Capacity building
The Clearing House
The Clearing House (CH) is a capacity-building programme implemented since 2011 by the Office for a Democratic Belarus (ODB) in Brussels and the Office for European Expertise and Communication (OEEC) in Minsk.
During four years of its existence, CH has become a visible platform for discussion of common CSO challenges and successes in various fields and priorities for international cooperation. Currently the Clearing House is expanding its outreach to the regions of Belarus to empower local communities to engage in public policy discussions and address the needs of local communities in a more efficient manner.
Results to date:
- 600 CSO representatives targeted by project events in Belarus.
- Counseling system for CSOs established: more than 150 organisations received free of charge individual support from the team of 11 trained consultants/experts; more than 400 CSOs and grass-root initiatives participated in the trainings and info-days.
- Advisory Board of the CH includes 24 experts from 13 thematic sectors -----→ elaboration of sectoral priorities and development of recommendations for a broad range of domestic and international stakeholders.
- New channels for communication and coordination among Belarusian CSOs, EU donors and international implementers
- Enhanced capacity of Belarusian CSOs to participate in European calls for proposals through continuous advisory services and trainings -----→ increased organisational capacity to operate and lobby both domestically and internationally -----→ focus on fostering financial self-sustainability
Clearing House: Ensuring Sustainability (2013-2014)
- New services to CSOs – consultations on project implementation and reporting
- Focus on regional CSOs and grass-root initiatives
- More information days and tailor-made trainings on European support programmes
- Increased synergy and coordination with other similar initiatives