This is the eighth edition of the Civil Society Organization (CSO) Sustainability Index for Jordan, which covers developments in 2019. This edition of the Index reports on the strength and overall viability of the CSO sectors in Jordan. The Index relies on the knowledge of CSO practitioners and researchers, who are form an expert panel to assess and rate seven interrelated dimensions of CSO sustainability: legal environment, organizational capacity, financial viability, advocacy, service provision, infrastructure, and public image.

The CSOSI provides a comprehensive assessment of the capacity of civil society to serve as both a short-term partner in implementing development solutions and a long-term actor in ensuring development outcomes are sustained. The Index is a useful source of information for local CSOs, governments, donors, academics, and others who want to better understand and monitor key aspects of sustainability in the CSO sector.

Overall CSO sustainability improved slightly in 2019, driven by positive developments in advocacy and sectoral infrastructure. Advocacy advanced as CSOs had greater access to government officials and achieved numerous advocacy successes. The infrastructure supporting CSOs improved in 2019 with the creation of a new CSO coalition, capacity-building programs, and public-private partnerships. Financial viability, on the other hand, deteriorated with increasing competition for decreasing funds.