Projects

The global objective of this assignment was to support Civil Society in Armenia in further engaging in important EU-Armenia co-operation processes.

The specific objectives of the project were the following:

·       Facilitate inclusive and transparent consultations among civil society organisations, whenever requested, with a view to develop a comprehensive strategy owned by Armenian civil society and expressing their joint suggestion for how they wish to engage in CEPA monitoring and following discussions with the signatories to the agreement, provide any requested assistance on drafting rules of procedure, a plan for the monitoring elements and possibly finance the first rounds of CEPA monitoring (January 2018 – June 2019);

·       Support civil society in better understanding EU programming (Annual Action Plans 2018, 2019 and 2020) and actively engaging in this process in Armenia in finalising the EU Annual Action Plan 2018 for Armenia (broad-based rural, tourism and social enterprise development with a strong youth and gender focus) and providing meaningful suggestions to the future Annual Action Plans related to the SSF 2017-2020 (January- March 2018; June 2018 – March 2019);

·       Support civil society in identifying follow-up actions reflecting the EU Human Rights and Democracy Country Strategy, Justice Peer Review recommendations, recent Universal Periodic Review recommendations, Human Rights Council recommendations and OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Final Report recommendations, GSP+ priority areas etc., which could be included in the upcoming EIDHR CfP (February-May 2018).

According to the terms of reference the following activities were implemented:

·      Conduct review and analysis of existing CSOs networks (Armenian National Platform of the EaP Civil Society Forum) member organisations and monitoring activities and available resources on CEPA;

·       Organize consultations with the EUD, review the Calendar of planned events of EUD and relevant ministries on negotiations on issue areas covered by the CEPA requiring CSOs input;

·       Formulate a draft roadmap of key EU events and programming deadlines in 2018 and 2019 and the plan for CSOs engagement;

·       Share and discuss draft roadmap and the plan with a broad range of CSOs and the Government;

·       Organize consultations and strategic planning with CSP Secretariat (once established) on adjusting the Project missions to the calendar of monitoring events and needs of CSOs involved in CEPA process;

·       Organise information and facilitate discussions among interested CSOs to engage civil society in EU programming;

·       Assess training and discussion needs and target groups among CSOs in better understanding CEPA, its implementation process, monitoring and contributing opportunities (Key actors - CSP members, other CSOs, EUD);

·       Choose cooperation partners in information sharing and technical organising of training and discussion events (e.g. CSP secretariat (once operational), Secretariat for the Armenian National Platform of the EaP Civil Society Forum);

·       Elaborate plans, methodologies and materials for CSOs for 7 trainings/consultations to facilitate meaningful engagement of civil society in EU programming (finalization of the EU Annual Action Plan 2018 for Armenia (broad-based rural, tourism and social enterprise development with a strong youth and gender focus) and the future Annual Action Plans related to the SSF 2017-2020);

·        Organise trainings/consultations among interested CSOs to engage civil society in EU programming;

·       Review and analysis of the relevant documents, finding synergies and deciding on approach to consultations;

·       Organize regular consultations and coaching rounds with involved CSOs on their feedback on progress with implementing of recommendations and planning inputs for discussion events with main stakeholders;

·       Organize facilitated CSOs discussion on preparation “civil society recommendations” (roadmap) on priority human rights and democratisation topics for inclusion in the next EIDHR Call for Proposals for Armenia and/or other similar interventions by the EU.