Oxfam, Mobilising Progressive Domestic Resources for Quality Public Services

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

Oxfam is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation which is part of a confederation of 17 organisations working together in more than 90 countries to mobilize the power of people against poverty. "Mobilising Progressive Domestic Resources for Quality Public Services" is a 3 year project with the overall objective of making fiscal systems in at least 3 countries more progressive to tackle inequality and poverty. Oxfam will do this by building citizen-led campaigns on fiscal justice to generate the missing 'political will' amongst leaders and policy-makers that is necessary to strengthen the revenue-raising potential of tax-systems, and deliver more and better investment in free public services. Through this project Oxfam will push for domestic resources in these countries to be mobilised in a responsible, progressive, and transparent way, with strong civil society influence. Oxfam will also push for revenue raised to be spent on quality public service provision (healt, education, water and sanitation). Through influencing both fairer and more accountable revenue-raising and spending, this project will strengthen the 'social contract' between citizens and their government, and tackle inequalities. Putting fiscal policy at the heart of national influencing work in this way requires partner organisations to engage in the design and delivery of national strategy, therefore we have proposed an initial 6-month inception phase during which detailed log frame and activity plan will be developed with partners for the remaining 2.5 years of the project. This approach is crucial to ensure the project is strategic and owned by civil society and has lasting impact. Oxfam will work with partners to target policy makers in order to reduce inequality and increase access to quality public services. The building of 'political will' amongst policy makers will ensure government meet their responsibilities to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities, and be accountable to citizens ín doing so. In all countries, the project beneficiaries will be citizens, especially women, in areas where Oxfam and our partners work. Citizens will be better able to advocate for their rights as taxpayers to quality public service delivery. Partners will benefit from technical expertise on DRM and advocacy skills through capacity building and training. Government officials will benefit from recognizins their responsibility for service provision and tackling inequality.