World Learning began implementation of the USAID-funded Armenia NGO Strengthening Program (NSP) in 2000. The program is a four-year holistic programmatic approach to assist the NGO community to emerge as a strong and viable player in Armenian Civil Society. This approach seeks to build the NGO community’s self-awareness and self-confidence as a legitimate sector in Armenia’s democratic evolution. Through a flexible, demand-driven capacity building package of technical assistance, training, and grants, the NSP aims to strengthen the collective voice of NGOs and position them to be accepted and respected partners with government and eventually the business community. A viable NGO base is indispensable to meeting the many challenges of this newly formed, yet fragile democratic society.

The NSP is guided by the USAID Intermediate Result 1.2: More Developed and Broad Based NGOs. By systematically improving the knowledge, physical assets, funding and skills of NGOs, the NSP will endeavor to meet the following measurable Objectives:

• NGOs effectively advocate for change
• NGOs effectively collaborate with each other and other sectors
• NGO management and related practices improved
• NGO grant projects effectively implemented
• Laws on/affecting NGOs improved

The NSP strategic components each address, in separate yet complementary ways, the steps necessary for the Armenian NGO community to make a lasting impact on the quality of life in Armenia. These components guide not only the institutional development of the NGOs themselves, but also address important external factors that affect and influence the NGO community’s growth and maturation.

The NSP, through an innovative use of World Learning’s Institutional Analysis Instrument (IAI), has taken organizational development beyond individual organizations to gauge and respond to broader capacity trends and needs. In a practical sense, the program approach recognizes NGOs as part, rather than the whole, of civil society, and this has allowed training and technical assistance to touch on key aspects of social capital in the capacity building equation. These are important efforts to strengthen NGO networking and cooperation in Armenian society, but they also raise challenging questions about “third sector” development in emerging democracies – an important issue for World Learning’s work in Armenia, and beyond.

Partners:

USAID
International Executive Service Corps
Management Systems International
International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
Local NGOs

Project:

Cooperative Agreement, 2000–2004
Armenia