The main reasons behind the idea of developing the project can be viewed from two perspectives. On the one hand, since its establishment BCNL has been working to improve the legal and financial framework for civil society organizations. Our experts are at the core of justifying the concept of public benefit organizations (PBO) and their registration in the special Central register. An effective register is an essential prerequisite for transparent governance of the organizations and their visibility to the general public. An effective register can also be considered a reliable tool for raising awareness among the general public and media about the profile of PBO. As a supporter of the idea to have a Central Register for Public Benefit Organizations, it was our professional interest to develop such a project. Thus we aimed to assess whether the Central Register, almost 9 years after its establishment, plays the role and serves the purposes envisaged at its inception. Moreover, such an assessment had not been made before. On the other hand, some other important factors provoked the implementation of such a project, namely:
- Since CR establishment till now the number of public benefit organizations has increased significantly. At the same time, many of the registered organizations complain of inefficiencies in the register operation, leading to outdated information related to PBO status;
- The increased number of refusals for registration;
- Lack of clear information on how the CR controls the registered organization;
With view of the above, the target groups affected by the project were clearly defined as CR administration and registered organizations. The registered NGOs are directly affected by the transparent and effectively functioning CR. More broadly, the existence of a good and effective record of public benefit organizations would have a positive effect on the general public and media as they will have access to up-to-date information on the activities of public benefit organizations.
The overall objective of the project was the improvement of the effectiveness of the Central Register of NGOs (CR) at the Ministry of Justice in order to achieve transparency of the activities and the status of the registered NGOs. Specific objectives included:
- Assessment of the activities of the CR concerning its functions and powers in relation to NGOs;
- Development of a mechanism for periodical assessment of CR activities;
- Improvement of the effectiveness of the CR through formulation of concrete recommendations and an action plan for their implementation;
- Promotion of the assessment and the measures for improvement of the CR activity.
The main activities included: preparation of an assessment report on the activity of the CR based on the methodology developed and information gathered from different sources; formulation of a set of recommendations for improving the operation of the CR. The recommendations were widely discussed with all stakeholders, such as NGO representatives, representatives of the institutions who interact with the CR, like court, prosecution, the National Revenue Agency, as well as representatives from CR. The recommendations were discussed at expert level meetings as well as during the round table public discussion on the assessment of CR.
The main results are the existence of an independent external assessment of the operation of the CR and elaborated recommendations. The recommendations are grouped in two categories – recommendations related to the organization of work of CR and recommendations related to the legislative amendments. The organizational ones are feasible in the short term without the need for accumulation of financial resources for their implementation.
Contact information
Ralitsa Velichkova
Bulgarian Center for-not-for profit law
6 Dobrudja Str., fl.1, Sofia 1000
tel/fax: ++359 2 981 66 17; ++359 2 988 81 66
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