How does an EPD project look like?
Much of the EPD's work on the ground is based on the idea of complementarity and added value. The EPD project cycle starts with the identification of the countries where EPD intends to work. There are multiple factors influencing this decision, for example: a new political window of opportunity; pre-existing ties with local actors; the demands of domestic actors and local organizations; or the demand from donors and international bodies. The EPD Board of Directors has established a series of criteria for the selection of countries and areas of intervention.
Once a country has been selected, the next stage is an assessment of potential avenues for an EPD intervention. Whereas much of EPD work has concentrated in supporting domestic Civil Society Organizations in transitional contexts, this kind of support can take many different shapes depending on the political and the institutional context of the country, the nature of the political processes at stake, the capacity of local actors, their expressed needs and demands and the work of donors and stakeholders operating on the ground. In order to gain a deeper background on these questions, EPD conduct consultations with CSOs in the selected country, international donors and stakeholders both on the ground and at the Head Quarters level as well as experts and associated organizations from the EPD network.
A typical EPD intervention is a multilayered process. The first layer consists of channeling the support of international donors towards local civil society organizations in difficult contexts. In all the countries where EPD is currently operating, EPD has acted at an arms-length distance from international donors enabling the interactions between them and domestic actors in complex political and institutional settings that had impeded more direct interactions.
Secondly, an EPD action usually includes a component of capacity development for local organizations. For example, in the case of our work in Armenia EPD has supported the work of the NGO Center in developing effective advocacy strategies for NGOS vis-à-vis local governments in various regions outside Yerevan. In Burma EPD was supporting local partners in capacity development for Human Rights and Democracy activists.
A third element of an EPD intervention is knowledge sharing and peer to peer exchanges of good practice. For example in the cases of Moldova and Armenia EPD has facilitated contacts with Civil Society Organizations in Central Eastern Europe and the Post Soviet Region and stimulated peer to peer learning and cooperation.
Last but not least, an EPD intervention includes a strong component of dissemination and advocacy in Brussels and other European capitals, both opening a window of opportunity for local actors to influence policy making but also channeling knowledge and experience from the ground towards the decision makers and other stakeholders in Europe.
If you want to learn more about our operations in Armenia, Burma, Egypt, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, please see the section where we work.