The Civil Society Development Index

With funding from USAID, Brainforest, in partnership with Management System International, has been conducting an annual study on the Development Index of Gabonese CSOs since 2010.

Commonly referred to as the "MSI Project," this index is calculated based on 7 fundamental criteria: the legal environment, organizational capacity, financial viability, advocacy actions, service provision, infrastructure, and public image. The Development Index of CSOs allows for the assessment of progress towards the sustainability of Gabonese CSOs and helps identify obstacles. This index is used to: Measure the programmatic success of technical and financial partners engaged in supporting civil society organizations. It also serves as an advocacy tool for CSOs to increase civil society funding from national and international donors. Additionally, it helps measure the political, security, and legal context in which CSOs operate. In Gabon, the Development Index of CSOs has not significantly changed since the first year of evaluation. Indeed, the legal environment has remained the same despite numerous civil society actors calling for a revision of law 35-62 concerning the creation and organization of associations. Organizational capacity, financial viability, service provision, and access to infrastructure remain closely linked to the issue of available funding. Since 2013, CSOs have faced a scarcity of funding, which has inevitably impacted their activities and sustainability. However, there have been some small advances in terms of CSO advocacy. Moreover, aware of the importance of their public image, CSOs have made significant efforts in communicating their activities. However, it is not uncommon for the media support that CSOs receive to depend on their political positioning and that of the media.