Description
The project addresses the challenges facing NGOs in Dupnitsa Municipality (insecure organizational capacity and financial sustainability). The project aims at boosting NGOs’ capacity and creating a conducive environment by setting up a network of at least 10 NGOs, state institutions and the media. First, 45 people (NGO members, youth leaders, volunteers) will be trained in project development and management, advocacy, conflict resolution, teamwork, work with the institutions, volunteers and the media. Second, 17 people (NGO managers and youth leaders) will be trained in strategic planning, capacity building and teamwork. Third, strategies for financial sustainability and development of human resources will be developed for 10 NGOs. Finally, a network of NGOs will be set up to enable intersectoral partnerships. The project will benefit the applicant’s team, related NGOs and the local community.
Summary of project results
The project addressed the challenges facing NGOs in Dupnitsa Municipality (insecure organizational capacity and financial sustainability). It helped boost the capacity of both Amala – Friends Association and 10 more organizations to make, implement, monitor and evaluate policies, organize advocacy campaigns and uphold specific causes. As an initiator and coordinator of the group the Association established itself as an organization aspiring to “empower” the civil society and gained greater influence in the development of policies and strategic documents which will have impact on the life of communities that are vulnerable and at risk of poverty. In addition, the mechanism for coordination and cooperation with the structures of the civil society was improved, in particular with regard to the active involvement of the members of the Roma community at each stage of policy making, implementation, observation and evaluation which will definitely help improve the quality of life of the vulnerable communities. The union of NGOs created under the project will carry out advocacy campaigns and will uphold specific causes that will help improve local policies. The members of the organizations, the managers, youth leaders and volunteers will apply in their work the knowledge and skills acquired from the project activities and they will benefit them in the long run. The newly set-up union filled in the existing gap. The union works on several levels: on the one hand, the member organizations had the opportunity to raise their capacity, and on the other hand, the influence of civil society organizations on local level increased. With its work, the new union reinstated the advocacy potential of the civil sector and ensured greater representation. The efficient work of the civil sector with the institutions on local level helped develop a new Action Plan of Dupnitsa Municipality to support integration policies in the period 2014-2020 including such priorities as education, healthcare, housing and employment.
Summary of bilateral results