FHI 360 and Its Partner the European Center for Not-For-Profit Law (ECNL)
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Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society Funding provided by: United States Agency for International Development Cooperative Agreement AID-117-A-14-00002 Quarterly Progress Report No: 12 October 1 – December 31, 2017 January 31, 2018 Chisinau, Republic of Moldova Submitted to: Roman Purici Agreement Officer’s Representative USAID/Regional Mission in Moldova 57/1, Banulescu-Bodoni str. Chisinau, Moldova MD 2005 [email protected] This report was prepared with funds provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development under Cooperative Agreement AID-117-A-14-00002. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Quarterly Progress Report No. 12: October 1 – December 31, 2017 1 Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society (MPSCS) TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 4 II. MPSCS HIGHLIGHTS, OCTOBER 1 – DECEMBER 31, 2017 .......................................................................... 5 OBJECTIVE 1: CSOS MORE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENCIES ...................................................................... 5 OBJECTIVE 2: INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITIES OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS DEVELOPED ................................................................. 5 OBJECTIVE 3: ENABLING ENVIRONMENT MORE CONDUCIVE TO LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF CIVIL SOCIETY ......................... 5 III. MPSCS PROGRESS OCTOBER 1 – DECEMBER 31, 2017, BY OBJECTIVE ...................................................... 5 OBJECTIVE 1: CSOS MORE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENCIES ...................................................................... 5 CSO ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT OUTREACH ................................................................................................................. 6 CITIZENS ACT SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM ........................................................................................................................... 7 YOUTH INTEGRATION .................................................................................................................................................. 10 COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA ..................................................................................................................................... 11 OBJECTIVE 2: INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITIES OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS DEVELOPED ............................................................ 11 ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT (ODA) .................................................................................................... 11 WORKSHOP ON ADVOCACY........................................................................................................................................... 13 PARTNERS’ TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS (TDP) .................................................................................................... 13 ADVOCACY INDEX AND COMMUNITY SCORECARD ............................................................................................................. 14 OBJECTIVE 3: ENABLING ENVIRONMENT MORE CONDUCIVE TO LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF CIVIL SOCIETY .................... 14 ENHANCING CSOS’ EXPERTISE IN ADVOCACY AND CIVIC OVERSIGHT ................................................................................... 15 SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2018-2020 ................................................. 15 CSO FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY ................................................................................................................................... 16 CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................................... 18 GENDER INTEGRATION ................................................................................................................................................ 18 MEDIA CAMPAIGN AGAINST FALSE AND BIASED INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 19 IV. CHALLENGES .......................................................................................................................................... 20 V. HIGHLIGHTS OF PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR MPSCS NEXT QUARTER ........................................................ 20 OBJECTIVE 1: CSOS MORE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENCIES .................................................................... 20 OBJECTIVE 2: INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITIES OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS DEVELOPED ............................................................... 20 OBJECTIVE 3: ENABLING ENVIRONMENT MORE CONDUCIVE TO LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF CIVIL SOCIETY ....................... 21 ATTACHMENTS .............................................................................................................................................. 21 Quarterly Progress Report No. 12: October 1 – December 31, 2017 2 Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society (MPSCS) ACRONYMS AI Advocacy Index API Asociatia Presei Independente (Association of Independent Press) APT Asociatia Psihologilor Tighina (Association of Psychologists from Tighina) ATVJI Asociatia “V.I.P.” a Telejurnalistilor Independenti din Republica Moldova (Association of Independent TV Journalists) CA Citizens Act CAP Platforma pentru Cetatenie Activa si Parteneriat pentru Drepturile Omului (Platform for Active Citizenship and Human Rights Partnership) CJI Centrul pentru Jurnalism Independent (Independent Journalism Center) CJU Clinica Juridica Universitara (University Legal Clinic) CICO Centrul de Informare si Consultanta Organizationala (Center for Organizational Consultancy and Training) CNTM Consiliul National al Tineretului din Moldova (National Youth Council of Moldova) CPD Centrul Parteneriat pentru Dezvoltare (Center Partnership for Development) CREEDD Resource Center for Environmental Education and Sustainable Development CSDS Civil Society Development Strategy CSC Community Scorecard CSO Civil Society Organization ECI Early Childhood Intervention Services ECNL European Center for Not-for-Profit Law EP Engage Program FCPS Femeia si Copilul – Protectie si Sprijin (Woman and Child – Protection and Support) FDRM Fundatia pentru Dezvoltare din RM (Foundation for Advancement of Moldova) GoM Government of Moldova LCRM Legal Resource Center from Moldova LPA Local Public Authority M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MoJ Ministry of Justice MPSCS Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society ODA Organizational Development Assessment SP Support Program SWMS Sustainable Waste Management System TDP Training and Development Plan TDV Tinerii pentru Dreptul la Viata (Youth for the Right to Life) USAID United States Agency for International Development Quarterly Progress Report No. 12: October 1 – December 31, 2017 3 Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society (MPSCS) I. INTRODUCTION This report covers the reporting period October 1 – December 31, 2017 of the Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society (MPSCS) project. MPSCS is a five-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by FHI 360 and its partner the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL). The purpose of the project is to improve the capacity of Moldovan civil society to represent citizens’ interests, influence policymaking, and sustain the sector’s democratic role for the future. MPSCS accomplishes this goal by meeting three objectives: • Objective 1: Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) more effectively represent their constituencies • Objective 2: Institutional capacity of strategic partners developed • Objective 3: Enabling environment more conducive to long-term sustainability of civil society This quarter, MPSCS achieved some significant results through the advocacy and fundraising initiatives and constituency engagement of Moldovan CSOs as follows: • The Civil Society Development Strategy (CSDS) for 2018-2020 and its Action Plan were developed by the Parliament’s public-private working group (consisting of over 60 CSOs representatives), Members of Parliament and Government of Moldova (GoM) officials with MPSCS support. The CSDS and its Action Plan were finalized and registered as a draft law by 14 members of the Parliament, including the Speaker of the Parliament, on December 22. It should be debated and voted on by the Parliament in early 2018. The CSDS aims to increase CSOs’ involvement in public decision making, and to ensure their financial viability and independence in representing and engaging citizens. • On November 2, the Parliament of Moldova voted on the social entrepreneurship amendments that were earlier developed by a MPSCS partner, Motivatie, to improve the legal environment for CSOs’ income generation. Within the next six months, the GoM should develop a regulation to implement these new legal provisions and to specify the mechanisms to stimulate social enterprises. Motivatie, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and other CSOs, will develop the first draft of the regulation to implement the above-mentioned amendments and submit it to the Ministry of Economy by March 2018. The revised law will enter into force