About Us
The “CSO DePo: CSO Development Program” fosters sustainable civil society development through strengthening the capacity of CSOs as critical actors to advance and oversee reform, improve services and contribute to the development of more effective governance in the economic, democratic, health and social spheres.
The CSO DePo Program is implemented by EPF, in a Consortium with Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC), Media Initiatives Center (MIC), Goris Press Club (GPC), Support for Noyemberyan NGO (SN), and Martuni Women Community Council (MWCC) under USAID’s Development Grants Program (DGP). The Program started in June 2014, and it will be implemented through May 2019.
The goal of the Program is to expand the pool of strong local CSOs by delivering capacity strengthening services so they may become a) successful actors in building a ‘more engaged, prosperous and well-governed Armenian society’ and b) successful potential partners for USAID/Armenia. The objectives are: a) to make CSOs more sustainable; and b) to increase the involved CSOs’ capacities to better deliver services and advocate and monitor reforms in governance, economy, and public health. As a result, the direct participants will become business-oriented and sustainable intermediary providers and capacity developers, at least 70% of beneficiaries will show steady improvement in organizational capacity and sustainable development, at least two models for CSO sustainability will prove successful, and civil society support actors will be ready and able to support CSOs.
The Program is being implemented in several stages.
First, the Consortium developed a special Armenia-tailored CSO Capacity Measurement Tool. The Consortium then proceeded with building its own capacities and conducting a CSO Comprehensive Market Assessment, which resulted in the elaboration of several CSO sustainability models to be offered to beneficiary CSOs. At the next stages, the Consortium established the CSO Management School that offers trainings on project management, organizational development, business planning, advocacy, gender mainstreaming, service provision, and other needed skills. The School is strengthened by the CSO DePo Portal that offers up-to-date tools and information on CSO development and funding opportunities.
In parallel to the CSO Portal, the School will establish a CSO Multimedia Solutions facility to facilitate effective communication among CSOs and between CSOs and other stakeholders. The Consortium expects that over the five years, up to 160 CSOs will undergo training, either in-person or on-line. At the next stage, trainings for trainers will take place, and new generations of trainers will graduate. The most advanced CSOs will be invited to bid for accompanied grants to support their capacity development.
The “CSO DePo: CSO Development Program” is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents and the views expressed as part of the Program are the sole responsibility of Eurasia Partnership Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.