The implementation of the Civil Society Development Strategy for the next three years, which is now being finalized, will be monitored by representatives of the NGO sector, Parliament and the Government given that the monitoring was a weak point of the previous strategy that was only about 27% implemented. Also, the implementation period of the Civil Society Development Strategy and the relevant plan of action will be for 2018-2020, not for 2017-2020 as it was agreed earlier. The proposals were formulated in the final meeting of the working group for reviewing the Civil Society Development Strategy for 2012-2015, which also analyzed the recommendations submitted following public consultations on the draft strategy for 2018-2020, IPN reports.

The financial viability of civil society organizations was a separate subject for discussion given that Moldova made insignificant progress in working out and implementing financial and fiscal mechanisms in favor of NGOs. According to Sergey Neicovchen, executive direction of the National NGO Assistance Center of Moldova CONTACT, the ensuring of financial viability is an essential aspect of the development of the NGO sector. “More specific objectives to implement such measures should be set within the working groups so that the NGOs ultimately become more sustainable from financial viewpoint,” he stated.

Among the priories of the strategy are the civic spirit and volunteering, which for now remain underdeveloped in Moldova for a number of reasons. One of the reasons for the low level of civic activism is the insufficient stimulation of volunteering and the lack of volunteering infrastructure, such as volunteer centers, networks of host institutions and business firms that would support all types of volunteering. The meeting also discussed the involvement of NGOs from Transnistria in the implementation of the strategy.

The participants pledged to present the final version of the Civil Society Development Strategy until December 13, 2017.