TACSO Regional CSO Networks Conference

Regional Networks Best Practices & Challenges

13th-14th December, 2011 Sarajevo, BiH

Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN)

Lessons-learned & challenges in functioning & advocacy

ID Card
Regional crosssectoral network (registered as foundation) 15 CSD member organizations from 10 countries of the Balkan region Initiated in 2001 Executive Office based in Skopje

3. Partnership meeting Feketic, Serbia - December 2003

Vision
Sustainable peace, harmony and prosperity of societies in the Balkan region.

Mision
To influence European and national policies towards more enabling environment for civil society development (CSDev) in order to ensure sustainable and functioning democracies in the Balkans.

Strategic goals
1. Increased role of civil society by strengthening its voice in policy- and decision-making on national, regional and EU level; 2. Promoted civil dialogue between civil society actors, state institutions and the EU in order to influence public policy;

Strategic goals
3. Developed advocacy knowledge and

skills of civil society actors as a base for greater impact; and 4. Strengthened communication, coordination and cooperation (3Cs) between civil society actors in the Balkan region.

Activities 2001-2008
Organization of 14 regional trainings on EU funding, lobbying, networking, civil dialogue, coop with the business sector, media etc.; Support/organization to 29 exchange visits on volunteering, project Civil dialogue training, Tirana, Albania July 2007 development, etc.; Support/organization of 3 EU study visits.

Activities 2001-2008
Organization of 3 workshops for exchange of experience on EU integration, decentralization, diaconal practices; Organization of a conference on Bulgarian EU accession experience; Partnership and networking training Organization of on-the-job Feketic, Serbia April 2006 training and help-desk.

Activities 2001-2008
Website in English and basic content in 4 local languages with about 4,000 visitors annually and 5% growth; Distributed 175 editions Weekly e-mail alerts to over 800 addresses; Published 5 editions of Balkan Civic Practices in 4 languages; Publishing of a Newsletter and Databases (members, training, donors, partner-search).

Activities 2009-2011
Advocacy at the EU level
3 Workshops & Policy Papers: The Right to be Heard: The EU Enlargement Policy and Civil Society in the Western Balkans, Brussels; The Missing Link: Development and Functioning of Civil Dialogue; Civil Society Lost in Translation? Development Strategies & Practices in Support to CSDev in the Balkans

Activities 2009-2011
Advocacy at the EU level:
Manifesto for EP elections in May 2009: Do Not Forget the Future EU Citizens Letters and meetings with EC for better inclusion of local CSOs in programming and implementation of IPA 1st on-line regional civil dialogue database (WB + 3 NMS) Special focus in BCSDN E-mail alerts

Development of BCSDN
Phase 1 (2001-3): 3-year pilot programme Phase 2 (2003-8): informal network Phase 3 (2008-2011): formalized network

Networking WHY?
Easier to achieve goals, esp. at European level (aggregation of interests) Synergy, added-value Network enables access to European and global networks on strategic goals, e.g. CONCORD, ECAS, ENNA, APRODEV Information & knowledge exchange, new partnerships and joint initiatives/projects

Why advocacy? formalization?

Changes in external context (security stabilization, slow political, economic and social changes, donor withdrawal); Changes in internal context (effectiveness and quality with less resources, learning on other peoples experience, EU integration pull); Clear structure, relations and involvement of members, visibility and identification of common interest by members

External evaluation
The programmes support to the civil society development and networking is likely to have an impact on its wider environmentThe programme delivered the potential for development of one of the few successful regional initiatives. This is mostly because this network is an indigenous phenomenon; driven by the problems, needs and priorities of its membership and not necessarily by those of external stakeholders, such as the EC. and can therefore be considered a contributing element in strengthening the democratic stabilization process.
(EC, CARDS Ad-hoc Evaluation of CARDS Regional Programmes, December, 2008)

The Network has made significant contributions to crossborder cooperation and is well positioned to build on further cooperation between members in the future.
(INTRAC, External Evaluation, 2004-2007, October, 2007)

Key lessons
Legitimacy (who do we (re)present?); Goals (what do we want to achieve?); Identification and definition of special and joint interest (why do I need the network? what is its added-value?); Sustainability (how are we going to work on the long-term?); Ownership (why should we do this and for who?)

What regional CSO networks can offer to the EC

Improved regional monitoring of Acquis areas & IPA programming
why? ownership, sustainability, policy coherence, cost-effectiveness, impact how? structured dialogue through existing mechanism (EC Min Standards of Consultation & RCC structures)

What regional CSO networks can offer to the EC

Communication & dissemination partner
why? realistic expectations by citizens, accountability by the Gov for structure reforms

how? Inclusion in advisory bodies such as the IPA CSF/TACO Programming Committee, IPA sector monitoring committees etc.

Contact
Balkan Civil Society Development Network Executive Office Nikola Parapunov Street n.n. P.O. Box 55 1060-Skopje, Macedonia Tel.: + 389 (0)2 30 88 990 Fax: + 389 (0)2 30 65 298 E-mail: ExecutiveOffice@balkancsd.net

Thank you for your attention