Policy Windows for CSOs in Latin America: Looking Outside Legal and Regulatory Frameworks

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Date
2015-11-19
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Voluntas
Abstract
This paper presents a comparison of the legal and regulatory frameworks for civil society organizations (CSOs) in the Andean countries. Given the restrictive policies, CSOs are becoming policy entrepreneurs and identifying policy windows, that is, opportunities in public policies that are not inherently related to their sector. It focuses on the case of Ecuador and its 2010 higher education reform that requires universities to generate more research and to establish community outreach. The paper argues that while collaborations with universities might not bring substantial financial resources to CSOs, and that the roles and responsibilities in collaborative projects are constructed through a learning process, the higher education reform might have the potential to create win–win relationships among universities and CSOs. Opportunities like this, allow CSOs to demonstrate their expertise and experience in social development, and in doing so, gain, and in some cases regain, their legitimacy. In the process, CSOs might stave off further restrictive public policy.
Description
Artículo de reflexión
Keywords
CSOs, Latin America, Outside Legal, Regulatory Frameworks
Citation
Appe S., Barragan D. (1995) Policy Windows for CSOs in Latin America: Looking Outside Legal and Regulatory Frameworks. Voluntas. International Society for Third-Sector Research and The Johns Hopkins University