EPF Annual Report To Sida Feb 2009 Final

EPF Annual Progress Report
February 15, 2009
Core Support for the Establishment of Eurasia Partnership

Foundation in Georgia
Annual Progress Report
January 1-December 31, 2008
Submitted to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
February 18, 2009
Submitted to:
Louise Bermsj
Programme Officer (Sida) / Second Secretary
Section for Development Cooperation
Embassy of Sweden
20 Zandukeli Street
0108 Tbilisi, Georgia
Louise.bermsjo@sida.ge
(+995-32) 99 98 33
EPF Contact:
George Zarubin, President
gzarubin@epfound.org
Ketevan Vashakidze, Country Director, Georgia
kvashakidze@epfound.ge
3 Kavsadze Street
0179 Tbilisi, Georgia
+995 32 22-32-64, 25-39-42/43
February 15, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
PROGRAM BACKGROUND.............................................................................. 4
II.
SECTOR DEVELOPMENTS.............................................................................. 5
III.
PROGRESS AND IMPACT ACCORDING TO MANDATE ........................ 6
IV.
2008 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT.................................. 14
V.
LIST OF SIDA-SUPPORTED GRANTS IN 2008..................................... 19
VI.
2009 ANNUAL WORK PLAN ........................................................................ 33
1.
2009 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN........................................ 33
2.
PROGRAM STRATEGIES AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS ................ 39

A.
CIVIC MONITORING AND DIALOGUE ................................................................ 40
B.
CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENTS: A NEW MODEL FOR PARTNERSHIP .... 47
C.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................... 51
D.
PROMOTING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN GEORGIA ................................ 52
E.
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT THROUGH YOUTH INITIATIVES........................ 54
F.
UNAG TOLERANCE BUILDING GRANTS........................................................... 56
G.
OPEN DOOR GRANTS ......................................................................................... 56
CROSS-BORDER PROGRAMS .......................................................................................... 57

A.
SUPPORT TO CROSS-BORDER UNSOLICITED PROJECTS ............................... 58
CAUCASUS RESEARCH RESOURCE CENTERS (CRRC) PROGRAMS ........................... 59
3.
A.
TRAINING AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ........................................................... 59
B.
THE DATA INITIATIVE ........................................................................................ 60
C.
LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION ......................................................................... 60
COMMUNICATIONS PLAN............................................................................ 62
REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES: ............................................................... 62
AUDIENCES & MESSAGES: ............................................................................................ 62
MAIN COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCTS AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE ................................ 63
MONITORING AND EVALUATION:................................................................................... 65
4.
COMMUNICATIONS PLAN............................................................................ 67
FUNDRAISING TARGETS FOR 2009 .............................................................................. 67
February 15, 2009
1)
GEORGIA ............................................................................................................. 67
2)
CROSS-BORDER.................................................................................................. 68
3)
CRRC .................................................................................................................. 68
IDENTIFYING NEW OPPORTUNITIES .............................................................................. 68

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND UNRESTRICTED FUNDING .......................................... 69
5.
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN ................................................. 70
I.
February 15, 2009
PROGRAM BACKGROUND
After 15 years of political independence and support for democratic development

from international donors, civil society has still not achieved sustainability in
Georgia. Until recently, donor investments were not targeted at the root challenges
to achieving a vibrant civil society in a holistic and systematic way. These
challenges include a lack of diversified opinions and dialogue on public policy topics,
a lack of reliable information and nuanced analysis of social processes, apathy
towards civic engagement, limited local sources of support to sustain civic
initiatives and a prevailing tone of conflict and mistrust across political boundaries.
Eurasia Partnership Foundations (EPF) mission is to empower people to effect
change for social justice and economic prosperity through hands-on programs,
helping them to improve their communities and their own lives. By inheriting the
strong systems, procedures and expertise of EF offices in the South Caucasus, EPF
became an operational local institution in February 2008.
Understanding that Sidas new development strategy for the South Caucasus
focuses solely on Georgia, EF sought a founding commitment from Sida in the
establishment of Eurasia Partnership Foundations operations in Georgia. In 2007,
EF applied for and received a commitment of USD 3 million or USD 1 million per
year over three years. Thirty-five percent of this contribution is managed as a Sida
flagship Open Door Grants Program a pool of resources for initiatives that are
highly innovative or that respond to quickly emerging and critical needs in the
country. The remaining balance is managed as core support for all of EPFs activities
in Georgia, including support for operational programs, program and grants
administration and overhead costs.
II.
February 15, 2009
SECTOR DEVELOPMENTS
2008 has been wrought with a number of significant developments in Georgia,

including a political crisis culminating in snap Presidential elections (January);
accelerated Parliamentary elections (May); a debilitating armed conflict between
Russia and Georgia resulting in massive human displacement (with approximately
127,000 displaced in Georgia proper at the height of the crisis, and an estimated
31,000 who will not be able to return for the foreseeable future; plus 223,000
existing IDPs from the 1992 conflict in Abkhazia), and an economic downturn
caused by the loss of anticipated FDI. These events serve to underscore the
importance of EPFs work, supporting alternative voices in society and empowering
citizens to effectively engage in policy dialogue and reform initiatives. EPF has
responded to these events by convening stakeholder meetings, holding targeted
grant competitions and conducting public opinion surveys.
Toward the end of 2008, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
forecasted slowed economic growth due to reduced private foreign-financed
investments, decreased bank lending and a slowdown in post-conflict private
consumption. EBRD reported that financing from the International Monetary Fund
(under a US$ 750 million 18-month stand-by agreement signed in September
2008) and other official agencies should support foreign reserves and maintain the
confidence in the currency. Many economic analysts predict that Georgia is better
placed to weather the economic crisis, due to a heretofore underdeveloped banking
sector and because of the international aid pledged prior to the onset of the
financial crisis.
In September 2008, President Saakashvili announced that Georgia would undertake
a second wave of democratic reforms, including revising party financing rules,
bolstering media freedom, supporting the independence of the judiciary and
engaging in more dialogue with the political opposition and generally more political
debate. This will all impact the effectiveness of civil society in policy development
and reform implementation, two major components of EPFs operating programs
and grant-making.
III.
February 15, 2009
PROGRESS AND IMPACT ACCORDING TO MANDATE
Eurasia Foundation (EF) supports programs in five areas: Creating Opportunities for
Civic and Economic Participation, Building Capacity for Evidence-Based Research to
Improve Policy-Making, Fostering a Culture of Corporate and Community
Philanthropy, Cross-Border Cooperation, and Open Door Grant Making in Georgia.
The majority of its activities are implemented by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation
(EPF), now a member of the Eurasia Foundation Network. EPF started full
operations in February 2008. Transforming the EF field office in Georgia into an
independent local foundation that is governed and managed according to the
highest international standards is an important element of EFs goals in building
civil society institutions in Georgia.
EPF is both a grant maker and a program implementer, focused on (1) fostering the
active and informed participation of Georgian community groups, NGOs and media
outlets in their communities political and economic decision-making through
monitoring, (2) promoting civic participation in the process of Georgias integration
into the European Union, (3) involving local youth as active citizens in the
development of their communities in Georgia, (4) promoting philanthropy and
sustainability of NGOs and (5) building confidence across the region of the South
Caucasus by leveraging regional economies of scale, exchanging regional and
international best practices, sharing innovative ideas, and fostering cooperative
networks among civil society, media, and businesses from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Georgia.
While each grant awardmade through both targeted grant competitions and the
open door mechanismmeets unique program objectives set jointly by the grantee
and EPF, all of EPFs grants also build the institutional capacity of partners in the
fields of financial accountability, program design and monitoring.
In FY08, EPF made grants to 68 local organizations (31 with Sida funds) in Georgia
to foster civic participation, including grants to a number of organizations through
the open door mechanism, which is designed to address emerging needs outside
of EPFs priority areas through innovative or pilot type projects. Below please find a
brief update about program outcomes and impacts and a summary of activities
planned for 2009. A comprehensive list of activities be found in the 2009 work plan
beginning on p. 34.
Civic Monitoring
With Sida funding, EPF awarded grants to support investigative journalism,
contribute to reform of the judiciary, monitor budget allocations, increase access to
information during the elections and promote transparent decision-making. As with
previous projects, EPF emphasized collaboration between civil society groups and
the media (especially regional) to facilitate information dissemination and promote
the role of the media as a civic watchdog.
February 15, 2009
EPFs civic monitoring program contributed to enhanced participation of betterinformed communities in the monitoring process. EPF facilitated a dialogue between
CSOs and the local and central government to jointly tackle problems identified by
local constituents. For example, the Georgian NGO Civic Education Youth Center
implemented a project on civic monitoring for agricultural development. The
monitoring of the privatization of state-owned agricultural lands revealed several
loopholes in the new legislation and the Presidential decree # 525 regulating the
privatization of agricultural lands. This evidence, in combination with information
collected through meetings with communities, showed that the loopholes in the
privatization legislation created problems for many renters of privatized land. The
communities of Kvareli and Sighnaghi were informed and educated about these
shortcomings, and the grantee prepared recommendations to correct the loopholes
to be submitted to the Parliament.
As another example of impact, the EPF grantee the Human Rights Protection Center
successfully lobbied the Batumi City Council to create a permanent joint working
group (including CSOs, the media and the public) to supervise the expenditure of
the funds allocated for municipal improvements. Members of the working group
attend city council sessions, sit in on commission meetings, receive information
from City Hall and prepare issue-based recommendations for the local government.
The creation of the working group is a major success of the project, demonstrating
that properly planned participatory civic monitoring coupled with a proactive media
campaign results in effective citizen participation in the local decision-making
process.
Summary of Plans for 2009: An assessment of the state of civic monitoring in
Georgia (conducted by an EPF grantee) prompted EPF to increase the number of
fields covered by civic monitoring activities (e.g., the judiciary) in 2009. Grantees
from 2008 will conduct their activities and issue final reports and recommendations.
In 2009, EPF will conduct two grant competitions on civic monitoring and hold
roundtables and workshops with stakeholders on civic monitoring issues. EPF will
also conduct training of trainers in civic monitoring and training of grassroots CSOs
in participatory civic monitoring, advocacy and policy dialogue.
Through these activities, EPF will increase the number of CSOs that have the
capacity to conduct civic monitoring activities, establish a network of civic
monitoring practitioners to facilitate improved work, increase the number of
participatory civic monitoring involving various community groups able to influence
decision-making and policy reforms and increase the awareness of all branches of
central and local powers of the importance of public oversight, transparency,
accountability and dialogue with civic sector.
Please see the attached list of grants for all grants funded through the civic
monitoring component. Project close-outs are currently being prepared for a
number of projects and impact will be reflected in EPFs biannual reporting to Sida.
February 15, 2009
European Integration
With the core funding provided by USAID and the funding from Sida, EPF was able
to leverage funds from the UK Department for International Development for its EU
integration and ENP civic dialogue activities.
European Integration/ENP Civic Dialogue: In 2008, EPF commissioned a regional
policy paper on food standards and safety and the European Neighbouhood Policy.
Based on the recommendations, EPF started a new project to strengthen the
capacity of the National Service for Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection.
In 2008, EPF funded a survey to identify civil society interest in monitoring the
implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan and evaluate the
expertise of the civil sector to conduct monitoring. The final report, which was
issued in July, found that only 11 organizations were highly active in monitoring the
ENP Action Plan implementation.
On November 17, 2008, EPF participated in an open committee session of the
European Union Integration Committee of the Parliament of Georgia as part of the
coalition of CSOs that monitor Georgias implementation of the European
Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Action Plan (AP). EPF presented recommendations on
the pending EU-Georgia free trade agreement for each group of stakeholdersthe
Georgian government, the EU, civil society organizations and business circles. The
recommendations had been elaborated during three policy forums organized by EPF
in fall 2008 that brought together 120 participants from state institutions, civil
society organizations, mass media and business circles.
In addition to the five civil society organizations (OSGF, GYLA, Green Alternative,
CIPDD and EPF), representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development, the
Office of the State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs participated in the session. Deputy ministers and heads
of departments from the two ministries requested that EPF review the
recommendations to develop a progress report for civil society on ENP
implementation over the last year.
In December, an EPF representative went to Brussels as a member of the Georgian
Civil Society Coalition to present the main outputs of the project to EU officials. The
presentations were held at the European Commission with the Directorate-General
for External Relations and DG Trade, as well as with local CSOs.
EPFs EU integration-related activities also focus on increasing access to information
through media trainings. Prior to the forums on the free trade agreement, EPF
organized a training seminar on economic issues for nine journalists from different
media outlets. After the forums, ten newspaper articles were printed on the events
and the leading TV business program, Business Courier, covered the issue.
Summary of Plans for 2009: EPF will conduct up to 8 roundtable meetings (on the
free trade agreement, conflict resolution and media freedom) to support
February 15, 2009
constructive dialogue among stakeholders. EPF will produce policy briefs to evaluate
the fulfillment of commitments under the ENP Action Plan and monthly E-bulletins
will provide updates on EU-Georgian relations and implementation of ENP AP for
stakeholders. EPF has already identified the winner of a grant competition in the
field of food standards and safety in order to evaluate the impact of the current
legislation and promote awareness. The grant agreement will be signed in February
2009.
Through these activities, recommendations provided by the NGO coalition working
on ENP AP implementation monitoring to the government are taken into
consideration and the recommendations on possible EU-Georgia FTA will be
reflected in the document. Also, the number of food processing companies applying
to the HACCP and ISO systems will increase by a minimum of 10%.
Youth Integration
EPF established five Youth Bank committees in Marneuli, Akhaltsikhe, Batumi,
Zugdidi and Telavi. Each Youth Bank of 7 members (35 participants total) went
through two intensive trainings in leadership and how to manage a small grants
program.
Each Youth Bank of seven members (35 participants total) went through two
intensive trainings in how to manage a small grants program. Each Youth Bank
announced their small grants program in their communities and received
applications for small projects (up to $500) from other youth in their communities.
The Akhaltsikhe Youth Bank alone received a total of 35 applications.
In November 2008, three Youth Banks operating in Georgia (Batumi, Akhaltsikhe
and Marneuli) awarded 12 youth let micro grant initiatives.
The leaders of the Youth Bank in Marneuli applied the skills obtained through EPFs
Youth Bank program in organizing to help IDPs in Gori. In October 2008, they
launched a donation drive at five local schools and gathered over 2,000 school
supplies, more than 400 articles of warm clothing and boxes of hygiene supplies,
helping 116 children displaced by the conflict with Russia. The group intends to
continue supporting IDPs as they are relocated to permanent housing in areas
throughout the country, including Kvemo Kartli.
In Batumi, the municipal government has made a financial contribution to some of
the youth led micro grant initiatives. In Marneuli, the local council (Sakrebulo) has
independently agreed to contribute to some of the youth led initiatives as well.
In fall 2008, EPF began consultations with the Association MitOst, represented by
Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg, about establishing a strategic partnership in the area of
youth engagement. The partnership will build off of EPFs existing Youth Banks
throughout the South Caucasus, working with twenty youth to develop project
February 15, 2009
development, management and evaluation skills while promoting intercultural

exchange and youth involvement.
Summary of Plans for 2009: EPF will establish seven new Youth Banks in the
regions of Georgia and carry out capacity building workshops for the 70 Youth Bank
committee members on project writing, implementing, and monitoring skills. Youth
Bank committees will award at least 70 youth led initiatives (maximum 500 USD
per micro project). EPF will conduct workshops on lessons learned following each
funding cycle. EPF will also develop youth-adult partnerships and support at least
20 micro grant initiatives implemented in collaboration between youth and adults.
Through these activities, EPF will increase opportunities for community involvement
and volunteerism both for adolescents and adults and knowledge sharing and
learning processes will lead to more effective micro-projects.
Community and Youth Philanthropy
In 2008, EPF launched the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) program. Initial
activities focused on promoting the concept of CSI through a roundtable and
workshop to build awareness of the concept among Georgian companies. EPF also
organized stakeholder meetings for a new endowment law and lobbied for
foundations to be included in the list of eligible organizations in the draft legislation.
EPF launched the CSI program with the conference Corporate Social Investments: A
New Model of Partnerships, which convened 70 participants from the business
community, government, non-profits and donor organizations. The workshop for
company representatives was conducted by British CSI experts and covered such
issues as why companies should get involved in CSI and what international models
of CSI can be applied in the Georgian context.
Unfortunately, the conflict with Russia and the global financial crisis inhibited
further significant progress in this mandate area. Additionally, EPF has hired a new
program manager in fall 2008.
Summary of Plans for 2009: EPF will hold workshops and consultations for three
separate groups on CSI: (1) business schools to improve education delivery in the
area of CSI, (2) business representatives to improve private companies capacity to
design and implement CSI projects and (3) non-profit organizations to improve
their capacity to establish partnerships with private companies.
Through these activities, participating business school instructors will have greater
capacity to develop CSI courses, participating companies will have improved
understanding of corporate social investment as a concept and its application, and
non profit organizations will have increased awareness of various models of private
giving.
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February 15, 2009
Tourism Development
In 2008, EPF worked to promote the tourism industry in Georgia by supporting
human resource development in the tourism and hospitality sectors. These
activities resulted in:
Quality control systems introduced at two vocational centers in Tbilisi and

Kobuleti
Assessment findings are incorporated in the program content and
administration
Improved capacity of two state tourism schools to provide quality vocational
education and retraining programs
Achievement of affiliation with an internationally recognized tourism school
abroad
EPFs assistance to the Tbilisi Tourism School, which in addition to curricula

development, involved support in the establishment of partnerships with the private
sector, led to several private companies agreeing to provide summer internships to
students. Eighteen students were recruited by the Marriott, 25 students by GMT
Group, and 50 students by various restaurants and hotels in the resort town
Batumi. Students receive credit toward their degrees for the internships.
Summary of Plans for 2009: EPF has made the strategic decision to discontinue
working explicitly on tourism development, though the Foundation continues to be
involved with the Department of Tourism and Resorts to keep abreast of any
developments in the sector and be aware of potential project synergies.
Elections
EPF held grant competitions to solicit proposals on voter education and monitoring
the parliamentary elections, funding projects by the Georgian Regional Media
Association (GRMA) and Public Movement Multinational Georgia (PMMG). GRMA
provided voters with up to date information on candidates and voting procedures
through a coalition of nine popular newspapers in 7 regions (Ajara, Imereti,
Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Guria, Shida Kartli and Samegrelo) of Georgia. PMMG
mobilized local communities in Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions for
pre-election and election monitoring and preparing them for a public response to
possible violations. Over 200 community activists that had been trained on election
procedures for the January 5 presidential election campaign conducted monitoring
of parliamentary elections to prevent vote-rigging and other violations.
There are no elections planned in Georgia for 2009, so EPF will not be focusing on
election-related projects at this time.
11
February 15, 2009
Cross-Border
Through the South Caucasus Citizen Empowerment Program, a cross border
initiative, EPF trained partner organizations in Georgia to independently implement
town hall meetings to facilitate group discussions on policy issues and develop
policy recommendations.
From mid-April to mid-October 2008, EPF funded the film festivalNATIONALITY:
H U M A N in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as in the breakaway
regions of Abkhazia, Nagorny Karabakh and South Ossetia. The festival traveled to
mid-size and small centers of the South Caucasus and organized up to 27
documentary film presentations of 9 international top level documentaries dealing
with human rights and conflict resolution issues. Each presentation lasted for three
days and was prepared and conducted in close partnership with local organizations,
accompanied by public discussions with the participation of external experts and
other cultural or social events linked to the promotion of Human Rights and Conflict
resolution.
The festival broadened the debate on human rights and the peaceful settlement of
conflicts beyond the immediate intellectual circles within the South Caucasian
capitals.
Summary of Plans for 2009: EPF will focus on four main directions: South Caucasus
Citizen Empowerment to promote inclusive and transparent decision-making on
public policy issues in the South Caucasus; South Caucasus Creative Commons
(CC) to adapt the CC licensing system to intellectual property rights frameworks in
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia; and South Caucasus Public Policy Capacity
Building to improve the quality of policy analysis in the countries of the South
Caucasus.
Social Enterprise
In 2008, EPF added a new programmatic focus: social enterprise (businesses that
operate primarily with social objectives as the bottom line and reinvest profits
back into the social objectives of the business). EPFs activities focus on thoroughly
studying international models of social enterprises, examining local experiences and
identifying beneficiaries and target organizations.
Activities in this area began in late 2008 (due to staff turnover, the conflict with
Russia and the global economic crisis) and will continue into 2009. There has been
no impact to date.
12
February 15, 2009
Evaluation
In 2009, EPF will evaluate its programmatic activities according to baseline
information and activities implemented to date. The results of these evaluations will
be used to refine program methodology and adjust activities within specific
programmatic areas as needed, and will be introduced to the Board during the
strategic planning meeting in late spring 2009. The results from these evaluations
and refining of programmatic activities will be reflected in EPFs biannual reporting
to Sida.
Post-conflict Activities
Aid Monitoring
EPF is a founding member of the Transparent Aid to Georgia Coalition, which will
monitor international aid to Georgia in order to promote the transparency of the
foreign financial aid pledged by donor countries and international organizations to
assist Georgia in overcoming the crisis following the August 2008 armed conflict,
increase government accountability, and promote the participation of civil society in
the management of this aid.
Post-War Rehabilitation
No significant impact has yet been recorded from the EPF supported projects that
assist the post-war rehabilitation work in Georgia. However there are outputs that
are worth mentioning:
Shelter: EPFs grantee, the Association for Protection of Landowners Rights
(APLR), assisted 300 IDP families in acquiring residential and agricultural
land parcels (formerly state-owned land in Kvemo Kartli region). The
organization assessed the land in terms of accessibility, infrastructure
development and arability and assisted the families in registering the
property.
Psycho-social rehabilitation: EPF grantee NGO Sapari has been actively
involved in psychological and medical rehabilitation of IDPs from the
Tskhinvali Region and Kodori Gorge. Sapari focuses on helping IDPs to avoid
or cope with family violence caused by post-conflict psychological trauma.
Currently EPF is reviewing five grant proposals focused on integrating new
IDPs into society.
EPF is exploring program opportunities in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region.
Senior management and program staff have had meetings and discussions with the
leadership of the Ministry of Reintegration and former grantees working on/in the
break-away regions. Currently EPF is considering four inquiries (from the
Association of Georgian-Abkhaz Mixed Families, the Center for Georgian-Ossetian
Relations, the radio station Voice of Abkhazia (www.abkhazmedia.com) and the
Association of Printed Media) focusing on confidence building and reestablishing
communication among Georgian, Abkhaz and Ossetian communities.
13
IV.
February 15, 2009
2008 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT
EFP was launched on November 14, 2007 when the Board of Trustees
approved the Charter and Bylaws of the Foundation. On February 1, 2008,
EPF began full operations as a local organization.
In calendar year 2008, the following Board meetings were held:
Audit and Finance Committee 7 meetings
Development Committee 1 meeting
Executive Committee 3 meetings
Nomination Committee 3 meetings
Full Board 2 meetings
EPF has made impressive strides forward in its organizational development. The
Institutional Development Plan contains six objectives. The majority of the
outcomes for each objective have already been met:
Objective 1: To engage EPF trustees in the strategic development of EPF
Orientation for EPFs Board was provided through a workshop on November 13,
2007. About seven board members participated in a three-country launch of the
local foundation. The Board adopted the organizations Bylaws and created an Ad
Hoc Governance Task Force that met in January 2008 to review the Policies and
Procedures and Bylaws, and develop Committee Charters for the Executive
Committee (ExCom), Audit and Finance Committee and the Nominating and
Governance Committee.
Daniel Tarshys joined the Board at the May Board meeting. George Zarubin and
Horton Beebe-Center provided him with an orientation using the materials from the
November Board meeting (charters, bylaws, etc) and reviewed with him his
responsibilities as a new Board member.
EPFs Presidents office staff developed a checklist and formal orientation manual for
new Board members, which was used in December 2008 when Tehri Hakala joined
the Board of Trustees.
The Nominating and Governance Committee prepared a self-performance
evaluation form for Board members, which was presented to the Board at the
November 17, 2008 Board meeting.
EPFs president sends monthly budget-to-actual reports to the Finance Committee
(FinCom) and to any other Board members who wish to receive them, and
cumulative reports for the FinCom, ExCom and Board meeting.
Several board members provided assistance in meeting potential donors. Sabine
Freizer scheduled and attended meetings for Keti Vashakidze in Brussels. Margo
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February 15, 2009
Squire helped organize contacts and meetings in Ankara for George Zarubin. Tim
Straight worked with Gevorg Ter Gabrielyan to make introductions and submit a
proposal to the Norwegian government. Andrew Coxshall, managing partner for
KPMG, assisted in obtaining a corporate contribution for a seminar in Yerevan on
Corporate Social Responsibility. Five trustees (Margaret Richardson, Roy
Southworth, Horton Beebe-Center, Ken Yalowitz and George Zarubin) made
unrestricted contributions to EPF.
EPFs chair visited the Yerevan office to learn more about programs and trustee
Sabine Freizer visited both the Tbilisi and Baku offices to learn more about the
details of our programs. The CFO has revised and improved the monthly financial
reports provided to the trustees on the Financial and Audit Committee of the Board.
In September 2008, the ExCom visited Baku for site visits and stakeholder
meetings and held their meetings there. This visit helped the trustees learn about
the program details. Likewise, site visits were organized for trustees around the
November 2008 Board meeting in Georgia
Objective 2: To set medium-term and specific program targets for EPFs financial
sustainability and to create the systems required to achieve those targets
EPFs Board approved our fundraising strategy at the November 2007 Board
meeting. The Eurasia Foundations donor management system, the Donor Data
Base (DDB), is used in all offices to maintain information about correspondence
with donors, including submitted project proposals and contracts.
In 2008, staff received training in program design, budget development and
general fundraising, with on-going skills development by drafting new proposals.
EPF has received new awards from numerous new donors including the European
Union, National Democratic Institute, Garadagh Cement and Western Union
Foundation. Between the November 2007 and the May 2008 Board meetings, EPF
received pledges of approximately $6 million from non-core USAID donors,
including $3 million from Sida over 3 years for Georgia. Carnegie renewed their
support for CRRC with an award of $2 million.
EPF continues to enjoy VAT exemptions on US bilateral funding and continues to
explore all options to retain its charity and VAT-exempt status where it can.
Progress made on fundraising goals ($10,000,000 over 3 years) was reported to
the Board. Between November 2007 and April 2008, EPF raised pledges of
approximately $7.4 million. A large number of new proposals were prepared and
submitted, collectively worth $1,371,649.
At the November 2008 Board meeting, the trustees decided to create a
Development Committee to focus on EPFs fundraising strategy.
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February 15, 2009
Objective 3: To improve monitoring and evaluation of EPFs program management

and reporting to the Board
All programs were successfully transferred from EF to EPF. In December 2007 and
again in May 2008, staff received training on developing program outcome
frameworks resulting in more thoughtful input and implementation of programs by
staff. Eurasia Foundations Program Management Information System (PMIS)
continues to be the primary tool used for tracking program work and all program
expenses use PMIS forms and codes.
Policies and procedures were issued before the start of EPF. In December 2008, EPF
staff were trained in the new policies and procedures during a regional staff retreat
and received further training on the policies and procedures again in each country.
The EPF Boards Ad Hoc Governance Task Force and EFP staff reviewed the policies
ad procedures, and the Board was notified of some changes and corrections to the
policies in May.
Quarterly program reports have been prepared for donors and for the Board or
EXCOM meetings. Country directors are intimately involved in program
development and implementation.
Staff in all three countries participated in additional training on program design program management in May 2008 that was offered by Rob ODonovan during his
visit to the region.
Objective 4: To develop strong human resource management, administration and
communication to ensure effective and improved operations
Almost all targets for Human Resource Management have been achieved. All staff
were transferred to employees of EPF in February 2008. However, HR management,
recruitment, revision of job descriptions, updating records, revision of
organizational charts and training for HR managers is an on-going process. One
point of note CRRC staff, which at times felt part of a separate organization under
EF, now have become much more integrated into the EPF systems, collaborate
much more on joint proposal development and program implementation and many
of the artificial divisions have been replaced by a better sense of inclusion.
Additional training was provided to HR staff in the region by Nanette Lowe, Director
of Human Resources & Administration at EF-DC, during her visit to the region in
May 2008. The policies and procedures handbook was also updated.
Management in Georgia drafted new evacuation policies and procedures in record
time to address the Russia-Georgia war. Those policies are under revision at this
time. The Regional HR Manager effectively monitored the whereabouts of all EPF
staff during the crisis by instituting a call-in/text messaging procedure, to ensure
that all staff was accounted for.
16
February 15, 2009
Objective 5: To create sounder and stronger financial management systems for EPF
that provide better reporting and integration with program implementation, donor
reporting and monthly reporting to the Board, management and staff
Financial systems were tested in November-December 2007 and January 2008. A
Deputy CFO was hired. Training on systems, policies, procedures, internal controls,
procurement and fraud awareness was provided by the CFO and the Deputy CFO to
the finance staff in all three countries. Training on the first reports (February 2008)
was held in Tbilisi in March.
A decision was made at the February Finance and Audit Committee meeting to
continue to use SUN accounting system through 2010. The decision to remain with
SUN was based on the evaluation of other accounting systems, price and
functionality.
Monthly budget to actual reports are provided to management, the Audit and
Finance Committee of the Board and other Board members on a monthly basis.
Reports are user-friendly and broken down by program.
The Audit and Finance Committee has been extremely helpful to EFP they offered
suggestions on depositing the Sida funds, hiring an internal auditor, identifying an
external auditor and assessment of purchasing versus renting office space in Tbilisi.
In fall 2008, an Internal Auditor (Joshua Weil) was identified and recommended by
the Finance and Audit Committee and approved by the EXCOM in September.
Preparations are being made for the EF external audit and the EPF internal audit
this autumn.
In fall 2008, Eurasia Foundation audited EPF. No major findings were reported. The
2008 international audit is scheduled for January/February 2009.
Objective 6: To improve external and internal communications about EPFs goals
and accomplishments to all levels of it stakeholders (Media, Donors, Trustees, Staff,
etc)
Weekly senior management team meetings with the participation of senior
management from all three countries are conducted on a regular basis and minutes
are distributed to staff. Weekly country office team meetings are also held and
minutes are distributed to staff and to the Presidents office. Each week, a list of
staff weekly plans is also shared between senior management and staff. There are
need-based communications team phone calls involving communication staff and
Associate Country Directors. In addition, staff are effectively using Skype to
exchange information among offices.
A new regional communications officer, Tamuna Koberidze, was hired in March. A
regional folder containing country and program information on EPFs regional
17
February 15, 2009
priorities, a letter from the President and other information was printed and
distributed for internal use. One-page summaries were printed and more detailed
one-pagers were written and printed for programs that were ongoing from the prior
year for some offices.
Communications staff continue to write press releases and the decision was taken
to begin publishing new grant awards through the websites again.
A new web-site was launched in February and fully populated with information. EPF
communications staff continue to place news and announcements on the web-site
several times a week. Program staff have taken greater ownership over the web
pages describing their programs, and the regional communications officer continues
to work with the web designer on a retainer contract to improve functionality.
18
EPF 2009 Work Plan
V.
February 15, 2009
LIST OF SIDA-SUPPORTED GRANTS IN 2008
During the reporting period, EPF disbursed a total of $666,574.18 through 31

grants. All of these grants were reviewed by program officers, who worked with
the grantees to refine the proposals. All of the projects were then reviewed and
approved by EPFs local advisory board. Below is a brief description of each of the
grant projects.
Open Door
Grantee Institution:
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Implementation Dates:
ALPE Foundation
Summer School on Constitutional & Human Rights
21,288 USD
June 30 December 29, 2008
To support a Summer School and a legal training program for law students to
enhance their knowledge about the international practice and traditions of
Constitutional and Human Rights. Outstanding local and international experts
and officials will provide 25 law students a complete training cycle for
improvement of their theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The follow-up
internships in the relevant local public and non-governmental agencies will help
them to apply the acquired skills and knowledge in practice. The new training
curriculum will be disseminated and popularized among the Georgian universities
and will help new generation of lawyers to enrich their knowledge and practice in
these fields. The Summer School will be supported subsequently by the
Constitutional Court and Ilia Chavchavadze University and will contribute to the
enhancement of the quality of legal education in the country. (Swedens
ambassador to Georgia visited the training site at the Constitutional Court in
Batumi in July 2008.)
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Civil Society Institute

One Stop Shop System in the
Governance
45,661 USD
July 1, 2008 December 31, 2009
Local
Self-
To support the establishment of an effective and flexible system of citizens services

in Batumi City Hall and Kobuleti administration and create a model for other selfgovernance units in Georgia. At the request of Batumi City Hall and Kobuleti
administration, the project will provide the cities with a concept for a One Stop
Shop system and deliver trainings for local staff to establish the system.
Representatives of other cities of Georgia will receive an opportunity to familiarize
themselves with the One Stop Shop model. The project is a continuation of the
previous project which assisted Batumi City Hall in improved of management of its
services.
19
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
The establishment of One Stop Shops in Batumi and Kobuleti city administrations
will unify and ease procedures of service delivery to the population from local selfgovernance bodies. Citizens will become better informed about types of services
provided by local self-governance and how to obtain these services, which will
contribute to the rationale use of time by the municipality workers, reduce
probability of unfair decisions by city officials and reduce citizens complaints. The
project will increase citizens trust in the local authorities, contribute to the
improvement of overall management of Batumi and Kobuleti cities and might serve
as a model for replication in other cities.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Institute for Policy Studies

Integration through Employment
24,575.32 USD
October 1, 2008 March 31, 2009
To support the social integration of disabled people into Georgian society by

promoting their employment. The project will conduct a comprehensive survey of
private employers, representatives of governmental agencies, disabled people and
their families to identify employment opportunities for disabled people. The survey
will study respondents attitudes towards employing the disabled and what
incentives could motivate employers to hire the disabled. The results will be
reflected in recommendations for governmental agencies on employer incentives
and special programs that will promote employment of disabled people. The
research will be followed by an advocacy campaign including meetings with the
relevant ministries, publication and distribution of promotional brochures, and
televised social advertisements. The project will inform development of a
governmental policy promoting employment of people with disabilities.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Union of Blind of Georgia

Integration of Handicapped Youth and Building
Tolerance in the society
13,880 USD
June 1 November 30, 2008
To support the integration of handicapped youth into Georgia's social and economic
life and increase tolerance toward people with disabilities. The grantee organized a
summer training camp in Chakvi, bringing together 60 young people, both sighted
and blind, from all over Georgia. In addition to a training program covering the
rights of the disabled and international conventions and human rights, among other
things, participants took part in sports competitions and literary and song contests
during their stay in the summer camp. At the end of the project several young
people from the group will be selected for an internship at a potato chip factory in
Tbilisi, giving them a chance to put some of their newly learned skills into practice.
The project team also published a handbook (in both Georgian print and Braille) on
disability rights and international conventions to increase public awareness among
civil society and government representatives working on these issues.
20
EPF 2009 Work Plan
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
February 15, 2009
Women's Wellness Care Alliance HERA

Breast Health Awareness Community Mobilization
Training
2,999.30 USD
August 1, 2008 April 13, 2009
To promote awareness of breast cancer screening and prevention in the regions of

Georgia, through a targeted training of women community health activists. The
grantee will train up to 15 Peace Corps Volunteers and their counterparts (30
women total).
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
The Union "BTKK - Policy Research Group

Integration of Handicapped Youth and Building
Tolerance in Society
13,880 USD
To support the advancement of political science in Georgia by promoting the

research capacity of young Georgian scholars. The project created four original
monographs on the issues central to current politics and security issues. The
books underwent a preliminary external review and were discussed in workshops
with the participation of peer reviewers. The monographs were distributed to
university political science departments, major libraries and governmental
agencies.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Women's Fund in Georgia

Women in Progress
33,366 USD
March 1 December 31, 2008
To promote entrepreneurship among women in the rural Georgia by improving

their understanding of how to start a business and facilitating access to credit.
Fifty women from Imereti and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti regions were trained in
the seven-day course "How to Start a Business," designed by Friends of Georgia
Foundation and University of Groningen, Holland in order to empower women. In
addition to the trainings, a special guarantee fund was created with the
assistance of Dutch Rotary Clubs to support the loan applications of the trainees
to Georgian microfinance organizations. The project increased enthusiasm for
entrepreneurship and improved understanding of business planning among less
advantaged women in rural areas.
21
EPF 2009 Work Plan
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
February 15, 2009
Georgian
Book
Publishers
and
Association
Black Sea International Book Fair
19,761 USD
April 14 October 14, 2008
Booksellers
To promote the development of the Georgian book publishing sector by building

Georgian publishers' international links with the publishing industries of
neighboring countries. The project initiated a new Black Sea International Book
Fair, involving publishers from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria,
Russia and Ukraine. The Fair was designed to contribute to the exchange of
information and closer business partnerships between the publishers from the
region.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Environment and Agriculture

Biogas Digesters Best Practice in South Caucasus
1,000 USD
March 1 March 31, 2008
To support the development of indigenous sustainable energy systems that

would offer economic and environmental benefits to the countries of the South
Caucasus. The three-country partnership consortium used the contact (seed)
project to develop a linkage proposal to address the issue of promoting the
anaerobic digestion (AD) technology as an alternative solution to livestock waste
management among rural communities throughout the South Caucasus, as well
as will develop cross-border cooperation among involved expert, construction,
and rural communities.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Georgian Centre of Population Research

Monitoring of Evaluation of Entrepreneurs
Georgia
18,055 USD
June 1 December 31, 2008
of
To support open discussion of economic reforms by assessing the private sector's

perception of current trends in the Georgian economy. The project included a
survey of leading executives and entrepreneurs from 1,000 companies to gauge
their perception of developments within their companies, specific sectors and the
entire economy. The study analyzed entrepreneurs' views on the changes in the
regulatory framework and governmental policies to promote economic growth.
The survey reports will be circulated among business associations and
governmental agencies to serve as a basis for informed discussions on Georgian
economic development trends and improved policy making.
22
EPF 2009 Work Plan
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
February 15, 2009
Association of Young Economists of Georgia

Fundraising
Development
of
Civil
Society
Organizations
35,645 USD
June 1, 2008 March 31, 2009
To enhance and develop the fundraising capacities of Georgian civil society

organizations (CSOs). The project will deliver hands-on training and educational
material that will teach CSOs modern techniques in fundraising from various
types of domestic and international donors, which will improve their
organizational capacity. The training and guidebook to be delivered to CSOs will
reflect best international practices in effective fundraising and be tailored to local
needs. The project will help both grassroots and advanced Georgian CSOs to
raise funds more effectively for implementation of their projects, strengthening
civil society overall.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Georgian Federation of Professional Accountants

and Auditors
Support to the Reform in the Field of Accounting
and Audit
23,600 USD
June 1, 2008 November 30, 2008
To improve educational opportunities in the field of accounting and audit by

increasing access to the training programs of the Association of Certified
Chartered Accountants (ACCA), a global body of professional accountants. The
grantee translated three books for ACCAs elementary courses, which are taught
and tested by the Georgian Federation of Professional Accountants and Auditors
(GFPAA). Proceeds from the sale of the books were used for the translation and
publication of books for the ACCA second level courses. The project aimed at
strengthening GFPAA's training capacity and increasing access to training in
international standards of accounting for both students and practitioners.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Civil Development Agency CiDa

Accessibility to Information for Realization of the
Right for Education
31,819 USD
June 1, 2008 January 31, 2009
To enhance opportunities for the citizens in Kvemo Kartli to access information on

their rights for education. The project will research problems in the educational
sphere in Kvemo Kartli, which is densely populated by ethnic minorities, develop a
supplement to the local multilingual independent newspaper Timer devoted to
education reforms, and establish a civic forum for discussion of education reform in
the region involving school teachers, directors, parents, education resource centers
and other stakeholders. The project will contribute to proactive citizen participation
in the education reform in the region, involve ethnic minorities in this process and
help to make education reform more oriented to citizens needs and expectations.
23
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
The project will be implemented in Rustavi, Gardabani, Bolnisi, Marneuli, Dmanisi,

Tsalka and Tetritskaro districts.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
The Education-Information Center - Kartli XXI

Youth: future public authority
5, 628.53 USD
To promote civic activism and the acquisition of practical job skills among youth in
Khashuri district (Kartli). The Education-Information Center - Kartli XXI organized
an internship program for young people at business and government offices in
Khashuri to provide necessary leadership and practical skills for young people
participating in the project to become more active in decision-making within their
local municipality. This project was cofinanced by the World Bank Youth Voices
Small Grant Competition.
Participatory Civic Monitoring
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Chemi Kharagauli Newspaper

Contribute to Development of Self-Governance by
Development of Independent Newspaper
27,013 USD
July 1, 2008 June 30, 2009
To facilitate dialogue between the local government and citizens of Kharagauli by

involving the readers of the independent local newspaper Chemi Kharagauli in
civic oversight of the elected local government, and by developing the newspapers
capacity to provide information about local self-governance problems.
The project will contribute to the expansion and development of the volume and
circulation of the sole non-governmental and independent newspaper in the region,
thereby allowing more residents of the district to be better informed about selfgovernance issues. Citizens will be better informed on their rights of participation
and have an opportunity to voice their opinions about the burning issues of the
district and performance of local authorities. The local government will have an
opportunity to better understand local communities needs through training about
self-governance and citizens participation issues. The increased volume, circulation
and audience of the newspaper will contribute to the further development of the
sole independent media outlet in the district and improve involvement of local
communities in local democratic processes.
24
EPF 2009 Work Plan
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
February 15, 2009
Human Rights Center

Monitoring of Court System in Georgia
33,130 USD
October 1, 2008 September 30, 2009
To promote citizen oversight of the court system in Georgia through monitoring and
improved journalistic coverage. The combination of court monitoring by a watchdog
CSO and journalistic investigation of 50 politically sensitive criminal and
administrative court cases will contribute to the strengthening of the weakened
public oversight on judiciary, more transparency of sensitive court cases and
increased accountability of the law-enforcement authorities before the public. The
project will be jointly implemented by an experienced human rights NGO and an
experienced media outlet involved in investigative journalism. The project
addresses one of the most sensitive areas of Georgias domestic reform agenda and
will further reforms of Georgian judiciary system and development of court
journalism.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Newspaper Kakhetis Khma

Civic Monitoring of Transfers from the Central
Budget to the Vintage-2008 Program in Kakheti
27,720.01 USD
December 1, 2008 July 31, 2009
To promote citizen oversight on the spending of the central budget transfers and
subsidies allocated to the Kakheti Region for implementation of the Vintage-2008
program. After receiving training in covering budgetary issues, the grantee will
undertake journalistic investigations of the local budget spending for the designated
program and cover the issue in a designated section of the newspaper. The project
will increase the role of the local media in participatory civic monitoring in the
region, enhance the capacity of the newspapers journalists to cover fiscal issues,
including the budget, and create an environment for increased citizen participation
in the local decision-making process.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Union Studio Monitor

Investigative Journalism against Censorship
36,000 USD
October 1, 2008 March 31, 2009
To support media independence and civic monitoring in Georgia through

independent investigative journalism. The project will produce nine documentaries
based on journalistic investigations on a wide range of sensitive issues, focusing on
possible misuse of power and money by public officials. The documentaries will be
broadcast by the independent TV company Kavkasia. Broadcast of the films will
contribute to increased civic awareness of the problems needed to be addressed,
call the public and the government for actions to resolve the problems and
resurrect the role of the media and journalistic investigations in civic control over
the authorities and private sector. Overall, the project will contribute to the
25
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
development of
sustainable investigative journalism in Georgia as an effective
means of fighting corruption and abuse of power.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Association for the Protection of Landowners

Rights
Identification and Registration of Land Plots for
Internally Displaced Persons
15,736 USD
September 22, 2008 December 22, 2008
To support the resettlement of families displaced as a result of the Georgia-Russia

armed conflict. The project will identify large state-owned land plots in Kaspi, Gori,
Kareli and Khashuri districts which are suitable for the accommodation of up to 300
displaced families. The plots will be assessed in terms of access to roads, electricity
and water supplies. The assessment materials will be passed to the Government of
Georgia, which will finalize the selection process. With the governments approval,
land cadastre works will be conducted to divide the selected land parcels into plots,
each of which will contain residential and agricultural areas. The respective cadastre
documentation will be prepared and provided to the Public Registry, the agency
responsible for registration of property. The plots together with temporary houses
to be constructed by the Government of Georgia will be provided for 300 displaced
families thereby addressing their accommodation and subsistence needs. The
project will serve as a pilot and may be expanded to meet the needs of more
families who will be unable to return to their homes in the near future.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Union Broadcasting Company Hereti

Mirror of Self-Governance
27,806 USD
To increase transparency of local governance in Lagodekhi, Sighnaghi and Telavi by

proactive citizens participation and information through the independent local
radio-station Hereti. The problems that concern citizens of these regions and not
addressed by the local government will be researched by journalistic investigations
and will become subject of public discussions with participation of all stakeholders
in the special news and analytical radio programs in Georgian, Russian and Azeri
languages. This diversity will allow most of the population of the regions, including
ethnic minorities, to learn more about the processes in self-governance, participate
in the discussion of these processes, express their opinion about performance of
self-governance bodies, and thereby contribute to more transparency of its work.
The issue-based working groups with participation of civil society and experts will
discuss problems in live broadcasts based on the inputs from citizens. The project
will contribute to the reactivation of the latent civic groups in Kakheti and facilitate
dialogue between local civil society and government. According to the decision by
EPF Experts Panel the project will be implemented in close cooperation with
another EPF grantee Georgias Association for Civic Development. The
Memorandum of Cooperation and Understanding defines terms of cooperation.
26
EPF 2009 Work Plan
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
February 15, 2009
Kutaisi Information Center

Monitoring and Improvement of Cleaning Service in
Kutaisi to Strengthen Civil Society Participation
21,815 USD
October 1, 2008 April 30, 2009
To enhance an important municipal service optimization of solid waste

management and environmental safety of the city of Kutaisi by participatory citizen
monitoring of the citys cleaning service. Citizen groups will be involved in the
problem analysis, needs assessment, resource inventory, training in monitoring
techniques, elaboration of monitoring plan, public information campaign and
submitting recommendations to the respective authorities. The project to be
implemented in the 12 territorial condominiums of Kutaisi and will involve 12member action group and 60 volunteers.
The project will contribute to the improvement of the quality of public services in
the city, development of the culture of participatory decision-making, increasing the
awareness of the local community groups of their role in this process, greater
transparency of the local government and better dialogue between citizens and
authorities.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Georgian Civil Development Association (GCDA)

Local Budget Serving People
24,696 USD
To enhance accountability of local governance and improve budgetary processes in

Lagodekhi, Sighnaghi and Telavi by proactive citizens monitoring and by
involvement of the independent local radio-station to keep the public informed. The
project will contribute to the formation of the municipal budgets in Lagodekhi,
Sighnaghi and Telavi focused on community needs through the permanent civil
monitoring of the entire budgetary process by the 10 trained and motivated civic
groups and coverage of the budgetary processes in the local popular independent
radio station Hereti. The radio station will inform Russian and Azeri communities in
the regions in their native languages about the budget monitoring results and about
their rights of participation. The training and educational seminars for communities
will teach them civil monitoring techniques. The project will contribute to the
reactivation of the latent civic groups in Kakheti, facilitate dialogue between local
civil society and government and will create new proactive civic groups capable to
conduct civil monitoring of the local budget and advocate their rights. According to
the decision by EPF Experts Panel, the project will be implemented in close
cooperation with another EPF grantee radio Hereti. The Memorandum of
Cooperation and Understanding defines terms of cooperation. The grant was
awarded within the EPF second grant competition in support of participatory civic
monitoring initiatives conducted in June 2008.
27
EPF 2009 Work Plan
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
February 15, 2009
Democratic Development Union of Georgia

Does the government listen to you?!
21,362 USD
To increase participation of six territorial communities of Ozurgeti municipality in

the local governments decision-making process by strengthening public discussion
and civil control over spending part of the Ozurgeti municipal budget and proactive
involvement of the local media in this process. The participatory monitoring with
the trained civic initiative groups in six municipal areas, regular community
meetings and community-driven budget initiatives shall reinforce latent civic
resources in the region, provide grassroots civic groups with skills and knowledge of
participatory monitoring and decision making contribute to better transparency and
accountability of local government and. facilitate dialogue between government and
communities. The involvement of the local independent newspaper in the
monitoring through the cooperation with the Civil Society Organization will
contribute to their lasting cooperation, which improve quality and impact of the
monitoring process, increase public understanding and awareness of civil control
over the local budget and contribute to the budget spending in accordance with the
community needs.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Public Union The Young Scientists

Ozurgeti
Why we elected them?
24,644 USD
October 1, 2008 July 31, 2009
Club
of
To increase transparency and accountability of the elected governments and

appointed municipalities of Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti and Chokhatauri in their social
and economic activities by joint efforts of local civil society organizations (CSO) and
the independent local television.
The CSOs will gather and analyze information about the burning social economic
problems of these municipalities and then will make them subject of public
discussion among the major stakeholders in the live televised talk shows. The talkshows coupled with CSO monitoring activities must mechanisms for a dialogue
between government and civic groups about changes to policies and decisions
affecting communities lives and contribute to the improvement of the quality of
planning, spending and delivery public services in these municipalities. The
grassroots community groups will acquire skills of participatory monitoring and the
local media will become a part of this process.
According to the decision by EPF Experts Panel the project will be implemented in
close cooperation with another winner of the EPF grant competition Georgian Union
for Democratic Development. . The Memorandum of Cooperation and
Understanding defines terms of cooperation
28
EPF 2009 Work Plan
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
February 15, 2009
Association Sachino
Support of Foundation and Development
Associations of Apartment Owners
24,764 USD
of
Enhance capacity of the condominiums in the 12 territorial units of the city of

Kutaisi in participatory civic monitoring and advocacy. Promote efficient dialogue
between citizens and the city governance for local problem settlement. The project
will assist about 300 condominiums of multi-apartment houses of Kutaisi to
increase their capabilities in identifying and solving the local problems by
preparation of micro projects and lobbying them in the local governance bodies.
The project will help condominiums to increase their legal awareness and
knowledge of their legitimate rights that shall contribute to more results-oriented
dialogue between condominiums and local authorities during the solution of the
concrete problems on improvement of public services. The condominiums will be
formed as sustainable civic groups capable to advocate citizens interests and
ensure participatory decision-making process. The local media will be actively
involved in the public information campaign to reinforce the advocacy campaign
and the projects impact. The project will be implemented in partnership with the
CSO Women and Choice. Within the MOU the grantee will cooperate with another
EPF grantee Kutaisi Information Center. The grant was awarded within the EPF
second grant competition in support of participatory civic monitoring initiatives
conducted in June 2008.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Georgian Regional Media Association

Georgia chooses democracy!
25,457.34 USD
March 1 June 30, 2008
Public oversight of local electoral commissions and increased public awareness of

the need for fair and transparent elections contribute to Georgias democratic
development. The granteethe Georgian Regional Media Associationestablished a
consultative group of prominent media, election and legal experts and linked them
with nine popular newspapers in eight regions (Ajara, Imereti, Kakheti, SamtskheJavakheti, Guria, Shida Kartli, Samegrelo). Another group of eight local
coordinators was established to supervise monitoring of the precinct election
commissions work on voter education, campaigns and election-day monitoring.
Thanks to the local coordinators efforts, 177 civic activists participated in the
monitoring.
Results of the monitoring were publicized in special newspaper inserts in seven
newspapers, providing information about violations to CSOs and the public. Using
their experience in the January 5, 2008 president election and the additional
training provided during the project, 85 proactive community members monitored
the local election administrations during the May 21, 2008 parliamentary elections.
Public meetings in the regions helped to educate 118 additional civic activists about
the rules of fair elections. Information about all violations was compiled in a data
29
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
bank and then posted on the grantees website (www.grma.ge), allowing a broad
audience to get information about the course of the elections. The project
significantly contributed to the education of voters by publishing and disseminating
two types of brochures (a guide on possible methods of faking elections and a guide
for citizens on election procedures) and running a hotline allowing the consultative
group to provide consultations to accredited journalists. The projects informational
materials and monitoring activities helped the targeted communities to vote
independently and make an informed choice because they were fully informed
about electoral procedures and the positions of the main political players. The
project experts helped the participant newspapers to enhance knowledge and
practice in coverage of election-related issues that resulted in unbiased coverage of
the elections by the newspapers involved in the project.
European Integration
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Association Studio Re
Georgian-European Crossroads
44,374 USD
December 15, 2008 May 15, 2009
In support of open discussion on Georgias integration into European structures and

raise awareness about the European Neighborhood Policy.
The project envisages communicating information about the EU and its relations
with its neighbors through TV discussions. The project will prepare 10 TV programs
communicating to the wider Georgian public about EU structures, policies,
countries, cultures, economic development and challenges. Journalists will work in
different regions to highlight general or specific problems and obligations Georgia
has to fulfill as part of its commitment to the European Neighborhood Policy. The
grantee, Studio RE will conduct a two-day training for regional journalists to
present the project and discuss the issues that are to be highlighted in the TV
programs. The project will involve 19 regional channels and their journalists to
achieve better access to information for remote communities, activate regional
journalist to work on European issues, increase their capacity-building via TV
programs.
Youth Integration
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Akhaltsikhe Youth Bank

Akhaltsikhe Micro Grants Cycle 1
1,949 USD
December 1, 2008 April 6, 2009
Akhaltsikhe Youth Bank initiative group has announced micro grants competition for
the youth (aged 16-25) of Samtskhe-Javakheti Region to open up the opportunities
for participation of young people in decision making and mobilization of resources
around the important challenges faced by youth of Samtskhe-Javakheti. As a result
of community needs assessment Akhaltsikhe Youth Bank has identified the
following priorities:
30
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
1) Lack of opportunities for involvement in sports;

2) Ecological problems: environment pollution;
As a result of the competition Akhaltsikhe Youth Bank has solicited 32 applications,
out of which 12 were shortlisted for the interview and only 3 have been selected for
funding.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Marneuli Youth Bank

Marneuli Micro Grants Cycle 1
2,177 USD
December 1, 2008 March 25, 2009
Marneuli Youth Bank initiative group has announced micro grants competition for
the youth (aged 16-25) in Marneuli District to open up the opportunities for
participation of young people in decision making and mobilization of resources
around the important challenges faced by youth of Marneuli. As a result of
community needs assessment Marneuli Youth Bank has identified the following
priorities:
1) Ecology problems;
As a result of the competition Marneuli Youth Bank has solicited 26 applications, out
of which 14 were shortlisted for the interview and 5 have been selected for funding
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Zugdidi Youth Bank

Zugdidi Micro Grants Cycle 1
1,571 USD
to be clarified
Zugdidi Youth Bank initiative group has announced micro grants competition for the
youth (aged 16-25) of Samegrelo Region to open up the opportunities for
participation of young people in decision making and mobilization of resources
around the important challenges faced by youth of Samegrelo. As a result of
community needs assessment Zugdidi Youth Bank has identified the following
priorities:
1) Poor environmental conditions;
2) Negative Psychological consequences of Russian-Georgian war of Augusts,
2008;
As a result of the competition Zugdidi Youth Bank has solicited 6 applications, out
of which 5 were shortlisted for the interview and 3 have been selected for funding.
Proposal Title:
Grant Amount:
Batumi Youth Bank

Batumi Micro Grants Cycle 1
2,044 USD
31
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
December 12, 2008 March 15, 2009
Batumi Youth Bank initiative group has announced micro grants competition for the
youth (aged 16-25) of Ajara Region to open up the opportunities for participation of
young people in decision making and mobilization of resources around the
important challenges faced by youth of Ajara. As a result of community needs
assessment Batumi Youth Bank ahs identified the following priorities:
2) Inadequate conditions for receiving quality education;
As a result of the competition Batumi Youth Bank has solicited 24 applications, out
of which 6 were shortlisted for the interview and 4 have been selected for funding.
32
EPF 2009 Work Plan
VI.
February 15, 2009
2009 ANNUAL WORK PLAN
1. 2009 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Outcomes
Performance Indicator
Target/date
Data Source
Objective 1: To engage EPF trustees in the strategic development of EPF

Expand
opportunities for
EPF trustees to
learn about EPF
programs through
site visits and
participation in
program events
# of Board members
attending site visits
# of Board members
meeting with EPF directors
to learn about program
developments
# of new Board members

participating in EPFs
program events
Engage Board
members is
medium term
strategic planning
# number of trustees
engaging in or attending a
strategic planning retreat
before the end of 2009
Engage trustees in
fundraising efforts
Board participates in and

approves the fundraising
strategy and
implementation plan
Board/EXCOM review of
fundraising reports
# of joint meetings
between management and
Board
members/fundraising
events
# of fundraising
opportunities/contacts
identified by Board
members
100% of trustees
participate in at
least one site
visit by the end
of 2009
Caucasus-based
trustees meet
with EPF
directors about
that countrys
programs by the
end of 2009
Caucasus-based
trustees attend
at least one
event of interest
by the end of
2009
Conduct a multiyear strategic
planning retreat
for the trustees
with EPF
management
Once per year
Minimum 4/yr
Minimum 4/yr
Itinerary of Board or
EXCOM Meetings
E-mails between EPF

trustees and EPF
management about
visits to the office
E-mails between EPF

trustees and EPF
management about
attendance of
program events
Agenda for the

Strategic Planning
Retreat
3-year strategic plan
Documented
conversation
between Board
members and staff
Fundraising report in
the board/EXCOM
materials
Meeting notes in
DDB
Minimum of one
contact from
each Board
member annually
50% of trustees
annual
Documented
conversation
between Board
members and staff
33
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
donation
# of contributions by
trustees
Fundraising Report
Objective 2: To set medium-term and specific program targets for EPFs financial
sustainability and to create the systems required to achieve those targets
Fundraising
strategy developed,
reflecting
fundraising targets
by program
Improve EPF staff
skills in identifying
fundraising
opportunities
New donor/partner
relationships
created
Develop a fundraising
strategy and obtain
approval by the EPF Board
May Board
Strategy Retreat
Regular search for funding

opportunities organized by
EPF senior management
Increase in the #
of proposals
submitted
# of new proposals
submitted
Training for program staff
in fundraising
# of new partnerships, #
joint projects
Diversified funding
base
Increased % of funds from

non-core funding sources
Legal status as a
charity to attract
corporate funding
Monitoring of
financial
performance of
individual programs
and EPF as a whole
Charity status obtained

Allocation of costs by
programs
Assessment of allocation
against performance,
outputs and outcomes of
the programs
November 2009
# staff trained by
the end of 2009
Copy of fundraising
strategy; minutes of
Board meeting
approving the
strategy
Minutes of EPF
Senior management
meetings; DDB
Agenda of training
At least 3 new
partnerships/joint
projects
Copies of funding
agreements, or
MOUs
Match 35% of
core funds with
non-core sources
Feb 2009 for
charity (in
Georgia)
Semi-annual
Copies of funding
agreements; DDB
Semi-annual
Reports from country

directors
Certificates of legal
status
Minutes of Board and
Financial Committee
Objective 3: To improve monitoring and evaluation of EPFs program management and

reporting to the Board
Improve EPFs
ability to identify
demand-driven
program areas by
evaluating market
niche of EPFs
programs
Annual & ongoing mapping

of EPF programs compared
to similar programs by
other implementers
Ongoing assessment of
need for programs
Ongoing and
annual review by
Sept. 2008
Program Acceptance
Memoranda (AM)
prepared by program
staff
Ongoing
Needs Assessments
& portions of the
34
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
acceptance memos
Improve reporting
on impact in
programs/projects
Knowledge, usage
and maintenance of
program
management
systems (PMIS
and/or new EF
network system)
Regular reviews of
program progress
by EPF senior
management
Knowledge of EPF
policies and
procedures
Staff are constantly up to

date on ongoing and new
activities of other
implementers and donors
in the areas where they
work
Outcomes, indicators and
verifiable targets are
incorporated in initial
program design and
reporting
Board is better briefed on
program outcomes
# of program staff
regularly using PMIS
Actual-to-target
information on program is
available on a quarterly
basis
Development of work
plans by all program staff
for all programs
# of individual meetings
with program staff
# of EPF staff training in

policies and procedures,
including program design,
etc., especially for new
staff
Ongoing
Meeting notes;
Needs assessments
and acceptance
memos
Quarterly
Reports in DDB,
Acceptance memos,
Quarterly Reports
Semi-annual
Reports to the EPF

Board at the Board
meetings
Training Agenda and
# participants
training;
ongoing usage
Quarterly
Program Reports
generated
On-going
Work plans
1 per quarter,
including annual
performance
review
Quarterly PMIS
reports
On-going
Copies of Annual
Employee
Performance
Appraisal
Copy of Policies and
Procedures
Copy of training
materials
Objective 4: To develop strong human resource management, administration and

communication to ensure effective and improved operations
Improve the annual
review process,
setting clear,
measurable goals
for all staff,
including the
President
Semi-annual staff
performance reviews
Twice each year
Review of the Presidents

performance by the Board
Twice each year
Confirm staff
Employees participate in
Semi-annually
Employee and
Employer
Performance Review
forms
Boards notes
Copies of annual
35
EPF 2009 Work Plan
understanding
policies and
procedures and
advocate even
better practices
February 15, 2009
annual review process

As needed basis
Improve and
streamline
recruitment
practices
HR managers confirm
knowledge of policies and
procedure of every new
hire
Standardize (to the extent
possible) announcement of
new positions and process
for filling those positions
Identify key staff

with promotion
potential and
provide training
opportunities to
improve their skills
President and HR Manager

work with supervisors to
identify high-performing
staff and suggest options
for improving their skills
and performance
Semi-annually
through the
performance
review process
March 2009
employee
performance
appraisal
reports
Org chart
Job announcements
Performance review
forms
Objective 5: To create sounder and stronger financial management systems for EPF that
provide better reporting and integration with program implementation, donor reporting and
monthly reporting to the Board, management and staff
(Contingent on EFN
& EF-DC Decisions)
In collaboration
with EF-DC &
Eurasia Foundation
Network, EPF has
new fully functional
financial
management
system in place to
provide timely and
accurate
management
reports and is fully
integrated with
donor management
and program
management
databases
Ensure internal
controls and
compliance with
local/international
audit standards
with the internal
auditor
Tenders to identify, install

and train finance staff on
the new system (handled
by EF-DC)
Budget-to-actual financial
reports for program staff
Program Reporting that

demonstrates progress,
committed versus
uncommitted funds, and
better captures outcomes
Donor reports
Appointment of Internal
Auditor and review of
Internal Audit Reports
Reporting to the Finance &
Audit Committee about all
issues of non-compliance
by the internal auditor
Assessment
January March
2009
Report on tender
process (handled by
EF-DC)
Installation and
Training
September
October 2009
A New GMS for the

EFN & EPF
Dual entry
November &
December 2009
Fully functional
starting from Jan
2010
On-going training
for existing and
especially new
finance and
program staff
EF-DC full access to

new GMS which will
provide budget-toactual reports;
program reports,
donor reports
Copy of training
agendas
Reports of the
Finance & Audit
Committee
36
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
Continued
involvement of the
Board and its
Finance Committee
to provide
necessary guidance
and control
# of financial budget-toactual reports by program

submitted to the Board
monthly
# of financial budget-toactual reports by program

submitted to the EPF
Finance Committee
monthly
Improved skills and

knowledge of EPF
employees on USG
regulations and
requirements with
respect to funds
management,
NICRA formulation,
document
retention, etc.
# of EPF employees who

Receive training on
proposal budget
preparation, new donor
requirements & contracts
management
All EPF program,

finance and
administrative
employees
Developed
methodology for
distribution of
indirect cost pool,
regularly reviewed
and revised
Completion of an A133 audit
equivalent with no
major findings &
constructive
response to any
recommendations
Board books; copies

of Board meeting
minutes
Documented
conversation; copies
of reports sent by
CFO to trustees
List of attendees;
Agenda of training
Ongoing training
as required
List of attendees;
Agenda of training
By Jan. 2009
Copy of approved
document
Training of future local

CFO
Ongoing training
in 2009
CFO training
checklist
Audit Report
Audit due by
March 31, 2009
Audit Report
# of EPF employees
attended training session
& cross-training of finance
staff in each office to
support each other
Methodology is approved
by President
Management Response to
Audit Report
Work on
responses and
recommendations
to any audit
finding
Management
Response to Audit
Report
Objective 6: To improve external and internal communications about EPFs goals and
accomplishments to all levels of it stakeholders (Media, Donors, Trustees, Staff, etc)
Through use of
communications
strategies,
popularize EPF
activities and
achievement and
program outcomes
Awareness raised,
# of EPF staff invited to

speak as experts at nonEPF events
# of EPF events attended
by a broad range of
stakeholders, including
donors and government
officials
Number of visitors to the
On-going
Requests for EPF

staff as speakers
Minimum 4
events in 2009
List of Participants at
events; RSVPs
Quarterly
Web Traffic On-line
37
EPF 2009 Work Plan
creating an even
more positive
image of EPF and
its programs
Through building
relationships with
key partners &
donors, market EPF
so that it has better
access to donor
funding
February 15, 2009
EPF site
stats
Explore the need for a

bulletin board on the
websites for feedback
By December
2009
Memo to EPF Sen.

Management Team
# of press releases & TV

reports about EPF events
On-going
Records maintained
by the EPFs
communications
officers
Annual Report
April 2009
Revised Communications
Materials
On-going 2009
# of EPF success stories

cited by donors to EPF
Several in 2009
# of EPF events promoting

collaboration with partners
& donors to highlight
aspects of EPF programs
2 seminars held
in conjunction
with other
partners or
donors outside of
the Caucasus
Annual Report
Communications
Materials
EPF success stories
in donors reports,
publications and on
websites
Agendas of the
events
38
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
2. PROGRAM STRATEGIES AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

EPFs goal in developing its 2009 strategy has been to consolidate and streamline
its existing program priorities, in order to build off the success of last year and
learn from the mistakes. Instead of the eight program areas in 2008, programs
have been consolidated into six areas.
EPF will also seek to link targeted grant competitions to current program areas, but
to leave more flexibility so that it can work with new and emerging organizations,
especially in the regions. With that in mind, in addition to the foundation-wide
criteria for grant selection (innovation, sound strategy, fit with the foundations
mandate and priorities), EPF will work with potential grantees to ensure that:
Every project has a sound communications strategy

Project activities will have a positive impact on the institutional development
of the grantee organization
Projects have a plan for sustainability
Project ideas are replicable.
EPF plans to implement programs in six main strategic areas: Monitoring and
Dialogue,
Corporate
Social
Investment,
Economic
Development,
Social
Entrepreneurship (new in 2009) and Youth Development. EPF will also continue to
solicit Open Door Grant proposals. All of these programs will be funded through
core support from USAID and Sida. , Strategies for each of those programs follow.
NB: The full implications of the recent Russian-Georgian war are not clear. While
EPF took the strategic decision not to become involved in the short-term
humanitarian assistance efforts, EPF held a number of stakeholder meetings with
local NGO partners and former grantees to better understand how the Foundations
programs and grant making can be best used to address the medium- and longterm challenges highlighted by this war. In addition, EPF re-advertised its opendoor grant mechanism immediately after the conflict and received a number of
proposals for open-door funding in response to the crisis situation.
39
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
A. Civic Monitoring and Dialogue

Program Goal:
To foster active and informed participation of Georgian community groups, NGOs
and media outlets in their communities political and economic decision-making
through monitoring.
Program Justification:
Civil society in Georgia has not yet reached its potential to hold government
accountable and to effect change in policy. The varying levels of professionalism
and research skills among NGOs further hinder their abilities to support
constituencies and bring about change. NGOs must simultaneously demonstrate
that their actions are driven and inspired by grassroots demand, and they must be
more diligent and professional in their monitoring, data collection and reporting if
they are to be treated as equal partners in policy formation.
Project 1.1: Civic Monitoring
Project Background/Justification
A public opinion survey conducted by CRRC for Transparency International Georgia
in 2007-2008 confirmed that citizens poor knowledge about the main functions of
the state and their low trust are pervasive problems. The majority of those polled
named poor communication between citizens and elected officials and the low level
of qualification of officials as the main causes of citizen distrust. Those citizens who
are active in the regions lack knowledge of tools for influencing local decisionmaking, while NGOs sometimes are regarded as biased not only by government but
also by citizens. The population is evenly split regarding trust of civil society: 21
percent fully or somewhat trust CSOs, while 20 percent fully or somewhat
distrust CSOs, according to the 2007 nationwide survey commissioned by CRRC.
These results are a vivid example that since the latest similar survey in 2005
(USAID/Citizens Advocate Program), which found that CSOs in general have not
made any significant progress in the improvement of their public image and
credibility. Through encouraging participatory civic monitoring, CSOs will be driven
to improve their links with communities and to make them part of the public
oversight efforts.
Another aspect of the problem is the media, which tends not to acknowledge the
importance of cooperation with CSOs in monitoring the government. This problem
needs to be addressed because the solitude of CSOs in monitoring significantly
lowers its impact. Participatory civic monitoring needs to address this problem by
building sustainable cooperation between the media and CSOs which
simultaneously shall improve the process of informing largely uniformed public
about the monitoring and its outcomes.
The concept of participatory civic monitoring emphasizes the process by which
primary stakeholders at the local level actively engage in monitoring the
governments commitments to the reform process and public service delivery and
become engaged in identifying or taking corrective actions. Through this process,
40
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
EPF aims to build the capacity of local people to analyze information and catalyze
commitment at the local level.
In 2006-2007, with funding from EFP, on of our grantees conducted a mapping
survey of the state of civic monitoring in Georgia and published the first Georgianlanguage guidebook containing tools in civic monitoring for CSOs. In 2007 EPF
awarded five grants through a targeted competition to support civic monitoring, and
several more grants in this field were later awarded through the Open Door
mechanism. The lessons learned from these projects are that further steps are to
be taken to build on the achieved results. These lessons include the need to expand
monitoring activities to other fields, especially to the judiciary; to further build the
capacity of CSOs in civic monitoring; and to identify projects where civic monitoring
can be an effective instrument for a mutually advantageous dialogue between
government and CSOs for improving the quality of citizens lives.
EPF has already supported a number of successful civic monitoring projects:
EPF grantee Civic Education Youth Center implementing the project Civic
Monitoring for Agricultural Development monitored privatization of stateowned agricultural lands and revealed a number of loopholes in the new
legislation and the Presidential decree # 525 regulating the privatization of
agricultural lands. The grantee is preparing recommendations to correct the
loopholes and they will be submitted to the Parliament.
The Imereti branch of the Association of Young Economists of Georgia, which

completed the project Public Monitoring of Kutaisi City Budget created and
trained in participatory civic monitoring 9 Civic Advocacy Groups of in 5
territorial units of the city for monitoring of implementation of the various
components of the city budget. Part of the recommendations were accepted
by the city officials who said the project significantly assisted the city
governance to incorporate citizens needs and interests into the local budget.
TI Georgia implementing the project Promoting Civil Society Monitoring of

Secondary Healthcare Reform published and disseminated the first-ever in
Georgia comprehensive and in-depth monitoring and assessment of the
governments
controversial
program
100
new
Hospitals.
Five
recommendations drafted by TI had been submitted to the Healthcare
Ministry after participatory discussion of the issue among the stakeholders.
The TI Georgia recommendations to the healthcare reform were covered in
the central and regional newspaper articles written by the journalists trained
within the project.
As a result of the project Development of local capacities in decentralization

of forestry sector and monitoring of management of local forests run by
Green Alternative local communities and representatives of local
municipalities in the largely underserved highland regions Oni and Ambrolauri
are equipped by relevant skills and knowledge of forests monitoring. Local
civic
and
community
groups
elaborated
recommendations
about
41
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
improvement of forest management based on the concerns of the local

population.
Program Activities:
Capacity Building: Training of Trainers in Civic Monitoring (for approximately
30 trainers); Training of grassroots community groups using the trained
trainers; Issued-based trainings for regional NGOs (e.g. budget,
privatization, public services, health care, etc)
Monitoring and Evaluation: EPF will conduct a final cluster evaluation of the
current group of 11 civic monitoring grantees, and the first five grants
awarded in 2007.
Public Discussions, Debates and Network Building: At the beginning and end
of 2009, EPF will conduct two roundtable meetings with participation of the
grantee CSOs and state officials, businesses and other stakeholders.
Targeted small, community grants: In 2009 EPF will award at least 20

targeted small grants ($5000 maximum) to support projects implemented by
less experienced CSOs and CBOs in cooperation and/or coaching of advanced
CSOs.
Grants competitions: At least two rounds of grant competitions will be held in

2009 to award up to ten projects in total with grants. The fields of monitoring
will be limited to the following topics: privatization, municipal service
delivery, judiciary, defense/law-enforcement bodies and environmental
hazard. Recipients could include CSOs or media outlets.
NB: Given the recent conflict in Georgia, there will be a need for local NGOs to be
involved in monitoring the distribution of post-conflict assistance to make sure that
it reaches the targeted beneficiaries, and monitoring government efforts to re-settle
and provide services for people internally displaced by the conflict.
Outcomes
Representatives of
targeted community
groups, NGOs,
media outlets and
local governments
better understand
civic monitoring and
advocacy
techniques.
Performance
Indicator
% of four
stakeholder groups
that demonstrate
they are able to
apply civic
monitoring and
advocacy
techniques in a
project appropriate
for their
communities.
Baseline
Target/Date
Data source
Baseline data
does not yet
exist. It will be
gathered
through:
50% increase
over baseline
Initial
assessment
reports
- Evaluation of
the five grants
awarded in
2007
Final grant
cluster
evaluation
- Report on
state of civic
monitoring in
42
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
The influence of
community groups,
NGOs and media
outlets on local
political and
economic decisionmaking increased.
# of community
groups, NGOs and
media outlets that
report significant
policy victories in
their communities
A synergy among
civic monitoring
practitioners, media
outlets and
policymakers
bolstered
# of joint
monitoring actions
by CSOs and the
media
# of instances in
which practitioners
report that they
solved major
problems by their
joint civic
monitoring efforts
by drawing on the
experience of each
other.
Georgia 2007
Baseline data
does not yet
exist. It will be
gathered
through an
evaluation of
the five grants
awarded in
2007
Baseline data
does not yet
exist. It will be
gathered
through:
- Evaluation of
the five grants
awarded in
2007
40% increase
over baseline
Initial
assessment
reports
Final summative
evaluation
3 issue-based
synergic
activities
30% increase
from baseline
Survey of debate
participants
Final summative
evaluation
- Report on
state of civic
monitoring in
Georgia 2007
43
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
Project 1.2: Towards European Integration

Program Goal:
To ensure greater understanding and commitment to European values (of human
rights, rule of law, good governance, market economy and sustainable
development) and wider participation of civil society in the process of alignment
with European institutions.
Project Justification:
This program will build off of two completed European Neighborhood Policy
programs, one conducted within Georgia, and one conducted at the regional level
within EPFs cross-border program. The Georgia office, in collaboration with the
Heinrich Bll Foundation and Soros Foundation, conducted a program to engage
Georgian NGOs in providing recommendations to the Georgian government
regarding the ENP Action Plan. Once the plan was adopted, the NGOs monitored the
governments commitment to the reforms envisioned under the plan. In parallel,
EPFs cross-border initiative conducted a three-country program related to civic
engagement in the ENP Action Plans in each country. The partners developed policy
reports and recommendations in three areas: waste management, vocational
education and food standards and safety. It also raised general public awareness in
each of the three countries about the European Union and the ENP process through
a series of videos, news articles and radio shows. EPFs 2009 European Integration
program in Georgia will build off the success of the past programs by focusing on
trade relations and food standards and safety.
In November of 2006, Georgias European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan (ENP
AP) was officially adopted. As part of this plan, Georgia and the EU committed to
jointly explore options for further enhancing bilateral trade relations, including the
possible establishment of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the EU and
Georgia. Given Georgias rapid economic growth, its desire to increase integration
with the EU, and its sweeping economic reforms, the Georgian government is
moving quickly to begin negotiating with the EU to set up an FTA. In the past, the
governments eagerness to push through reforms without engaging in dialogue with
all the relevant stakeholders or providing clear explanations of who would benefit
and who might lose out has caused the government to lose credibility with the
wider public. Signing an FTA, which would signal a common desire to enter into a
long-term business and political relationship with the EU, would be a positive signal
to external foreign investors and create a synergy with other ongoing reforms.
While the prospect of an FTA with the EU holds many potential benefits for the
country, the government also needs the continued support of the population
hence, the importance of public consultation. The governments position during
these negotiations would also be strengthened by having feedback and support
from a wider scope of stakeholders, including civil society groups, consumers, and
business leaders. The proposed project will address this issue by promoting the
exchange of opinions between the key stakeholders of an FTA. It will increase
access to information on EU standards, and address issues of how a potential FTA
could affect competition on the domestic market, as Georgian products would face
increased internal competition from European products.
44
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
Program Activities:
Roundtable meetings: Up to eight roundtable meetings (on the priorities of

the ENP AP, including an EU-Georgia Free Trade Area food standards and
safety, and visa facilitation) will be held to support the constructive dialogue
and exchange of ideas among stakeholders.
Policy briefs and E-bulletins: Every roundtable meeting will be followed by

preparation and dissemination of a policy brief, which will evaluate the
fulfillment of commitments under the ENP AP. Monthly E-bulletins on updates
of EU-Georgian relations and implementation of ENP AP will be prepared and
disseminated among the stakeholders.
Grant making: EPF will make grants in the field of food standards and safety
in order to evaluate the impact of the current legislation and launch public
awareness building and advocacy campaign. Survey of Attitudes towards
European values and institutions and the progress of Georgias European
Integration. The survey will assess citizens attitude towards Georgians EU
integration process as well as produce a baseline data for policy and program
planning for the Government of Georgia, donors and NGOs.
Outcomes
Increased public
awareness of EU
institutions and ENP
commitments
Consensus built on
specific issues of
ENP AP
implementation
among various
stakeholders
Improved policy
and actions aimed
at the fulfillment of
ENP commitments
Performance
Indicator
# of people with
the understanding
of EU institutions
and ENP
commitments
particularly
referring to visa
facilitation, EU
Georgia free trade
area
# of joint
recommendations
between various
the CSO
representatives
developed
# of ENP AP
commitments
fulfilled
# of changes in
the laws and
actions undertaken
by the government
Baseline
Target/Date
Data source
n/a
Increase of 10 %
Baseline survey
Summative
evaluation
Up to 2 policy
areas (trade
relations and
food security)
Program
documentation
EC annual
evaluation
reports on ENP
AP
implementation
45
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
in response to the
advocacy
campaigns
46
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
B. Corporate Social Investments: A New Model for Partnership

Project Goal:
To promote greater engagement of private companies in addressing Georgias
development needs
At a more general level, the need is coming from the ongoing transformation in the
roles of the government, private companies, and non-profit organizations in
addressing Georgias development needs. With the governments move away from
a highly centralized economy built on the soviet socialist model, and towards a free
market-oriented system (often highly criticized), centralized social services have all
but disappeared. Many private companies operating in Georgia are experiencing an
increasing pressure to develop social investment programs to address the gaps,
and non-profits are natural partners in implementing social service projects.
However, private companies have a poor understanding of how they can identify
priorities and develop strategies for social investments; and often they also do not
know about or even mistrust potential partners in the non-profit field. On the other
side, non-profit entities do not have the capacity to effectively fundraise from the
private sector.
NB: As a response to the recent influx of refugees, several prominent banks and
businesses (Bank of Georgia, TBC) have set up relief funds to which their account
holders can contribute. This is a good precedent because it enables people to make
cash contributions to a specific cause and also shows that the company is
responsive. However, it is not clear how the money from these funds will be
distributed and whether local NGOs will be involved. EPF has been approached by
representatives of TBC and Bank of Georgia regarding the management of their
conflict-related funds and has offered consulting and technical assistance in grants
management; however no details of cooperation or commitments have been made.
This is a high-risk area, since many banks in Georgia currently have very little cash
and the management of these funds is unlikely to be very transparent.
The program will address the problems through a series of trainings for both
companies and non-profits. Recognizing the absence of local training capacity in
this area, the program will also facilitate international consultancy to introduce
corporate social investment courses in the curricula of local business schools. This
component targets the next generation of managers, who will later enter the
corporate world with an understanding of the notion and importance of corporate
social investments. The program also addresses the existing legal framework for
private contributions, recognizing the flaws in the tax treatment of private
contributions and earning of economic, i.e. revenue-bearing activities of non-profit
organizations. It will include legal research, drafting, consultations with
stakeholders, and lobbying with the relevant ministries and parliamentary
committees.
47
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
Project 2.1: CSI Capacity Building for Private Companies

Project Goal:
To improve private companies capacity to design and implement corporate social
investment i.e. the type of giving that makes significant social impact while
simultaneously improving private companies long-term competitiveness
Project Summary:
The project will be structured as a series of workshops for private company
managers focusing on various aspects of corporate social investments, such as
strategy development, implementation, branding and marketing, evaluation, and
reporting. The workshops will be organized on a quarterly basis and will involve
international experts. The first workshop on strategy development was held in April
2008. In 2009 three workshops will be carried out.
Outcomes
Improved
understanding of
corporate social
investment as a
concept and its
application among
participating
companies
Increased number
of companies with
built-in systems for
corporate social
investments
Performance
Indicator
Number of local
companies with
written social
investment
missions and
strategies/plans
Baseline
Target/Date
Data source
5, by January
2010
Summative
Evaluation;
copies of
strategies
Number of local
companies with
accountable and
transparent
mechanisms for
social investment;
Five, by January
2010
Summative
Evaluation
Ten, by
December 2010
Social reports
developed by
private
companies
Number of social
investment
projects
implemented by
local private
companies
Project 2.2: Assisting Local Business Schools in the Development of CSI Studies
Project Goal:
To improve business education institutions capacity to deliver education in the area
of corporate social investment and to train a generation of business school
graduates with skills and knowledge of CSI
Project Summary:
EPF will facilitate international consultancy to assist local business schools in the
introduction of corporate social investment in their standard curricula. The project
48
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
will include preliminary meetings with the heads of academic programs of the
business schools, an intensive 2-3 day workshop for the faculty interested in the
preparation of courses, and follow-up consultancy to provide feedback on the
courses developed by business schools.
Outcomes
Introduction of
corporate social
investment courses
in the curricula of
local business
schools
Performance
Indicator
Number of schools,
which will
introduce CSR
studies in their
standard curricula
Baseline
Target/Date
Data source
School websites, developed

curricula
20 (first year)
09/2009
Number of
students signing
up for CSR courses
Survey of
participating
lecturers and
academic
program heads
Project 2.3: Building Non-Profit Organizations Capacity in Fundraising from Private

Donors
Project Goal:
To improve capacity of non-profit organizations to establish partnerships with the
private companies
Project Summary:
The project will be structured as a series of workshops for non-profit organizations
focusing on such topics as different models of private contributions, fundraising
from corporate donors, effective management of private donor funds, etc. A kick-off
workshop was held in July 2008 with co-funding from British Council and Soros
Foundation that attracted over 40 representatives of Georgian non-profit and
academic organizations. A panel of international speakers from Great Britain,
Hungary, Ukraine, Russia and the Philippines discussed best practices of nonprofit/private sector collaboration and models that could be duplicated in Georgia.
Three additional workshops will be carried out in 2009. EPF will also organize one
event to promote networking among private and non-profit organizations.
Outcomes
Partnerships
established
between non-profit
and for-profit
organizations;
Performance
Indicator
Number of
partnerships
established among
for-profit and nonprofit
organizations.
(Partnerships can
encompass direct
cash donations,
employees
Baseline
Target/Date
Data source
10
Summative
Evaluation
49
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
volunteering at an
NGO, cause-based
marketing, serving
on boards, etc.)
Project 2.4: Promoting Private Philanthropic Contributions through Legislative

Changes
Project Goal:
To improve the existing legal framework to facilitate private contributions to the
non-profit sector
Project Summary:
EPF has already started working with Ilia Chavchavadze University and GIPA, which
have developed a draft law on endowments for educational institutions. The law
addresses the flaws in the tax treatment of private contributions and earning of
economic, i.e. revenue-bearing activities of non-profit organizations and is
suggesting respective amendments to the Tax Code. EPF has discussed the
possibility of broadening the scope of the law by involving the entire field of nonprofit organizations with the authors of the draft law and the Ministry of Education
and Science. Both parties eagerly agreed to cooperate. Further activities will include
a series of consultations around the already developed draft law on endowments for
educational institutions, legal drafting to expand the scope of the law, facilitation of
discussions to involve representatives of all stakeholders, meetings with the
relevant ministries and MPs, etc.
Outcomes
Improved legal
framework for
private giving
Performance Indicator
Draft law on
endowments and
respective
amendments to the
Tax Code adopted by
Parliament
Baseline
0
Target/Date
1
Data source
Parliament website
50
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
C. Tourism Development
Program Goal:
To promote the tourism industry in Georgia by supporting human resource
development in the tourism and hospitality sectors
EPF has made the strategic decision to phase out the tourism development program
due to the implications of the conflict with Russia and better allocation of resources.
51
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
D. Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in Georgia

Program Goal:
To promote the development of social enterprises (defined as a business that
operates primarily with social objectives as the bottom line and which reinvests
profits back into the social objectives of the business)
The social protection sphere has received the least attention from the Government
of Georgia after the Rose Revolution. There has been a change in the governments
approach to social issues in the aftermath of the November 2007 protests, which
demonstrated societys demand for drastic actions to address problems of
unemployment and poverty. This change in the governments attitude has mostly
translated into various short and medium term social projects, ranging from
distribution of New Years gifts among internally displaced persons to temporary
placements for the unemployed at local enterprises. The government has also
launched longer-term projects, such as provision of lower interest rate loans for
small enterprises in targeted areas. However, the scope of intervention is not
comparable to the scale of the problem. It leaves numerous vulnerable groups
without prospects of employment and poverty reduction.
Bearing the scale of the problem in mind, EFP will launch a new program to
introduce the concept of social enterprise among Georgian civil society and business
organizations. After an extensive preparatory period (please see Project Summary
below) EPF will provide technical and grant assistance to support a few social
enterprise projects, which will serve well-defined target groups and create models
for consideration and replication.
NB: Given the recent conflict in Georgia, this program could be designed to target
internally displaced people from South Ossetia. Many of those displaced were
villagers who practiced subsistence agriculture. Considering that some will be
relocated to urban centers, they will need new job skills to survive. Other socially
vulnerable groups before the war will also need continued assistance.
EPF has to conduct an extensive preparatory study to complete the project design.
The research will be carried out in a number of directions and will tackle the
following issues:
International models and experiences EPF program staff will thoroughly

study international models of social enterprises whose primary aim is the
employment of the vulnerable groups (focusing on such issues as legal status
of these organizations, sources of finance, the ways of engaging target
groups, the nature of business, factors of success, etc)
Local experiences Although not much has been done in this area, there are
a few non-profit social service organizations that have developed smaller
business branches to involve their stakeholders. EPF will study their
experiences to inform program design;
52
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
Identification of beneficiaries and target organizations - at the current stage

of program design, EPF aims to target unemployed youth and poor women in
remote areas. They have been marked out based on their needs and EPFs
past experience of working with these groups through operational or grantfunded projects (Youth Bank, grants to Georgian Textile Group and Womens
Fund of Georgia).
All of the above information will provide the basis for the creative use of EPFs
traditional instrument of intervention: grant support coupled with awareness
building and consultancy.
Outcomes
Civil Society
Organizations
(CSO) and
businesses are
aware of social
entrepreneurship as
a concept and
various models of
its application
Model of social
enterprises
launched
and sustained
Representatives of
socially vulnerable
groups employed
Performance
Indicator
Number of social
service CSOs and
companies having
understanding of
models of social
enterprises
Baseline
Target/Date
Data source
30 entities (10
companies, 20
civil society
organizations)
December 2009
Mid-term
Evaluation
Report
Number of social
enterprises
launched with the
assistance from
EPF
Baseline
Survey to be
conducted in
SeptemberNovember,
2008
6
(by May 2009)
Project
Documentation
(project progress
reports, grant
narrative reports
etc)
Number of social
enterprises
sustained after
completion of EPF
assistance
Number of
individuals
employed by EPFinitiated social
enterprises
30
December 2010
0
Social Enterprises
replicated at a
wider scale
Number of social
enterprises, which
have used EPFfunded projects as
a model
Summative
Evaluation
Report
Project
Documentation
(RFP, project
progress reports,
grant reports)
Summative
Evaluation
Report
Summative
Evaluation
Report
53
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
E. Community Empowerment through Youth Initiatives

Program Goal:
To increase capacity and give opportunity to local youth engage as active citizens in
development of their communities in Georgia.
For stability and a genuine culture of democracy to take root in Georgia, there is a
recognized need of promoting youth civic engagement. Lack of social and economic
power due to major socio-economic and political changes, economic hardships and
deterioration of social services define the ability of youth to be valid contributors
and supporters of developing of Georgia into a functioning democracy. Young
people from rural areas of Georgia are particularly affected by poor education and
few opportunities for involvement in local decision-making. According to various
studies, rural youth have identified their main problems as unemployment, poor
access to information technology, and low standards of education that leave them
without marketable job skills. Yet young leaders, if they are provided with
appropriate skills and mechanisms, have a special potential to bring fresh
perspectives, energy and solutions to long-entrenched problems. They are
tomorrows leaders and decision-makers.
Youth Bank initiative providing support to young people of the country to be
engaged in development processes, often place adults in unfamiliar and even
uncomfortable positions. In order to strengthen the participation of young people in
the community life it is important to help both generations to be equipped with
relevant skills and knowledge to be equal partners and engaged members of their
society.
The recent Russian-Georgian conflict in the South Caucasus has deepened intercommunity tensions in the locations with high ethnic diversity. Youth living on the
borders of South Caucasus countries, in ethnic minority areas, and in IDP
communities, are disillusioned and feel disempowered to contribute to the sweeping
changes in their societies. They lack self confidence and hold pessimism that limits
their growth as members of society. In response to disengagement of socially
marginalized youth (including ethnic minority and IDP youth) in geographical areas
where there is an ethnically diverse population and IDP communities another 4-5
Youth Bank committees will be formed in 2009 (in addition to the existing 4, which
will continue operating), bringing the total number of Youth Banks in Georgia to 89.
Activities:
Training of trainers from current participants to assist with training new
groups;
Program expansion to new communities, including identification of new
communities, recruiting Youth bank Committee members and training of new
participants on Youth Bank model;
54
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
Carry out 3 cycles of youth micro projects funding: Cycle 1 for the current 3
Youth Banks and Cycle 2 for 9 (3 + additional 6) Youth Banks; Cycle 3 for 10
Youth Banks; Monitoring the projects.
2 workshops: Monitoring and Evaluation and Intergenerational Workshops for
current 3 and additional 6 Youth Banks;
Lessons Learned Conferences following each funding cycle and Concluding
Conference;
Study trips to Azerbaijan, Armenia and Ireland;
Outcomes
The capacities of
Youth Bank
committees built to
be active agents of
change
Opportunities for
youth from rural
areas of Georgia to
involve in various
community projects
locally increased;
Performance
Indicator
Youth Bank
committee
members report
that they applied
their new skills
(non YB funded)
projects in their
community;
Baseline
Target/Date
Data source
Baseline data
does not yet
exist; it will be
gathered in
March, 2009
Baseline
Survey
20 at least
Program reports
Evaluation
results;
# micro project
initiated and
implemented by
youth;
0 projects
implemented
yet
70
# youth
disaggregated by
gender and ethnic
group:
Opportunities for
community
involvement and
volunteerism for
themselves and
other youth and
adults increased
# of youth and
adult program
participants who
volunteer to
implement a joint
project;
Baseline data
does not yet
exist; it will be
gathered in
March, 2009
Baseline
Survey
Baseline data
does not yet
exist; it will be
gathered in
March, 2009
Baseline
Survey
YB reports
Site visit/
Monitoring
reports
50 % of girls; 5
Armenians, 5
Azeri and 2 other
ethnic
minorities;
30 at least
Program reports
Evaluation
results;
Questionnaire
results
YB reports
Site visit/
Monitoring
reports
Program reports
Evaluation
results;
YB reports
Site visit/
Monitoring
reports
55
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
F. UNAG Tolerance Building Grants

Program Goal:
To facilitate the greater tolerance and understanding of the needs of non-majority
ethnic groups in Georgia (with focus on Azeri and Armenian population living in the
compact settlements across the boarders with Azerbaijan and Armenia) and to
support practical steps towards their social and economic integration.
Program Description:
This is the grant component of a program administered by UNAG on behalf of
USAID. The grant support is given to grants are awarded to NGOs to support
program development in areas of Georgia populated by citizens of non-Georgian
ethnicity. The priority will be given to projects that target Kvemo Kartlis Azeri
and/or Samtskhe-Javakhetis Armenian communities.
G. Open Door Grants
Program Goal:
To test short-term, innovative projects in new fields. Projects funded by the Open
Door grant scheme must be considered pilot projects that represent a new,
innovative approach to a persistent problem.
One clear distinction of EFs traditional open door grant mechanism is that it
provides EF with the ability to rapidly respond to emerging needs or partnership
opportunities. As the EFG office continues to develop its operational programming,
it will be equally important to maintain a pool of funds that may be flexibly used to
leverage other donors contributions to specific projects and maintain our reputation
as a solid partner of international organizations and businesses in Georgia. In
addition, the existence of the Open Door program provides a constant source of
contact with the local NGO community and of information on emerging needs in
Georgia.
56
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
CROSS-BORDER PROGRAMS
EPF Cross-Border Programs plan to implement operational programs in four main
directions: South Caucasus Citizen Empowerment to promote inclusive and
transparent decision-making on public policy issues in the South Caucasus; South
Caucasus Creative Commons (CC) to adapt CC licensing system to intellectual
property rights frameworks in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia; Unbiased Media
Coverage of Armenia-Azerbaijan Relations to increase the amount of accurate and
unbiased reporting of the bilateral relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan;
and South Caucasus Public Policy Capacity Building to improve quality of policy
analysis in the countries of the South Caucasus. The Unbiased Media Coverage
program is largely supported by British FCO funds with a small EF/USAID cost
share. Technical assistance is provided by Creative Commons International under
the Creative Commons program. There are plans to fundraise with OSCEs ENVSEC
and other donors to support the Phase II and III of the Citizen Empowerment
program. Strategies for each of the above programs follow.
57
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
A. Support to Cross-Border Unsolicited Projects

Timeframe: January 2009 December 2009
Program Goal:
To further promote confidence building across the region and support cooperative
networks among representatives of different social strands of the Armenian,
Azerbaijani, and Georgian societies through supporting unsolicited, innovative
cross-border projects in fields that are both traditional and new for EPFs
programming.
Through its proven ability to activate cross-border civil society networks, the EPF
Cross-Border Programs promotes regional integration, builds confidence, and
enables NGOs to identify needs and solutions for issues of regional concern. EPF
Cross-Border Programs may solicit project applications through grant competitions,
invited proposals, or may receive unsolicited cross-border proposals through the
open door. Depending on the application method, the cross-border staff will follow
specific proposal review guidelines for competitions, invited proposals, or the
open-door. Unsolicited cross-border proposals received under the open-door are
reviewed on a designated quarterly basis. The Cross-Border program officers
perform a preliminary joint review following the quarterly schedule. For in-mandate
proposals, the Cross-Border program team jointly works to improve the concept
and design of the proposal if necessary. Then each Cross-Border program officer
engages in consultations with their respective EPF national programs to make them
aware of and secure their support for the proposal. Final approval for a crossborder grant rests with each of the involved EPF country directors
The open door (unsolicited) grant mechanism provides EPF (and its cross-border
programs) with the ability to rapidly respond to emerging regional needs or crossborder partnership opportunities. As the EPF Cross-Border Programs continue to
develop their operational programming, it is equally important to maintain a pool of
funds that may be flexibly used to leverage other donors contributions to specific
cross-border projects. In addition, the existence of the unsolicited grant making
mechanism provides a constant source of contact with local NGO communities in
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, and encourages the cross-border staff to actively
seek out innovative cross-border partnerships and initiatives in need of funding.
Because of the budgetary constraints, EPF in Azerbaijan might fall out of this grantmaking mechanism in 2009.
58
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
CAUCASUS RESEARCH RESOURCE CENTERS (CRRC) PROGRAMS

CRRC is fully funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York. The program receives no
core-USAID funding.
Background:
In 2009, CRRC's main goals are to continue to strengthen, develop and enhance
current programming including the Data Initiative, the Fellowship Program and the
Library and Training Program. CRRC has attracted a significant number of
collaborative projects with substantially larger budgets outside of Carnegies core
funding, than projects awarded in FY07 with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(FCO), The National Democratic Institute of International Affairs (NDI),
International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Transparency International
and the Global Development Network (GDN). Most of these projects have built on
work done under CRRCs Data Initiative program, with the goal of providing more
accurate data on which to base public policy. In 2009, CRRC will continue such
collaborative projects, while attempting to find further co-financing for core
business. CRRC has already received approval from the European Commission to
support the Data Initiative in Georgia (rebranded Caucasus Barometer) and is also
looking to work with OSI.
A. Training and Fellowship Program
Program Goal:
To bring social science research in the South Caucasus up to international
standards of excellence.
Justification:
The rapid pace of economic and political change in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
requires researchers who are able to objectively assess and report on these
processes, and whose work helps to develop future policies. While there is a
pressing need for indigenous scholars to carry out public-policy relevant research,
neither governmental nor non-governmental support for research has materialized
in the region. The lack of social science capacity has an impact on the quality of
policymaking. Local researchers are not sufficiently capable of analyzing the
situation in their own countries. Consequently, there is insufficient expertise, and
policymakers lack critical constructive support in designing, implementing,
monitoring and evaluating policies. Foreign consultants cannot make up for this
problem, since they often lack knowledge of local particulars, work in their own
incentive structures, and are disproportionately more expensive.
In response, CRRC provides fellowships for local fellows in the South Caucasus to
carry out social science research. In FY09, CRRC will continue to administer the
fellowship through Moodle, an online platform. Furthermore, CRRC will work to build
more trainings around the fellowships and find more opportunities for successful
fellows and for fellowship. CRRC will also continue to build on the trend initiated in
FY07 of finding non-core Carnegie funds to support fellowships, however, on a more
59
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
institutional scale, since the funding of individual fellowships has been found not to
be cost effective.
The CRRC Training and Fellowship Program provides local professors, researchers
and scholars with the skills they need to succeed internationally. CRRC continues in
2009 to develop a set of online modules, though work has moved slower than
hoped because of the current political circumstances in both Armenia and Georgia.
CRRC has already completed a set of video courses on the statistical software SPSS
and has integrated all its regional trainings with an online platform. With its new
modules, CRRC is using innovative technology-based methods combined with faceto-face training.
Activities include: creation of a cycle of training; design of online interfaces for
training; in-person trainings; follow-up after trainings; creation of certification
mechanism; online application process where fellows learn to improve their
research skills before applying; research grants to conduct research in the South
Caucasus countries; and presentation of the CRRC fellows findings.
B. The Data Initiative
Program Goal:
To promote the use of data for policy related research and analysis by providing a
unique set of comparable, rigorous and open source data about the South Caucasus
Justification:
The Data Initiative (DI) seeks to increase understanding about knowledge, attitudes
and practices in the South Caucasus and promote evidence-based decision making.
Through its outreach activities, CRRC disseminates findings to both the
international development and business community as well as to local researchers.
The central component of the Data Initiative (DI) is a yearly household survey that
is conducted simultaneously in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. First coordinated
in 2004, the survey aims to provide publicly accessible, consistent raw data on a
wide range of issues related to demography, education, migration, economic
behavior, health, political activities, social institutions and crime. Such publicly
available, yearly data was sorely lacking in the South Caucasus before the creation
of the DI. Each year, CRRC seeks to refine the questions asked and the techniques
used and will continue to do so in 2009.
Activities include: design of sampling and questionnaire for the DI survey fieldwork
including block listing; data entry; report writing and public presentations.
C. Libraries and Information
Program Goal:
Improve access and ability to navigate high-quality resources for social science
researchers and practitioners
60
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
Justification:
CRRC provides much needed access to resources including key social science texts,
online journal access and computer software. A recent review of JSTOR subscribers
revealed that CRRC maintains the only JSTOR subscription in Azerbaijan and the
center is one of only four locations in Georgia with JSTOR. JSTOR subscriptions
demonstrate that the question of access is still a fundamental one, and sustainable
resource provisions will prove instrumental in further developing research
communities in the South Caucasus.
Ongoing activities include the provision of library with books and computer lab; and
equipping of computers with online access to electronic journals and databases. In
FY09, CRRC will also continue to provide access to both high quality books and
journals through its libraries. CRRCs move to co-late with the International School
of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET), as provided a wonderful new home
for the Georgia library, and greatly increased use of the facility.
61
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
3. COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES:
To raise awareness among the general public about EPF and its programs
through increased news articles and TV reports
To integrate communications and outreach efforts into all programs, in order
to 1) raise awareness about the role of civil society and EPF, and 2)
contribute to EPFs own external communications products/efforts
Focus more on telling stories that demonstrate program/grant impact and
outcomes.
Build/maintain relationships with current donors: communicate more clearly
and more often about our activities; attract new sources of funding,
especially from European donors
To maintain a consistent message about EPF that is delivered by staff at all
levels to external audiences
AUDIENCES & MESSAGES:

The audiences and targeted messages of EPFs external communications are as
follows:
Primary Audience
Donors
Local Partners and

Grant Seekers
Government
Message
Mission Statement
Local foundations are an effective vehicle for managing funds and
programs because they build off of EFs strong systems, but they
have a renewed focus on working outside capital cities too
Programs are responsive, not directive we work between the
nexus of locally-defined priorities and international interests
EPF has a unique and effective mechanism for regional
programming ( cross-border programs)
EPF has deep experience in civic sector programming
EPF has a very strong abilities and experience both as a program
implementer and grant maker
Mission Statement
EPF is looking for innovative ideas new solutions to old or
emerging issues
Role of civil society and EPF
EPF programs are tough, but they build grantee capacity and
experience
EPF is looking for more strong or emerging partners in the regions
outside capital cities
Encourage grant seekers to make deeper connections with local and
regional constituencies/beneficiaries/grassroots initiatives
EPF programs are demand-driven and based on actual needs
EPF programs have impact!
Mission Statement
We are ready for cooperation with the government in
implementation of our programs
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EPF 2009 Work Plan
General population
(through national
media)
Local Businesses
February 15, 2009
Azerbaijan: Programs implemented by EPF absolutely coincide with

the development directions of Azerbaijan and assist to achieve its
goals; We support non-political initiatives; Priorities of the
localization process
Armenia: communicate better how our services complement their
programs and objectives
Georgia: Maintain ongoing positive relationship with various
ministries including Ministry of Education and Ministry of Economic
Development/Department of Tourism; build new relationship with
Office of the State Minister for Conflict Resolution with an eye
towards new programming in Abkhazia and S. Ossetia; build
relationship with local/municipal governments
Mission Statement
Benefits for population of localization locally defined priorities with
focus on working outside capital
Localization: EF has operated like a local organization for many
years now EPF is putting our legal structure in line with the way
that we operate; localization will not affect our core operations in
any substantial way
EPF has a very strong abilities and experience both as a program
implementer and grant maker
Corporate Social Investment program helps share best practices
and offers businesses practical case studies from other businesses
EPF invests in human capital the return is strong institutions that
support freedom of democracy and economy
EPF is an experienced manager of funds directed to organizations
who implement social work
Development of business sector (development of entrepreneurship,
CSR, etc) is one of the priorities of EPF
EPF has experience of working with both donors and businesses
(Statoil, Garadagh Cement)
MAIN COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCTS AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE

We anticipate that the communications/outreach component will be added to all the
projects/programs and following public outreach products will be used throughout
the course of the program and documented accordingly in the reports as they relate
to a specific program task:
Product
Websites
Description
3 new coordinated
websites: Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Regional
Annual Report
8-page report with

Regional and Crossborder information, plus a
back pocket for countryspecific inserts (
Distribution Method
Promotion of the
web-address on
every
meeting/event/ecommunications
Delivered by hand to
all meetings;
displayed in
entryway to all
offices; available at
Delivery Schedule
Updated regularly,
at least once a
month
FY08 report printed
by March 2009
63
EPF 2009 Work Plan
Country
Summaries
(one-pagers)
February 15, 2009
descriptions highlighting
impact of programs in the
previous year) +
bookmark w/ EPF Mission
Statement
Folder that describes EPF
mandates and approaches
with pocket with country
specific one-pagers
all major events
Inserted into the

pocket of the Annual
Report, Folder as
needed, or handed
out separately
Inserted into the
Report as needed, or
handed out
separately
Program Area
Summaries by
Country
1 or 2 page summaries of
all ongoing programs in a
country
Program
Descriptions
detail
Designed to highlight the

goal, background and
expected impact of a
single program
Inserted into the

Report as needed, or
handed out
separately
e-Bulletins
e-Bulletins; to highlight
successes, impacts and
upcoming events. Every
issue will cover one
particular theme, based
on Managements decision
Focus on demonstrating
impact. Quotes and
photos are essential.
Maintaining regular
contacts with media,
publicizing our
events/activities
Notebooks, pens, labels,
envelopes, hats, t-shirts,
pins, mugs, etc.
Produce
PSA/Documentaries
On our programs,
participate in TV/Radio
talk shows
Banners, posters, signs,
displays, exhibits and
flags
letterhead, business
cards, fax cover sheets,
and memos
e-mail distribution
lists
Success Stories
Press releases
Merchandize
TV/Radio
Event materials
Stationery/Supplies
Updated upon
need
Ongoing - updated
after business
plans are finalized,
and updated each
time they need to
be reprinted
Ongoing - updated
after business
plans are finalized,
and updated each
time they need to
be reprinted or
when there is a
new program
Quarterly. First
issue June 30,
2008. Four yearly
for the Caucasus
region.
Web-site, e-mail
delivery; published
in the Annual Report
Web-site, media
1 per office per

month (minimum)
meetings, visitors,
events
Regular bases
Making media a
part of everything
that we do
As often as
possible
events
Maintain the stock,

re-load on regular
bases
Maintain the stock,
re-load on regular
bases
64
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
MONITORING AND EVALUATION:

The following indicators will be tracked to evaluate the efficacy of our messaging
and communications:
Objective
To raise awareness
among the general
public about EPF and
its programs through
increased news
articles and TV
reports
Indicator
# of news
articles and TV
reports about
EPF and its
programs in
national/local
media
Target
Data source
To integrate
communications and
outreach efforts into
all programs
# of 1-pagers
printed/used per
program
300 local language; 200

English
Program records
Focus more on telling

stories that
demonstrate
program/grant impact
and outcomes.
Build/maintain
relationships with
current donors:
communicate more
clearly and more
often about our
activities; attract new
sources of funding,
especially from
European donors
To maintain a
consistent message
about EPF that is
delivered by staff at
all levels to external
audiences
# outreach
events held per
program
# success
stories
developed
# stories in ebulletins
demonstrating
impact and
outcomes
# donors
receiving ebulletins
# staff who can

repeat not just
EPFs mission,
but who can
give the
elevator
speech describing
briefly the
foundations
Ate least 2/program

4/office/year
Success story
4/e-bulletin/quarter
e-bulletin
100 on distribution list
Distribution list
records
ALL program staff by

November 2009
Mini quiz;
conducted once
in February and
again in
November to
measure progress
65
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
approach and
main activity
areas in their
country,
including crossborder programs
and CRRC
66
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
4. COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
In 2008, EPF set a fundraising target of $10 million in non-core USAID funding for
its first three years of operations as a local organization. This target was set with
the primary purpose of diversifying EPFs donor base away from core-USAID
sources, which are not expected to be sustainable beyond 2010. Since the launch of
EPF in November 2007, the foundation has already raised more than $6 million in
non-core USAID funding. While the figures are impressive, the fundraising
challenges facing each office differ widely. Half of the funds raised to date have
come from a single donor to one country ($3 million from Sida to EPFs Georgia
operations); and almost one quarter of funds raised to date (1.2 million) come from
EPFs longtime donor, Carnegie Corporation, for the CRRC program. Thus, the issue
of diversification of funding sources is not yet resolved.
In 2009 EPF set fundraising targets based on estimates of the previous years
fundraising. Since the general fundraising strategy is to seek funding for existing
program areas by leveraging core USAID resources (rather than investing efforts
into launching new program areas), each target is specified as a percent of total
program funding.
The rationale for each target is explained below.
FUNDRAISING TARGETS FOR 2009
Percent of 2008 programs funded 2009
target
(non-core
by non-core donors*
funding)
Georgia
52 % (including Sida)
70 %
CRRC
23 %
40 % (non-Carnegie)
(73 % Carnegie core)
CrossArmenia:
62 % (FCO)
Azerbaijan: 100 %
border**
Azerbaijan: 61 % (FCO)
Georgia:
23 % (Sida)
Presidents
n/a
Target:
$
100,000
in
Office
unrestricted funding
* Core donors are the EF/USAID grant (excluding performance funds) and Carnegie
Corporation in the case of CRRC. Sidas contribution in Georgia is not considered
core funding.
**The figures for each country office include the portion of USAIDs core funding
that is allocated to cross-border programs.
1) Georgia
The Georgia offices costs are split almost evenly between core USAID funding and
Sida funding. While the Sida funding gives the Georgia office a level of security over
the next 2 years, Georgia must begin to establish substantial new sources of
funding in 2009-10, well before the Sida monies run out. In 2009, a lot of money is
expected to pour into Georgia after the Russia-Georgia war in August. However,
most of the new funding will be for infrastructure and humanitarian aid. It will be a
new challenge to the fundraising team to respond to opportunities while adhering to
the Foundations core mission.
67
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
2) Cross-border
Since cross-border budgets come from each country offices budget, and because
cross-border can be bilateral or trilateral, within the region or including other
countries (e.g. Russia, Turkey), it is very difficult to set targets for cross-border
fundraising. EPF will strive to fund 100% of Azerbaijans share of cross-border
projects from non-core donor. One way to do this could be to seek more ArmeniaAzerbaijan opportunities similar to the current FCO-funded media bias program,
which will be increasingly relevant and attractive to donors. EPF will continue
fundraising efforts for the Armenia and Georgia portions of these projects as well,
whenever possible.
3) CRRC
While CRRC has demonstrated the largest successes in raising new sources of
funding in 2008, the majority of these funds have been raised for operations in
Georgia and Armenia; and very little new (non-Carnegie) money has been raised
for CRRCs core activities: training, data collection and fellowships. Further, many of
the CRRC awards have been relatively small over the last year, between 10,000
and 50,000. While they have opened up new doors and allowed CRRC to
demonstrate its ability to serve as a leader in high-quality research and survey
work, the demand on staff resources has been very high. In 2009, CRRC will need
to continue its strong trend in attracting outside funding sources, but with a view to
pursuing larger, multi-year awards and projects for both its core activities and
newer competencies.
IDENTIFYING NEW OPPORTUNITIES
In the last 12 months, EPF has submitted a total of 49 proposals for funding in the
South Caucasus. Of these, 18 proposals were awarded, 17 were rejected or
withdrawn and 15 are still outstanding. At an estimated 50 percent success rate,
EPFs program development team has responded to nearly every opportunity that
arose during the last year. Compare these facts to the previous 12 month period,
from September 2006-September 2007, when EF submitted 28 proposals, winning
only 10 and losing 18. Clearly, EPF has significantly increased both its overall
number of submitted proposals (21 more), and the success rate (from one third to
one half) over the last year.
Currently, EPFs development team and program staff have taken an opportunitybased approach to identifying new opportunities, passing along information when
we hear of it and waiting for the news to come to us. EPF is developing a more a
systematic process for identifying new requests for proposals, which means that the
foundation will be able to be more proactive. This is especially important in cases
where multiple deadlines require strategic decisions about the allocation of staff
time and institutional capacity to respond. This is expected to increase the overall
quality of proposals, the appropriateness of each concept to the opportunity, and
thus to increase the win rate.
68
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND UNRESTRICTED FUNDING

In the long term, EPF must find ways to raise unrestricted funding that can replace
the core funding it now receives from USAID, Sida and Carnegie Corporation. These
sources of funding are essential they allow the foundation to survive and maintain
staff and operations in periods where there is relatively little program-based
funding, and they are attractive to donors who require co-financing of programs.
EFs efforts to secure a line item in the U.S. Congressional budget are critical to this
cause. However, with the U.S. Presidential elections, a new administration in
January 2009, and the usual delays in disbursement if the line item is successful,
such funds would not become available until 2010 at the earliest. In the meantime,
EPF will barely be able to cover its basic operating costs in Azerbaijan.
Raising unrestricted funding is extremely difficult. It requires networking with high
net worth individuals and the engagement of the Board of Trustees. The Presidents
office will devise and pilot a strategy to raise unrestricted funding in 2009, setting a
low but realistic target of $100,000 in the first year. This strategy will rely heavily
on the involvement of EPFs board members (one of the Institutional Development
goals for 2009), and EPF will put together a longer-term strategy for engaging the
board in fundraising activities, including setting up a Board Fundraising Committee.
69
EPF 2009 Work Plan
February 15, 2009
5. FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN

Still, EPF has areas in which it would like to improve or expand upon in 2009. These
include the development of an overhead rate, leading the EF network in developing
new information systems, the localization of the Chief Financial Officer position, and
continued capacity building of the staff.
The financial staff will undergo training in 2008 in order to develop a standard
formula to calculate overhead. Key staff will be brought to Tbilisi to discuss our
options. This includes but not necessarily means the approval of an official NICRA
rate. Other options include a base rate to calculate direct administrative based on
donor ability and a rate based on type of project. An overhead rate will also be used
to capture costs in donor proposals and to measure efficiency.
A major goal in 2009 is to become a leader in the development of an EF network
information system. EPF can not complete this on its own but the goal of EPF is to
be the leading contributor to the selection, design and implementation of the new
system. The system will integrate a donor database, project management and
financial accounting system.
By the end of 2008, EPF will also cease to have an expatriate Financial Officer. As
part of overall sustainability plan, the Chief Financial Officer will be a local hire. The
person has been identified and has been working at the Foundation for one year as
the Deputy Chief Financial Officer.
Trainings will continue to be an important part of the Human Resources department
in 2009. EPF will focus its attention on sending program officer, grants managers,
and finance staff to professional seminars. These include trainings for innovative
programming and donor regulation. For other outside trainings, the Foundation has
a goal of having 70% of the staff utilize the professional development allowance of
$250.
In addition to staff training provided by external sources, EPF is utilizing new
technologies such as Camtasia to build libraries of information, introduced by CRRC
and copied by Finance. Camtasia allows staff to produce small tutorials that
incorporate narration, recorded screenshots, quizzes, and a graphical interface to
train employees. Our goal is to create a library of over 40 videos that teach basic
accounting, form completion, and other common tasks.
70

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EPF Annual Progress Report

February 15, 2009

Core Support for the Establishment of Eurasia Partnership

EPF Annual Progress Report

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PROGRESS AND IMPACT ACCORDING TO MANDATE ........................ 6

2008 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT.................................. 14

LIST OF SIDA-SUPPORTED GRANTS IN 2008..................................... 19

2009 ANNUAL WORK PLAN ........................................................................ 33

2009 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN........................................ 33

PROGRAM STRATEGIES AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS ................ 39

CIVIC MONITORING AND DIALOGUE ................................................................ 40

CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENTS: A NEW MODEL FOR PARTNERSHIP .... 47

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................... 51

PROMOTING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN GEORGIA ................................ 52

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT THROUGH YOUTH INITIATIVES........................ 54

UNAG TOLERANCE BUILDING GRANTS........................................................... 56

OPEN DOOR GRANTS ......................................................................................... 56

CROSS-BORDER PROGRAMS .......................................................................................... 57

SUPPORT TO CROSS-BORDER UNSOLICITED PROJECTS ............................... 58

CAUCASUS RESEARCH RESOURCE CENTERS (CRRC) PROGRAMS ........................... 59

TRAINING AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ........................................................... 59

THE DATA INITIATIVE ........................................................................................ 60

LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION ......................................................................... 60

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IDENTIFYING NEW OPPORTUNITIES .............................................................................. 68

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN ................................................. 70

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