10. December. 2016. | 2:54

Strengthening capacity of CSO’s in Northern Kosovo to become more effective contributors in decision making process

Status: Finished

Partners and Supporters:

EU funded project, managed by the European Union Office in Kosovo.

Challenge:

Influenced by the overall sociopolitical situation, the CSO sector in the north of Kosovo was developed in a disordered manner. It shows elements of “gentrified” civil society, detached from the local community and unable to effectively address community needs while at the same time positioned too far apart from decision making processes at local and national level. Latest political processes, such as Brussels agreement have offered a space for the timely involvement of the CSO organizations from the north in the decision making process, as well as genuine opportunity for creating more transparent local and central level institutions, opened for initiatives from the community itself. Strengthening capacity of the CSO organizations in the north in the areas of policy research and analysis, as well as creation of the joint platform for coordinated efforts in advocacy and lobbying initiatives in order to address community needs is urgently needed.

Our Project Objectives:

Our project will bring together major north based civil society organizations interested to work in the areas of policy research, analysis, and advocacy in order to:

• Contribute to successful advocacy and lobbying of CSOs at central and local level;
• Establish CSO Platform for influencing decision making process at all levels of government;
• Draft quality policy level recommendations in the areas of Minority Rights, Security Issues and EU Integration Process;
• Increase the level of the CSO and community lead advocacy initiatives

Our Project Results:

• Increased knowledge of the CSO Platform Members in Identifying Community Needs;
• Increased capacity of the CSO Platform in the areas of policy research, policy analysis, advocacy and lobbying initiatives;
• Development  of CSO Platform expertise in the key areas of (European Integration, Security Issues and Minority Rights;
• Creation of channels of communication and cooperation between CSO Platform and decision makers at all levels of government

 Philosophy of the project is to enhance the capacity of the CSO Platform members in the area of policy research, analysis, lobbying and advocacy through tailor made trainings, on the job coaching. This will allow them to assess current sociopolitical situation of Kosovo Serb community in the north and enable better design future policy options. Policy making will be influenced by practical application of knowledge gained through public opinion reseach; and providing relevant results to policy makers in the areas of Minority Rights, EU Integration and Security Issues, and directly through advocacy and lobbying initiative relevant scientific studies to international assessments and organisations that in turn are important in international and European policy making.

Our Project Activities:

• Creation of the CSO Platform;
• Trainings for CSO Platform members in the areas of research methodology and policy research design, policy analysis writing and advocacy and lobbying which will take them through a step-by-step process which will increase their ability to identify community needs and tailor policy level recommendations and initiatives aimed toward both levels of government ;
• Field Research and public opinion research polls on “Attitudes and views of Serbian community in Kosovo on major social challenges”;
• Writing policy proposals and policy level recommendations in the areas of Minority Rights, Security Issues and European Integration;
• Launching 15 advocacy initiatives toward local municipalities and the Assembly