2020-2021 Elections TAP Network Steering Committee Nominees

The TAP Network is pleased to announce that voting for the 2020-2021 TAP Network Steering Committee is now open, and a thanks to all who have nominated their organization to serve of TAP’s Steering Committee. We have had a total of 18 eligible organizations put themselves forward for the four available slots on the Steering Committee this year – including five organizations from the “Global North” (headquartered in OECD countries) and 13 organizations from the “Global South” (headquartered in non-OECD countries). 

The new Terms of Reference and additional guidelines for the election process for the 2020-2021 TAP Network Steering Committee can be found here.

Below is the full list of the organizations that have been nominated, along with their respective answers to the questions asked of them in TAP Steering Committee Nomination form.

 

Nominated Organizations from the "Global North"
  • Organization Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
  • Website: http://www.accountabilitylab.org/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: The Accountability Lab aims to support a positive movement to build accountability; provide long-term support for young leaders who can collectively drive this movement; and improve collaboration around accountability and open governance.  These mutually reinforcing efforts ensure that we are well placed to source ideas from the bottom-up across contexts that can inform policy decisions made from the top-down. Our coalition-building, policy change and advocacy work takes a variety of forms, including: Leading or supporting coalitions- such as the OGP (Nigeria, Liberia and Pakistan) and anti-corruption related groups (Liberia); Building working groups- such as Voice coalitions (Mali and Niger); and the World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI); Supporting donor collaboratives or initiatives- such as Making All Voices Count (Liberia and Pakistan); the Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative (Liberia); the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (Nepal and globally). Over the years we have also facilitated, as an extension of our accountability incubator, a SDG 16 innovation competition for young people in Pakistan, Nigeria and elsewhere to find creative solutions for SDG 16- on peace, justice and strong institutions.  The competition supports young people to develop ideas, build skills and connect with others working towards these shared goals.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: We are well placed to source ideas from the bottom-up that can inform policy decisions made from the top-down, making them more citizen-centric and inclusive. We also have networks at the policy-level- both nationally and internationally- that we can leverage to begin to change laws, approaches and systems in ways that can build accountability. Over time, we have found ourselves being asked to be part of collective efforts that are advocating for change to the status-quo. There are a number of things which makes us different: firstly, our focus on positivity- collaborative, constructive approaches to change, highlighting solutions and role-models; secondly, we work with individual change-makers as they move over time to where opportunities to build accountability emerge; and finally we are building the field by supporting the enabling environment for accountability over the long-term, working collectively with others. This moves away from tired, stove-piped efforts to create change that do not become more than the sum of their parts. Accountability Lab Global (registered as a 501c3 in the US) with “Network Labs” (in Liberia, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa) all of which are locally registered. We now have 80+ staff across this network, supported by hundreds of volunteers.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Jean Scrimgeour (Female)
  • Organization Headquarters: The Hague – The Netherlands
  • Website: https://www.cspps.org/ 
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: CSPPS, as constituency member of the IDPS has been at the forefront of lobby for the inclusion of a peace goal in the 2030 Agenda. Having secured SDG16 as part of the agenda the Platform has subsequently been actively involved in the actualisation of the 2030 Agenda. It has done so via the International Dialogue partnership [using the New Deal principles as a prism and entry point for this], but also in direct consultation with major donors and colleague civil society networks. In 2019, having SDG16 on peaceful, just and inclusive societies reviewed, the Platform has stepped-up advocacy and programming work around the Voluntary National Review processes embarked upon. Using the International Dialogue partnership as a strategic entry point coordinated efforts were planned to ensure optimal participation and inclusion of civil society in VNR-processes in FCAS. The CSPPS Ready for Review project was set-up to ensure the meaningful inclusion, participation and contribution of national and local CSOs during government-led SDG consultation and validation processes in five selected FCAS-countries going for a Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2019. CSPPS partnered with the TAP Network in execution of this project that was also expanded to include four additional countries where also SDG16 related trajectories were set-up and implemented. CSPPS joined hands with TAP Network, GPPAC and Saferworld in setting-up the SDG16+ Localisation Consortium.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: Being a network ourselves, CSPPS strongly believes in the key relevance and added value of strategic planning and coordination of member network towards optimal alignment and greater impact through agreed upon strategic collective action. When elected as member of the TAP Network Steering Committee CSPPS will aim to support efforts to bring about greater interaction between individual TAP Network members and pro-actively seek new strategic coalitions to be built at regional and international level to enhance policy influencing impact as well as catalyze new innovative programming ideas. Again, on basis of accumulated experience as a network ourselves we hope to also support the TAP Network in its strategic engagement towards both securing required resources for carrying out its strategic plan as well as to build and solidify strategic alliances that will help to further implementation of key activities as identified. Being one of the initiators of the SDG16+ Localization Consortium we also hope to give needed attention to both securing resources needed to have the consortium start its activities as well as strategically position this consortium in the SDG16+ community.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Peter van Sluijs (Male) 
  • Organization Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
  • Website: https://www.netafrica.be/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly:
    • FORMAL ECONOMY – Facilitate the transition of female workers and economic units from the informal to the formal economy.
    • COLLABORATION – Promote interventions that support equal opportunities for women to participate in the management and utilization of natural resources and the sharing of responsibilities and benefits. Promote interventions that enhance women farmers’ economic and financial options. Promote agricultural investment mechanisms and advisory services on the impacts of climate change
    • ESTABLISH – decision-making practices that engage women in the control of agricultural technologies, training, credits, markets, and digital finance.
    • AGREE – on integrating considerations of gender into climate policy, mitigation, technology, adaptation, and capacity building.
    • CREATE – fresh opportunities designing, developing, and promoting women-friendly technologies to improve financial digitalisation.
    • INVOLVE – more women in income-generating and livelihood promoting activities, operating in the formal economy.
    • EDUCATE – educating women and girls in the usage of ICT and in science and technology, so that they can take advantage.
    • DATA – statistics, indicators, and methods for collecting sex-disaggregated data to enable a better understanding of the current situation regarding gender equality in financial inclusion.
    • POLICY – liaising with government officials on financial transparency policy in the informal economy across Africa.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: Net Africa aims to focus our contribution on digital financial, gender and the environment. Formal financial services – such as bank accounts, loans, and insurance – are readily available to all people. Such services must be provided responsibly and sustainably in a well-regulated transparent environment. Digital payments dramatically improve the transparency of transactions to and from governments. This helps hold governments accountable to a higher standard for usage of public funds and increases the funds available for vital public services, investments, and transfers. US$110 billion is lost each year due to leakages in government expenditures and tax collections globally.  The use of cash in government payments makes it harder to trace funds, enabling corruption and leakages. However, digital financial transactions create more transparent, auditable records that can help hold governments and other parties to account for the use of public funds. Making and receiving payments in cash involves much higher transaction costs for governments, reducing the pool of funds available for vital public services, investments, and transfers. Digitizing government transfers reduces operational costs and helps ensure payments delivered to the intended recipients in full and on time. Digital accounts can help formalize economies, bringing more capital into the financial system and broadening domestic tax bases.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: F. Ayoola (Female)
  • Organization Headquarters: United Kingdom
  • Website: https://www.saferworld.org.uk/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: Saferworld have been a TAP member since the birth of the Network and have worked to localise the 2030 Agenda and SDG16 around the world, in collaboration with the TAP secretariat and many TAP members since January 1, 2016. At the core of Saferworld’s values is the concept of partnership – which is a crucial part of TAPs mission and reason to exist. Saferworld, together with TAP and other partners, want to continue to highlight at the global level, the work of local and national efforts to implement SDG16+.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: Saferworld have been a member of the TAP Network Steering Committee over the past 6 months. We plan to stay engaged and continue to offer strategic advice and guidance to the Secretariat. Saferworld as an entity plans to continue partnering with TAP on SDG16 implementation and advocacy.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Jordan Street (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: USA, New York; Korea, Seoul
  • Website: http://w-df.org/main#
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: The WDF (IEO) has been learning about the SDGs of the United Nations since 2017.  We learned a lot from participating in the HLPF in 2018 and 2019. Thus, we enrolled “SDGs International School” in New York to be educated more on the SDGs. We would like to participate in the HLPF to communicate and educate on the below items.
    • The United Nations Environment Forum
    • The UN Medical Service
    • The United Nations Procurement Association.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: The WDF (IEO) has been learning for the SDGs of the United Nations since 2017, including about the United Nations Environment Forum, the UN Medical Service, and the United Nations Procurement Association. There are many preparations to support the TAP by establishing the SDGs International School.
    • Donation
    • Dispatch of personnel
    • Each country office provided
    • Providing material
    • IT technology
    • Biotechnology
    • Provide medical service team
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Jaehak Lee (Male)

Nominated Organizations from the "Global South"
  • Organization Headquarters: Asia
  • Website: http://ada2030.org/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: Asia Development Alliance is a regional NGO coalition on Asia, binding and collectivising the voices of the national CSOs on various thematic issues having members in 29 countries across Asia. ADA works towards interlinking various SDGs with focus on Goal 16 plus (goal 1, 5, 10, 13, 16 and 17) and has been TAP member for a long. ADA works on training and capacity building apart from its research and advocacy work with its members/partners, member states, UN institutions other allies and stakeholders on CSOs engagement in SDGs implementation, monitoring and review including the Voluntary national review, linking SDGs and human rights , development and democracy. ADA also focus on goal 16 due to its strong human rights links, peace , justice and inclusive institutions and prepared national indicators on goal 16 during its training program (Global Advocacy Leadership in Asia-GALA) with the participants and did a Goal 16 monitoring report entitled ‘Empowering Civil Society for National Reporting and Action Plan on SDG 16’ with partnership with TAP Networks, Forus and other global CSOs . The report is based on 11 national case studies across the globe. ADA has also been part of various goal 16 advocacy at the national, regional and global levels.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: ADA being a CSO regional coalition, can collectivise the voices of national CSOs on Goal 16 plus issues and help collect case studies , data and information, generate solidarity from across Asia thus become a strong ”Southern Voice” from the Global South for all awareness and advocacy efforts at regional and global level by representing the grass root national campaigns. ADA has a strong training and capacity building event called GALA , on linking SDGs with human rights , development and democracy can be a strong partner of development and linking with various national CSOs.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Hideki Wakabayashi (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: Dhani Gujran, Teh. Hansi, Hisar, Haryana. India
  • Website: www.apsdhisar.org
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: Association For Promotion Sustainable  Development (APSD ) an NGO based in India, work to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and targets and agenda 2030,based on action – research. Association for Promotion Sustainable Development have a special consultative status with ECOSOC United Nations APSD is engaged with multilateral bodies like United Nations, Global partnership for social accountability world Bank group, south -south cooperation and triangular development  (SSCTD ). Asian development Bank  ( ADB ), BRICS, G -20, BIMSTEC, AIIB EU, and other structural transformation of the world order to make asociety more equitable sustainable just and peaceful free from poverty and implementation of global agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Our organisation is advocacy on SDG -16, as good governance, and citizens participation and people empowerment in society and development.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: Our organisation is writing contribution to work with TAP Network, and all the contribution of TAP Network, as writing comments, and reporting on SDGs and accelerate implementation of all Sustainable development goals and targets and agenda 2030 for sustainable development. So we organise a bike railly in Hansi city Haryana. India on UN SDG and SDG -16 justice and peaceful and inclusive societies.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Mange Ram Adhana (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: Nigeria
  • Website: http://cscsdev.org/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: Reinforcing the assertion that SDG16 underpins the entire 2030 Agenda and that SDG16 is linked with all other SDGs, CSCSD collaborates with other development actors and organizations in engaging on issues around Goal 16 of the SDGs which is to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”  Our SDG 16 Advocacy priorities revolve round the following: Building the capacity of our members on the issue of Freedom of Information Act 2011.
    • Creating awareness on gender-based violence, torture of children and female genital mutilation, and against related death rates.
    • Sensitization and capacity building on human trafficking and smuggling of persons.
    • Campaigning against impunity and decrying shrinking civic space for civil society.
    • Collaborating with anti-corruption agencies to campaign against corruption and bribery in both government and civil spaces.
    • Engaging the state actors on transparency and accountability for good governance.
    • Clamoring for all-inclusive non-discriminatory policy making at all levels for the benefit of the marginalized, the poor and the voiceless.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: On the Steering Committee level, we are going to bring to bear our experience on development issues with focus on SDG 16. We have been part of the meetings organized both in Africa and Europe on post-2015 development agenda bringing together development actors and partners, governments and private sectors. For example, we made a presentation on post-2015 development agenda to a wider audience of CSOs and government representatives in Johannesburg in November 2013 while in November 2014 we were part of the meeting of CSOs in Copenhagen (Denmark) where we made contributions to the vital importance of inclusion of equality across all levels and themes of SDGs  through implementation of accountability mechanisms addressing all three dimensions of sustainable development. We are going to support the TAP Network Steering Committee in the administrative section bothering on governance with particular attention to Steering Committee and Staff relation. I may offer to organize a capacity building in this regard if necessary.  We will also help to help in the area of membership drive so as to garner more campaign support for SDG 16. I will make myself available for regular calls for the meetings of the Steering Committee members and consultation with the TAP Network Coordinator while we will collaborate with other TAP Steering Committee members in raising the profile of TAP globally.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Tola Winjobi (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: MBULU, TANZANIA
  • Website: https://www.csmbtz.co.tz/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: Being a Partner of TAP, we adopt to achieve what the TAP Network  contributions on the issues around SDG 16 and organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda. We fully recognize the  collaborative expertise, experience and strategic guidance  of TAP Network  and  advocacy work and   around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network   
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: The organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee as the partner to ensure that priorities, strategies and plans are pursued responsibly and effectively on advocacy work and around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network. The organization also had to consider efficient use of the time and resources of the network, including those of staff and, where relevant, members.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Mr. Nicodemus Axwessoo Siayi Soko (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Website: https://friendship.ngo/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: Friendship’s Community Paralegal activities aim towards achieving two significant goals of national and international relevance . The first goal is the Sustainable Development Goal 16; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. The second goal is the main goal of the 7th National Five-Year Plan 2016-2020 of Bangladesh, which is to ensure access to justice as a first priority. Friendship’s are advocating to Government recognizes paralegal work as a profession. It will be a self-sustaining and long-lusting activity that would be no longer dependent on funds from foreign donations to sustain itself. In order to serve people on a greater scale and ensure equal access to justice. Friendship advocating Paraligalism need to be promoted jointly by the private and public sector.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: Friendship is now an organisation delivering integrated services in six Sectors: Health, Education, Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Management, Inclusive Citizenship, Sustainable Economic Development and Cultural Preservation. These service are delivered by over 3000 people, including full time employees, staff recruited from within the beneficiary communities and volunteers, working from Dhaka Head Office and 14 regional offices. Friendship supports communities mainly in the shafting northern river islands, known as a “CHARS” of the Brahmaputra and in the coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal. Friendship is active in 41 Upazilas over 23 District of Bangladesh. Friendship took steps to set up a network of supporting organisation in Europe, now Under the banner of Friendship International. Friendship have lot of potential resources and experiences, they will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Muhammad Moniruzzaman (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: Port Louis, Mauritius
  • Website: http://halleymovement.org/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: Halley Movement Coalition has been active in taking forward the 2030 Agenda in Mauritius. It all started in 2015 when at national level the organisation focussed on advocacy at the shift from MDGs to SDGs. Since then various events identifying targeted population have been launched annually. Halley Movement Coalition also presented at the People’s Assembly during the UN SDG Summit in New York in 2019.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: Halley Movement Coalition has the expertise and experience in working with organisations in various fields and topics. Halley Movement started its operation since 1990 and has been recognised at national and regional levels. This will be helpful at the Steering Committee.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Mahendranath Busgopaul (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: Nigeria
  • Website: *Not active yet
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: We are involved in engaging local authorities in ensuring youth inclusive government, educating youths to know their rights and educating church leaders and other faith-based organizations on accountability in their works.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: ICCED will liaise with TAP Network Committee to oversee the work committed to her and ensure that strategies, priorities and plans are pursued. ICCED will also ensure the effective and diverse representation of the TAP Network Steering Committee in pursuance of the policies and advocacy that reflects the priorities of the Committee.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Ven. Ikechi Ebens Onyeahialam JP (Male)

 

  • Organization Headquarters: Dhulikhel, Nepal
  • Website: *Under construction
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: NACASUD Nepal envisions peaceful, just, inclusive, equitable, resilient and sustainable society. Its mission is to remain active steadily to promote sustainable development following the principle of Leave No One Behind. NACASUD Nepal is a collective platform of development practitioners, human rights defenders, democracy advocates, anticorruption activists etc. This organization is continuously working on the 2030 Agenda. Basically, NACASUD Nepal is working for localizing SDGs through advocacy, networking, knowledge management and capacity development. This organization organized Nepal Peoples Forum on Sustainable Development 2019 and produced People’s Statement, which is a strong advocacy tool among CSOs. This organization is contributing in number of civil society platforms at international level and is now working as focal organization of Asia Pacific Regional CSOs Engagement Mechanism in South Asia. This organization is engaging with grassroots organizations, local governments, civil society Major Groups and Stakeholders, sub-national and national government. This organization is currently contributing in SDG 16+ agenda by conducting “Realizing SDG 16+ from Below Initiative” and expending the civil society advocacy works. This organization has been a part of TAP Network for many years and it is participating in its every initiative. NACASUD Nepal is committed to contribute in SDG 16+ agenda because it is accelerator, driver and enabler of all other Global Goals.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: NACASUD Nepal a collective platform of development practitioners, human right defenders, democracy advocates, professionals and social movements. Actually, member of this organization has a long history of working in peace, democracy, human rights, justice, good governance and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion. So, this organization has full capacity to carry on the responsibilities stated in the TOR of TAP Network Steering Committee member. Our organization can contribute the TAP Networking by multiple ways, such as representing in different national, regional and global events; organizing training materials and conducting training workshops for capacity development; producing IEC materials; networking the member organizations of TAP Network. Moreover, it can support the CSOs to monitoring the SDG 16 at country and local level. Our organization can build the partner with key related national and international organizations and platforms, who are working on SDG 16+ agendas including UNDP, UNOHCHR, COD, UNODC, KOICA, Pathfinders, SDG 16 Data Initiative etc. Moreover, it is interested to civil society led processes at national, regional and global levels. It is imperative to collect information about good practices in promoting SDG 16+ across the world.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Daya Sagar Shrestha (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: Cotonoy,  BENIN
  • Website: ongpadjenabenin.blogspot.com
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: Nous avons organiser des activités de sondage dans la communauté et de sensibilisation sur les ODD. Et nous ferons aussi des activités avec d’autre organisation de la communauté et webinaire avec des organisation internationale comme INEE  (English Translation: We have organized community-based survey and awareness-raising activities on the SDGs. And we will also do activities with other community organization and webinar with international organizations like INEE and Together2030.)
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: Nous allons travailler de manière pragmatique a respecter le même plan action avec vous pour l’atteinte des objectif en l’appliquant dans notre communauté tout en invitant la communauté a la base a y participer et l’appliquer avec nous en collaboration avec d’autre organisation comme nous l’avons la culture et de partager le rapport a la fin de chaque activités avec vous. (English Translation: We will work in a pragmatic way to respect the same action plan with you to achieve the goal by applying it in our community while inviting the grassroots community to participate and apply it with us in collaboration with other organization as we have the culture and share the report at the end of each activity with you)
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Jean-Claude Paul DEGBE (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: Harare, Zimbabwe
  • Website: http://www.prftzim.org/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: The Poverty Reduction Trust (PRFT) is a civil society organization based in Zimbabwe whose main mandate is in research and analysis, public  engagement and  policy advocacy. Within the 2030 Agenda,  has been instrumental in awareness raising of the SDGs through undertaking national radio programs, training local journalists on SDGs reporting, engaging communities through public meetings and engaging different government line ministries with key messages emanating from both our research and public engagement meetings. PRFT spearheaded the formation of a Zimbabwe CSOs Reference Group on SDGs which has become government’s referral point for CSOs engagements on SDGs-related activities. While PRFT’s work cuts across all the 17 SDGs  it places emphasis on SDG16 and lobbied the government of Zimbabwe to include  SDG16 in its priority list when they initially excluded it in the ten priority SDGs. As a result of the preussure now government’s  official SDGs priority is 10+1 including SDGs. PRFT has just joined TAP Network although it has previously interacted with it through the Partners for Review Network 
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: PRFT will bring its wide expertise in research and policy advocacy and a long history of coordination experience. The PRFT’s Executive Director has networked  with a number of CSOs in the  SADC region as well as other regional blocks on the African and will be able to use that influence to bring more members to the TAP Network as well as the knowledge of the CSOs landscape on the continent.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Ms. Judith Kaulem (Female)
  • Organization Headquarters: Kampala, Uganda
  • Website: http://rcidco.org/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: We are working to ensure open, inclusive, accountable, effective governance and peaceful societies are at the heart of the Agenda for Sustainable Development, and promoting  good governance in the region and civil society are recognized and mobilized as indispensable partners in the design, implementation of accountability for sustainable development policies, at all levels.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: We organization agree with the Values ,objective and mission of Tap network and shall  promote consensus of the constituency at times beyond our organizational our geographical area and interests  ,willingness to consult widely with the civil society organizations and ability to promote transparency ,encourage  collaborative and partnership-driven spirit, and appreciation for the diversity.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Henry Oriokot (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Website: https://voicebd.org/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: VOICE is an advocacy organization. VOICE has a particular focus working on SDG16 with most of its indicators, such as justice, violence against women, peace and harmony, freedom of expression, access to information, governance etc,. Currently, it has been running a project on freedom of expression supported by UNDP and a project on Violence against women online supported by APC. working around the issues of freedom of expression, access to information.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: VOICE is committed to contributing to the TAP Network and its steering committee activities. VOICE is willing to provide time and effort to TAP steering committee and commit to working in a team in a participatory manner. VOICE has sufficient authority and ability to speak with conviction on behalf of their organization and other civil society representatives/networks at meetings. VOICE holds a strong collaborative and partnership-driven spirit, and it believes in pluralism. VOICE has the willingness to hold ownership for the TAP Network’s work, as well as the work of the steering committee. VOICE has sound experience in dealing with a wide spectrum of stakeholder groups. VOICE is willing to take the regional initiative to make the visibility of TAP Network and its activities. VOICE is committed to attend TAP meetings both physically and virtually. VOICE will carry forward TAP mandates.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: Ahmed Swapan Mahmud (Male)
  • Organization Headquarters: Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Website: https://www.ypdsn.org.np/
  • Please describe your organization’s advocacy work and priorities around the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 and the TAP Network more broadly: YPDSN has been working in the field of youth and women empowerment, community development, health, education and livelihood promotion. Although YPDSN has not been directly working with the SDG16, the activities that YPDSN conducts is related to building transparency, accountability and participation of the people. YPDSN believes in these core values of the TAP network. YPDSN supports the goal and targets of SDG16. We believe in ending all forms of violence, ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking, violence and torture associated with children, access to justice, and combating crimes. We follow zero tolerance policy on corruption and financial misconducts. We also focus on participation and good governance. Our current activities ensures the core values related with SDG 16 and the TAP network. For Nepal, the proposed targets for SDG 16 include ending death from violent conflict, violence against women, and violence against children, and to improve transparency and accountability. The targets also include eliminating marriage before the age of 18 years, and to have universal birth registration. Nepal has however made significant advancements on inclusions, however Nepal has still a long way to go in practicing elements of good governance (transparency, accountability and rules of laws and more efforts are required in the field of trafficking of children and psychological aggression or physical punishment among children. It would be a good opportunity to work directly in SDG16.
  • Please describe how your organization can and will contribute to the work of the TAP Network Steering Committee: Being a member of the TAP Network Steering Committee, YPDSN will contribute in providing strategic guidance for the work of the committee. YPDSN will share its working experiences and the context of the country. In addition, YPDSN will assist the committee in developing the strategic plans and operational plans and develop a sense of ownership, belongingness, responsibility and activism among all members. Our organization will assist in developing activities, terms and conditions of employment and manage budget and expenditures. YPDSN as the member of the steering committee will ensure the strategies and plans are pursued responsibly and effectively and efficient use of resources and time of the concerned people. YPDSN will help the committee function more effectively and efficiently by providing assistance as and when required and provide effective leadership and decision making. YPDSN will support the team in development of strategies, plans and budgets and operational plans for the TAP network. YPDSN will also assist the committee in formation of specific working groups or task forces for specific areas of work and ease the communication between the working groups and committee members. Overall, YPDSN will support the committee in its day to day management functions by providing assistance in all ways as and when required.
  • Steering Committee Focal Point: ASHIT B K (Male)

Voting

Voting will take place between today (Wednesday, 27 November 2019) and Wednesday 11 December 2019.

Voting rights are held by any current TAP Network Partners as of the launch of this voting process today. There are currently 111 TAP Network Partners that are eligible to vote, and you can find all of these organizations listed here. 

Voting will be based on a “one vote per organization” basis. This is very important – if we receive multiple votes from one organization, only the first ballot submitted from each organization will be counted, and all others will be void. This will require all TAP Network Partners to coordinate their voting decision with other colleagues from their organizations on the mailing list, but prevents us from an imbalance in voting influence between organizations with one representative on the list and others with several.

Voting will be conducted via SurveyMonkey. Each TAP Network Partner will soon receive a separate email with a unique hyperlink to a personalized voting form, which will help us ensure that organizations are only voting once and that votes are indeed coming from the correct person. This means that for those you with multiple people from your organization on the mailing list, each of you will get individual links. In these cases, please only vote once for your organization, through just one of those links that you may receive. If you receive a voting ballot by email, this means that your organization is eligible to vote in these elections.

NOTE: If you do not receive a personalized Survey Monkey link for voting, please email me (romano@tapnetwork2030.org) and Elle Sweeney (sweeney@tapnetwork2030.org), and we can re-send you your link. Also, please double check your spam/junk email folder for these voting link emails, as sometimes these survey links can get filtered out there.

Each ballot will be independently vetted by the TAP Secretariat, to ensure that ballots are indeed submitted from the appropriate organizations and that all ballots meet the requirements outlined in the instructions on the Surveymonkey form. Given this independent verification that is required for each ballot cast, we would strongly urge you to please submit your ballots ASAP and well in advance of the deadline (11 December 2019) so that there is adequate time to address any issues that may potentially arise before the deadline passes.

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS IN YOUR SURVEYMONKEY BALLOTS TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE CASTING YOUR VOTES ACCORDING TO THE OUTLINED REQUIREMENTS.

Assuming that there is no need for additional run-off ballots after this round of voting, the current TAP Steering Committee will verify voting tallies after midnight on 11 December, and the results of the election will be announced on Thursday, 12 December 2019

This 2020-2021 TAP Network Steering Committee will then take up their mandate starting on 1 January 2020, with a brief transition period after election results are announced. This transition period will include a detailed handover note from the current Steering Committee, and an in-person meeting for the 2020-2021 TAP Steering Committee likely in late January 2020

Note: Nominating organizations for the TAP Network Steering Committee shall not engage in any campaigning for supporting their own organization, or any other organizations standing for election. This includes posting such campaigning emails to the TAP Network listserv, any other related listservs, or individuals to any TAP Network partners. Violation of these restrictions will result in a review by the current Steering Committee, with potential for subsequent removal of that organization from the election process.

 

TIMELINE

Voting Begins: Wednesday 27 November

Voting Ends: Wednesday, 11 December 2019 (14 days for voting)

Announcement of Results: Thursday 12 December 2019

Transfer of mandate from current Steering Committee to 2020-2021 Steering Committee: Wednesday 1 January 202