Measuring the Enabling Environment of Civil Society: A Global Capability Index

Abstract

During the last two decades, there have been various attempts at measuring and assessing the health of civil society. Some have focused almost exclusively on "counting" the nonprofit while others have assessed the strength of nongovernmental organizations. Yet, these sectors are just a small part of a much larger environment. Moreover, they are the result of Western conceptualizations of civil society, thus not very helpful to understand civic participation in non-Western settings. Taking stock of these fundamental issues, this article presents the conceptual framework and methodology of a new global index to measure the "enabling environment" of civil society, rather than its forms and institutional contours. Given the inherent diversity of civil societies worldwide, which defies any attempt at developing predetermined definitions, understanding the conditions that support civic participation becomes the most important objective for those interested in promoting a strong civil society arena. The index was launched by CIVICUS in late 2013 with the name of Enabling Environment Index and covers 200 countries and territories, making it the most ambitious attempt ever made at measuring civil society worldwide. 2

NGOs in Turkey’s Media Field: Causes, Sources and Potentials for Development

“…This is because professional organizations are limited the imbalance in power relations with their employers and by their needs to maintain their reputation and to have stronger connections with the state. This difference between professional associations and civil society organizations confirms the findings of Fioramonti and Kononykhina (2015) on the diversity of internal dynamics within civil society. This significant theoretical aspect is a key area for future research.…”

“…There have also been several attempts at measuring and assessing the health of civil society through diverse approaches and methods, some focusing on the volume and capacity of organizations in a particular environment, others more concerned with membership structures (Fioramonti and Kononykhina 2015). Recently, the CSI marked a milestone for allowing dynamic analysis of civil society's internal differences based on the function of organizations rather than their formal legal status or mission (Fioramonti and Kononykhina 2015).…”

“…Recently, the CSI marked a milestone for allowing dynamic analysis of civil society's internal differences based on the function of organizations rather than their formal legal status or mission (Fioramonti and Kononykhina 2015). The participatory action-research project developed by the CSI assessed the state of civil society in a comparative manner, involving more than 50 countries from around the world, including Turkey.…”

“…At the structural level, people's perceptions of civil society have been questioned on the grounds that both its autonomy and the capacity are constrained politically and economically (Paker et al 2013). The internal level, on the other hand, suggests a plurality of civil societies, with actors that may have different features and objectives, including contrasting internal dynamics (Fioramonti and Kononykhina 2015). With these two perspectives in mind, we present an intrinsic approach to civil society and reflect on NGOs operations, financial and organizational forms, as well as relations with different actors considering their reflexive practices contributing to the improvement of their subdomains.…”

Authoritarian Legacies in Guatemala's Democracy Environmental rights defenders: the new threat to national security?

“…According to this perspective, civil society is defined as a place where individuals and groups can express their interests and/or claims, build social capital, as well as promote tolerance and compromise and thus offer an environment conducive to encourage political participation (Fioramonti and Kononykhina, 2015). It is through Amartya Sen's concept of capabilities that participation and the enabling environment for civil society are represented as a set of conditions that influence the ability of citizens to participate in the civil society (Fioramonti and Kononykhina, 2014).…”