The 2020 CSO Anchors Training aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of key ADB staff to engage effectively with CSOs in the pandemic context and using current ADB procedures throughout the project cycle. The target core participants of this 3-day training were the CSO Anchors or ADB specialists and officers from the headquarters and Resident Missions who are also appointed as focal persons for civil society engagement (CSE) and who comprise the ADB CSO Cooperation Network. 83 ADB staff participated in the training.

The training featured a conversation with ADB management represented by SDCC DG Woochong Um, SARD DG Kenichi Yokoyama and SERD DG Ramesh Subramaniam, who shared that ADB values CSOs for their knowledge of local contexts and ability to identify ADB’s blind spots and provide neutral oversight on ADB-supported projects, as well as their important inputs and perspectives on policy and country programming work. The training also featured a dialogue with women CSO leaders Oxfam Asia Regional Director Lilian Mercado, India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association CEO Reema Nanavaty, and grassroots NGO leader Kapina Rasnon, who recommended that ADB looks at the current pandemic situation as an opportunity to support positive and creative disruption or ‘a great reset’ of existing social, economic, political and environmental systems that perpetuate inequality. Furthermore, the CSO Anchors exchanged insights and lessons on their CSE experience from operational departments and identified concrete steps to enhance CSO engagement towards a dream where empowered CSOs are involved in all ADB-supported projects at various stages and contributing to Strategy 2030.

2020 CSO Anchors Training Day 1 Plenary

2020 CSO Anchors Training Day 2 Plenary

2020 CSO Anchors Training Day 3 Plenary