The USAID-funded Partnership for Innovations program strengthens Central Asian civil society organizations for better engagement with their local and national governments to promote positive policy changes and improve the lives of citizens across the region. The $4.9 million program is implemented by the Civil Society Development Association – ARGO in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (September 2016 – September 2020).

Objectives

• Improve the enabling environment in the target countries for public participation in policy making by encouraging civil society organizations (CSOs) and their respective governments to engage in dialogue and collaborative initiatives.
• Increase the capacity of CSOs to be organizationally competent and effective, capable of engaging government bodies in both advocacy and collaboration so as to advance specific policy, service delivery, and legal/regulatory agendas.

Achievements

Regional Initiatives

Through 23 tailor-made, regional initiatives, the program has benefited 1,928 people by working hand-in-hand with Central Asian CSOs, citizen leaders and national authorities to enhance their service delivery and build a more capable, responsive civil society, as well as transparent and accountable governments.

Small Grants

Through the Small Grants Program, Partnership for Innovation, has promoted thematic and regional networking of CSOs through training and support for advocacy initiatives. 189 CSOs and 44 national and local state institutions were engaged to improve the life of nearly 583,323 beneficiaries by supporting the rights of vulnerable groups and promoting better awareness of and access to inclusive decision making. The program also executed 95 country-specific grants worth $717,754 to support CSO advocacy initiatives that promote public interests through a constructive dialogue with state bodies and inclusive participation in policy making.

CSO WEB ACADEMY AND ONLINE PLATFORM

The CSO Web Academy is a practical and accessible distance learning tool for civil society capacity development. The Academy has enrolled 1,568 students, represented by CSOs, academia, youth, scholars, volunteers, and entrepreneurs from across the region through 23 tailor-made courses in Russian and Central Asian languages. The Academy accommodates the needs and interests of a wide variety of students, including those with special needs and disabilities. In addition to the Web Academy, the program has established a regional online platform provides yet another source of information for the CSO community by supplying information about funding opportunities, news, jobs and success stories. In four years, the platform has attained 937,237 visitors.

Kazakhstan

Through partnerships with 30 state/municipal bodies and 411 CSOs, the program has positively impacted 19,198 beneficiaries, aimed at: (1) promoting the rights of socially vulnerable groups in the population; (2) increasing public participation; and (3) advancing an environmental agenda.

Kyrgyz Republic

Through partnerships with 138 state/municipal bodies and 168 CSOs, the program has positively impacted 87,952 beneficiaries, through activities aimed at: (1) supporting the rights of youth and people with disabilities; (2) improving access to justice and good governance; and (3) promoting gender mainstreaming and female participation in political life.

Tajikistan

Through partnerships with 46 state/municipal bodies and 57 CSOs, the program has positively impacted 2,600 beneficiaries by: (1) increasing access to economic and social resources for abandoned wives of migrant workers; and (2) enhancing the role of women in decision making at the community level.

Uzbekistan

Through partnerships with 59 state/municipal bodies and 50 CSOs, the program has positively impacted 3,298 beneficiaries, through activities aimed at: (1) enhancing public participation of civil society, women, volunteers and social entrepreneurs; (2) promoting environmental sustainability; and (3) providing institutional development support to grassroots CSOs and public councils.