More effective and Accountable Democratic Governance

Comunitatea Mea (My Community)
Implementer: IREX
Project period: 05/2018 – 05/2023
Projected Budget: $ 20.5 million

Comunitatea Mea will strengthen local government in Moldova to become more effective, transparent and accountable to citizens. Under this activity USAID will build local government’s capacity to meet citizens’ needs, achieving four main results: 1) improved quality of and access to municipal services; 2) citizens meaningfully engaged in local governance; 3) decentralization policy reforms advanced;  and 4) increased locally-generated revenues and improved financial management practices in local governments. The activity will provide comprehensive assistance up to 100 communities, including towns and villages, primarily targeting local self-government bodies. Local public administrations (LPAs) will engage civic groups and local businesses to develop their communities and improve public services. The activity will also work with central government partners, associations and civil society groups to advance decentralization policy reform and increase LPAs’ financial viability.  

Promoting the Rule of Law in Moldova through Civil Society Oversight
Implementer: Legal Resource Centre Moldova (LRCM)
Project period: 05/2016 – 05/2020
Projected Budget: $ 1.2 million

LRCM improves the rule of law and the accountability of the justice system in Moldova via active civil society oversight and participation in decision-making processes. The project seeks to promote an enabling environment for civil society organizations (CSOs); increase the accountability and transparency of the Moldovan justice system; and promote effective implementation of European human rights standards in Moldova.

Open Justice
Implementer: Millennium DPI Partners
Project Period: 05/2017 – 05/2019
Projected Budget: $ 5.65 million

The Open Justice Project aims to foster a more accountable and efficient justice system accessible to all members of society. In collaboration with the Moldovan judicial authorities, courts of law, civil society and mass media, the activity works to improve the administration and transparency of justice sector institutions, support court reorganization and optimization efforts, as well as implement an upgraded Integrated Case Management System. Open Justice will improve court services for citizens, promote development and implementation of judicial performance standards, and facilitate public court monitoring through the use of modern IT solutions.

Open Justice is upgrading the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS), a nation-wide electronic tool to reduce corruption, promote transparency and increase efficiency in the justice system. The use of ICMS in all courts will drive qualitative changes in the judicial system by ensuring transparency, judicial accountability, constraining court staff misconduct, and increasing public access to information. The courts will also use ICMS to streamline case management and evenly distribute cases, monitor performance and identify areas of needed reform and intervention. Data extraction and real-time statistics from ICMS will help court leadership better monitor court's’ activity and ensure a more efficient activity , thus saving time and litigants’ resources.

Moldova Inclusive and Participatory Political Processes (MIPPP)
Implementer: Consortium for Elections and Political Processes Strengthening (CEPPS)/IRI and NDI
Project Period: 10/2016 – 09/2019
Projected Budget: $ 6million

MIPPP works with political parties, national party leaders and emerging political actors, local government officials and CSOs and citizen activists with the aim of ensuring fairer and more transparent political competition in Moldova that is more representative of, and accountable to citizens. To support this goal, MIPPP focuses on three key areas: promoting more inclusive and accountable political parties at the national level, supporting emerging parties and underrepresented groups as they seek to increase their participation in the political system and enhancing party and government officials’ representation of citizens at the local level. MIPPP uses consultations, guided practice, leadership trainings, forums and coordinated public opinion research to strengthen political parties’ internal capacity and outreach to citizens, develop emerging political leaders and citizens’ ability to monitor and advocate for reforms and bridge the divide between government officials and citizens at the local level.

Democratic Transparency and Accountability Program (DTAP)
Implementer: Association Promo-LEX
Project Period: 07/2016 – 07/2019
Projected Budget: $ 3.05 million

The Democratic Transparency and Accountability (DTAP) Program aims to increase the credibility of electoral processes via election observation and promotion of a conducive enabling environment for political competition. The activity strengthens electoral transparency and accountability mechanisms; enlists actors such as civil society, community groups, rank and file party members, and activists to bring pressure on decision-makers to be more responsive to citizens and engage in fairer and more representative elections and political competition; and consolidates the capacity of Promo-LEX to monitor and advocate for the reforms envisaged by the project.

LEADER Activity
Implementer: Polish Solidarity Fund
Project Period: 06/2018 – 01/2020
USAID Contribution: $ 200K

The project goal is to provide Moldovan communities with comprehensive assistance for local development, following the EU LEADER / Community-led Local Development approach, by involving all community actors (representatives of the public, private and civic sectors) and addressing local development challenges. The project will increase development of the rural areas in Moldova by implementing EU LEADER/CLLD approach in 5 micro-regions (covering at least 20 mayoralties, with a population of at least 50,000 people), by facilitating the process of creation of local inter-sectorial partnerships -- Local Action Groups-- that develop Local Development Action Plans. The activity will enhance competitiveness of small and micro private business located in rural areas through a grant-scheme.

Moldova – Commercial Mediation and Arbitration
Implementer: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Project Period: 2017- 2020
Projected Budget: $ 1.5 million

USAID’s “Moldova – Commercial Mediation and Arbitration” Project promotes and facilitates the use of arbitration and mediation on a national scale in Moldova to cement the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution methods as a business norm in Moldova. The project envisions a review and improvement of existing legislative and regulatory framework, training of potential mediators and judicial stakeholders as well as raising awareness among the judicial and business communities about alternative dispute resolution.

SĂNĂTATEA MEA Survey
Implementer: International Organization for Migration
Project Period: 2017- 2020
Projected Budget: $ 1.2 million

USAID’s Sănătatea Mea Survey will measure the prevalence of emotional, physical, and sexual violence against 13-24 year old females and males, as well as identify risk and protective factors to inform efforts by stakeholders to reduce violence against children and youth, in households, communities, and schools. The information gathered during the survey will be analyzed and presented to the national stakeholders and decision makers to ensure that the next round of national strategic programming is evidence-based and data driven.

Enhancing Democracy in Moldova through Inclusive and Transparent Elections
Implementer: UNDP
Project Period: 2017- 2020
Projected Budget: $ 1.7 million

Enhancing Democracy in Moldova through Inclusive and Transparent Elections (EDMITE) is a three year project that sets the overall goal to enhance transparency and inclusiveness of the electoral process in Moldova through a modernized IT system, improved legislation and intensified public participation. The project will address the root causes of the current challenges hampering the further development of the democracy and the advancement of the electoral process in the Republic of Moldova (such as poor interoperability among various agencies that register citizens and lack of electoral knowledge among the population).

Harnessing the Power of Data for the Benefit of the Child
Implementer: Palladium International via Data for Impact
Project Period: 2020-2022
Projected Budget: $3.5 million

The overall goal of “Harnessing the Power of Data for the Benefit of the Child” activity, implemented by Palladium in the Republic of Moldova, is to strengthen the capacity of the government and its partners on the national and local levels to collect, analyze, and use data to generate a positive impact on children in adversity. This activity will focus on development of a longitudinal case management information system for tracking children in need of assistance, and on capacity strengthening and governance of child protection and care systems.