TRACE (“Transparency and Accountability in Extractive Industries”) is a capacity strengthening programme for civil society organisations, journalists and workers’ unions from resource rich countries in the South, run by PWYP Norway.
Background
TRACE was initiated as a response to civil society demand from colleagues working in resource rich countries in the global South, that coalitions in the North should take more responsibility for developing and facilitating capacity strengthening on extractive industry issues. PWYP Norway designed the TRACE programme by drawing upon the combined experiences from various stakeholders:
The global Publish What You Pay network
www.publishwhatyoupay.org (link is external)
The global PWYP network mobilises and organises hundreds of civil society organisations from resource rich countries all over the world on issues of transparency and accountability in the extractive industries.
Our member organisations, particularly Norwegian Church Aid
Norwegian Church Aid website (link is external)
See all our members (link is external)
Norwegian Church Aid is one of Norway’s largest humanitarian organisations with partners all over the world, and with extensive experience in humanitarian and development aid, and advocacy work. NCA is also an ACT member, which is an alliance of more than 100 organisations working in 125 countries.
From 2008 to 2011, as Publish What You Pay Norway did not yet have its own legal organisational status and apparatus, Norwegian Church Aid took part as an administrative partner. From 2011 PWYP Norway took over the administrative role.
PETRAD
www.petrad.no (link is external)
With over 20 years’ experience, PETRAD draws on the combined expertise of the Norwegian oil and gas industry to facilitate knowledge and experience transfer between managers and experts in governments and national oil companies about petroleum management, administration and technology.
In the period 2008-2011, Petrad was a partner on Module 1 in the programme, which was held in Stavanger, Norway.
Norad and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
www.norad.no (link is external)
We have also drawn upon institutionalised knowledge in Norad and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Norad has been our key financial partner since the inception of the programme.
Regions, participants and approach
The programme is offered in one pre-defined region at a time. The regions are determined by geographical and linguistic factors. When putting together a region, we also make an assessment of where there may be most potential to achieve results, based on relevant experiences from other actors in the field. See where we have had the programme so far.
When we open a new round, applications from all eligible candidates are considered. The participants apply online, and applications are screened by PWYP Norway, according to the selection criteria. The final selected group consists of 20-30 participants. The participants must represent and be supported by an NGO, workers’ union or media that are engaged in issues related to the extractive industries and transparency in their country./en/news/selection-criteriaWhen we open a new round, applications from all eligible candidates are considered. The participants apply online, and applications are screened by PWYP Norway, according to the selection criteria. The final selected group consists of 20-30 participants. The participants must represent and be supported by an NGO, workers’ union or media that are engaged in issues related to the extractive industries and transparency in their country.
We apply a participatory approach in our programme, which means participants actively take part in shaping the content to meet their organisations’ needs and the programme goals. Structurally, the programme consists of two pedagogic modules, which are arranged as seminars or trainings of 1-2 weeks’ duration each. These are the main two events and meeting points for the participants during the programme. In addition, work is conducted individually or in country groups, in between the modules.
Financial support
The TRACE programme is supported financially by Norad (link is external)
With TRACE, we seek to:
- Increase participants and their organisations possibility and skills to identify if their country is exposed to revenue and tax leakages, and present and discuss possible transparency mechanism and measures that can be implemented (unilaterally or internationally) to stop such leakage.
- Strengthen participating organisations’ national, regional and global networks.
- Contribute to enhancing participating organisations’ strategizing of their working methods for engaging and awareness raising and lobbying activities on the issues.
On a higher level, the aim is that citizens of oil, gas and mineral rich countries are able to mobilize their own resources for development and that value creation from the extractive industries is translated into a common good.
As we work in a constantly changing environment, the programme has been adjusted over the years. We have a constant focus on what works well and why, what does not work well and why, and how we can do better.
From 2013, the programme will be made up of two interdependent modules, where Module 2 builds on the knowledge gained in the previous module, and where work done before and after the modules is important.
A participatory approach
We apply a participatory approach both in the development of the programme content and in the execution of the programme, in order to adapt the content to regional and country priorities. The programme is designed to be flexible, so we can focus on what is deemed important at any moment.
In return, from the participants that take part in the programme, we expect strong motivation, dedicated commitment and direct involvement in sharing and shaping parts of the content and implementation.
- In consultation with their organisations, the participants submit training needs assessments before each module.
- Participants take an active part in skill building activities, discussions and sharing sessions during the modules.
- Participants are required to draw up and report on a communication plan for sharing the knowledge gained in the programme both internally in their own organisation and with their wider network in between modules.
- Arranging Module 2, PWYP Norway cooperates with one of the participating organisations. Which organisation and country is chosen to host Module 2, is decided during Module 1. It is based on a discussion in the group of participants and on pre-defined criteria and requirements for hosting. The organisation that accepts the task of hosting Module 2 will the get an institutional benefit of hosting an international event together with PWYP Norway.
The TRACE programme is designed around two interdependent modules. Module 2 builds on the knowledge gained in the previous module, and good results also depend on the work being done before and after each module.
The modules
The Modules are the meeting points for the participants during the programme, and are arranged as trainings or seminar of 1-2 weeks duration. Module 1 is implemented in Norway, while Module 2 is implemented some months later in one of the participating countries, with one of the participating organisations as host. Location and host organisation for Module 2 is decided upon during Module 1. During the modules, we have lectures and workshops on issues of financial transparency.
Between the modules
Between the modules, the participants are required to complete tasks that may include information sharing in home country, written work, or other. The task are to be completed alone, in groups or in cooperation with the home organisation. Participants also give input on training needs and report back to the group and to PWYP Norway on what they have done.
Answers to questions about costs and practicalities of the TRACE program 2013-2014.
Costs:
1. What is covered by the hosting organisation?
• Economy flight tickets from international airport to Oslo and back
• Transport from Oslo airport to hotel and back
• Hotel
• Travel insurance
• Three full meals all days + coffee breaks
• Internet access at hotel and seminarPWYP Norway will book and arrange the above-mentioned for the participants.
Important: We will not provide per diem, or any cash refunds for any additional expenses incurred during travel or stay. We can pay only for what is explicitly listed above. Read more below.
2. What is the participants’ organisation expected to cover?
• The visa fee and any costs relating to obtaining the visa to Norway.
• Transport to and from the international airport in home country (PWYP Norway covers the flight ticket from the international airport to Oslo. Any internal national transport to get to the international airport in your country must be paid by the organization).
• Any per diem, or any additional expenses incurred during travel or stay. We expect that any allowance for small daily incurring costs shall be identified by the participants and organization in advance and be covered by the organization. This may entail phone calls, laundry, farmasy etc.The decision to not provide per diem or refunds of any additional expenses comes from own experience and reports such as Norad’s Hunting Per Diem (link is external). We seek motivated organisations and participants willing to invest together with us in competence building, and do not wish to give the wrong incentives to participate in the program.
Eligible participants:
1. I am from a government institution, can I apply?
No. The program is only open for non-governmental civil society such as organizations, journalists and workers unions.2. I do not work in one of the six listed countries, can I still apply?
No. This year’s TRACE is limited to participants from the six eligible countries only (South Sudan, Tanzania, Ghana, Mozambique, Uganda and Liberia). It is not possible to expand the list of countries, due to educational reasons and limited resources.Although you are not eligible for this year’s program: if you are interested in our work, please contact us and we can keep in contact for future activities/potential future cooperation. We also encourage you to follow our work and announcements on our web page, newsletter, Facebook and Twitter.
Selection of participants:
1. On what grounds are participants selected for the program?
We will strive to achieve a mix of experience and competence of the issues to be discussed in the group. We aim to have:
• 4 participants from each country
• Participants from different areas of work
• Balance of people from organisations, media and unions
• Gender balanceWe particularly encourage women to apply for the program.
An intermediate level of experience and competence of the issues discussed is an asset, but not a requirement. We seek motivated and committed candidates and organisations. The selection is based on a whole set of pre-defined criteria, weighting of variables and considerations, and also with attention to the groups as a whole, including gender balance.