The objective of Civil Society Development Programme is to promote civil participation and contribute to the development of sustainable and viable civil society institutions in Georgia.

PROGRAMME PRIORITIES:

The principle priorities of the programme are provided below:

• Improving not-for-profit legislation;
• Improving overall legal and operational environment of socially oriented not-for-profit institutions operating in Georgia;
• Contributing to development of civil society through delivery of high quality legal, tax, financial consultancy services.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Project Title: Creating Enabling Environment for Welfare Organizations in Georgia

Project Manager: Ia Gabunia

Donor Agency: Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst - EED

Project Duration: 01.10.06 - 31.03.11

Project Overview

The project "Creating Enabling Environment for Socially oriented Not-for-Profit Organizations in Georgia" was incepted in November 2006 with financial support of Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst - EED. The primary objective of the project is to form favorable, sustainable, flexible legal and overall operating environment for and institutional strengthening of organizations delivering social services in Georgia. Emanating from this principal objective, the Project endeavors to elaborate effective cooperation mechanisms between socially oriented organizations and Government, to elaborate unified model of social services outsourcing and effective mechanism of Government financing of socially oriented not-for-profit organizations to enable welfare organizations to successfully cooperate with Government, gradually replacing Government or efficiently complementing it in social service delivery, to contribute to the process of deinstitutionalization, to raise public awareness in social issues. Emanating from these overarching ends, the project envisions implementation of the below enumerated activities:

• Elaboration of uniform policy of social services' outsourcing and government financing mechanisms of welfare organizations;
• Elaboration of uniform legislative package incorporating, inter alia, mechanisms promoting cooperation between the government and welfare organizations, mechanisms of Government financing of welfare organizations, mechanisms contributing to formation of flexible operating environment for socially oriented organizations;
• Strengthening institutional and organizational capacity of social service provider not-for-profit organizations;
• Contributing to the process of deinstitutionalization in Georgia through involvement of social service provider organizations in the process;
• Building and managing an efficient network of social actors, primarily social service provider organizations;
• Researching the status quo market of welfare organizations operating in Georgia to determine development index of the organizations and create unified database;
• Researching international experience in the field of social services outsourcing, government/not-for-profit cooperation, government financing of welfare organizations;
• Establishing Legal Aid Center to deliver legal consultancy services to welfare organizations free of charge thereby contributing to institutional and organizational development of the organizations.

Region: Georgia

COMPLETED PROJECTS

Support of Cooperation between Civil Society and Government in Kakheti Region

Towards European System of High Education – in Support of Bologna Process

Citizens Advocate Program

Public Register of Unions

Improvement of Georgian Not-for-profit Legislation

Guide for Non-governmental non-for-profit organizations

Support of Third Sector Development

NGO Legislation Development

Handbook for Georgian NGO's

2 May 26 Square, V Floor, Tbilisi 0171, Georgia
Tel.: (995 32) 365 675 / Fax:(995 32) 330 417
e-mail: adm@civilin.org