The Solomon Islands team and their partners have taken part in an online training to increase their capacity on social accountability approaches. The training focused on gender-responsive budgeting and was tailored and contextualized to the pacific context. Over the course of a few weeks, the team took part in multiple sessions of 1,5 – 2 hours that consisted partly of presentations and partly of discussions among the team and partners.

Topics that were covered in these sessions included ‘pathway to gender equality’, ‘understanding planning and budgets’, ‘gender responsive budgeting’ and more.

FESM was able to support the organization of the training by connecting the Solomon Islands team to one of its FESM advisors, who was able to provide the training and contextualize it. FESM advisors also supported the development of the training agenda and the budget advocacy plan. With the COVID-19 outbreak disrupting plans, the training had to be adapted into a virtual workshop.

The training supports the implementation of a Social Accountability program that aims to strengthen the capacity of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to use their networks to effectively engage citizens and, to influence and hold service providers and other key government actors to account using a range of social accountability approaches and tools, contextualised for Solomon Islands. The program will enable CSOs and citizens to strategically influence national development, public funding policies and processes that enable sustainable growth.