The term “civil society” is very frequently encountered these days, but is rarely clearly defined. It generally is considered to comprise institutions which are independent from government. Most PRSPs do not define “civil society”, and there is no reference to any definition in the Sourcebook. In fact, a wide range of very different civil society stakeholders participate in the PRS process, such as NGOs, community-based organisations, trade unions, religious organisations, ethnic associations, academic institutions, members of the private sector, the media and the press, as well as individuals. There is no standard to assist countries in making decisions about the participation of members of the civil society in their national PRS process. The only requirement is to include the civil society at every stage of the PRS, but there is no basic standard concerning the adequate participation of the civil society.

In many countries, one umbrella organisation is chosen to act as the focal point for civil society participation in PRS, e.g. the NGO Forum in Cambodia.