- Civil society organizations - Media organizations - Government agencies and ministries (officials) - Policy-makers - Citizens

EXPECTED OUTPUTS: - CSOs and media organisations receive targeted support to build their skills, networks, and coalitions. - Spaces created and discussions facilitated among and between governance stakeholders. - Policy focused research and analysis produced and disseminated informs evidence-based decision-making. - Technical assistance and capacity building to governance actors (hard and soft skills). - Government institutions use TA to commission research.

THEORY OF CHANGE (with agile and adaptive approach): IMPACT LEVEL: - Democracy in Zambia is deepened ahead of the elections OVERALL OUTCOMES: 1) CSOs and media houses are using their skills to facilitate open discussions on policy issues. 2) Constructive engagement between government and civil society. 3) Government actors make significant changes in at least 2 out of 3 policy areas and behaviours identified. ENABLING BEHAVIOURS: - Change in behaviour to participate in & challenge established governance practices. - All stakeholders see the "Democratic Deepening Facility" as a trusted partner and critical friend.

The DEEPENING DEMOCRACY FACILITY (DDF) focus on three interrelated and mutually supporting themes. While not expected that every activity will directly work on all three themes, when prioritising and designing activities it will be important for the DDF to consider how activities in on one theme could positively or negatively impact on the others: • DECENTRALIZATION: The decentralization of decision-making authority is not a new issue in Zambia. Since the first multi-party elections in 1991, government decision-making power has become increasingly concentrated in State House, with citizens, local authorities and line Ministries often only consulted in a cursory manner. Supporting decentralization will contribute to establishing a broader system of checks and balances where Ministries, provincial, district and local authorities have more substantive decision-making roles and therefore, able to represent and respond to their constituents’ priorities. • TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY: Lack of information on policies, particularly in clear, accessible and realistic language affects citizen’s ability to productively engage in the policy space – not just its formulation, but also its implementation and monitoring. Improving the availability of information in clear, accessible language will support more active citizen engagement in the policy space, as well as provide them with the information needed to hold the government accountable for policies that are not implemented or have a negative impact on citizens, particularly those who are marginalised politically, economically or socially. • CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND PROTECTING CIVIC SPACE: While Zambia does have an active civil society space, there is also a history of the government seeking to limit this space, particularly for actors who are critical of the government in power (e.g., the recent bill that sought to crack down on CSOs and the surprise rejection of the bill by the Legislature). Encouraging and supporting citizens and civil society actors to actively participate in policy formulation, implementation and monitoring will contribute to creating a political culture where government officials welcome and facilitate inclusive citizen participation. GUIDING PRINCIPLES for the DDF (using an agile and adaptive approach) • Continue on a path of using insights, analysis and intelligence to guide interventions in order to maximise impact and relevance, and to minimise wasted efforts in areas where there is no traction. This includes maintaining and nurturing formal and informal sources to gain a clearer picture of the context and drivers within it. • Build coalitions and networks through facilitating and convening so that interventions are based on solid foundations and consensus where possible. Bring others with DDF. Question, test and learn throughout. Foster and promote coherence and coordination amongst stakeholders. • Build and maintain buy-in from key policy makers and influencers – including within government, for example through contributions to policy research, testing, evidence or communications. This will open opportunities for the DDF to include aspects to achieve its objectives and vision. • Retain agility and be open to take advantage of opportunities that come up – from within policy-making circles, as well as from the external context (for instance the Summit for Democracy). • Take a multi-layered approach to achieving objectives and vision through various iterations and scenarios. Do see (and take) opportunities as entry points to a longer-term change and transformation. Don’t see potential opportunities as narrow project deliverables that either fit or don’t fit the objectives and vision. Do take risks and be willing to fail, learning from the experience, but fail fast. Don’t continue engagements that have no traction simply because they were started.