The Institute for Sustainable Communities leaves Macedonia

Nine years dedicated to the civil sector in Macedonia

At the end of 2004 finished the fourth and last phase of the programme DemNet that was implemented by the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) from Vermont, USA, through the local office in Skopje. The programme was financially supported by the American development agency (USAID) and lasted for nine years. More than 300 civil organizations were supported through its programme and about 8 million American dollars were invested in the Macedonian civil society. Just because of this, in this issue of Civic world we take account of the achievements of the Programme for democratic cooperation.

Protection of the environment, focus of the first phase
The first support that ISC gave to the Macedonian civil society was dedicated to the environmental organizations or to those that implemented projects for protection of the environment. The reason for choosing ecology as an only focus was the assumption that this topic can raise the civil interest. Starting from 1995 to the completion of the first phase in 1998, 66 organizations were supported, and 70 projects whose value was 326,000 American dollars were conducted. The organizations could compete in four competitions, and the maximum budget of the projects was 5,000 for the independent ones, i.e. 7,000 American dollars for the coalition projects.

In that period ISC formed a pool of local trainers. They were trained themselves, and then they conducted trainings at the organizations that were supported with grants by ISC.

After the completion of the first phase of the Programme, the view back showed that the number of included organizations is very big because of which it was impossible to dedicate enough attention and to influence considerably the building of the capacity of the organizations. Because of that, the recommendation for the next phase was the Programme to focus on certain number of organizations that will be developed. Apart from that, it was recommended to extend the thematic focus, other topics to be included apart from the ecology.

Strengthening the capacity of 27 organizations
By implementing the recommendations in practice, ISC in the second phase of the Programme for democratic cooperation chose 27 organizations whose capacity it should have developed. There was no restriction connected to the topics in which the organizations work.

Six of the included organizations were supposed to prepare local environmental action plans (LEAP), so their programme was more specific. One of the criteria at these organizations was the cooperation with the local selfgovernment because of which the document that was supposed to be prepared in the end had to be adopted by the Council of the municipality.

“We developed and delivered more trainings in the second phase”, says Zarko Koneski, manager for training and communication. “The organizations included in the Programme could follow the trainings for organizational strengthening, lobbying and representing, management of CO, media, mobilization of funds and partnership”, adds Koneski.

During the implementation of DemNet in the second phase, the Kosovo crisis occurred as well. “During the crisis, a lot of organizations stopped their regular activities”, says Zoran Stojkovski, manager of projects and coordinator of the youth programme. “ISC met the new needs of the organizations derived from the change of the context and supported with financial aid the organizations in Debar, Gostiver and Struga. The support was aimed for humanitarian aid”, said Stojkovski.

 

Aims of DemNet
Improving the abilities of the civil organizations for striving and building coalitions;
Wider civil participation through civil organizations in the decisions of the public policies;
Creating models of successful public participation in the decision making;
Improving the sustainability of the civil organizations;
Building informal nets and partnerships between the civil organizations;
Prompting the development of the support organizations.

Even bigger interest
The interest of the civil organizations to get the support of DemNet increased even more in the third phase that started in 2000 and lasted until 2002. More than 200 organizations applied at the competition at which 28 new ones were chosen that will become part of DemNet.

“Part of the organizations from the previous phase remained in the next phase”, says Stojkovski. “The basic criterion was partnership with the local government, the business-sector, the national government or other actors.”

Characteristic of the third phase was continuing the LEAPs. The organizations were now supported to implement the prepared and approved plans. The support was up to 15,000 American dollars.

Part of the new organizations were supported to make action plans for the communities. They were supposed to include a complete development of the community, starting from economy, through education, to culture.

During the third phase of DemNet, six competitions were announced for small grants that were available also for the organizations out of those selected.

In the third phase the number of supported organizations was the biggest and was 146. The total sum invested in the third phase was 650,254 American dollars.

Focus again
At the end of the third phase it was determined that the number of covered organizations is big and that it’s necessary for the Programme to focus itself in order to achieve results and those results to be visible.

In the fourth phase that lasted from 2002 to 2004, 41 organizations were selected that worked on more different topics as gender issues and marginalized groups, youth issues, development of the community, prevention of conflicts and people trafficking. The financial support in this phase is 858,650 American dollars.

 

Centre for institutional development – CIDe
One of the aims in the fourth phase of the implementation of DemNet was forming a local organization – an heir that will continue the work on the development of the civil society in Macedonia. “We consider the creation of the CIDe as a direct advantage of strengthening our capacity”, says Zoran Stojkovski, president of the organization. The organization will work on building the capacity of the civil organizations and the local communities, strengthening the cooperation and coordination among the leading CO and the organizations supporters of the civil society, improving the public image of CO, will strive and lobby for topics connected with the civil sector and will work on the development of the local philanthropy and the sustainability of the sector.

 

Zoran Ilieski, Youth board – Prilep
The participation in the Programme for democratic cooperation (in the fourth phase) contributed towards the strengthening of the capacity of our organization, especially in the part of lobbying and representing in front of the state institutions, as well as managing projects. The strengthened capacities of our organization brought to preparation of other projects that in the nine-month period were financially supported by different donors (Taking care International, “Creating youth policy”, “Strengthening the capacities of CO”, CARITAS “Youth for democracy”, “Training for young leaders”, FIOOM “Dialogue with youngsters”, Taking care International, “Development Cooperation Ireland”, ISC/USAID and FIOOM “Conference for youth policy for the countries of South-East Europe).

Part of the services that our organization offers refer to delivering training for youngsters and CO as a target group. Thanks to the participation in DemNet, the strengthened capacities of the organization reflected on the trainings that we delivered on the topics: “Methods of facilitation” (target group CO, members of the coalition SEGA), “Development of presentation skills”, “Organizational abilities” and “Building a team” (target group young local leaders).

As a result of the implementation of the project with DemNet, in our organization a rule-book was brought for noting the time of work of the volunteers in the organization, a rule-book for stopping a conflict of interests and a strategic plan of the organization.

 
Gonce Jakovleska