Monitoring Matrix Premier: 1st National Kick-off Event in Podgorica

On 27th February, CRNVO from Montenegro was the first to host the presentation of the monitoring Matrix on enabling environment for CSDev and the BCSDN Mid-term strategy 2012-2014 activities supported under the IPA Balkan Civil Society Acquis project. Present stakeholders included representatives of CSOs, EUD, TACSO LAG, Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs and Employer associations. All were positive of the need and confirmed that presented activities and esp. the monitoring of the enabling environment for CSDev will be useful to address CSDev for Montenegro. The matrix will also be relevant for the new Government strategy for civil society currently under preparation. Currently, situation in Montenegro seems improving in terms of adopting new legislation, while the situation in reality remains unchanged or worse. A specific bottleneck was also discussed, i.e. the issue of treatment of employees in the civil society sector by the labour law in Montenegro.

National kick-off events will be hosted by BCSDN members in all IPA countries in the course of March and April and will be wrapped up with the Annual Council Meeting gathering in Istanbul, Turkey end of April.

The kick-off took place on the margins of the national conference “Civil Society Development” addressing the issue of support to small and grass-root organization and particularly how EU support could be further instrumental in this. Ana Novakovic, CRNVO presented the results of her organizations’ 1st small grants scheme ran with IPA funds. Aida Daguda, CPCD (BiH), another member of BCSDN shared her experience of the CPCD/SIDA small grants programme.