projects

The FoRS platform is a partner of several projects, which are the tools of fullfilling its mission and goals.

Seeds of Cooperation among Czech and Norwegian development CSOs

Leading organisation: FoRS - Czech Forum for Development Co-operation

Partners: RORG-Network, Norway

Grant: eee/norway grants

Period: March 2011 - September 2011

Description:

The project aims at enhancing the development cooperation of the Czech Republic, by creating an opportunity for the Czech and Norwegian CSOs to exchange experiences and best practices. Participants will have the possibility to discuss their work from diverse perspectives, such as conceptualization, participatory planning, management, monitoring and evaluation, partnership development, awarness raising and capacity building. 
This sharing of experiences should bring to the identification of challanges and opportunities, and to the discussion of potential solutions and future parternships. 
As the platforms will involve the state actors in the project, FoRS will also promote the key outputs at the Council for development cooperation, where all ministers are involved.
The project outputs will thus provide valuable inputs also to decision makers especially with respect to quality, best practices, effectiveness and coherence.

The project will take place through three phases:

1. A preparatory meeting of between the representatives of the two platforms, RORG-Network and FoRS.
2. A 3-day study visit to Norway, where 12 representatives from Czech development CSOs will have the opportunity to meet Norwegian CSO representatives, for a sharing of experiences, knowledges and ideas, and to sow the seeds of a future long-term cooperation.
3. Compilation of a study visit report, avaliable on-line, that will summarise the key messages, lessons learnt and recommendations and provide the latest list of Czech and Norwegian development CSOs involved in FoRS and the RORG-Network.

Promotion of human rights as cross-sectional theme of Czech official develompent assistance

Leading organisation: FoRS - Czech Forum for Development Co-operation

Partners: UN Information Centre in Prague, CONCORD, North South Centre Council of Europe, Trialog

Grant: Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Amount: 100 000 CZK

Period: 1 January- 31 December 2011

The aim of the project is to foster effectiveness of development and transformation policy and to srenghten its positive impact on citizens of developing and transforming countries. The project strives to raise awareness about human rights as cross-sectional theme of development cooperation and foreign policy as a whole among both state and non-state actors of Czech foreign policy. In the frame of the project, FoRS will organize following activities:

1. Internal document on human rights and development
2. Participation on relevant seminars or conferences
3. Internal meeting of Policy group
4. Case studies on approach to human rights and development in countries in that the member CSOs works
5. FoRS General Assembly and Executive Board
6. Document about human rights and development for the public and media
7. Roud table in the UN Information Centre in Prague
8. Press release
9. Conclusion of the report will be translated in English and distributed on the European level

Strenghtening capacities and effectiveness of the Czech Platform for Development Cooperation (FoRS) in 2011

Leading organisation: FoRS - Czech Forum for Development Co-operation

Partners: CONCORD, North South Centre of Council of Europe, Trialog, Member and observer Organizations

Grant: Czech Development Agency

Amount: 900 000 CZK

Period: 1 January- 31 December 2011

The proposed project of the Czech Forum for Development Cooperation-FoRS aims to strengthen NGOs as qualified partners in development cooperation at the national and European level, thus contributing to an increased effectiveness of development cooperation and related policies and to fostering their positive impact. FoRS members will be able to strengthen their capacities in working groups, trainings and relevant events in the Czech Republic and abroad. Development NGOs will develop within FoRS a Code of Conduct, which will guide all members and observers in enhancing effectiveness of their work. FoRS will also build relations with Czech partners (MFA, Czech Development Agency, the Council for ODA and the Parliament) through meetings or submission of statements, as well as with governmental and non-governmental actors at the European and global level. In addition, FoRS will be actively involved in the work of the European NGO platform CONCORD and the Open Forum for CSO Development Effectiveness. Moreover, it will contribute to raising awareness on the key ODA issues by means of publishing press releases, up-dating www.fors.cz and supporting communication with the media and other stakeholders.

Contribution of Civil Society to the Visegrad Development Cooperation Effectiveness

Leading organisation: FoRS - Czech Forum for Development Co-operation

Partners and associates: Grupa Zagranica, Platforma mimovládnych rozvojových organizácií (PMVRO), Nemzetközi Humanitárius Fejlesztési és Civil Szövetség - HAND

Grant: Visegrad Fund

Amount: 8 582 EUR

V4 platforms of development civil society organisations (CSOs) have been engaged in national ODA transformation and have challenged the lack of ODA effectiveness for the last 5 years. Despite considerable progress, Visegrad ODA still lacks wider support and a solid policy basis. With the Slovak Presidency of the V4 group and the Hungarian / Polish Presidency in the EU in 2011 a special momentum arose for enhancing V4 ODA. This project mobilizes the CSO platforms to jointly increase awareness among Visegrad policy makers, CSOs and media about essential attributes of genuine ODA. Further, it will make recommendations for more effective ODA on the V4 level ahead of the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4) organised by OECD/DAC, where decisions are to be made on the global development agenda for the next decade.

1. The partners will present the current ODA situation in a joint V4 Briefing Paper, which will be communicated to policy makers and media on the 20th anniversary of the V4 Group.
2. Platforms´ representatives will build their capacity and coordinate their activities with CSOs across the EU at a 2-day development effectiveness seminar, co-organised by the European platform CONCORD.
3. Thereupon, partners will prepare national reports on ODA effectiveness, taking into account key global commitments as well as national specifics.
4. The reports and joint recommendations will be summarised in the V4 Policy Paper, disseminated in media and used in joint advocacy actions (letters, meetings, round tables) towards the V4 governments and the EU to influence their position for the HLF-4.
5. A video spot on ODA effectiveness will be prepared by youth from the V4 and distributed through new media to translate the key messages in an attractive form to public

Quality Standards for the Czech Development Civil Society Organizations

Leading organisation: FoRS - Czech Forum for Development Co-operation

Partners and associates: FoRS Member and Observer organizations, Czech Evaluation Society, CONCORD, Trialog

Grant: USA Embassy in Prague

Amount: 4 500 USD

Period: 1 March - 30 September 2011

The project helps to move up the professionalization of the development CSOs. It will also increase the awareness of the Czech media and public about the quality standards in non-profit sector and provide them with a list of CSOs which comply with such standards. Activities as clustered according to logical framework described later on:

1. Building capacities in participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation (Endorsement of common quality standards - Code of Conduct for development CSOs in the Czech Republic; workshop on participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation)

2. Promotion among CSOs, media, experts and general public (development of www.ceskapomoc.cz as a focal portal for presenting the Czech development CSOs and the Code of Conduct; Informing selected CSOs, media, experts and partners)

Helpdesk platform and support to New Member State (NMS) non-state actors and local authorities in the development sector

Leading organisation: punto.sud (Italy)
Partners and associates: FoRS – Czech Forum for Development Co-operation (Czech Republic), Hungarian Baptist Aid (Hungary), APEL SERVICE (Romania), People in Peril (Slovakia), Caritas Poland (Poland), Support To Life (Turkey)
Grant: European Commission (Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development), cofinacing provided by the Czech Ministry o Foreign Affairs.
Amount: 289,566 EUR 
Period: January 2009 - March 2011

The project intends to strengthen the capacity of non-state actors and local authorities (including networks and platforms involving NMS organisations) in developing multi-actor partnerships and in dealing with the EU institutions. A major emphasis is on solving the problem of poor access to key information related to EuropeAid projects.

Main activities include the design of a website specialised in EuropeAid programme support in order to better target NMS organisations needs and the preparation of guidelines for EuropeAid programmes(so called Trenino). Furthermore, a permanent punto.sud team (the so-called helpdesk) was established for delivering day to day support to the target organisations. Two trainings were organised in Prague (February and November/December 2010) for NMS organisations on how to develop consortia, plan the participation to a Call for Proposals and manage EC funded projects. Another activity is hands-on support  for projects of NMS organisations in order to increase their capacity to plan and manage EC funded development projects.

More information about the helpdesk can be found in the project leaflet.

If your organization/ local institution is interested in support offered by the assistance team or in other activities of the "EuropeAid Helpdesk platform", please fill out this questionnaire. Explanatory note for the questionnaire can be found here. The questionnaire will give assistance team more information about your experience with projects funded by the EuropeAid and about your concrete necessities.  Please, send the questionnaire to Marie Zazvorkova marie.zazvorkova(add)fors.cz