Anual Report 2008/2009

ACTIVITY REPORT 2008-2009

Foundation PACT

Partnership for Community Action and Transformation

This report was completed (text writing and editing) by the coordination team of PACT Foundation, with the support of the Association for Education and Culture for People Valea Mare Podgoria / AECO (Argeş county), The Sons of Frânceşti Village Association, Tismana Foundation, the Association for Initiatives of Developing the Communities in North Oltenia – IDCON (Gorj county), Humanity Rom Association (Olt county) and the collaboration of Mihaela Istrati (English translation) and Valentin Radu (design), with photographs from PACT archive and www.sxc.hu. Thank you all !

Copyright of PACT Foundation, December 2010

3

We come to the support of people who want to reach their full potential !

We believe that community development starts, first of all, with the individual and his/her inner resources – knowledge, competence, time, energy, passion, eagerness and will. From the individual, it then spreads further to the one besides him, and then to the next one, and so on – until it reaches the lives of many. And through the power of example, a new core is formed: a group of people who care about their lives and the lives of those around them; and then another core is formed, and so on...

Our work is about supporting citizens to transform the community they live in, so that it becomes and is recognized as their own community, generating a true sense of belonging. Each time, we base our actions on the idea that each of us is responsible, to some extent, of the quality of our own lives, and even more, of the well-being of our peers. What happens around us depends on us!

We start each new project with an abiding trust that many others see things the way we do. And we search for those people – hardworking, caring persons, who can and will use their own creativity, their resources and their social networks in order to put things into motion and bring changes for the better in their own lives and the lives of their fellows.

We believe that true change comes bottom up.

From the ones who face the social reality day-by-day and understand their own needs better than anyone else. From those who are the true keepers of Romania’s profound traditions and values. We believe in these people and support them through a complex methodology of training, consultancy, facilitation and seed-granting.

Our activity starts from the initiation of local projects, in rural and small-to-medium urban areas, and goes on to advocacy on governmental policies in order to ensure the sustainability of community development for the people that we work with.

In the years that went by since PACT Foundation was established in 2006, we have considerably increased our coordination team, our field team, and the number and variety of our partners, collaborators, funders, sponsors and donors. We have grown from both a financial and an organizational perspective, and, following our first strategic planning process – we have channeled our interest areas, diversified our action methods and specialized our work.

Our team is made of passionate, knowledgeable persons, with well recognized experience and expertise in the field of community development and related fields. We are professionals in several domains: social work, sociology, economy, communication, finances etc. We are sought by national and European organizations for partnerships, consultancy, training delivery etc.

We have chosen a complex interdisciplinary approach, structured on multiple layers, since experience has proven that unilateral, unidirectional actions produce limited, marginal effects. As we focus on the processes and the quality of our work, our foremost interest is to maximize and multiply the impact at grassroots level – because people in Romania lack involvement models, examples to show them that „they can do it”, that voluntary work is not in vain, nor does involvement pass unnoticed, and that initiative bears fruit.

In short, what does COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT mean to us?

To help people recognize and develop their qualities and potential;•

To teach them how to become organized so that they can each find their own active roles in solving the problems that affect them •all;

To support the formation of strong communities, with an increased control over the resources and conditions that affect their •living;

To promote the use of community resources in fostering social justice and common welfare;•

To build capacity for communities and public authorities to cooperate in good governance.•

Ruxandra Sasu

Executive Manager

FOREWORD

4 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 5

MISSION AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS 7

I. DEVELOPING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS 8

II.PROMOTING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES AND VALUES IN ROMANIA 16

III.STIMULATING SOCIAL ECONOMY 22

SERVICES 25

FUNDRAISING 26

PERSEVERENCE, DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABILITY – ASSOCIATION FOR EDUCATION AND CULTURE FOR PEOPLE (AECO) 28

STUDY – DISSEMINATION OF GOOD PRACTICES IN GORJ COUNTY 30

ORGANIGRAM 2008-2009 32

FUNDERS, SPONSORS, DONORS AND PARTNERS 33

NETWORKING 34

ACTIVE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOPED BY PACT FOUNDATION 35

FINANCIAL REPORT 2008-2009 36

FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT 2008 43

FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT 2009 44

5INTRODUCTION

Foundation PACT - Partnership for Community Action and Transformation is a nongovernmental and non-for-profit organization active in community development and social economy. The Foundation is located in Bucharest and started its work in March 2006, working mainly in rural and small to medium-sized urban areas of South Romania.

Foundation PACT promotes and supports citizens’ potential to take action and get involved in the development of their community. The starting point consists in identifying the specific needs in their own community and to find effective solutions to meet those needs, working with a team made up of both community members and local or regional institutions relevant to the projects proposed by the community.

CONTEXT

Residents of rural areas - especially the indigent or those belonging to minority groups - are very poorly represented within the civil society structures. While lacking models of involvement and participation, people find it very difficult to initiate, actively get involved and lead activities to the benefit of the community they belong to. Most of the times, they remain passive recipients of governmental or nongovernmental programs, if such programs are conducted in their community. Often, their opinion on their own needs is not asked, they are not involved in identifying the priorities or the objectives of the development programs and neither are they involved in the implementation of such programs. Moreover, they are rarely familiar with the initiatives or projects that various institutions or organizations develop for them.

In Romania’s current political context, as a member of the European Union, small and poorly developed communities are even more vulnerable. Even local public authorities are confronted with marginalization, inequality and limited access to resources, and – even worse - to information. Small communities often lack the mechanisms and the capacity to access information related to development opportunities; they are neither aware of, nor defend their rights, they do not liaise with other institutions, and do not know how to attract funds.

PACT Foundation’s intervention in such communities follows the principles of community development, not as a specific activity, but as a specific approach to a set of activities relying on building capacity for action, encouraging civic activism, participation and inclusion of different groups of the community in the local development process, so that they define their own vision and their own development directions.

We have chosen to work in the Southern part of Romania because this area of the country is mostly devoid of civil society structures to facilitate citizen participation to public life in general and to community actions in particular. We are committed predominantly to rural communities because in Romania civil society structures are mostly concentrated in urban areas, only one third being located in rural areas.

FAITH IN CHANGE

From the very beginning of our work, we have been aiming to support formal or informal groups of community members wanting to change for the better the lives of the people in their community who are socially and economically marginalized or disadvantaged. Our work with such community groups is designed to encourage them to take initiative, to strengthen their capacity to act so that, through collaboration with other community members, with public authorities and local institutions, they address pressing needs of the community they belong to.

In Romania there are many people overwhelmed by the problems of everyday life, disappointed and hopeless, lacking the possibility to identify solutions to change things for the better. When we choose to work in certain communities, we seek for those community members who have the courage to believe that they can change things for the better for themselves and for their peers, yet do not know how to do it and where to start from. These people have the capacity, desire and energy to take initiative and act to solve the problems they are facing: unusable roads, difficult access to fresh water sources, loneliness and isolation of the elderly and of the people with disabilities or lack of a playground for children. We believe in these people and support them in rallying other people with similar interests around them, with whom to associate to form active community initiative groups, which we call community-based organizations.

Through a complex methodology of training, consultancy, facilitation and small grant-making, we support the members of the communities from Southern Romania in making their voice heard before the authorities, to get actively involved in solving their own needs, in motivating their peers to make positive changes in the community.

A communit y -base d orga niza tion i s a nongovernmental and non-for-profit organization (an NGO with formal status) or an informal group of citizens made up of members of a community associating to initiate activities that contribute to the development of the community they belong to, responding to the needs locally identified by its members.

Civic activism is the action of one or several people to the benefit of a group or of a community, where it does not reflect a direct personal interest.

6 INTRODUCTION

VALUES AND PRINCIPLESCommunity development;•Participatory approach;•Public participation;•Civic activism;•“Bottom-up” development approach;•Latent potential (that can be activated) of knowledge existing •at local level;Faith in the community members’ capacity to find valid •and efficient solutions to the issues or needs of their own community;Respect for the development options of the community •members.

THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE WORK WITH ARE NOT ONLY OUR BENEFICIARIES, BUT ALSO OUR PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORSWhat is the profile of these people? Many of them are teachers and educators; others are parents who have children with disabilities, priests, members of Roma communities, leaders and other members of society whom we call “concerned citizens”, who are socially responsible and willing to sacrifice part of their time and energy to work voluntarily for the benefit of their own community.After having identified these community groups, we try to understand their needs, covering a wide range of issues, such as: the lack of extracurricular activities and of personal development opportunities for children, discrimination against children with disabilities, the lack of access to safe drinking water in the very poor communities, the lack of self-confidence and denial of self identity in the Roma communities etc.Frequent situations arise when individuals or groups of people wish to change something and come up with ideas, find resources, put the ideas into practice, yet those in the community do not see the initiative just as enthusiastically, and thus frustrations and disappointments occur.Therefore, we encourage community groups we work with:

to communicate with the people they try to help, in order to •understand their needs and perspectives;to communicate with others in the community or neighborhood •(school, kindergarten, church, dispensary, community police etc.);to develop an open dialogue with the town/commune hall •and the local council;to present their ideas and explore whether and when these •needs are on the agenda of local authorities;to find out what other solutions might the local authorities •suggest to address those needs;to identify what could be their own resources, which other •local resources they could mobilize and put together with theirs, namely what kind of collaborations, approvals, permits or authorizations they might need to carry out projects that would address those needs.

KINDS OF ACTIVITIESIn our efforts to support community initiatives, we carry out the following activities:

Local development projects• , providing the initiative groups training, facilitation and consultancy in the following areas of community development: participatory analysis on the community needs and resources, participatory planning and project management, organizational development and management, participatory strategic planning (for local development), (organizational) communication, public relations and fundraising from private sources,

entrepreneurship, development and management of income generating activities and of social economy structures;Small grant making • (ranging between 500 – 5,000 €) for the community-based organizations / initiative groups interested in developing community projects or income-generating activities designed to help develop the locality they belong to;Fundraising • from individuals and companies in order to finance projects and economic activities of the community-based organizations that facilitate social and economic inclusion of disadvantaged groups, capitalize the resources in the community, create jobs and reinvest the profits in the community;Connecting • the community-based organizations with other organizations, institutions, companies and individuals interested in contributing to community development projects;Developing brochures, reports, surveys and research •studies based on the practical experience gained in the areas of community development, social economy and related fields;Organizing seminars, workshops and conferences• in the areas of community development, social economy and other related areas (e.g. local development, rural development, social inclusion), in order to facilitate the exchange of experience and the partnerships between organizations and institutions active in these areas; Providing training• for professionals and people interested in our areas of activity;Creating internship opportunities • for national and international students.

OUTCOMES AND PROGRESSAs a team, we have experience in setting up and developing initiative groups in localities in the Southern part of the country, back since 2002. We have worked with over 90 groups from rural and small to medium urban communities in Oltenia and Muntenia regions (Mehedinţi, Gorj, Dolj, Vâlcea, Olt, Argeş, Teleorman, Ilfov, Ialomiţa, Călăraşi and Giurgiu counties). Around 50 of these groups continue their activities at local/county or regional level, they are registered as non-profit organizations and work with and for the support of disadvantaged people.

We have • trained over 150 people in various areas of community development.We have • financed about 60 community projects, in which over 600 people from those communities got involved.We have facilitated the creation of more than • 130 local partnerships between public and private entities.We have • trained and advised 7 community-based organizations in initiating business plans for social and economic income-generating activities in order to stimulate the social inclusion and economic development of disadvantaged communities.We have encouraged the • collaboration between 10 community-based organizations and 10 local public authorities in order to facilitate the participation of community members in the processes of achieving the local development plans in 10 communities.We have • trained and supported over 150 disadvantaged Roma people from 9 rural communities and 1 urban settlement to increase their chances for integration on the labor market.We have • trained and assisted 12 community-based organizations in the process of organizational development.

7MISSION AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

MISSION PACT Foundation aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the communities by promoting local and regional initiatives, partnership and social responsibility.

STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS PACT Foundation aims at focusing on the inclusion of disadvantaged and marginalized groups, keeping up the commitment to work in the Southern part of Romania.Our activity mainly targets rural communities, but also small and medium urban localities, as we base our programs, projects and activities on the following three strategic directions:1. Developing community-based organizations. Our main approach to development consists of supporting people with initiative to establish civil society structures at local level, to contribute to the development of their communities in collaboration with various local actors. We aim, in the future, to create a community development fund, constantly supplied from private sources, whereby to increase the number of initiatives that we support and seed-fund.

2. Promoting the principles and values of community development in Romania. We wish to contribute to the establishment of funding structures dedicated to local initiatives (community foundations) and building valid partnerships among institutions and organizations active in the area of community development and related areas (local and rural development, social inclusion). We believe that public interest decisions and their implementation should be realized by meeting the community development principles and values, among which: participation, trust in the relevance of everybody’s contribution and capitalization of local resources.

3. Stimulating social economy. It is one of the basic elements in the local development process. We are interested in supporting the development of social economy structures and in initiating actions for the development of entrepreneurial skills among community members, in order to stimulate the better utilization of local resources, the creation of services necessary to the community, and the generation of revenues and jobs in the community.

A community consists in a group of interconnected people who share similar interests and characteristics, a common identity, history and vision. The community is an entity both homogenous (based on the common elements) and heterogeneous (having in view the diversity related to age, abilities or beliefs), made up of various subgroups, more or less visible, having different access to resources and different degrees of power in the decision influencing process.

We understand development as an ongoing participatory process throughout which communities define and carry out their own improvements, with or without outer assistance.

Social economy is a specific form of entrepreneurship, with an important role in the development of solidarity, social cohesion and territorial (regional) connections, which:• relies on the principles of solidarity and individual involvement in the process of active citizenship;• plays an important role in the local development and social cohesion;• generates jobs and a better quality of life;• builds new mentalities to contribute to reaching a social consciousness;• corresponds to the priorities of the European Union and to its strategic objectives.

A public decision / decision of public interest is one which affects the community life and implies the allocation of public resources.

Participation implies the contribution and involvement of the community members in making the decisions on matters of public interest.

We call civil society the totality of organizations (community-based, non-governmental etc.), relations and processes of private nature (not public) that are meant to generate community welfare.

We define community development as an approach to a number of activities of public interest, as an attitude and as an ongoing working manner of the community-based organizations with the community members, relying on a wide participation of the latter and on the inclusion of the various groups and interests, whereby those groups define their own direction and their own vision of development.

8 I. DEVELOPING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

1. To encourage and support the establishment of new community-based organizations in South Romania.

2. To support the further development of existing community-based organizations in the South of the country, so that they work in an efficient and sustainable manner, with a greater impact on the lives of the communities they represent.

3. To support community-based organizations to build capacity of the marginalized / disadvantaged groups to improve their living conditions.

4. To stimulate partnerships and participatory practices among local development actors in the communities of South Romania.

5. To stimulate social responsibility of individuals, communities, business environment, institutions and public authorities.

TARGET GROUPS aimed at through the projects developed in this direction (as beneficiaries, partners or collaborators):

vulnerable people and groups from disadvantaged and/or •marginalized communities;

community-based organizations•

non-profit organizations interested in community •development and related areas (such as the social inclusion of vulnerable groups, local or rural development), who want to develop participatory actions, projects and programs;

public authorities and institutions at local/county and •regional level.

PACT FOUNDATION’S PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS (2008-2009)

1. Supporting Community-Based Organizations to Increase their Capacity in Working for the Economic and Social Inclusion of Marginalized People

TIMEFRAME: December 2009 - May 2010

FUNDER: wishes to keep an undisclosed identity

BENEFICIARIES: 45 community-based organizations in South Romania

Our most recent project is designed to support already existing community-based organizations. In such organizations, we find people who have many good ideas of activities intended for the disadvantaged people in their communities, yet who lack the confidence to try and seek access to more generous funds from the institutional level.

Our role in this project is to stand by them in the effort to convert their ideas into projects, by helping them identify the funding sources that are available and suitable for what they aim at. We facilitate their meeting with potential funders, who can thus directly provide them with the necessary information on the projects supported by institutional or private funds, and we guide them throughout the entire process of developing funding proposals.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To support 45 community-based organizations in outlining projects dedicated to the economic and social inclusion of the disadvantaged groups and in identifying the necessary resources for those projects.

2. To assist directly up to 20 organizations in developing project proposals for funding.

ACTIVITIES PERFORMED:

Throughout December 2009, we began preparations for a seminar dedicated to project development and fundraising, following to take place on February 4th – 6th, 2010. The event has been designed so as to provide the opportunity to a number of 45 community-based organizations (invited to each assign a representative to attend the event) to interact directly with several funders, both institutional and private, in order to understand in detail the financing requirements specific to their programs and to test, in relation to the same, their own project ideas.

2. “Learning, Participation, Trust” – Program for Developing Community-Based Organizations in South Romania – 4th round

TIMEFRAME: June 2008 - February 2010

FUNDER: Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe

DONOR: Vodafone Foundation Romania

SPONSORS: Provident Financial Romania, Unidea Foundation and Unicredit Ţiriac Bank (through the GiftMatching internal campaign), SC Gatemar SA, Smart Ideas G&S

Being disadvantaged is to be denied, occasionally and contextually, some needs (not necessarily basic ones) and/or services such as, for example, the access to fresh water. Disadvantage can occur with a person, group or community, in certain specific contexts.

Being marginalized is to be denied, continuously and systematically, the access to fundamental rights and basic needs, depending on the perceptions and reactions of other groups to the characteristics of the group one belongs to. For example, the right to work of a Roma person, denied because of the perception and reaction to the entire ethnic community.

9

CONTRIBUTORS WITH 2% OF THE INCOME TAX: individuals from Romania

PARTNERS:

- Sons of Frânceşti Village Association (Frânceşti village, Peştişani commune, Gorj county)

- Muscel Association for Education and Culture (Câmpulung Muscel, Argeş county)

- Association for Education and Culture for People (Valea Mare-Podgoria, Argeş county)

- Association for Education and Community Development (Ţigăneşti commune, Teleorman county)

- Rudezis Association (Giurgiţa commune, Dolj county)

BENEFICIARIES:

20 new community groups, from 20 rural and urban communities -in South Romania

5 community-based organizations already existing, with at least -three year-working experience

“Learning, Participation, Trust” is the classic, fundamental program of PACT Foundation, encompassing the basic methodology, working principles, values and philosophy of our activity, around which all the other projects of the organization are built or start from. Through this program, we identify and support members of rural and small and medium-sized communities from Southern Romania, keen to actively contribute to achieving positive changes in the life of their communities. The methodology of the program involves training sessions, consultancy, facilitation and small funding as non-reimbursable grants for the initiative groups developing projects for the benefit of their community.

In this 4th round of the program, an element of novelty is the very important role played by the five partner community-based organizations in the establishment and development of new community groups. Having already extensive experience in community work, our partners have gotten directly involved in identifying the people with initiative from neighbouring localities, then acting as mentors to the new groups, transferring their experience and knowledge to them.

MAIN OUTCOMES:

- the partner community-based organizations have appointed three mentors each from among their experienced representatives, who participated in a workshop with PACT Foundation’s coordinating team, where they acquired knowledge and strengthened their skills in community facilitation;

- the representatives of the new community groups were delivered three training sessions and three free consultancy sessions by

PACT Foundation, on the following topics: participatory evaluation of community needs and participatory project planning; project management; organizational communication and community fundraising;

- 19 new initiative groups have developed their own community project (financially supported by PACT Foundation with grants of up to 3600 RON) to address needs identified by the community members themselves, through a participatory needs analysis process;

- around 1300 children, 250 youths, 125 adults, and 510 households have been benefiting from the successful implementation of these projects;

- types of projects implemented: children’s playground, sports field, “school after school” program, PC beginner’s classes for children, water supply, rehabilitation of an access road, arts and crafts course, centre for the revitalization and continuation of local traditions, renovation of the local museum, crafts workshop, centre for information and specialized counseling for children and parents.

SUSTAINABILITY:

- during the implementation of the community projects, 17 initiative groups successfully managed to mobilize funds and other resources from the local community (materials, equipment, volunteers etc.) in order to complete the funding from PACT Foundation;

- following the implementation of the community projects funded by PACT Foundation, 11 groups have developed a new phase of community fundraising in order to support new activities and projects for the benefit of their community;

- the 11 groups are determined to continue their work as community-based organizations, paying consistent efforts to attract new external available resources or to mobilize resources existing locally, in order to thus meet the needs of their community;

- of the 11 community-based organizations, 6 have established themselves as formal associations (NGOs with legal status), and 5 have so far chosen to remain informal groups of community initiative.

3. Community-Based Organizations – Centers for Community MobilizationTIMEFRAME: December 2008 - October 2009

FUNDER: European Union - PHARE 2006 Program Increasing the Role of Civil Society in Romania’s Integration Process, Component 3 – NGO Sector Development and Civic Education

BENEFICIARIES: 12 active community-based organizations

I. DEVELOPING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

10

Another project dedicated to the existing community-based organizations had as a starting point a needs’ analysis conducted among and by the members of the same. Thus, the following needs, respectively priority development directions wanted were highlighted: strengthening the skills of the community-based organizations’ representatives to work with the community members, to constantly attract them into their initiatives, acquiring knowledge and organizational development techniques, and information and knowledge on the development funds available to local communities.

MAIN OUTCOMES:

- the representatives of the 12 community-based organizations received two training sessions on the use of two methods of participatory work with community members (World Café/Public Café and Future Search Conference) and on organizational management;

- the 12 community-based organizations each carried out a World Café-type of event in their own community, on topics of local interest, receiving PACT team’s assistance;

- 320 citizens from the 12 communities targeted by the project were mobilized to find solutions to local problems; among them there were representatives of local authorities, of public institutions and members of the disadvantaged groups from the local communities;

- for the dissemination of the two participatory work methods to other organizations concerned, we made 11 videos, that can be accessed from www.fundatiapact.ro;

- the 12 community-based organizations received tailored consultancy on improving their organizational management; on their choice, they underwent strategic organizational planning processes and/or developed financial planning, resource pooling schemes, plans to attract volunteers or time management ones.

THE FIRST FUTURE SEARCH CONFERENCE ORGANIZED IN ROMANIA

PACT Foundation organized the first Future Search Conference (FSC) in Romania during 23-25 September 2009, as the final event of this project and under the aegis of the Citizens Participation Week, held by the members of Central and Eastern Europe Citizens Network (www.ceecn.net) that PACT Foundation is part of.

The FSC method is used globally to help build a common vision and a plan of action generally accepted by all stakeholders within a sector or a community.

PACT Foundation‘s conference focused on facilitating the local communities‘ access to development funds - as a way to meet more efficiently the real needs of the citizens; it brought together representatives both of the bodies responsible for the development funds at


national, regional, county and local level, and of the various interest groups in the community - public authorities, local institutions, community-based organizations and beneficiaries of governmental and nongovernmental services from the local communities.

Participants found a common vision on the access of local communities to development funds and developed six action plans to achieve this vision: to improve the educational and informative components for the beneficiaries of these programs, to create local development strategies, to improve the communication programs of the authorities managing development funds, to increase the beneficiaries’ competitiveness, to simplify the procedures for accessing development funds, to enhance the visibility of non-governmental organizations at local level, particularly with regard to their role in the community.

11

4. Citizenship - Intercultural Dialogue

TIMEFRAME: September 2008 - June 2009

FUNDER: European Commission – Directorate-General for Education and Culture, through “Europe for Citizens” Program

PARTNERS:

European Pole of Foundations Active in Social Economy - -international association made up of five foundations from four European countries (Belgium, Spain, Italy and France) – the project initiator and coordinator

European Think Tank Pour la Solidarité (Belgium) -

MACIF Foundation (France) -

Community Service Volunteers (England) -

P&V Foundation (Belgium) -

EAES Foundation, School of Andalusia for Social Economy -(Spain)

BENEFICIARIES: the mixed Roma and Romanian community in Călineşti commune, Argeş county

PACT Foundation’s community development initiatives mould differently on local realities of each community we work in. In Călineşti commune, Argeş county, the segregation of the Roma community in Valea Corbului village and of the Romanian community from Vrăneşti village negatively influenced the participatory strategic planning process initiated under the “Participation. Strategy. Democracy” project, starting from the very moment of identifying and prioritizing the local needs and resources.

The “Citizenship - Intercultural Dialogue” project reunited seven organizations of the civil society from five EU member states (England, Belgium, France, Romania and Spain). In each of the five participating countries, citizen groups were created to represent the local diversity. Partner organizations played the leading role to experiment and to coordinate an intercultural dialogue process.

In Romania, PACT Foundation established a group of citizens representing the Roma community and the Romanian one in Călineşti commune. Five group meetings took place, held alternately on the “territory” of each community (Roma and Romanian). With the valuable support from experts in inter-ethnic communities in Romania, PACT Foundation initiated discussions and workshops with the mixed group on various topics of interest, in order to identify the ways in which intercultural dialogue can improve the relations between the Roma and the Romanians in this locality. From the very beginning, we had in view that these meetings should create a basis for the integration of the minority, so that the members of the locality could support a genuine process of participatory community development.

OUTCOMES AND IMPACT:

- further to the five meetings, we laid the basis for a cooperation between the citizens of Valea Corbului village and those from Vrăneşti village;

- both the Romanians and the Roma in those communities currently have more knowledge about the tradition and history of each ethnic group;

- the representatives of both communities conducted a participatory assessment of the Roma community’s needs and thought together of solutions for integrating development measures intended for them in the Local Development Strategy of Călineşti commune;

- the mixed group acquired knowledge on inclusive education and developed local solutions to apply the inclusive principles in the schools from Călineşti commune;

- the project had a positive impact on enhancing the self-esteem of the Roma in Valea Corbului village, but also on a better understanding of the Roma community, at local and county level.

5. Skilful Craftsman, Looking for Employer

TIMEFRAME: May 2008 - April 2009

FUNDER: European Union through Phare 2006 Program – Economic and Social Cohesion – Human Resources Development - Social Inclusion Measures

PARTNERS:

- Association for Economic and Social Development (ADES) – Curtea de Argeş, Argeş county

- Education and Culture for People Association of Valea Mare Podgoria (AECO) – Argeş county

- Youth and Friendship Association (ATP) – Poieniţa village, Bălileşti commune, Argeş county

BENEFICIARIES:

- 251 disadvantaged Roma people from Argeş county

- 2 community-based organizations with experience and interest in working with Roma communities

Two of the attributes held by community-based organizations and implicitly brought as added value to this project by our partners, AECO and ATP, are the in-depth knowledge on the needs existing locally and the possibility to mobilize local resources. Thus, the project combined PACT Foundation’s organizational capacity, the experience and expertise of our team of collaborators and the knowledge on local communities, with the participatory skills in community work of the representatives of the two partner community-based organizations, in order to meet the need for inclusion on the labor market of the disadvantaged Roma citizens


12

from one urban settlement and nine rural communities in Argeş county. These assets were added the significant experience in the region of our third partner in the project, ADES, a training provider NGO certified by the National Council for Adult Vocational Training.

MAIN OUTCOMES:

- 251 disadvantaged Roma people from the 10 communities took part in personal development and vocational orientation courses organized by PACT Foundation;

- 159 participants in the above-mentioned courses then enrolled in professional qualification/requalification courses organized by ADES; of these, 134 regularly attended those courses, and 115 graduated them, acquiring diplomas for qualification in the following occupations: retail worker, mechanic, locksmith, upholsterer and construction worker;

- each participant in the qualification/requalification courses was provided, in addition to the theoretical part, an internship stage at the workplace or within local businesses where PACT Foundation and its partners facilitated their access, depending on the occupational profile;

- then, for the 115 people who graduated the qualification/requalification courses, both PACT Foundation and particularly the two partner community-based organizations initiated steps to facilitate their employment on the labor market, by contacting a number of local and regional businesses and presenting them the benefits of employing these people trained under the project;

- in their turn, the two partner community-based organizations developed significantly their skills in working with disadvantaged people, AECO further developing other projects as well, focusing on disadvantaged Roma communities.

6. Empowering through Participation

TIMEFRAME: October 2006 - March 2008

FUNDERS: Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe

Charles Stuart Mott Foundation

Open Society Foundation

DONOR: Vodafone Foundation Romania

SPONSORS: Lafarge, Smart Ideas G&S

CONTRIBUTORS WITH 2% OF THE INCOME TAX: individuals from Romania

PARTNERS: -

Allavida (Great Britain) -

Sons of Frânceşti Village Association (Frânceşti village, Peştişani -commune, Gorj county)

Rudezis Association (Giurgiţa commune, Dolj county) -

Education and Culture for People Association - Valea Mare- -Podgoria (Ştefăneşti, Argeş county)

Humanity Rom Association (Iancu Jianu commune, Olt county) -

Muscel Association for Education and Culture (Câmpulung -Muscel, Argeş county)

Association for Education and Community Development -(Ţigăneşti commune, Teleorman county)

Civitas 2005 Association (Turnu Măgurele, Teleorman county) -

BENEFICIARIES:

- 14 new community groups from small rural and urban communities in South Romania

- 7 community-based organizations having over three years of experience in working with disadvantaged groups

The project targeted both the development of new groups of local initiative and building the capacity of seven existing community-based organizations - our project partners; this was


BOOKLET on the “ROLE OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND VOCATIONAL ORIENTATION COURSES IN THE PROCESS OF INTEGRATION ON THE LABOR MARKET”Based on the experience acquired, PACT Foundation developed a booklet describing the work methodology, the advantages and disadvantages, the opportunities and challenges,

as well as the outcomes of the personal development and vocational orientation course organized under the project. The booklet serves all the community-based organizations that PACT Foundation works with and other organizations and institutions involved in vocational training programs, interested in delivering personal development and vocational guidance courses to disadvantaged categories.

13

the first initiative in which PACT Foundation used the mentorship method in establishing community-based organizations. The seven community-based organizations, developed in the 2nd round of the “Learning, Participation, Trust” program, were selected to facilitate the formation of two new community groups each in neighboring localities, in Dolj, Gorj, Mehedinţi, Vâlcea, Olt, Teleorman and Argeş counties. Thus, knowledge was transferred to the new initiative groups not only through PACT Foundation’s intervention, but also by the action and model offered by experienced community-based organizations, locally active.

MAIN OUTCOMES:- the newly established initiative groups, along with the members of their communities, implemented 13 community projects in response to local needs that were affecting either various categories of disadvantaged people in the community (school and nursery school children, high school students, youths and elderly) or the whole community;

- the solutions found by the community members to solve those issues resulted into: arranging a restroom for students of a school; building a bus/tram bulb for the public transport users; setting up a radio station of the students of a high school; arranging two fountains - both as drinking water sources in the community (from natural springs) and as a means to revive local traditions; organizing computer literacy courses for the children and adults in two communities; building a sports complex; arranging three playgrounds; de-polluting a river crossing a community; fixing the windows of the community church; opening a day care centre for the elderly;

- the seven community-based organizations have developed their capacity to act as resource centers for groups interested in taking initiative to solve the issues in their own community.

7. “Learning, Participation, Trust” – Program for Developing Community-Based Organizations in Romania – 3rd roundTIMEFRAME: October 2006 - April 2008

FUNDERS: Charles Stuart Mott Foundation (USA)

The Balkan Trust for Democracy (USA)

SPONSORS: Provident Financial Romania (by means of the Social Involvement Money Market organized by ARC – the Association for Community Relations), Smart Ideas G&S (idem) and Unicredit Leasing Corporation IFN S.A. Romania

BENEFICIARIES: 15 new community groups from rural and small to medium-sized urban communities in Ialomiţa, Călăraşi, Giurgiu, and Ilfov counties

In early 2008, the third round of the community-based organizations development program was completed, having been designed to develop the capacity of the disadvantaged groups from communities in Southern Romania to actively participate in the community life and to take initiative to solve local issues. Of the 15 community groups selected to participate in the program, 11 completed all four training modules on: participatory analysis on the needs of a community, participatory planning, project development and management, teamwork and organizational management, developing relationships with other community actors, communication, fundraising and mobilizing the resources in the community.

MAIN OUTCOMES:- 11 initiative groups conducted projects on community development covering local issues identified with the help of the community members: drilling a well in a community of 1000 people who had no access to any other public source of drinking water; renovating a former playground in a poor neighborhood and building two new playgrounds in two other communities; personal development activities for adolescents whose parents had gone to work abroad; a summer school for the children in rural areas; a club for children with disabilities, especially arranged in an area fit for their needs; health education courses for future or young mothers from disadvantaged categories; specialized care (in a specially arranged psycho-pedagogical practice) for children with autism and their families; extra-curricular activities for students with poor family conditions and learning difficulties; an ensemble and a festival of interethnic Roma and Romanian traditional dances (including the introduction in the school curriculum of a course on the history and traditions of the Roma), for a better integration in the community of the children from the 2 ethnic groups;

- 7 of the participant community-based organizations planned and successfully implemented their own fundraising activities, either from private sources, or through new projects, managing to attract even more resources to develop new initiatives for the benefit of the community; the organizations explored various methods to mobilize resources and potential solutions to the needs of their community - both financial resources and other material resources or volunteering, in order to support new community actions and initiatives; funds and resources attracted were then invested in new projects/actions of the initiating organizations.

STUDY ON THE PROFILE AND THE ROLE OF THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOPED UNDER PACT FOUNDATION‘S PROGRAMS

Sociologist Răzvan Stan was contracted to conduct a qualitative research on the characteristics of community-based organizations and their role in local development. The study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of those organizations and formulates a set of conclusions and recommendations to a better operation of the same and to a higher effectiveness of PACT Foundation’s programs.


14 I. DEVELOPING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

SUSTAINABILITY:- after the completion of the program, some of the community-based organizations established partnerships or collaborative protocols to jointly perform further activities intended to contribute to the development of the communities they represented;

- two of the informal community groups who participated in the program were legally established, becoming community associations with formal status.

8. Participation. Strategy. DemocracyTIMEFRAME: December 2007 - October 2008

FUNDER: The European Union, through the PHARE 2005 Program - Strengthening Democracy in Romania, Component 2 – Democracy, Human Rights, Rule of Law, Independence of Justice and Fight against Corruption

PARTNER: Resource Centre for public participation (CeRe)

BENEFICIARIES: 10 active community-based organizations and 10 local public authorities, respectively 10 rural and small urban communities from Argeş, Călăraşi, Dolj, Gorj and Ialomiţa counties

The community-based organizations and the public authorities in 10 localities worked together to encourage and facilitate citizens’ participation in the process of making decisions of public interest and in designing the local development strategies. The project responded to a need identified in the communities in Romania – namely to improve residents’ participation (end beneficiaries) in the process of public decision-making on local development. Two representatives from each community-based organization and two representatives of the same locality’s hall were invited to participate in two training modules, on the one hand, on stimulating citizen participation in decision-making processes and, on the other hand, on the participatory strategic planning for local development.

MAIN OUTCOMES:- the ten local teams each applied at least one method of public participation, in order to subject to civic consultation issues faced by the community at that time and on which a decision of general interest had to be made: building a park for children and adults (with local funds from the locality hall and community fundraising by the organization); creating a network of running fresh water; improving the communal security; rehabilitation or building of access roads to citizens’ inaccessible arable lots (the locality hall providing the stone, and community members working on the road rehabilitation); building a sports field or sports facility for the local teams and commune residents; making the management of municipal green lands more efficient; rehabilitating a road over the field in a village; preventing and treating local landslides; setting up an information centre; preventing school dropout in a Roma community;

- some local public authorities involved committed themselves to further support the organizations and to implement, with the help of the community members, projects conceived during those participatory processes; representatives of the community having participated in such consultations were invited to attend the working sessions of the specialized committees, in order to ensure the process transparency; in order to make sure of the implementation of the outcomes of the participatory processes, some local teams lobbied mayors and the specialized committees of the local councils to prepare draft decisions of the local council to address or improve issues subjected to consultation, based on the conclusions of the public consultations;

- the topics addressed at the public consultation events were

preparatory for the subsequent participatory strategic planning process; local teams paid constant efforts to involve the citizens in drafting a strategic planning document for the development of their own locality; at least three work meetings were held in each community, with the active participation of the citizens in at least one of them, in order to go, together, through the steps of a strategic planning process: community description or profile; establishing the vision; identification of the problems and resources; establishing strategic development goals; building the operational plan with important projects for the community, involving the necessary resources;

- in nine of the localities, this participatory process was carried through, resulting in strategic plans for local development focused on: infrastructure; tourism, agro-tourism and rural tourism; traditional agriculture, zoo technique and food industry; education and culture; traditions, traditional crafts and local heritage; services, employment and specialized human resources; SMEs, business development and attracting strategic investors; economy; health and environment; civic participation;

- the final project event, organized at regional level as a World Café, convened project beneficiaries, representatives of other community-based organizations and NGOs, representatives of the Prefecture’s office and of the local authorities from the counties where the project had been carried out, and mass media representatives; participants held discussions, exchanging experience and generating new ideas, on five main themes drawn from the local development strategies developed under the project: traditional crafts and local heritage; tourism, agro-tourism and rural tourism; culture, education and civic participation; infrastructure; agriculture, zoo technique and food industry.

15

PARTICIPATORY METHODS USED IN WORKING WITH OUR BENEFICIARIES:Community mapping – is probably the best way to start working within a community; it represents the perspective and perception of those having drawn it, namely of the community members, on the local resources and the way they are used.

Community inventory – aims at assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the community; the inventory includes the infrastructure facilities available, how well they operate or do not operate, as well as the current and future opportunities and threats.

Problem prioritization – is a good way to start a discussion or an interview in a group and helps focus the discussion.

Prioritizing according to wealth – is very useful (1) to find out

how the community members define poverty, (2) to find out who are the people in the community really facing poverty, (3) to stratify and prioritize various examples of wellbeing.

Community institutional mapping (Venn diagram) – it implies a simple depiction of circles representing various groups, organizations or institutions active within the community; the size of each circle reflects the importance of each group, organization or institution represented; the degree of overlapping between two circles represents the extent to which those two local actors work or make decisions together.

World Café / Public Café – is an active dialogue method to exchange information and find innovative action solutions; it is generally used when an organization, an institution or a public authority wants to subject a specific issue to public debate; it is also a very good method for public consultation and civic involvement in decision making.

Future Search – is a participatory planning method creating the premises for change, by building a common vision and a common work ground for various stakeholders of a sector or a community.


MAIN OUTCOMES ACHIEVED DURING 2008-2009 REGARDING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOPMENT

We have worked in - 60 rural and small to medium-sized urban communities from South Romania (South-Muntenia and South-West Oltenia regions, namely: Mehedinţi, Gorj, Dolj, Vâlcea, Olt, Argeş, Teleorman, Ilfov, Ialomiţa, Călăraşi and Giurgiu counties).

We have - trained over 160 individuals in various areas relating to community development: participatory assessment of the needs and resources in the community; participatory planning and project management; organizational development; communication and external relations; community fundraising and local resources’ mobilization; participatory strategic planning at organizational and locality level; entrepreneurship.

We have contributed to the development of - 49 new community initiative groups, of which 22 have become active community-based organizations, working with and for categories of disadvantaged/marginalized beneficiaries from their home or neighboring communities.

We have awarded grants for - 43 community projects (with amounts ranging between 500-1000 EUR/project).

We have contributed to the organizational development -of 19 community-based organizations previously established under our programs.

We have encouraged the creation of over - 90 local partnerships between public and/or private institutions/organizations.

We have facilitated the collaboration of 10 community- -based organizations and of 10 local public authorities in 10 localities in South Romania, with a view to stimulate public participation in the decision-making process, the results of which were 9 local development plans designed in a participatory manner.

We have - trained and supported over 150 disadvantaged Roma people from nine rural communities and one urban settlement to increase their chances of integration on the labor market; of these, 120 people received qualification in trades demanded on the labor market in South Muntenia region.

We have contributed to the - improvement of the quality of life of about 4500 people from various disadvantaged categories

THE ADVANTAGES AND THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

1. The members of the community-based organizations, being the very members of the communities they represent, are very aware of the local needs and can respond to them more effectively, flexibly and quicker than other NGOs or government institutions.

2. Community-based organizations provide various opportunities and ways to mobilize resources internal and external to the community. They mobilize the talents, skills and time of the community members for the common good.

3. Community-based organizations are capable of creative ways to mobilize financial resources.

4. Another advantage is the facilitation of a wider participation of the community members at the decision-making level. A balance is thus achieved among the local power relations, at the same time with a democratic access to resources.

5. Community-based organizations develop people’s capacity to make credible claims to those in control of the resources.

6. Through their activities, community-based organizations lead to the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of their beneficiaries. Thus, there is a reduction of the dependency state in the disadvantaged groups represented.

7. Such organizations lead to a reduction in the discrimination and marginalization of the disadvantaged groups. Consequently, a local sense of social solidarity intensifies.

8. Community-based organizations can develop good cooperation and partnerships with a wide range of local and regional public institutions, private agents or other nongovernmental organizations.

9. They play an important role in mediating other local development initiatives and resources. Such community-based organizations can be important actors and partners in the development process, informing on the priorities and the local resources, on the one hand, and on the impact of the development programs, on the other hand.

10. These organizations have a transformative effect on their members - developing leadership, project management, teamwork and planning skills.

16

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

1. Boosting community development in Romania, by promoting and supporting the concept, principles, values and related practices, as an horizontal approach to the local development projects (along with sustainability and equal opportunities).

2. Encouraging and supporting networking activities, knowledge sharing and experience exchange between the national and the international actors involved in community development in Romania and abroad.

3. Supporting the creation and development of funding mechanisms, whereby community-based organizations can become sustainable (both by supporting the establishment of community foundations and by creating our own funding tool – the community development fund).

4. Promoting and supporting social inclusion in Romania, at local and national level, starting from the community development principles and values.

TARGET GROUPS aimed at through the projects developed in this direction (as beneficiaries, partners or collaborators)

non-governmental and non-profit organizations, active •at local/county, regional, national and/or European level, interested in community development projects and programs or participatory development

community-based organizations•

public authorities and institutions at local/regional, national •and European level

community foundations (from Romania and abroad)•

students and professionals in the area of community •development and related areas

mass media from the social area•

PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS FOR PROMOTING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES AND VALUES IN ROMANIA IN THE PERIOD 2008-2009

1. National Program for Developing Community Foundations in Romania

TIMEFRAME: August 2009 - June 2012

FUNDERS: Charles Stuart Mott Foundation

Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe

The Romanian-American Foundation

PARTNERS: Association for Community Relations (ARC) – leader of the national program, coordinates the partnership, the strategic directions, the information and consultancy component, the

fundraising and program assessment

Environmental Partnership Foundation (REPF) – holds the leading role in the grant making process for the establishment of the community foundations in Romania; advises the community foundations in the program on how they can grant local effective and impact funding

Under this national program, PACT Foundation is responsible for promoting the concept and existing structures and for the establishment of such kind of organizations in the South of Romania. We contribute with our own experience of community development (participatory approach, initial assessment of local needs, identifying local leaders and establishment of initiative groups etc) to the consultancy and development component of the program.

BENEFICIARIES:

local initiative groups to establish the community foundations•

community groups or local NGOs, beneficiaries of grants •offered by the community foundations, through which they will implement their project ideas in order to address local needs

private donors (individuals and companies) positively affected •by the projects implemented with the funding that they grant through the community foundations

local communities to host the community foundations, •benefiting from an effective development mechanism

on the long term, territories relating to the local communities •served by the community foundations (neighboring communities)

II. PROMOTING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES AND VALUES IN ROMANIA

Community foundations, located in urban centers, at national level, develop as non-governmental and not-for-profit structures, with lasting and sustainable perspectives, through the effective usage of the resources existing in the community. These organizations attract funds from donations from individuals and companies in a particular geographical area and distribute the funds raised to social causes from the same geographical area, for the development of the same.

Community foundations stimulate motivation, cooperation and local participation, making up a flexible mechanism that specifically directs community resources toward local needs identified by the community members, in coordination with the interests of the private donors. They will aim at operating as independent legal entities (legal persons), run by a managing board each, representative to the town of belonging. Over time, the community foundation can become a powerful local sponsor, based on the financial resources locally accumulated from natural and legal persons.

17

In addition to the involvement, the enthusiasm and the dedication of the people in the community, local initiatives need financial support in order to meet the diverse needs of the citizens. We believe that the role of community foundations in Romania will prove to be crucial, in this respect.

Globally there are over 1400 community foundations, of which about half are in the United States (where the concept appeared in 1914), while the rest are in Great Britain, Canada and Central and Eastern Europe (Baltic States, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and more recently in Romania and Moldova). By late 2009, two community foundations were operating in Romania, in Cluj-Napoca and Odorheiu Secuiesc, which have mobilized over 450000 RON, over two years, and have awarded over 80 grants. Through this program we aim at setting up in Romania at least five new, functional community foundations, of which at least two in the South of the country.

ACTIVITIES PERFORMED AND MAIN OUTCOMES:

- the partners have outlined the program communication strategy at national level;

- the decision has been made to establish an advisory council, made up of leading figures to become ambassadors for the program at national level and the process to approach the potential members of such council has started;

- each partner in the program has conducted an office research on the regions responsible for, following a series of economic and social indicators, in order to help define the areas of interest for the local campaigns

2. Promoting the Debates in Support of Strengthening the Open Method of Coordination in the Area of Social Protection and Social Inclusion in Romania

TIMEFRAME: December 2008 - December 2010

FUNDER: European Commission through Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities – Social Protection and Integration – Inclusion, Social Policy Aspects of Migration, Streamlining of Social Policies, under the European Community Program for Employment and Social Solidarity (2007-2013)

PARTNERS:

Belgium - European Think Tank Pour la Solidarité (PLS) – General Project Coordinator and National Coordinator

DIESIS

King Baudouin Foundation

National Labor Council

Service for the Fight against Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion

Bulgaria - Confederation of Trade Unions PODKREPA – National Coordinator

Confederation of Employers and Industries in Bulgaria (CEIBG)

National Union of Workers, Producers and Co-operatives (NUWPC)

Romania - CeRe – Resource Centre for public participation

CRONO – Resource Centre for Non-profit Organizations in Oltenia

For we support public participation, civic dialogue and partnership, both locally and at national and European level, we have gotten involved in this program on promoting debates on social inclusion for the strengthening of the Open Method of Coordination in the area of social protection and social inclusion in Romania. The Open Method of Coordination (OMC) is a mechanism for harmonizing the national policies at European level, which applies to several fields, among which - social inclusion.

Through this project, we have conducted an experience exchange between Belgium, Bulgaria and Romania concerning the Open Method of Coordination, and have created the prerequisites for a partnership between the governmental and the nongovernmental sectors - in developing and monitoring social inclusion policies and initiatives in Romania.


- an external researcher has carried out a research within the project on how the indicators have been developed and how the implementation of National Strategic Reports on social inclusion and social protection in Romania is being monitored;

- we have contracted a European-level consultant, an expert on the OMC - member of the Managing Board of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) in Ireland and of the Social Exclusion Network of the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) in Brussels;

- we have organized a training seminar on the OMC attended by 31 representatives from 23 NGOs active in the field of social inclusion, and nine representatives of public authorities holding responsibilities in the OMC, and four Romanian and foreign experts; on this occasion, the key findings of the research conducted were presented;

- in October 2009, the organizations present at the seminar set the basis of a working group on the OMC in the social area, whereas PACT Foundation provides the technical secretariat of the group;

- by the end of 2009, two meetings of the working group have taken place; in their first meeting, the members developed and signed a joint position paper addressed to the Ministry of Labor, Family and Social Protection - in attention of the Department of Social Inclusion Programs; the document acknowledges the full commitment and availability of the group to collaborate with the Ministry and other partners to develop a consistent, constructive and ongoing mechanism of public consultation on social inclusion; in the second meeting, the group members carried out reviews and proposals to improve the existing public policies on social inclusion.


18

3. Training and Learning for Community Development

TIMEFRAME: October 2007 - December 2009

FUNDER: European Commission – Directorate-General for Education and Culture, through the Lifelong Learning Program (2007 – 2013)

PARTNERS:

1. MOVISIE Kennis an advies voor maatschappelijke ontwikkeling / Combined European Bureau for Social Development (Holland) – the project initiator and consortium leader

2. Samenlevingsopbouw Vlaanderen Community Development, Flanders (Belgium)

3. CEGA – Creating Effective Grassroots Alternatives (Bulgaria)

4. Community Development Foundation (Great Britain)

5. PBW - Paritaetisches Bildungswerk Bundesverband (Germany)

6. Fundació Desenvolupament Comunitari / Community Development Foundation, Catalonia (Spain)

7. CESAM – Centrum för Samhällsarbete och Mobilisering / Centre for Community Development and Local Mobilization (Sweden)

8. CWC – Community Workers’ Cooperative (Ireland)

9. CE.S.I.E – Centro Studi ed Initiative Europeo / Centre of Studies and European Initiatives (Italy)

10. Kommunales Forum Wedding e.V. (Germany)

11. ARDC – Asociaţia Română de Dezvoltare Comunitară / Romanian Association for Community Development (Romania)

12. HACD - Közösségfejlesztők Egyesülete / Hungarian Association for Community Development (Hungary)

13. CKO - Centre for Community Organizing / Centrum Komunitného Organizovania (Slovakia)

14. Stiftelsen Idébanken / Ideas Bank Foundation (Norway)

15. KSS – Kristeligt Studenter-Settlement (Denmark)

BENEFICIARIES: professionals and organizations active in community development

Through this Grundtvig project, PACT Foundation participated in sustained exchanges of ideas, best practices and working methods concerning training and learning in community development,

under a consortium made up of 16 European organizations active in this field, sharing similar principles, values and approaches. The consortium targeted the “gaps” existing in the training and learning area of community development, in order to build capacity and boost the civic skills, initiatives and actions of those working with community members.


- the 16 organizations participating in the project gained a better understanding of the role of training and learning in community development, as parts of an ongoing complex lifelong learning process;

- a system of peer reviews (called “relay visits”) was organized with the “handing over” among the various partner organizations; five of the consortium members were hosts for each of such peer reviews; each visit was attended by a handful of partners, who had the opportunity to carry enlightening and productive discussions with various relevant actors in community development in the host country; at the end of each visit, partners developed a joint report on each visit, which was to be presented by the host on the following peer review/relay visit, to be hosted by another consortium member; this way, each of the partners had access to a wide variety of information and examples, thus promoting the transfer of lessons learned and the accumulation of knowledge among partners;

- one of the partners’ meetings, held in Malmo (Sweden), was conducted in a simulated “laboratory” framework, designed to test whether and how training and learning for community development can generate “multipliers” among the general public, the decision makers and the professionals; on this occasion, the degree of transferability and sustainability for a number of central points of the guidelines on training and learning in developing communities was tested;

- the participants in the final dissemination seminar, which took place in May 2009, in Sofia (Bulgaria), collaborated in identifying priority issues, debating on them and correlating them with joint action plans: developing common learning methods; maintaining constant communication; values, principles and standards; fundraising, structure and organization; the seminar was also designed to link the NGOs’ training and learning needs with those of the staff of the local, regional, and national public authorities who work in support of training opportunities at community level and of learning for community development;

- the seminar in Sofia was, in itself, an interactive learning opportunity; the event aimed at applying the interactive learning processes and practices for dissemination purposes; the seminar themes and topics were the outcome of the previous work of the partners and of their national and international/European networks; all participants in the seminar played an active role, and their expertise and the diverse contexts they worked in were reflected during the seminar and in the subsequent work of the same;

- a dissemination document was developed reflecting the essence of the joint message of the Consortium for Training and Learning in Community Development, made up of 16 European partner organizations;

- the partners developed a booklet on training and learning for community development;

- a project blog was developed: http://tl4cd.wordpress.com/blog-tlcd/


19

4. Fostering Civil Dialogue in Europe

TIMEFRAME: August 2007 - July 2008

FUNDER: European Commission – Directorate-General for Education and Culture, through the Lifelong Learning Program (2007 – 2013)

PARTNERS: European Think Tank Pour la Solidarité - Belgium (project leader)

Centre for Social Practices - Bulgaria

CeRe – Resource Center for public participation - Romania

NIOK - Non-profit Information and Training Centre - Hungary

Missions Publiques - France

Initiatives Europe Conseil - France

The World of NGOs - Austria

BENEFICIARIES: Citizens and civil society structures from various countries in Europe promoting active citizenship and civil dialogue at all levels. For this project, civil society organizations served as the interface between citizens and other actors in society.

This project was dedicated to the experience exchange among organizations at European level, this time on civic dialogue and public participation. The project sought to explore, analyze and document experiences with a view to develop an inventory of best practices of civil dialogue in Europe at all levels (local, regional, national and European). Given that the civil society has developed and structured in different ways in various parts of Europe, this evaluation was focused on developing a comparison between the best practices of the older European Union member states and the more recent ones.


In March 2008, PACT Foundation and CeRe – Resource Center for public participation organized, in Bucharest, a European seminar on “Civil dialogue - a new challenge for NGOs and state institutions”. The purpose of the seminar was to bring under discussion and to analyze the role of civil dialogue in its various forms and circumstances in which it can be considered the best form of public participation. Discussions focused on involving citizens in

the decision-making process and on the NGOs’ participation in setting development priorities and operational programs.

5. Citizenship - Intercultural Dialogue - transnational dimension

TIMEFRAME: September 2008 - June 2009

FUNDER: European Commission – Directorate-General for Education and Culture, through “Europe for Citizens” Program

PARTNERS: European Pole of Foundations Active in Social Economy – an international association made up of 5 foundations from 4 European countries (Belgium, Spain, Italy and France) – the project initiator and coordinator

European Think Tank Pour la Solidarité (Belgium)

MACIF Foundation (France)

Community Service Volunteers (England)

P&V Foundation (Belgium)

EAES Foundation, School of Andalusia for Social Economy (Spain)

PROJECT BENEFICIARIES IN ROMANIA: the mixed Roma and Romanian community in Călineşti commune, Argeş county

This project reunited seven organizations of the civil society from five EU member states, older and more recent ones, each having the task to establish citizen groups made up of individuals, representative to the diversity of the European society in the different EU countries. The civil society organizations involved in the project were encouraged to debate and reflect upon intercultural dialogue, to enrich their vision of things, as well as to exchange ideas and experiences with other civil society organizations involved in similar processes.


- three transnational meetings among the project partners facilitated the exchange of ideas and experiences on intercultural dialogue; two members of each citizen group participated as national delegates, along with the coordinator on behalf of each partner organization, in two of such meetings at European level;

- the project partners developed an interactive blog on inter-culturality: http://progcitoyennete.blogspot.com/; the blog supports an experience of intercultural dialogue in itself - being interactive, it enables the presentation of the local/national project outcomes through interventions of citizen groups’ representatives; the blog also hosts a discussion forum on inter-culturality;

- the partners created a guide to intercultural dialogue, including information about the project and recommendations on intercultural dialogue, from each partner organization.

Intercultural dialogue was thus experienced both locally and trans-nationally, and was approached both as a concept and theme for reflection, and as a tool facilitating the integration of the civil society in the new EU Member States. The work done at local/national level was combined with the work at trans-national level, through meetings of the partners and delegates from each national citizen group established, in order to share the outcomes achieved and to formulate a set of common recommendations, in order to thus help create sustainable connections.

6. Study on the Profile and Role of Community-Based Organizations Developed under PACT Foundation’s Programs (May 2008)

Further to the desire to build, based on the practical experience gained through our projects on community development and social economy, we have started out to document these lessons


20

learned in order to reflect on them and to share them with other stakeholders.

This study is the outcome of a qualitative research conducted under PACT Foundation’s “Empowering through Participation” project by Răzvan Stan, a sociologist with research interests in community development. The research focuses mainly on the methodology used by PACT Foundation in order to establish and develop such community-based organizations, with emphasis on the roles they may hold in the process of developing a community, as well as on the outcomes of the above-mentioned project.

The findings of the study have been, on the one hand, presented and analyzed internally, within the organization (with the office team and the field one - consultants and trainers), in order to draw lessons to guide us in our future work. On the other hand, the study was disseminated at a meeting with the students of the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work of the University of Bucharest, during a community development course held by Professor Dumitru Sandu. At the same time, the survey findings were debated upon at the Community Development School - a post-graduate program organized in Cluj-Napoca by the Babeş-Bolyai University in partnership with RuralNet - the network of organizations active in community development in rural Romania (www.dezvoltarecomunitara.ro). Last, but not least, the study was presented at a meeting held in Cluj-Napoca among RuralNet members - professionals with experience and expertise in community development - at the Annual General Assembly of the network.

All these activities were funded by the Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe and by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation from the United States.

7. Internship opportunities for Romanian and foreign students

By means of a partnership with AIESEC Romania, PACT Foundation hosted, for one month, during June and July 2008, a trainee graduate of a double degree-program in Technology and Management within the University of Science and Technology of Hong Kong.

During the internship, our guest participated in NGO events in Bucharest, attended and participated in training activities organized by PACT, prepared and delivered a three-day workshop for the young people in the communities Foundation PACT works in. The workshop title was “Global Citizenship - local responsibility” and it targeted a group of high school students from two localities, who were made aware of the global issues and encouraged to participate in local projects.

The experience was an excellent one. The internship was based on substantial research and documentation, which resulted in three days of workshop prepared and delivered in a well-structured manner, very well balanced and with a significant impact among the youths, reflected in the many positive reviews, as feedback further to the workshop.


GLOBAL OUTCOMES ON THIS DIRECTION OF ACTION

Through our projects and publications, we have promoted -the principles of community development at local and regional level in over 60 communities in South Romania (Ialomiţa, Călăraşi, Giurgiu, Teleorman, Argeş, Olt, Vâlcea, and Gorj counties), among citizens, local and regional public authorities and institutions.

We have also promoted the community development-type -of approach to the central public authorities in charge with the management of development funding for local communities.

Through the experience exchanges at European level, we -have shared ideas and good practices in the following areas: training and learning in community development, civil dialogue, public participation and intercultural dialogue.

We have encountered over 30 organizations in Europe, -active in community development and related areas.

We have participated in the kick-off of the program for -the development of community foundations to support local and regional development by encouraging local philanthropy and community development initiatives.

We have trained and we are managing a working group made -up of NGOs active in all regions of Romania, which currently monitors the implementation of the National Action Plan

on social inclusion, initiates proposals for consultation with the authorities responsible for social inclusion at national level and takes steps to cooperate with the same on various levels

21

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Romania’s integration into the European Union has produced significant changes concerning funding opportunities and development priorities: most international private donors (mostly American) who have supported the creation of the civil society after the fall of the Communist Regime either have withdrawn, or are in the process of withdrawing from Romania. Community development is still an approach extremely necessary for the progress of local communities, which is not reflected, however, in the current funding priorities and mechanisms - particularly concerning the structural funds.

PACT Foundation is constantly striving to develop strategic actions designed to strengthen the outcomes of its work and make them sustainable.

Thus, on the one hand, PACT Foundation pays consistent efforts to promote and apply the community development principles, values and practices, as a horizontal approach in developing and implementing public policies affecting the disadvantaged categories. To this end, we have developed the project on strengthening the Open Method of Coordination on social inclusion in Romania. According to the Romanian National Strategic Report (strategic plan within the OMC) for 2010-2012, good governance appears closely linked to the community development principles and approaches. Our goal is precisely to generate the usage of community development practices in all local development processes, both transversely and horizontally. We will continue our efforts to this end by developing projects to determine the place, role and importance of community development in the current context of Romania.

On the other hand, again as an approach to the sustainability of our actions, PACT Foundation has established a strategic partnership for the Community Foundations Development Program in Romania. We consider these structures as being of major importance to the existing community-based organizations and to other local organizations or groups. Within 3-5 years at most, they will be able to “match” the local project ideas, the willingness and enthusiasm for community involvement, the spirit of initiative and active citizenship with the necessary sources of funding. Originally, these foundations will operate primarily at the level of the urban poles they are set up within, thereby drawing the economic and financial strength required to develop efficient, effective and sustainable funding programs. In time, however,

our view is that community foundations will come to serve wider territories, including the rural areas related to or neighboring the cities they operate in.

Still, by the time that happens - until community foundations become fully operational in our target regions, we intend to focus our efforts on other types of sustainability measures as well, designed both to ensure the financial security of the organization, and especially - as implicitly - the funds required to continue supporting the activities of the community-based organizations established under our programs and also to develop new nucleuses of civil society in South Romania.

The community development fund – a sustainability tool for the existing and/or prospective community-based organizations from South Romania

Compared with other development actors, such as public authorities, the private sector or state agencies, NGOs and particularly community groups have the capacity to reach, most effectively, the marginalized and/or disadvantaged people and to work in a participatory manner for the development of local communities - whether rural or urban.

Community-based organizations have many viable ideas to improve the quality of life of vulnerable groups, a significant dose of enthusiasm, yet often lacking the means, the resources to transform them into projects in order to implement them. The European Union is presently the main development promoter in the region, with a disbursement of about 30 billion EUR in Romania, between 2007 and 2013. However, since they are public funds, accessing EU programs is difficult and subject to bureaucracy.

To date, PACT Foundation’s activities have been funded on a project basis, so that we had to follow specific deadlines and more or less rigid timetables. Throughout our work, we have often encountered situations where groups of citizens have expressed their interest in participating in our programs. Most of the times, we have not been able to act on these requests in a timely manner, since they have been off the timetables of our projects in progress.

In order to be able to respond promptly and effectively to spontaneous needs and requests from various communities, we intend to create a flexible community development fund, that would ensure the financial sustainability required for PACT Foundation to continue its core activity, of training and development of community-based organizations and stimulation of initiative and civic activism, in the regions of the Southern part of the country. In addition, we intend to expand gradually our area of activity from the South-West Oltenia and South-Muntenia regions to the South-East.

By means of this tool, we wish to develop our capacity to respond to the spontaneous requests for assistance coming from citizen groups concerned with solving their local problems. At the same time, the fund thus established will enable us to proactively and consistently look for potential beneficiaries of our central program on community development, in order to provide them training, facilitation, consultancy and small funding (grant-making) for community projects developed by community members.

Once established, the community development fund for Southern Romania will be constantly supplied from private sources (companies, firms and individuals). Donations and sponsorships will be directed, thus, towards providing free services, tailored on the specific needs of the different communities.


PACT PUBLICATIONS

Booklet on “Funding sources available for the period •2009-2013 for local organizations or local initiative groups” (author)

Report of the Future Search Conference on “The access of •local communities to development funds” (author)

Booklet on “The role of personal development courses •and vocational guidance in the process of integration on the labor market” (author)

Study on the profile and the role of the community-•based organizations developed under PACT Foundation’s programs (author)

“Citizenship, Intercultural, Dialogue. European Guide” •(collaborator)

Booklet on “Training and Learning for Community •Development” (collaborator)

22 III. STIMULATING SOCIAL ECONOMY

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

1. Providing support in initiating entrepreneurship activities and social community businesses in Southern Romania.

2. Improving living conditions in disadvantaged communities, enhancing solidarity, dynamics, pride and social identity, by reducing marginalization, building the capacity to respond to opportunities, supporting the initiation of income generating activities in those communities and creating jobs.

3. Supporting local and regional socio-economic initiatives and promoting them to the general public, in order to develop the entrepreneurship market and social economy in Romania and to consolidate PACT Foundation’s position as an expert in this field.

TARGET GROUPS aimed at through the projects developed in this direction (as beneficiaries, partners or collaborators)

Community-based organizations developed under the •programs and projects of PACT Foundation, working with and for the disadvantaged groups in the community.

Other interested NGOs working to empower and strengthen •the capacity of the disadvantaged and/or marginalized groups (in Romania and abroad).

Disadvantaged/marginalized groups and communities in the •South of the country.

Existing entrepreneurial initiatives and social enterprises.•

Managers, specialists, trainers, and practitioners in the field of •entrepreneurship and social economy.

Individuals belonging to vulnerable groups.•

Institutions and public authorities, at local/county, regional •and national level.

PACT FOUNDATION’S PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS FOR STIMULATING SOCIAL ECONOMY (2008-2009)

Community Enterprises Development Project

TIMEFRAME: June 2007 – May 2008

FUNDERS: USAID through World Learning

Charles Stuart Mott Foundation

SPONSOR: Provident Financial Romania

CONTRIBUTORS WITH 2% and ON-LINE and OFF-LINE DONATIONS: individuals from Romania

BENEFICIARIES: 7 community-based organizations and the communities they belong to

This project contributed to the economic development of some disadvantaged communities by supporting alternative income generating activities to create an enabling environment for the economic inclusion of disadvantaged groups. PACT Foundation supported seven experienced community-based organizations in seven rural and urban communities in the South of the country (Dolj, Gorj, Mehedinţi, Vâlcea, Olt, Teleorman and Argeş counties) in initiating income generating activities with a social purpose - which we called community enterprises.

PACT Foundation supported these seven organizations through training activities designed to mobilize community members to initiate community enterprises, starting from the concept and process of developing a community enterprise, entrepreneurship skills, business plans and feasibility studies, to developing products and services, marketing and customer management, financial management.

Community enterprises are economic activities facilitated and developed by a legally established community-based organization or an informal group of members of a community, for the economic and social development and inclusion of the vulnerable groups within a community. Community enterprises mobilize and capitalize resources from within the community, create jobs and reinvest the profits made in the community.

23

The training modules were followed by consultancy visits to every community, in order to assist organizations in assessing the community needs and resources, in exploring the entrepreneurial potential and in conducting a market analysis, in developing a business plan and in managing a community enterprise that would provide jobs and generate an income to be reinvested in the community.

MAIN OUTCOMES:

- Seven community-based organizations acquired knowledge and skills to initiate community enterprises/income generating activities to further support their work.

- Four business plans were approved on the basis of financial analysis: a workshop of traditional carpets from Oltenia region; an agency for organizing cultural, artistic and educational events; a traditional brick oven; a hairdressing salon.

- Two of the seven community-based organizations managed to start a business each: Rudezis Association developed the traditional carpet workshop in Giurgiţa commune (Dolj county) and Humanity Rom Association established the hairdressing salon in Iancu Jianu locality (Olt county).

- We developed under this project a training and consultancy methodology for the development of community enterprises, which we intend to use in future projects.

III. STIMULATING SOCIAL ECONOMY

HAIRDRESSING SALON IN IANCU JIANU

Iancu Jianu is an isolated Oltenian commune, located on a county road connecting Olt and Vâlcea counties. Like most rural areas of this kind, the community faces problems related to poverty, lack of jobs, poor education and professional training.

Humanity Rom was established as an informal group of community initiative in 2003, subsequently becoming a duly registered association. The mission undertaken by the group from the very beginning was to improve the living conditions among the Roma population in Iancu Jianu commune, Olt county. Humanity Rom Association is one of over 40 active community-based organizations at rural and small urban level in South Romania developed under PACT programs, with the purpose to contribute to the local sustainable development, promoting and supporting local initiative, social responsibility and partnership practice.

In 2007, Humanity Rom was among the seven community-based organizations in rural areas that enrolled in the Community Enterprises Development Project implemented by PACT Foundation. Unlike the other organizations participating in the program, this was not Humanity Rom’s first initiative of the kind. In 2005, the organization had set up a sanitation service under a project run by the Resource Center for Roma Communities. The sanitation service created jobs for 20 people, Roma and Romanians from Iancu Jianu commune. After three years, the service was passed under the management of the commune hall.

Out of the revenue generated by this first entrepreneurial initiative, the organization could fully finance a new economic initiative. In analyzing the community resources and needs, Humanity Rom Association decided to invest again in the service sector - a very poorly developed sector in the region. Initially, the organization considered the option of developing a tailor’s shop but, further to the feasibility plan, the costs proved to be too high. The second business plan tested was for a hairdressing salon. The plan proved viable, particularly since there were skilled human resources in the commune.

The hairdressing salon in Iancu Jianu is in operation since 2008. Until then, there had been no other hairdressing salon on a range of about 20 kilometers, so that it was to serve not only Iancu Jianu locality, but the neighboring localities as well. The salon was arranged in a

25 square meters room and it is equipped with modern equipment: “Up to Craiova one does not encounter something like this: large mirrors, comfort, adjustable seats [...]”, Ilie Feraru, the leader of Humanity Rom Association.

The initial investment - fully supported by the organization – amounted to about 80 million ROL. The business started off with two women employees, locals from Iancu Jianu commune - a young high school graduate and a woman from a family that had no other income. Both had attended relevant training courses, under nongovernmental programs, so investing in staff training was not required. Instead, in order to support the human resources-related costs, the association developed a partnership with the County Agency for Employment, whereby the latter committed to support 75% of the employees’ salaries for the first year of business operation.

The promotion of the hairdressing salon was supported from the initial investment as well. Two weeks prior to the opening, the launching of the hairdressing salon was promoted locally by distributing posters and leaflets, but also by broadcasting ads on local television.

Currently, the hairdressing salon in Iancu Jianu is operating with a single employee, after the second one chose a job abroad. The business makes a minimum profit, of about 2-3 million per month – “to float, not to fly, it was thought to”, the president of Humanity Rom Association states, happy with the fact that his initiative has proven sustainable. Covering its operating costs, this community enterprise maintains a stable job for one person in the community and, at the same time, it delivers a service, previously non-existent, both to the people in Iancu Jianu and to five other neighboring localities.

Although not a major intervention, the hairdressing salon in Iancu Jianu is a good example of how community members can use their entrepreneurial skills and experience to develop services and create jobs in local communities.

“I have been an economic agent since ’99; I had some experience, yet I used to do things I didn’t know how they were called by the books. I have learned to design a business plan, to test the market; this stuff really helps”, Ilie Feraru, Humanity Rom Association.

25SERVICES

Apart from the projects and programs that it carries out, PACT Foundation provides the following kinds of services:

Project writing: • care of our consultants, we provide assistance to the community-based organizations we work with in writing projects to apply for funding under programs such as the Sectoral Operational Program for Human Resources Development, the National Rural Development Program, Youth in Action, Roma Education Fund etc.

Training and consultancy in the following areas relating to •community development:

participatory analysis of the community needs and resources -

project planning and management -

organizational development -

(strategic) participatory planning -

public relations -

communication -

fundraising -

entrepreneurship -

Conducting surveys, reports and research studies, •strategic planning documents including (local or territorial development strategies)

SUBCONTRACTED SERVICES (2008-2009)

1. Participatory Assessment of Sustainable Development Indicators on Good Governance from the Civil Society Perspective (PASSO)

TIMEFRAME: May 2009 – October 2010

FUNDER: The European Commission, through the Seventh Framework Program for Technological Research and Development (the main tool of the European Union for financing research in Europe, 2007-2013)

The overall objective of the PASSO project is to analyze the efficiency and relevance of the sustainable development indicators used by the European Union, from the perspective of good governance and of its transversal particularities and to identify new or alternative indicators.

The project focuses on involving the citizens and stakeholders in the process of developing a framework and a set of indicators for the measuring of good governance.

Under this project, PACT Foundation is outsourced by the Think Tank Européen Pour la Solidarité in order to get involved, as Romania’s representative, in the process of consulting the civil society organizations, by providing feedback in the Delphi workshops organized within the project – intended to assess the sustainable development indicators – and by leading the process of national consultations on the same topic, by getting other Romanian NGOs and good governance experts involved.

The European Think Tank Pour la Solidarité (Belgium) is in charge in this project with the involvement of the civil society organizations. The PLS project partners are ISIS (Italy) – coordination and communication, Missions Publiques (France) – organizing and animating the workshops, and the University of Stuttgart (Germany) – analyzing the indicators through the Delphi method.

ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED:

PACT Foundation was represented within the first Delphi workshop organized in Brussels, between the 26th and the 27th of October, 2009. Participants used the Delphi method in order to assess the European Union set of indicators and the new indicators suggested by the project team. The findings of this workshop will be used to develop the methods for the national consultations with the civil society organizations, to be conducted by partners and other NGOs involved in the project starting January 2010.

2. LEADER Program – Axis IV of the National Rural Development Plan

In December 2009, PACT Foundation prepared the consultancy tender for two potential Local Action Groups, established under the LEADER program, Axis IV NRDP, in Argeş county. The consultancy services have been scheduled for the first half of year 2010 and imply the development of the Local Development Strategy for La Poalele Iezerului and Găvanu-Burdea territories, as well as the preparation of the Local Action Groups in order for them to be selected for the implementation of those strategies.

26

Project writing remains the main strategy used by PACT Foundation to attract financial resources. In parallel, however, we run specific fundraising campaigns in order to sponsor community projects and enterprises.

In the years 2008 and 2009, we sponsored 19 community projects and 1 community enterprise through contributions from the business environment and from individuals.

Provident Financial Romania, UniCredit Ţiriac Bank – through Unidea Foundation, Vodafone Romania – through Vodafone Foundation, GateMar S.A., and Smart Ideas Company supported the local development initiatives facilitated by PACT Foundation with 85.889 RON.

Part of this amount was raised by participating in fundraising events/campaigns:

During the final Gala of the televised contest-show “Respect •for the future”, sponsored by SNC Petrom and broadcasted by Realitatea TV between January and April 2008, Provident Financial offered 5000 EUR sponsorship for the traditional carpet workshop developed as a community enterprise by Rudezis Association in Giurgiţa commune, Dolj county, within the “Community Enterprises Development Project”, carried out by PACT Foundation.Through the internal campaign “Gift Matching”, performed by •Unidea Foundation within UniCredit Ţiriac Bank, in October and November 2008, the bank employees supported PACT Foundation with 5113 RON, and in 2009, the amount was doubled by UniCredit Ţiriac Bank and Unidea Foundation by another 5,193 RON; thus, three community projects benefiting children were sponsored, being initiated and implemented by community members during the 4th round of PACT Foundation’s “Learning, Participation, Trust” Program.

Further to the dedicated campaigns in 2008 and 2009, PACT Foundation benefited from the amount of 10675 RON from the re-directing of the 2% of the income tax for the years 2007 and 2008, respectively. More than 100 people supported, thus, the activities carried out by the foundation and, hence, the projects of our beneficiaries.HOW HAVE WE USED THESE RESOURCES?We have used all these contributions to support groups of people with initiative from 20 localities in South Romania in implementing the following plans:

in Costeşti city, Argeş county, children enjoy a new •playground;in Enculeşti village, Argeş county, an access road was •

commissioned to a number of households and agriculture or forest plots, that were previously impossible to use;in Goleşti village, Argeş county, 20 children from •disadvantaged families are getting more involved in school activities;people from Valea Corbului, Călineşti commune, Argeş •county, have access to a new public source of fresh water;16 people with physical disabilities from Botoroaga commune, •Teleorman county, have gained confidence to get involved in the community life;children from Conţeşti, Teleorman county, have a playground •arranged in the schoolyard;in Mîrzăneşti, Teleorman county, children and youths have •gained computer skills;in Ştorobăneasa commune from Teleorman county, more •than 100 children enjoy a new playground;in Gura Pravăţ, from Argeş county, people can repair their •tools and manufacture various materials in a crafts workshop jointly owned;in Valea Popii village from Mihăieşti commune, Argeş county, a •centre for the perpetuation of traditions has been established to coordinate the activity of the folk ensembles in the area;in Vişoi III District from Câmpulung Muscel, Argeş county, •children, youths, and adults as well can perform leisure activities in a new place specially arranged;in Runcu commune from Gorj county, Bîlta river bed has been •cleaned up;children and youths from Boroşteni village, Peştişani •commune, Gorj county, can play football, tennis or basketball on the new sports field;in Peştişani village from Peştişani commune, Gorj county, •younger children can have fun and acquire basic skills in a landscaped playground;in Valea Mare village from Runcu commune, Gorj county, the •youths practice various sports (chess, table tennis, rummy), read books and publications and access the Internet from the Youth Club within the Culture House;in Afumaţi commune from Dolj county, both the village •youths and the visitors from other parts of the country can learn more about the local traditions at the newly established local ethnographic museum;25 pupils from Bistreţ commune, Dolj county, and their •parents have received support in getting more involved in school activity;

FUNDRAISING

REVENUES FROM DONATIONS AND SPONSORSHIPS FOR THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS 2008 2009 Total

Sources [RON] [RON] [RON]

Vodafone Foundation Romania 8.250 29.400 37.650

Provident Financial România 18.380 10.800 29.180

Smart Ideas 5.400 5.400

Gatemar SA 3.353 3.353

Unidea Foundation 5.113 5.193 10.306

TOTAL 37.143 48.746 85.889

27FUNDRAISING

in Cârna commune, Dolj county, the youngest of the villagers •enjoy a new playground;in Cerăt commune, from the same county, children have an •arranged playground;in Giurgiţa commune from Dolj county, an Oltenian-origin •carpet workshop has been established.

FUTURE PLANS RELATED TO FUNDRAISINGWe wish that, in the future, we convert the specific actions into ongoing fundraising tools and methods. Thus, we shall be able to support local development initiatives from more communities, even though they have not been included in our programs. Therefore, we aim at establishing the community development fund, which we will support through ongoing fundraising actions from private sources (individuals and business environment) and which we shall use to provide training, facilitation, consultancy and small funding as non-reimbursable grants to community-based organizations in the South of the country

28 28

Among the initiative groups developed in 2004 through the Learning, Participation, Trust Program (2nd round), there was also a group from Valea Mare Podgoria, Ştefăneşti city, Argeş county. Ionela Mocanu, Clara Ogaru and Adriana Tureac were part of this group.

The first project carried out by the group was called “Equal opportunities for all children” and it was aimed at reducing the school dropout rate by 25%, in Valea Mare commune. The project involved 30 children from disadvantaged families in educational and leisure activities.

In 2006, the group was duly registered as the Association for Education and Culture for People Valea Mare Podgoria (AECO) and has been since developing projects and programs for the benefit of its own community and of neighboring ones.

Over time, AECO has been both a beneficiary and a partner of PACT Foundation, under several programs and projects.

As a partner in PACT Foundation’s “Empowering through Participation” project, AECO mentored two new initiative groups in Argeş county, and then it mentored other five community groups in the 4th round of the “Learning, Participation, Trust” program.

At the same time, in partnership with PACT Foundation under the “Skilled craftsman, looking for employer” project, AECO supported the social inclusion of 60 Roma people from five communities from Argeş county, by increasing their employment opportunities on the regional labor market. As a local partner, AECO actively got involved in all of the project stages: identifying the communities and the potential beneficiaries, assessing their needs, promoting the project to potential employers, organizing the training courses in the participating communities (logistics, development and management of the participants’ dossiers, assisting the trainers in the theory courses, facilitating participants’ access in various practice locations etc), then intermediating the relations between the training graduates and the prospective employers on the labor market in the region, monitoring and evaluating the project.

Apart from the collaboration with PACT Foundation, AECO has also worked with other NGOs in developing projects at local level. In 2008, it participated in “The Council in the Limelight” project, initiated by the Resource Centre for public participation, and gained experience in monitoring the activity of the local council and in mobilizing the community to defend its interests.

Between 2008 and 2010, AECO is a partner of “Together” Community Development Agency under the program called „Empowering the Roma communities in influencing and monitoring local agendas in Romania” and works in Călineşti, Lereşti, Mălureni and Ştefăneşti communities. Further to the collaboration on this project, AECO has developed and inserted in its statute a special chapter regarding activities dedicated to Roma people and has recruited in the organization’s managing board two Roma people, thus engaging itself in continuing the activity in this direction.

In December 2009, AECO initiated the project called “Together in the Ring of Piteşti”, financed through non-reimbursable funds from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, under Axis 4 of the National Rural Development Plan, the LEADER program component. The project, lasting until May 2010, aims at developing the local development strategy for the Inelul Piteştiului territory, based both on the local resources/potential and on the needs/wishes of the entire community. As a result, AECO aims at establishing a Local Action Group in Argeş county.

At local level, the organization has the following partners: Argeş County Council, Ştefăneşti City Hall, Lereşti Commune Hall, Călineşti Commune Hall, Mălureni Commune Hall, Merişani

Commune Hall, Mărăcineni Commune Hall, Budeasa Commune Hall, Miceşti Commune Hall, Bascov Commune Hall, Drăganu Commune Hall, Băbâna Commune Hall, Moşoaia Commune Hall, Albota Commune Hall, Suseni Commune Hall, Argeş Division for Agriculture and Rural Development, Argeş County Office for the Roma, Constantin Brâncoveanu School from Valea-Mare – Ştefăneşti, Costeşti Agricultural School Groupi, Mărăcineni Fruit-Growing Institute, University of Piteşti and 10 economic agents.

AECO’s principle is: “involvement, dedication, perseverance and transparency mean success, irrespective of the activity carried out”.

“AECO started out as a small organization, working at the level of the local community, and rather around the school. After only 4 years, AECO succeeded to expand its activity, to also work in neighboring communities, to attract significant partners, to become a strong actor in relation to the administration. More interestingly, however, is the fact that, although it has grown as an organization, AECO has managed to preserve its community-based organization feature and to remain close to the community it was formed in.”

Oana Preda, Director, Resource Centre for public participation.

“What I can say is that Ionela was one of the best community facilitators in the A component of the project […], and in the B component she entered the project with her organization. […] We rely on AECO when we have interventions in Argeş County and we wish it to keep on “growing well”!”

Gelu Duminică, Executive Director, “Together” Community Development Agency

“Why have I gotten involved? Before working as an NGO person, I used to do a lot of things for the community, in an unorganized manner, in various areas – for the children, for the Roma citizens etc. Entering this large reel of the NGOs, I have realized that in an organized manner one can do more „good deeds” for the community. And there is something else, maybe this is my nature – I cannot be insensible about what happens around me.”

Ionela Mocanu, Executive Director, Education and Culture for People Association

AECO - Association for Education and Culture for People Valea Mare Podgoria (Argeş county)

PERSEVERENCE, DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABILITY

PACT Foundation is constantly trying to support the organizations it works with, to provide them with new opportunities, consistent with the needs they signal, and to stimulate them towards carrying out new activities to the benefit of their communities of origin.

In our vision, the active, independent and sustainable community-based organizations become important actors and dialogue partners for the other actors involved in the local development process, in order to create a positive impact on the life of their community

30 STUDY: DISSEMINATION OF GOOD PRACTICES IN GORJ COUNTY

Community development, as it is implemented by PACT Foundation, is an organic process generating, in time, new poles of community development. Gorj county is a good example by which organizations developed through PACT method have transferred the community values and principles inculcated during the training process, in order to contribute to the establishment of new organizations which, in their turn, have propagated them forward, in new communities.

Frânceşti, Tismana, Arcani, Brădiceni, Valea Mare, Peştişani, Boroşteni and Runcu are eight villages in the North-West of Gorj county, ranged along the National Road no. 67, at the foot of Vâlcan Mountains. Geographers, historians and ethnologists could say more about the beauty of the places, the age of the settlements and the charm of the customs. In these villages, spread over an area approximately equal to the surface of Bucharest, PACT Foundation has supported the development and establishment of eight community-based organizations and informal initiative groups. In turn, they mobilize local people and development actors, at local and county level, in projects and activities for increasing the welfare or for the promotion of the natural and cultural heritage.

The history of our interventions in Gorj county begins in 2003, when we were promoting the first round of the Program for developing community-based organizations in the South of Romania – “Learning, Participation, Trust” (then run under the Romanian Association for Community Development).

Two organizations in Gorj responded to the invitation: the Sons of Frânceşti Village Association and Tismana Foundation. The former had been established in October 2002, with 12 village sons as founding members wanting to participate in promoting local culture and values; the first objective of the association was the rehabilitation of the wooden church in the locality. Tismana Foundation had been established even earlier, in 1999, when they rehabilitated the local Culture House, through a program of the Romanian Social Development Fund (RSDF).

In Frânceşti village, 25 youths were qualified as bricklayer, Rosaria, plasterer. Later on, the youths returned the benefit to the community, by providing Frânceşti Primary School with a modernized rest room. Peştişani Commune Hall, that Frânceşti village belongs to, reacted positively to this initiative and continued the school rehabilitation works, by installing double glazing windows, central heating and by repairing the roof.

In parallel, Tismana Foundation established a folk and fine art centre with three sections: carving, icon painting and folk dances. Tismana Foundation’s members, familiar with and promoters of local cultural and traditional values, managed through this project to gather 35 children, local craftsmen, and teachers from the community school. This project then merged with the foundation’s earlier initiative: once the Culture House was renovated, children’s preparations and performances were held there.

“The small project, with 1,400 USD funding, had an amazing sustainability: it remained with a dance group, taken over by the Folk Art School, instructed by Mr. Jerca.”

(Vasile Surcel, “At Topeşti, in Tismana”, Dilema Veche, Issue no. 245, October 21st, 2008)

The two organizations went on developing projects in the spirit of community developmentThe Sons of Frânceşti Village Association has completed the rehabilitation of St. George Church and repaired the bridge over Bistriţa, which was the connection between Frânceşti and Gureni. In 2006, community members asked the association for support to intervene by the competent authorities to start investments

for the works to the power supply line of the village. Further to the letters submitted by the association, the electricity company RENEL made a 6 billion RON investment to rehabilitate the electricity distribution network in Frânceşti village. In addition to the activities in their own community, the Sons of Frânceşti Village Association also carried out initiatives in partnership with informal groups of neighboring communities.

At the level of Frânceşti village, members from almost all the families have gotten involved in one way or another in the association’s activities and projects.

(Ion Susanu, Sons of Frânceşti Village Association, 2006)

Tismana Foundation has continued to attract young people in activities to capitalize the local heritage by participating in folk programs under the “Romanian Village, European Village” project. Through these activities, the Foundation has gained credibility: public institutions and local public authorities call on its experience for project writing, and other citizen groups use it as a resource for establishing new NGOs.

Mentors for other communitiesIn 2006, the two organizations became mentors under a new PACT program – Empowerment through Participation, whereby they transferred their experience and knowledge to other people with initiative, interested in establishing community groups. Thus, they facilitated the coagulation of two initiative groups and the implementation of two community projects, in Brădiceni and Arcani villages. In Brădiceni, the community renovated the village church. In Arcani village, the initiative group mobilized

31

the community in a cleaning action to de-pollute the Jaleş River. Following the project, an Ecologists’ Club was established, based on a partnership between the school, the initiative group in Arcani and Gorj Environmental Protection Agency.

One of the initiative groups became IDCON Arcani Association which applied, in 2007, together with the Sons of Frânceşti Village Association and Tismana Foundation, for another PACT project: Participation. Strategy. Democracy (2007-2008). Through this new project, PACT Foundation sought to involve local public authorities and existing community-based organizations in a process to develop a local development strategy that would meet the locals’ needs and views. The process was not easy, yet nine out of the ten teams involved managed to complete work successfully and developed local strategies to underpin the future public decisions and financing options through structural funds or others.

For Tismana Foundation, the groundwork was laid for starting a new project which implied the involvement in public decision-making: an advocacy campaign for beautifying the green spaces in the locality, by which it mobilized the city hall to submit a grant application to the Ministry of Environment. Through the dialogue initiated at the level of Tismana community, several women made up an initiative group in order to be able to participate in a project of the Romanian Social Development Fund (RSDF), dedicated to the involvement of rural women in entrepreneurship. The idea has also spread to Arcani and Peştişani, so that IDCON and the Sons of Frânceşti Village Associations have supported, in their turn, the development of women’s initiative groups in their communities.

Another activity initiated by the Sons of Frânceşti Village Association and conducted regularly, since 2006, is the organizing of trips for the elderly. The participation of neighboring community members to such trips has had an important role, as it has paved the way for communication and higher awareness, and also for the increased visibility of the association at territorial level. Thus, in 2008, when the Sons of Frânceşti Village Association became once again PACT Foundation’s partner in the development of new local groups, people with initiative from Bîlta, Boroşteni, Peştişani and Valea Mare localities quickly showed interest in the opportunity.

Our community has learned that there are very close communities that have gotten involved in their own development, it has learned what volunteering means and has realized that it should not wait for all its problems to be solved by local public authorities.

(Liliana Andreescu, Bîlta Community Group, questionnaire)

According to the model of IDCON Arcani, a Little Ecologists’ Club has also been set up in Bâlta, and it has successfully participated in county environment competitions. Several young people from

Boroşteni have arranged a sports field. Since then, the community group has been constantly dealing with organizing the Villages’ Cup - a monthly competition involving football teams of the villages in Peştişani commune.

In Peştişani, the initiative group has chosen as a major problem the lack of playgrounds for the little ones; therefore it has involved the parents, kindergartens and the local public authority in building a playground.

In Runcu commune, in Valea Mare village, another initiative group has gotten involved in arranging a Youth Centre. The group in Valea Mare has remained active after the completion of the mentorship project as well, and has dedicated itself to initiating a Lime Tree Holiday, as a local tradition. The idea, which has come from the community members, has been embraced as well by the local authorities, which have arranged the access road to Poiana Teilor (Lime Trees Glade) and the glade itself.

Striking the balance – at the time of reviewNearly seven years after the first intervention of PACT team in Gorj county, the availability of citizens to participate in community activities has increased: on the one hand, people participate in the actions initiated to the benefit of their community by community-based organizations or initiative groups; on the other hand, they address to the organizations for receiving support in solving problems or taking on opportunities locally.

Spontaneous association initiatives at territorial level have increased significantly, propagated from one community to another. A relevant example to it is the revitalization of communities as forest-owners’ forest-management associations. When, in 2003, Tismana Foundation advised the heirs of the forest owners in Topeşti on establishing Nedeia Mare Congregation in order to claim their property rights, the practice has been spread throughout the whole area, so that in many of the communities where there are community-based organizations there are also forest owners’ associations established with their support (Jaleşul Verde Association in Arcani, Peştişani Congregation, the emerging congregation in Frânceşti).

In the communities where the community development practice is older, one can notice a more active participation of the citizens in public decision-making and an increased wish of the same to take advantage of personal development opportunities. However, the imprinting of a culture of participation and of a bottom-up development largely depends on the openness of local actors to such a change; therefore, the results have a dynamics specific to each community.

We tend to believe that our persistence and stubbornness to do things by the book shall finally pay off, hoping that in a few years we shall get to be the beneficiaries of a wealth created for us - by ourselves. (Maria Hulea, IDCON Arcani Association)

STUDY: DISSEMINATION OF GOOD PRACTICES IN GORJ COUNTY

32

Special thanks and appreciation to our:

MANAGING BOARDAlina Porumb – Association for Community RelationsAnca Gaidoş – independent consultantMădălina Ionescu - Association for Community RelationsSimona David – freelancer

COORDINATING TEAMElena Balcoş – financial assistant & office managerGeorgiana Dragu – project coordinatorGeorgiana Gavrilă – project coordinatorIoana Petrache – project assistantIustina Neagu – project assistantMarcela Voicu – financial managerMădălina Ene – project coordinatorRuxandra Sasu – executive director TRAINERS AND CONSULTANTSAdelaide Katerine TarpanAdrian MarinAdrian StănulicăAndreea SorescuCornel IonescuLaura MarinMagdalena TancăuNicolae CuţăOana-Bahnaru PredaRoxana Florescu

COLLABORATORSMihaela Istrati (translation)Valentin Radu (design)

VOLUNTEERSAlexandra Maria PopescuAnca Ioana TureacEliza SichimLavinia SătmăreanLucian GrosuSorin Gheorghiu – under the volunteer program TechSoup - CiscoTiberiu Popescu – under the volunteer program TechSoup - Cisco

TRAINEE (June 25th – July 29th, 2008)Sunny Wong Kai Kwong (graduate of the program with double degree in Technology and Management within the Science and Technology University in Hong Kong)

ORGANIGRAM 2008-2009

33

We wish to express our gratitude towards our funders, sponsors, donors and partners, without which our work would be impossible:FUNDERS•Charles Stuart Mott Foundation (USA)•Romanian-AmericanFoundation(Romania – USA)•TheBalkanTrustforDemocracy(SUA)•TheEuropeanCommission(Lifelong Learning Program 2007-2013, Europe for Citizens Program, PROGRESS Program)•TheEuropeanUnion(PHARE 2005 – Local Democracy, 2006 – Social Inclusion Measures, 2006 – Civil Society Development programs)•TrustforCivilSocietyinCentralandEasternEurope(SUA)SPONSORS AND DONORS•Unidea Foundation & Unicredit Ţiriac Bank – Gift Matching campaign (Romania)•VodafoneFoundation (Romania)•GATEMARS.A.•ProvidentFinancialRomania•S.C.A.CîrnuandGavrilescu (Romania)•SmartIdeasG&S (Romania)•IndividualsfromRomaniaandabroadPARTENERS:•Association for Community Relations - ARC (Romania – Cluj Napoca, Cluj county)•AssociationforEducationandCommunityDevelopment – AEDC (Romania – Ţigăneşti commune, Teleorman county)•CIVITAS2005Association(Romania – Turnu Măgurele, Teleorman county)•CommunityServiceVolunteers-CSV(England – London)•CombinedEuropeanBureauforSocialDevelopment - CEBSD (EU)•EducationandCultureforPeopleAssociation–AECO(Romania – Ştefăneşti, Argeş county)•EnvironmentalPartnershipFoundation – REPF (Romania – Miercurea Ciuc, Harghita county)•HumanityRomAssociation (Romania – Iancu Jianu commune, Olt county)•MuscelAssociationforEducationandCulture–AMEC(Romania – Câmpulung Muscel, Argeş county)•ResourceCentreforNon-for-ProfitOrganizationsinOltenia - CRONO (Romania – Craiova, Dolj county)•ResourceCenterforpublicparticipation–CeRe(Romania – Bucharest)•RudezisAssociation(Romania – Giurgiţa commune, Dolj county)•TheSonsofFrânceştiVillageAssociation (Romania – Peştişani commune, Gorj county)•ThinkTankEuropéenPourlaSolidarité–PLS(Belgium – Brussels)•YouthandFriendshipAssociation-ATP(Romania – Bălileşti commune, Argeş county)

FUNDERS, SPONSORS, DONORS AND PARTNERS

34 NETWORKING

PACT Foundation is a member in the following networks:

RuralNet, the network of organizations active in rural community development in Romania; this network enables the exchange of experience concerning the methodology, projects and programs on community development.

National Network for Rural Development (RNDR), a network initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Rural Development in order to enable the transfer of information needed to implement the National Plan for Rural Development;

APARTE, the network of organizations active in the area of community fundraising;

Romanian Donors’ Forum (FDR), a federation having the mission to contribute to the sustainable development of the civil society by developing the capacity of the donors’ community and by promoting the philanthropy;

Central and Eastern European Citizens Network (CEE CN), a network aiming to promote citizens’ participation in the political environment and in the civil society, providing opportunities for the development of citizen initiatives at local, national and European level.

35

ARGEŞ COUNTY

•Association for Community Involvement in Doable Actions Costeşti – ICAR (Costeşti)

•Community Development Association of woodcrafters inNămăeşti (Nămăeşti village, Valea Mare Pravăţ commune)

•ECOTINAssociation(Câmpulung Muscel)

•Education and Culture for People Valea-Mare PodgoriaAssociation (Valea-Mare Podgoria village, Ştefăneşti)

•Goleşti Initiative Group – Ştefăneşti (Goleşti village, Ştefăneşti)

•Muscel Association for Education and Culture (Câmpulung Muscel)

•ProStudentsPiteştiAssociation (Piteşti)

•SonsofVrăneştiVillageAssociation(Vrăneşti village, Călineşti commune)

•Valea Corbului Initiative Group – Călineşti (Valea Corbului village, Călineşti commune)

•ValeaEnculeştiInitiativeGroup(Enculeşti village, Ştefăneşti)

•Valea Popii Initiative Group (Valea Popii village, Mihăieşti commune)

•VişoiIIIInformalGroup(Câmpulung Muscel)

•Youth and Friendship Association (Poieniţa village, Bălileşti commune)

CĂLĂRAŞI COUNTY

•“HeadStart”Parents’Association(Călăraşi)

•“New Horizons” Association for Children with Disabilities(Călăraşi)

•Roma-RomanianAssociation (Dorobanţu commune)

DOLJ COUNTY

•ABCAfumaţiAssociation (Afumaţi commune)

•Bârca Young Hopes cultural-artistic Association (Bârca commune)

•BistreţInitiativeGroup(Bistreţ commune)

•DASCĂLCERAssociation (Cerăt commune)

•“Icareaboutyou”Association(Breasta commune)

•NASTAAssociation(Cârna commune)

•NationalAssociationforChildrenandAdultswithAutisminRomania (Craiova subsidiary)

•ProEuroYoungMaluMareAssociation (Malu Mare commune)

•RudezisAssociation (Giurgiţa commune)

GIURGIU COUNTY

•AssociationfortheSupportofPhysicallyDisabledChildrenin Romania ASCHF-R (Giurgiu subsidiary)

GORJ COUNTY

•AssociationforInitiativesofDevelopingtheCommunitiesinNorthern Oltenia – IDCON (Arcani commune)

•BâltaCommunityGroup (Bâlta village, Runcu commune)

•Boroşteni Community Group (Boroşteni village, Peştişani commune)

•Peştişani Initiative Group (Peştişani village, Peştişani commune)

•SonsofFrâncestiVillageAssociationinGorj(Frânceşti village, Peştişani commune)

•TismanaFoundation(Tismana)

•Valea Mare Community Group (Valea Mare village, Runcu commune)

IALOMIŢA COUNTY

•“FromtheHeartfortheCloseOne”Association (Slobozia)

•IMPACTCLUB(Slobozia)

MEHEDINŢI COUNTY

•BambiFoundation(Drobeta Turnu Severin)

OLT COUNTY

•HumanityRomAssociation (Iancu Jianu commune)

•RainCareFoundation(Slatina)

•WilliamTyrellFoundation(Slatina)

TELEORMAN COUNTY

•“ARTISROM” Cultural Association of authentic values –Conţeşti(Conţeşti commune)

•AssociationpentruEducationandCommunityDevelopment(Ţigăneşti commune)

•BotoroagaInformalGroup (Botoroaga commune)

•Civitas2005Association(Turnu Măgurele)

•“Danubius”Foundation(Roşiori de Vede subsidiary)

•Mârzăneşti Association for Community Development(Mârzăneşti commune)

•ŞtorobăneasaInitiativeGroup(Ştorobăneasa commune)

VÂLCEA COUNTY

•ProFamiliaAssociation (Râmnicu Vâlcea)

•SoultoSoulFoundation(Râmnicu Vâlcea)

ACTIVE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOPED BY PACT FOUNDATION

36

A. Financial outcomes of PACT Foundation, reflected by the incomes and expenses performed between 2008-2009, are as follows:

I. Income

Chart 1 – Progress of income and expenses of PACT Foundation since its establishment to the present (2006-2009)

FINANCIAL REPORT 2008-2009

INCOME AND EXPENSES

37FINANCIAL REPORT 2008-2009

Chart 2 – Distribution of the sources of PACT Foundation’s incomes in year 2008

Chart 3 – Distribution of the sources of PACT Foundation’s incomes in year 2009

INCOME SOURCES - 2008

INCOME SOURCES - 2009

38

Chart 4 – Distribution of PACT Foundation’s incomes by sponsors (2008-2009)


FUNDERS

39

Chart 5 – PACT Foundation’s incomes from donations and sponsorships (2008-2009)

The main source of income for the projects run in 2008 and 2009 is the non-reimbursable funds. The funders of PACT Foundation are:1) The American foundations and trusts: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Civil Society Trust for Central and Eastern Europe2) The European Union through Phare funds (Phare 2005, Phare 2006, Phare 2006 SOP HRD programs) and funds from the European Commission.Since 2009, after the withdrawal of the Phare funds from Romania, PACT Foundation has accessed funds from the European Commission, through transnational partnerships.Our traditional funders have remained: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and Civil Society Trust for Central and Eastern Europe. In order to fund the community-based projects, we use funds received from donations and sponsorships from the business environment and individuals from Romania.


INCOME FROM DONATIONS AND SPONSORSHIPS

40

II. ExpensesChart 6 – Types of expenses of PACT Foundation (2008-2009)


TYPES OF EXPENSES

41

Chart 7 – Distribution of PACT Foundation’s expenses in 2008

Chart 8 – Distribution of PACT Foundation’s expenses in 2009


EXPENSES - 2008

EXPENSES - 2009

42

B. PACT Foundation’s financial condition, defined by the resources it controls, by the financial structure of the assets, debts and its own capital as of December 31, 2008, as compared to December 31, 2009, is presented in the balance sheet as follows:


Between 2008 and 2009, PACT Foundation performed activities to achieve the goal it was established for, according to the articles of association, namely to contribute to the sustainable development of the communities by promoting the local initiatives, partnership, and social responsibility.

PACT Foundation’s expenses in 2008 and 2009 were distributed for:• Training and consultancy for community groups and community-based organizations (32%-40%)• Awarding small funding (non-reimbursable grants) to the support of the projects developed by the community-based organizations (7%-12%)• Activities performed in partnership with other nongovernmental organizations, as well as to support the development of the community-based organizations’ capacity, by providing the same with funding for activities and equipments (16%-23%).

Staff expenses (salaries, social security contributions, other benefits) account for about 20% of the total annual expenses of the Foundation.

Administrative and logistical types of expenses (communication expenses, rent and premises maintenance expenses, consumables) fall between 7% and 12%. After the first years of the Foundation’s activity, when new equipments were purchased, the expenses with the purchase of the same dropped to 6% in 2008 and 3% in 2009, respectively.

Financial audit and organizational audit services, as well as the audit checks and accounting services, which PACT Foundation regularly requests, account for 2-3% of the total expenses.

In 2009, upon the completion of the Phare project 2006 SOP HRD – Measures of Social Inclusion, PACT Foundation, as main partner, transferred to all project partners, according to the partnership agreements, the equipments purchased under the project.

BALANCE SHEET31.12.2008

RON 31.12.2009

RON

FIXED ASSETS 59.294 47.601

CURRENT ASSETS 246.594 235.163

ADVANCE PAYMENTS 1.911 2.772

DEBTS 37.776 45.835

TOTAL ASSETS LESS DEBTS 286.961 239.701

OWN CAPITAL

I. CONTRIBUTIONS 33.000 33.000

II. RETAINED EARNINGS 99.080 250.635

III. PROFIT/LOSS FOR THE YEAR 154.881 43.934

TOTAL CAPITAL 286.961 239.701

43FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT 2008

AUDITOR’S REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTING ACTIVITYOF PACT FOUNDATION

Covering the Duration between January 1st, 2008 and December 31st, 2008

We, the undersigned, Gabriela-Georgeta Moldovan, on the grounds of the mandate assigned, have audited the financial statements of PACT Foundation developed for the financial year between January 1st, 2008 and December 31st, 2008, which refer to:

Total balance: lei 286,961;Total income: lei 925,572;Total expenditure: lei 770,691;Net profit/loss for the year: lei 154,881.

The Management of the Foundation is responsible for the development of these financial statements. The auditor’s responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements, based on the audit conducted.

We have conducted our audit in accordance with the Professional Norms as developed and adopted by CECCAR (The Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania). Those standards require that we plan and perform our audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatements.

The audit includes the examining, on random basis, of the evidence elements justifying the amounts and the presentations in the financial statements.

The annual financial statements are in accordance with the Accounting Law No. 82 of 1991 and with the Order of the Ministry of Economy and Finance No. 1969 of 2007 on the approval of accounting regulations for not-for-profit legal entities.

Upon the completion of our mission, we have found no elements to question the regularity and sincerity of the financial statements.The short version of the balance sheet, the short version of the account of the profit and loss for the year, and the explanatory notes to the simplified annual financial statements for the financial year 2008 provide an accurate, clear, and complete picture of the patrimony, the financial condition, and of the profits and losses.

Gabriela-Georgeta MoldovanAccounting ExpertBook No. 30689A

BucharestApril 23, 2009

44 FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT 2009

PACT FOUNDATION - Financial Audit Report – 2009PARTNERSHIP FOR COMMUNITY ACTION AND TRANSFORMATION

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORTOn the Financial Statements Developed as of December 31st, 2009 by

PACT FOUNDATION – PARTNERSHIP FOR COMMUNITY ACTION AND TRANSFORMATION

To the Associates ofPACT Foundation

Report on the financial statements

1. We have audited the financial statements of PACT Foundation - PARTNERSHIP FOR COMMUNITY ACTION AND TRANSFORMATION (“The Foundation”) - which include the balance sheet as of December 31st, 2009, the account for profit and loss for the year, and a summary of the significant accounting policies and other explanatory notes.We have not audited the financial statements of The Foundation for the financial year ended on December 31st, 2008 and, therefore neither have we audited the opening balances of the checking balance sheet for the financial year 2009.The financial statements as of December 31st, 2009 refer to:•Netassets/Totalcapital:Lei240,000;•Netprofit/lossfortheyear:Lei(44,000),deficit.

Management’s responsibility for the financial statements

2. The Management of The Foundation is responsible for the correct development and presentation of these financial statements according to the overall framework of financial reporting. Such responsibility includes: the designing, implementation, and keeping of an internal inspection relevant to the correct development and presentation of the financial statements so as not to include material deviations, whether caused by fraud or error; the selection and enforcement of the adequate accounting policies; the development of accounting estimates reasonable in the given circumstances.

Auditor’s responsibility

3. The auditor’s responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements, based on the audit conducted.

45FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT 2009

The audit and the scope of the same

4. An audit consists of: - the examining, based on procedures and tests, of the evidence (justifying) elements to sustain the amounts and information presented in the financial statements; - the assessment of risks that the financial statements show material deviations whether caused by fraud or error concerning both the development of the same and the correct (accurate) presentation by the same of the operations and transactions performed, by reviewing (testing) the relevance of the internal inspection system in this respect, without the purpose of expressing an opinion on the efficacy of the same; - the assessment of the accounting policies adopted and of the significant estimates performed by the management of the entity audited for the development of the financial statements; - the assessment of the overall presentation of the financial statements.5. We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISA), developed by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and adopted by the Chamber of Financial Auditors of Romania (CFAR).6. ISA standards require that the auditor comply with the IFAC Code of Ethics and that the audit mission be planned and conducted so as to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatements.7. The Foundation’s financial statements have been developed taking into account the legal regulations applicable in Romania (the overall framework for financial and accounting reporting), namely: - Accounting Law No. 82 of 1991, republished, with its subsequent amendments and additions (L 82 of 1991) - Government Ordinance No. 26 of 2000 concerning the associations and foundations, republished (G.O. 26 of 2000) - Order of the Ministry of Economy and Finance No. 1969 of 2007 on the approval of Accounting Regulations for not-for-profit legal entities (OMEF 1969 of 2007).8. We consider that the audit evidence obtained throughout the mission, further to the enforcement of the professional standards, specific tests and procedures, are sufficient and adequate to proving our opinion on the financial statements.9. The auditor has not witnessed the physical inventory-making of the assets as of December 31st, 2009, but the alternative procedures applied to provide evidence of the existence of such goods have revealed no aspect to make the same question the outcomes of the inventory conducted by The Foundation.

Opinion

10. In our opinion, the Financial Statements of PACT Foundation comply in all significant respects with the requirements of the legal framework for financial and accounting reporting set forth by the applicable regulations in force (L 82 of 1991, OMEF 1969 of 2007), presenting correctly (fairly) the financial position, the modifications to the same, and the results of the financial year ended December 31st, 2009.

46 FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT 2009

Other aspects

11. This report is addressed to the associates and the management of The Foundation, to the government institutions authorized, as well as to other users, with the approval of The Foundation’s management and the observance of the regulations in force. The audit has been conducted in order to be able to report to the associates and the management of The Foundation on those aspects that need to be reported in a financial audit report, not for other purposes. To the extent allowed by the law, we accept and take the responsibility only to The Foundation and the associates of the same, in all, for our audit, for this report or for the opinion made.

PAULA SOARERegistered with the Chamber of Financial Auditors of Romania under number 2267Bucharest, April 26, 2010

Small communities in the South of Romania (villages and localities with less than 30,000 residents) provide optimal living conditions, at urban standards, yet preserve the traditional, authentic nature, specific to rural areas.

Educated people are inspired by their own local identity – they are proud to live and work in such communities, out of a real sense of belonging.

There are functional participation spaces and means, which make people be more self-confident, more thoughtful of those around and actively involved in the community life, willing to volunteer for the benefit of their community. Instead of waiting to receive, people take initiative and act to solve their own issues; they know and demand their lawful rights, having the power to change those things they disagree with, whereas local authorities timely respond. The power balance is in equilibrium, there are no more marginalized/disadvantaged or excluded/ underprivileged groups, due to the local solidarity and respect for diversity.

The social homogeneity enables the equal access to resources, whereas the community dynamics determines the willingness to react to change, bringing added value to their own resources and capitalizing the new opportunities.

VISION

Postal Address: Str. Dr. Lister nr. 55, et. 2, ap. 5, sector 5, code 050542, Bucureşti, RomâniaTelephone: 0040 31 690 09 61/62Telephone/Fax: 0040 21 410 10 58

Email: [email protected]: www.fundatiapact.ro

www.ajutaonline.org

Foundation PACT

Partnership for Community Action and Transformation

Anual Report 2008/2009

Documents

Transcript of Anual Report 2008/2009