On 27th May 2018, the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) & the CIVICUS Monitor hosted its annual research partners meeting in Beirut Lebanon. Hosting research partners from 19 different organisations, the workshop was designed to build and strengthen linkages between researchers working together through the CIVICUS Monitor. Prior to the event, the CIVICUS Monitor team shared the workshop's four objectives with participants and asked for feedback on the agenda. The key objectives of the workshop were:

• Reflect on progress made to date and identify new areas for development and growth.
• Discuss ideas and opportunities for further boosting awareness of the Monitor, as well as connecting our research with advocacy on civic space.
• Address specific technicalities related to the way that we work together, including our research framework.
• Look to the future: where do we want to take the Monitor over the next 12 months and longer?

Reflections on the partnership: How can we boost the Monitor's profile?

During the workshop, the first day was dedicated to reflecting on the key achievements of the CIVICUS Monitor, as well sharing ways in which we can improve. During the discussion, several key themes emerged:

• Need to add value for CIVICUS Monitor research partners, by finding ways to go beyond simply submitting updates;
• Problems engaging national partners and keeping country level contacts engaged in the research process;
• Lack of knowledge about the Monitor's user base and how people are using the data;
• The challenge of mainstreaming the term "civic space" which is too confined to NGO circles and largely misunderstood by those outside of civil society.

Drawing from these key themes, the CIVICUS Monitor proposes the following action points to help improve and enhance the quality of the partnership:

• Create embeddable maps for use on research partner websites and enhance collaborative communication outputs. Preferably, engaging research partners at the design stage;
• Work with partners to define advocacy and media strategies. Wherever possible, working in collaboration to highlight key issues in national or regional media outlets. Similarly, use the CIVICUS Monitor research partnership as a springboard to launch joint actions with the Monitor's research partners;
• There was a feeling that greater outreach to journalists could help improve awareness of civic space issues. As such, there is a need to build a roster of journalists working at the national and regional levels. In doing this, we may be able to do a better job of telling positive and negative stories of issues facing civil society.

How can we improve the quality of our research?

The workshop was also an important moment to spend time discussing the CIVICUS Monitor's research framework. After a session comparing global and regional trends, we devoted a session to investigating ways in which we can improve the CIVICUS Monitor's research. The following points came out of the discussion:

• The rise of fake news presents a serious threat to the CIVICUS Monitor's reporting and research findings;
• The CIVICUS Monitor guiding questions need to keep pace with changing political dynamics and current trends in civic space violations;
• Need to be vigilant about a perceived rise in civic space violations perpetrated by non-state actors, especially multinational corporations operating in flexible jurisdictions.

To respond to these emerging trends, the CIVICUS Monitor proposes the following action points:

• Circulate referencing guidelines and diversify sources of information when reporting on civic space violations. This should help us to mitigate the rise of fake news;
• Update guiding questions to reflect at risk groups such as: lawyers, artists and refugees as well as new perpetrators, such as non-state actors. In addition, questions should be updated to reflect threats to civic space which result from rising populism and nationalism;
• Ensure the annual revision of guiding questions and translations, so that research framework can be disseminated to national research partners;
• Create a guiding questions checklist which outlines the key areas from the guiding questions which is available on the site when partners submit information.

Where do we take the Monitor over the next 12 months?

The last day of the CIVICUS Monitor workshop was spent brainstorming our plans for the next 12 months. Drawing from the discussions over the previous two days, these sessions aimed to identify priority areas of development and collaboration over the next 12 months. From the discussion, the following themes emerged:

• The research partners are keen to be engaged with other CIVICUS projects. For example, I4C and Vuka! emerged as natural avenues for further collaboration;
• There is a desire to use the Monitor to facilitate connection between activists working in different places. The Monitor has huge scope to be a networking platform for activists;
• A need to keep research partners abreast of CIVICUS' advocacy plans. While acknowledging that many research partners have multiple demands on their time, giving them advance warning will enable them to make an informed decision of whether they can commit to additional advocacy.
• Research partners would like to see CIVICUS supporting more efforts at the national level to monitor civic space. Drawing from the CIVICUS Monitor's methodology, there is significant scope to support actors' efforts at the national level to document threats facing civil society. The resulting outputs could be used to further strengthen the CIVICUS Monitor's comparative approach;
• A need to release the CIVICUS Monitor's data. Given the roll out of the Monitor's new method to track civic space developments, research partners would like to see this data being used more widely in research and advocacy.

Drawing from the insightful discussion on the future of the CIVICUS Monitor, the team identified the following areas for prioritisation over the next 12 months.

• The CIVICUS Monitor team members will aim to be more proactive in facilitating links between the research partners and other projects at CIVICUS. Similarly, research partners also will use their focal points within the CIVICUS Monitor team to leverage connections where they can;
• The CIVICUS Monitor will foster stronger links with the advocacy and campaigns cluster to connect CIVICUS' advocacy objectives with the research partners'. Similarly, CIVICUS Monitor infographics may also be co-branded with research partners and their local partners.
• The CIVICUS Monitor will release all data over the next 24 months. In doing so, the CIVICUS Monitor team will work closely with the research partners to ensure they are involved in the design and rollout of the data centre.

Participant Feedback

Things Participants Liked:

"The workshop was well organized, substantive and kept a lively pace. There were many opportunities for participants to contribute and Monitor staff were responsive and helpful."

"I think the workshop was very well structured and all the sessions were necessary for someone who just joined the CIVICUS Monitor community."

"An excellent initiative by CM to hold the annual workshop in the home city of research partners - a great exposure for research partners to have a close up look at in-country situations with respect to civic space. Being in country is very different to reading about it from the comfort of your home, so this is a great learning experience in terms of getting a better feel and appreciation on the healthiness or otherwise, of civic spaces around the globe. I highly recommend continuing this initiative."

Things we'll improve for next time:

"Ensuring that there is no overlapping in terms of content and issues between different sessions."

"More time for sit freely with colleagues and talk/share expertise/network"

"More field work."