OSCE Project Co-ordinator promotes good practices for management of state-funded projects by civil society organizations

A series of workshops on project management aimed at improving the access of the non-governmental sector to state and local government funding concluded on 24 October 2018. Three hundred and fifty government officials and 250 representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) took part in the two-day workshops held across Ukraine. They were organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU) in partnership with the country’s Presidential Administration and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The participants enhanced their knowledge of opportunities offered by co-operation and partnership between the authorities and CSOs, as well as of principles and procedures of transparent distribution of public funds to finance CSO projects. For non-governmental actors, the improved understanding of tools for project planning, management and implementation tools, including monitoring and evaluation, will enable them to better fulfill their missions and be engaged in state policy implementation. For officials, the knowledge gained will help them to make sure that expenditures are in line with the national legal framework and international best practices.

Special focus was paid to gender mainstreaming of projects, so that state-funded efforts of civil society are equally beneficial for men and women.

The importance of organizing calls for proposals by authorities in a transparent and efficient manner was among the topics covered in depth. Participants received copies of the guidebook (in Ukrainian) Manual for Conducting Competitive Selection of CSO Projects for State Funding (Ukrainian and International Experience), developed by the CSO expert and Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine with the support of PCU.