ACTIVITY DATES: September 2007 - September 2010

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Agency for Social Information (ASI)

REGION(S): Altaiskiy kray, Arkhangelskaya oblast, Buryatiya Republic, Chelyabinskaya oblast, Kaliningradskaya oblast, Kaluzhskaya oblast, Kemerovskaya oblast, Khabarovskiy kray, Krasnodarskiy kray, Krasnoyarskiy kray, Mordoviya Republic, Moscow, Nizhegorodskaya oblast, Novosibirskaya oblast, Permskaya oblast, St. Petersburg, Sverdlovskaya oblast, Tomskaya oblast, Ulyanovskaya oblast, Penzenskaya oblast

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The project seeks to address impediments to the development of the NGO sector in Russia, such as the general lack of public support for civil society and an underdeveloped culture of citizens' participation. A stronger constituency for NGOs will be enabled through improved outreach and increased citizen participation in volunteer and charitable activities. Public trust in NGOs will be enhanced through improved accountability and transparency that promote high performance standards among NGOs. In this project, ASI works collaboratively with the Constructive Approach Foundation (Foundation "Sozidaniye") and the St. Petersburg NGO Development Center.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

A comprehensive sociological research in citizens' perceptions of volunteerism and NGO activity was conducted in 2008. The research showed that despite a lack of public awareness and a low level of participation in NGO activities, the majority of citizens are interested in the work of NGOs. A critical lack of information about NGOs was found to be the main hurdle to the development of volunteerism.

To address this deficiency in information, a large-scale public awareness campaign called "It's So Simple" was developed to promote volunteerism and philanthropy through NGOs. Since the launch of the campaign in early 2009, more than 10 Russia's regions have joined and a campaign web site http://www.tak-prosto.org/ was developed, which includes an all-Russia database of NGOs soliciting public support. The awareness campaign has already generated over 30 events, the most prominent being a "Week of Good Deeds" this past spring in which over 1 million people took part throughout Russia; a Moscow children's festival on the eve of International Children's Day, with over 30 NGOs and more than 10,000 participants; and participation in the annual Afisha Festival in Moscow, which attracted about 25,000 visitors and included a Charity Village featuring the campaign.

The project also conducted four distance learning courses on: Public Relations for NGOs, Management of Trust in NGOs, Volunteers in NGOs and Service Learning.  These courses attracted over one thousand trainees from Russia, CIS countries, and countries further abroad.

A Code of Fundamental NGO Principles ("NGO-coordinates") has been developed and presented for public signing. More than 200 NGOs have already become signatories, committing themselves to observe such core principles as transparency, public service, and democratic management. The Code is posted on the website http://www.nkozakon.ru/.

The project also launched a new web resource focusing on volunteerism and charity development in Russia at http://www.kompas-dobra.ru/.

ACTIVITY DATES: July 2007 - June 2010

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Southern Regional Resource Center (SRRC)

REGION(S): Adygeya Republic, Chechenskaya Republic, Dagestan Republic, Ingushetiya Republic, Kabardino-Balkariya Republic, Karachayevo-Cherkesiya Republic, Krasnodarskiy kray, Rostovskaya oblast, Severnaya Osetiya-Alaniya Republic, Stavropolskiy kray, Volgogradskaya oblast

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The project aims to strengthen the impact of the Southern Regional Resource Center (SRRC) and its regional NGO network in the area of public policy formulation in Southern Russia by advancing effective techniques of citizen engagement and forging effective mechanisms for NGO-government interaction.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

Building on the achievements of the previous Third Sector Advancement Program, the SRRC has become an important regional resource for NGOs and a critical interlocutor and source of expertise for regional and local government authorities in Southern Russia.  Recognized as an effective technical leader, SRRC has been invited by Krasnodar Kray Administration to conduct an anti-corruption survey for the region.

Specific achievements include:

• Development of a model for government-civil society negotiations, piloted in Krasnodar and replicated in eight districts of Southern Russia, that fosters productive communication among stakeholders - including NGOs, government, political parties and public movements - with a view to increasing public participation in policymaking and promoting social stability in the region.
• Monitoring of legislation regulating public hearings procedure underway in Krasnodar Kray, and in the territories of its network members in the Southern Federal District, to ensure proper implementation of required citizen participation mechanisms.
• Production of a newspaper New Reality that keeps NGOs, executive and legislative agencies, municipal and oblast administrations, and territorial self-governing bodies apprised of NGO-driven initiatives in the region, and improves NGO-government cooperation.

ACTIVITY DATES: September 2006 - September 2009

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: International Center for Non-Profit Law (ICNL)

REGION(S):

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The project aims to improve the legal and regulatory environment for civil society organizations (CSOs) and improve the professional development of lawyers specialized in NGO law.  The program monitors and analyzes the implementation of existing NGO-related legislation, assists NGOs in complying with legal requirements, provides technical guidance and training to NGO lawyers, and advocates for constructive changes in the NGO operating environment. 

The International Center for Non-Profit Law (ICNL) implements this project in collaborations with the Agency for Social Information, the Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights, and the Association Lawyers for Civil Society.  The partners also cooperate closely with the Presidential Council on the Development of Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights, the Federal Public Chamber, the Expert Council of the Ombudsman of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry for Economic Development and Trade to promote the adoption of progressive amendments to existing laws regulating the work of CSOs.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

In the aftermath of the 2006 federal legislation on NGO registration and reporting, the project has assisted NGOs with compliance and advocated for the improvement of the legal environment.  A network of NGO lawyers operating in 30 Russian regions have provided assistance to 10,300 NGOs through about 11,500 in-person or long-distance consultations.  Regional lawyers contribute annually to more than 120 workshops and training events for NGOs.

An ICNL-led consortium has contributed to over 15 positive legislative initiatives and policy documents, including amendments to the NGO Law, laws related to NGO endowments, amendments to the Tax Code and Civil Code, and the Law on Charities.  In April 2009, ICNL organized the first international conference on Russian NGO legislation and international practice, which brought together 150 policy-makers, NGO lawyers and representatives of the donor community

More than 600 articles related to non-profit organizations and public associations were published on http://www.nkozakon.ru/, a clearinghouse website on NGO legislation that has attracted almost 20,000 visitors.

ACTIVITY DATES: September 2005 - August 2009

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX)

REGION(S): Moscow

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Dialogue project aims to foster dialogue within civil society on sector-wide and issue-specific issues. The advocacy and policy analysis capacity of civil society organizations is improved and constructive policy dialogue between NGOs and the government at the national, regional, and local levels is promoted.  The project seeks to consolidate the NGO community along thematic lines by supporting grants to issue-based coalitions, funding research and analysis on key issues, and fostering a constructive role for NGOs in policymaking - especially concerning the priority National Projects of housing, health care and education.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

Over 25 regional and interregional coalitions to advocate for wide-ranging issues-including housing rights, education reform, environmental protection, improved health care, and rights of people with disabilities-have been created in over 70 Russian regions. Thirty expert working groups were also created to protect public interests in the formulation of social policy in these areas.   

A strengthened network of housing policies centers has evolved into a national housing rights movement able to influence implementation of national housing reform efforts.  An education alliance is spearheading a movement at the regional and federal level to encourage public participation in improving the quality of education in state schools.  Significant contributions have also been made to the development of federal and regional legislation in the spheres of public health and municipal governance.

More than 540 public advocacy campaigns have been conducted to protect civil rights and influence social policy trends in Russia.  Support has been provided to regional and local governments in the drafting of progressive amendments and the formulation of over 250 legislative and policy initiatives that will better serve and respond to the needs of constituents. 

The project created a legislative map summarizing regional legislation affecting NGO activities and regulating NGO-government cooperation (http://karta.irex-dialog.ru/) that serves as a critical information source for NGOs seeking to incorporate public participation in policymaking.  A warehouse of social policy research (http://www.socpolitika.ru/) was also created to inform the advocacy efforts of NGOs.

ACTIVITY DATES: June 2006 - June 2009

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Fund for Sustainable Development (FSD)

REGION(S): Karelia Republic, Khabarovskiy kray

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

CDSP is a Russia-wide project, with emphasis on the Russian Far East and North Caucasus regions, to enhance the role of civil society and public participation in decision-making processes at the regional and municipal levels.  Working in areas such as improvement of local resource management and local governance, public health, and energy efficiency, the project contributes to improving social, economic and environmental living conditions in Russian cities and settlements.  CDSP encourages the participation of a wide range of partners, including NGOs, municipal administrations and the business community.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

Through CDSP, energy efficiency savings have been reinvested into community development social programs, as well as public advocacy and education campaigns.  FSD held four competitive grant rounds for NGOs and local communities, resulting in the implementation of 59 projects in 16 municipalities.

The Amur Initiative project, which was launched in remote settlements along the Amur River in Khabarovsk Kray, improved the quality of potable water supply systems affected by the 2006 spill of harmful chemical substances from China into the Amur River.

The project Consolidation of Civil Society in Community of Valaam Island (Republic of Karelia) helped coordinate efforts by civil authorities and clerical leaders (Valaam Monastery) in governing the local community.

ACTIVITY DATES: September 2006 - September 2009

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Management Systems International (MSI), Green House

REGION(S): Khabarovskiy kray, Primorskiy kray

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Through effective advocacy campaigns and the active participation of citizens in local policy formulation, this project seeks to improve the legal and regulatory environment for NGOs and citizens in the Russian Far East and build effective local self-governance practices.

Project activities are designed to:

• Provide training and assistance to local and regional groups on developing and conducting effective advocacy campaigns for priority reforms that meet community needs and improve quality of life.
• Institutionalize sustainable citizen advocacy activities in the region by creating two local advocacy resource centers.
• Form effective models of community self-governance to advance economic development and sustainability.
• Increase the role of local citizens' groups as key stakeholders in civic activism and as conveyors of public opinion.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

Almost 16,000 citizens were mobilized by advocacy campaigns on issues such as illegal timber, illegal construction of commercial properties, rights of small businesses and entrepreneurs, public budgeting, and transparent public procurement. Project participants influenced 86 policy initiatives through advocacy efforts targeted at decision-makers at the municipal and Kray levels.

Two Public Advocacy Centers (PAC) have been established in Primorkiy Kray and Khabarovskiy Kray.  PACs are information and resource centers for any groups or associations interested in developing and implementing effective advocacy and lobbing campaigns.  Today, 260 NGOs and initiative groups have been served by PACs.

Forty five investment projects and infrastructure enterprises have been launched in Khararovskiy and Primorskiy Krays to improve the overall well-being of local communities. 

A local Charitable Development Fund of Northern Primoriye was registered and it is providing support to local NGOs in three regions of Primorskiy Kray.  Municipal grant programs were also established in three towns in Khabarovskiy and Primorskiy Krays.

ACTIVITY DATES: January 2008 - January 2010

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Winrock International

REGION(S): Khabarovskiy kray, Primorskiy kray

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The LIDER program (using the Russian acronym for Leadership, Initiative, Action, Unity, and Results) strives to link young people in Khabarovskiy and Primorskiy Krais more directly to their communities and to boost their participation in local governance and advocacy, especially around issues of health and social well-being.  LIDER contributes to the positive development of Russia's next generation by strengthening local NGOs, establishing sustainable partnerships, fostering youth activism and participation, and replicating effective youth-friendly services and outlets.  The program includes youth in all stages of design and implementation through Youth Advisory Councils.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

The LIDER program was launched in Khabarovsk in April 2008 with the participation of more than 100 representatives from youth organizations, the regional administrations, and the media. Youth Advisory Committees have been formed in each of the pilot regions.

Assessments among youth in the pilot regions were conducted that identified the following as key priorities for engagement: economic well-being, active lifestyles, health, love, happy family life, and interesting work.

ACTIVITY DATES: May 2007 - March 2010

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Povolzje Historical-Ecological Cultural Association

REGION(S): Samarskaya oblast

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Building on the achievements of the Third Sector Advancement Program, this project aims to replicate and disseminate effective models of community interaction with local government, enhance public participation in decision-making, and promote the development of local legislation to foster greater citizen engagement in the Samara district.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

The project has increased the financial resources available to NGOs, local authorities and the public to advance implementation of the Federal Law "On Local Self-Government." A pool of highly qualified experts and consultants on issues of local self-government has been formed, including Samara Oblast government staff and Duma deputies, thus improving the quality of human resources available to support effective local governance.

Citizens' participation in public events, budget hearings, and district referendums on issues of self-government has increased by 60 %. In four rural districts of Samara Oblast, citizens groups initiated positive amendments to eight municipal legislative and statutory acts requiring civic involvement in local government. New methods of public involvement in local government are being advanced, such as the formation of a public council in the Pestravka Region, fundraising campaigns to attract additional funding for municipal needs, and competitions of social projects in 5 rural settlements. .

Collaboration between Povolzje and the Siberian Center for Civic Initiatives' Support has laid the foundation for an NGO network to further advance local self-government in Russia's regions and enabled representatives of five municipalities of Samara Oblast to exchange experience of advancing the local self-governance reform with municipal experts from four regions of Siberia.

ACTIVITY DATES: September 2002 - September 2009

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)

REGION(S): Altaiskiy kray, Astrakhanskaya oblast, Irkutskaya oblast, Kamchatskaya oblast, Khabarovskiy kray, Kirovskaya oblast, Krasnoyarskiy kray, Nizhegorodskaya oblast, Permskaya oblast, Primorskiy kray, Rostovskaya oblast, Sakha Republic, Samarskaya oblast, Saratovskaya oblast, Severnaya Osetiya-Alaniya Republic, Smolenskaya oblast, Vologodskaya oblast

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The Small and Medium Size (SME) Policy Advocacy project improves the business climate in seventeen selected regions of the Russian Federation. Business associations are strengthened and encouraged to advocate more effectively on behalf of their members and to maximize the practical impact of their message.  The project also promotes the formation of business association coalitions that serve as advocates in their regions for sensible policy changes and administrative reforms that combat corruption in the regulation of SMEs. In this project, CIPE partners with the Alliance of Entrepreneurial Organizations of Russia (OPORA) and the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

Needs assessments were performed on 737 businesses and 68 business associations in the eight Round 1 regions.  Based on the results of these assessments, 126 leaders from 109 regional business associations were trained to be better policy advocates and 17 regional coalitions were established to provide technical assistance in the development and implementation of anticorruption and other policy agendas.  The coalitions have worked on 44 successful legislative changes at the regional level.

RCCI and OPORA also implemented a program to advocate for improved state regulation of entrepreneurs in key priority areas at the federal-level. This has resulted in 5 legislative changes at the federal level.

The project also conducted a series of public-private dialogue seminars and conferences, including: the "Russian Business Associations Advocating for Reforms: Achievements and Future Strategy" conference, which synthesized the various experiences of the regional policy agenda initiatives and developed recommendations for federal-level advocacy initiatives, and the "Russian-American Cooperation of NGOs for Private Enterprise Development in Russia: Achievements and Prospects" conference, which raised public awareness on policy advocacy activities of the regional coalitions of business associations.

ACTIVITY DATES: September 2003 - September 2010

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Siberian Civic Initiatives Support Center (SCISC)

REGION(S): Altaiskiy kray, Altay Republic, Buryatiya Republic, Chitinskaya oblast, Irkutskaya oblast, Kemerovskaya oblast, Krasnoyarskiy kray, Novosibirskaya oblast, Omskaya oblast, Tomskaya oblast, Tyumenskaya oblast

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

This project supports the development of regional and local support infrastructure for non-commercial organizations in Siberia through the introduction of effective social grant-making models and partnerships with government and business that advance civic participation in resolving socio-economic problems.

In collaboration with a network of 11 civic development centers throughout the region, the Siberian Civic Initiatives Support Center (SCISC) will provide consulting, training, and information programs that support positive change in the life of citizens and the development of civil society.  The project will increase civic participation and foster higher support, including financial support, for civic initiatives from local governments, businesses and public institutions.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

As of the end of 2008, nearly $3 million were disbursed through a system of competitive grants in support of over 1,500 civic initiatives. More than 30 government structures in the region introduced competitive social grant procedures and over 150 laws and regulations were introduced related to non-commercial organizations (NCO) and the funding of NCO activities. Models of civic participation were disseminated in: Baley, Chita Oblast; Cheremkhovskiy Rayon, Irkutsk Oblast; Tarbagatayskiy Rayon, Buryatia; Baikalsk and Svirsk, Irkutsk Oblast; Souzoun, Novosibirsk Oblast; and Krivosheino, Tomsk Oblast.

SCISC developed "ready to use" citizen participation programs for a broad range of domestic and foreign organizations interested in civil society development. These include: private companies (RUSAL, Rosdragmet, Sakhalin-Energy); non-governmental organizations (Academy of Educational Development, IFES, ISC, Open Society Institute, Winrock International, IREX, and Project Harmony); foreign aid agencies (TACIS and GTZ); the Municipal Administrations of Novosibirsk, Sourgout, Kamensk-Uralsky, Berdsk, Nefteyougansk; as well as the Regional Administrations of Krasnoyarsk Kray, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Oblast and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Oblast.

In 2007, a three-year cross-sectoral Partnership Program was launched in Krasnoyarsk Krai, with co-financing from the Krai Administration. During the current stage 14 projects are being implemented by partner organizations.

ACTIVITY DATES: September 2005 - September 2009

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Center for Civic Initiatives "Development"

REGION(S): Kamchatskaya oblast, Khabarovskiy kray, Magadanskaya oblast, Primorskiy kray, Sakhalinskaya oblast

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

This project is designed to: 1) develop the capacity of teachers on topics such as democracy, civic society, citizen participation, and citizen influence on political processes; 2) increase interaction among NGOs, educational institutions and government bodies in order to advance civic education in the Russian Far East; and 3) increase informational exchanges among teachers, students and other interested parties to facilitate the sharing and distribution of civic education resources and materials across regions.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

The project has increased the availability of civic education resources in remote regions of the Russian Far East.

In particular, the Center "Development" has:

• Involved 29,220 young people , 6,845 educators and 1,252 government representatives in program activities.
• Conducted training events on the development and implementation of social projects for 2,343 youth representatives and 1,099 educators.
• Involved 12,592 school and university students, 3,096 educators and 665 government representatives from selected regions in educational events on the development of civic competence.
• Conducted 30 seminars on civic education and citizen participation for 1,184 teachers and educators, who then applied their new knowledge and skills in civic lessons for 9,795 students.
• Launched the Civic Competence web portal http://www.civitas-er.org/, which makes civic education resources more accessible to educators and community leaders; 156 materials have been published on the site so far.
• Conducted a small-grants program that enabled the implementation of 59 grassroots projects designed to involve young people in improving their communities;
• Contributed to the development of the NGO sector in small towns and rural areas in selected regions, with a focus on Primoriye and Khabarovsk..

ACTIVITY DATES: October 2007 - October 2010

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX)

REGION(S): Chelyabinskaya oblast, Irkutskaya oblast, Karelia Republic, Kurskaya oblast, Murmanskaya oblast, Stavropolskiy kray, Tambovskaya oblast, Tomskaya oblast, Tyumenskaya oblast, Volgogradskaya oblast

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

In order to help youth develop into healthy, skilled, engaged citizens, the Youth Competencies Development Program (YCDP) selects the best youth-driven programming practiced in Russia and facilitates their replication by local youth leaders, through small grant funding, trainings and mentoring.  The program also works with adult stakeholders from the NGO, government, business and media sectors to build on-going community support for the youth and their programs.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

Community Schools

In three regions, IREX is implementing a community school model.  NGOs from Voronezh, Petrozavodsk and Krasnoyarsk with a proven track record in this field have successfully launched programs in Kursk, Murmansk and Tomsk.  The goal of these experienced NGOs, or "NGO Replicators," is to establish community schools in their target areas.  In each school, teachers, administrators and students are trained in project management, fundraising, needs assessment and social marketing.  After the training, the students implement projects that both benefit their community and enable the participating young people to develop the skills they will need to become successful adults and active citizens.

Youth-Driven Model

In seven regions, IREX is utilizing a model, whereby effective youth programming is replicated through a peeer-to-peer transfer of knowledge. Youth organizations involved in successful youth initiatives present their models at regional Youth Empowerment Road Shows.  Action teams of interested local youth then select the models that best serve the needs of their region and receive seed grants and training to implement these models in their communities.

To date, the program has achieved the following results:

• 90 NGOs and municipal agencies involved as partners in youth initiatives;
• 23 successful youth project models replicated; and
• Over 600 youth participants in project implementation.