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  • Non-Governmental Organizations in Armenia

    Non-Governmental Organizations in Armenia

    BY STAFF
    - POSTED ON JANUARY 6, 2014POSTED IN: UNCATEGORIZED

    By Areg Gharabegian

    January 2014

    There were almost no non-governmental organizations (NGO) in Armenia
    during the Soviet era. After the devastating earthquake of December
    1988 and during the years of war in Artsakh, NGOs began forming in
    Armenia and they were heavily involved with relief and humanitarian
    efforts. The Government of Armenia was unable to cope with the dire
    situation resulted from the earthquake and war; therefore, it had to
    accept the active participation of civil society organizations (CSOs).

    Alongside humanitarian aid, major international organizations and NGOs
    started contributing to the development of the local non-government
    sector. Also, the major Armenian organizations from Diaspora provided
    humanitarian aid and contributed greatly to the reconstruction
    process.

    This period can be considered the first stage in the formation of
    local NGOs. The focus of these new NGOs was on refugees, women,
    children, the elderly, and the disabled but their activities were
    somewhat limited. NGOs' inability to meet growing demand for emergency
    services and operations was due to the lack of local NGO skills,
    knowledge, capabilities, and absence of an appropriate legal
    framework.

    Even though most of the NGOs were located in Yerevan, local NGOs began
    emerging in the marzes (provinces) too. Local NGOs began implementing
    projects in education, health, culture, community development, and
    income generation. In 1997, the number of local NGOs reached more than
    500. By 2001, data from the State Register showed that there were
    2,585 NGOs officially registered. In 2010, the State Register reported
    45 international NGOs and 5,700 local NGOs. However, out of the total
    number of local NGOs registered, only less than 15% can be considered
    operational. As of these operational ones, most are small outfits
    which are not active and some have vague and obscure missions. The
    following are missions of few of such NGOs:

    The main goal of the organization is to participate actively in social
    and legal life of the country in order to promote free and safe life
    for the youth.
    The main goals of the organization are to develop the art and
    psychology and to form civil society.
    To organize and collect all the recipes of Armenian national cuisine
    and publish it. To participate in international contests, seminars,
    and meetings.

    Table 1 presents a list of operational NGOs and their fields of
    activities but not all are necessarily active.

    International NGOs can be classified under the same categories as
    local NGOs, but with two additional categories:

    infrastructure development and construction; and
    capacity building and technical assistance for local CSOs,
    self-governing bodies, and community councils.

    A survey conducted by World Learning revealed that, in the 1990s, 70%
    of NGO leaders were women. However, by 2001, 58% of NGO leaders were
    men, and in 2009, the percentage of male NGO leaders was 63%. While
    the Government of Armenia and the Armenian CSOs do not practice gender
    discrimination to cause this shift; therefore, this shift could be
    based on the fact that men came to view NGOs as a job opportunity and
    a means to further their careers.

    In 2004 there were approximately 75 international NGOs operating in
    Armenia but recently the number has decreased. The reason for this
    decline may be the stable economic growth in Armenia in 2006 and 2007.




    Source: The Professionals for Civil Society NGO

    Government Involvement

    The gradual increase in the number of international NGOs in Armenia
    and the corresponding need to regulate the activities of all types of
    CSOs led to the Government of Armenia adopting its first Law on Civil
    Society Organizations in 1996. The law encouraged international NGOs
    to shift their activities from emergency response to development, the
    protection of human rights, and enhancing the capacity of local NGOs.
    The law states that Armenia recognizes the crucial role of NGOs in the
    development of civil society and aims to promote the establishment of
    NGOs as legal entities. The government has also passed decrees,
    regulations, memorandums, and agreements related to cooperation with
    NGOs, and formed institutional bodies and units in community and
    national levels.

    Voluntarism

    NGOs in Armenia utilize informal and less structured volunteering
    process when they are interacting with the society in comparison to
    Armenian NGOs in Diaspora. NGOs in Armenia also have issues with
    volunteer mismanagement; sporadic volunteer recruitment; lack of
    skills assessment, orientation, and training for volunteers; and
    recognizing volunteer contributions. Engaging volunteers in long-term
    regular commitments, instead of ad hoc projects could better utilize
    this important resource.

    Because voluntarism for social society was not a common practice
    during Soviet era, there is a need to widely publicize the value of
    volunteerism to get more people interested in becoming volunteers for
    different causes. Presently this important resource is underutilized
    by NGOs in Armenia. NGOs also should realize the expectations of the
    volunteer in order to retain involvement and commitment over time. A
    non-profit organization with a strong and committed volunteer base is
    more likely to attract new funds.

    Democratic Governance

    The internal democratic governance of NGOs in Armenia is another issue
    that needs to be addressed. NGOs have developed written policies for
    democratic governance but often do not follow these policies. NGOs
    hold elections to select their internal leadership, yet the rotation
    rate of such leadership is low. Typically founders of NGOs hold their
    positions for a long term, which affects the formation of independent
    boards of directors.

    Most Armenian NGOs have bylaws and constitutions that outline their
    governance mechanisms but it seems sometimes these mechanisms are
    developed to get the required permits and to attract new funds, rather
    than a genuine intention of democratic management. Members are also
    often excluded from decision-making processes. Unless NGOs embrace
    these democratic procedures into their regular operations they cannot
    establish a credible reputation in the community.

    Funding Sources

    Financial sustainability is one of the main challenges that local NGOs
    in Armenia face. It is this challenge that limits their capacity for
    impact and distorts the image of civil society as a financially
    dependent sector. It is necessary to diversify source of funding by
    fostering partnerships with a full variety of potential funders, such
    as individuals, corporations, and government. NGOs in Armenia
    undertake fund-raising activities through various events, exhibitions,
    concerts, and other activities. However, the majority of NGOs have
    difficulty with fundraising because they lack experience in
    fundraising methods, basic marketing, and financial management skills.

    Activities of Armenian NGOs are heavily reliant on external funding.
    Some donor organizations work directly with NGOs, while others operate
    on a bilateral or multilateral basis. The Armenian Diaspora also
    assists the local NGO sector by allocating funds or providing in-kind
    assistance. Many NGOs believe that if donor organizations leave
    Armenia, the scope of NGOs' activities will be curtailed and many of
    NGOs will become non-operational due to lack of funding.

    The Civil Society Fund is one of several programs supported by the
    World Bank, which has provided grants since 1999 to NGOs and other
    CSOs in Armenia. The grants support activities related to civic
    engagement, and the focus is on empowering people who have been
    excluded from society's decision-making processes. The individual
    grants are between $8,000 and $10,000.

    Today's unfavorable legislative framework related to the donations to
    nonprofit organizations does not provide the NGO sector with an
    opportunity to acquire alternative financing. Therefore, limited and
    unsustainable funding from donors and the government make the NGO
    sector more dependent, affecting their independence and
    sustainability. The Armenian business sector does not invest in NGO
    development. If they do support them, the investment is limited to
    one-time, project or event base charitable contributions. Often NGOs
    take funding for a project that is not in line with their mission,
    values, and principles, but project requirements are determined by the
    donor's agenda, which then affects credibility of the organization.
    Armenia's state budget allocates some funds for NGOs on a competitive
    basis.

    Lack of transparency and accountability is another issue with NGOs
    where most of them do not produce and disseminate annual reports and
    financial statements. The majority of NGOs claim that their financial
    information is publicly available, yet on closer inspection, it
    becomes clear that they rarely report to their beneficiaries when it
    comes to the finances and the quality of their work. The majority of
    Armenian NGOs think that the preparation of reports requires
    additional financial expenditure. Reporting of finances and activities
    would improve the public's perception of NGOs.




    Effectiveness of NGOs

    One of the underlying causes of civil society's weak impact on policy
    and pressing social issues is that the sector's achievements are
    predominantly due to the support of only a small segment of the
    Armenian population. The NGOs have failed to extend their outreach and
    rally greater support and higher levels of citizen participation in
    their activities.

    Long-term financial insecurity stands as another hindrance to the
    levels of CSO organizations in Armenia. Armenian NGOs have relied
    solely or predominantly on international donor funding, without
    diversifying their income sources or developing a long-term strategy
    to change this situation. As a result, the instability of work in the
    NGO sector does not attract young specialists.

    Increasing the professional skills of CSOs, through trainings and
    staff development could help strengthen the level of organizational
    development and achievement. What is of most importance is to focus on
    staff retention, and retain the professionals in the sector, as well
    as to establish a culture of information sharing and knowledge
    transfer.

    Fragmentation and competition among NGOs occur frequently, resulting
    in an ineffective system for Armenian CSOs. Because of limited
    coordination among NGOs, the sector lacks updated information and a
    database of NGOs. This creates an inadequate picture of these
    organizations and, consequently, gives people a poor perception of
    NGOs. This also affects the ability of NGOs to influence the
    decision-making process in the public administration.

    Some issues facing the civil society include a short-term approach,
    lack of strategic thinking, clustering around pro government or
    opposition groups, and poor organizational capacity. In order to
    increase citizen participation and sponsorship, NGOs need to realize
    that they need to be deriving their legitimacy from the society, as
    they depend on popular support. Increased transparency and
    accountability are vital to support this action. This includes
    reporting to their beneficiaries just as they do to their funders and
    presenting an inclusive account of all aspects of their activities.
    Improvements in these fields will contribute towards increased levels
    of trust towards the civil society sector by broader society and will
    foster increased citizen participation.

    Sources

    Civil Society Briefs, Asian Development Bank, Armenia Resident
    Mission, November 2011.

    Armenian Civil Society: from Transition to Consolidation, CIVICUS,
    Civil Society Index Policy Action Brief, 2010.

    The Professionals for Civil Society NGO, database of NGOs, World Learning, Inc.

    http://www.armenianlife.com/2014/01/06/non-governmental-organizations-in-armenia/

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