Balkan Trust from Democracy

Project dates: June 2006 – June 2007

In a one year period, from June 2006 to 2007, Analytica’s development was supported by a grant from the Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD). The overall goal of the project was to contribute in the successful implementation of the reform agenda and European integration processes in the country and wider in the region through the strengthening of the organisational and research capacity of ‘Analytica’. Thus, the goal was two fold: establishing sustainability of ‘Analytica’ in organisational sense; and increasing the research capacity of it in order to be able to deliver necessary policy research and analysis.

Main objectives of the project were as follows:

Component 1: Organisational development: This component consists of work to assist ‘Analytica’ to enhance its capacity to further develop and in particular implement sound human resources policy through the provision of setting up an office in Skopje with appropriate staff.

Component 2: Research capacity: This component entails assistance to ‘Analytica’ to build its research capacity for the development of a comprehensive policy analysis and research approach.

The results of this project are:

  1. • Building up a knowledge and capacity for long term strategic planning, function-driven and resource-based management within ‘Analytica’;

  2. • Sustainable ‘rapid reaction forces’ for the promotion of the local expertise with a view to fostering the decrease of the existing disparities in the research development;

  3. • Institutional capacity of ‘Analytica’ able to fulfil its roles and responsibilities in providing information and analysis for the reform agenda;

  4. • Sound communication channels between ‘Analytica’ and its ‘beneficiaries’ (the governmental organization, international organizations, media, civil society organizations, citizens, municipalities, and others) with a view to promote implementation of best practices and improve the quality of the reform efforts;

  5. • Enhanced capacities of ‘Analytica’ to successfully develop and implement policy research and advocacy work through full time research fellows and administrative staff dedicated to the achievement of goals set;

  6. • Awareness on EU issues raised and translated into the country context including through newsletter, briefs and reports distributed to thousands of addresses within country and outside of it;

  7. • Providing expertise support to the overall management of the reform agenda through appearance of ‘Analytica’ members to media outlets;

  8. • Sound research infrastructure of ‘Analytica’ through structures (like Fellowship program) established for the implementation and management of the research agenda are sustainable and functioning effectively.

 

There were number of other activities during the grant period that were also relevant to the aims of the overall building of the research capacity of Analytica. For instance, number of interviews was published in local daily newspapers with the researchers of Analytica. Also, some of the researchers appeared in the radio shows. In these interviews Analytica researchers were asked about the progress of the reforms related to Macedonian integration to EU and what are the most important steps that need to be undertaken in the future. A landmark work has been publication of weekly newsletters that in a nutshell provide developments with regard to the European integration of the western Balkans. In addition to this Analytica through Think Tank Network in Macedonia plays critical role in strengthening the role of the Think Tanks in providing objective analysis to public policy problems in Macedonia.

In this project, either directly or indirectly, number of leading personalities was beneficiaries of the project activities undertaken by Analytica under this grant with the Balkan Trust for Democracy. Among notable individuals included diplomats such as Macedonian Ambassador to NATO, University professors from the region, foreign embassy representatives in Macedonia, local community associations such as ADEKSAM, group of research organizations such as the Think Tank Network of Macedonia, local Universities, local government representatives such as Mayor of Gostivar, international foundations and institutes such as the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces, Austrian Institute for Political Studies, and others. Analytica has also been regularly involved with other similar organizations such as itself both locally and internationally, in order to contribute for bridging the gap and lack of information that exists between civil society and government in the societies in transition.

Newsletters (EnlargeEU) have been on a weekly basis covers the topics that are related to European integration of the western Balkans. Another, important thing is that our newsletters and reports have been referred in the websites of the international organizations, including in the website of MARRI – a regional initiative (www.marri-rc.org/newsm.php?id=80). It is worth mentioning that this and other institutions have re-published our newsletters and reports. Also, the project opened calls at the newspapers for jobs for project related activities where also information for the project was provided.