Evaluation: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development's access to justice and promotion of constitutional rights programme implemented by the Foundation for Human Rights: inception report

The need to focus on strengthening civil society was identified as critical to this goal. This is particularly important in the light of the increasingly challenging funding environment for civil society, especially since the 2008/9 global financial crisis and the implications of the changes introduced by the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (OECD, 2005) and the Accra Agenda for Action (OECD, 2008) to the way in which overseas development assistance (ODA) is managed and delivered. In terms of the European Commission (EC) definition, good governance is regarded as: 'a multi-dimensional concept encompassing democracy, human rights, participation and the rule of law'. According to the MIP, 'Good governance is regarded as both a necessary precondition for, and a consequence of, democratic consolidation. To strengthen participatory democracy in South Africa, the proposed approach focuses on improving governance practices by supporting initiatives that enhance multi-actor (state/non-state) dialogue and partnerships.