NDI has worked in Sri Lanka since the early 2000s, assisting civil society groups to conduct election monitoring, advocacy, and civic education campaigns. As part of these efforts, NDI partners with diverse civil society groups to strengthen their capacity to advocate for participatory electoral reform. 

More recently, NDI has worked with the Parliament of Sri Lanka to increase the body’s technical and institutional capacity and strengthen member constituent outreach. In line with Sri Lanka’s membership in the Open Government Partnership (OGP), NDI supported the parliament’s formation of a multi-party Open Parliament Caucus and Open Parliament Plan. The latter includes commitments for greater legislative openness and is to be implemented in partnership with civil society and support the country’s overall OGP National Action Plan (NAP).

NDI has also conducted leadership training for local women leaders to support increased women’s political participation in Sri Lanka. Today, NDI partners with civil society organizations to develop women and youth’s political engagement skills, provide opportunities for youth to take part in community advocacy activities and create the political space for them to engage with power holders.