SOROS FOUNDATION-MOLDOVA 2015 ANNUAL REPORT
CONTENTS
MISSION STATEMENT 3
MESSAGE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 4
JUSTICE PROGRAM 6 Reduce Arbitrary Limitations on Human Rights 7 Procedural Guarantees in the Pre-trial Stage of Criminal Process 8 Increasing Judicial Accountability as a Pre-condition of the Justice Sector Reform 10
GOOD GOVERNANCE PROGRAM 13 Establish Specific Checks to Ensure a Transparent Budgetary Processes 14 Promote Integrity in Public Function through Increased Civic Control 16
MEDIA PROGRAM 21 Promote Media Pluralism Debate in Moldova 22 Ensure Accurate, Unbiased and Ethical News Reporting 23 Empower Professional Investigative Journalism 24 Projects Supported with Funds from other Donors 25
PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM 27 Addressing the Exclusion and Discrimination of People with Intellectual Disabilities 27 Promoting the Rights of People to Access to Palliative Care 28 Increasing the Involvement of HIV Most at Risk Groups 29 The Health Monitor 32 Projects Supported with Funds from other Donors 34
EQUALITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM 37
MOLDOVA EDUCATION REFORM PROJECT 41
2015 EXPENDITURES 48
SOROS FOUNDATION-MOLDOVA BOARDS 49
SOROS FOUNDATION-MOLDOVA STAFF 50
ANNEX Projects financially supported in 2015 52
2
MISSION STATEMENT
The Soros Foundation-Moldova is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-partisan organization established in 1992 by philanthropist and financier George Soros to promote open society values in Moldova. The Foundation contributes to the democratization of the society by developing and implementing programs in various areas, such as independent media, judiciary reform, good governance, civic engagement and public health.
3
MESSAGE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Republic of Moldova faced unprecedented challenges in 2015 caused by a profound economic, social, and political crisis, which affected the entire country. The backstage politics within the current political class, the devaluation of the national currency, the theft of about 1 billion US Dollars from the country’s banking system, and the frequent changes of governments triggered massive protests. In addition, external partners decided to suspend funding of several programs, which reduced considerably the implementation of reforms.
In 2015, the Soros Foundation-Moldova continued to implement the strategy launched in 2014. However, in the country’s uncertain context, many of the activities we supported were adjusted. Given that throughout one year three governments were changed, we made constant efforts to turn challenges into opportunities.
This report highlights the activities and results achieved by the foundation team during 2015. In this annual report, my colleagues present in detail the way the country’s crisis affected the situation in the justice, governance, media, public health, civil society, and education fields and how we responded to these challenges. However, I want to emphasize several key achievements we have recorded during 2015:
We achieved significant progress in the implementation of mechanisms that ensure the rights of persons detained by the police. Through training, research, and piloting of good practices, we have managed to prove that a balance can be reached between the respect for human rights and the necessity to counter crime. We succeeded in putting on the Superior Council of Magistracy’s agenda the subject of transparency, which resulted in initiating the development of a new regulation on the activity of the SCM that was approved in the fall of 2015. Citizens had a better understanding of issues related to the management of public money, using “budget documents for citizens” developed by the Expert-Grup think-tank with support from the foundation. By supporting both online platforms including www.avere.md, www.moldovacurata.md, and investigative journalists, several cases of corruption with regard to public officials’ conflict of interests and their assets were put on the public agenda. These investigations generated intense debates in the society and a strong response from the authorities, including unplanned internal investigations, initiation of criminal investigations, as well as officials’ dismissals. The www.mediaforum.md was launched, standing out as a useful tool for promoting quality standards within the Moldovan media. The website became an online debate platform and an effective channel for information and experience exchange among media professionals. The online platform was used efficiently offline during the first Media Forum held in Moldova, which was attended by about 150 representatives of media institutions. This event provided an opportunity for consolidating the journalistic community both of Romanian and Russian languages. We advocated for several legislative initiatives in the public health field aimed at advancing social inclusion of persons with disabilities, increasing the government funding for palliative care, and promoting the rights of HIV most at risk groups. In response to the lack of medicines in hospitals, at the beginning of 2015, a complex public policy analysis was conducted. We also supported a study on the access of consumers to compensated medicines. The launch of the study “The Phenomenon of Discrimination in Moldova: Population’s Perceptions” stirred up discussions about the citizens’ level of tolerance towards disadvantaged groups. The research made a comparison with the situation from 2010, however, the situation hasn’t improved significantly, the most discriminated groups remaining persons with disabilities, the poor, persons living with HIV, LGBT, Roma, the elderly, and women.
4
We continued our collaboration with the Ministry of Education on improving educational policies. This effort was endorsed by think tanks active in the area of education that facilitated large public debates on the reforms implemented in the educational field.
I would also like to highlight the projects that we implemented with the financial support from other donors.
Within the three projects funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, in partnership with NGOs active in this area, we promote care and support for HIV vulnerable groups. We facilitated the delivering of objective, unbiased and reliable information on the EU Association Agreement to the rural population within another project financed by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State. We collaborated on this project with 10 regional broadcasters from the Republic of Moldova, including Transnistria and Gagauzia, with a particular focus on Russian speaking regions.
In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my staff, board members, and partners for their hard work and commitment during the past year. Building an open society based on democracy, rule of law and freedom of expression needs all of our joint efforts.
5
JUSTICE PROGRAM
Vision The Justice Program contributes to building a fair, accessible, and predictable justice system
Context
The year 2015 was marked by major political shifts and challenges in all areas, including the legal field. The state budget decreased by one billion USD after the so-called theft of the century, which proved that the justice system was paralyzed and seized by political or obscure interests, and was allegedly involved in money laundering. The investigation that followed revealed that relevant prosecution bodies acted selectively and clumsily. With the suspension of external funding for the Justice Sector Reform Strategy, the implementation of justice related reforms was reduced considerably.
Although the police have not registered noteworthy success in the implementation of reforms, there are no strong signals that would announce a possible relapse towards previous models of management. Human rights were relatively respected by the police, with no records of serious cases of abuse or torture.
In this troubling context, the Program focused its constant efforts on turning challenges into opportunities. We believe that we have managed to use skillfully the relative openness of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and of the National Police Inspectorate that helped us achieve significant progress in the implementation of mechanisms that ensure the rights of persons detained by the police. The police want a better image, which can only be achieved through a greater respect for human rights and through transparency in decision-making. To this end, a consensus has been reached among the police, donors, and civil society in regards to the Police Reform Strategy, which puts a special focus on human rights, and which is to be adopted by the Government or Parliament in 2016. However, the most important achievement of the Program is that through training, research and piloting of good practices, we have managed to prove that a balance can be reached between the respect for human rights and the necessity to counter crime.
The deep justice sector crisis determined us to work on strengthening the capacity of civil society in monitoring and guiding the decision-making processes at national and international levels, including those related to conditionalities employed to finance reforms and reach qualitative performance indicators. The Program supported and promoted the work of organizations, which positioned themselves as moderators between donors and Moldovan authorities. The organizations supported by the Program did an excellent job in interpreting and disclosing hidden agendas, placing the issue of transparency in decision-making on both local and international public agendas.
The decrease in the number of young people willing to embrace a career in human rights was a disturbing trend in 2015 as well. While we understand their discouragement, we cannot accept their lack of social and political engagement and apathy as a solution for their future. Therefore, the Program sought to identify and encourage young human rights activists to learn how to monitor and promote human rights at national and international levels. Because there is a huge void in what universities and schools teach young people about human rights and everyday life, the Program has changed its approach, supporting projects whose benefits can be seen clearly and relatively quickly, such as field data collection, adjusting them to the needs of the media, or organizing domestic and international advocacy campaigns. In the near future, however, the Program will have to find a more sustainable response to the half-empty market in this area. Most likely, our efforts will focus on legal empowerment and equipping young people with practical skills for the promotion of human rights, including at the school level, encouraging and supporting new organizations to ensure the implementation of international human rights commitments made by the Republic of Moldova.
6
REDUCE ARBITRARY LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS
In view of addressing alleged conflicts between selected rights, including freedom of religion, non- discrimination, freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, etc., in 2015, the Justice Program initiated the process of assessing the implementation of recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. As a result, a national report on freedom of religion in Moldova was developed. The report was based on the data collected by monitors during the 2014 monitoring of religious freedom campaign, and on the results of interviews with representatives of religious denominations active in the country. In 2016, the Program plans to make the results of this report public, along with an analytical study that is to be developed based on the results of a public opinion survey on the Moldovan population’s perception of the abuse of religious freedom to limit other rights.
The Human Rights Fellowship Program aimed at building the capacities of a group of young human rights activists in human rights monitoring in Moldova concluded successfully in 2015. In order to ensure the sustainability of the fellowship program, a Human Rights Resource Group was created. This group is composed of members of the first group of fellows from 2010-2011 and from members of the last one -- from 2014-2015.The program aims to continue work on strengthening the capacities of this group in 2016, in order to enable it to participate effectively in the 2016 Universal Periodic Review of the Republic of Moldova. The group will present its alternative 2016 UPR report at the 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Aiming at reducing human rights violations related to unjustified classification of public information on the grounds of national security, a grant was offered to the Institute for Public Policy (IPP) to develop, launch, and promote a report on the compatibility of national legislation with the global principles on the right to information and national security. This report was developed in 2015. It comprises recommendations for adjusting national legislation to international standards. After a detailed analysis of national legislation, the authors have concluded that the legislation of the Republic of Moldova largely corresponds to the global principles. However, there are several global principles within Moldova’s legislation, which are only partially covered. Therefore, in order to avoid erroneous interpretations, the experts recommend defining the concept of national security as clearly as possible in the legislation of the Republic of Moldova. In their view, an independent control over security enforcement bodies cannot be exercised fully. While the Ombudsman and the courts of law have full access to classified information and can express their opinion about the rationale of its classification, the parliamentary sub-committee that monitors the activity of the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) has limited access. The report has also found out that there is no practice of security for whistleblowers. The lack of such a practice makes it impossible for potential whistleblowers to reveal cases of abuse without being sanctioned. Hence, it was advised to establish a nation-wide legislative framework for such practices, which would enable certain institutions or employees to notify monitoring bodies or public opinion about abuse cases.
The report was launched at a national conference attended by representatives of relevant key institutions and civil society, as well as guests from the Council of Europe. In 2016, IPP will develop proposals for legislative amendments on access to information and national security and will organize four workshops with the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Intelligence and Security Service, Prosecutor’s Office, and Parliamentary Commission on National Security to present, discuss and finalize the proposed amendments. These amendments will be promoted through a partnership with the Presidential Office and the media, in order to raise awareness about these issues.
7
Key Achievements in 2015
A national report on religious freedom in Moldova was developed The Human Rights Fellowship Program was completed 11 members of the Human Rights Fellowship Program were trained on various topics, including monitoring, human rights reporting, and the process of the Universal Periodic Review An analytical report on the compatibility of the national legislation with the Global Principles on the Right to Information and National Security was developed and launched publicly
PROCEDURAL GUARANTEES IN THE PRE-TRIAL STAGE OF THE CRIMINAL PROCESS
One of the major priorities of the Justice Program of the foundation is the protection and respect for human rights within the criminal justice system. The Program experience in the field of criminal reforms, spanning over fifteen years, reconfirms the worrying frequency of human rights neglect during prosecution, especially in its early phases. A series of rights accompany the most sensitive and sometimes most controversial moment of this stage – the deprivation of liberty as a preventive measure.
In these circumstances, the Program has proposed a comprehensive approach to the pre-trial phase of the criminal process through interventions on different levels - legal rules, practices, and awareness. The goal pursued by the Program is to assist the criminal justice to develop and apply best practices and standards of adequate reasoning of the decisions on pre-trial measures, including arrest, in accordance with ECtHR jurisprudence.
Signing a cooperation agreement between the Minister of Internal Affairs, Oleg BALAN, and Victor URSU, Executive Director of the Soros Foundation- At the beginning of the year the Moldova Practitioner’s Handbook for police officers was released, which includes samples of procedural documents issued during apprehension by police, and actions to ensure effective implementation of the suspects’ rights. The Handbook was developed in 2014 by a group of experts commissioned by the foundation. It was approved and recommended for police officers by the General Inspectorate of Police and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).
In the context of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Reform, which started with the adoption of the new Law on Police Activity and Status of Police Officers (Law No. 320 came into effect in March 2013), the Program launched a snapshot evaluation report on the degree of the implementation of the Law on Police and the Police Officer’s Status, and its impact at both national and local levels.
8
Law No. 320 has had a positive impact on functional separation between the Ministry and the Police, the demilitarization of the Ministry, on strengthening the independence of the police and the level of trust in police institutions and on its de-politicizing. It also contributed to ensuring greater transparency in the work of the Police and the Ministry, and to strengthening the cooperation of the Police with civil society and international organizations. The report also reveals the existence of policy and procedural documents with conflicting or even contradictory objectives in the area of MIA and police reform. This creates confusion among MIA staff and its subordinate institutions in terms of the future political vision of the institution related to the final results of the reform.
The Program coordinated the work of a group of experts who developed an impact assessment of the legislative framework and current practices established by the criminal justice system in Moldova on alternatives to pre-trial detention measures, including house arrest, interdiction to leave the locality or the country, release under judicial supervision and bail, etc. The study was launched in March 2016 in partnership with the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ).
Within its capacity-building component, the criminal justice program organized in partnership with the General Police Inspectorate five interactive training courses on observing the suspects’ rights, aimed at enhancing criminal investigation officers’ knowledge and skills in respecting procedural rights of suspects in police detention. The 3 day-training module included 13 sessions, structured on Human Rights, tactics and police activity, judicial psychology, and also Seminar with police activities and exercises, such as analyzing and solving case studies on applying apprehension by the police. In the same context, the foundation donated to all Police Inspectorates in the country a valuable information resource set, covering the latest developments in criminal matters both in the country and in Europe.
In order to prevent police abuse and arbitrary actions during apprehension and custody, the Program offered one grant aimed at testing the monitoring tools presented in the Monitoring Guide developed in 2014 for NGOs, HR activists, lawyers and journalists regarding the effective implementation of procedural guarantees during police apprehension. The monitoring of the means and conditions of detention was conducted by the Legal Clinic of Bălți University team, within the Police Inspectorate of Bălți.
A scientific research study related to observance of suspects’ rights in police custody was conducted simultaneously in Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova within a regional initiative launched by the Legal Aid Reform Network (LARN). The research methodology was based on the results of a similar initiative implemented in England, Wales, Scotland, France, and the Netherlands. The objective of the research was to conduct a direct observation of the daily activity of criminal justice practitioners (criminal investigators, lawyers) and to evaluate the practical application of the detained person’s rights. The authors of the research study made several recommendations for the Government, Parliament, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Bar Association, and the National Council for State Guaranteed Legal Aid.
In regards to the legal counselling field, the Program organized training courses for mixed groups of lawyers and trainee lawyers to ensure the transfer of knowledge from public defenders to lawyers and trainees on the standards of defense in the initial stages of prosecution, thus ensuring effective representation during police detention in front of the prosecutor and the investigative judge.
9
In 2016, the Program will maintain its focus on the pre-trial stage of the criminal process and will implement the outputs developed during 2014- 2015, including the training framework on the provision of due process rights and safeguards upon police apprehension; the practical monitoring guide on police activity, and the research study on observing the suspects’ rights while under police custody in the Republic of Moldova.
Seminar with lawyers
Key Achievements in 2015
The Practitioners’ Handbook for criminal investigation officers on procedural safeguards and guarantees during police custody was published and distributed to practitioners; The Monitoring Guide for NGOs, HR activists, lawyers and journalists regarding effective implementation of the procedural guarantees during police apprehension was launched; An intermediary evaluation report on the institutional reform of the MIA and on the degree of the implementation of the Law on Police Activity at central and local levels was released; The scientific research study on the rights of suspects in police detention was launched; 115 criminal investigators and investigation officers participated in interactive training courses on integrating respect for human rights at the detention stage in the professional activity of the police officers; 123 lawyers and trainee lawyers benefited from a training course on the application of standards of protection at the initial stages of prosecution in view of providing effective representation during police detention in front of the prosecutor and the judge; An NGO pilot tested the monitoring tools on observing the rights of suspects in police custody.
Fealty to Field: INCREASING JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY AS A PRE-CONDITION OF THE JUSTICE SECTOR REFORM
In 2015, the Justice Program continued its collaboration with the Legal Resources Centre in Moldova (CRJM) on promoting and implementing effective mechanisms for accountability of judges and transparency in decision-making processes. This partnership was designed for a period of four years (2014-2017) and was meant to address gradually the main gaps in the field of judicial accountability in Moldova.
CRJM and the Justice Program offered the necessary expertise to the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) in aligning the jurisprudence, strengthening the judicial performance evaluation system, and in establishing a functional system of investigation of disciplinary violations committed by judges. Additionally, SCM received support for increasing the efficiency and transparency of court hearings and of the decision-making process.
10
In the second year of implementation, the partnership had two specific objectives: 1: to increase the efficiency and transparency of SCM meetings and the decision-making process; and 2: to improve the legal and institutional framework for disciplinary responsibility of judges.
The transparency of SCM meetings and the methods of decision-making was put on the SCM’s agenda, which resulted in initiating the development of a new regulation on the activity of the SCM. CRJM made recommendations on the draft regulation and participated in working group meetings. The regulation was approved at the SCM meeting of September 15, 2015. Several members of the SCM and of its secretariat benefited from an exchange of best practices with colleagues from the Romanian SCM, which will help improve the activity of the SCM in Moldova.
CRJM monitored 19 SCM meetings, collecting information in order to present conclusions and recommendations for increasing transparency within the SCM. At the same time, continuous monitoring allowed CRJM be informed about the problems addressed by the SCM and subsequently, inform the society through the media about important issues on the SCM’s agenda.
Another topic addressed during the reported period is the disciplinary accountability of judges. In this regard, CRJM developed a public policy document for the amendment of the draft law on disciplinary accountability of judges. On November 26-27, 2015, CRJM organized a workshop on the subject "Needs to Improve Legislation Related to the Disciplinary Accountability of Judges". The workshop was designed to provide a space for dialogue for the representatives of the Disciplinary Board, CSM, Judicial Inspection and CRJM and to discuss the mechanism established by Law no. 178 and the proposals for amending this law and its subsequent legislation. The workshop was conducted by Cristi DANILEȚ, judge, member of the Superior Council of Magistracy from Romania.
11
List of publications launched in 2015
The Analytical report on the compatibility of the national legislation with the Global Principles on the Right to Information and National Security Report was launched. The review of the concept of national security, the need to regulate public participation in the process of adoption/revision of procedures regarding classification, exclusion of provisions concerning the extension of indefinite classification of information - are some of the conclusions made in the report.
Inside Police Custody. An Empirical Account of Suspects Rights in Four Jurisdictions The book is an empirical study of the guarantees of suspects held in police custody, conducted in four jurisdictions in the EU - France, Scotland, the Netherlands and England / Wales by professors- researchers from the University of Maastricht, Warwick and West University England, with financial support from the European Commission. Open Society Budapest Justice Initiative (OSJI) and Avon, Somerset Police Stations from the UK were the project’s partners. The Program supported the translation of the book into Romanian and its publication in 500 copies, which were distributed to criminal justice institutions, NGOs, and academia.
Rights of Suspects in Police Detention. A Research Study Conclusions The research study was developed by Tudor OSOIANU, Ph.D. in Law, Associate Professor, Ștefan cel Mare Academy of the MIA, and Mihaela VIDAICU, Ph.D. in Law, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Law, School of Law, and State University of Moldova. The research study is a regional initiative launched by the Legal Aid Reform Network (LARN) and carried out simultaneously in Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova. The research methodology was based on the results of similar initiatives implemented in England, Wales, Scotland, France, and the Netherlands.
The authors of the study undertook the task of observing the manner in which the norms guaranteed by police custody rights are delivered during apprehension. Thus, they observed the practical application of the following rights: the right to information and to silence; access to a lawyer, an interpreter and translator; and the right to medical assistance.
The conclusions of the research team show that the national legislation on the rights of suspects contains sufficient detailed provisions on the requirements, conditions and legal basis that can be applied in the procedure for detaining in criminal and administrative cases. However, the manner in which the law is applied in practice is, in several respects, insufficient to ensure a fair and proper observance of procedural rights. For example, the experts concluded that, upon apprehension, suspects are informed about their rights only after they have a so-called “conversation” with the investigative officer; lawyers are still denied access to apprehension files, and our country’s law enforcement institutions still lack a clear mechanism that would ensure a proper delivering of the Right to an Interpreter and Translator.
12
GOOD GOVERNANCE PROGRAM
Acronyms
CAPC - Center for Analysis and Prevention of Corruption ADEPT - Association of Participatory Democracy ADEPT API - Association of Independent Press CIJM - Center for Investigative Journalism of Moldova OBI - Open Budget Index NIC - National Integrity Commission NIJ - National Institute of Justice ICPC - Civic Initiative for a Clean Parliament NAC - National Anti-Corruption Center
Vision
Increased transparency, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency of the government in line with European agenda
Context
The activity of the Good Governance Program in 2015 was conducted in accordance with the concept Challenge Corrupt and Non-transparent Management of Public Funds of the foundation strategy for 2014- 2017. The program aimed to achieve the following objectives: a) establish specific checks on the government within the budgetary processes; and b) promote integrity in the public office through increased civic control.
Public funds and public budget are among the main tools the government has for implementing its policies and solving pressing issues facing society. A transparent management of these funds results in an increased efficiency of public spending and a fairer distribution of state resources. In order to efficiently contest the mismanagement of public money, it is essential for the monitoring of government activities in the budgetary process to be accompanied by the promotion of integrity and accountability of public servants, timely identification and publicizing high-level conflicts of interests, as well as emphasizing any discrepancies between official incomes and properties owned by officials.
In 2015, the Good Governance Program continued supporting civil society efforts directed towards monitoring the use of public funds, as well as the integrity of top public officials. These efforts resulted in a number of high impact investigative articles in mainstream media. In addition to these activities, we supported the implementation of the Public Opinion Barometer, through a grant offered to the Institute for Public Policies.
In the context of monitoring the activity of state institutions in the process of implementing the provisions of the Association Agreement Moldova-EU, a joint initiative was carried out by the Soros Foundation- Moldova and the Open Society European Policy Institute. Within this initiative, three studies were developed covering the progress achieved by the Republic of Moldova in the association process. These studies served as basis for developing an integrated report on this subject, which was publicly presented in an advocacy event in Brussels.
Establish specific checks on the government within the budgetary processes
Following the objective of improving transparency of the budgetary process, including through an enhanced civil society participation in the decision-making processes, we aimed at offering to media institutions, NGOs and the general public new tools, allowing them to better understand the budgetary process and participate in the decision-making on this subject, thus increasing public authorities’ responsibility in the management of public finances. To achieve this objective, the Good Governance
13
Program continued supporting the multi-year project Budgetary Process in Moldova: Monitoring Transparency and Promoting Public Control implemented by the Expert-Grup think tank.
Promote integrity in the public office through increased civic control
The main objective of this priority was to combat the perception that senior officials and magistrates are intangible and cannot be penalized for corruption related offenses. To achieve this objective, the program established specific interventions leading to a reduced impunity of public officials through: advocacy actions, developing recommendations for National Integrity Committee, National Anti-Corruption Center, supporting monitoring of public officials, investigative journalism, and supporting capacity building of judges with regard to the proficient use of new tools for combatting corruption. To this end, the foundation continued supporting the Civic Initiative for Integrity in Public Service, a partnership of four NGOs: Center for Analysis and Prevention of Corruption (CAPC), Association of Participatory Democracy ADEPT, the Association of Independent Press (API) and Center for Investigative Journalism of Moldova (CIJM).
The activities of these organizations aimed at increasing the transparency of public officials’ actions, were supported by media and advocacy campaigns on this topic and included the maintenance of two thematic sites www.moldovacurata.md and www.anticoruptie.md, as well as a specialized portal for monitoring the income and assets of top public officials www.avere.md.
The accomplishment of the established objectives was affected by political instability in the context of the election year and the geopolitical crisis in the region. Thus, not all the actions produced the sought impact. Combatting corruption continues to be one of the main shortcomings of the government as emphasized by the community of development partners and civil society.
ESTABLISH SPECIFIC CHECKS ON THE GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE BUDGETARY PROCESSES
Year 2015 was marked by increased political instability generated by corruption scandals in the upper tier of state institutions, political struggles within the ruling alliance, and the inability of political actors to reform and efficiently combat high-level corruption. These processes had repercussions on the stability of the process of governance, the post-electoral period after the parliamentary elections of November 2014 being affected by a frequent change of three governments supported by distinct parliamentary groups. This also negatively affected the budgetary processes for 2015 and 2016. Under these circumstances and given the fact that the government failed to implement effective mechanisms for communication with citizens, the budgetary transparency was affected.
Despite the political crisis, which prevented the implementation of certain activities originally planned within the project implemented by the Expert-Grup, we continued promoting budget transparency and accountability of public authorities with the main results being as follows:
The evaluation of the level of budgetary transparency was carried out in accordance with the Open Budget Index methodology, which serves as basis for further development of the budgetary transparency framework. Citizens have a better understanding of issues related to the management of public money, using “budget documents for citizens” and the information published on the platform www.budgetstories.md. Increased budget transparency through an improved management of the budget process, an improved communication with citizens about the budget, as well as a good partnership with the Court of Accounts.
Besides this, the advocacy efforts of Expert-Grup with regard to promoting budget transparency resulted in the fact that on May 21, 2015, the Prime Minister issued order no. 1221-127 by which he summoned all ministries and subordinated institutions to provide exhaustive information on how they had executed the decisions of the Court in the period of 2013-2014.
14
Expert-Grup also carried out a series of talks with the representatives of parliamentary parties and the Speaker with regard to the establishment of a parliamentary group for supporting and promoting budget transparency. As a result, Expert-Grup obtained a statement of support from a part of the parliamentarians. However, the dismissal of the Strelet Government suspended this initiative. Currently, Expert-Grup attempts to resume this process and identify ways of consolidating parliamentarians’ support in this regard.
During 2015, the Expert-Grup team carried out a new assessment of the budget transparency level in accordance with the Open Budget Index (OBI) methodology, developed by the International Budget Partnership. In this analysis, Expert-Grup calculated the Budget Transparency Index, as well as the Court of Accounts and Parliament’s supervisory power over the budgetary process and the level of citizen participation in this process. The Index of Budget Transparency for 2015 is of 59 points and is based on the budgetary documents for 2013-2014. In this period, Expert-Grup also undertook several activities designed to provide journalists and regional NGOs with information on budgetary process and citizen control of public money management.
Publications launched in 2015
Assessment of Public Spending in Moldova and Efficiency of Public Spending in the Education Sector According to the first report, the Government of Moldova has reached only up to 60% of its objectives through budgetary policies. The second report shows a discrepancy between the size of the education sector and its funding. Thus, in 2013 compared to 2005 the number of pupils / students decreased by 30.6%, while budget spending, expressed in year 2008 prices, increased by 50.7%.
The Impact of Macroeconomic Developments and of those in the Banking Sector on National Public Budget The study shows that poor management of the National Bank of Moldova resulted in an excessive depreciation of national currency, more than it would have if triggered by objective factors, while the insufficient oversight of the banking sector caused a major instability in this system. As a result, the problems in the banking sector have contributed to an increased inflation, increased costs of finances, and have diminished households’ real incomes as well as the imports, in spite of cheaper products on foreign markets. This affected not only the National Public Budget revenues but also the cost of the domestic debt due to increased risks related to government guarantees to NBM lending to the banking sector.
The Crisis in the Public Pension System and Intervention Measures According to the report, the issues facing the public pension system are worsened by the mass migration of the working age population, the high rate of shadow economy, the informal employment and unofficial salaries, coupled with an accelerated aging of the population. According to the report, the ratio of pension system contributors and beneficiaries fell from 1.3 in 2006 to 1.2 in 2014, although the minimum allowable level, according to international practices, is 4 (!) contributors to 1 pensioner. Expert-Grup recommends pension indexation based on consumer prices to take place twice a year rather than annually. In addition to this, a significant impact may be produced by an increase of the retirement age for women from the current 57 years to 62 years (equal to that of men), as well as an increase in the obligatory period of social insurance payments from 30 to 35 years (equal to that of men).
Assessing the Transparent Use of the Road Fund According to the report findings, during the last two years, the amount of resources provided for road maintenance increased significantly from 1.033 billion lei in 2012 to 1.366 billion lei in 2014. This sudden increase of the Road Fund has become a challenge with regard to the efficiency of the use of resources, raising questions about institutional capacities, but also market capacity to cope with this rapid growth, especially given the lack of transparency, flawed planning, and the decision-making process in the Road Fund.
15
How is Public Money Lost: Summary of Court of Accounts’ Reports – Farmers’ Subsidies Fund and Energy Efficiency Fund in 2013 One of the main findings of the Court of Accounts’ reports is that the distribution of subsidies to farmers is discriminatory. Unfair distribution of financial resources happens largely because of the used formula for awarding grants; obscure phrasing of the granting procedures, and failure to follow the Regulation regarding the provision of the subsidies. On the other hand, the Energy Efficiency Fund is also facing issues related to access to its funds, institutional problems, competence issues, and above all, inconsistency with national energy policies. Although the Energy Efficiency Fund has a major importance, especially considering the country's dependence on energy imports, the number of Fund beneficiaries is extremely small. The low impact of the Fund is caused by the lack of access to information about its funding opportunities at local level, where there are over 144 million lei provided annually for projects, and also by the lack of capacities at the level of local authorities and the beneficiaries.
How is Public Money Lost: Local Governments’ Perception of Court of Accounts’ Recommendations In 2014, the amount of public money management irregularities identified by the Court was of 8 billion lei, with 1/3 of the losses occurring in local governments. According to the report, the irregularities occur largely because of lack of political will and incompetence of public officials. More than a half of the Court’s recommendations made in 2014 reports were not implemented by authorities. Among the main causes of public money, loss there is also the lack of internal control mechanisms. In addition, 40% of irregularities occur due to the lack of personal and professional capacity.
How is Public Money Lost: Monitoring the Execution of Court of Accounts’ Decisions in 2014 According to the report, the scale of irregularities estimated by the Court for year 2014 exceeds 7 billion MDL. The audits have identified both technical and operational issues in the activity of audited institutions, as well as gaps in the legal framework, jeopardizing the efficient management of these institutions. According to the study, almost 65% of the Courts’ recommendations aiming to improve the situation are not being implemented.
How is Public Money Lost: How Efficient is Public Administration? The study analyzed the decisions of the Court of Accounts in the first semester of 2015. During that period, the estimated scale of irregularities estimated by the Court has exceeded 2 billion MDL. Again, the audits have identified a series of both technical and operational problems of the audited institutions and legal framework gaps; however, these public institutions, most often are reluctant to reform, the only factor motivating them to change being the pressure from the part of foreign development partners.
PROMOTE INTEGRITY IN THE PUBLIC OFFICE THROUGH INCREASED CIVIC CONTROL
In 2015, the organizations that are part of the Civic Initiative for Public Service Integrity continued their systematic efforts of monitoring the integrity of senior public officials and top representatives of the key state institutions.
Reinforcing public control of the integrity of persons holding public office
The Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT maintained and developed the online database www.avere.md that had been created in the previous reporting period. During 2015, ADEPT collected public officials’ statements of assets and interests for a period of six years (2009-2014), covering a number of 245 officials. At the end of 2015, the portal www.avere.md included the processed and analyzed statements of assets and interests of 115 officials of which 67 members of the Parliament, 26 - members of the Governments Gaburici, Strelet and Brega, 6 representatives of law enforcement
16 institutions, 6 representatives of local governments, and 9 top representatives of central authorities and public institutions subject to parliamentary control.
To identify any legal infringements or confirm the accuracy of collected statements, all data is verified during the digitization process: the project team compares the data for a given year with data from previous years; performs an indirect appraisal of the real value of the goods when the official did not provide data in this regard; contrasts data from similar statements submitted to National Integrity Commission, CEC or the organization where these officials work. This methodology allows for identifying the main problems in the officials’ statements of assets and interests, the conclusions of these analyses being published on the online profile of each monitored public official, pointing out officials that have breached the legal provisions regarding the declaration of assets.
During the monitoring process, on November 3, 2015, ADEPT warned the National Integrity Commission about the fact that the statements of assets for year 2014 published on the website of the NIC had portions of blacked out data that was supposed to be public. Since ADEPT received no response from the NIC within the period of 30 days prescribed by law, on November 25, 2015, ADEPT made a public statement about NIC poor management of statements on assets and interests, as well as about the fact that the NIC had significant delays in the publication of these statements for year 2014. As a result, on December 22, 2015, NIC replied to ADEPT stating that its subcontractor, the state company “Fiscservinform” responsible for scanning and digitizing the statements on assets and interests, had been warned about those errors, being summoned to correct them in due time. Additionally, on the same day, the state company “Fiscservinform” published a press release with a plan to publish all statements on assets and interests from year 2014 on NIC website until the end of 2015. ADEPT monitored the situation further on, concluding that as a result of its intervention, “Fiscservinform” eliminated the errors identified by ADEPT, and as a result, there was an improvement in the quality of the data published on NIC website in the period following December 22, 2015.
Promoting restorative measures in corruption cases
As a result of a study published earlier entitled "To what Extent is Moldovan Legal Framework in Accordance with the Council of Europe Civil Law Convention on Corruption: New Solutions and Approaches for Combatting Corruption", which was developed in 2014, the Center for Analysis and Prevention of Corruption has carried out a range of activities focused on eliminating the drawbacks identified in this domain. One of the key findings of this study is that in Moldova little is known about the Convention, including among the practitioners that are responsible for applying it. Moreover, the study found out that the national regulatory framework includes a series of restorative anti-corruption tools, which, although being guaranteed by the Moldovan legislation, are not fully implemented in practice. Based on these conclusions, in view of promoting their practical application, the activities of the Centre for Analysis and Prevention of Corruption in the reporting period, were aimed at developing the capacities of
17 public officials with regard to using restorative measures in corruption cases. Another priority of their activities was drafting a bill to improve the legal framework in this field.
During 2015, CAPC conducted five training courses for representatives of anti-corruption authorities and the justice sector. The focus of the trainings was on applying the tools provided by the Council of Europe Civil Law Convention on Corruption and international best practices with regard to confiscation, including that of Romania. The training was attended by over 30 judges of district courts and courts of appeal, 20 prosecutors and at least 40 criminal investigators, lawyers and representatives of the National Integrity Commission. An important element of the training was the use of safety measures in criminal proceedings: special confiscation and extended confiscation. Considering the fact that there is limited experience in Moldova with regard to these subjects, this session was facilitated by an invited expert, Camelia BOGDAN, judge at the Court of Appeal Bucharest, Romania. Camelia BOGDAN focused on transferring best practices to justice sector representatives in Moldova. Romania's experience shows that under the constitutional presumption of licit acquisition of wealth, it is possible to enforce the administrative confiscation of unjustified assets.
One of the training participants stated, "Probably one of the target groups of the training should include representatives of the political class to familiarize them with international best practices in this area, maybe this will help them develop love for the people. Otherwise, we need good laws, political will, responsibility, honesty and several meetings with European judiciaries to use proper practices for the application of laws.”
Given the positive impact of the trainings, the Center for Analysis and Prevention of Corruption, in partnership with the National Institute of Justice, agreed upon developing a curriculum and course materials to be taken over by NIJ and be included in the annual curriculum of continuous training conducted for judges and public prosecutors.
Finally, as part of the activities aimed to promote restorative measures in corruption cases, a draft law was developed in order to eliminate the gaps in the legal framework identified in the earlier mentioned study developed by the CAPC experts. The purpose of this draft law is to first, ensure the application of the principles and provisions of the Council of Europe Civil Law Convention on Corruption and second, to revive and strengthen mechanisms already regulated by national legislation.
Monitoring the integrity of public officials and of candidates at local elections in 2015 through the online platform www.moldovacurata.md
During the reporting period, the editorial team of the MoldovaCurata portal continued to publish articles and mini-investigations reporting on conflicts of interests and public officials’ statements of income and assets. In a series of cases, the implementing team notified the National Integrity Commission asking it to investigate identified issues and take clear-cut decisions. In addition to mini-investigations, the journalists published interviews with important personalities, generating a high interest from media outlets in Moldova. The interviews that generated most of the interest included those with Ambassador Pirkka TAPIOLA, Head of the European Union Delegation to Moldova, and the Romanian judge, Camelia BOGDAN.
18
Thus in ten months of the project implementation, www.moldovacurata.md portal was accessed 55,953 times, of which about 39,526 unique visitors. Most of the portal readers are from Moldova - 76.97%, followed by those from Romania - 4.98%, USA - 4.61%, Italy - 2.06%. Most Moldovan visitors are from Chiș inău - 64.24%. In total, during 2015, 218 articles were published on MoldovaCurata portal (including those covering the local elections held in June 2015). These investigations focused on assets and interests, integrity issues of public officials, and the activity of NIC.
Monitoring candidates for the 2015 local elections
To provide voters with objective information on electoral candidates during the local elections of June 2015, the API team published a series of thematic articles about the assets and interests of mayoral candidates in the main towns and cities. The journalists focused on those candidates that had the highest chances of winning elections in the respective localities. Thus, during the period of May 18 - June 12, 2015, 36 mini-investigations were published on the portal www.moldovacurata.md.
Next, in the same electoral context, API published a series of articles entitled Local Elections 2015: Know your Candidate! that included over 100 profiles of mayoral candidates from Chiș inău, Bălț i, Comrat, as well as other towns. Investigative journalists monitored the candidates and developed their personalized profiles, based on the criteria used previously by the Civic Initiative for a Clean Parliament (ICPC) during the parliamentary elections of 2009-2010: unjustified assets and incomes; scandals on the grounds of corruption or related to the lack of integrity; use of public office for personal or party interests; political migration; misuse of public funds; mismanagement; disproportionately high donations to political parties not justified by the level of reported revenues; the public image of the candidate, etc.
Another important component in the activity of the Association for Independent Press was the monitoring of the National Integrity Commission. The journalists’ team assisted at the NIC sessions and reported on all relevant cases of reduced integrity that later became topics of their investigative articles published on the www.moldovacurata.md portal.
Media campaign "Journalists for Integrity in Public Service"
During the reporting period, the Center for Investigative Journalism of Moldova (CIJM) continued conducting investigative activities with regard to civil servants, in order to contribute to an increase in the level of integrity and accountability of public officials. The CIJM team aimed to provide media with complex investigations that would raise public awareness about the misconduct of public officials and would put pressure on the authorities to eliminate unethical behavior in their activities and reduce the practices of promoting officials with a questionable professional integrity.
Among the key results achieved by CIJM is the publication of 12 investigations that generated at times a strong response from the authorities, including unplanned internal investigations, initiation of criminal investigations, as well as officials’ dismissals. These investigations resulted in an increased solidarity of media institutions and boosted their interest for continued monitoring of most pressing corruption cases. The investigations published by the CIJM team triggered intense debates in the society and motivated authorities to react.
In February, after the publication of investigations on several companies that had frequently won public tenders and had donated large amounts of money to political parties, there was a reaction from the part of the National Anti-Corruption Center and the Prosecutor General's Office and a criminal investigation on several cases of rigged procurements in the health sector began. Among the companies targeted by the National Anti-Corruption Center are three companies covered in the CIJM investigations.
Besides this, the publication of an article about a member of the parliament that was under investigation as an accomplice to murder was followed by a series of reactions from several institutions, including the
19
Constitutional Court and the Parliament that lifted the parliamentary immunity of this MP. Similarly, the NIC reacted to the investigation on the hidden assets of MPs and initiated its own investigation in this regard.
During 2015, the CIJM team monitored several issues related to the integrity of public officials, top managers of state institutions, including justice institutions, as well as on several cases pending in courts and informed the public about them.
Among the most important topics covered by CIJM could be mentioned: the trial proceedings against the former Prime Minister, Vlad Filat, former Finance Minister, Veaceslav Negruta, former MP, Valeriu Guma, former President of the Banca de Economii, Gregory Gacichevici, former head of the Tax Inspectorate, Nicolae Vicol, and the son of former president, Lucinschi, and the former heads of the Ialoveni and Sângerei rayons; investigations on the assets of Ilan Shor, the mayor of Orhei, conflicts of interests involving Dorin Chirtoaca, the mayor of Chișinău; Mihai Moldovanu, the head of the Health Department in the Chișinău local council; as well as investigations of the Deputy Director of the state agency "Waters of Moldova", accused of presenting false data in his statement of assets; monitoring a number of judges facing allegations of integrity issues; monitoring appointments to public office and investigations of newly appointed public officials with regard to their assets and interests. In addition to this, CIJM investigated the ministerial nominees proposed by the candidate for the Prime Minister position, Ion Sturza.
Publications launched during 2015
In the reporting period, the Good Governance Program of the foundation, in partnership with the Open Society European Policy Institute, implemented an operational project dedicated to developing the study "Assessing the First Year of Moldova’s Implementation of the Association Agenda – Progress and Opportunities in the Political Sphere”.
The study was based on the analysis conducted by a group of experts that evaluated Moldova's progress in three areas, including anti-corruption, anti-discrimination, and justice reform. The key findings and recommendations of these studies were presented at the conference “Association Commitments: what Progress in Reforms in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine”, which took place on January 14, 2016, in Brussels, bringing together representatives of European institutions and civil society from Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia.
20
MEDIA PROGRAM
Acronyms
ACC Audiovisual Coordinating Council SB NPBC Supervisory Board of the National Public Broadcasting Company Gagauz Yeri TAU Gagauz Yeri Territorial-Administrative Unit
Vision
Implementation of democratic standards in the activity of Moldovan media institutions, including editorial freedom and independence, diversity, pluralism, and social responsibility that will contribute to strengthening an open, participatory and pluralistic society.
Context
During 2015, Moldova was marked by a profound social and political crisis caused by a fierce competition between pro-European and pro-Russian parties in Gagauz Yeri TAU governor’s elections, as well as local general elections held in June; scandals related to the International Airport’s concession in 2013 and the plundering of three major banks, including the country’s largest (BEM); dissensions within the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM). Although no less than five PMs were changed during 2015, the parliamentary majority failed to appoint a new government by the end of the year.
The most influential PD-affiliated TV channels with national coverage (Prime TV, Publika TV, TV Canal 2 and TV Canal 3) favored massively PD candidates in their local elections coverage. Both the parliamentary elections held in November 2014 and the subsequent local general elections held in June 2015, highlighted a vast array of problems in the media field, including low diversity of information channels for the electorate, particularly in rural areas; an insufficient variety of media products offered to voters; the degradation of media quality under the influence of political factors; low impact of quality journalism (including investigative reporting) on society at large, etc.
Political instability triggered social instability, as springtime began with massive protests. Political battles polarized the society, including the media, some of which openly "climbed the barricades". Compared to 2014, when the EU Association Agreement was signed, pro-European messages from both authorities and the media saw a dramatic decline in intensity and visibility. Moreover, the state’s information security remained tenuous, while foreign propaganda persisted, including through a portal belonging to a Russian multimedia news agency – Sputnik-- launched in Chișinău.
The social and political instability was as a major challenge for the media. The Program qualified the problems generated by this instability as serious and it was working on feasible interventions to help tackle them so that they could lead to positive changes in the media field over time. Concerns were raised around mitigating journalistic degradation and the fact that decision-makers did not start implementing a governance program on the media segment. Emphasis was placed on strengthening journalistic professionals’ capacity for professional growth as a means for responding to public expectations related to the influence of foreign propaganda, which was multiplied by internal propaganda. The main lesson learned was that in times of crisis, Program activities had to undergo a double feasibility test.
Thus, during 2015, the Media Program, following SFM’ strategic directions for the years 2014-2017, contributed to strengthening an independent and pluralistic media, as an inherent condition for a functioning democracy.
21
Program activities included:
developing a methodology to measure the risks for media pluralism, based on 88 relevant indicators; carrying out a research study on pluralism in the Moldovan media, based on this methodology and designing a roadmap to improve the situation; enhancing the mediaforum.md online debate platform through which multiple media- related issues were discussed, the most important being included in the agenda of the first edition of the National Media Forum; organizing and conducting the first Media Forum involving the participation of approximately 150 representatives of the journalistic community and national decision- makers; collecting, processing and publishing journalistic investigations carried out by Moldovan print media from the year 2000 to present on the mediasource.info online platform, with the aim of supporting investigative journalism; initiating discussions referring to the management of the investigative journalism platform by the media community.
PROMOTE MEDIA PLURALISM DEBATE IN MOLDOVA
The Media Program aims to monitor the media situation in Moldova taking into account the continuous media degradation following the 2010 early parliamentary elections and the increasing influence of politics in the activity of public broadcasting regulatory and supervisory authorities, as well as in the work of major media outlets, including online publications.
The consequences of this influence can be highlighted as follows: appointment of ACC and SB NPBC members based on political criteria, contrary to law; an excessive focus on the audiovisual media market, which has already caused a drastic erosion in the quality of media products, the latter being simply substituted with party propaganda broadcasts, especially during election periods and in times of political instability; an unexplained delay in the transition to digital terrestrial television; the regulations concerning tenders on local slots in digital multiplexes, which were adopted by the ACC, do not provide clear criteria for designating the successful bidder, therefore the danger of monopolization of broadcasting is maintained.
For a precise monitoring of the informational offer, the Media Program developed a methodology to assess internal media pluralism, which is first one in Moldova. The methodology is based on the independent study "Indicators for Media Pluralism in the Member States – Towards a Risk-based Approach", published by the European Commission in 2009, which aimed at creating a tool for identifying and assessing potential threats to global media pluralism. Adapted to the country media system’s characteristics, the methodology should function as a radar that signals risks and threats to the areas identified, while also providing a snapshot of the situation.
The methodology makes it possible to conduct an analysis of six risk areas, including basic regulations, pluralism of media ownership/control, pluralism of media types and genres, political pluralism in the media, cultural pluralism in the media, and geographical pluralism in the media, and to measure the risk degree on the basis of 88 legal, economic, and socio-demographic indicators relevant to our country.
In 2015, the methodology was used to develop a study on external media pluralism. The purpose of this study was twofold: to determine the degree of external pluralism after the expected transition to digital terrestrial television and to test the methodology. The results of the study will be publicly released in April 2016.
22
The methodology was presented at the Media Forum and was posted on the Forum’s website to be used by the ACC, the SB NPBC, media outlets, media researchers, specialized NGOs, etc., as an effective tool for media pluralism risk-assessment, which is itself a pre-condition for interventions on threat-related segments.
We plan to adjust the monitoring methodology in the future, taking into account phenomena that currently have the greatest impact on the sector, including the manner in which authorities manage the transition process to digital television broadcasting and the consequences of their actions; the manner in which the ACC enforces the law on media ownership transparency and whether or not the ACC applies European standards in this context, to ensure that the data provided are relevant and comparable; and, lastly, the information war unleashed by the Russian Federation, increasing the need for an information policy management that would contribute to national and regional security. We will also carry out a study to identify the gaps, both external and internal, that lead to public space endangerment through propaganda and deliberate manipulation, based on which we will develop a set of recommendations and solutions detailing the "Information Security" section of the Republic of Moldova’s draft National Security Strategy. Additionally, we will monitor internal media pluralism in terms of how it is impacted by external propaganda. The results will facilitate finding solutions to the identified problems.
ENSURE ACCURATE, UNBIASED AND ETHICAL NEWS REPORTING
The quality of journalism in Moldova is often influenced by such factors as owners’ political and economic interests, political interference in the media, low access to information of public interest, inadequate professional training, lack of editorial policies on responsible representation of reality based on professional ethics rules, poor interaction with the public, etc. Overall, media monitoring indicates the need to strengthen the quality standards in journalism. This objective will also be achieved through further development of the www.mediaforum.md online debate platform, launched in March 2015 under the aegis of the Moldovan Press Council and intended for use by professionals and press consumers alike. The web portal provides space for discussing a broad range of topics divided into five areas: "Professional Conduct and Ethics", "Media Professionalization", "Media Management", "Media Law" and "Trigger the Press!"
The www.mediaforum.md platform stands out as a useful tool for promotion of quality standards within the Moldovan press. Topics for online debates are selected based on proposals from journalists and editors, with highly qualified journalists and experts involved as moderators.
During 2015, nearly 40 major topics were debated, including plagiarism, media manipulation, the relationship between media and the justice system, etc. Given that the reference period coincided with large protests, the topic entitled "Do journalists have the right to protest or do they lose their credibility?" captured a broader interest. In contrast, other topics just as important, such as public manipulation by using deliberately truncated quotations or publishing of rumors as news-stories aroused less interest. One possible explanation for this lies in the lack of tradition among journalists for discussing their guild’s issues via such a format. In the medium-to-long term, such a tradition should be encouraged and in discussions, solutions should be identified to strengthen good journalistic practices and to establish effective information and experience exchange among media professionals, on the one hand, while maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the public, on the other hand.
The platform also offers the possibility of subjecting media outlets to public scrutiny on how professional ethics is respected, as part of the competition for the National Prize for Professional Journalism Ethics. Last year's winner, the Radio Free Europe, was announced at the Journalists of 2015 Gala. By organizing this action, we sought to promote ethical and deontological principles of professional practice, as well as to recognize the merits of media outlets in this area.
23
The platform was used efficiently during the first Media Forum held in Moldova, having become the Forum’s official website and the main source of information. The Media Forum, which was held on October 27-28, 2015, was attended by about 150 representatives of media institutions. The event provided an opportunity for consolidating the journalistic community at large, whether of Romanian or Russian language, in both the capital and the provinces, including the Gagauz Yeri TAU, in view of examining the most pressing problems facing Moldovan press development. The Roadmap drawn up following the Forum discussions (http://mediaforum.md/event) serves as a reference document for media reforms, setting out concrete actions to be taken in order to ensure the necessary climate for the development of independent and pluralistic media institutions. The representatives of the government and parliament made promises to follow the journalistic community’s recommendations in devising future strategies and plans of public institutions related to media. The fulfillment of promises by authorities should be monitored continuously to keep the media reforming problems on their agenda. In this regard, the annual convening of the Media Forum as a means of debating current issues and the manner in which the government has responded to the journalistic community’s previous requests will provide the necessary formal framework for exercising public pressure in promoting reforms.
EMPOWER PROFESSIONAL INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
The Moldovan society is faced with multiple serious issues including massive corruption, lack of justice reforms, financial/banking sector fragility, etc., which should be brought to public attention by the media. In large part, however, media outlets either do not get involved, choosing to follow the political agenda over the public one, or give outright preference to entertainment and sensationalism. This situation has prompted the Media Program to take on the strategic objective of supporting investigative journalism by developing an accessible archive - online library - to be put at the service of journalists and citizens. The online library would facilitate a quick and efficient searching of video, audio, and print materials produced by media institutions. The library is regarded as an effective tool for documentation and analysis of the manner in which priority issues are touched upon in the local media.
To attain this objective, the online platform’s functionality was tested in 2015 as we carefully identified, collected, processed, and stored over three thousand journalistic investigations published mainly by print media since the year 2000, including by scanning the ones that were available on paper only. We also started collecting and processing journalistic investigations in video format, along with identifying and collecting content for other menu items, including "journalistic resources", "experts", "interviews" and "photo gallery". At the same time, we initiated discussions with journalistic community representatives with a view to identifying a future self-management mechanism for the library.
We consider it appropriate that the platform, which was originally designed to support investigative journalism, would broaden its profile and become the first specialized online library that is useful to all beneficiaries: established and emerging journalists, media experts, academics, and ordinary citizens.
During 2016, we will continue filling in the database and widening its functionality by testing new modules for additional services, including online training in investigative journalism for novice and regional press journalists.
24
Projects Supported with Funds from Other Donors
The project „Strengthening the capacity of Moldovan local media for using online broadcast technologies and social media for delivering objective information on democratic development and EU Association Agreement” is being implemented by the Media Program during September 22, 2014 – December 31, 2016, with financial support from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), U.S. Department of State.
The aim of the project is to build the capacity of independent regional media for delivering to the rural population objective, unbiased and reliable information on complex democratic development issues of the country and the EU Association Agreement. It targets 10 regional broadcasters from the Republic of Moldova, including Transnistria and Gagauzia, with a particular focus on Russian speaking regions.
The project has the following strategic objectives:
To increase the capacity of regional media in broadcasting objective, unbiased and easily understandable information on democratic development and EU Association Agreement, signed by Moldova in June 2014, using online broadcast technologies and social media. To increase the support offered by the rural audience from the targeted regions to the democratic development processes in Moldova and the EU Association Agreement.
Key achievements in 2015
Journalists from 10 regional TV stations attended two training sessions on the first two major themes related to the EU Association Agreement. Each training course consisted of two parts:
The first one included key aspects related to the theme of the round: 1. Economic, financial support, anti-fraud and control provisions and 2. Justice, freedom, political dialogue and reform, and the second one was focused on journalistic approach to issues from the above- mentioned themes. The second training on complex topics related to the EU Association Agreement, held on October 20-22, 2015, was conducted by Jack KROES, an international trainer in journalism. The main aspects discussed included TV show format (e.g. script, included items, guests, cooperation between regional and central studios, TV stage set, etc.), moderator’s performance (questions addressed, attitude, body language) and camera work. Jack KROES concluded that he saw in the duplex programs a considerable progress made by regional journalism in Moldova. He wrote: “It is with great admiration that I observed a considerable progress in the way the regional stations produce their programs in both technical and journalistic way. They developed from rather amateurish stand-alone local stations into producers of a joined national television program. Especially their series of Duplex programs contribute to the fruitful interaction between the citizens in the Chisinau capital and those from rural areas. Politicians in the capital often have been confronted with ordinary people in the region that often suffer from bureaucratic measures. In my opinion, the organization of the local TV-stations in Moldova – being independent – contributed to the further development of a civil society in the country. It was remarkable that after some hints about making difficult subjects as the MD-EU-agreement more accessible, they looked for the good personalized examples and did find them. The camerawork improved dramatically.” Journalists from regional stations received both in-house and daily online consultancy in order to identify issues on EU Association Agreement and to plan broadcasts with a multi- stakeholder participation at the regional level. Ten TV shows in duplex format were produced during 2015. The duplex format of the TV debates facilitated direct discussions between rural stakeholders and experts from Chișinău, making the talk shows more relevant to the local context. All talk shows were broadcast through the regional cable network and online.
25
Based on the TV talk shows with a multi-stakeholder participation, a series of 45 short F.A.Q. videos were produced for dissemination on regional broadcasters’ websites, social media, and other web-based platforms. These short F.A.Q. videos present the questions/concerns of ordinary people and the answers received from experts, local or central authorities and other stakeholders.
A citizen journalism campaign carried out in the regions where the stations participating in the project come from, offered to 35 young people the possibility to stand out as active members of their communities, contributing in such a way to the society development.
Another result of the project is a network of journalists from different regions of Moldova, including Transnistria and Gagauzia that allows for experience exchange on European issues.
In 2016, the training activities for journalists will continue. Other 20 TV talk shows in duplex format on EU Association Agreement issues are to be produced. Other young people will become part of the citizen journalism campaign.
Click on http://soros.md/ue-media to find out additional information about the project.
26
PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM
Vision
The Public Health Program aims to contribute to advancing the health and rights of marginalized people by empowering the civil society to participate in the development, monitoring and evaluation of health policies.
Context
The Foundation’s strategy for 2014-2017 guided our work in 2015. In line with this strategy, the Program supported initiatives addressing the exclusion and discrimination of people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems, including development and promotion of community alternatives and technical assistance and monitoring, and initiatives advancing the rights and dignity of people facing life threatening diseases and ensuring access to palliative care. In this regard, we worked on increasing the availability and access to pain relieving medicines, increase in government funding for palliative care, and sustainable education in palliative care. We also aimed at fostering the involvement of HIV most at risk groups and promoting their rights by mobilizing communities affected by HIV in order to ensure the allocation of national resources for harm reduction activities, as well as to promote the observance of the rights of HIV most at risk groups. In 2015, we provided financial support to an anchor organization to continue political dialogue with public authorities in order to ensure the sustainability of services provided by NGOs through a gradual takeover and integration of services into the public system. The PHP also supported the Health Monitor Project - a multi-annual initiative aimed at developing and implementing sustainable mechanisms and objective independent monitoring of public policies in order to promote good governance in the health system in Moldova.
We also implemented 3 projects supported with funds from another donor – GFATM: 1) Outreach activities for HIV vulnerable groups, 2) Care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, 3) Empowerment of people with tuberculosis and communities in Moldova.
ADDRESSING THE EXCLUSION AND DISCRIMINATION OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AND PROMOTING COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES
The Program supported activities, which contributed to: promotion of legislation and policies that support social inclusion and full social participation of people with disabilities, as well as monitoring their effective implementation by assisting central and local authorities in policy and activities implementation, designing new models of community services and providing support for self-representation; establishing the mechanism for empowering civil society and the government in promoting, developing and disseminating community services and ensuring the necessary support to enhance the independence of people with severe and complex disabilities through specific projects of innovative community services, including opportunities for accommodation and employment, as well as supporting new forms of training and professional qualification.
Hence, as a result of the support provided by the Keystone Moldova Association to the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family and local public administrations, the following outcomes were achieved:
regulations and quality standards for such services as Community Home and Day Care Centre for children in need were reviewed / developed; the draft of the government decision on approving the set of indicators to monitor the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the draft of the Information Note were prepared;
27
the national legislative framework in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was analyzed in order to identify the status of implementation of activities and to set further objectives and priorities of the Action Plan for implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for the years 2017-2022; more than 700 residents of two residential institutions (home for children with severe disabilities from Hîncești and Psycho-Neurological residential institution from Bădiceni were evaluated complexly. Two evaluation reports were developed and submitted to the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family, which included concrete recommendations on deinstitutionalization of residents and their social inclusion. The reports will underpin the development of a strategy of reforming residential institutions for people with mental disabilities. two new community services were opened: Protected Living in the rayon of Hîncești and Community Home in the rayon of Cantemir; 12 persons with intellectual disabilities were deinstitutionalized and integrated into community; 95 persons with disabilities, transferred from residential institutions to communities, were socially included.
Through the assistance offered to local public authorities, 95% of the newly developed services, including100% of Specialized Foster Care services, 90% of Mobile Team services, 90% of Community Homes and 100% of Protected Living services got an official accreditation.
With the foundation support, a Training Center based on social entrepreneurship, accessible for persons with disabilities, was established. Financial resources obtained as a result of the training activity of the Center will be used to support social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
To ensure the sustainability of services and reforms in the field of de-institutionalization and social inclusion of people with mental disabilities, Keystone Moldova, with support from the foundation, was responsible for training the newly elected and public officials (deputy presidents on social issues and heads of social assistance structures) from 12 rayons in deinstitutionalization and provision of social services for people with mental disabilities. The training was attended by three representatives of the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family (Head and Deputy Head of the Policy of Social Protection of Disabled People Department, and the acting head of the Department on Residential and Rehabilitation Services) who presented the ministry priorities in the context of reforming the system of social protection of disabled people and their social inclusion.
In addition, local government administrations from 10 rayons received assistance in developing participatory budgets for the newly developed community services. In this context, the inclusion of the costs of services into rayon plans and budgets was monitored. As a result of these efforts, 100% of community social services, created with the foundation support, obtained financial allocations from local budgets for 2016. Training courses were also organized for the representatives of local governments regarding local government’s responsibilities in ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities to live in the community, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
17 NGOs that provide services and implement activities for marginalized groups were trained in storytelling to be used in their advocacy activities.
The foundation supported a range of activities carried out by the NGO "Woman and Child - Protection and Support", aimed at promoting and implementing inclusive education for preschool children from the rayons of Criuleni and Dubăsari.
The following results were achieved:
26 kindergartens from the rayons of Criuleni and Dubăsari were assisted in the implementation of inclusive education and organization of the educational process centered on the needs of children with special educational needs, including children with disabilities.
28
26 multidisciplinary commissions responsible for implementing inclusive education in kindergartens were established. 87 persons (managers, teachers, nurses) from 26 kindergartens were trained (via training modules, meetings and individual methodological assistance) in organizing and individualizing children education, based on the actual needs of children. 25 preschool children with special educational needs were assisted directly by the project implementation team to overcome learning difficulties and language disorders. 35 information and awareness activities regarding social and educational inclusion (28 initiation seminars, 4 awareness meetings, 3 public debates) were organized. 42 educators from kindergartens were consulted by the project implementation team and as a result, 140 children with special educational needs benefitted from this intervention. 2 resource kindergartens ("Mesteacănul" from Criuleni and "Andrieş" from Ustia, Dubăsari) were offered methodological equipment and assisted during the process of inclusive education implementation and dissemination of best practices in these two districts.
Within the project Media and Communication for an Inclusive Society, aimed at preventing discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities, the following activities were carried out: an exhibition of photos taken by persons with intellectual disabilities; 12 personal stories of persons with disabilities narrated through storytelling were disseminated online and at public events; 7 photos taken by people with disabilities with a short message were published online; 5 short films depicting the life of persons with disabilities in the community were shot; films projections were done in six communities. The products can be viewed on www.keystonemoldova.md/ro/stories/
We continued to support the provision of early intervention services and their integration into the current social and medical systems by awarding a grant to the “Voinicel” Early Intervention Center. We managed to develop the costs for 37 early intervention services. The subsequent approval by the Government of these costs and their inclusion into the Catalog of Costs for health services will enable the National Health Insurance Company to contract services for early intervention in childhood.
ADVANCING THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF PEOPLE FACING LIFE THREATENING DISEASES AND ENSURING ACCESS TO PALLIATIVE CARE
The foundation continued the implementation of activities initiated previously and supported new efforts, which contributed to: o increasing the availability and access to pain relieving medicines by providing assistance in estimating the annual needs in opiates. To this end, we continue to advocate for an increase in government funding for procurement of morphine and diversification of available opioids; o sustainable development of palliative care education (basic and continuous) by integrating palliative care into undergraduate and graduate curricula; o increasing national funding for palliative care services; o the development of pediatric palliative care.
29
Given the need to develop palliative care throughout the country in order to increase population’s access to services, the existing regulatory framework was revised and a new Regulation on the organization of palliative care services in the Republic of Moldova was drafted in partnership with the National Association for Palliative Treatment with the foundation’s support. The document was approved by the Ministry of Health at the end of 2015.
The minimum quality standards for palliative care services provision were also developed and approved, and the Methodological Norms for the implementation of the Unique Program of the compulsory medical insurance for 2015 were adjusted. The approved standards will ensure the quality of provided services throughout the country and will serve to monitor that the provided care achieve the best outcomes for the patient and family.
The costs of palliative care services (per day/bed and per home visit) were reevaluated and submitted to the Ministry of Health for review and further approval. Thus, - the cost for one home visit provided by palliative care mobile teams increased from 155 lei to 171 lei, - while the cost of one day/bed (inpatient palliative care/hospice) increased from 302.10 lei to 331 lei.
These costs will be used in 2016 by the National Health Insurance Company when contracting palliative care services.
To ensure a sustainable development of education in palliative care (basic and continuing), the foundation supported a project to integrate palliative care into undergraduate and postgraduate curricula. The implementation of the project started in December 2015 by the N. Testemitanu State Medical and Pharmaceutical University. The first results of the project implementation will be seen during the following year.
In view of developing national pediatric palliative care, the foundation supported a project to develop pediatric palliative care clinical protocols and their dissemination via regional workshops. The project started in December 2015.
INCREASING THE INVOLVEMENT OF HIV MOST AT RISK GROUPS AND PROMOTING THEIR RIGHTS
The program continued to mobilize communities affected by HIV in order to ensure the allocation of national resources for harm reduction activities, as well as to promote the observance of the rights of HIV most at risk groups. To achieve these objectives, the program continued its collaboration with two organizations - the Union of Organizations Active in Harm Reduction (UORN) and Promo-LEX.
As a result of the advocacy activity of UORN and its partners, targeting the Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance Company, on July 30, 2015 the institutions signed a joint order regarding the approval of a Regulation specifying the funding of projects out of the Prophylaxis Fund of the National Health Insurance Company. The order established a clear and predictable funding mechanism for NGOs and the commitment that at least one harm reduction project would be funded in 2015. However, because of the many changes of governments during 2015, this order was not published in the Official Gazette to become operational. In this context, advocacy activities in this field will be continued during 2016 as well. In 2015, concrete steps were taken to ensure the availability of Naloxone (an antidote to overdoses of opiates) in harm reduction programs. Its distribution was piloted in the harm reduction program from the Bălți municipality.
Another achievement of the year is approval by the Ministry of Interior of an Instruction regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and reduction of new cases of infection among injecting drug users in police activity.
30
The development of this document was possible due to a joint effort of the Ministry of Interior with civil society partners and international organizations.
We have also succeeded in finalizing and publishing the curriculum and teaching materials on HIV/AIDS and harm reduction, developed by the Police Academy in Moldova with support from the Public Health Program.
Promo-LEX, with the foundation support, carried out several activities to monitor the police in the context of the approval of the Instruction regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and reduction of new cases of infection among injecting drug users in police activity. At the same time, the Promo-LEX continued to monitor court proceedings involving drug users in the North, Center and South areas of the country. This activity will be continued in 2016 as well.
Publications launched in 2015
Monitoring the Implementation of the Methodological Guidelines on the Intervention of Police in Preventing HIV Infection in Groups at High Risk of Infection, developed by Promo–LEX According to the conclusions of the monitoring report, over a third (about 42 %) of respondents do not know or have not heard about these Guidelines. In regard to the quality and content of the training on HIV prevention, drug prevention and assistance to persons from HIV high-risk groups, only 30 % of employees have confirmed that they get permanently informed. The report data shows that about one-third (29%) of police chiefs/district police officers sector have not participated in any training. The survey has also revealed that most police officers (75 %) consider that the penalties imposed to drug users currently in Moldova are too light and they should be tightened considerably. Thus, approximately 90 % of the police officers would opt for forced penalties (forced treatment, deprivation of liberty), if they had decision-making power.
Monitoring the Court Hearings on the Contravention and Criminal Cases against Drug Users, developed by Promo-LEX According to the monitoring report, the indicator regarding the partiality of judges is 11% higher than in other categories of litigants. When referring to the impartiality of the court, this right was respected in 79% of cases. In 21% of cases, monitors observed that judges tended to show feelings of contempt for drug users. The indicator on dissatisfaction with the lack of empathy and hostility of judges is 23% higher comparing to other litigants and is 33% higher for criminal investigators and prosecutors. The study highlights situations in which the procedural rights of drug users are limited, being registered cases of discrimination, such as the publication of names on the court website, although confidentiality was requested. Additionally, it was found out that in cases involving drug users, preventive detention was applied more often compared to other categories of individuals. This was confirmed in 158 monitored cases (33%). In these two reports, recommendations were made for such institutions as the Ministry of Interior and the General Inspectorate of Police; the Supreme Court; the National Institute of Justice; the National Council of State Guaranteed Legal Aid, and the Union of Lawyers. Activities in this area will continue in 2016 based on the findings and recommendations of both reports.
31
Fealty to Field Concept: HEALTH MONITOR
The Health Monitor is a multi-annual initiative implemented by the Center for Health Policies and Studies. The goal of the project is to develop and implement sustainable mechanisms and objective independent monitoring of public policies in order to promote good governance in the health system in Moldova.
In response to the lack of medicines in hospitals, at the beginning of the year, a public policy analysis was conducted entitled Ensuring Hospitals with Medicines in Moldova. In the policy brief, the current system of drugs supply for hospitals in Moldova was presented. Possible factors that contribute to the interruption/delay of the supply of medicines and malfunctioning of the drugs supply system were identified and optional actions were formulated that would be needed to be taken to address the procurement process of drugs for health institutions, including currency fluctuations factors.
The authors included in the policy brief the following recommendations:
Review the concept of purchasing all the medicines through a centralized procedure, focusing on a vital and essential drugs list and expensive medicines list. Ensure a regular review of the National Pharmaceutical Therapy Form and the List of Essential Medicines. Adjust the legal and regulatory framework to ensure the applicability of alternative methods of procurement of medicines and medical devices with public money, such as the negotiated procedure and the conditions for applying this procedure; framework agreement; completing the exceptions related to the acquisition from a single source. Adjust the legal framework to ensure procurement of drugs from a single source from international agencies specialized in the procurement of drugs. Launch negotiations with countries from the region in order to purchase medicines through merging with procurement systems from other countries. Develop a methodology for using international prices as benchmarks in evaluating bids. Simplify the coordination and approval procedures of signed contracts, including provisions for making the contracting parties accountable.
In general, the activities aimed at monitoring and developing policy analysis were limited by the absence of the process of public health policies development during 2015. This situation was caused by a consecutive resignation of two governments. The activity of the Ministry of Health was basically focused on health administration of public affairs.
Thus, the PAS Centre intensified media monitoring of actions in the health system through the development of news articles, analysis/investigation, reviews, and interviews, as a tool for an immediate reaction. Media materials covered the following areas: corruption in health, the work plan of the Ministry of Health, the system of compensated medicines and access to medicines, salaries in the public health system, patient’s rights investigation and analysis of the causes and impact of theft in the banking system on the health system
32
The promotion of citizen participation in the evaluation and monitoring of hospital care was accomplished by conducting field visits to district and municipal medical institutions by employees of the PAS Centre.
In view of a better communication and mobilization of patients to participate in hospital evaluation through the portal Spitale.MD, a similar page was created on social networks. A series of explanatory videos were also developed to facilitate the evaluation process of the hospital by users (How do you rate the SpitaleMD?; How can hospitals be compared on SpitaleMD? etc.).
The standardized passports of 55 hospitals were also developed, the information being placed on www.spitale.md to be used by patients and the general public to assess, monitor and compare hospital activity. Compared with 2014, the number of evaluations on www.spitale.md increased on average by 40% during 2015.
Publications launched in 2015
Access to compensated medicines in Moldova, developed by the Center for Health Policies and Studies.
The study analyzed legislative and regulatory framework covering the compensation system of medicines and practices in the field. Consumer’s opinion on access to compensated medicines (quantitative study) and stakeholders’ and implementers’ opinion on compensation system of medicines (qualitative study) was also researched. Analysis of the regulatory framework in the pharmaceutical sector which ensures accessibility to medications, including one that sets the basis for implementing the compensation system of medicines, permitted the identification of the limitations in developing and implementing the List of compensated medicines, such as: the mechanism of elaboration and approval of the List, characterized by a number of ambiguities; simplified criteria for selection of medicines within the last revision of the regulatory framework; unclear definition of roles of authorities responsible for the development, approval and implementation of the List; low share of expenses for compensated medicines from the National Health Insurance’s Basic Fund in the last four years; lack of substantive review of drug pricing policies based on the local context and the multitude of instruments used in international practice. The survey of consumers of medicines found that less than a third of respondents (31%) benefited from compensated drugs, recipients often being from rural areas, aged over 60 years, and with low income. Of those non-beneficiaries of compensated medicines, a significant part was eligible, but did not benefited. Respondents who received compensated drugs still had to buy additional drugs as compensated medicines List includes a limited number of drugs. The study highlights that the policy of compulsory healthcare and awareness of the population on compensated medicines do not facilitate increased access to compensated drugs. Insufficient financial resources allocated to this constraint is the main factor in access to compensated medicines. The survey also highlights the fact that doctors are forced to prescribe compensated medicines selectively, offering them being perceived by some doctors as social assistance to the most vulnerable patients.
33
Projects Supported with Funds from Other Donors
The Public Health Program implements the project “HIV Prevention for Key Affected Population and Care and Support to People Living with HIV”, funded by the Center for Health Policies and Studies from the resources of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) (2015-2017).
The main goal of the project is to ensure an effective response to HIV in the Republic of Moldova in order to reduce prevalence among key affected population (KAP) and reduce AIDS related mortality through improving access of KAP to essential HIV prevention, diagnostic, treatment, care and support services.
The Project focused on implementing prevention programs for people who inject drugs (IDUs) and their partners, prevention programs for sex workers (SWs) and their clients, prevention programs for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender population (TGs), care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS to ensure adherence to antiretroviral treatment, as well as psychosocial counseling and support for these categories of people.
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS
The Public Health Program pursued the goal to cover with HIV prevention services up to 60% of IDUs and SWs, and 45% of MSM, which fully corresponds to the objectives of the National Program on the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS. The project activities were implemented in partnership with the civil society and the local and central public authorities.
People who inject drugs
7 projects were implemented in 28 localities: Chișinău, Bălţi, Ungheni, Glodeni, Sîngerei, Făleşti, Căușeni, Orhei, Rezina, Şoldăneşti, Donduşeni, Rîşcani, Edineţ, Otaci, Ocniţa, Briceni, Soroca, Floreşti, Drochia, Camenca, Tiraspol, Slobozia, Bender, Rîbnița, Anenii Noi, Comrat, Cahul and Ceadîr Lunga 2 projects were implemented in the penitentiary system, including 15 penitentiaries from the right bank and 3 penitentiaries from the left bank of the River Nistru services provided: syringe exchange, distribution of condoms, disinfectants and informational materials, information meetings for project beneficiaries on various topics related to HIV/AIDS/STI, psychological counseling and support for IDUs, counseling and HIV testing with rapid tests on saliva, hot-line telephone consultations, rehabilitation for IDUs and their referral to Community Centers for psycho-active substances drug addicts, etc.
Sex Workers
5 projects were implemented in the following localities: the municipality of Chișinău, the municipality of Bălți, Orhei, Ungheni, Tiraspol, Slobozia, Bender, Rîbnița and Cahul
services provided: counseling and medical consultations provided by the staff and the consultants from NGOs, syringe exchange, distribution of condoms, disinfectants, hygiene packets, informational materials, education and information and communication activities with the target group, counseling and HIV testing with rapid tests on saliva.
34
Men who have sex with other men; the LGBT community
1 project in the municipalities of Chişinău, Bălți and Tiraspol As a result of the project activities implementation,
services provided: online counselling and consultation, 13,069 IDUs, outreach work in the field, provision of psycho-social 4,858 SWs services, counseling and HIV testing with rapid tests on and 2,805 MSM saliva, carrying out various events for the target group and benefited from various the distribution of informational materials and „safer packs”, services. seminars for the project beneficiaries from Chișinău and Bălți on HIV/AIDS/ITS prevention, distribution of condoms, A total number of lubricants and informational materials. 2,352,097 syringes, 899,519 condoms, 2,225,795 alcohol wipes and 95,029 informational materials were distributed.
CARE AND SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS
Under this intervention, the project supported activities for intensive patient support and follow-up as a fundamental component for ensuring adherence to HIV treatment. In 2015, five grants were offered to NGOs to support and complement the services provided within the Regional Social Centers for people with HIV/AIDS - a joint initiative of central and local public authorities and NGOs. The Centers cover the four regions of Moldova (North, Centre, South and East), offering a comprehensive package of care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, to improve their quality of life and increase adherence to treatment.
Moreover, through 9 grants offered to NGOs active in the field of HIV/AIDS, care and support was provided to people living with HIV/AIDS and their families, including children infected and affected by HIV, as well as medical, psychological and social counseling, peer assistance, referral services, peer support groups, information and education and homecare services. Around 4,100 HIV infected people and 1,550 In 2015, members of their families received care and support services during 2015. 43,600 individual consultations were In addition to the nine grants implemented by NGOs, which provided offered to people living care and support for people with HIV/AIDS, a grant for the provision with HIV/AIDS; of palliative care to people with HIV/AIDS was implemented in the 1,577 group activities municipalities of Chişinău and Bălți, by the Angelus Moldova Medico were carried out; - Social Charity Foundation. Nearly 200 patients received palliative 63,648 condoms care services in the reporting period. and 17,368 informational materials The significant contribution of NGOs to the implementation of the were distributed to National Program on the Prevention and Control of HIV/SIDA/STI is project beneficiaries. highly appreciated at the national level. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will continue to finance NGOs to continue similar activities during 2016-2017.
35
STRENGTHENING TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
The project financed by the PAS Center with financial resources received from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) for 2015-2017, aims to increase civil society involvement, including people with TB, and with HIV, and other vulnerable groups, in the fight against the epidemic of tuberculosis and achieve tuberculosis control objectives in the Republic of Moldova.
The Soros Foundation-Moldova’s Public Health Program, as a sub-recipient of GFATM funds, is responsible for supporting activities carried out by NGOs to achieve the following objectives: to increase early detection of tuberculosis; to improve adherence to treatment in out-patient conditions; and to achieve high rates of treatment success. Project activities are implemented in accordance with the National Program on TB Control.
During 2015, several projects were financed that targeted the population in the following localities: Bălţi and Chişinău municipalities, Bender, Tiraspol, Dnestrovsc, the districts of Grigoriopol, Florești, Șoldănești, Soroca, Căușeni, Anenii Noi, Sîngerei, Fălești, Dondușeni, Ocnița, and Briceni. Within these projects, the NGOs provided the following services: symptomatic screening, referral and accompaniment to medical institutions for diagnosis, the monitoring of the treatment, counseling for treatment adherence, and educating and counseling family members to support persons in TB treatment. In addition, social assistance was provided for the homeless, IDUs, people with TB at higher risk of treatment default and their family members, and people from vulnerable groups.
As a result of these activities, 1128 persons with TB and 606 family members were informed and counseled, of which: - 86 patients were returned to TB treatment; - 122 persons were monitored to complete the treatment successfully; - 285 persons were investigated for TB; - 63 persons were diagnosed with TB. Similar services were offered to prisoners with TB in the penitentiaries of RM. NGOs informed and trained in tuberculosis over 2,000 people from project communities within society awareness-raising activities.
Peer-to-peer counselling services were provided to 200 TB patients hospitalized in TB specialized institutions within the projects for mutual support of TB patients.
In view of early detection of TB among homeless people from Chişinău, Bălţi and Bender, - 323 persons were screened for TB; - 92 persons were investigated for TB, of which 57 were hospitalized for treatment; - 43 persons were monitored in outpatient directly observed treatment (DOT) and 17 persons finalized it successfully.
During 2015, the Public Health Program organized training and information activities in TB control, including community involvement in support of people with TB for 50 volunteers from the NGOs involved in project implementation and 44 people living with HIV.
The results achieved by non-governmental organizations in supporting the health system in informing and educating the society, co-participation in the DOT treatment, in identifying people at risk of treatment default and referral, and accompanying them to medical institutions, are nationally recognized and as a result, funding for these activities will be covered by the Global Fund until 2017.
36
EQUALITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
Vision
The Equality and Civic Engagement Program contributes to establishing and strengthening mechanisms aimed at promoting equality and nondiscrimination through civil society.
Context
The Equality and Civic Engagement Program (ECE) seeks to maximize the efficiency in the implementation of the Law on Ensuring Equality in partnership with civil society organizations and public institutions and to promote equality and diversity. In its strategy for 2014-2016, the ECE has established the following priorities:
Support NGOs and legal professionals in identifying discrimination and building cases in front of the Council for Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination and Ensuring Equality and courts Test and improve the Law on Ensuring Equality by promoting amendments and undertaking cases on strategic litigation Collect data and facilitate the promotion of personal stories of potential targets of discrimination
These priorities are justified by the need to explain, promote, test and improve the nondiscrimination legislation and raise public awareness of the fact that discrimination can affect each of us.
In 2015, the ECE program paid a special attention to promoting personal stories told by marginalized groups as a method of better understanding the impact of stigma and discrimination. As a first step in this direction, a group of 20 representatives of nongovernmental organizations was trained in using the “storytelling” technique to communicate about the infringements of their own rights.
Afterwards, the Foundation supported financially initiatives aiming at helping the marginalized groups in telling their own stories of discrimination. The funded proposals covered issues concerning access to public infrastructure of persons with disabilities, discrimination of children and their parents living with HIV, access to social and medical services of patients with tuberculosis, discrimination in the workplace of persons with multiple sclerosis, and some others.
The opportunity to speak about challenges through their own stories helped project beneficiaries to strengthen their self-confidence and understand that their voice mattered in reclaiming their rights. As a secondary effect, but equally important, the connection between NGOs and their beneficiaries strengthened as a result of this experience.
Similar to the previous year, the program organized an open call for proposals aiming to support initiatives of nongovernmental organizations, which were registered and functioned outside the Chișinău Municipality. The Foundation’s goal was to encourage nongovernmental organizations and other relevant institutions to apply Law nr.121 on Ensuring Equality and other legal instruments in order to protect and improve the quality of life of marginalized groups, as well as to empower those groups in learning about and reclaiming their own rights. As a result of the open call, five organizations from different localities of the country were offered financial support in promoting the rights of children, Roma women, detainees and former detainees and other groups.
37
My name is M. In 2013, during my pregnancy, I was diagnosed with HIV. Several doctors advised me and even insisted that I should interrupt my pregnancy. However, I decided to give birth. After taking the test, my little boy was diagnosed with HIV. My child was growing up facing health issues and along with the emotional pain caused by our disease, doctors kept repeating during the regular check-ups: “We have warned you! You cannot handle it even financially; you are almost a beggar. You have AIDS and decided to give birth to such an odd creature”.
Since I had no place where to live, I was redirected to a maternal center. However, before being offered a place there, both my child and I had to get the test for AIDS. The test results came out positive obviously, and all the persons living and working in the center found out about it. The other women insulted me and prohibited me to enter the kitchen. When my son would go to the children’s playroom, the other mothers would forbid their children to play with him. My son wanted to communicate with his fellow kids, but he was insulted and even beaten, wherever he showed up.
He did not understand why that was happening to him and I was helpless about protecting him from those unpleasant situations. Fortunately, the Step by Step, South Region Association found out about our problem and offered us psychological assistance and support. Due to the Association, the HIV/AIDS test was excluded from the mandatory list of medical tests requested prior to being assigned to a maternal center. My son and I were humiliated, but we understood later that we were an example that discrimination could be prevented and stopped with joint efforts.
A distinct activity of ECE program in 2015 was the funding of nongovernmental organizations and affiliated legal professionals in testing and improving the Law on Ensuring Equality by promoting amendments and undertaking strategic litigation of cases on discrimination. In May, with the Foundation’s support, Promo-LEX Association and ACCEPT Association from Romania organized a working visit to Bucharest for a group of lawyers from Chișinău with the purpose of exchanging experience regarding evaluation and promotion of strategic litigation cases. Afterwards, the Foundation carried out an open call for proposals and funded two initiatives on strategic litigation, which focused on strengthening the legal protection of victims of discrimination by obtaining effective remedies on strategic cases, as well as by establishing legal precedents on certain criteria and areas of discrimination.
In spite of the advocacy efforts of the Foundation and other donors to promote equality at the policy level and to change perceptions, there are still many challenges faced by institutions responsible for ensuring equality and social equity. There is also an overall low level of tolerance of the population towards diversity. For example, the Council for Preventing and Fighting Discrimination and Ensuring Equality, in accordance with Law no. 121 can only qualify an act of discrimination and issue recommendations to relevant subjects. The lack of a sanctioning mechanism for the Council reduces the chances for an efficient remedy for the discrimination act, the only alternative being the courts where the process is much longer. The executive and legislative branches of the Republic of Moldova should adopt amendments to Law nr.121 and other relevant legislation in order to establish a solid mechanism that would ensure equal opportunities for all and offer the victims of discrimination an efficient protection. Public institutions and authorities most often are not familiar with the basic needs of the marginalized groups, this being one of the basis for discrimination. Therefore, it is equally important to continue developing partnerships with state authorities and other institutions and to inform each other about the needs and rights of citizens.
In 2016, the program will continue to support the development and strengthening of partnerships between legal professionals and national and local nongovernmental organization, which work with marginalized groups exposed to discrimination. A special focus will be on raising the accountability of public institutions and local businesses on discrimination in access to public goods and services, education and workforce.
38
Key achievements in 2015:
Seven initiatives on non-discrimination were funded, which had the purpose to:
- increase access to education of 3-5-year-old children from vulnerable families in the village of Dubăsarii Vechi; - prevent ethnic discrimination of Roma women from Soroca, Otaci and Vulcănești; - combat discrimination of detainees and former detainees from the rayon of Cahul by building partnerships with employers and other entities from the labor market; - develop and implement an inclusive model for job placement and social support for Roma women from Hînceşti, Mingir, Cărpineni, Rîşcani, Chetrosu and Bălț i; - raise awareness on discrimination using diverse media channels to publish journalistic materials produced by journalists from the central, Transnistrian and Găgăuz regions of the country in cooperation with representatives of marginalized groups; - reduce discriminatory practices towards LGBT by monitoring and documenting their rights infringements; promote legislative changes by undertaking strategic litigation; - improve Law nr.121 on Ensuring Equality and other legislation on equality and non- discrimination through strategic litigation of cases on discrimination.
A training program on human rights, anti-discrimination and project writing was organized for a group of twenty nongovernmental organizations, which promote the rights of marginalized groups outside the capital city;
A comparative study was developed on the population’s perception on discrimination, including recommendations to prevent and combat this phenomenon in the Republic of Moldova;
Fifteen legal professionals and lawyers from Moldova benefited from a working visit to Bucharest, where they learned how to select, litigate and promote strategic cases on discrimination;
Two programs on storytelling were organized within the “Communicating Diversity through Storytelling” project, having as beneficiaries 17 NGO representatives. The project funded six initiatives, which aimed at promoting the rights of marginalized groups through storytelling.
39
Publications launched in 2015
The Phenomenon of Discrimination in Moldova: Population’s Perceptions The research study compares the results of two perception surveys carried out in 2010 and 2014. Unfortunately, the respondents’ perception on discriminated groups in Moldova have not improved significantly.
Both studies, from 2010 and 2014, conclude that based on population’s perception, the most discriminated groups are persons with mental and physical disabilities (75% and 76%), the poor (63%), persons living with HIV (54 %), LGBT (52%), Roma (48%), the elderly (47%) and women (28%). Every fifth Moldovan felt discriminated. The majority of the population considers that discrimination has increased over the last few years, therefore, avoids to or visits with dismay certain public places and/or institutions. Most of the Moldovans feel discriminated in hospitals, workplaces, streets, mayoralties or police stations. The majority of the population who committed acts of discrimination were represented by men (58%) and occurred in a public institution (73%).
The study also reveals that, compared to 2010, the share of respondents, who consider that there are no equal opportunities for men and women, has increased from 38% to 44%. At the same time, more persons have a positive attitude towards women’s involvement in politics and men taking an active role in children’s education.
The survey conducted by experts made a number of practical recommendations on diminishing discrimination against disadvantaged groups. Thus, in the experts’ opinion, the following measures should be taken in order to enhance the level of equity of marginalized groups exposed to discrimination:
Modify the Law on Ensuring Equality by adding to Article 1 the following protection criteria: social origin, property, sexual orientation, sexual identity and health condition. Include in the Contravention Code a larger range of discriminatory acts, which shall be sanctioned, including: racial segregation, incitement to discrimination, victimization and acts of harassment at work by persons other than the employer. Modify the statutes of the Council on Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination and Ensuring Equality, entitling it to impose penalties for discrimination acts. Set higher penalties for public authorities, which fail to enforce the decisions of the Council on Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination and Ensuring Equality.
The study was launched by the Institute of Public Policy with the financial support of the Equality and 40 Civic Engagement Program of the Soros Foundation-Moldova and SOIR Moldova.
MOLDOVA EDUCATION REFORM PROJECT
Vision
The Moldova Education Reform Project contributes to adjusting the national education system to the standards and requirements of the contemporary society and facilitates the civil society organizations’ involvement in supporting educational reforms
Context
The Moldova Education Reform Project was initiated at the request of the Moldovan Government and was developed by the Education Support Program (ESP) of the Open Society Foundations (OSF). The main project partner is the Ministry of Education (MoE) of Moldova. The direct and indirect beneficiaries of this project are the educational actors engaged in the process of reform of education in the Republic of Moldova, including national and local authorities, school managers, teachers, students, parents, NGOs and think tanks active in the field, and as a result, the entire Moldovan society.
MERP Goals and Objectives:
This project was designed to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Education in the Republic of Moldova in advancing its educational policy agenda by bringing together all social actors for establishing a meaningful policy stakeholder engagement. At the same time, the project facilitated the civil society organizations’ involvement in supporting the policy dialogue among various educational policy constituencies during the implementation of comprehensive policy reforms by Moldovan authorities, by monitoring reform implementation, transparency of the decision-making process, and holding authorities accountable both at central and local levels.
The Project was composed of three major components:
I. Support for Working Groups to adjust Curriculum Reform II. Social Compact for Education / Engaging Civil Society in Supporting Education Reform III. School Learning Labs
Similarly to last year, the support was focused on three major areas: logistic support for the activities of Working Groups on curriculum reform established by the MoE. The Working Groups continued revising and developing a new curriculum and new policies aimed to improve teaching performance and development of standards in different areas of competences; involvement of civil society organizations in an efficient dialogue with various stakeholders through a process of consulting and enhancing the efforts aimed at strengthening educational policies; extension of IT application in the process of teaching/learning/evaluation within general education institutions through creating learning laboratories, equipped with modern information technology.
The effort of reforming the education field called for support and involvement of experienced organizations and institutions, both national and international, in order to obtain qualitative and lasting results. Through consultancy services aimed to review and develop the national curriculum for general education as well as to improve educational policies, increase stakeholders’ knowledge in education and empower them through direct involvement in decision-making, a benefit was offered to education reform in particular, and to the transformation of the society in general. Thus, during 2015, which distinguished itself by social and political instability and frequent changes of the MoE’s management team, we succeeded in continuing our collaboration with the decision-makers within the Ministry. As a result, an important set of documents related to the development and amendment of educational policies was designed and published on the government website for public discussions.
41
The effort at the decisional level was endorsed by supporting think tanks active in the area of education and expert community in this field. Thus, the most sensitive issues related to education were brought into public space, facilitating large public debates with various social actors and direct and indirect beneficiaries of the education reform. The civil society initiatives benefited from an extensive media coverage and a good communication strategy, so that the resistance of the public to unpopular and difficult to afford reforms in education was considerably overcome. At the same time, the project managed to diminish the internal resistance among various educational actors by involving them in the process of identifying efficient solutions to improving the quality of education.
EDUCATION IN MOLDOVA: COMPETENCES FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW
Within this component, we continued to support the Working Groups’ activity, which focused on the following main directions: Curriculum development to ensure the relevance of general school education for personal, social and professional development of students; Human resources’ development aimed at improving the quality of general school education.
During 2015, a new National Curriculum Framework and National Program for Human Resources Development for Quality Education were developed; professional standards for the field of study in various areas of competences were designed; the Methodology for Self-assessment and Evaluation of Teachers was developed, etc. Most of the documents had been finalized by the end of last year and were posted for discussion on the Ministry’s website.
During June-September, the MoE created four new Working Groups, involving around 70 local experts and an international one, in order to continue activities, which were launched last year and namely:
WORKING GROUP 1: National Curriculum Framework. The Competency System for Educational Levels and Curriculum Areas WORKING GROUP 2: National Program and Action Plan for Human Resources Development in Education WORKING GROUP 3: Professional Standards for Managers within General Schools WORKING GROUP 4: Professional Standards for Teachers within General Schools
In September-November, the collaboration with the new MoE team was resumed to support the activity of the fifth WG: Human Resources in Education. Methodology for Self-assessment and Evaluation of Teachers and Managers. This group was formed of five national experts, who carried out their activities following the guidelines of the National School Inspection, a new institution created by the Ministry.
42
Key Achievements in 2015
The National Curriculum Framework was further developed; the competencies for educational levels and curriculum areas being specifically determined; The concept and narratives for the related curriculum areas were developed: The National Program and Action Plan for Human Resources Development in Education was set- up and proposed to the Ministry of Education to be discussed publicly; The Regulation on the organization and operation of the National Agency for Curriculum and Assessment was developed; Five Working Groups that involved 1 international expert and about 60 local experts concluded their activities, submitting the sought deliverables. A Methodological Guide for application of self-assessment and external assessment evaluation was set up; Professional standards and indicators for the development of teachers and school managers were determined; Self-assessment and external assessment instruments for annual evaluation of teachers and school managers were developed.
SOCIAL COMPACT FOR EDUCATION REFORM
The goal of this initiative was to continue the activities initiated last year by three partner-organizations: Institute for Public Policy, CATALACTICA Association Moldova and Pro Didactica Educational Center. The activities implemented by these organizations had an important impact on increasing the knowledge of citizens about educational reforms and values, and facilitated the engagement of all interested social actors in the process.
INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY, Strengthening the Civil Society Efforts towards the Development of an Open, Participatory, Performance-Based Education
During 2014−2015, education in the Republic of Moldova underwent a broad reform process. The entry into force of the new Code of Education set the prerequisites for launching the process of education decentralization, enlarging the autonomy of educational institutions and increasing the role of students, parents, communities, and civil society organizations in school life.
However, as long as non-governmental organizations, the representatives of parents and of the communities were not mobilized for the transition from a rigid, supply-directed education to a flexible, open and performance-based education, such prerequisites could not be fully capitalized on. The Project goal consisted in speeding up education reforms as a result of advancing educational policies and raising the degree of citizen involvement in education modernization.
43
The main project outcomes included:
educational policy options formulated by the civil society, related to curriculum development and oriented towards the enlargement of student, parent and community participation in school life, were put on the government agenda; the civil society’s advocacy for a participatory, inclusion-based education was operationalized as educational policies; a guaranteed access to the data related to the learning outcomes of the pupils of each educational institution, the qualification of the teaching staff, the efficiency of the educational process, and the execution of school budgets was ensured; a decrease in the resistance to reforms was registered, particularly in the case of educational institutions with a large number of pupils; the level of teaching staff and parent’s awareness of the objective factors, which impose the reform of the general education, was increased.
Given that the educational system is operating within a certain economic, social, and political context, both the direct and indirect education stakeholders, as well as citizens who do not have a direct contact with schools, perceived many of the project activities as having a broader impact area than education itself.
A considerable share of participants in the events held within the Project pointed out that project activities contributed to achieving a series of more comprehensive goals, such as:
expanding academic freedom in schools; raising the level of citizens’ freedom in making decisions about the educational pathway of their children; enhancing the degree of community participation in school life; building the community capacity to work under the conditions of a genuine decentralization of both the educational system and of the other local government sectors; improving the quality of education, a phenomenon pointed out particularly by higher education institutions, which stated that general education graduates displayed a much better performance during the past two years, showing responsibility and critical thinking; acquiring the major values of an open society, based on freedom, responsibility, and respect for diversity, participation and inclusion not only in schools but also in the community.
The recommendations of the educational policy studies developed by civil society experts in partnership with the representatives of the academia, which have been to a large extent included in the official educational policy documents, provide for setting up an institutional and regulatory legal framework intended to ensure the identification of the current and future needs of students and communities, expanding academic freedom, enhancing relevance of education and orienting it towards preparing students for a successful career.
Publications and studies launched in 2015
Developing key-competences in general education: Challenges and constraints
Education for a Knowledge Society: The Reference Framework for the New National Curriculum
Does our school develop the key competences requested by a knowledge society?
What does the Modernization of a Competence-centered Education Mean?
44
CATALACTICA, E DUrabil+ Increasing the Activism of Local Communities - the Key Element of the Educational Process from the Perspective of Social Participation
The concept of the project focuses on a major area of educational reform in Moldova: facilitating activism and consolidating the participatory efforts of the society. One of the solutions identified for improving these mechanisms is fostering the relationships among school, local authorities, parents, and civil society, and developing models of inter-sectorial cooperation at local level (school, social institutions, local public authorities, and public associations).
Community empowerment activities carried out within the E DUrabil+ Project represent a logical follow-up of the Qualitative Education Ambassadors’ network activities initiated in 2014. From the phase of consultations and public debates on educational reforms and social development of communities, the project advanced to the level of social and educational engagement of communities. These interventions contributed to increasing local responsibility in education, identifying viable solutions for improving local public policies, and raising local media receptivity towards the social and educational reality from communities.
Taking into account the cooperation relations within communities that are committed to its educational mission, the real necessities and the natural mechanisms of the society development, the project team aimed to empower communities to become relevant actors in the educational process.
The project activities addressed two dimensions: a research and a practical one. As a result, in five pilot communities, socio-educational scenarios of community engagement were implemented based on issues faced by communities. The case studies pointed out important aspects related to local socio-educational issues, such as the vulnerability of children whose parents are working abroad and its effect on school results; perceptions regarding the community desire to support vulnerable groups; and the quality of social relations in the community. The authors of the case studies concluded, “The process of identifying a socio-educational issue in the community and of defining a problem statement is rather difficult.”
In the village of Racovăț, the rayon of Soroca, with a population of 3700 inhabitants, the socio- educational issue the team identified was the poor nutrition of children from vulnerable families. This fact helped to identify the necessary resources and steps to improve child nutrition in school.
The identification of the socio-educational issue from the village of Lupa-Recea from the rayon of Straseni was also successful. With a population of 500 inhabitants and no educational institution, the village needed an educational center that could offer extra-curricular activities to students. In this case, however, the team did not succeed in engaging the community, because parents were reluctant towards this initiative. This is explained by a low degree of the importance attached to education in personal development and in ensuring a fair chance of future career development.
In the long-term, the project contributed to:
building-up or change certain attitudes toward specific issues and situations building-up positive and proactive behaviors enhancing the cohesion of social groups/community raising awareness of the educational power of the community
45
In the short-term, the project succeeded in influencing positively certain situations and socio-educational issues within communities, like social inclusion, healthy nutrition, extra-curricular education, etc.
Publications launched in 2015
For an efficient distribution of project deliverables, the field research data and engagement scenarios were published in the Community Active Engagement from the Perspective of the Educational Process: Actors, Mechanisms, and Factors.
According to the authors, „community engagement in solving an issue requires the action of a catalyst agent. The success of this action is ensured by the local context, where the partnership between school, local authorities, and community represent the main vector to community engagement”.
The study comes with the following recommendations for fostering engagement of local communities, which can be applied to similar communities/situations: community strengthening as an educational factor identification of an initiative group, which could get actively involved in the community engagement process creating educational mechanisms to influence the community
PRO DIDACTICA EDUCATIONAL CENTER, For Qualitative and Sustainable Reforms
One of the major issues facing our society, which is also a barrier to positive changes in education, is resistance to reforms, because of insufficient knowledge and superficial understanding of their long-term positive effects.
By implementing the project, the Pro Didactica team contributed to strengthening and implementing reforms in education by ensuring an optimal framework for a participative approach to the persisting problems related to reforms in education, which came to surface after the new Education Code and its related regulatory acts were enacted. The action plan proposed in this context set the needed framework for constructive debates about issues identified by various stakeholders during the implementation of reforms in education. An important component of the project aimed at overcoming the public perception of the status of the teaching profession and the need to inform about and motivate young people to pursue a teaching career. The second component envisaged the organization of public debates on topics and issues that require analysis and explanation in order to eliminate the resistance and confusion related to the need and essence of the reforms related to the implementation of the Education Code. The major issues addressed by Pro Didactica included: attracting young people with a vocation for pedagogical studies and a teaching career; promotion of policies and mechanisms to attract young specialists and retain them in schools; professional standards and evaluation of managerial and teaching staff as tools for ensuring performance and professional development.
46
The success of the project consisted of the following:
creating the opportunity for dialog within educational institutions or in the district divisions, where all attendees could express their opinions; Lessons learned: benchmarking and discussing a wide range of topics that are critical for the Best practices are to be spread and sustained current educational system of the both at national and regional/district levels. Republic of Moldova, in view of ensuring The community and educational stakeholders a quality high school education; need information and awareness about the issue of the quality of education at various a constructive examination of identified levels, so that they could become trustful problems and finding possible ways of messengers in this respect. solving them by various educational All the teaching staff from the country accept stakeholders, including parents, LPAs, change and reforms; they welcome the and students; debates about issues related to education involving young teaching staff in reform and want to learn about success continuous development workshops (3 stories. regional workshops on the same topic); ensuring the coverage of project activities in the media (articles; TV and radio programs).
MERP Activities approved at the end of 2015 to be implemented during 2016
The results gained through the projects implemented during 2014-2015 within Component II focused on supporting civil society involvement in education confirmed that these initiatives contributed considerably to informing the public about reform implementation, facilitated citizens’ involvement in public discussions on pressing issues related to the quality of education, engaging various social actors in an efficient dialogue that managed to produce a shift in public perception on reforms in education.
These relevant project outcomes encouraged the ESP to further support the efforts of our partner- organizations during 2016. It is hoped that in this way the public interest in education issues will be maintained, holding authorities accountable and preventing them from diverting from the reform agenda.
SCHOOL LEARNING LABS / MULTIMEDIA CLASSES
This component focused on strengthening the digital competences of the students and teachers from the schools that were equipped with Multimedia Classes. In this regard, a national contest aimed at encouraging the use of IT in the educational process was organized and various trainings for teachers who use the multimedia equipment were conducted.
In addition, the foundation donated to the Center on Information and Communication Technology in Education (CICTE) the Classroom Management Software NETOP Vision Pro software to ensure a more efficient use of the Learning Labs.
The CICTE experts developed a course for teachers to acquire digital competences necessary for the Multimedia Classroom. A special Guide for Teachers from Multimedia Classes is available on the CICTE web page for those interested in it.
47
2015 EXPENDITURES 2015 Expenditures Soros Foundation - Moldova Expenditures 2015 (in US Dollars) %
Equality and Civic Engagement $ 211,267 5% Moldova Education Reform Project $ 265,219 6% Justice $ 313,533 7% Good Governance $ 272,374 6% Media $ 257,351 6% Public Health $ 2,046,121 46% Administration and Other $ 1,121,339 24%
TOTAL $ 4,487,204 100%
Graphic Representation of the Soros Foundation-Moldova Expenditures 2015
Equality and Civic Engagement Moldova 5% Education Reform Project 6%
Justice 7% Administration and Other Good Governance 24% 6%
Media 6%
Public Health 46%
48
SFM BOARDS
National Board
Stela BIVOL, Director for Policy and Research, Center for Health Policies and Studies
Alexandru CANȚÎR, Journalist and media specialist
Mircea EȘANU, Sociologist
Vitalie SPRÎNCEANĂ, Political philosopher, sociologist and social activist (since April 2013)
Igor CAȘU, Ph.D. Associate Professor at the Faculty of History and Philosophy of the State University of Moldova
Daniela VIDAICU, lecturer at the Law Faculty of Moldova State University
Natan Garștea, CEO „Estimator-VM” company
Media Program Board
Radu BENEA, Editor, Radio Free Europe
Dmitrii Calac, Deputy Editor-in-chief, „Economicheskoe obozrenie "Logos-press” newspaper
Dumitru LAZUR, Media Programs Coordinator, Council of Europe Office in Moldova
Vasile SPINEI, Journalist, Executive Director of „Access-Info”
Equality and Civic Participation Program Board
Olesea CRUC, Project Coordinator, JILDP, UNDP Moldova
Ana MIHAILOV, Program Coordinator, Friedrich Ebert Foundation
Diana CHEIANU-ANDREI, Dr. in Sociology, President of the „Sociopolis” Center, professor at the Faculty of Sociology, State University from Moldova
Doina MUNTEANU, ARR Program, UNDP Moldova
Tamara ȚURCAN, Director, American Resource Center
Public Health Program Board
Ștefan GHEORGHIŢĂ, First Deputy Director, National Center of Public Health
Victor BURINSCHI, TB Program Director, Public Institution “Coordination, Implementation and Monitoring Unit of the Health System Restructuring Project”
49
Lucia PÎRȚÎNĂ, Coordinator of the National Program for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS/STI, Deputy Director, Dermatology and Infectious Diseases Hospital
Svetlana PLĂMĂDEALĂ, Country manager of the UN AIDS Office
Liliana DOMENTE, Director, Phthisiopneumology Institute „Chiril Draganiuc”
Good Governance Program Board
Zina ADAM, Consultant, JILDP, UNDP Moldova
Sergiu GALIŢCHI, Project Manager, Support to Parliamentary in Moldova, UNDP Moldova
Liuba CUZNEŢOVA, Deputy Director, Moldova Social Investment Fund
Andrei VRABIE, Project Manager, EU Delegation to Moldova
Dumitru VASILESCU, Project Manager, UNDP Moldova
Andrei RUSANOVSCHI, Deputy Country Director, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Moldova
50
SFM STAFF
Victor URSU, Executive Director [email protected] Varvara COLIBABA, Deputy Director [email protected] Silvia URSU, Communication Manager [email protected] Elena VACARCIUC, Finance Director [email protected] Dumitru CHITOROAGĂ, Grants Manager [email protected] Elena VITIUC, Chief Accountant [email protected] Liuba COTOROBAI, Accountant-cashier [email protected] Vasile GÎRLEA, Operations Manager [email protected] Victor ANDRONIC, LAN Manager [email protected] Ana COREŢCHI, Program Director, Equality and Civic Engagement [email protected] Ana CASTRAȘAN, Program Assistant, Equality and Civic Engagement [email protected] Victoria MIRON, Program Director, Media [email protected] Ion CEREVATÎI, Project Coordinator, Media Program [email protected] Adrian Bivol, Program Assistant, Media Program [email protected] Liliana GHERMAN, Program Director, Public Health [email protected] Vitalie SLOBOZIAN, Program Coordinator, Harm Reduction Subprogram [email protected] Ala COJOCARI, Financial and Procurement Specialist, Public Health Program [email protected] Veronica ZORILĂ, Monitoring, Evaluation&Training Specialist, Public Health Program [email protected] Angelica BORDEIANU, Project Coordinator, Public Health Program [email protected] Svetlana HANGAN, Project Coordinator, Public Health Program [email protected] Ștefan IVANOV, Program Assistant, Public Health [email protected] Petru CULEAC, Program Director, Good Governance [email protected] Alexandru MUSTEAȚĂ, Program Coordinator, Good Governance [email protected] Victor MUNTEANU, Program Director, Justice [email protected] Marcel VARMARI, Finance and Project Manager, Justice Program [email protected] Natalia CAMBURIAN, Project Coordinator, Justice Program [email protected] Marina COGÎLNICEANU, Project Coordinator, Justice Program [email protected] Dumitru PODGURSCHI, Program Assistant, Justice Program [email protected] Rodica MARCINSCHI, Program Assistant, Justice Program [email protected] Ana CHITOROAGĂ, Receptionist [email protected]
51
ANNEX Projects financially supported in 2015
Justice Program
No. Project Title Implementation Mechanism Budget Concept 1: Reduce Arbitrary Limitations of Human Rights 1 Addressing alleged conflicts between Operational Project selected rights (freedom of religion, non-discrimination, freedom of 8,456 US dollars assembly, sexual and reproductive rights, rights to health, etc.) 2 Securing Observance of Human Operational Project Rights through Effective Monitoring, 52,019 US dollars Reporting and Advocacy Techniques 2a Human Rights Fellowship Program Eleonora ANDRIUȚA, Georgeta for Young Activists ANUȘCA, Tatiana CHEBAC, Ilie CHIRTOACĂ, Ion CIOBANU, Lilia 12,000 US dollars COJOCARU, Ana-Maria NISTOR, Violetta ODAGIU, Dumitru SLIUSARENCO, Serghei ȚAPORDEI 2b Induction Training for Fellows on Operational Project 1,593 US dollars UPR Procedures 3 Concept Implementation Costs Operational Project 27,705 US dollars 4 Equipment donation for maintaining National Council for Legal Aid and functioning of the paralegals 435 US dollars network Total expenditures Concept 1: 102,208 US dollars Concept 2: Procedural Guarantees in the Pre-trial Stage of the Criminal Process 1 Review of the Existing Framework on Operational project Safeguards Regarding Pretrial 13,361 US dollars Related Rights 1a Travel grant for the Working Group Natalia ROȘCA, Mihaela VIDAICU responsible for the development of the study on alternative measures for the pre-trial arrest and the procedural 2,437 US dollars guarantees at the pre-trial stage of the criminal process, November 1-5, 2015, Bonn, Germany 2 Prevent Police Abuse and Arbitrary Operational Project Actions when Applying Apprehension 4,755 US dollars and Custody 2a Monitoring the Human Rights University Legal Clinic from Bălți Observance during Police Detention 9,780 US dollars in the Police Inspectorate from Bălți 3 Determine Criminal Justice Actors to Operational Project Issue Well-Reasoned Decisions on 33,527 US dollars Pre-trial Measures 4 Concept Implementation Costs Operational Project 33,998 US dollars 5 Promote Effective Implementation of Operational Project 13,529 US dollars Early Access to a Lawyer 6 Scientific Research Study related to Operational Project 637 US dollars Suspects’ Rights in Police Custody 6a Regional Meeting of LARN Inside Tudor OSOIANU, Mihaela VIDAICU 1,293 US dollars
52
Police Custody Researchers from Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, April 21- 22, Tbilisi, Georgia 6b Launching the Inside Police Custody Tudor OSOIANU, Mihaela VIDAICU Reports on Procedural Suspects’ Rights in Georgia, Moldova and 3,700 US dollars Ukraine, February 9-12, 2016, Tbilisi, Georgia 7 Participation of national consultants Ion GUZUN, Alexandru POSTICĂ in the international conference on the independent mechanisms of 1,106 US dollars investigation of torture, May 20-21, 2015, Yerevan, Armenia Total expenditures Concept 2: 118,123 US dollars Fealty to field: Increasing Judicial Accountability as a Pre-condition of the Justice Sector Reform 1 Promoting Efficient Accountability Legal Resources Centre from Moldova Mechanisms for Judges in Moldova 84,000 US dollars
Total expenditures Fealty to Field: 84,000 US dollars Shared Framework: Legal Empowerment of the Most Vulnerable Groups in Moldova 1 Participation of the Program Director Operational Project in the Legal Empowerment Charrette, 403 US dollars November 3-7, 2015, Istanbul, Turkey Total expenditures for Shared Framework: 403 US dollars
Program Administration Costs 75,956 US dollars Total Program Expenditures 380,690 US dollars
Good Governance Program
No Project title Implementation mechanism Budget Challenge Corrupt and Non-Transparent Management of Public Funds Objective 1.: Establish specific checks on the government within the budgetary processes 1. Budgetary process in Moldova: „Expert-Grup” Think Tank 76,839 US dollars monitoring transparency and promoting public control
Total 76,839 US dollars Objective 2: Promote integrity in the public office through increased civic control 2. Monitoring the integrity of public Association of Independent Press 38,851 US dollars officials and of candidates at local elections in 2015 through the online platform www.moldovacurata.md
3. Reinforcing public control over the Association of Participatory Democracy 39,131 US dollars integrity of public officials ADEPT
4. Promoting restorative measures in Center for Analysis and Prevention of 36,815 US dollars corruption cases Corruption 5. Journalists for integrity in public Center for Investigative Journalism 35,030 US dollars service
53
6. Promoting restorative measures in Operational project 6,654 US dollars corruption cases Total 156,481 US dollars
7. Public Opinion Barometer 2014 Institute for Public Policies 37,000 US dollars Total 37,000 US dollars Regional initiatives (EURASIA Program, OSF) 8. Study on Moldova's progress in the Operational project 1,901 US dollars process of EU association 9. Study on Moldova's progress in the Travel grant 3,820 US dollars process of EU association 10. Participation in the International Operational project 137 US dollars Workshop regarding public procurements, Belgrade, Serbia Total 5,858 US dollars
Program administration costs 45,674 US dollars Total program expenditures 318,518 US dollars
Media Program
No Project title Implementation mechanism Budget Initiative #1 1. Research study on 2015 transition to digital terrestrial television in Moldova, including needs Electronic Press Association APEL 15,693 US dollars assessment and action plan addressing current and potential risks to media pluralism and diversity 2 Regular monitoring of the supply of public information and particularly, of the effect of media concentration on Operational project 10,434 US dollars the diversity and independence of information and promote media pluralism debate in Moldova. Total expenditures on Initiative 1 26,127 US dollars Initiative 2 1 Media Forum 2015 Independent Press Association API 23,388 US dollars
2
On-line MediaForum platform and The Press Council, Independent 42,312 US dollars public debates Press Association (API)
3. Media fact-checking for a more protected society (to be implemented Info-Prim Neo Agency 49,355 US dollars in 2016)
Total expenditures on Initiative 2 115,055 US dollars Initiative 3 1 Collecting media programs produced by media outlets, TV channels and Operational project 40,132 US dollars online platforms from Moldova
Total expenditures on Initiative 3 40,132 US dollars
54
Third party 1 Strengthening the capacity of Moldovan local media for using online broadcast technologies and social media for delivering objective Operational project 118,634 US dollars information on democratic development and EU Association Agreement 2 Information campaign on the Association Agreement with the EU Operational project 20,241 US dollars „Moldova, Europe” Total Third party 138,875 US dollars
Total administrative costs 82,365 US dollars Total Program Expenditures 376,554 US dollars
Public Health Program
No. Project Title Implementer/NGO Amount TACKLING THE EXCLUSION AND DISCRIMINATION OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND MENTAL DISABILITIES AND PROMOTING COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES 1. Sustainable Social Services for Keystone Human Services 60 000 US dollars people with mental disabilities in the International Moldova Association context of decentralization of local government finances ADVANCING THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF PEOPLE FACING LIFE THREATENING DISEASES AND ENSURING ACCESS TO PALLIATIVE CARE 1. Co-financing the participation in Beneficiary: Valerian Isac 175 US dollars Palliative Care Pediatric Conference, Yerevan, Armenia, February 26-27, 2015 2. Co-financing the participation for an „National Association Of Palliative 1 190 US dollars experience exchange in Palliative Treatment” Public Association Care, in Dortmund, Germany, May 5- 10, 2015. 3. Hidden sickness - hidden patients „Zubresti Prosperity” Public 4 228 US dollars Association 4. World Hospice and Palliative Care „Angelus Taraclia'' Public Association 2 500 US dollars Day 5. Support for people with incurable „Angelus Soroca” Public Association 1 717 US dollars diseases 6. World Hospice Day 2015 - Hidden „Angelus Moldova” Medical-Social 5 974 US dollars Patients Hidden Lives Foundation 7. Development of pediatric palliative „National Association Of Palliative 35 475 US dollars care in Moldova Treatment” Public Association 8. Ensuring availability and affordability „National Association Of Palliative 43 335 US dollars of opioid analgesics Treatment” Public Association
9. Strengthening human resources in State Medical and Pharmaceutical 84 449 US dollars Palliative Care in Republic of University "Nicolae Testemitanu" Moldova Fealty to Field concept: HEALTH MONITOR 1. The Health Monitor Center for Health Policies and Studies 48 740 US dollars INCREASING THE INVOVEMENT OF HIV HIGH RISK GROUPS AND THIER RIGHTS PROMOTION
55
1. Increasing the financial sustainability Union of Organizations Operating in 21 300 US dollars and the capacity to implement Harm the Field of Harm Reduction Reduction Programs in the Republic of Moldova 2. Promoting the observance of the Promo-LEX Public Association 54 000 US dollars IDUs’ rights through monitoring, reporting and litigation OUTREACH ACTIVITIES FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS 1. HIV/AIDS and STIs Prevention NGO „Youth for the Right to Life”, Bălţi 51 340 Euro among FSWs from Bălţi and Ungheni branch within the Framework of the Harm Reduction Strategy 2. Prevention of HIV/AIDS and STIs NGO ''Medical Reforms'' 47 032 Euro among FSWs in Chişinău and Bender 3. Prevention of HIV/AIDS and STIs NGO '' Teenager'' 20 340 Euro among FSWs in Orhei 4. Prevention of HIV and STI in the NGO „Medical and Social Programs” 38 753 Euro Transnistria region through the increased access of SWs and IDUs to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment as well as other health services. 5. Prevention of HIV/AIDS and STIs NGO ” Step-by-Step” 11 822 Euro among SWs from Cahul based on the Harm Reduction Strategy. 6. Mobilization and involvement of MSM NGO „GenderDoc-M” Information 109 446 Euro and LGBT community in the Center notational response to HIV 7. HIV/AIDS prevention among IDUs NGO ''For Present and Future'' 83 208 Euro within the Framework of the Harm Reduction Strategy 8. HIV/AIDS and STIs prevention NGO „Youth for the Right to Life”, Bălţi 94 398 Euro among IDUs from Bălţi, Făleşti and branch Ungheni within the Framework of the Harm Reduction Strategy 9. HIV/AIDS prevention among IDUs NGO „Healthy Future” 46 610 Euro from Transnistria 10. HIV/AIDS and STIs prevention NGO '' Teenager'' 33 970 Euro among IDUs from Orhei AND Rezina 11. HIV prevention among IDUs in the NGO „Young Women Cernoleuca” 37 820 Euro northern region of the country, 2015 12. HIV prevention among IDUs in the NGO „Medical and Social Programs” 19 331 Euro prisons from Transnistria though needle exchange programs, information and educational activities. 13. HIV prevention among IDUs in NGO ”Trinity” 16 525 Euro Rîbniţa 14. HIV and STIs prevention among NGO „New Life” 41 687 Euro IDUs in mun. Chișinău and Anenii Noi, based on the Harm Reduction Strategy
56
15. Reducing the transmission of Department of Penitentiary Institutions 26 416 Euro communicable diseases and risk of the Ministry of Justice of the behavior associated with drugs use Republic of Moldova by implementing the needle exchange program in prisons 16. Build gender- specific and overdose NGO „Youth for the Right to Life”, Bălţi 2 620 Euro prevention activities within the grant branch nr. 14344 HIV/AIDS and STIs prevention among IDUs from Bălţi, Făleşti and Ungheni within the Framework of the Harm Reduction Strategy” 17. Build gender- specific and overdose NGO „New Life” 1 780 Euro prevention activities within the grant nr. 14337” HIV and STI prevention among IDUs in mun. Chișinău, Anenii Noi, based on the Harm reduction Strategy” 18. Build gender- specific and overdose NGO ''For Present and Future'' 3 360 Euro prevention activities within the grant nr. 14341 „HIV and STI prevention among IDUs based on the Harm Reduction Strategy” 19. Build gender- specific and overdose NGO „Young Women Cernoleuca” 1 085 Euro prevention activities within the grant nr. 14340 ”HIV and STI prevention among IDUs in the North of Moldova, based on the Harm Reduction Strategy 2015” 20. Build gender- specific and overdose NGO '' Teenager'' 2 780 Euro prevention activities within the grant nr. 14342 ”HIV and STI prevention among IDUs in Orhei şi Rezina, based on the Harm Reduction Strategy” 21. Build gender- specific and overdose NGO ”Trinity” 1 720 Euro prevention activities within the grant nr. 14339 „HIV prevention among IDUs in Rîbniţa” 22. Build gender- specific and overdose NGO „Healthy Future” 1 660 Euro prevention activities within the grant nr. 14338 ”HIV and STI prevention among IDUs in Transnistria”. 23. Build gender- specific and overdose Department of Penitentiary Institutions 420 Euro prevention activities within the grant of the Ministry of Justice of the nr. 14346 ”Reducing the transmission Republic of Moldova of communicable diseases and risk behaviour associated with drugs use by implementing the needle exchange program in prisons” 24. Increase access of IDUs from mun. NGO ''For Present and Future'' 12 335 Euro Chișinău to harm reduction services though PDI (peer driven interventions)
57
25. Increase access of IDUs from mun. NGO „Youth for the Right to Life”, Bălţi 7 443 Euro Bălți to harm reduction services branch though PDI (peer driven interventions) 26. Increase access of IDUs from NGO „Healthy Future” 6 814 Euro Tiraspol to harm reduction services though PDI (peer driven interventions)
27. Increase access of SWs in mun. Bălți NGO „Youth for the Right to Life”, Bălţi 7 462 Euro to harm reduction services through branch PDI (peer driven interventions) 28. Increase access of SWs in mun. NGO ''Medical Reforms'' 7 192 Euro Chișinău to harm reduction services through PDI (peer driven interventions) 29. Increase access of MSM in NGO „GenderDoc-M” Information 8 878 Euro mun. Chișinău to harm reduction Center services through PDI (peer driven interventions) 30. Provide harm reduction services NGO „Youth for the Right to Life”, Bălţi 11 828 Euro among IDUs through the network of branch pharmacies 31. Carrying out 3 trainings within the NGO „GenderDoc-M” Information 11 916 Euro grant nr. 14332 Mobilization and Center involvement of MSM and LGBT community in the notational response to HIV 32. Editing and re-editing of informational NGO „Healthy Future” 1 975 Euro materials for target groups (IDUs, FSWs). CARE AND SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS 1. Ensuring universal access of PLWHA NGO „New Life”, Chișinău 65 674 Euro to psycho-social services. 2. Care and support to PLWHA through NGO „Second Breath for the Elderly 36 717 Euro the multidisciplinary team in the and Inactive People”, Bălţi North of Moldova.
3. Increasing access of PLWHA to care NGO „Faith”, Chişinău 29 343 Euro and support services.
4. Care and support for PLWHA from NGO ”Regional Centre for Community 26 885 Euro the central region Policies”, Chişinău
5. Increasing the quality of life of NGO „Faith North”, Bălţi 16 069 Euro PLWHA in Floreşti and Râşcani.
6. Care and support for PLWHA. NGO “Step-by-Step, southern region”, 16 952 Euro Cahul
7. Access of PLWHA to care and NGO “Trinity”, Rîbnița 24 522 Euro support in the rayons of Rîbniţa and Camenca.
8. Choice NGO “Miloserdie”, Bender 32 476 Euro
58
9. Care and support to PLWHIV from NGO „Healthy Future”, Tiraspol 33 908 Euro Dnestrovsk, Slobozia and Grigoriopol. 10. Support for the Regional Social NGO „Faith”, Chişinău 39 837 Euro Centre for PLWHA, Chişinău.
11. Support for the Regional Social NGO „New Life”, Chişinău 31 773 Euro Centre for PLWHA, Chişinău 12. Development and provision of NGO „Second Breath for the Elderly 47 085 Euro specialised social services for and Inactive People”, Bălţi PLWHA within the Regional Social Centre from Bălți. 13. Care and support for PLWHA in: Public Institution – Regional Social 39 546 Euro Comrat, Cimişlia, Ceadîr - Lunga, Center for PLWHIV ''Together for Life'', Taraclia, Basarabeasca Comrat
14. Support for the Regional Social NGO „Healthy Future”, Tiraspol 43 148 Euro Centre for PLWHA, Tiraspol
15. Development of palliative care Medico-Social Foundation „Angelus 10 224 Euro services in HIV/AIDS in Chişinău and Moldova”, Chisinau Bălţi
Project STRENGTHENING TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
1. Social and psychological support to NGO ” Medical-Social Programs”, 4 784 Euro TB patients Bender (1.01.2015-30.06.2015) 2. Support TB detection and treatment NGO ” Medical-Social Programs”, 12 480 Euro among vulnerable people in Bender Bender and Slobozia (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) 3. Together against tuberculosis NGO „Hope of Land”, Bălți 4 944 Euro (01.01.2015-30.06.2015) 4. Together against tuberculosis NGO „Hope of Land”, Bălți 3 965 Euro (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) 5. TB detection among homeless NGO „Hope of Land”, Bălți 2 096 Euro people (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) 6. Providing access to TB diagnosis NGO ”AFI”, Chișinău 7 106 Euro and treatment services for homeless people from Chisinau (01.01.2015-30.06.2015) 7. Providing access to TB diagnosis NGO ”AFI”, Chișinău 14 046 Euro and treatment services for homeless people from Chisinau (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) 8. Support group meetings for TB NGO „National Association of TB 5 750 Euro patients patients (ANBT) in Moldova “SMIT”, (01.01.2015-30.06.2015) Bălți 9. Strengthening the capacity of NGO „Tighina Psychological 4 822 Euro community actors in increasing the Association”, Căușeni success rate in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis (01.01.2015-30.06.2015
59
10. Using the capacity of community NGO „Tighina Psychological 4 870 Euro actors in TB prevention and Association”, Căușeni treatment (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) 11. Reduce the incidence of TB in NGO ” Social Center "House of 4 591 Euro Soroca through involvement and Hope"”, Soroca information (01.01.2015-30.06.2015) 12. Reduce the incidence of TB in NGO ” Social Center "House of 6 040 Euro Soroca through strenghening Hope"”, Soroca community efforts (01.07.2015-31.12.2015 13. Support group meetings for TB NGO „National Association of TB 8 323 Euro patients patients (ANBT) in Moldova “SMIT”, (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) Bălți
14. Strengthening human resources NGO ”AFI”, Chișinău 12 621 Euro capacities in penitentiaries on both sides of the Dniester River to ensure continuity of tuberculosis treatment, including after release period (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) 15. Support TB detection and treatment NGO ” Medical-Social Programs”, 1 300 Euro among homeless people in Bender Bender (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) 16. Prevention, early detection and NGO “Youth for the right ti live”, Bălţi 4 120 Euro treatment activities for TB risk groups branch in Balti (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) 17. Social and psychological support for NGO „ACTIV”, Bender 4 546 Euro TB/MDR patients (01.02.2015-30.06.2015) 18. Social and psychological support for NGO „ACTIV”, Bender 14 942 Euro TB/MDR patients (01.07.2015-31.12.2015) 19. Anenii Noi district community NGO „AFI Anenii Noi”, Anenii Noi 6 458 Euro involvement in facilitating access to TB prevention and treatment for vulnerable groups (01.07.2015-31.12.2015)
Equality and Civic Engagement Program
# Project Title Implementation Mechanism Budget
1. Differences are not Obstacles Dacia – Youth Resource Center Public 22,700 US dollars Association 2. Roma Woman towards Career MoldSolidarity Public Association for 22,273 US dollars Development Youth
3. Equal Access to Work for All Step by Step, South Region Public 22,750 US dollars Association
4. Promoting Human Rights in Media Media Center Public Association 17,382 US dollars through Personal Stories of Persons
60
Exposed to Discrimination from Gagauz and Transnistrian Regions
5. Access to Early Childhood Education Iedera-Dubăsarii Vechi Public 21,327 US dollars Association 6. Protection against Real GenderDoc-M Information Center 20,000 US dollars Discrimination
7. Strengthening Capacities of Civil Promo-LEX Public Association 20,000 US dollars Society in Moldova, including the Transnistrian Region, in Fighting Discrimination through Documentation, Litigation and Advocacy
8. Training program in anti- Equality and Civic Engagement 17,372 US dollars discrimination for nongovernmental Program, Soros Foundation-Moldova organizations
9. Social Assistant - a Social Assistant AFI Center for Health Development 7,302 US dollars for All
10. Equal Access – Equal Chances Association of Children with Physical 7,997 US dollars Disabilities from Peresecina
11. Empowerment of Persons with Moldovan Society of Multiple Sclerosis 8,000 US dollars Multiple Sclerosis Public Association
12. Open Your Heart! We are Alike Step by Step, South Region Public 7,999 US dollars Association 13. Accessibility is a Right, not a Always Together Public Association 7,360 US dollars Privilege
14. Equals in Accessibility Artena Public Association 7,997 US dollars
15. Training program for beneficiaries of Equality and Civic Engagement 3,375 US dollars the “Communicating Diversity Program, Soros Foundation-Moldova Through Storytelling” Project Operational expenditures 3,014 US dollars Program Administration Expenditures 54,653 US dollars Total program expenditures 271,501 US dollars
Moldova Education Reform Project
No Project Implementation Mechanism Budget Education in Moldova: Competences for Today and Tomorrow 1. Education in Moldova: competences Soros Foundation-Moldova, in 50,012 US dollars for today and tomorrow collaboration with the Ministry of Education 2. Comparative and International Participation in the Conference and 7,508 US dollars Education Society (CIES) ESP Board Meeting of Maia SANDU, Conference and ESP Board Meeting Minister of Education, and Liliana in Washington NICOLĂESCU-ONOFREI, Deputy Minister of Education
61
Total expenditures for Component 1 - 57,520 US dollars Social Compact for Education Reform 1. Strengthening the Civil Society Efforts Institute for Public Policy 27,000 US dollars towards the Development of an Open, Participatory, Performance-based Education
2. E DUrabil+ Increasing the Activism of CATALACTICA Association Moldova 26,000 US dollars Local Communities – The Key Element of the Educational Process from the Perspective of Social Participation
3. For Qualitative and Sustainable Pro Didactica Education Center 27,000 US dollars Reforms 4. Civil Society Observatory in Institute for Public Policy 50,000 US dollars Education Reform 5. E DUrabil + Engaging Parents as CATALACTICA Association Moldova 32,600 US dollars Main Actors of the Educational System 6. Developing Human Resources in ProDidactica Education Center 19,500 US dollars Education: from Strategic Ideas to Sustainable Actions Total expenditures for Component 2 – 182,100 USD School Learning Labs / Multimedia Classes 1 Multimedia Classes Teacher Training Soros Foundation-Moldova and CICTE 4,691 US dollars 2. Acquisition of the Classroom Software donation to CICTE to be used 750 US dollars Management Software Netop Vision in Teacher Training Pro 3. Educational Digital Resources for Awards granted to teachers from 20,158 US dollars Multimedia Classes Contest Multimedia Classes, based on an Open Competition Total expenditures for Component 3 - 25,599 US dollars Total expenditures for project activities: 265,219 US dollars Education Coordinators’ Meeting in Belgrade, organized by ESP/OSF, participation of 828 US dollars Ana COREȚ CHI, MERP Director, and Viorica PALAMARCIUC, MERP Coordinator Project administration expenditures 17,523 US dollars
Total Project expenditures 283,570 US dollars
62