NGOs rewarded for promoting transparency in CSOs

Nine Non-Governmental Organizations from Moldova were awarded prizes during the Gala of Good Practices “Promoting Transparency in Moldovan CSOs”, organized by the CONTACT Center. Another ten organizations received honorable mentions, reports Info-Prim Neo. The “Eco Razeni” association, from Ialoveni, is among the nine winners. Its members consider that the best practice their organization has, is the use of a web blogging platform that assures transparency in the organization’s activity. This is an optimal solution, both in terms of efficiency and costs. Thanks to the blog, several media institutions, as well as donors and other people interested in their products, found out about “Eco Razeni”. The Independent Journalism Center earned the highest score among all applicants in the category for the promotion of decisions and reports. This kind of activity includes the publication of annual and audit reports, as well as social network interaction with the beneficiaries and the public. The National Youth Council in Moldova received special appreciation for the actions proposed for raising the organization’s transparency, and for the transparency in organizing the General Assembly, along with the existence of members’ intranet and the regular publication of all financial and performance evaluation reports for the last three years. Another prize went to Contact Cahul. One of the transparency measures applied by the center is the electronic bulletin “Contact de Sud”, which received positive feedback, for it has been contributing for almost 10 years towards informing the civil society and is the most important method of making the organization’s activity transparent. The organization “Salvati viata” won the prize for promoting both narrative and financial reports. Due to the charity acts, the organization attracts volunteer bookkeepers for the accounting of the resources gathered and, consequently, the publication of reports. Additionally, an efficient method is the use of local stars for attracting public attention on the issues that the gravely ill children face. Another winner, the Training and Development Institute “Millenium” from Chisinau, presented as good practice the interaction with beneficiaries through the institute’s website, which constantly updates the information available on activities organized, as well as the opportunities given by the organization. Narrative and financial reports of the projects in evolution also are available on the website. Leova Social Partnership received positive feedback for efficient and continual collaboration with local public authorities and mass media. The latter receive invitations to all of the meetings with beneficiaries from socially vulnerable classes, which are afterwards promoted on the organization’s website. Two organizations from the left bank of the Nistru also received awards, i.e. Tiraspol’s “Common House” and “Resonance” from Bender. CONTACT’s Executive director Sergiu Neicovcen stated that the number of applicants totaled at 19 organizations from Chisinau and other regions of the country. The winners got the crystal cube and a 3000 lei prize, money that the winners will use for activities, or for products promoting the organizational transparency. Three of the winning organizations also received a 3000 lei prize each, from the Soros Organization in Moldova. Sergiu Neicovcen mentioned that this is the first event of such nature for Moldova. The event examines and publicly celebrates the best practices of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the implementation and promotion of the principles of good governing and organizational transparency. CONTACT Center organized the Gala of Good Practices “Promoting Transparency in Moldovan CSOs” under the Moldova Civil Society Strengthening Program (MCSSP), implemented by FHI 360, with the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).