Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF) in cooperation with Socies Expertise Center (Socies), Bun TV Foundation (Bun TV), Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan (YCCD), and SOSE Women’s Issues (Sose) NGO (hereinafter referred to as DATA Partners, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing the Data for Accountable and Transparent Action (DATA) Program, which was launched in June 2020 and will run until May 2022.
Recent political changes in Armenia, followed by government announcements of increased transparency, have created new opportunities for civil society organizations to participate in policy-making.
In order for CSOs to have more influence in policy development, there is a need to strengthen CSOs’ capacity to study and analyze data, develop fact-based proposals, communicate them effectively to various stakeholders, and improve their cross-sectoral cooperation to record.
The DATA program will help improve the evidence-based policy-making process by strengthening the ability of CSOs to use reliable, accurate data, analyze it, communicate effectively, develop expertise and skills, and receive stakeholder support. Thus, local CSOs, as they become stronger, will become influential players in promoting public involvement and promoting effective governance in Armenia.
DATA program
- Improve the capacity of CSOs to collect and analyze data and communicate it effectively to policymakers;
- Promote cross-sectoral cooperation by establishing links, involving CSOs, and cooperation with the government in developing fact-based policies.
Following the development of well-founded policies by CSOs, the following value chain will serve as the basis for all DATA project activities.
- Problem identification and formulation at the local level and/or in the sector (by CSOs or community organizations)
- Research, data collection to substantiate/analyze the problem (with the help of research organizations, centers)
- Formulation of policies, recommendations based on collected facts, data analysis (by think tank centers)
- Extensive communication and coverage of changes proposed to all stakeholders (community, community, state, other decision-making bodies) (media, with the help of communication organizations).
The DATA program will be launched with discussions on establishing business relations with representatives of various sectors, which will help to assess the capabilities and needs in the policy-making process in Armenia, and capacity-building programs will be developed to address them. International experts will also be involved. Extensive awareness-raising activities will be carried out in the regions, with the aim of informing as many CSOs as possible about the program and its opportunities.
DATA partners will also develop an entire “value chain” approach to fact-based policies, and organize capacity-building courses for initiative groups.
In the second phase, financial support will be provided to four companies consisting of four partners/organizations to implement sectorial programs. Opportunities will be created for their capacity development and professional support.
It is also intended to support a larger number of beneficiaries by providing scholarships to support their internships and research work.
The DATA program will help foster a culture of “bottom-up decision-making” in Armenia by demonstrating how the data recorded by initiative groups make reform proposals sounder and contribute to the development and implementation of more effective policies.
