Civil society organisations
Civil society in CoST implementation
The CoST implementing bodies include staff from the following civil society organisations, each of which is not only in support of CoST principles but striving to make them a reality:
Transparency International (TI): The Chairman of the International Advisory Group is formerly the Director of Global Programmes at TI's Berlin headquarters. The Chairs of two of the country MSGs (Philippines and Zambia) are representatives from the local TI chapter. TI is also represented on the Ethiopian MSG.
Engineers Against Poverty (EAP): EAP is a is a specialist NGO working in the field of engineering and international development. Two of EAP's senior staff are key advisors within the CoST International Secretariat. "EAP endorses CoST because we believe that improvements in transparency and accountability in the global construction are needed to inform and empower citizens and ultimately, to help accelerate progress towards international development goals." Petter Mathews, Director.
Institute of Civil Engineers, UK (ICE): ICE strives to promote and progress civil engineering as a qualifying body, a centre for the exchange of specialist knowledge, and a provider of resources to encourage innovation and excellence in the profession worldwide. ICE provides a technical advisor to the CoST International Secretariat, as well as hosting the UK MSG.
Tiri (network for integrity in reconstruction): Tiri is an independent, international non-governmental organisation, registered as a charity in the UK. It was founded on the conviction that integrity offers the single largest opportunity for improvements in sustainable and equitable development worldwide. The Civil Society Advisor to the CoST International Secretariat is provided by Tiri.
Institute for Democracy in Africa - IDASA: IDASA's Programme Director for Economic Governance advises the CoST International Secretariat on multi-stakeholder working and good governance. He has worked closely with the MSGs in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Vietnam.
Civil society support and endorsements
CoST has also been endorsed by many well known initiatives, such as:
ONE: The grassroots advocacy and campaigning organisation that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, ONE mentioned CoST in its recommendations for the 2010 G8 and G20 Summits. The organisation, cofounded by Bono and other campaigners urges for the adoption of "transparency initiatives to combat stolen assets, particularly in global extractive industries, banking and the construction sector through the EITI, StAR and CoST". See the full text here. CoST is further advocated in a ONE blog as a means for getting the most out of investment in infrastructure in Africa. See here.
The UK Anti-Corruption Forum: "The UK Anti-Corruption Forum supports the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative because in addition to its primary goals of raising the efficiency of infrastructure procurement and management, and therefore the value for money obtained by participating countries, CoST is likely also to deter corruption in this vital sector for economic development." Graham Hand, Co-ordinator of the UK Anti-Corruption Forum.
International Business Leaders Forum: “When business engages with sustainable development challenges, IBLF promotes collective action delivered through multi-stakeholder processes such as those included in CoST and fully supports the CoST principles. Although IBLF has no direct influence over the outcomes of the CoST initiative, we believe that is only through such action-orientated collective engagements that real progress can be achieved". Graham Baxter, Programmes Director and Acting CEO, International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF)
UK National Consumer Federation: “With 21st Century consumerism being far more complex and diverse than the 20th Century, the National Consumer Federation sees the CoST initiative's programme of work bringing transparency to public sector construction as a key development and exemplar for the whole consumer movement, bringing benefits in ethical behaviour, local consumer and public engagement, fairness and value for money for the consumer-as-tax-payer. The NCF is pleased to be working with CoST in bringing further organisations in civil society into this initiative." Arnold Pindar, Chairman of UK National Consumer Federation.
Civil society in the pilot countries
Civil society is, by design, necessarily represented in each pilot country's multi- stakeholder group and is an integral part of the CoST multi- stakeholder approach. For more details you can download the full list of MSG participants per country here: MSG Participants.
