Supporting Social Accountability in Global Gateway Investments in Malawi: A Framework for Engagement

Between July and September 2025, TED supported the EU Delegation (EUD) and 3 Member States in Malawi (Germany, Ireland, and Netherlands) to strengthen social accountability in the framework of Global Gateway (GG) investments by jointly designing an approach for structured engagement.

Working with Member States and in close collaboration with the Government of Malawi, the EUD to Malawi prioritises the implementation of GG, namely support to social protection, agriculture, forestry and fishing, and energy. The implementation of GG investments is anchored in 6 key principles (also known as the 360° approach) including the principles of good governance and transparency and democratic values and high standards. 

As such, the Delegation intends to include targeted social accountability initiatives in partnership with civil society and the community at large, with the overall aim of improving transparency and ensuring stronger government accountability for actions planned in Malawi’s MIP 2021-2027. 

These efforts aim to enhance positive outcomes and lower implementation risks for EU-supported projects by fostering an enabling environment for all future engagements in the country, both for public and private sector actors – thereby increasing trust and facilitating further expansion of GG initiatives.

With support from the TED Secretariat, a framework was designed to analyse successful civil society engagement in social accountability efforts in Malawi and expanded the knowledge base with examples from similar country-contexts. Then a mapping and assessment of civil society organisations engaged in these sectors in Malawi was undertaken to provide recommendations for strengthening civic capacities and along with a tailored toolkit for oversight, reporting discrepancies and advocating for system reform.