FLGR completed the NGOs - Reliable Partners For Development Project, funded by the Operational Programme Administrative capacity, co-funded by the European Social Fund.

The project was funded with the sum of 171,221 EUR and lasted 18 months.

The main goal of the project was to strengthen the capacity of the NGO sector in South Central planning region in developing and implementing local and regional policies in partnership with the public administration.

The results of the project are:

- Current situation analysis of the NGO sector in South Central Planning region, needs assessment in information and trainings;

- Elaboration of training programmes to strengthen the capacity of the NGOs in the spheres of interaction with the local governments, local development and institutional strengthening;

- 45 organisations, chosen on a competitive basis went through 2 training cycles, that is 21 trainings as a whole (15 trainings in local development and 6 trainings in institutional strengthening);

- 60 people, representatives of NGOs successfully passed through trainings in local development and were certified as Expert in community development and institutional partnership;

- 36 representatives of NGOs successfully passed through cycle of 3 trainings "Facilitation of public hearings and public discussions" and were certified as Expert Facilitator of public hearings and public discussions;

- 27 NGOs were certified as Mediator between citizens and local government;

- Organisational strategies of 11 NGOs were elaborated;

- The team of FLGR strengthened its capacity in application of CAF system in the Bulgarian municipalities;

- FLGR established Innovative Practices Team that developed feasible models for partnership between NGOs and public administration in formulation and implementation of local policies in 10 areas of community interest;

- NGO resource site was developed and activated where news on NGO initiatives, library resources, good practices. The site was designed as a tool for partner search in the sphere of local and regional development. 238 NGOs registered themselves at the site and have the possibility to update their profile.

- 72 e-Weekly Bulletins with the rubric NGO News were issued and disseminated among 10 000 subscribers;

- Collection of 20 Innovative Practices "Partners for Development" of partnerships for development between NGOs and local authorities was issued in 1000 print run disseminated. The good practices come from old EU member states such as Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, France, Greece, UK, Spain, Germany and Finland, and also from the new - of 2004 - member states, such as Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary;

- Analysis named "Legal framework for participation of civic organizations in the government. Models. Conclusions and recommendations" was issued and disseminated (1000 print run);

- As a whole 400 people participated in three thematic round tables ("The citizen impact on local policies - forms of direct citizen participation"; "Partnership and clear vision for development - precondition for successful project financing"; "NGOs - effective partners in public service provision") and in the 2 Closing Conferences entitled "Citizen society without citizens? How to bind personal and community interest?"

- A network of partner organizations working in the field of local development was built;

- The Network started initiative Citizen Community.

 

FLGR highly appreciates all NGOs for their active participation in the activities under the project and for their support in carrying them out. FLGR declare its readiness to continue working on common initiatives in the future.