`2f CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT QUARTERLY REPORT #6 Reporting period: January 1 – March 31, 2018 April 30, 2018 This publication was produced by the East-West Management Institute, Inc., for review by the United States Agency for International Development CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT QUARTERLY REPORT #6 Reporting period: January 1 – March 31, 2018 Prepared under the USAID’s Civic Engagement Project (CEP) in Macedonia Contract Number AID-165-C-16-00003 Submitted to: USAID/Macedonia on May 2, 2018 Contractor: East-West Management Institute, Inc. Disclaimer This document is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the East West Management Institute, Inc., and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. USAID’s CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT - QUARTERLY REPORT #6 - JANUARY 1 - MARCH 31, 2018 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................................... 3 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................... 4 SECTION I: INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 8 1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 8 1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................... 9 1.3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................................... 10 SECTION II: PROJECT ACTIVITIES .......................................................................................... 11 2.1 COMPONENT ONE: STRENGTHEN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION ALLIANCES ................................................ 11 2.2 COMPONENT TWO: STRENGTHEN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS ........................................................... 15 2.3 COMPONENT THREE: STRENGTHEN YOUTH ENGAGEMENT ...................................................................... 28 2.4 COMPONENT FOUR: STRENGTHEN YOUTH ACTIVISM ............................................................................ 35 CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FOR CEP’S TRANSITION ORGANIZATIONS .............................................. 40 SECTION III: CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES ............................................................................ 42 3.1 PUBLIC OUTREACH................................................................................................................ 42 3.2. MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING PLAN ................................................................ 44 3.3 COOPERATION WITH USAID AND OTHER DONOR PROGRAMS .................................................. 45 USAID’s CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT - QUARTERLY REPORT #6 - JANUARY 1 – MARCH 31, 2018 3 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ACA Advocacy Capacity Assessment ACP Anti-Corruption Platform, Macedonia ADI Association for Democratic Initiatives, Gostivar, Macedonia ASC USAID’s Advancing Social Cohesion Project in Macedonia AECOM Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Management BIRN Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Macedonia BPIE Best Practices and Innovation Event CAC Contemporary Arts Center, Macedonia CCC Association of Citizens’ Center for Civil Communications, Macedonia CDA Capacity Development Assistance CDP Capacity Development Plan CEA Center for Economic Analysis, Macedonia CEA Center for Education of Adults, Macedonia CEP USAID’s Civic Engagement Project in Macedonia CfEI Call for Expression of Interest CIVIL Center for Freedom, Macedonia COP Chief of Party COR USAID’s Contracting Officer Representative CSO Civil Society Organization DCM Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Macedonia DCoP Deputy Chief of Party DOC USAID’s Development, Outreach, and Communication Office ESARM Employment Service Agency of the Republic of Macedonia ESE Association for Emancipation, Solidarity, and Equality of Women, Macedonia USAID’s CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT - QUARTERLY REPORT #6 - JANUARY 1 - MARCH 31, 2018 4 EU European Union EUROTHINK Center for European Strategies, Macedonia EWMI East-West Management Institute, Inc. FAA Fixed Amount Award FACE Foundation Agro-Center for Education, Macedonia FISCAST Fiscal Accountably, Sustainability and Transparency, Macedonia CSRD FORUM Association FORUM - Center for Strategic Research and Documentation, Macedonia FOSM Foundation Open Society in Macedonia FRU Faculty of Things that Can't Be Learned, Bitola, Macedonia GAU Grant Administration Unit GDO USAID’s General Development Office Director GEP Gender Equality Platform GM Grants Manager GRC Grants Review Committee GUC Grants under Contract ICRP Indirect Cost Rate Proposal ICT4D Information and Communication Technology for Development INKLUZIVA Association for Promotion and Development of an Inclusive Society, Kumanovo, Macedonia ISCP USAID Information Safety and Capacity Project IZBOR Association for Counselling, Treatment, Reintegration and Resocialization of People Addicted to Psychoactive Substances, Strumica, Macedonia KULT-TRANZEN Association for Culture and Development of Creative Industries, Strumica, Macedonia LC Learning Circle LCDF Local Community Development Foundation, Shtip, Macedonia LEAD MK Linking, Engagement, Advocacy, and Development Program under CEP USAID’s CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT - QUARTERLY REPORT #6 - JANUARY 1 – MARCH 31, 2018 5 LPA Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs, USAID MCIC Macedonian Center for International Cooperation MELP Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan MEPO Monitoring, Evaluation, and Public Outreach MIM Macedonian Institute for Media Mladiinfo Association for Education Mladiinfo International, Macedonia MoC Memorandum of Cooperation MoE Ministry of Economy MoU Memorandum of Understanding MLSP Ministry of Labor and Social Policy MSI USAID’s Macedonia Support Initiative M&E Monitoring and Evaluation NALAS Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe NDI National Democratic Institute NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements NYCM National Youth Council of Macedonia OACA EWMI’s Advocacy and Organizational Capacity Assessment OCA Organizational Capacity Assessment ODRM Organizational Development Road Map OTI Office of Transition Initiatives, USAID PAB Project Advisory Board (referring to CEP’s grantees) PAUM Protective Association Union of Macedonia (ZAPOVIM) PCM Project Cycle Management PG Partnership Grants Program under CEP PMU Project Management Unit PRO Public Revenue Office, Macedonia PUBLIC Association for Research, Communications, and Development, Macedonia USAID’s CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT - QUARTERLY REPORT #6 - JANUARY 1 - MARCH 31, 2018 6 REACTOR Research in Action Association, Macedonia RfA Request for Applications RfCP Request for Concept Papers RRGs Rapid Response Grants under CEP SCPC State Commission for Prevention of Corruption SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDSM Social Democratic Union of Macedonia SEGA Coalition of Youth Organizations SEGA, Prilep, Macedonia SEP Secretariat for European Affairs, Macedonia SP Strategic Plan SSG Strategic Support Grants under CEP StG Standard Grant TA Technical Assistance UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Program USAID US Agency for International Development USG Government of the United States of America VETC Vocational Education and Training Center WFT Association Women's Forum, Tetovo, Macedonia YCEA Youth Civic Engagement Award under CEP YDIM Youth Development Index in Macedonia YES Youth Engagement Support (Grants) under CEP YEI USAID Youth Ethnic Integration Project in Macedonia ZELS Association of the Units of Local Self-governments, Macedonia USAID’s CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT - QUARTERLY REPORT #6 - JANUARY 1 – MARCH 31, 2018 7 SECTION I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The East-West Management Institute, Inc., (EWMI) is pleased to submit the sixth quarterly report covering activities of USAID’s Civic Engagement Project (hereinafter referred to as “CEP”) during January 1 – March 31, 2018. Key outputs and outcomes for the reporting period include: • CEP issued and promoted the second Request for Applications for Partnership Grants, RfA # CEP–PG-02. CEP received 19 applications; 18 of them passed the initial eligibility screening and were reviewed by the Grant Review Committee (GRC); CEP pre-selected 5 applications and submitted them to USAID for pre-approval; • CEP organized 4 information sessions to promote its second RfA for PGs; 66 participants representing 57 different civil society organizations (CSOs) attended these events; • CEP signed Grant Agreements with 7 CSOs under the second RfA for Strategic Support Grants (SSG); on March 1, 6 SSGs began implementing their project activities. CEP Grant Administration Unit held 22 meetings with unsuccessful SSG applicants; • CEP conducted the Advocacy and Organizational Capacity Assessment (OACA) of 7 second round SSGs, engaging 29 management and other staff from these grantees: • CEP conducted Strategic Planning Workshop with 2 second round SSGs; • CEP organized its Second Quarterly Grantee Meeting with the participation of representatives of 22 CEP grantees, where CEP staff and grantees discussed CEP’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan; shared grantees’