Although local organizations in Armenia have received extensive support from international donors to improve their fundraising, management and project implementation skills, these inputs have not translated into a significant improvement in organizational performance and service delivery. In fact, most NGOs in Armenia have experienced an overall decline in operational effectiveness over the past decade, according to a 2004 assessment conducted by World Learning. In order to successfully develop organizational performance, both individual skills and the internal management systems that translate staff capacities into outputs must be strengthened.
Eurasia Partnership Foundation’s (EPF) Development of Organizational Capacities Program is taking a comprehensive approach to strengthening the organizational performance of NGOs, municipalities and media outlets. Organizational assessments conducted by EPF staff examine areas that are critical to operational efficiency and effective service delivery. The assessment results help client organizations formulate action plans to strengthen their internal systems and capacities. EPF provides ongoing consulting services to each organization throughout the implementation of these action plans, and may also make grants available for action plan implementation.
This program will complement all of EPF’s programs in Armenia by building sustainability and increasing the performance of program partners and grantees.
EPF first facilitates a trust building session using the Appreciative Inquiry technique, focusing on the achievements and strengths of an organization and its staff. Following this exercise, EPF conducts an organizational assessment with participation from the organization’s staff and management on strategy, governance, structure and internal systems. During the assessment process, the following capacity areas are examined:
EPF’s program team analyzes the results of the organizational assessment and presents a report of the main observations to the client organization. The results of the report form the basis of a planning session, during which EPF helps the client organization draft an action plan for developing the organization’s service delivery and performance by building upon its strengths. This plan is further refined by the client organization.
EPF provides continuous mentoring, advice and support during the process of action plan implementation and assists with the identification of consultants to build specific organizational capacities. Some client organizations may also receive grants to support activities related to action plan implementation. A follow-up assessment conducted by EPF after one year measures growth within the client organizations.
In 2006, Eurasia Partnership Foundation selected six client NGOs for participation in the DOC Program, five of which received grant support for action plan implementation. These client organizations included:
In 2007, Eurasia Partnership Foundation will select up to six new organizations for participation in the second round of the program.
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19 October 2012
12 June 2012
The “Forum for 21st Century Leaders” NGO from Armenia along with its partner “The Earth Association” in Turkey organized a workshop in Aghveran, Armenia on May 28-30, 2012 that brought together 12 young environmentalists from a number of civic initiatives and organizations in Turkey and Armenia.
08 June 2012
As part of the “Sweet Confusion – Sweet Sixties” project, the National Association of Art Critics (AICA Armenia), together with Anadolu Kültür, National Armenian Cinema Center, Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform and tranzit.at, will hold screenings of a number of Armenian and Turkish films and a cinema and cultural critics’ conference on June 11-13 in Nairi Cinema in Yerevan.
Copyright © 2007 Eurasia Partnership. Last updated: 15 May 2013
This website is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation and do not necessarily represent the views of USAID or the U.S. Government.
