This sphere focuses on the interface between state institutions and citizens, and the way South Sudanese perceive that interface: It is specifically concerned with how the state engages with citizens in democratic processes, and how to develop and strengthen coalitions between state institutions and actors on the one hand, and civil society and other non-state actors on the other.
Support to better incentives for collaboration among state and citizens and quality opportunities for evidence-based dialogues and exchange: It is premised on the conviction that if government institutions have the right capability mix and citizens are empowered and engaged, coupled with better incentives for collaboration among state and citizens and quality opportunities for evidence-based dialogues and exchange, then it will result in democratic processes that build state-citizen relationships.
Areas of interventions under this sphere are: improving government accountability towards citizens including electoral processes: Improving representation and recognition of women in leading political institutions as election candidates; diversifying political engagement (between elected officials, political parties and citizens), and improving participatory decision-making in planning, monitoring and evaluation processes.
Empowering and building the capacity of civic groups: This sphere focuses on empowering and building the capacity of civic groups so that they can actively and effectively take part in decision making and planning and enhance government accountability leading to improvement in services and better government performance overall.
The areas of interventions for this sphere are: strengthening citizen engagement for government accountability; strengthening citizen engagement for environmental governance, natural resource governance; improving access to information, and civic (and in the future voters) education; strengthening youth and women participation and representation; and improving civil society health.