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CDPF presentation of the Advocacy Success Stories Brochure to Armenian NGOs and international community |
Application of US NGO experience in publicizing successes
Ms. Kristine Ter-Abrahamyan noted: “Training in the US provided many ideas that can be implemented in Armenia to improve NGOs’ operations. For example, I have never thought NGOs could enjoy greater constituency confidence by sharing success stories and achievements in the way it is being done in the US.”
In December 2007, a group of eight Armenian NGO representatives and two Counterpart International Armenia staff members attended a two-week US study tour on NGO Advocacy. The goal of this activity was to add a practical dimension to the technical assistance provided by Counterpart International for its partner NGOs by providing in-depth information on successful national-level advocacy by NGOs in the US.
The program focused on research-based advocacy, networking, constituency and membership development, social partnership activities, participation in the policy making processes, and working with mass media. The participants met with civil society organizations, university faculties, government staff and unions.
Ms. Kristine Ter-Abrahamyan, the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for the Civic Development and Partnership Foundation (CDPF), attended the program. CDPF is an NGO whose mission is to foster development of civil society by strengthening institutional capacities of non-profit organizations. A key CDPF strategic goal for 2006-2009 is to contribute to the development and support of civil society, particularly to civil society organizations (CSOs). CDPF will accomplish this through service delivery and the provision of grants to CSOs.
After the training program, Ms. Ter-Abrahamyan prepared a report on the applicability of the US experience to CDPF and other NGOs. CDPF has adopted several recommendations from Ms. Ter-Abrahamyan’s report, including:
• NGO fundraising practices observed in the US have been included in training programs for NGOs offered by CDPF;
• CDPF volunteer management strategies have been changed. Instead of only providing logistical support, CDPF volunteers are now effectively involved in programmatic issues as well. This is resulting in better human resource management within the organization and individual capacity building for the volunteers.
• Communication and networking between Armenian NGOs and donors is being strengthened through sharing of success stories.
Ms. Ter-Abrahamyan was inspired by the US NGO example of sharing successes with partners, donors, and constituencies. She saw how sharing successes results in improving NGO collaboration with partners and donors. Ms. Ter-Abrahamyan thought that by sharing successes, NGOs would improve their overall advocacy efforts.
After discussing this idea, CDPF announced a competition among NGOs requesting examples of successful advocacy activities that met specific goals. Twenty success stories have been submitted by NGOs throughout Armenia, and 16 have been published in a Brochure on Advocacy Successes in Armenia. The brochure has been presented to a number of NGOs and international organizations operating in Armenia. CDPF anticipates that sharing success stories on regular bases with donor organizations will also contribute to increasing funding opportunities for Armenian NGOs.
Publication Date: 2009-03-14
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