“The most sensitive and vulnerable side for the civil society organizations is the development of evidence-based policies.” Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” Project Manager said at today’s meeting of the focus group, which was organized in the scope of the project.
“Simply saying, it is about the work of experts, which will be at least equal to the expert’s work of the state bodies. If we want to be taken into account we must have a good expert work,” he explained.
Mr. Zadoyan said that the program will be aimed at the solution of a number of issues, including filling in the mentioned gap. “The program has general and specific objectives. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of CSOs and their coalitions’ networks, their impact in the project target areas, public policy development process. In addition, we have four specific objectives: to strengthen the ability of CSOs to build coalitions and networks; second to strengthen the ability of CSOs to focus on constructive and strategic policy engagement with local and central government partners; third, participation in public oversight. An important objective for us is identification of sectoral problems, as well as constructive and strategic partnership with the state bodies is also a key issue. We shall support the coalitions which exist and are willing to cooperate with the project and we shall strengthen them,” the Project manager said.
According to Karen Zadoyan, the program attempts to identify the current state of cooperation of the state bodies with the CSOs and Alliances, as well as to clarify what impact the organizations have on the processes of the development of public policies. “This is a unique step. Nothing like this has been initiated before. We have already received information from 14 ministries and 3 other bodies adjacent to the government. We have tried to find out the same information from the local governments and received replies from nearly 100 communities. The third questionnaire was directed to the independent experts and we tried to retrieve information from them as well,” Karen Zadoyan noted. He said that in the scope of the project questionnaires have been sent to around 1000 organizations and 200 organizations responded. Questionnaires have been sent to SCO coalitions and networks as well.
The other method is focus groups discussions, in which meetings are being held with sectoral CSOs. Work is being done with coalitions and alliances as well. Also meetings have been organized in the marzes.
The regular focus group meeting was held in three directions, which discussed the issues in three areas. Those were justice, law enforcement and anti-corruption areas.
Today the civil society organizations identified a number of issues.
Discussing the issue of capacity building of NGOs, they emphasized the lack of financial stability. They also stressed for the effective dialogue between the state and civil society it is necessary that the CSOs should be demanding and the government ready to cooperate.
As regards the sectoral issues, the following issues were identified in the anti-corruption area: admission system of educational establishments; politicization of universities; the field of the state order; the administrative corruption, which includes risks in education, health care and social sectors, and the procurement sector which includes risks of corruption as well.
The problems in law enforcement system were various. NGO representatives considered important the issue of protection of the victims of trafficking. They also touched the road police system and the drivers’ rights. According to NGO representatives the problems stems from the lack of awareness.
Protection of the prisoners’ rights is at a low level in the justice system. There are risks in the public service system as well.
The “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” Project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO in cooperation with its partners; Agora Central Europe o.p.s (an NGO from the Czech Republic), Armenian Center for Democratic Education-CIVITAS, “International Center for Human Development” Public Organization, SME Cooperation Association and Union of Communities of Armenia.
Details in the video.
