The 2007 NGO Sustainability Index
For Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently released the 11th edition of the NGO Sustainability Index, a key analytical tool that measures the progress of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the European and Eurasia (E&E) region.
USAID Assistant Administrator for Europe & Eurasia, Doug Menarchik, noted, “We have amassed a valuable body of research in the past 11 years, showing the effect of civil society organizations in Europe and Eurasia since the fall of communism. This first-hand data and expert analysis is a remarkable resource for those desiring insight on regional trends, as well as improved understanding of civic progress in a specific country. We are pleased to offer this information not only to our development practioners within USAID, but also to our partners, civil society actors in these and other countries, and to governments in pursuit of improvement in freedom, rights, and service to community.”
USAID tracks the progress of the NGO sector in 29 countries in Europe and Eurasia. Contained in the 11-year collection is a historical record that provides a wealth of data on each country. This year’s Index indicates that there was little change in the substantial divide that exists between the European Union (EU) members of the Northern Tier of Central and Eastern Europe, and the Southern Tier countries of the Balkans, and Eurasia. Two articles highlight trends that significantly affect NGO sustainability in the region. In “Laws on Volunteers and Volunteering in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia,” Catherine Shea and Katerina Hadzi-Miceva examine initiatives to enact laws on volunteers that address issues critical to providing an enabling environment for volunteerism. In “GONGO Trends and Transformations,” Kristie Evenson explores the rise of government-operated non-governmental organizations in the region, most notably Eurasia, and their impact on the development of independent civil society.
The NGO Sustainability Index examines the overall enabling environment for civil society, focusing on seven dimensions: legal environment, organizational capacity, financial viability, advocacy, service provision, infrastructure, and public image. Each country report provides an in-depth analysis of the NGO sector along with comparative information regarding prior years' dimension scores, which are encapsulated in easy-to-read charts.
The full report can be found on USAID's Europe and Eurasia Website:
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/europe_eurasia/dem_gov/ngoindex.
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| 2007 NGO Sustainability Index Cover |
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