Final Report

Project:

Vocational training development focused on Georgian IDPs and NGO empowerment with emphasis on V4 transformation and EU accession

České centrum fundraisingu/Czech Fundraising Center (CFC)

Address: Severovýchodní V/1523, 141 00 Praha 4, Česká republika

Tel.: +420731 460 975

E-mail:

WWW:

Content:

Project summary report:

Project activity report:

1. Needs assessment research and key partner involvement (March 21 – 29, 2011)

2. Trainings for organizations working on IDP issues (April26 – 30, 2011)

3. Grant competition for start-up funding for community enterprises

4. Consultations for grant winners and other IDP organizations and case studies development for IDP communities

5. Study visit and training in V4 countries

6. Final training and sharing experiences from the program + follow up planning

List of attachments:

Project summaryreport:

The design of this project was built on several conclusions:

1. Our consulting experience in the Czech Republic clearly shows that the job market is a fast moving target and that most institutionalized vocational trainings (in CR carried out by regional Labor Offices) tend to be out of date (= out of demand) before the first participant even finishes the training. Any effective retraining or vocational training has to be extremely flexible and fast in responding to a changing market...

2. We are convinced that vocational training should be combined with support and development of their own community enterprise and small business. In other words, IDPs should not be just passively trained for a fictitious dream job; using their current knowledge, experience and skills they should develop small-scale entrepreneurial activities with the potential of creating jobs for a few others.

3. Through the project, NGOs will develop their institutional stability in order to play a role in formulating public policy in this area and fundamentally strengthen local and community leadership...

All IDP communities we have approached have developed local leadership in some form, predominantly formalized into an NGO legal entity due to opportunities presented by international donors and foreign aid programs. In this respect, it was not difficult to identify program participants – there were far more potential participants than this program could serve. The trouble was how to select the right participants out of all those who applied to take part in the program. There were several major criteria for making the final selection during the research field trip that opened the project on site. Participants had to:

  1. represent diverse regions: we wanted IDP communities that have previously not received much attention from the international donor community (i.e. further away from Tbilisi, harder to access, poorer accommodations); we wanted both “old” (Abkhazia) and “new” (Osetia) IDPs to be represented;
  1. be an NGO working with IDP with a dissemination potential; i.e. be working actively with an IDP community and being recognized and respected as a local leader;
  1. have an idea and/or the potential of developing a successful small / social enterprise to serve as a showcase for others.

In other words, we were looking for NGO leaders who would not only go through a theoretical training in planning and running a small enterprise, but who would in fact start one and learned from hands-on practical experience, for own experience and example complemented with training and facilitation skills are the best prerequisites for developing a solid base for future small or social enterprise development that would – as intended by this project – create and provide flexible enough job and income opportunities for IDPs.

In this respect, we may clearly conclude at the end of this project that all of our starting conclusions were correct and our evidence-based, well thought out approach was extremely efficient and may be regarded as a total success.

The objective of this project was defined as follows: “The project targets NGOs working with IDP communities and will develop their training and consultation skills (to be able to provide standard vocational training programs) based on the example of community enterprise development training and consulting. We will use the tested Social Enterprise Development training module adjusted to IDP communities and their socio-economic situation and post-war conditions. The training segment of the project will be complemented by a study tour to the V4 countries, involving our partners from Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, and grant-making to provide small start-up funding to cogent and innovative entrepreneurial ideas, involving our project partner, Eurasia Partnership Foundation.”

This is precisely what we have done. Extensive internal evaluation of the project, involving our Georgian and V4 partners, revealed that the greatest strength of this project was the well though-out conceptual approach and more specifically the combination of assistance tools employed:

  • on-site research to fine-tune the project design and to select best suited participants to the project; this also raised attention, we had a chance to present the concept of the project, to discuss our expectations with the potential participants and to promote the project and the idea among the potential audiences;
  • training – first of the content (how to make a feasibility study, a market research, how to design prising, how to calculate a break even point, how to make a business plan, how to set up a small or social enterprise), so that participants gain their own experience in what they will disseminate later; and second of training and facilitation skills, i.e. giving them tools of how to design and run their own workshop, how to work with a local group etc. - to conclude the project;
  • Consulting and coaching, carried out on site for each participant and in addition during the study tour and during the concluding training and event: an open social enterprise fair involving also IDP small enterprises developed in the course of this project;
  • Experience sharing and networking during the study visit to 25 different small NGO operated enterprises in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland, bringing not only an invaluable pool of ideas and transformational experience from V4 countries, but also a unique opportunity to network among the Georgian participants;
  • Grant-making component – 4 participants were, on basis of submitting their business plan, awarded a start-up grant to convert their enterprise idea into reality.

It was the complexity of this project that has made it so successful and that has achieved – and in many cases surpassed the expected project outcomes:

Project will enable NGOs involved with IDPs to:

-Develop their training and consultation skills, including market research skills (job market research to be exact), training program development, methodology development and practical training techniques with an emphasis on interaction and experiential learning;

-Train and assist NGOs working with IDP communities in developing small community businesses or activities, providing new job opportunities – but, above all, the needed positive example of what being active may bring about;

-Develop and deliver vocational training in an effective manner for NGOs working with IDP communities based on their extensive local knowledge and flexibility;

-Develop their role and reputation in their communities, empowering them as local sources of expertise;

-Gain practical experience from V4 job market transformation processes, becoming a pool of knowledge, know-how and expertise in this field (potential to influence legislation and public policies related to the job market and employment);

-Gain start-up funding for their community enterprises from a local donor (project partner).

Project participants have gained a great deal of information (knowledge) and practical skills (running their own small enterprise), but above all, they have changed their attitude. That is always the hardest to do. Nonetheless, having worked with them over the course of the year, we may state with certainty that there has been a notable attitude shift from “this will probably never work here” to “we are doing it and look, we are successful” in majority of project participants. Evaluation by participants reveals that they are leaving this project as a group with an identity, and more importantly with confidence. Given the specifics of the post-war situation, largely marked by passiveness and victimization, this may regarded as a major achievement.

Project activity report:

1. Needs assessment research and key partner involvement (March 21 – 29, 2011)

Scope of budgeted work: 3 experts (Jana Ledvinová, Jan Kroupa, Petr Babouček) , 3 days of work in their home country + 7 days of work in Georgia

Trainers and consultants from the CFC together with EPF representatives collected relevant information and experiences, developed partnerships with key stakeholders for the project (focusing on NGOs working with IDPs) and researched the needs and expectations for future project activities (training, study tour, consultations).

List of visited organizations:

We have met representatives from some key state institutions interested/responsible for IDP issues:

  • Ministry of Economy of Abkhazian Autonomous Republic
  • Tbilisi Municipality
  • Ministry of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees

Major focus was on organizations working with IDPs ( providing direct services for IDPs, resource centres, network and coalitions and training centres)

  • Fund of Women Entrepreneurs - Kutaisi
  • Cultural-Humanit. Fund “Sokhumi” - Kutaisi
  • Medical Workers Initiative - Kutaisi
  • KutaisiEducation,Employment - Kutaisi
  • andDevelopmentCenter - Kutaisi
  • Fund Abkhazinterkont - Kutaisi
  • Union of Teachers - Kutaisi
  • Peaceful and Business – Caucasus – Kutaisi
  • Women and Development - Gori:
  • Foundation TASO - Tbilisi
  • Global Initiative on Psychiatry - Tbilisi
  • Child and Environment - Tbilisi
  • Tanadgoma - Tbilisi
  • Charity Humanitarian Centre of Abchazeti - Tbilisi
  • IPB Women Association „Concent“- Tbilisi

Detailed information about meetings and interviews is attached.

Field Reserch Schedule:

Monday, March 21

14:30 - 16:40 Meeting at EPF

17:00 – 1:00 Meeting at UNDP

Tuesday, March 22

09:30 - 10:30Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

11:00 - 14:45Trip to Kutaisi (Western Georgia) Departure from EPF

13:00 - 13:30Lunch

15:00 - 17:00Meeting with NGOs in Kutaisi

17:30 - 20:30Trip to Tbilisi

Wednesday, March 23

11:00 - 12:00Coalition for IDPs’ Rights

12:15 - 13:15Meeting at the Ministry of Economy of Abkhazian Autonomous Republic

13:30 - 14:45Lunch

15:00 – 15:45Tbilisi Municpality

16:00 - 17:00Ministry of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees

17:30 - 18:30Foundation Taso

Thursday, March 24

10:00 - 11:00Global Initiative on Psychiatry

11:30 - 12:30Child and Environment

13:00 – 14:00Charity Humanitarian Centre Abkhazia

14:00 - 15:30Lunch

15:45 - 16:45Tanadgoma

Friday, March 25

09:30 - 10:30Trip to Gori (departure from hotel)

10:45 - 13:00Woman and Development

13:15 - 14:00Trip to Dusheti

14:00 - 16:30Project Presentation by Georgian Arts and Culture Center

Monday, March 28

09:30 - 10:30IDP Women Association “Concent”

10:30 – 14:00 Meeting with partners

14:00 - 15:00Lunch

15:45 - 18:00Project presentation

Detailed schedule with organizations contacts is included as an attachement.

Field Research Findings:

The week of of field research and meeting with partners and IDPs and IDP organizations in Tbilisi, in Gori and in Kutaisi, including offices of public administration confirmed that our assumptions were correct: IDPs need to break out of being passive recipients of services or beneficiaries of assistance programs; they need to experience success, they need to see specific cases that work and have access to them. IDPs need to break out of being passive recipients of services or beneficiaries of assistance programs, they need to experience success, they need to see specific cases that work and have access to them.

Major findings and observations:

  • Traditional vocational training is not flexible enough to suit the needs of IDPs
  • Effective assistance to IDPs in the livelihood and employment issues must involve empowerment, activation and confidence building
  • Social enterprise is accepted with enthusiasm and meets these prerequisites very well
  • IDPs need to break out of being passive recipients of services or beneficiaries of assistance programs
  • They need to experience success
  • They need to see specific cases that work and have access to them

Targeting Project Activities:

For this reason, we specified our primary focus for project activities (the training, grant competition, consultancies, study tour and additional events). We will target organizations that have a potential to become examples of good practice – multiplication points; i.e. preferably organizations that have been active in working with IDPs that plans to start social enterprise or that can mobilize community leaders who want to start an enterprise and the organization takes them under its auspices.

We primarily focus organizations that:

  • Have a potential to become examples of good practice
  • Have been active in working with IDPs that plans to start social enterprise
  • Can mobilize community leaders who want to start an enterprise
  • New approach to IDP job market and employment development

Building Partnership:

We invited several partners (organizations and institutions) besides to core project team to cooperate on the project, help to disseminate outcome and coordinate their activities. Most of them we met during the Field Research trip and analyze the potential of collaboration. To confirm the starting partnership, aspecial launching event (invitation and programme is attached) was organized on March 28. 45 representatives from 39 institutions, coalitions and IDP organizations participated on this event. We invited to the newly raising coalition also state institutions:

  • Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia
  • Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Re-integration
  • Abkhaz Ministry of Economy
  • Abkhaz Ministry of Education and Culture

Key international and local organizations dealing with IDPs:

  • UNHCR
  • British Council
  • Refugee Council
  • Danish Refugee Council
  • Norwegian Refugee Council
  • Association of Young Economists of Georgia
  • Georgian Employer Association
  • Union of Teachers “Education and Universe”
  • Association Peaceful and Business Caucasus
  • Caucasus Business and Development Center

The full list of attendees is in the attachment. The event was attended and opened by the Czech Ambassador H.E. Ivan Jestřáband Ketevan Vashakidze – Director, Eurasia Partnership Foundation. The detailed programme of the event is attached. The special press release and presentation was issued to open the project in Georgia and support the process of partnership building (both attached).

Selecting project participants:

Special application and training announcement were prepared and spread around Georgia helping by the project partners and key multiplications. (attached in Georgian, in English a short version of the announcement is here: We received application forms from 38 Georgian organizations, 17 from them were selected for the training. Based on the research trip findings, the selection was done according to following criteria:

  1. Participant organizations have to work with IDP communities.
  2. Participants should have their own business idea to be implemented.
  3. Planned SE activity preferably should create new employment opportunities for IDPs.
  4. Two people from each organization should participate and attend the whole course of training.
  5. Participant organizations should represent different regions of Georgia.
  6. Participant organizations should be willing to spread experience among their IDP beneficiaries to support social entrepreneurial (SE) activities in the community.

Planned Outcomes review

  • Detailed plan for the project done and agreed with all key local partners (EPF, CSRDG and others)
  • More detailed information about vocational training for IDPs and current and future market developments were researched
  • Needs and ideas form NGOs working with IDP communities were collected
  • Participants for the training were selected

2. Trainings for organizations working on IDP issues (April26 – 30, 2011)

Scope of budgeted work: 3 trainers (Jana Ledvinová, Jan Kroupa, Petr Babouček), 3 days of work in their home country + 5 days of training in Georgia, 30 participants from key NGOs and coalitions working with IDPs

Trainers and consultants from the CFC together with EPF delivered vocational training for a group of representatives of NGOs working on IDP issues, developed their skills to be able to implement and assist others in developing small community businesses or activities in IDP communities – and, above all, created positive examples of effective proactivity. Trainings content included market research skills, social enterprise development steps. Training methodology was based on practical training techniques with emphasis on interaction and experiential learning.

Finally 34 participants participated in the training from following 19 IDP organizations from various regions of Georgia. List of attendees (detailed list with contacts is attached):

  • Our Support
  • IDP Association for Peace
  • Coalition for the Rights of IDPs
  • Kodi Community Education Center
  • AFG
  • Fund “Taso”
  • Regional Development Institute-Shida Kartli
  • CHCA
  • Hera
  • Anika
  • Fund for Women Entrepreneurs
  • “AbkhazInterCont” AIC
  • Kutaisi Education Development and employment Center
  • Association “Peaceful and Business Caucasus”
  • Nongovernmental union – “Gali District- The Future Day” (Abkhazia)
  • IDPWA “Consent”
  • Senaki CEC
  • “Education for Democracy”
  • Association “Women- Development”

Expectations from the training:

We collected detailed expectations at the beginning of the training (participants work in regional Gross to identify also local needs). This is the list of needs and expectations:

Gori:

  • social enterprise international experience + legislation
  • learning the essence of social enterprise
  • sharing experience about social enterprises that function in Georgia
  • peculiarities of Georgian legislation and enterprises
  • maintaining sustainability of the (my) organization

Tbilisi:

  • essence and importance of social entrepreneurship
  • from ideas to products
  • financial side of social enterprise

Kutaisi:

  • would like to learn about modern examples of social enterprise in order to use this knowledge in employing IDPs in Kutaisi
  • acquiring skills necessary in establishing social enterprise
  • principles of social enterprise; connecting business and social aims of different social enterprises
  • finding out the difference between business and social enterprise
  • using social enterprise for the development of the organization
  • what type of laws should we be aware of s
  • understand structure of social enterprise
  • business plan

Trainings content and methodology: