CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT - pdf.usaid.gov

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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT QUARTERLY REPORT #3 April 1 – June 30, 2017

July 15, 2017 This publication was produced by the East-West Management Institute, Inc., for review by the United States Agency for International Development

USAID’s CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT - QUARTERLY REPORT - APRIL 1 – JUNE 30, 2017 2

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT QUARTERLY REPORT #3 April 1 – June 30, 2017

Prepared under the USAID’s Civic Engagement Project (CEP) in Macedonia, Contract Number AID-165-C-16-00003

Submitted to:

USAID/Macedonia on July 15, 2017

Contractor:

East-West Management Institute, Inc.

Disclaimer

This document is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the East West Management Institute and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................................... 3

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................... 4

SECTION I: INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 7

1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 7

1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................... 8

1.3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................................... 10

SECTION II: PROJECT ACTIVITIES .......................................................................................... 11

2.1 COMPONENT ONE: STRENGTHEN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION ALLIANCES ........................... 11

2.2 COMPONENT TWO: STRENGTHEN CSOS ................................................................................. 14

2.3 COMPONENT THREE: STRENGTHEN YOUTH ENGAGEMENT ...................................................... 20

2.4 COMPONENT FOUR: STRENGTHEN YOUTH ACTIVISM .............................................................. 25

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OF CEP’S TRANSITION ORGANIZATIONS ................................................ 28

SECTION III: CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES ............................................................................ 29

3.1 PUBLIC OUTREACH................................................................................................................ 29

3.2. MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING PLAN ................................................................ 31

3.3 COOPERATION WITH USAID AND OTHER DONOR PROGRAMS .................................................. 46


ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ACA Advocacy Capacity Assessment

ACP Anti-Corruption Platform

ADI Association for Development Initiatives, Macedonia

AI Advocacy Index

AECOM Architecture Engineering Construction Operations and Management

BIRN Balkan Investigative Reporting Network

BPIE Best Practices and Innovation Event

CEP USAID’s Civic Engagement Project in Macedonia

DCoP Deputy Chief of Party

DOC USAID’s Development Outreach and Communication Office

CDA Capacity Development Assistance

CDP Capacity Development Plan

CEA Center for Economic Analysis

CfEI Call for Expression of Interest

COP Chief of Party

COR USAID’s Contracting Officer Representative

CSO Civil society organization

EU European Union

EWMI East-West Management Institute, Inc.

FAA Fixed Amount Award

FISCAST Fiscal Accountably, Sustainability and Transparency Network, Macedonia

FOSM Foundation Open Society in Macedonia

GDO USAID’s General Development Office Director

GM Grants Manager

GRC Grants Review Committee


GUC Grants under Contract

GRC Grants Review Committee

ICRP Indirect Cost Rate Proposal

ICT4D Information and Communication Technology for Development

ISSHS Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities, Macedonia

JEF Young European Federalists

LC Learning Circle under CEP

LEAD MK Linking, Engagement, Advocacy, and Development Program under CEP

LPA Legislative and Public Affairs

MCIC Macedonian Center for International Cooperation

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MELP Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan

MEPO Monitoring, Evaluation, and Public Outreach

MIM Macedonian Institute for Media

MoC Memorandum of Cooperation

MSI USAID’s Macedonia Support Initiative

NALAS Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe

NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements

NDI National Democratic Institute

NYCM National Youth Council of Macedonia

OACA EWMI’s Advocacy and Organizational Capacity Assessment

OCA Organizational Capacity Assessment

ODRM Organizational Development Road Map

OI Organizational Index

OTI Office of Transition Initiatives

PfG Partnership Grants Program under CEP

PMU Project Management Unit

PRO Public Revenue Office


RfA Request for Applications

RRGs Rapid Response Grants under CEP

SDSM Social Democratic Union of Macedonia

SEP Secretariat for European Affairs

SOS Stop Operation Soros

StG Standard Grant

SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

SIDA Swedish International Development Agency

SP Strategic Plan

SSG Strategic Support Grants under CEP

TA Technical Assistance

TACSO EU’s Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organizations Program

UN United Nations

UNDP United Nations Development Program

USAID US Agency for International Development

USG Government of the United States of America

VMRO-DPMNE The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party

for Macedonian National Unity

YESG Youth Engagement Support Grants under CEP

YCEA Youth Civic Engagement Award

ZELS Union of municipalities, Macedonia


SECTION I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI) is pleased to submit the third quarterly report covering activities of USAID’s Civic Engagement Project (hereinafter referred to as “CEP”) during April 1 – June 30, 2017. Key outputs and outcomes for the reporting period include:

• 2 Partnership Grantees (PGs) began the implementation of grant-supported activities on May 15;

• 6 Strategic Support Grants (SSGs) were approved by USAID and CEP signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on pre-grant agreement capacity development activities with 4 of the grantees;

• 34 representatives of 6 CEP grantees (2 PGs and 4 SSGs) participated in the Organizational and Advocacy Capacity Assessments (OACA) that CEP conducted for these grantees;

• 42 representatives of 6 CEP grantees (2 PGs and 4 SSGs) participated in 6 workshops on Capacity Development and Strategic Planning organized and facilitated by CEP;

• CEP prepared organizational capacity and advocacy capacity reports and initiated the development of Strategic Plans (SP), Capacity Development Plans (CDP), and Annual Work Plans (AWP) for 2 PGs and 4 SSGs; it drafted SPs, CDPs, and AWPs for 3 of these grantees as annexes for CEP’s grant agreements with them;

• 20 representatives of 6 grantees (two PGs and four SSGs) and CEP’s implementing partners participated in the first session of CEP’s civil society organizations (CSO) Learning Circle “How to Improve Online Presence and Advocacy”;

• 17 young men and women actively participated in the first Linking, Engagement, Advocacy, and Development in Macedonia (LEAD MK) Academy organized by CEP during March 30 – April 6;

• CEP obtained USAID’s approval and signed in-kind grant agreement to support 11 LEAD MK small-scale projects (2 group and 9 individual projects);

• CEP obtained USAID’s approval and signed grant agreements with 3 Youth Engagement Support (YES) grantees;

• CEP conducted an orientation session for all approved grantees, including LEAD MK Fellows, and familiarized the grantees with the financial and narrative reporting, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (MELP), as well as CEP branding and marking requirements;

• CEP organized its first Best Practices and Innovation Event (BPEI) focused on civil society organizations (CSO) alliances’ management;

• CEP organized its first Annual Youth Civic Engagement Award and recognized the outstanding contribution of three winners (2 individuals and one informal group) at a public ceremony held in Skopje with more than 100 representatives of civil society, media, private sector, government, and other donors in attendance;

• 24 representatives of CEP grantees attended the “Video for Advocacy Workshop” led by CEP’s partner, One Mobile Projector per Trainer (OMPT);


• CEP issued and promoted the second RfA for its YES grants; received 22 concept paper applications; conducted the Grant Review Committee (GRC) meeting, and organized the IDEA Competition Event for 9 GRC-selected youth CSOs; CEP invited 5 of them to develop full project proposals.

Most CEP activities remain on schedule based on the approved Year 1 Work Plan timeline, but CEP had to modify or postpone some activities as political instability, as well as negative media campaign and government’s intuitional pressure against CSOs continued during this quarter. The political crises culminated on April 28 when a violent and angry mob broke into the Macedonian Parliament and left several opposition officials bloodied. After strong international reaction and pressure, the new Parliamentary majority was able to form the new government on June 1. Although attacks on civil society have become less frequent following the formation of the new government, inspections of CSOs by the Public Revenue Office and Financial Police are still on-going.

After receiving the registration by the Secretariat for European Affairs (SEP) on May 15, CEP also received the Statement by the Public Revenue Office (PRO) along with a unique tax identification number that is uses for VAT exempt purposes. All CEP related invoices issued after June 14 are VAT exempted. CEP’s local implementing partners, the Foundation for Open Society Macedonia (FOSM), the Foundation for Internet and Society “Metamorphosis” (Metamorphosis), and the National Youth Council of Macedonia (NYCM) also registered their subcontracts under CEP with SEP during June, while the Association for Democratic Initiatives (ADI) is still waiting on their registration.

This quarterly report provides a description of the activities completed as laid out in the approved CEP’s Year 1 Work Plan and plans for the next quarter.

1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Civic Engagement Project is a five year USAID-funded program that works to achieve two objectives: (1) strengthen the constructive engagement by CSOs on policies and issues of public concern; and (2) increase and sustain youth engagement in public life in Macedonia. CEP is implemented by EWMI, in partnership with four local CSOs: Metamorphosis, ADI, FOSM, and NYCM. The overall goal of CEP is to enhance CSOs and youth’s capacity to advance public policies, improve public services, promote good governance, and contribute to improving the standard of living of people in Macedonia. At the close of CEP, CEP-supported CSOs and CSO alliances will acquire knowledge, gain motivation, and develop skills that will allow them to contribute to policy discussions with the government, the private sector, the media and other CSOs. CEP will also create and support a cadre of youth leaders and youth-focused organizations that will develop the skills to connect with relevant government stakeholders and participate in public policy discussions. These results will directly contribute to USAID/Macedonia’s Development Objective (DO) under its Country Strategic Framework 2016 - 2020: Improved Democratic Participation and Processes in Macedonia, and Intermediate Result 1: More Inclusive Citizen Engagement.


To achieve its objectives, CEP implements activities under four components. Under Component One: Strengthen Civil Society Organization Alliances, CEP, through its Partnership Grants, supports CSO alliances that focus on priority issues of concerns to citizens in Macedonia including: good governance, public service improvement, rule of law, anti-corruption, human rights, economic growth, business enabling environment, and monitoring and oversight of public institutions. CEP supports the selected CSO alliances to: (i) become leaders in shaping and constructively engaging in issues of public concern; (ii) enhance their capacity to engage citizens, media, government institutions and other stakeholders in advancing the public’s wellbeing; and (iii) strengthen their institutional capacity. CEP provides tailored, multi-faceted capacity development assistance to the CSO alliances that it supports.

Under Component Two: Strengthen CSOs, through flexible and tailored grants and capacity development assistance, imbued with innovative approaches, CEP assists CSOs to: (i) plan and implement long term interventions, including policy analysis, public education and civic engagement, advocacy campaigns, engaging constructively with government actors and institutions, and monitoring public policies, programs, and budgets; (ii) be proactive in representing citizens' concerns and initiating activities in the priority areas listed in the paragraph above; (iii) invest in their capacity development, in particular in enhancing their impact, engaging broader segments of the society, and becoming financially stable: and (iv) draw increased knowledge and capacity, as well as widened support for their initiatives, by networking with regional, European, and international networks. CEP also provides assistance to all grantees in developing social marketing skills and cultivating individual and corporate domestic donors.

Under Component Three: Strengthen Youth Engagement, CEP organizes annual yearlong LEAD MK program that will equip 80 highly-motivated young people with skills, knowledge, and networks that will enable them to become leaders in advancing public interests at the community, regional, or national level. CEP pairs each LEAD MK Fellows with a mentor and ensures organizational support for their LEAD MK Projects. Every year, CEP will also organize a Youth Civic Engagement Award to promote civic engagement and recognize successful youth, CSOs and/or groups that engage in promoting their communities’ wellbeing.

Under Component Four: Strengthen Youth Activism, through grants and capacity development assistance, CEP supports youth CSOs and non-registered youth groups that: (i) focus on educating young men and women about their rights and the opportunities for participating in public life; (ii) promote youth to work with public institutions at the central and local government level on issues that affect Macedonia’s youth or the community at large; and (iii) provide opportunities for youth to give back to communities and society, and focus on priority political, economic, cultural or social issues that might impact their lives. Additionally, CEP provides guidance and assistance to Metamorphosis and ADI (hereinafter referred to as “CEP’s Transition Organizations"), as well as FOSM, to make them capable and eligible to efficiently manage USAID contracts by the end of the Project. CEP mainstreams gender throughout its activities and ensures that the concerns, ideas, and representatives of ethnic and sexual minorities are fairly and meaningfully incorporated in all CEP activities.


CEP activities began on August 18, 2016, and are scheduled to be completed in September 2021. 1.3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

a. The second meeting of CEP’s Advisory Committee CEP held the second meeting of its Advisory Committee on June 6. CEP used the second meeting of the Advisory Committee shared information on and solicited AC’s members feedback regarding: the challenges that CEP faced during the reporting period; the profile and background of CSOs that applied to CEP grants programs; the number and list of CEP grantees (PGs, SSGs, and YESG); as well as the activities that are scheduled to take place by the end of the fiscal year. CEP plans to organize meetings of the Advisory Committee on a quarterly basis.

b. PMU’s Management and Administration FOSM: As of April 1, a full time Program Coordinator joined FOSM CEP Project Management Unit (PMU), while the Capacity Development Specialist left FOSM PMU on June 30. FOSM began the process for recruiting the new Capacity Development Specialist; conducted interviews with three candidates, and the new employee is expected to join FOSM CEP PMU in July. FOSM plans to put in place also a new Program Assistant during the next quarter. METAMORPHOSIS: As of June 1, Metamorphosis Grants Coordinator went on maternity leave, and was temporarily substituted by another Metamorphosis employee. CEP was also notified that the Information Technology for Development (ICT4D) Coach will be leaving Metamorphosis on July 15. Hence, in the next quarter, new staff is expected to start and substitute both the Grants Coordinator and ICT4D Coach positions. ADI: ADI’s accountant will be retiring as of July 1. ADI hired an accounting company that will be responsible for ADI’s financial management and reporting, including that related to ADI’s CEP activities. NYCM: During the reporting period, CEP received approval by USAID’s Contracting Officer for Modification #1 od CEP’s subcontract with NYCM. The purpose of this subcontract modification was to increase NYCM’s budget for Year 1 (by $16,320) to allow that NYCM disburses individual stipends to 17 LEAD MK Fellows participants.

c. Other CEP submitted a Revised Branding and Marking Plan for USAID’s review and approval, which was obtained on May 3.


SECTION II: PROJECT ACTIVITIES COMPONENT ONE: STRENGTHEN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION ALLIANCES

Under Component One, CEP provides grants and capacity development assistance to leading CSO alliances. The CSO alliances include registered and not registered CSO coalitions, platforms, networks, and alliances comprised of more than five member CSOs. Activity 1.1: Assist Project Transition Organizations to Establish Grant Management System Completed. Activity 1.2: Award Partnership Grants

a. Issue the RfA and select the CSO alliances No new RFAs were issued during the reporting period.

b. Sign the MoU and conduct pre-grant activities Between April and June 2017, CEP conducted the Organizational and Advocacy Capacity Assessment of PGs and assisted them to develop CDPs and SPs that were, in turn, included as annexes to CEP’s grant agreements with these CSO alliances.

c. Sign the grant agreements During this reporting period, CEP signed grant agreements with two PGs. The Fiscal Accountably, Sustainability and Transparency Network (FISCAST) will work to boost local stakeholder`s participation in the municipal budgeting process, while the Anti-Corruption Platform (ACP) will work to enhance the impact of CSOs on uprooting corruption in Macedonia. CEP signed the grant agreements with both PGs on May 15. To assist them in understanding and carrying out their responsibilities as prescribed in the Grant Agreement, on June 21, CEP held an Orientation Session with them.

d. Grantees progress • Anti-Corruption Platform:

The ACP’s Board held two meetings to discuss and decide on ACP’s actions and submitted a request to the Parliamentary Committee for Political System and Inter-Ethnic Relations to reject the Annual Report of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption due to the unrealistic data presented in it.

• FISCAST:

FISCAST held five meetings to define the strategy for approaching targeted municipalities and established cooperation with 11 municipalities (Gjorche Petrov, Saraj, Kumanovo, Kriva Palanka, Staro Nagoricane, Krushevo, Prilep, Krivogashtani, Negotino, Kavadarci, and Strumica). They also developed and began using a cloud technology and online

CEP’s Grantees Orientation Session with FISCAST and Anti-Corruption

Platform


communication platform to ensure effective and timely internal communication among alliance members. Activity 1.3: Provide Capacity Development Assistance to CSO Networks CEP’s capacity development assistance (CDA) activities targeting PGs were scheduled to begin in February 2017, upon signing the MoU with the selected CSO alliances. Due to delays in the negotiation and approval process for these grants, these activities began in March.

a. Conduct CSO alliances capacity assessments Upon selection of the first round of the PGs, FOSM’s PMU with assistance provided by CEP’s international expert, Nicole Farnsworth, conducted OACA for the two CSO alliances in early April. The OACA retreat for ACP was held on April 3 in Skopje with the participation of five ACP representatives. The OACA retreat for FISCAST was conducted on April 4 also in Skopje with the participation of eight FISCAST representatives. Upon completion of the retreats, FOSM CEP team, with mentoring support provided by Ms. Farnsworth, assessed the acquired information and prepared the respective OCA and ACA reports. During the reporting period, CEP’s team of two international experts, Jennifer C. Kuiper and Christy L. Beaudin, completed the Net-Map Analysis Report of ACP and FISCAST, based on the assessment that they carried out during March 2017. CEP shared with ACP and FISCAST their respective OCA, ACA, and Net-Map Analysis reports. These reports were also used to develop the SPs and CDPs for the two PGs.

b. Assist CSO alliances to develop Strategic Plans FOSM CEP team conducted two-day Strategic Planning Retreats with the same agenda for the two PGs. The goal of the retreats was to present and discuss: OCA and ACA reports; Net-Map Analysis Reports; the grantee’s CEP application; capacity building opportunities offered by CEP; the expected processes and results for developing SPs, CDPs, and Annual Work Plan (AWPs). FISCAST’s retreat took place in Mavrovo on April 11 – 12 with the participation of seven FISCAST representatives. FOSM CEP staff facilitated the retreat. ACP’s retreat took place in Veles on April 18 – 19. Seven representatives from the Platform participated at the retreat. During the retreats, FOSM CEP staff assisted the PGs to initiate the development of their SPs, CDPs, and AWPs according to OACA and Net-Map findings, CEP project proposals, as well as taking into account the capacity building opportunities offered by CEP. Throughout the entire reporting period, FOSM CEP team continued to support PGs in developing their strategic and capacity development documents. To that end, FOSM CEP team reviewed the first vision of the documents (SP outline, draft CDP, and draft AWP) and

Box. 1 Summary Evaluation of the CSO alliances’ retreats Anti-Corruption Platform Content of the retreat (average score): 4.67 Results of the retreat (average score): 4.93 Performance of the moderators (average score): 5.00 FISCAST Content of the retreat (average score): 4.67 Results of the retreat (average score): 4.90 Performance of the moderators (average score): 4.93


invited CEP external Net-Map experts and CEP expert to provide additional recommendations for further improvements. The draft version of the SP (outline), CDP and AWP were included as annexes to the grant agreement. In the next quarter, FOSM CEP team will continue to support PGs to finalize the implementation of their SPs, CDPs, and AWPs, taking into the account the experts’ comments and suggestions.

c. Assist CSO alliances to develop Capacity Development Plans See section b. above.

d. Assist CSO alliances to implement SPs and CDPs To be implemented starting in the next quarter. Key Challenges during the reporting period: The extensive process of developing SPs, CDPs, and AWPs, delayed the signing of grant agreements with PGs. However, this delay will not have a negative effect on the implementation of the project activities by the grantees. Plans for Next Quarter:

- ACP and FISCAST will continue to implement grant-supported activities based on the schedule included in the respective grant agreement;

- ICT4D Coach will assist both PGs to put in place ICT tools that will help them improve their performance;

- PGs in will participate in Peer Learning and Networking activities (see Activity 2.3 Below);

- CEP will select mentors and assign them to PGs; - CEP will assist PGs to finalize and begin full implementation of their SPs, CDPs and

AWPs.


COMPONENT TWO: STRENGTHEN CSOS

Under Component Two, CEP provides grants support and capacity development assistance (CDA) to CSOs, including think tanks, that work in the following priority areas: good governance, public service improvement, rule of law, anti-corruption, human rights, economic growth, business enabling environment, and monitoring and oversight of public institutions. Metamorphosis administers the SSGs program under Component Two, ADI administers the Rapid Response Grants (RRGs) under this component, while FOSM coordinates CDA to CSOs that CEP supports under this component. Activity 2.1: Award Strategic Support Grants

a. Issue the RfA and select the CSOs During the reporting period, six SSGs were approved by USAID.

b. Sign the MoU and conduct pre-grant activities During the reporting period, CEP signed pre-grant agreement MoUs with four grantees. Prior to that, CEP FOSM staff conducted OACA of these four grantees; organized their Strategic Development Retreats; and assisted them to develop SPs, CDPs, and AWPs. Two grantees, the Coalition of Youth Organizations (SEGA) and the Association for Emancipation, Solidarity, and Equality of Women (ESE) are scheduled to sign the MoUs and attend the pre-grant activities during the next quarter.

c. Sign the grant agreements This activity is scheduled to begin next quarter.

d. Grantees Progress During the reporting period, USAID approved all six SSG successful applicants selected by GRC. The following is a short description of the project activities of these SSGs:

1. Association for Emancipation, Solidarity and Equality of Women - ESE will work on ensuring justice for women victims of domestic violence by providing court protection, specialized assistance, and advocate for accelerated substantial reforms in criminal and civil justice system to strengthen the protection of domestic violence victims.

2. Association Forum - Center for Strategic Research and Documentation will work to enhance good governance practices in Kavadarci, Kumanovo, Stip, Strumica, Bitola, Struga, Gostivar, and Skopje Centar municipalities by training citizens to become relevant and equipped watch-dogs within their communities.

3. Association for Education MLADIINFO International will promote and enable legal, policy, and business environment for youth employment through the model of Youth Banks in Macedonia (YB).

4. PUBLIC - Association for Research, Communication, and Development will work towards creating a positive environment for the development of the social economy in


the country, through the development, advocacy, and networking of social enterprises in Macedonia.

5. REACTOR - Research in Action will work to mobilize public support around policy solutions for improving public services by selecting issues with potential for mobilization and grassroots organizing. They will also develop the Gender Equality Index.

6. Coalition of Youth Organizations - SEGA will work to increase youth CSOs’ influence related to citizen participation in local and national decision making. They will also develop the Youth Development Index.

Activity 2.2: Award Rapid Response Grants

On April 27, CEP solicited applications for its Rapid Response Grants focused on improving CSOs’ public image in Macedonia through limited competition. CEP solicited applications from the following organizations:

• CIVIL - Center for Freedom; • Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM); and • Young European Federalists (JEF) Macedonia.

For one application that CEP received in response to this RfA, the GRC decided to conditionally approve the proposal and required them to address GRC’s suggestions. Following GRC’s instructions, the applicant resubmitted its revised application, and CEP met with the applicant to explain the next steps. The applicant then requested to meet with CEP and informed the Project that it would like to withdraw its application due to the extensive grant administrative procedures for a small grant that is meant to serve as a rapid response grant. The applicant pointed out that the time-consuming procedures of conducting the risk assessment and registering their project in SEP, combined with the summer period and pending local elections, would affect the quality of the proposed activities. CEP’s Grant Administration Unit (GAU) will reflect on this experience and look for ways to simplify the procedures related to RRGs review and approval.

On May 5, CEP solicited applications for the Rapid Response Grants (RFA) # CEP-RRG-02 as a limited competition focusing on collecting qualitative data on public awareness of and attitudes towards Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Macedonia. CEP decided to solicit applications from the following organizations:

• Center for Economic Analyses (CEA) • Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities – Skopje (ISSHS) • Balkan Investigative Reporting Network – (BIRN)

CEP received one application in response to this RfA. The GRC concluded that the application did not meet RfA’s objectives to collect qualitative data on public awareness of and attitudes towards CSOs in Macedonia. Activity 2.3: Provide Capacity Development Assistance to Project Grantees

Once CEP signed MoUs with the CSOs supported under the SSGs, FOSM CEP team initiated CDA activities that will benefit all CEP grantees.

a. Conduct OACA for SSGs


Starting in May, FOSM CEP team conducted OACA with four SSGs:

- Mladiinfo – May 9; - Forum-CSRD – May 10; - REACTOR – May 26; and - PUBLIC – June 5.

Upon completion of the OACA retreats, FOSM CEP team, assisted by CEP international expert, Ms. Farnsworth, assessed the collected information and prepared the individual OCA and ACA reports. CEP shared these reports with respective SSGs and used their findings to assist the grantees to develop SPs and CDPs.

b. Develop Strategic Plans and Capacity Development Plans for SSGs

Upon conducting OACA, FOSM CEP team organized two-day Strategic Development Workshops to begin developing SPs, CDPs and AWPs for the respective grantee. FOSM CEP team conducted four two-day workshops as follows:

- Forum – CSRD, May 17-18 in Skopje. Seven CSRD members participated in the retreat. During the workshop, Metamorphosis ICT4D Coach provided a short presentation on ICT4D opportunities provided by CEP.

- Mladiinfo, June 6 -7 in Mavrovo with the participation of nine Mladiinfo members participated.

- REACTOR, June 14 - 16 in Skopje with the participation of seven REACTOR members.

- PUBLIC- June 21-22 in Skopje with the participation of five PUBLIC members. CEP international expert, Nicole Farnsworth, also contributed to this workshop.

During the retreats, FOSM CEP team assisted the respective grantees to begin developing their SPs, CDPs, and AWPs based on OACA findings and their proposal to CEP, as well as taking in consideration the capacity development opportunities provided by CEP. During the next quarter, FOSM CEP team, in close cooperation with Ms. Farnsworth, will continue to support SSGs to complete these strategic documents.

c. Mentor CEP grantees

After the OACA retreat with Forum-CSRD, FOSM CEP PMU received the following e-mail message

from Forum’s representative:

“We would like to express our appreciation with the content, topics, and the way the retreat for

Forum-CSRD was performed. You managed during an extremely short time to get us closer to the

core of some topics that are vital to our organization. Additionally, you inspired us to

rethink our position, as well as certain aspects of our project application. “

Box 2: Summary Evaluation of the CSOs’ retreats

Forum-CSRD Content of the retreat (average score): 4.87 Results of the retreat (average score): 5.00 Performance of the moderatos (average score): 5.00 Mladiinfo Content of the retreat (average score): 4.48 Results of the retreat (average score): 4.47 Performance of the moderatos (average score): 4.72 Reactor Content of the retreat (average score): 4.37 Results of the retreat (average score): 4.40 Performance of the moderatos (average score): 4.75 Public Content of the retreat (average score): 4.90 Results of the retreat (average score): 5.00 Performance of the moderatos (average score): 5.00.


This activity was scheduled to begin during the reporting period, but due to delays in signing the grant agreements with SSGs, it will start during the next quarter.

d. Peer Learning and Networking • CSO Learning Circles

In May, CEP launched its 1st CSO Learning Circle (LC). LCs are envisaged as small dialogue groups of 10 – 15 CSO managers and staff that promote analytical thinking, invite debate, and encourage innovation among and between group members, all while promoting cooperation and strengthening members’ sense of professionalism and collegiality.

To address some of the capacity development needs identified by OACA of PGs and SSGs, CEP focused the first LC on improving grantees online presence, their use of social media to promote their work, and other IT skills, such as shared data storage, etc. Metamorphosis ICT4D Coach led the first LC meeting.

20 managers and staff from PGs, SSGs, and CEP implementing partners participated at the LC: 7 men and 11 women, while two participants did not provide an answer to this question. 15 participants (75%) were Macedonians, 4 (20%) were representatives of minority ethnic groups; and one didn’t provide an answer to this question. The participants came from five different regions, but the majority (15 of them) came from Skopje.

• Quarterly CEP Grantees Meetings This activity was re-scheduled for July to enable all SSGs to participate at the 1st Quarterly Grantee Meeting.

• Best Practice and Innovation Events (BPIEs) CEP organized its first Best Practice and Innovation Event (BPIE) on June 19 at Holiday Inn in Skopje. BPEI’s are intended to share experiences, strategies, tactics, knowledge and best practices among CEP-supported CSOs and its partners. The first BPIE was focused on “Successful Models of Networking and CSO Alliance Building / Management of Dynamic CSO Networks”. Keynote speakers included representatives of NYCM and the Anti-Corruption Platform, as good examples of both formal and informal networks. The speakers provided in-depth presentations of steps for initial networking and developmental paths of the two alliances, their internal governance and processes, as well as their most successful advocacy initiatives.

Ana Drakic, CEP’s Chief of Party addresses participants at the CSO Learning Circle


44 representatives from 33 CSOs attended the event: 13 men, 19 women (9 participants did not respond to this question); 32 (78%) participants were Macedonians and 12 (22%) were representatives of ethnic minorities. The attendees came from seven regions.

• Networking with regional and international partners

This activity is scheduled to begin during CEP’s Year 2.

e. Training Workshops

This activity was scheduled to take place in June 2017, but it is re-scheduled for September 2017 once all PGs and SSGs develop and adopt their CDPs. Activity 2.4: Provide Support on Managing Constituencies and Domestic Giving

This activity is scheduled to begin in September 2017. Activity 2.5: Provide Tools and Venues for Citizen Engagement with Government Institutions The “Video for Advocacy Education” Workshop was organized by CEP, Metamorphosis, and CEP’s resource partner – One Mobile Projector per Trainer (OMPT). Seven Metamorphosis staff members with experience in video-making participated at the training of trainers (ToT) that CEP organized from May 29 to June 1. Another session was organized for CEP grantees on May 31 and June 1.

OMPT experts Mike Wilhelm, Luke Scherba, and their team of Macedonian experts (Aleksandar Zikov, Dario Sekulovski, Andrej Georgiev) delivered the training.

The Macedonian Forward Policy Forums are envisaged as a vehicle that will provide opportunity for interaction between CSOs, citizens and government institutions and actors at all levels to discuss strategic issues for Macedonia. Due to the political context and formation of the new Government, in consultation with USAID, this activity was postponed for the next quarter. Activity 2.6: Improve CSO Public Image

a. Establishing a system for measuring CSOs economic impact

Panelists and participants at the BPEI

Opening remarks by Mike Wilhelm, OMPT

Trainer


This activity was scheduled to begin in February 2017, but was postponed due to the prolonged political crisis in Macedonia. However, CEP initiated communication with the Director of State Statistical Bureau and with the Central Registry. At the beginning of the reporting period, CEP representatives met with a representative of the Central Register of the Republic of Macedonia, established good professional relationship and obtained numerical data (without any administrative or financial burdens for CEP) for the number of registered, active and less active CSOs for the past 5 years.

b. Mentoring for CEP grantees on improving online presence See CEPs 1st CSO Learning Circle – Activity 2.3.(d) above.

c. Annual CSO Week This activity was scheduled to begin in June 2017, but CEP decided to postpone it for September 2017, due to the complicated political situation that would not have allowed for the CSO Week to achieve the desired results. Key Challenges Due to the political turmoil after the parliamentary elections and the local elections scheduled for October, many grantees preferred to delay the beginning of their activities until a time when there would be fair opportunities for them to bring about the desired change related to the issues that the grantees are advocating for. This decision by grantees affected also CEPs CDAs, especially when it comes to developing SPs and AWPs. Plans for Next Quarter

- Conduct OACA retreats for two SSGs; - Sign pre-grant agreement MoU with ESE and SEGA; - Conduct orientation sessions for FORUM, ESE, Mladiinfo, Coalition SEGA, PUBLIC, and

Reactor; - Assist SSG grantees to develop and implement SPs and CDPs; - Assign mentors to SSGs; - Organize Quarterly CEP Grantees Meeting; - Organize 2nd Learning Circle meeting; - Organize Macedonia Forward Policy Forum; and - Prepare and organize first Annual CSO Week.


COMPONENT THREE: STRENGTHEN YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

Under Component Three: Strengthen Youth Engagement, CEP, through its local partner, NYCM, implements a yearlong LEAD MK Program which represents an innovative approach to supporting Macedonia’s next generation of leaders as they become active and engaged citizens working on the issues they care about deeply. Under this component, NYCM also administers the Youth Civic Engagement Award to recognize the work of young women and men (age 18 - 29) and informal youth groups, whose activities demonstrate exemplary youth civic engagement.

Activity 3.1: Develop a Cohort of Youth Leaders

a. Award Fellowships In May, CEP signed the stipend agreements with the first generation of LEAD MK Fellows.

b. Conduct LEAD Academy The first LEAD MK Academy took place during March 30 - April 6. The Academy was led by Craig Bowman, the President of the US-based Common Ground Consulting, and a team of NYCM’s local trainers. 17 participants, 8 men and 8 women (one participant did not respond to the question) completed the Academy. 13 (76,4%) of the participants were between 20 -24-year-old. 10 participants were Macedonians (58,8%) and the remaining 7 (41%) were representatives of different ethnic minorities. The Fellows came from seven different geographical regions around the country. The majority (8 of them) were from Skopje region. On the last day of the academy, USAID’s GDO Director Edward Gonzalez joined the fellows and awarded the Certificates for Successful Completion.

c. Assign mentors to LEAD MK Fellows During the reporting period, NYCM assigned mentors to LEAD MK Fellows in cooperation with Mr. Bowman. The mentors visited the LEAD MK Academy where they were introduced to their respective mentees. CEP discussed with mentors their responsibilities and the expected results from their work with LEAD MK Fellows.

LEAD MK Academy participants

USAID’s GDO Director Edward Gonzalez

addresses LEAD MK Fellows

“It helped me a lot to develop and learn new great stuff. Everything was absolutely amazing. It was a great experience”.

Fellow


The following table displays mentors and LEAD MK Fellows that they assist:

Mentor LEAD MK Fellow 1. Martin Aleksoski, NYCM 1. Pavel Papadimitrov

2. Samet Shabani 3. Kristijan Topalov

2. Martina Pavlovska, Youth Vision Bitola

4. Dimitar Vrglevski 5. Ivana Atanasovska

3. Vesna Aleksovska, NYCM pool of trainers 6. Gordana Kolova 7. Murat Mislimi 8. Vladimir Kostovski

4. Slavica Jovcheska, AKVA Struga

9. Bora Dauti 10. Blerina Pollozhani 11. Adelina Ajdari

5. Goran Georgiev, Scouts Association of Macedonia 12. Eva Jovanova 13. Kristijan Fidanovski 14. Oliver Vasevski

6. Irina Janeva, ARNO

15. Stefan Petrovski 16. Angela Nikolik 17. Jovana Madzoska

d. Develop and implement LEAD projects

During the reporting period, LEAD MK Fellows with the support of their mentors, developed small scale project outlines and submitted them to CEP for review and approval. CEP and NYCM received and reviewed 11 applications (2 group and 9 individual projects) and subsequently obtained USAID’s approval for the projects. At the beginning of June, CEP signed 11 In-kind Grant Agreements with LEAD MK Fellows. The approved projects are presented in the table below:

NAME OF PROJECT AND LEAD MK IMPLEMENTER/S

PROJECT SUMMARY

“Multicultarism in my

Community”- Blerina Pollozhani

The project’s objective is to create space for youth expression in promoting cultural diversity.

LEAD MK Group 01 project:

“Summer School on EU Values: Promoting Youth Dialogue in

Macedonia”-

Eva Jovanova Samet Shabani

Gordana Kolova Kristijan Fidanovski

The project’s objective is to help young people understand the importance of Europeanisation for a young democracy, as well as the specific role that they can play as future leaders in establishing a healthy democratic society.

Addressing discrimination and social exclusion of marginalized

groups in Macedonia - “These Are Our Stories: The Unheard Voices”

Stefan Petrovski

The project’s objective is to provide young people throughout Macedonia with opportunities to reach out to CSOs that promote LGBT+ rights and offer them the chance to grow and develop skills and abilities to support this community in their future endeavors.

Building skills of youth on entrepreneurship and innovative

business ideas-

Adelina Ajdari

The activities organized through this project will provide 60 participants, age 18 – 25, with knowledge about shaping and presenting their business ideas to potential investors and encourage them to recognize and use existing opportunities to start a profitable business.


During the reporting period, the following activities were implemented as part of the LEAD MK small-scale projects:

- Project “Summer School on EU Values: Promoting Youth Dialogue in Macedonia” held on June 15 - 19, at Popova Shapka, Tetovo

The topic of the five-day Summer School was “Promoting Youth Dialogue in Macedonia”. 26 participants attended the school, majority of them were from 15-19 years old. According to demographic structure, the group consisted of: 11 male and 15 female participants. Six of them (23%) were representatives of minority ethnic groups and 20 (77%) were Macedonians. The participants came from seven regions and 13 of them were from Skopje. On the last day of the school, the fellows and participants visited few relevant donor organizations (OSCE Mission and EU Delegation) and Embassies including the US Embassy in Skopje.

- Project “Youth Leader” held on June 18-25, at the Scout Center, Ohrid

“Boys Engage”-

Jovana Madjovska The project will work to raise awareness among teenagers about the importance of engaging men and boys in discussions about gender equality.

“Youth Engagement through IT education”-

Bora Dauti

The overall objective of the project is to inform young people about the possibilities for creative and innovative engagement in their local communities, thus leading to increased participation of youth in different organizations and activities which will benefit them in future.

LEAD MK Group 02 project: “Youth Leader”-

Pavel Papadimitrov

Angela Nikolikj Vladimir Kostovski

The project’s overall objective is to educate young people and train them to become future leaders in their communities.

Safe-Space in Youth Organizations regarding Gender/Gender-

Murat Mislimi

The project’s overall objective is to transform youth organizations into safer, more acceptable and welcoming of youth with different gender/gender identity and sexual orientation.

“Raising awareness for labor rights among youth”-

Ivana Atanasovska

The project’s overall objective is to enhance the knowledge of young people on the labor rights through creative and youth friendly events and activities.

“Summer Aspire Program in Makedonska Kamenica”-

Oliver Vasevski

The project’s overall objective is to bring 6 successful and inspirational people from different fields to Makedonska Kamenica to share their stories, experiences, skills, and knowledge with youth.

“Creative Youth Engagement”-

Dimitar Vrglevski Through this project, young people from Prilep will present issues and challenges that they face in interactive, creative, and artistic ways with wider public participation.

Visiting the US Embassy in Skopje


30 young people were trained in leadership during an eight-day training program that strengthen their skills in effective management and program development, communication, advocacy, working in a team, etc. Six trainers delivered the training. All of the participants were from 15 – 19 years old. Majority of them, 27 (90%) were Macedonians, and rest of them were representatives of different minorities. The trainees came from seven different geographical regions around the country. The majority (11 individuals) of participants were from the Skopje region. Activity 3.2 Youth Civic Engagement Award

On April 12, CEP issued a Call for Nominations for the Youth Civic Engagement Award. CEP received 10 nominations for YCEA that were screened and seven of them were presented for review by the YCEA Selection Committee. The YCEA Selection Committee (SC) constituted the following members:

- Dejan Dokuzovski, UNDP Program Manager for Youth programs - Ilija Stankovski, Member of the Governing Board of NYCM - Ognen Janeski, Journalist of TV 24 - Vladimir Radevski, Professor and Director of SEEU Campus in Skopje - Aneta Trpevska, Head of unit for EU, Ministry of Education and Science - Zorica Stamenkovska, Advisor in the Sector for Youth, National Agency for Youth and

Sport

The YCEA Selection committee recommended for awarding two individuals and an informal youth group: Informal Youth Group category - Cultural Youth Action from Krushevo, for raising awareness among young people in Krushevo about their responsibilities towards preserving the cultural heritage through creative and innovative solutions and direct involvement of youth. Under the Individual category - Aleksandar Matovski - Cako, a young poet and activist who, through his social engagement, improves the social status of people with Down`s syndrome, promoting an enabling environment and an inclusive approach; and Antonio Gjorgievski, a young chef who, through his engagement actively promotes vocational training among youth and the importance of having practical skills to increase youth employability in Macedonia.

CEP will support, through in-kind grants, the three YCEA winners in order to advance their work. These in-kind grants will be in the amount of $1,500 for the individual awardees and $3,000 for the informal group awardee.

Group photo of the participants


The winners of the Youth Civic Engagement Award were announced during the award ceremony that was held in Skopje on June 8. The keynote speakers of the event were: Mr. James Stein, USAID Mission Director, Ms. Nafsika Vrettaki, member of the Governing Board of the European Youth Forum, Youssef Himmat, representative of the Advisory Council on Youth of Council of Europe and Blazen Maleski, President of NYCM. Attendees at the event had the opportunity to witness the work of the winners and to hear about their knowledge and experience through “thematic corners” used to showcase their work to different guests of the event - representatives of the CSOs, donors, relevant government institutions, private sector and media.

For the purposes of the Youth Civic Engagement Award event, visual design was prepared for a roll up banner, Facebook cover ad, and award plaques. Plans for Next Quarter

- Monitoring of the implementation of LEAD MK Small-scale project activities; - Providing ongoing support to LEAD MK fellows during project implementation; - Orientation meeting with the winners of the Youth Civic Engagement Award; - Reviewing and processing project proposal outlines of YCEA winners; - Signing of in-kind grant agreements with YCEA winners; - Monitoring the implementation of the YCEA winners’ activities.

YCEA Visual Identity


COMPONENT FOUR: STRENGTHEN YOUTH ACTIVISM

Under Component Four, through grants and CDA, CEP supports registered and informal youth groups to provide opportunities for young men and women to participate in public life and decision-making regarding their lives, their communities, and Macedonian society.

ADI administer the grant program under this component, while FOSM is be responsible for coordinating CDA to youth CSOs and groups that the Project will support. Activity 4.1: Award Youth Engagement Support (YES) Grants

The second round of the RfAs for YESGs was issued on June 1. In total, 22 concept papers were submitted within the deadline and were evaluated by Mirlinda Alemdar, CEP’s Youth Engagement Manager, Dejan Dokuzovski, UN/UNDP Focal Point on Youth and Monika Veljanoska, ADI’s M&E Specialist.

According to the results of the evaluation, nine youth CSOs that submitted the best project ideas were invited to present them at the second Idea Competition Event. At the same time, concept paper letters for unsuccessful applicants were developed and sent to 13 applicants.

On June 29, CEP organized its second Idea Competition Event. 20 people attended the event, and 14 of them provided demographic data. Majority of them were above 25 years old. In terms of gender, the group was balanced, seven were male and six female. 11 (78,5%) of the participants were Macedonians, and four (21,4%) were representatives of ethnic minorities. The participants came from five different geographical regions around the country, but majority of them were from Skopje. By the end of the event, the committee decided on five best participants, invited them to the YES proposal stage, and the deadline for submission was set for July 10.

YES01 Grantees

Under the first round of the RfCP for the YESGs, three organizations were selected and approved by USAID:

1. The Association for Democracy Advancement

- Democracy Lab through the project “impACT” will increase youth civic engagement grass roots efforts across Macedonia. Young people across Macedonia will be equipped with tools offered through an e-toolkit to support civic engagement initiatives in their community. Also, youth CSOs from four cities (Gostivar, Tetovo, Kichevo and Kavadarci) as partner organizations, will address the needs of their communities through implementation of small community actions. The project’s duration is 6 months, starting from June 5 to November 30.

2. The Dyslexia Association Einstein through the project “Info Wall for Dyslexia” will increase awareness and education of high school students about the advantages and disadvantages of dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia as specific learning disabilities. During the implementation of the project problems regarding learning disabilities will be shared through an interactive forum as an integral part of the Info Wall. The project’s duration is 9 months, starting from June 5 to February 28. During

IDEA Competition Event


the reporting period, the grantee prepared a mini-communication strategy and a project work plan.

3. The Scout Association of Macedonia implements the project “YES-Youth Engagement through Scouting”. The purpose of the project is to engage youth as active members in their communities by creating groups of young people that will advocate in the institutions in order to influence decision making processes. The project will train 100 youth for leaders and will implement youth initiatives in 5 targeted municipalities - Kichevo, Ohrid, Prilep, Kochani and Skopje Centar. The project’s duration is 12 months, starting from June 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. During the month of June, the Project team organized meetings with local scout groups in the targeted communities to discuss program activities. The scout groups presented ideas for community actions in order to improve youth engagement in their communities. The Scout’s held an official meeting with the President and deputy of the Union of Municipalities (ZELS) and started working on the draft version of the Memorandum of Cooperation to be signed between the Scouts and ZELS.

Activity 4.2: Capacity Development and Networking for Youth Groups

• Initial Grantee Orientation During the reporting period Initial Grantee Orientation meetings were organized with two YES grantees. Democracy Lab and Dyslexia project teams were introduced with grant agreement and applicable USAID and EWMI regulations, financial compliance and reporting, narrative/technical reporting, monitoring & evaluation, as well as with branding roles and marking. The third Initial Grantee Orientation meeting with the Scouts project team is scheduled for July 7.

• Training on Ethnic, Gender and Social Inclusion of Minorities On May 20, the first Training on Ethnic, Gender and Social Inclusion of Minorities in CEP project activities was conducted. Two trainers engaged by ADI, Natasha Amdiju and Vladimir Gjorgjeski, conducted the training for 12 LEAD fellows. The training content was focused on the concept of multiculturalism; equality and non-discrimination; youth engagement and inclusion of vulnerable groups in mainstreaming policies.

Key Challenges for the reporting period: The signing of the sub-agreements with the first round of YESGs was prolonged due to the lengthy and complex negotiation process with the grantees. The process of revision of project applications and respective budgets was long due to the limited experience and lack of organizational procedures of the grantees. Plans for Next Quarter

- Evaluate full applications under the second round of YESGs; - Obtain USAID approval and sign the grant agreements with selected grantees;

LEAD Fellows at the training


- Regular monitoring and evaluation of the YESs.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT TO CEP’S TRANSITION ORGANIZATIONS

For the duration of the Project, EWMI will assist CEP’s Transition Organizations (TOs), Metamorphosis and ADI, to improve their governance and management practices so that they become eligible and capable to directly manage USAID contracts. EWMI has also invited FOSM to all the planned activities targeting TOs and will assist FOSM staff to prepare for getting NICRA.

a. Develop Organizational Development Road Maps This activity is scheduled to begin during the next quarter.

b. Provide Capacity Development Assistance to Transition Organizations

On-going (see under c below).

c. Launch work for developing the Indirect Cost Rate Proposal During his visit to the field office, Mr. Chisakaitwa held an orientation session with Metamorphosis and ADI management and staff on key steps for developing and requesting NICRA. In the next quarters, he will develop a step-by-step plan for CEP’s TOs on accomplishing all needed financial management changes that would lead to obtaining the NICRA.


SECTION III: CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES

3.1 PUBLIC OUTREACH

• Public Outreach Strategy (POS) During the quarter, CEP finalized its POS (after obtaining feedback from USAID DOC, CEP Home Office and CEP partners) and shared it will all its partners.

• Public outreach materials

During the reporting period, CEP submitted to USAID/COR and DOC for review and approval the first issue of CEP’s Newsletter and individual Fact Sheets for each of the four components. These outreach materials were reviewed and approved by USAID, translated into Macedonian and Albanian languages, and printed out. The print copies were distributed at the Youth Civic Engagement Award ceremony and distributed to all CEP partners. In addition, the e-version

of the Newsletter was shared with the recipients identified by the CEP team, and uploaded on CEP’s partners’ websites.

CEP also developed a Flyer for promoting the second call for YES grants. The flayer was printed out in 1000 copies and disseminated at the YCEA event as well as at other relevant events such: “Hello Youth” event, held in that period, before the end of the RfCP.

• Project’s FB page and web site During the reporting period, CEP through its FB page as well as through partners’ social media channels promoted its activities and accomplishments. During next quarter, CEP will fill out the Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA) form as requested by USAID CO for proceeding with approval procedure for the CEP website.

CEP’s e- Newsletter on FOSM’s

website

Componets Fact Sheets


By the end of June, the total number of people who have liked CEP’s FB page was 19,582.

• Promotion of the Call for Nominations for the Youth Civic Engagement Award

After obtaining approval from USAID/DOC for media appearance, CEP had a presentation on national TV station (TV 24) on “Moj termin” TV show, led by Ognen Janevski, member of the CEP’s Selection Committee for the Award. Martin Miloshevski, the Program Manager from NYCM presented the Call for the nomination and announced the YCEA event.

• Youth Civic Engagement Award (YCEA)

CEP organized its first Youth Civic Engagement Award ceremony, and awarded two young individuals and one informal youth group that have demonstrated strong commitment and undertaken important actions that have brought positive changes in the life of their communities and society at large. The Award recognized the work of young men and women (aged 18-29) and informal groups whose activities demonstrated examples of outstanding youth civic engagement. Over 100 individuals participated at the event, and had the opportunity to witness the work of the winners. As a result of the Media Advisory and Press Release issued for the event, 21 (20 websites and one TV) media articles were produced by various media. Here are some of the articles:

- http://meta.mk/usaid-dodeli-nagrada-za-mladinsko-gragansko-uchestvo/;

- http://portalb.mk/413212-shkup-usaid-ndau-cmimin-per-pjesemarrje-rinore/

- http://www.kanal5.com.mk/vesti_detail.asp?ID=125647

• Branding and Marking Plan

Bag Folder Pan Notebook

Guests and media representatives

at the YCEA event

USAID’s Mission Director, James

Stein (in the middle) with the YCEA Award Winners

Media exposure of CEP’s representative (left) on TV 24

http://meta.mk/usaid-dodeli-nagrada-za-mladinsko-gragansko-uchestvo/

http://meta.mk/usaid-dodeli-nagrada-za-mladinsko-gragansko-uchestvo/

http://portalb.mk/413212-shkup-usaid-ndau-cmimin-per-pjesemarrje-rinore/

http://portalb.mk/413212-shkup-usaid-ndau-cmimin-per-pjesemarrje-rinore/

http://www.kanal5.com.mk/vesti_detail.asp?ID=125647


During the reporting period, CEP developed designs for different promotional items (bags; folders; notebook; and pencils) and submitted those to USAID/DOC for review and approval. After obtaining approval, CEP purchased these items and distributed them to respective partners to be used for all CEP related events. In addition, CEP provided four thematic banners (one per each) to respective partners, to be used for CEP-related events.

• Grantees Orientation Sessions

CEP held orientation sessions for two PGs; and two YESs grantees (Democracy Lab and Dyslexia). MEPO in coordination with M&E specialists from the partners’ organizations developed and customized M&E and Outreach presentations that were presented to the respective grantees. In the next quarter, CEP will organize orientation sessions for the rest of the sub-grantees.

• LEAD MK - Orientation Meeting CEP held an orientation session for LEAD fellows where USAID branding and marking procedures were discussed. During the reporting period, the fellows submitted all public outreach materials for CEP’s review and approval. An example (presented in the textbox) is the poster from the Youth Leader Project held between 18 and 25 of June in Scout Center in Ohrid.

3.2. MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING PLAN

• M&E training During the reporting period, CEP’s MEPO organized a half-day training session for the representatives of NYCM and FOSM on data collection methods and M&E reporting requirements. • Data collection During the reporting period, MEPO in coordination with partner’s M&E specialists developed methodology of collecting grants indicators related data. The M&E spreadsheets were customized per each grant category, and included as part of the

Grant Agreements.

• Evaluation of Project Events During the reporting period MEPO analyzed the data collected from completed activities (through Demographic Data Sheet and Evaluation Form), provided summary of findings from each event, and shared with respective partner.

LEAD’s Youth Leader Project (banner)


3.3 COOPERATION WITH USAID AND OTHER DONOR PROGRAMS

During the reporting period, CEP representatives continued cooperation, as well as held or participated in numerous coordination meetings with other USAID programs, other donor supported civil society projects, and other relevant stakeholders. Representatives of UNDP, National Agency for Youth and Sport, South East European University and the Ministry of Education and Science participated at CEP selection committees. CEPs COP and DCOP consulted regularly with other civil society support programs, such as Civica Mobilitas, the EU Delegation, British Embassy and Dutch Embassy on the topics of CEP’s RfAs, to avoid duplications and overlap, as well as requested their feedback on past performance of CSOs that applied to CEP grant programs. Last but not least, CEP established concrete collaboration with Peace Corps in order to connect their volunteers with CEP LEAD Fellows (when located at the same municipality or interested in particular topic that CEP Fellows are working on) so that Fellows can use them as counsellors.


U.S. Agency for International Development Macedonia

Samoilova, 21 1000 Skopje, Macedonia Tel: (+389 2) 310-2000

www.usaid.gov/macedonia

Documents

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT - pdf.usaid.gov