“Efficiency and Capacity for Developing Partnerships “Mesta-Struma” (ECDP “Mesta-Struma”)

Objectives of the project:

The overall objective of the project is increasing the capacity of the structures of the civil society in the region, including 14 municipalities in the river valley of Struma and Mesta and developing efficient partnerships for active inclusion of the NGO sector in the decision-making process, coordination and interaction with the authorities aimed to implementing successful organizational local and regional strategies and policies.

Specific objectives of the project:

· Improved knowledge and skills of representatives of at least 70 NGOs and non-formal organizations through specialized trainings, corresponding to the preliminary determined organizational and personal needs.

· Bringing closer the capacity of various in range and period of existence CSO through providing conditions and possibilities for work in a virtual and real net through access to information resources, consultative services and electronic data exchange.

· Achieved coordination on local level of the activity and structures of the CSO, working in different spheres.

· Extended range and verified activity of the CSO in the target region through developed regional, national and international partnerships.

· Improved management and increased capacity of the human resources in the NGO sector through motivation and trainings.

· Improved concepts and dispositions about the NGO sector and more information provided on the NGO sector, its role and impact.

Details on the project implementation:

Activity 1: Press conference for announcing the commencement of the project

The main goal of the press conference is to inform the community about the objectives, the activities and the approach, that will be used in the implementation of the project. Representatives of all interested parties will be invited including representatives of the CSO in the target region, local and regional authorities, institutions, local community and media (radio, television, press).

The press conference will be organized in Blagoevgrad since the town is a distinct center and is equally reachable to all the representatives of the target region and the media. On one hand this will make the project more visible and popular. On the other hand the information will reach more potential beneficiaries.

Activity 2: Research of the existing CSO in the target municipalities

A research will be carried out in order to identify all existing CSO in the target municipalities, respectively their territorial range, goals and activities, status and capacity. The results from the research will be used as base for conducting the follow-up activities of the project. Methodology:

1. Identifying the existing CSO through obtaining information from the official registers (The Central Registration Database for Socially Useful Activities at the Ministry of Justice and APIS register);

2. Designing questionnaires and spreading them among all the registered CSO to be filled in;

3. Organising focus-groups in key-municipalities;

4. Analysis and systematization of the results of the questionnaires.

Activity 3: Developing and supporting a database of the existing CSO in the 14 target municipalities

Through processing the information gathered through the research of the existing CSO a database will be developed. It will consist of information on the inquired CSO, these CSO will be classified by spheres of activity, range, capacity, previous experience and contacts.

Subsequently the database will be published and supported on the web-portal and will be used as a resource for identifying future partners in the context of project implementation within the framework of new operational programs.

The database will be translated into English so that the CSO from the target region are identified as international partners in future European projects and initiatives.

Activity 4: Assessment of the existing capacity and the necessity of constructing supplementary capacity of CSO in the 14 target municipalities

Aiming to the successful and effective progress of the follow-up activities an assessment will be made of the existing capacity and the necessity of constructing supplementary capacity of CSO in the river-valley of Struma and Mesta. A research will be led of at least 150 CSO that have participated in the previous research, carried out in Activity 2. The purpose of the assessment is to provide current information on the common and specific needs of CSO. On the basis of the results of the assessment training modules will be adapted aiming at increasing the capacity of the CSO representatives participating in the project. The methodology used includes: 1) Sending information (through letters, fax, e-mail) concerning the project ant the research to at least 150 CSO; 2) Designing and spreading a questionnaire among CSO that are interested in participating in the research; 3) Carrying out structured interviews with representatives of CSO with the purpose to identify better their specific needs; 4) Analysis of the results.

Activity 5: Developing and printing report “Structures of Civil Society in the River-valley of Struma and Mesta. Observation and Analysis”

The report will be prepared on the basis of the results of the researches led within Activity 2 and Activity 4.

The purpose of the report is to give an accurate and clear picture of the CSO stat in the target region and to draw directions and prerequisites for the future development of the sector.

The report will be printed in Bulgarian and English in order to provide information on the state of CSO in the region to present and future partners. Many organizations are already partners in cross-border cooperation programs that is why the report could make the activity of the Bulgarian organizations more distinct and visible.

Subsequently the report will be published on the web-portal of the project.

Activity 6: Developing training methodology

On the basis of the results of the needs assessment of CSO will be developed a methodology which purpose is to extend the knowledge and skills, the capacity and motivation for collaborating in the sector through trainings divided into 7 modules. The training modules will include components from the training of trainers, as this approach will assist for the spreading and multiplying the acquired knowledge and skills among local community.

Each of the developed modules will be conducted within of 3 days period.

The modules include the following topics:

Module 1: Communicative skills, negotiating and facilitating work meeting;

Module 2: Models of effective leadership and team building;

Module 3: Establishing inter-sector relations and relations within the sector (networks and partnerships);

Module 4: Mobilizing local resources and fund-rising;

Module 5: Project developing and managing;

Module 6: Managing NGO. Public relations and media cooperation. Local authority – citizens partnership;

Module 7: Strategy planning of NGO.

The suggested topics are just an example and are prepared on the basis of preliminary researches and previous experience of the Candidate and the Partner, they will be adapted considering the specific needs of the target groups.

Activity 7: Carrying out a series of trainings for developing capacity, extending the role of CSO in the life of local communities and for successful collaboration with the administration

Within the listed 7 module various trainings will be carried out. Each training will be delivered within 3 days period and the number of participants will be 30 for each.

The selection of the participants for each of the modules will be made by considering application form in which each of the interested representatives of CSO should describe their motivation and justify the need of the represented organization to participate in the particular training.

Other important criteria will be the engagement of the organization to multiply the acquired knowledge and skills in the local community.

Each of the trainings will be delivered in a different target municipality in order to give an opportunity to the participants to obtain clear concept for the state of the citizenship sector, its needs, achieved results as well as the opportunity to identify new partnerships in the co-responding municipality.

Each successful participant will be certified for the knowledge and skills acquired.

The trainings will be carried out in the following municipalities: Razlog, Simitli, Kresna, Sandanski, Strumyani, Belitsa, Gotse Delchev.

Activity 8: Design and maintenance of a web-portal

The web-portal that will be design within the project will have the functions of virtual resource center of CSO and subsequently could assist the constructing of transnational virtual network. The web-portal will provide links to the web-pages of all CSO in the target municipalities. All activities, results, trainings and calls for proposals, tender procedures, as well as other kind of information concerning the project will be announced on the web-portal.

Contents of the web-portal:

- Virtual map of CSO in the target region;

- Database, developed within Activity 3 with the option to find a partner by set criteria;

- Web-library, which includes the legislative framework of The Central Registration Database for Socially Useful Activities at the Ministry of Justice, European standards and requirements, resource manuals, training materials and good practices;

- Opportunity for financing and links to the web-pages of financing institution and organizations.

- Forum that will give the opportunity for discussions, exchange of experience and information, finding new partners and shearing project ideas.

The development of the web-portal will be finished by month 4 of the project. The web-portal will stay operational even after the end of the project and it will be maintained and upgraded with new information by the Local agency for Economic Development and association IIC.

Technical description of the web-portal

The web-portal will have a modern vision considering the latest world tendencies in this kind of software. The structure will provide simple navigation to the client.

It will be programmed according to the contemporary HTML, CSS, and XML standards by the W3C criteria (world organization defining web-programming principles) compatible with the most common internet browsers (Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Firefox and Opera) and will be tested for errors.

The database will consist of information on all CSO in the region. The information that could be useful to the international partners will be translated into English.

In order to reach over 300 visits per month the web-portal will be popularized by outdoor advertisement (2 billboards), situated in key spots in the target region. One of these spots is in the municipality of Simitli at E 79 road considering that the billboard is put on a visible place which is on the main traffic line of the target region. The other billboard will be placed at the road between the municipalities of Razlog and Simitli as it is a main road for all the municipalities in the river-valley of Mesta.

The web-portal will be also advertised on popular web-sites and search-engines like Google, as well as on all published materials within the project – brochures, stickers, tables, folders etc.

Activity 9: Sending monthly newsletter

After developing the database of the existing CSO, monthly newsletters will be designed, these will be spread among representatives of CSO through mailing list it will also be published on the web-portal. The newsletters will include news, training and financing possibilities, contests, legislation and policies, calls for partners, good national and international practices, answers of frequently asked questions and consultations.

IIC association as a partner of the project will be responsible for designing and sending the newsletter. The association is well qualified and has the capacity to continue publishing the newsletter after the project implementation.

Activity 10: Providing live on-line consultancy

After month 5 of the project live on-line consultancy delivered by experts will be provided. The consultations will cover questions of CSO posed in the forum of the web-portal or received by fax, mail or e-mail. The consultancy will be popularized by the web-portal, the newsletters; it will be also discussed on meetings with representatives of CSO while the researches and trainings planned are carried out. These consultations will be delivered in the web-space by using tools such as Skype. Those who need consultancy should declare their interest preliminary. The duration of the consultations is planned to be 2-3 years monthly. After the end of each consultation there will be a list prepared with the consulted representatives of CSO.

Activity 11: Organising work meeting of CSO representatives from the target municipalities and developing collaboration network – ECDP “Mesta-Struma”

CSO representatives will be invited at the work meeting as the main objective is to discuss the development and the character (formal or non-formal) of a network of civil society structures, as well as its future sustainability.

The work meeting will be held at the distinct center – Blagoevgrad, and will continue one day.

Activity 12: Organizing “round table” with representatives of media, institutions and CSO from the target region

The media has the crucial role of catalyst and mediator in all sociopolitical processes. The aim of the work meeting is to discuss all possibilities for partnership and cooperation between media and CSO representatives in order to popularize the activity of CSO among local community members. Main priorities on the work meeting will be the discussion of practices and exemplars for: 1) Improving the communication between CSO, media and institutions; 2) protection of civil society interests at the institutions; 3) How media and CSO collaboration can support the progress of the communities.

The round table will be held in Blagoevgrad and will continue 1 day.

Activity 13: Organising a closing conference

The aim of the conference is to present the results and good practices and approaches identified throughout the implementation of the project. The participants in the conference will have the opportunity to share their experience through presentation of similar exemplars of collaboration between CSO representatives in comparable regions in the country and abroad. The foreign experience will be presented by experts from Greece and Spain as these countries have similar to the Bulgarian environment of civil society growth.

The establishment of the collaborative CSO network ECDP “Mesta-Struma” will be officially announced at the closing conference.

There will be near 100 representatives of all interested parties and media will be invited. The conference will be held in Razlog and will continue 1 day.

Activity 14: Activities covering the popularizing of the project

The activities include:

- media coverage

Within the project period local and regional media (radio, television and press) will cover the various phases of the project implementation.

- printed materials

There will be printed 2 types of brochures translated into English with the total print of 2000 each. One of the brochures will include detailed information on the objectives, activities and expected results of the project. The other brochures will include information on the role of CSO in the development of local communities.

There will be set 2 billboards which will popularize the web-portal and the entire project, so that a larger part of civil society is informed on the potentialities and the role of the non-government sector.

There will be 5000 full-coloured stickers, as 2500 of them will popularize the project and the financing body and the other 2500, which will also berry the logo of the financing body, will popularize the web-portal.

All printed materials will be distributed in the target municipalities where they will be accessible to the representatives of the community. Possible places where the printed materials can be distributed are front-offices of the municipalities, CSO offices, public institutions and other interested parties.
Within Activity 5 there will e printed a report that will be spread out among all interested parties.

Folders will be printed and a rollup banner will be prepared for the purposes of the trainings, work meetings and the conference.

- web-portal and monthly newsletters

The web-portal will guarantee publicity and access to information on the project among a large range of users.

The monthly newsletters that will be published on the web-portal and sent by mailing list will guarantee publicity of the project.

- Others

Preparation of bags for the closing conference.

Preparation of tables that will be installed in the offices of CSO, beneficiaries of the project.

The popularizing activities of the project aim at visibility and accountancy of the project implementation.

All materials prepared and printed within the project will correspond to the requirements for publicity according to Regulation EC # 1083/2006 and Regulation EC #1828/2006 according to the requirements and measures for publicity and bonded in the Communicative plan of OPAC.

Activity15: Management of the project

A team of the project will be formed. Reports will be prepared every three months, interring and final report will be also prepared. Regular meetings between the Candidate and the Partner will be held in order to achieve better coordination and to avoid possible problems. That is how permanent control upon the activities and the resource consumption will be established.

Expected results:

Activity 1: Press conference for announcing the commencement of the project

- At least 30 representatives of interested parties participated in the conference;

- At least 1 radio and television reportage broadcasted in local and regional media;

- At least one article published in regional newspapers ( Struma and/or Vyara);

- Press release prepared and sent among all media;

- A number of representatives of local community informed on the project through media broadcast and publications.

Activity 2: Research of the existing SCO in the target municipalities

- Over 1000 (according to preliminary data of the existing registers) questionnaires sent to representatives of CSO;

- Over 150 CSO researched on the basis of filled questionnaires;

- Prepared report that analyses condition of CSO and NGO sector in the target region.

Activity 3: Developing and supporting a database of the existing SCO in the 14 target municipalities

- Established database in Bulgarian and English, consisting of information on at least 150 CSO in the river-valley of Struma and Mesta.

Activity 4: Assessment of the existing capacity and the necessity of constructing supplementary capacity of SCO in the 14 target municipalities

- At least 150 CSO, invited to participate in the research;

- At least 100 questionnaires sent and filled;

- At least 100 structured interviews with CSO representatives;

- Prepared report of the existing capacity and needs of constructing of supplementary capacity of CSO in the target region.

Activity 5: Developing and printing report “Structures of Civil Society in the River-valley of Struma and Mesta. Observation and Analysis”

- 1000 copies of the report printed and translated into English.

Activity 6: Developing training methodology

- Developed training methodology, divided into 7 modules.

Activity 7: Carrying out a series of trainings for developing capacity, extending the role of SCO in the life of local communities and for successful collaboration with the administration

- 7 trainings delivered;

- 210 CSO representatives trained;

- Issued certificate to each successful participant;

- Designed training materials for each training.

Activity 8: Design and maintenance of a web-portal

- Developed structure of a web-portal;

- Design of a web-portal;

- Selected, published and translated into English information about the web-portal;

- The information on the web-portal upgraded on regular basis;

- At least 300 visits mothly.

Activity 9: Sending monthly newsletter

- 11 newsletters published and sent

- At least 100 CSO receiving the newsletters monthly.

Activity 10: Providing live on-line consultancy

- 10 online consultations delivered;

- At least 50 representatives of CSO consulted.

Activity 11: Organising work meeting of SCO representatives from the target municipalities and developing collaboration network – ECDP “Mesta-Struma”

- Signed agreement for collaboration within the ECDP “Mesta – Struma” network;

- At least 50 CSO representatives participated in the meeting.

Activity 12: Organizing “round table” with representatives of media, institutions and SCO from the target region

- Accepted agreement for partnership between media, institutions and CSO representatives;

- At least 40 representatives of interested parties participated in the round table.

Activity 13: Organising a closing conference

- At least 100 representatives of interested parties and media participated in the closing conference;

- At least 1 radio and television reportage broadcasted in local and regional media;

- At least 1 article published in the regional newspapers (Struma and/or Vyara);

- A number of representatives of local community informed about the results of the project and its effect upon the civil society through media broadcast and publications.

Activity 14: Activities covering the popularizing of the project

- At least 5 radio and television broadcasts and at least 5 articles in regional press, covering all stages of the project implementation;

- 4000 brochures printed;

- 800 copies of the report prepared within Activity 5 distributed;

- 1100 newsletters (11 months X 100 newsletters) spread out among CSO in the target region;

- 1000 folders printed;

- 1 rollup banner prepared;

- 5000 stickers prepared and distributed;

- 100 bags produced for the closing conference;

- 70 tables prepared and installed in the offices of CSO beneficiaries of the project;

- A number of local community members informed by the web-portal and media broadcasts.

Activity15: Management of the project

- 5 reports prepared for every three months, one interning and one final report;

- 15 regular meetings held between the Partner and the Candidate, one per each month.

Partners in the project:

Leading organisation in the project is The Local Agency for Economic Development, Razlog; partner in the project is Association International Initiatives for Cooperation.