The project enhanced the capacity of non-governmental organizations from the regions with compact Roma population to develop working mechanisms for dialogue between state institutions and the “third sector” through training and development of public private partnerships.

Overview

Given that 2007 was the European year of Equal Opportunities for All, the overall objective of the project was to increase the role of civil society in the process of policy formulation at all levels – national, regional and local – on Roma integration issues. The project aimed at enhancing the capacity of non-governmental organizations from the regions with compact Roma populations to develop working mechanisms for dialogue between state institutions and the “third sector” through training and development of public private partnerships and common policy making campaigns that support the practical implementation of the Framework Program for Equal Integration of Roma in Bulgarian Society; the National Action Plan on the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015; the National Program for Improving Roma Housing Conditions in Bulgaria 2005 – 2015 and the recommendations under the EU reports. The project focused on developing and implementing common policy-making campaigns on Roma integration issues (improving Roma housing conditions) with the participation of representatives of Roma and non-Roma NGOs, local authorities, state institutions, Members of Parliament, and the media from the regions with dense Roma population. The specific objective of the proposal was to support the practical implementation of the National Strategic Reference Framework and the Operational Plans related to Roma inclusion though improving housing conditions.

Implementation Period

January 2007 – June 2008

Project Goals

• Long – term, practically oriented training;
• Developing a strategy for policy making on Roma housing issues (related to the National Action Plans and the EU recommendations).
• Developing a vibrant  network of NGOs and other local stakeholders in the regions with dense Roma population;
• Developing and circulating two handbooks on how to work out successful projects based on the public private partnerships method and on the basic steps for advocating public policies: “How to Develop Successful Projects under the Public Private Partnerships Method”, and “Successful Policy Making”

Participants

The project targeted NGOs, Roma communities, and local authorities in regions with dense Roma populations – Lom, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Sliven, Yambol, Pazardjik – where practical integration is a problem and a challenge to everyday life.