Completed

Citizens’ Right to Know!

Period: March 2007 – June 2009.
Goal: to promote equitable access of citizens to independent and free of charge advice and information services. Specific objective: to increase the support of the local public authorities to NGOs providing independent, free of charge advice and information services for citizens. The project was implemented in nine locations where CABs function: Timisoara, Satu Mare, Braila, Focsani, Ploiesti, Bucuresti, Gheorgheni, Drobeta Turnu Severin, Cluj Napoca.
Main activities: elaborating a national sociological research to identify citizens’ information needs; analysis of the County and Local Councils budgets; organizing local advocacy campaigns on the theme of public information and funding the activities of public information; organizing a national conference to take into account the allocation of budgetary resources for activities of public information.
Funding Authority: CEE Trust, Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe.

Strengthening NACAB’s Capacity to Support Citizens Advice Bureaux – A Step Forward Towards a Long Term Sustainability

Period: January 2007 – December 2008.
Goal: to enforce the capacity of the Citizens Advice Bureaux to offer quality information and advice services on a permanent basis. Specific objectives: to enforce the capacity of the Citizens Advice Bureaux to adapt their services to the citizens’ needs; to strengthen NACAB and its network in order to gain in sustainability. The project represents a general purposes grant offered by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
In this project, over 10000 citizens came in contact with the services provided by the CABs. Most of the CABs became resources centres for citizens in need of information and advice. NACAB continued to offer its main services to the NGO members and to the CAB personnel (access to legislation, technical assistance visits, training sessions).
Funding Authority: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

NetworCAB – Development of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux

Period: December 2007 – October 2008.
Goal: to support the NGO members of NACAB in order to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the services provided by the CAB network. Specific objectives: to increase the NACAB’s institutional and operational capacity to provide services and assistance to the network of CABs; to strengthen the sustainability of the members of the CAB network and of the NACAB. The project was implemented in all locations where CABs function.
Main activities: training sessions for the CAB personnel (Information and Advice; Management, PR & Marketing; Structural funds); technical assistance visits and evaluation visits paid to the CABs; transfer of know-how from ECAS to NACAB; organizing the General Assembly of NACAB members; organizing an event to promote the CABs.
Funding Authority: European Union, Phare 2005 Programme.

Public Information Campaign – Mines closure, Socio-Economic Reconfigurations of the Mines Environment

Period: January 2007 – June 2008.
Goal: assisting the National Agency for Development of the Mining Zones (NADMZ) in developing a communication strategy for local communities in the mines environment. Specific objectives: educating the public with regards to the needed economic resources to avoid relying only on subsidies; informing and assisting the persons affected by the process of restructuring in the mining sector in acquiring viable information concerning the opportunities they have in terms of socio-economic reconfiguration. The project was implemented in those locations affected by the reconfigurations of the mining industry. NACAB took part in a consortium, offering technical assistance to the NADMZ.
Funding Authority: World Bank.

Workers in the EU - Informing the Romanian Migrants about Their Rights and Responsibilities on the European Labor Market

Period: January – October 2007.
Goal: to contribute to the information acquired by the potential Romanian migrants concerning their rights and responsibilities on the EU labor market. Specific objectives: Identifying main issues that Romanian citizens face in wanting to look for a job in the EU; enhancing the level of information of citizens in search for work in the EU common market, with special regards to their rights and responsibilities; raising awareness of public authorities concerning the difficulties that Romanian citizens face, as potential migrants. The project was implemented in all locations where CABs function.
Main activities: qualitative and quantitative research on citizens’ information needs with respect to their rights and responsibilities as potential migrants on the EU labor market; identification of certain aspects regarding the EU labor market on which citizens would need information; information and awareness campaign for citizens looking for a job in the EU; raising both the level of information and the level of awareness of the target group; organizing local debates with citizens and public authorities’ representatives (institutions that are involved in the process of labor force migration); creating easily-reachable tools for citizens concerning the issues pertaining to labor migration; organizing a national conference to announce the undertakings and the results of the project.
Funding Authority: European Commission, Europa Fund Program.

MPs – Working Hard or Hardly Working? Tracking Absenteeism and Public Expenditure for a More Transparent and Accountable Parliament

Period: August 2006 – July 2007.
Goal: to increase the level of MPs’ accountability. Specific objective: analyzing cost-efficiency relation in MPs’ activities in their constituency. The project was implemented in Bucharest and in 12 other locations where CABs function: Oradea, Arad, Timisoara, Cluj, Brasov, Alba Iulia, Ploiesti, Braila, Targoviste, Sfantu Gheorghe, Iasi, and Satu Mare. NACAB was the partner of the Institute for Public Policy.
Main activities: training session for 12 CAB staff members in MPs monitoring activities; monitoring of 12 constituencies for a period of three months (October – December 2006); elaborating 12 Local Monitoring Reports; organizing 12 simultaneous press conferences launching the 12 Local Monitoring Reports.
Funding Authority: USAID through World Learning for International Development.

You Voted Them! They Vote Laws for You! Find out How MPs Vote!

Period: March – June 2007.
Goal: to increase the level of accountability of the MPs with respect to citizens having the information about the MPs’ votes. Specific objectives: raising the level of information of citizens concerning the votes cast by the MPs under the framework of the nominal voting procedures; stimulating citizens’ interest in acquiring information regarding the legislative activity; promoting evaluation mechanisms with regards to the parliamentary activities; stimulating civil society to make use of the in place mechanisms in assessing the activities of the MPs. The project was implemented in Bucharest and in 5 other locations where CABs function: Arad, Braila, Oradea, Sibiu, and Timisoara. NACAB was the partner of the Institute for Public Policy.
Main activities: elaboration of the guide “Your MPs Vote Laws for You!”; organizing local debates in the 5 locations; gathering a team of monitors to asses the activities of the MPs on specific legislative topics, elaborating early warning reports on specific legislative fields concerning the activities of the MPs; organizing press conferences launching the early warning reports.
Funding Authority: Europeana Union, Phare Programme.

Build a Network for Citizens’ Empowerment

Period: September 2005 – December 2006.
Goal: improvement of citizens’ access to information and advice services on their rights and duties. Specific objectives: to enforce the capacity of the Citizens Advice Bureaux to offer quality information and advice services, on a permanent basis; to develop NACAB capacity of supplying expertise for the Citizens Advice Bureaux network. The project was implemented in all locations where CABs function.
Main activities: technical assistance offered to the CABs; elaboration and dissemination of institutional-development instruments for the CABs; training for the CAB personnel (Information and Advice, Management, Public Relations; involvement in advocacy campaign concerning crediting NGOs, advocating for specific provisions under the Romanian Fiscal Code for VAT reimbursements on pre-accession funds.
Funding Authority: European Union, Phare Programme.

Strengthening NACAB’s Capacity

Period: October 2005 – July 2006.
Goal: to strengthen the professional capacity of human resources within the NACAB member NGOs in order to consolidate the CABs’ professionalism.
Main activities: training for the CAB personnel on Project Consolidation Management; elaborating a information and good practices guide concerning fundraising for the Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Development of the Information and Advice Services for the Persons with Disabilities

Period: March – October 2005.
Goal: to train the NACAB pool of trainers concerning the problems with the persons with disabilities and to develop competencies within this domain for the CABs’ advisers. Specific objective: promoting the information and advice services among persons with disabilities.
Main activities: creating a guide with information and procedures for the CABs’ advisers concerning the needs of information for persons with disabilities; elaborating a handbook for the NACAB trainers concerning persons with disabilities and their problems; elaborating information materials regarding the services provided by the CABs in this domain.
Funding Authority: National Agency of the Persons with Disabilities.

Citizen’s Adviser for a Better Participatory Governance

Period: March – October 2005.
Goal: to develop Citizens Advice Bureaux managers and advisers’ skills in approaching local decision makers, with the purpose of reflecting citizens’ concerns in the public policy making process, thus ensuring a practice of good, democratic and participatory governance at the local level.
Main activities: creating a working instrument for the CAB’s managers and advisers, for them to contribute to influencing the public policies at the local level; training for CAB managers and advisers on the techniques and practices of the participatory democracy; developing partnerships between the CAB representatives and local authorities.
Funding Authority: Royal Netherlands Embassy in Bucharest, Matra KAP Program.

Your Guide to Europe - For a Civil Society Involved in Providing European Information in Accordance with the Citizens’ Needs

Period: December 2004 – September 2005.
Goal: to bring European information as close as possible to citizens. Specific objectives: strengthening the CABs’ capacity of administrating European information sources; strengthening the CABs’ role as a multiplier of European information concerning pre- and post- integration towards the civil society. The project was implemented in all locations where CABs function.
Main activities: elaborating ”The Guide for European Information Source” (web-based tool) that can be accessed by all the organizations that are European information multipliers; elaborating handbook “Administrating the European Information Sources” and “Identifying and Accessing the European Funds Pre- and Post- Integration”; training on EU information and accessing EU funds for the CAB personnel.
Funding Authority: European Commission, Europa Fund Program.

Citizen and Europe

Period: November 2004 – July 2005.
Goal: to develop citizens’ capacity of accessing, understanding and using European information in everyday life. Specific objectives: insuring citizens’ access to European information in order to satisfy their needs and interests; increasing the transparency of EU’s actions in Romania and a better knowledge and understanding of all the aspects related to the European Union.
Main activities: elaborating the study “What Romanians know and would like to know about the European Union”; elaborating information materials regarding specific EU information domains; constructing a atabase including institutions, organizations and websites that provide European information; elaborating an analysis report concerning the needs registered by the CABs.
Funding Authority: European Commission, Europa Fund Program.

Development of National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux

Period: November  2003 – January 2005.
Goal: to enable NACAB provide on-going guidance and support towards an increased sustainability, visibility and effectiveness of an extensive network of CABs operational in both rural and urban areas, building upon the already established service model. Specific objectives: effective integration of new CABs in the existing network in terms of established CAB operating principles, staff training, information system and publicity activities; to provide guidance and support to all members and to facilitate networking on a continuous basis; to develop the NACAB capacity to become sustainable in the long run, both from an institutional and financial point of view. The project was implemented in all locations where CABs function.
Main activities: creating the framework for the NACAB Executive Secretariat to carry on the implementation of the strategic objectives of the organization; training for the CAB personnel (Management and Strategic Planning for the CAB managers, Information and Advice Public Relations); strengthening the partnerships between LPAs and the NGO supporting CABs.
Funding Authority: European Union, Phare Programme.

Training on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men for the CAB Advisers

Period: December 2003 – September 2004.
Goal: to develop CABs’ capacity to provide information and advice and to foster a pattern of equal opportunities for women and men in the services system they provide. Specific objectives: to train the NACAB pool of trainers and the CAB advisers in the field of equal opportunities for women and men; to elaborate specific materials on equal opportunities for women and men. The project was implemented in all locations where CABs function. NACAB was the partner of the Partnership for Equality Centre.
Main activities: creating a complementary pattern of information and advice services for citizens, with the component of equal opportunities for women and men; training for the NACAB pool of trainers and training for the CAB advisers on the subject of equal opportunities for women and men, elaborating a good practices guide for equal opportunities for women and men.
Funding Authority: European Union, Phare Programme.

Pro-Active in an European Forum

Period: December 2003 – January 2004.
Goal: to develop NACAB’s capacity to act together with EU-based organization in promoting information and advice services to citizens in order to influence EU public policy making in the field of citizen access to information. Specific objectives: to develop NACAB’s capacity to act in a European network of information and advice providers; to infuse expertise on the side of the NACAB staff members as to make extensive and effective use of leverages to influence public policy making.
Main activities: the singing of the Vilnius Memorandum, NACAB becomes constitutive part of the international network of information and advice providers – Citizens Advice and Information Services (CAIS); NACAB takes part in the European Forum of Information and Advice to Citizens.
Funding Authority: European Union, Phare Programme.