with local governments or communities, for example capacity building, Maximin can prove it\u2019s supported by the central government. ‘I simply invite a Minister or Chief of Cabinet to have a talk at the beginning of the session, showing that the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture or Water, has our back. This legitimizes our actions.’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Lessons learned<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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‘Over the last 20 years, the most important thing I\u2019ve discovered is that it is only together we stand strong,’ says Maximin. Maybe you\u2019re a small CSO, or maybe you\u2019ve only just started out. But your network is valuable anytime and through different ways. It\u2019s important to acknowledge that it\u2019s all intertwined. By working together with your contacts at the government, you have an impact on legislation.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The lessons learned from this case summed up:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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