Understanding the forms of local democracy in low-income and low-middle income countries

Expected Outcome:

Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• EU institutions and national decision-makers are equipped with science-based tools, toolkits, training models, monitoring frameworks, and recommendations to proactively promote inequality reduction, human rights and democracy, in order to lead to more resilient and inclusive democratic societies in low-income and low-middle income countries^[1]
• EU institutions and national decision-makers are better able to proactively promote democratic values, principles and practices in low- and low-middle income countries grounded in a better understanding of the actors at local level including their capacity and needs when engaging in democratic practices.
• EU institutions, national decision-makers, and civil society organisations can access and use (evidence-based) good practices for working in fragile contexts^[2]
• EU institutions and national decision-makers understand the role of decentralization processes in low-income and low-middle income countries, and its impact on the quality of public services and on acceptance of democratic processes among citizens.

In addition, projects should contribute to at least one of the following expected outcomes:

• Policymakers, public authorities, and service delivery providers have a better understanding of the link between efficient delivery of public services and pro-democratic sentiment in low-income and low-middle income countries.
• Civil society organisations, and other relevant actors, working in the fields of development cooperation and promotion of human rights have better tools to promote democratic practices at local level in low-income and low-middle income countries.

Scope:

Democratic backsliding and human rights rollbacks are increasing globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries, driven by internal instability and external interference promoting non-democratic models. These trends also represent a risk to the security of European citizens and businesses, and a destabilisation factor in the countries and regions with which the EU maintains diplomatic and economic relations. To tackle this, the EU has developed and started to implement several strategies to promote and defend democracy and human rights in third countries^[3].

Developing countries with strong local democratic practices, such as elections and representative democracy at levels below the national government, tend to be more resilient against democratic backsliding. Proposals should therefore gather evidence on how actors in economic, political, and social ecosystems at the local level could foster democratic practices, increase citizens' trust in governance and democratic institutions, improve transparency of decision making, and promote respect for human rights. Proposals are also encouraged to gather evidence on different forms of democratic participation and governance at local level, paying particular attention to the inclusion of women and marginalised and underrepresented groups.

In countries where central governments face significant territorial challenges and lack effective control over certain areas, the EU and Member States are left to cooperate with administrations at sub-national levels. In these cases, the objectives of the research projects may be achieved through the consultation and engagement of local administrations and civil society partners. Proposals are encouraged to investigate how EU and national public authorities can operate in these fragile contexts, where central governments do not have sound control of areas of the country.

In addition, proposals are encouraged to investigate the link between efficient public service delivery and pro-democratic sentiment, experiences, and outcomes (measured, for example, by civic participation or trust in institutions), deliver a critical analysis of the evidence collected and identify good practices, conditions and methods for their transferability to other contexts.

Research activities should meaningfully involve a wide range of stakeholders and societal actors at local level (public authorities, economic and institutional actors, trade unions, traditional and faith leaders, indigenous people, women’s and LGBTIQ groups, and others), including non-scientific and non-academic actors. Proposals are encouraged to involve entities in low- and middle-income countries, to rely on their first-hand competences to steer the methodological approach and perform the data collection and analysis. Proposals are also encouraged to make use of participatory research approaches to enhance inclusivity and stakeholder engagement and experimental methods. They should adopt a multidisciplinary approach, integrating SSH fields such as political science, public administration, economics, cultural studies, sociology, gender studies, geography.

Proposals are encouraged to identify other relevant EU-funded projects, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities with them.

Given the geographical scope of this research, international cooperation is strongly encouraged. Proposals are encouraged to foster collaboration with entities in alignment with the New EU Agenda for EU-Latin America and the Caribbean, New EU Agenda for EU-Latin America and the Caribbean, EU–Central Asia Strategy, and AU–EU Innovation Agenda.

Where applicable, proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), as well as data from relevant Data Spaces. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

[1] In the context of this call “low-income and low-middle income countries” are understood as the low to middle income non-associated third countries in the list of participating countries according to the Horizon Europe rules for participation and proposal procedure. Source: European Commission, “List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe,” Version 5.3 (24.01.2024), p. 3. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf

[2] Fragile contexts refer to low- and middle-income countries or situations characterized by weak or failing institutions, limited governance, conflict or violence, economic instability, and humanitarian crises, which hinder the achievement of development goals and undermine the well-being of citizens. These contexts are often marked by a lack of transparency, accountability, and participation in decision-making processes, and may be identified through various indicators.

[3] Such as the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020 – 2027, which is linked to the Global Gateway initiative and EU cooperation instruments linked to the Global Gateway initiative and EU cooperation instruments: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/2024/Action-Plan-EN_2020-2027.pdf, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/2024/Action-Plan-EN_2020-2027.pdf. Examples of EU initiatives include Team Europe Democracy, the Territorial Approach to local Development, and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument, which aim to promote human rights and democracy worldwide by supporting good governance, the rule of law, and human rights protection.