INFORME DEL SEMINARIO REGIONAL

TRENDS/PROBLEMS
• Considerable change of pattern in 2000
• From 2000 increased average size of projects (around 600.000€):
• Stabilized number and size of co-financed projects in last 3 years
• Oversubscription still increasing; growing popularity;
• New demands, e.g. integration of civil society from 10 new MS,
wider geographical coverage (Eastern Europe, Balkans, Central
Asia);
• Lack of strategic focus and doubts about overall impact; not enough
complementarity w/ other EC policy instruments; what’s its added
value?
• Impact of EC reforms and procedures (system of call for proposals,
stricter contractual rules, devolution process);
• Lack of dialogue w/ all stakeholders;
Dialogue with stakeholders – the Palermo process
During 2003 – process of dialogue/consultation w/ ENGOs (through CONCORD,
representing around 1200 rehabilitation and development ENGOs) and MS;
started in April; seminar in late October in Palermo;
Consensus reached on fundamental review of NGO co-financing scheme within
the existing legal framework, namely on the following points:
- To sharpen the identity of the budget line: more weight to quality of
North/South partnerships, empowerment of civil society in public policy
processes, build effective synergies w/ other actors, promote more integrated
approaches to development and more innovation.
- Strengthen the European Dimension of NGO co-financing ;
- Increasing the focus and outreach of Development Education and
Awareness raising, by promoting namely complementarity between DE/DA
and NGO activities in developing countries; involve more systematically
Southern civil society actors in DE/DA activities.
- Develop new approaches and tools to assess impact; sharing of best
practices; more investment on evaluation and impact studies;
- Change modalities of management of budget line: adapt the evaluation grid
to integrate new qualitative criteria, separate eligibility screening from project
appraisal, test « concept notes » in 2005; evaluate impact of devolution on
management of projects under this budget line, explore the scope for dialogue
between EC and NGOs; take into account realities and added-value of NGOs
from new MS during the eligibility and appraisal processes.
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