PGF Regional Partner Meeting

1. PGF Regional Partner Meeting 22-23. October, 2013. Sarajevo RCD

2. SUMMARY: • The overall goal of the project is to contribute to improved social inclusion and quality of life of Roma community in Vojvodina and consequently Serbia, in accordance with national and EU standards. • The project purpose was defined as increased accesS of Roma NGO-s and municipalities in Vojvodina to EU and other donors' funds in the field of Roma inclusion.

3. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. Established consistent and sustainable PGF support for Roma NGOs   at the level of AP Vojvodina; 2. Roma NGOs in Vojvodina, and municipalities, developed and applied for EU/bilateral and other funds through participative approach and cooperation between different stakeholders; 3. Relevant decision-makers in AP Vojvodina put Roma social inclusion projects as one of the strategic priorities in the next middle-term period.

4. METHODOLOGY: The project methodology is based on 4 components: • capacity building training in order to improve project proposing writing skills • mentoring - mentoring by PGF senior and junior consultants (mentors and assistants) in developing full project proposals, further mentoring and advise services provided in the implementation phase, and regular monitoring of the open calls for proposals and regular consultation with donor community in order to anticipate the programs • informative campaign - to promote PGF and increase visibility of the PGF service • advocacy – facilitating channel of communication between the Roma NGOs and the policy/makers, and fostering advocacy efforts of the Roma organisations at local and national level.

5. ACTIVITIES: • Establishing project team • Establishing of the regional Vojvodina PGF team and PGF team Serbia • Building partnership with Roma NGO and establishing communication and cooperation with beneficiary Roma NGOs, and municipalities in APV • Training of mentors, assistants, representatives of local Roma NGO-s and municipalities • Preparing concept notes and project proposals for EU Funds  • Advocacy campaign, visibility of PGF team and promo activities on local and national level

6. IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVED RESULTS

7. REALIZED ACTIVITIES: • The partnership is formalised by signing the Partnership Agreement with Association "Roma Women of Vojvodina" which is consisted of 5 Roma women NGO-s: NGO „Wondering Harts“ Ruma, NGO „Čirikli“ BačkiPetrovac, NGO „Integra“ Bečej, NGO „RromanoDrom“, Tornjoš and NGO „AšunenRomale“ Kovin.The Partnership Agreement was signed on 17.09.2013. and it includes basic elements such as clear communication procedures and role division set up. The partner organization will support project management team in promotion of the PGF, distribute information about the service, and organize field visits. • One national PGF team established and sustainable. The three PGF teams held meeting on August 24-25. at the first national PGF meeting, in Novi Sad. • Project Manager, Quality Control Coordinator,Administrative Assistant held weekly meetings and the meetings with consultants were held twice per month. • One regional APVojvodina PGF team established and sustainable with 8 members(4 project management team members , 2 mentors and 2 assistants).

8. ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN, VISIBILITY OF PGF TEAM AND PROMO ACTIVITIES ON LOCAL, PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL This action will be coordinated by Project Team, Association "Roma Women of Vojvodina", PGF teams. This activity will be implemented in the following period. Starting activity was publishing of PGF project news on Know How web site and update of our FB page. The PGF Srbia web site is not created yet and we will work on this very soon. http://www.cpzv.org/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/CPZV-Centar-za-proizvodnju-znanja-i-ve%C5%A1tina/337502922997534?ref=hl http://www.cpzv.org/download/dekada_roma_magazin.pdf?page_id=1335 http://www.crnps.org.rs/2013/komponenta-za-proizvodnju-projekata

9. CAPACITY BUILDING During September we created ToR for the consultant to work on the capacity building of our team. The Consultant was selected and his tasks were defined as follows: • Design and delivery of the 3-day training on preparing projects for EU funds, with emphasise on other available funds for the program activities of the organization. • The first capacity building training, on preparing EU projects, was held 27-29.09. in the Know How Centre facilities, for 12 participants. • Facilitation of the Strategic planning process and finalization of the strategic document with focus on upgrading the structure and culture of the organization, human capacities and team work. Strategic document should be brief, substantial, applicable, free from the excessive elements. The process of the strategic planning should involve project staff, external associates, volunteers i and all other relevant stakeholders. • Duration of the assignment: 15.09.2013.-28.02.2014.

10. QUALITY CONTROL Quality control of developed project proposals has been very good, and it highlights for this reporting period, particularly through: • Evaluation of project proposals of PGF users, together with mentors • Following the progress of the organization and increase their knowledge and skills in project preparation • Proposing corrections when necessary: working together with mentors and assistants on assessing and improving proposals in order to achieve the quality standards • Monitoring and internal evaluation

11. Not counting OSI funded projects, KNOW HOW TEAM HAS PRODUCED: - full applications: 44 - concept notes: 7 OUT FROM THAT NUMBER: - approved: 11 full proposals (value: 87.733 eur) + 40.000 eur in final negotiation stage ( ratio: 1:2,54; 2013. Know How) - pending: 16 full proposals (value: 526.830) – 40.000 - rejected: 17 full applications (value: 545.617)

12. The structure of the beneficiaries: • 2 proposals were developed for the governmental institutions (Provincial Secretariat for Economy, Employment and Gender Equality and RIO), • 25 for Roma NGO-s. • 8 proposals applied by NGO-s, local self-government was project partner, and in 2 the partners are public institutions. • we provided assistance for 6 organizations in applying to OSI funds, and total budget of these proposals (all are approved)

13. FUNDING BY OSI BUDAPEST

14. AFTER REPORT 2 • Two concept notes developed during reporting period for the purpose of EIDHR Call for Proposal have been evaluated by the evaluation committee and the Contracting Authority has pre-selected them. Full applications are prepared jointly with lead applicants and their partner organizations (Association of Roma Novi Becej and Roma Women Centre BIBIJA) and have been submitted. • Memebers of our team were present at meeting with representatives of Royal Norveign Embassy according to the project proposal of RIO. • Concept note OSCE and Ministry of Youth and Sport, cooperation between Office for Youth and Roma CSOs. • Exchange 4 for Municipality of Sremska Mitrovica (priority 1: waste management) • Assistance and support to the Roma Decade League in developing their Strategic document 2014-2016. PGF Vojvodina voluntarily provides assistance in preparation of the document

15. AFTER REPORT 2 ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED AFTER THE SECOND REPORTING PERIOD (DURING OCTOBER) First set of round tables organized by our partner organization in Municipality of Odzaci, as regional centre for West Backa District, with the support of local self-government, targeting Roma CSOs from Sombor, Kula, Apatin and Odzaci.

16. KEY LESSONS FROM PGF YEAR 1 AND 2 • There are very few Roma NGOs in Vojvodina with capacities developed enough to be eligible for EU open calls without partnership with local self-governments. • Local self- governments and governmental institutions awareness of Roma positionwas of great importance in the process of lobbying for the partnerships in project proposals development. • Previous activities of the Know How Centre and its members, as well as their visibility, were crucial for raising awareness of governments but also the general public about the need to include Roma in the planning and decision making process, particularly fundraising activities.

17. KEY LESSONS FROM PGF YEAR 1 AND 2 • Roma CSOs usually need support in order to verbalize project idea. Consultants have put extra effort in order to make all the assessments that are needed before they start to write project proposal itself. • •Capacity building trainings for PGF Team members were of great importance and benefit for the improvement of the service we provide. • •Recognition of the PGF Team Vojvodina and its members among Roma CSOs and other CSOs from Vojvodina, but also from Serbia, as experts and activists on Roma inclusion, has been very important for the advocacy and outreach activities, as well as for the development of cooperation with our beneficiaries.

18. IMPACT European Commission Serbia Progress Report 2013.stipulates that: “Some encouraging results have been achieved through employment measures targeting the Roma, particularly in Vojvodina.” (RSEDP 2 Programm, Project of the RIO). Roma CSOs representatives are empowered, their capacities are developed and they gained new skills and knowledge, which are now applying in practice. Some of the Roma CSOs that we were cooperation with and supporting them in Project proposals preparation are now capable of development of “smaller” projects by their own (for the CfPs of the provincial secretariats or ministries).

19. PLANS of PGF VOJVODINA • Monitoring LDMI (in cooperation with HA “Friends”) – local level • National advocacy and advocacy at the APV level: public hearings in cooperation with Srđan Šajin and Duško Jovanović, and other activities more tailored made to the targeted nationa and provincial policy and decision makers. • Summary for the Project Proposal:“Political participation of Roma in decision making processes in Serbia”, PGF Team Vojvodina, Know How Centre, Novi Sad • Developing procedures in accordance to the monitoring recommendations • Further development of communication and cooperation with donors, MtM OSI, partners from Serbia and region

20. CHALLENGES PGF VOJVODINA • Small number of calls that are available for applicants from Vojvodina • The CBC Serbia-Croatia is not launched yet, and it was announced to be launched • during September. • The round tables as informative sessions will start in October, in order to animate • Roma NGOs in Vojvodina to apply for our support. We expect more applications and • more quality project ideas after these round tables and info sessions. • The procedures are still being developed, and monitoring visit of the OSI MtM • representatives was very usefull to us, in terms of getting not only directions for • Further development of the project but also in terms of addressing some strategic • questions within the organization.

21. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!