The second national seminar of ODI's new Civil Society Partnerships Programme's (CSPP) Regional Consultation in Southern Africa was held in Maputo, Mozambique, on the 14th February 2005, in collaboration with the Cruzeiro do Sul - a Mozambican research organisation working on issues around poverty reduction and sustainable development. The seminar provided a forum for representatives from policy research institutes and non-governmental agencies to discuss the opportunities and challenges for CSOs to use evidence to inform policy, learn about the latest worldwide research and practice in this area, share experiences about ongoing activities and identify opportunities for collaborative work.