The Action to Empower NGOs for Effective and Inclusive Governance and Development in Zimbabwe (ENERGIZE) is a two-year project implemented by the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) in partnership with the National Association of Youth Organisations (NAYO), with funding support from the European Union. The programme seeks to empower Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe to effectively advocate for good governance, transparency, and inclusive development while fostering an enabling environment for their active participation. It promotes an enabling operating environment and enhances the capacity and coordination of CSOs to meaningfully contribute to and influence governance and development processes at all levels. The programme prioritises strengthening meaningful participation of civil society in policy and development frameworks, with a strong focus on citizen mobilisation and engagement. It directly supports the implementation of the EU Roadmap for Engagement with CSOs in Zimbabwe, which emphasises the importance of inclusive civil society participation in policymaking at both national and local levels.
The initiative responds to the growing restrictions on civic space in Zimbabwe, where legal, administrative, and operational frameworks increasingly undermine CSOs’ independence and autonomy. Government control and bureaucratic challenges, including difficulties in securing Memorandums of Understanding and local authority clearances, threaten the ability of CSOs—particularly grassroots and community-based organisations—to operate effectively. This environment weakens advocacy efforts, limits transparency and accountability, and undermines the constitutional right to freedom of association. The programme addresses these challenges by enhancing CSO legitimacy, visibility, and value addition through strengthened coordination, advocacy, and collaboration.
Building on ongoing collective efforts, the programme aims to harmonise and strengthen the role of CSOs in governance, policy formulation, and democratic processes. It seeks to address existing gaps in coordination, where fragmented actions and competition for space have led to duplication and inefficiencies. To achieve this, the initiative will resuscitate the Non-State Actors Apex Alliance (NSAA), a platform that leverages the comparative strengths of diverse non-state actors through their representative coordination bodies. Implementation will be jointly led by NANGO and NAYO, in collaboration with a broad spectrum of CSOs and non-state actor groups.
As the coordinating representative body of 771 active NGOs across five regions of Zimbabwe, NANGO plays a central role in strengthening capacity, advocating for an enabling environment, and facilitating structured engagement with policymakers through platforms such as the National Development Strategy (NDS1), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) oversight mechanisms, and the Justice Legal Order Sector. NANGO continues to serve as a hub for collaboration and information sharing, supporting CSOs to achieve greater impact and sustainability.
NAYO complements this role by representing and strengthening youth-led and youth-focused organisations across Zimbabwe, with 183 members and structures present at provincial and district levels. As an active player in regional and global platforms, including the CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) and Reality of Aid Africa, NAYO brings significant experience in defending civic space, advancing policy reforms, and promoting inclusive development cooperation.
Anchored on a four-pronged approach, the programme focuses on strengthening the CSO enabling environment, enhancing coordination and capacity, driving policy dialogue and advocacy, and mobilising citizens for meaningful participation. Through these objectives, the initiative will contribute to a stronger, more resilient, and collaborative civil society sector capable of safeguarding democratic values and advancing sustainable development in Zimbabwe.
This objective seeks to positively influence the legal, policy, and operational instruments that regulate Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and CBOs in Zimbabwe, thereby creating an enabling operating environment. Currently, CSOs face numerous restrictions that hinder their daily operations. The operating space remains volatile, uncertain, complex, and dynamic, with Zimbabwe rated as “repressed” by the CIVICUS Civic Space Monitor. This rating reflects widespread harassment of activists, limitations on freedom of expression, and obstacles to peaceful assembly, creating significant challenges for civil society actors in advancing their mandates.
The introduction of the Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Amendment Bill H.B.2 of 2024, gazetted on 1 March 2024, alongside other restrictive instruments such as the amended Criminal Law and Codification Reform Act of July 2023, signals increasing government control over CSOs. Provincial and district authorities have also issued numerous circulars requiring CSOs to submit additional documentation and repeatedly renew Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), often threatening to halt operations arbitrarily for non-compliance. While these demands lack a coherent legal or policy basis, they exacerbate existing compliance gaps within the sector, particularly regarding statutory obligations under the PVO Act, Labour Act, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), and National Social Security Authority (NSSA).
Through this action, NANGO and its partners seek to strengthen compliance and accountability mechanisms within CSOs as a safeguard to protect civic space. Establishing a friendlier operating environment will enable CSOs to deliver their programmes effectively, reducing costs, saving time, and expanding opportunities to serve communities. These reforms will also promote the progressive realisation of human rights, especially for marginalised groups. The initiative will actively engage policymakers to advocate for progressive legal reforms that recognise and protect CSO rights and freedoms. By investing in constructive dialogue, the project aims to foster trust and mutual accountability between government and civil society.
The programme will also advance the creation of a CSO self-regulatory mechanism to enhance transparency and accountability. This system will strengthen public trust in CSOs while offering a credible alternative to state-led overregulation. As part of this effort, the project will integrate the Quality Assurance Mechanism (QuAM) with the ZIMSIIX platform to provide a robust framework for self-regulation. In addition, the project will publish an annual State of Civil Society Operating Environment Watch Report, providing evidence-based insights to guide advocacy.
To reinforce positive narratives, the initiative will engage media partners to promote accurate reporting on CSOs and counter misinformation. Platforms such as the NGO Expo will serve as key interfaces between CSOs, policymakers, partners, and the general public. Furthermore, the project will support the activation of the Zimbabwe Charter for Change (C4C) Working Group, which seeks to advance sector-wide harmonised localisation and promote locally led development. Strengthening collaboration between CSOs, local authorities, and community actors will reduce operational hurdles and expand funding opportunities for CBOs to implement local initiatives.
Overall, this action strengthens the enabling environment for CSOs by combining structured policy and legislative advocacy with accountability, self-regulation, citizen engagement, and localisation. By doing so, it positions CSOs as vital actors in governance, development, and the protection of democratic values in Zimbabwe.
Strengthening CSO and CBO Coordination, Movement Building, and Institutional Capacity
This objective focuses on strengthening the coordination, movement building, and institutional capacity of CSOs and CBOs to respond and adapt to shrinking civic space and complex operating environments. CSOs in Zimbabwe recognise the importance of robust coordination mechanisms to facilitate proactive action, consensus-building, joint advocacy, and capacity strengthening within thematic and issue-based clusters. However, duplication, competition for space, poor communication, and fragmented engagement with government have compromised effective coordination.
NANGO and NAYO will leverage their wide experience in coalition building and existing structures to improve coordination and ensure that CSOs are well-organised to influence governance and development processes. At the national level, the Non-State Actors Alliance (NSAA) platform, working with the Heads of Coalitions, will serve as the primary entry point for strengthening coordination, reducing duplication, and ensuring coherence in policy advocacy. The initiative will deliberately include diverse actors—business, labour, and faith-based organisations—so that advocacy reflects the collective voice of all non-state actors. At subnational level, NANGO’s regional coordination platforms will strengthen CSO collaboration while promoting meaningful participation of CBOs to ensure bottom-up, participatory approaches.
The programme will support thematic sector meetings on key policy issues and build on NANGO’s quarterly dialogue platforms with line ministries, which already provide space for unified CSO engagement. These efforts will improve state and non-state actor relations, positioning CSOs as credible contributors to policymaking and governance. Priority processes will include NDS2 consultations, the national budget cycle, Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reporting, Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) engagements, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) processes such as Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), and mobilisation around the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC). CSOs will be consulted and kept engaged through structured feedback sessions that strengthen sector-wide awareness and participation.
The action also addresses institutional capacity gaps that limit CSO effectiveness. Recent assessments by NANGO and the EU Roadmap for Engagement with CSOs identified critical gaps in internal governance, leadership and succession planning, financial management, strategic communication, resource mobilisation, and digital transformation. Many NGO boards lack adequate skills and senior management experience, limiting their oversight capacity. In response, NANGO and partners will continue providing corporate governance training, integrating it into structured capacity development programmes. The initiative will also sensitise CSOs on international standards such as the Sphere Core Humanitarian Standards and the Istanbul Principles, laying the groundwork for a sector-wide self-regulation framework.
To strengthen accountability and ethical standards, the action builds on NANGO’s corporate governance manual and code of conduct as entry points for developing a self-regulatory mechanism. Efforts will align with the emerging Zimbabwe Social Investment Impact Exchange Platform (ZIMSIIX), which aims to serve as a one-stop centre for coordination, knowledge sharing, and transparency. By establishing common standards, operational principles, and a code of conduct, the sector will demonstrate commitment to accountability and integrity while reducing the risk of state overregulation.
Through these interventions, the programme aims to build a stronger, more coordinated, and resilient civil society sector that is independent, vibrant, and capable of shaping governance and development in Zimbabwe. By strengthening coordination, promoting unified advocacy, and closing institutional capacity gaps, the initiative enhances the ability of CSOs and CBOs to contribute to inclusive growth, sustainable development, and democratic governance. All learning and capacity-building materials developed under this action will be uploaded to the ZIMSIIX CSOs Knowledge Hub and made accessible via the NANGO website.
We strengthen the role of CSOs and CBOs to ensure greater involvement, effective participation, and influence in key development and governance processes at all levels of their operations, particularly targeting EU MIP priority areas. Over the past decade, CSOs have received donor support to implement initiatives in areas such as health, disability, human rights, youth, gender equality, and land and environment. This support has enabled CSOs to engage effectively for the benefit of the Zimbabwean population. However, collaboration between CSOs and government remains limited due to mistrust, with government often perceiving CSOs as not fully aligned with national objectives such as the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
Through this action, we create platforms that bring policymakers and citizens together, ensuring government officials and policymakers have direct access to grassroots perspectives. By providing evidence-based information rooted in community voices, we foster coherence between policy decisions and the real needs of citizens. In the long term, this approach enhances service delivery and strengthens accountability of state institutions to the people, particularly in the EU MIP priority areas.
We empower citizens to meaningfully contribute to and influence development and governance processes. The action leverages opportunities for community participation, such as the formulation of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which will define Zimbabwe’s development trajectory from 2026 to 2030. Given that earlier frameworks like the TSP, NDS1, and its mid-term review were criticised for excluding community perspectives, we prioritise grassroots mobilisation to ensure citizens’ voices shape NDS2 and other policy processes. Submissions from communities will focus on EU MIP priority areas and will be used to hold duty bearers accountable during implementation.
We ensure that community contributions are documented and shared with the government through policy briefs and structures such as sector working groups. NANGO and NAYO, which participate in NDS1 thematic working groups, will facilitate seamless submission of CSO and community priorities into NDS2 processes. We also use multimedia channels—including social media, national radio, and community radio—to orient communities on governance and development processes and guide them on how to engage.
This action supports CBO-led community engagement meetings, especially targeting marginalised groups such as women, youths, and persons with disabilities. By empowering these groups to lead, we amplify grassroots perspectives and strengthen their watchdog role in monitoring the implementation of development initiatives, including devolution-focused projects. We will also scale up the State of Transparency and Accountability Barometer model, which captures citizen perceptions of EU MIP-focused initiatives using tools such as satisfaction surveys and social impact audits. This real-time evidence helps the EU track progress and inform decision-making.
Furthermore, we will strengthen youth participation through the Youth Sounding Board, ensuring young people and youth-focused CSOs can gather, consolidate, and present diverse youth perspectives. This platform enables sustained dialogue between youth and the EU, ensuring that their aspirations shape development and governance processes.