LAPAS

Project Title: Engagement of the Baltic Region in Development Cooperation

Implementing Organisation: The Latvian NGDO Platform- LAPAS, Latvia

Total Budget: 20 653 euros

Total Request from Fund: 20 653 euros

Description of the Project and Expeted Results:

In its proposal LAPAS indicated that its main goal as the Latvian NG(D)O platform would be to strengthen the capacity of Latvian NGDOs to put development cooperation high on the national and international policy agenda. It proposed to map the level of participation and expertise of the NG(D)Os, identify best practices and develop recommendations on improving the effectiveness of development cooperation policies and activities. It aimed to improve the knowledge and advocacy skills of its members, e.g. by organising three Roundtables and establish focus groups within the LAPAS membership, and increase the cooperation with other, mainly Nordic/Baltic, NGDOs and NDGO platforms. It intended to use PF funding for the preparatory phase of organising a major Baltic conference on development cooperation.

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Click here to download the Mid-Term Report Summary of the implementation Process of this project.

Results after Implementation:

In its final report it indicated that although it had performed the proposed mapping exercise the results had not been made public, but were kept for internal use only.

However, it had developed and updated a database for its members with information materials based on the research done.

It had also organised the intended roundtables, yet, these did not focus on EU development policy issues as such, but more on discussing the financing of development cooperation and the role of civil society in the development and implementation of development cooperation policy.

In its project proposal LAPAS had already indicated that it had signed a cooperation agreement with the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in 2004, therefore officials of the  ministry took part in the project’s roundtables, the second of which was held in the President’s Castle, under the auspices of the President of Latvia, and co-hosted by the Commission of Strategic Analysis, which among others does research on Strategic Models of Latvian Development. Although this meant that the roundtable was mainly an academic exercise as rightly observed by the PF secretariat it contributed to stimulating both theoreticians and practitioners to meet up and discuss the future Latvian development cooperation strategy.

as its main achievement LAPAS saw its success in developing links with Nordic NG(D)Os and NG(D)O platforms in Sweden (Forum Syd), Finland (KEPA) and Denmark (EU-NGO Platform) and in June 2007, organising the first Annual Baltic Platform meeting, after being granted an extension of the project by the PF. Although not all Baltic invitees could make it, the meeting was seen as a big success resulting in closer links and improved cooperation between the different Nordic and Baltic NG(D)O platforms.