More information
Description
Romanian CSOs remain critical actors to mobilize civic participation, defend democratic rights and address increasing needs in society. The collaborative approaches and volunteering mobilization should be built upon, both by looking inwardly in the sector and by strengthening the ties to citizens and advocating for the recognition of the CSOs work and roles. The project follows two objectives: improving the evidence-based knowledge on the CSO ecosystem in Romania with respect to its size, evolution, values and impact generated at societal level; building awareness, expertise and practical skills for CSOs on impact measurement with focus on the envisaged change and the power of collective experiences. The methodological approach of the project focuses on: documenting the CSO ecosystem in Romania & promoting collective impact practices by conducting a comprehensive study on the Romanian NGO sector & learning lab programme: combining training for at least 80 organizations at local/ regional level, tailored action planning for development, learning sessions for at least 80 CSOs to build/ reskill their abilities for social impact assessment/ measuring, to place the organizational impact in the local context and the network of stakeholders relevant for their field of intervention and to agree on collective actions during the programme as part of a community of practice and benefitting of tailored coaching and mentoring. The activities shall contribute even further from developing the CSOs capacity at organizational level, having a direct benefit to the sectoral infrastructure, accountability and recognition of the sector and its sustainability. The intervention is unique in its approach, relying extensively on CSDF previous expertise both in terms of research and the reaching out capacities so that to cover the national ecosystem. It allows us also to ensure the complementarity of the PdP actions with the capacity building initiatives engaged by the ACF promoters.
Summary of project results
Since 2019, Romania''s civic space has played an active role in defending democracy and human rights, despite a political context that has neglected dialogue and accountability. Consecutive elections highlighted fluctuating citizen participation, maintaining the rule of law but fostering populist-nationalist discourse. In this context, CSOs faced the challenge to be able to get together and find common grounds to influence policy decision making, to keep close to citizens and be able to show-case the value and impact of their work.
In contrast, the 2020 pandemic crisis and the war in Ukraine demonstrated the ability of CSOs to rapidly mobilize and directly engage, providing support to vulnerable communities and migrants. Their efforts were made possible through the mobilization of volunteers, supporters, and collaboration with authorities and the private sector. This raised the challenge for CSOs to build upon the perceived boost in trust and positive public image regarding the utility and impact of the CSO work and to make the collaborative practices an integral part of their activity. Beyond communicating results achieved individually, there was the need to develop the culture of a long-term impact and to depict the collaborative solutions that the CSOs build constructively.
At the same time, transparency and trust building (within the sector and cross-sectoral) remained challenging at societal level. On one side, CSOs needed to consolidate their ability to undertake successful advocacy and monitoring tasks, both by improving their reach out capabilities (attracting relevant and influential supporters) and also by showcasing the power of their work and the benefits they bring to the community. Furthermore, the sector as a whole is a living body, with evolving processes and interconnections, both internal and external changes affecting its infrastructure base, development, and recognition. Hence, there was a need to document who the sector was, what made it valuable, how it had evolved over the years, and to what extent it succeeded in supporting citizens’ mobilization or influencing governmental policies.
Primarily in the areas of policy-building and strategic communication, there have been consistent references to the lack of consistent or sufficient relevant data on the Romanian CSO sector, as well as the limitations in capacity, resources or engagement within the support infrastructure in the field of data collection and analysis. At that time, the latest comprehensive study was delivered by CSDF in 2017, based on a structured methodology following trends since 2006. Following that, evidence-based analyses or research had largely focused on specific thematic areas rather than the sector as a whole. In 2020, a few analyses were conducted to capture the CSOs’ responses to the pandemic and its effects on them, but each was limited in terms of coverage or the depth of its assessment.
The strategic direction of our project was to address the need for expertise building, for collaborative efforts of CSOs & supporters and combine it with professional abilities to determine and make visible the social value and impact that the NGO sector contributed to societal development.
Therefore, the “Building capacity for collective impact and knowledge on CSOs ecosystem” project had two core complementary objectives:
-To improve the evidence-based knowledge of the CSO ecosystem in Romania, focusing on its size, evolution, values, and the impact it generated at the societal level.
- To build awareness, expertise, and practical skills for CSOs in impact measurement, with an emphasis on the anticipated change and the power of collective experiences.
The methodological approach of the project combined the research and data analysis on the functioning and evolution of the Romanian civil society sector and developing a learning intervention reaching 94 CSOs (baseline 80) that developed their expertise in impact assessment and worked within a network.
Thus, the main actions focused on:
- Documenting the CSO ecosystem in Romania & promoting collective impact practices by conducting a comprehensive study on the Romanian NGO sector (2024) based on the methodology that CSDF has developed in two previous editions (2010 and 2017), with increased focus on quantitative and qualitative analysis of the CSOs work. The English version of the study is available here.
- Learning lab programme: combining training for 94 organizations at local/ regional level and tailored action planning for development to build/ reskill their abilities for social impact assessment/ measuring, to place the organizational impact in the local context and the network of stakeholders relevant for their field of intervention and to agree on collective actions during the programme as part of a community of practice and benefitting of tailored coaching and mentoring.
A1. Research of the NGO sector in Romania.
With this activity, we aimed to contribute to improving knowledge about the impact of the NGO sector in Romania by conducting an extensive study on the state of the non-governmental sector in Romania. The study "Romania 2024. The State of the Non-Governmental Sector. Profile, Trends, Challenges" provides the general public, policymakers, and the NGO sector with an overview of the current state of the non-governmental sector, its recent dynamics, as well as details about its capacity to contribute to social development, its role as an employer, and the status of its members, employees, and volunteers. The study was based on the methodology of the two previous editions, with a series of improvements and additions. Data collected or prepared under the project for drafting this report was of two main types: administrative data (collected by public authorities and to which there is open access or for which we have requested access to) and survey data (collected under the supervision of the project team).
Thus, the main sources of administrative data used were:
- The National NGO Registry (RN-ONG) - managed by the Ministry of Justice, which includes organizations that have been registered. The registry includes records classified as associations, foundations, federations, unions, and foreign legal entities. Available in Excel format, the registry initially contained multiple errors (duplicates, different formatted fields (numerical/alphanumerical) for the same variable). Following an extensive cleaning process, a database with 127,804 unique entries was created, with no information in the RN-ONG indicating that any of them had been deregistered or dissolved. The database allowed for analysis in geographic terms, the dynamics over time, and current distributions.
- Financial reporting to NAFA - the second important source of data was the annual reporting of balance sheets to NAFA. The Ministry of Finance annually publishes the results from the previous financial year. We used these results to create a database with records from the period 2013-2024. The database included 81,938 unique entities representing organizations that, between 2013 and 2022, submitted at least one financial statement as an NGO. The data allowed the assessment of financial flows as well as staff number dynamics. Financial reports are indexed by the tax identifier (CUI/CIF), while the RN-ONG is indexed by a code assigned during registration. By using the taxpayer list published by the Ministry of Finance, we were able to match the CUI of most of the records from the ANAF database with the actual name of the organization. Additionally, we used data provided by ANAF upon request from CSDF in March 2024.
To complement the data from official sources, 3 important surveys were developed and conducted:
- BOSC 2023: Barometer of Opinions on the Civil Society - a representative survey conducted on a large sample (1200 respondents) that allowed us to assess the attitudes of the Romanian population towards the NGO sector. BOSC was a telephone interview-based survey (CATI), conducted in Nov. 2023, at the request of CSDF, by Mercury Research.
- BLO 2023: Barometer of NGOs’ Leaders - a survey for non-governmental organisations, which mainly collected data about the organisation and less about the people who run it. This survey was conducted through an online questionnaire. Its filling-in took place between Nov. ’23 and January ‘24.
- BMO 2023: Barometer of Members, Employees and Volunteers in the NGO sector - a new tool in the context of CSDF''s reports on the NGO sector, which uses some of the items included in the BLO 2016. A total of 2,028 valid responses were collected through a web survey (CAWI) between Dec. ‘23 and January ‘24.
Twelve sociologists, political scientists, and civil society members with experience in civic activism, the NGO sector, and civil society were part of the research team. The research team proposed a new, more detailed perspective for the 2024 study, through a longitudinal and comparative analysis, with a focus on the perceptions and desires of employees in the third sector – organized civil society.
The study was released in April’ 24 and was accompanied by a launch campaign that included: an online press conference (with 20 journalists), a National Conference (165 participants offline & 128 online), an offline event dedicated to the business sector (65 participants) and an influencers campaign (that has been carried out both prior to and during the launch of the research report).
A2. Learning lab programme. Within this activity we focused on build awareness, expertise and practical skills for CSOs on impact measurement with focus on the envisaged change and the power of collective experiences through different actions:
A2.1 Development and use of tools/ instruments for impact measurement.
As part of our efforts to strengthen impact measurement in the civil society sector, we at CSDF have developed over the years a set of impact measurement tools, including frameworks for assessing the impact of different projects and programmes. These tools were based on a solid methodology while remaining flexible and adaptable to various contexts. For the project, one of our key objectives was to create tools that contribute to the development of a common, nationwide methodology for monitoring and evaluating civil society activities. To achieve this, we proposed a series of working documents based on our expertise and engaged with relevant stakeholders and ensured that the tools address essential evaluation criteria for NGOs and donors alike. To validate and calibrate the developed tools, we organized a one-day consultation meeting on February 24th 2023 with key stakeholders, including NGOs focused on organizational development within the ACF program and representatives of several donor organizations. This kick-off event brought together stakeholders to share their practices and experiences on impact assessment. It served as the first step in creating a learning community and setting the stage for the national capacity-building journey. Following the validation process, we designed a training curriculum to support the adoption and use of the tools inside the Learning Lab program.
A2.2 Development of the learning Lab programme for impact measurement for NGOs in Romania.
Based on the tools developed we started piloting the Learning Lab programme for 94 NGOs throw-out the country, structured in four cohorts over one year. The programme included:
- Workshops – Four sessions (online and offline) designed for NGOs to understand, collect, analyze and communicate the impact of their work.
- Network Meetings – Regular discussions on impact assessment, fostering collaboration.
- Coaching & Mentoring – Tailored support for NGOs in adapting and using the tools effectively.
- Evaluation Event – A final gathering to assess programme impact and compile insights.
In March 2023, the national capacity-building program officially launched, starting with the first cohort in Bucharest. The cohort, consisting of 20 organizations, ran from March to May 2023. During this period, participants engaged in the core modules of the program, enhancing their understanding of impact measurement and assessment. By June 2023, the Bucharest cohort concluded, and the Cluj cohort kicked off with its first offline event on June 9th. This cohort, also consisting of 20 organizations, marked the transition into a broader national reach. In July and August 2023, the learning journey continued for the Cluj cohort, which engaged in the online part of the program. One of the key highlights of this period was the first online networking meeting between the Cluj cohort and the Bucharest cohort, held in September. This networking session allowed participants from different cohorts to exchange experiences, challenges, and insights, thus strengthening the learning community.
A fully online national cohort was organized between September and November 2023, enabling participation from NGOs across the country without the need for travel. In November 2023, a second online networking meeting was organized, bringing together participants from the Bucharest, Cluj, and online cohorts. This session further promoted cross-cohort exchange and learning.
By December 2023, the Learning Lab process officially began for the Timișoara and Iași cohorts. The first offline event for these cohorts took place in early December, marking the final stage of the national program rollout. By the end of December 2023, a total of 94 unique NGOs had participated in the Learning Lab program, benefiting from its resources, networking, and personalized coaching. In the first two months of 2024, the Timisoara and Iasi cohorts completed their learning journeys. An important milestone was the final online networking event, held in February 2024. This gathering united participants from all five cohorts (Bucharest, Cluj, Online, Timișoara, and Iasi), allowing them to share their experiences and learnings from the program.
A key highlight in the final phase was the study visit to Norway in April ‘24. Fifteen participants and experts had the opportunity to visit organizations and observe international models of impact assessment and organizational practices. This exposure to global practices provided valuable inspiration and insights for their own work.
On April 22nd, 2024, the program concluded with a final evaluation event. Nearly 40 participants from all cohorts gathered to reflect on the outcomes of the year-long Learning Lab program. This event served as an opportunity for participants to assess the impact of the program on their organizations and discuss how they would apply the knowledge and tools they had gained.
Within the project we contributed to enhancing the understanding of the impact of the NGO sector in Romania by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the state of the non-governmental sector in Romania. The study "Romania 2024. The Non-Governmental Sector. Profile, Trends, Challenges" provides the wide public, decision-makers and the NGO sector with an overview on the current status of the non-governmental sector, its recent dynamics, as well as details on the capacity to contribute to the social development, its role as an employee, and the status of members, employees and volunteers in this sector.
In a context where the academic sector and public authorities in Romania produce very limited data and research about the nonprofit sector, CSDF has filled this gap over the years with studies on the state of the non-governmental sector. Following the previous published editions (2010 and 2017), the study “Romania 2024. The Non-Governmental Sector. Profile, Trends, Challenges" is essential for an overview of the non-governmental sector in Romania.
At the same time, various organisations from across Romania had engaged in the Learning Lab program, benefiting from personalized coaching, networking, and international exposure. The program successfully built capacity in impact assessment and measurement, providing participants with the tools and knowledge to drive measurable social change. Additionally, the international study visit and networking opportunities fostered cross-organizational collaboration, allowing participants to draw inspiration from both local and global best practices.
The final evaluation revealed positive outcomes, with participants reporting a significant increase in their understanding of impact measurement and its application to their work. The individualized coaching helped organizations tailor their learning to their unique needs, ensuring that the program had a long-lasting and practical effect.
The Impact3 Learning Lab capacity-building program successfully met its objectives of strengthening the impact assessment capacity of Romanian NGOs. Through a comprehensive blend of offline and online activities, coaching, and international exposure, the program has provided valuable learning experiences and practical tools for NGOs. The final evaluation demonstrated a high level of satisfaction among participants, confirming the program''s value in supporting the sustainable growth and impact of NGOs across Romania.
As well, following the final evaluation meeting but also the study visit in Norway, the more engaged organizations from the program took the initiative to create continuous learning spaces for NGOs interested in the impact assessment topic, having monthly meetings throughout the year. Most of the organizations involved in the program have now a minimal process for gathering, analyzing and communicating the impact of their work, best shown in new projects that they are putting forward in which the tools provided by CSDF are used.