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Regional Network of Social Investment Funds in Europe and Central Asia

Regional Network of Social Investment Funds in Europe and Central Asia. Anush Bezhanyan For the ESSD Week Washington DC, March 30, 2005. Outline. Social Fund Objectives ECA Portfolio of SFs ECANet Background ECANet Activities Lessons Learned Future Directions. SF Objectives.

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Regional Network of Social Investment Funds in Europe and Central Asia

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  1. Regional Network of Social Investment Funds in Europe and Central Asia Anush Bezhanyan For the ESSD Week Washington DC, March 30, 2005

  2. Outline • Social Fund Objectives • ECA Portfolio of SFs • ECANet Background • ECANet Activities • Lessons Learned • Future Directions

  3. SF Objectives • Provide small scale grants to targeted communities for their development objectives on the demand basis • Subprojects implemented by communities in a participatory manner • Short term objectives: improved access to economic and social infrastructure and services; capacity development; and creation of temporary jobs • Long term objectives: contribution to decentralization agenda; development of social capital and partnerships in the community; pilot testing innovations and contributing to evolving policy development through lessons learned

  4. Europe and Central Asia Region SF Portfolio Over 30 Projects in 14 Countries (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kosovo, Kyrgistan, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine) About US$ 900 millions of which more than US$ 500 millions World Bank financing Significant co-financing by other donors (EU, DfID, Sida, KfW). Growing portfolio – from appr. US$ 150 million in 1998 to almost US$ 900 million in 2004

  5. ECANet Background Created in 1998 at the first regional conference in Armenia by SFs WB support - IDF grant US $285,000 ECANEt Secretariat established Coordinating committee comprised of executive directors makes major decisions Started with seven countries, now has 14 members

  6. ECANet Activities Annual conferences (Macedonia 2004, 2005 planned in Armenia) Development of the web-site Training seminars and workshops Internship program Study tours E-bulletin and publication of papers Cross regional exchange (LAC, MENA networks of SFs)

  7. Lessons Learned • Established horizontal links between participating funds • Effective mechanism for regional cooperation, learning and exchange of information • Secretariat – moves to the country of elected President of the ECANet (currently Turkey) • Financing is an issue (IDF closed in 2004, Turkey SSF received a UNDP grant) • WB has no good instrument for supporting regional activity like this • ECANet needs a sustainability strategy

  8. Future Directions • Sustainability is a key issue for the future • Right now there is no WB funding but other donors are involved (UNDP, DFID, USAID) • The ECANet needs an donor exit strategy and the members are suggesting to introduce a membership fee, but this is still debated • ECANet should break out of the SIF circle and reach out to other programs (including non WB financed) • The membership can be open to other community organizations and foundations

  9. Resources • Website www.eca-net.org • ECANet E-bulletin • Published papers for annual conferences • WB website www.worldbank.org/socialfunds or type “social funds” in Intranet

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