Description
The project addresses the need to develop the skills of NGOs in rural areas for advocacy and monitoring of local policy-making. The project aims at enhancing the advocacy skills of the NGOs by means of training courses and a virtual resource centre. First, 20 representatives of local NGOs and informal civil organizations will attend a two-day training in advocacy and monitoring and influencing public policies at local, national and EU level. Second, a virtual resource centre will be set up and 2 experts – volunteers will provide free-of-charge counselling to NGOs. Third, the participants in the first course will attend a follow-up webinar on the good practices of influencing local public policies. Finally, important project ideas for the local communities and NGOs will be identified at a forum. The project will benefit the local NGOs and communities at large. The partner will organize the training and the webinar and will provide 1 expert for the resource centre.
Summary of project results
The project of the Centre for Regional Development and Initiatives has been needed due to the fact that local communities and NGOs in rural areas and remote populated areas in the country are not actively involved in local policy-setting. The latter often lack both information and skills to participate in policy planning and implementation. The project was targeted at the municipalities of Trojan, Apriltsi, Ugarchin and Teteven from Lovech District. The target groups, NGOs and young people were introduced under the project to methodological and information materials supporting the participation of civil society organizations in the planning, implementation and monitoring of local policies. A two-day training seminar was organized for the development and application of skills for monitoring and advocacy and influence over public policies and practices. The participants in the training were 20 representatives of NGOs from Lovech District, school trustee boards, employees of several municipalities, agricultural producers, community centres, health mediators and people working with the Roma community in Trojan Municipality. A webinar was held to present good practices related to the opportunities for NGOs to influence local public policies. As a result of the forum, a joint memorandum was drafted by the participants with regard to project ideas important for the local communities and NGOs. A leaflet was issued with good practices from similar projects implemented by local NGOs. 74 representatives of the target groups took part in the project activities and this involvement helped mobilize local communities in the target municipalities. The fact that following the project the local community centres and other NGOs participating in the project became actively involved in the drafting of local development strategies for two of the areas of local initiative groups in Lovech District is indicative of how the project outcomes started being upgraded.
Summary of bilateral results