CBIE's collaboration with the developing world is concentrated in the International Development Programs Division. We design and manage projects and programs, developed and implemented together with our local partners. Our areas of focus are in individual and institutional capacity building in governance, civil society strengthening and democratic development.

Central Europe
(Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania)

Since 2003, CBIE, as the Canadian Coordination Organization, of the CIDA-funded Official Development Assistance in Central Europe (ODACE) Program has assisted and cooperated very closely with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFAs), NGO communities, private as well as the academic sectors of the Visegrad Countries (Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary and Poland) and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). Until 2005, the ODACE Program provided institutional and capacity support in Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the 7 ODACE Partner Countries. Since that time, the program has assisted these countries with the implementation of Trilateral Development Projects.

Under the ODACE Program, CBIE provided numerous leading Canadian experts to support and develop the Partner Countries’ ODA capacities. In the period 2003-2004, a Canadian DAC expert provided training on DAC reporting to 35 officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Visegrad Countries and the Baltic States. Numerous Transfer Mechanisms Missions to the regions were arranged and coordinated by CBIE and led by Canadian consultants. These missions provided the opportunity for our partners to interact with Canadian experts and discuss and learn about the Canadian International Development Agency’s programs, practices, procedures and response mechanisms with government officials and members of the NGO community. Legal advice was provided in the area of inter-governmental capacity on the delivery of ODA within a structured legal framework, and was available to support the drafting of relevant ODA legislation and trust funds. The MFAs further requested support in the development of their Country Strategy Papers (CPS). Through ODACE, an expert delivered training aimed at developing partner skills, knowledge and experience in designing and producing CSPs within target countries. Applying a similar training format, numerous Communication Strategy training sessions were also delivered to our partners with the goal developing their capacity to increase public awareness about ODA and to communicate effectively with the media and other government ministries about ODA.

In addition to capacity building activities in our ODACE Partner Countries, CBIE also arranged and facilitated several study tours to Canada for our partners. Among them, two Parliamentary study visits to generate increased support for ODA in the Visegrad countries and the Baltic States. As a complement these visits, two additional study tours were organized and arranged for the officials of the MFAs and the Ministries of Finance to assist the Ministry in finding appropriate ways to enhance its approach to fund ODA, while the MFA study tour was directed at providing officials with increased knowledge and understanding of Canada’s approach to International Development, in particular, with respect to infrastructure planning. Several interns from the MFAs and the Ministries of Finance were also placed at CIDA during the capacity-building phase of the program.

Further, CBIE designed, coordinated and implemented an International Development Studies visit for 15 academics from CEE to Canadian universities. The purpose of this visit was to expose our partners to Canada’s experiences in the development and delivery of university studies at undergraduate and graduate levels in International Development Affairs. In conjunction with this visit, the ODACE Program provided international development studies experts to assess and recommend programs for our partners’ academic institutions, ultimately contributing to the Partner Countries’ National ODA Programs.

CBIE was responsible for the local ODACE office in Bratislava, through which the project provided capacity strengthening activities to the Partner Country NGO communities and authorities.

With the assistance of a Canadian Private Sector specialist, a major Private sector study tour was arranged and organized in 2004. This study tour placed emphasis on the important role that Canadian Business Organizations play in assisting the Private sector to become involved in projects in developing countries. This model for private sector involvement was seen as one that was transferable – with the potential for modification and replication within Partner Countries depending upon future needs and requirements.

Since 2005, the trilateral component of the ODACE Program has continued and been operating with our partners, supported by three Canadian mentors. The mentoring system installed for this component provides our partners with immediate advice and recommendations about ODA policy and programming issues. These mentors continue to provide capacity building activities related to trilateral cooperation as it applies to selecting priority countries, writing Call for Proposals and their subsequent reviewing and rating. To date, these mentors have even been invited to participate in the final selection of proposed projects within Partner Countries.

The Canadian Education and Training Awards – Africa (CETAA) is a program designed and implemented by CBIE and sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency. This program is designed to strengthen the capacity of civil society in four African countries (Ghana, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal) to have a measurable influence on the policies and practices of regional and national governments’ commitments in furthering the progress towards poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

In order to reach this goal, the program supports two principal streams of activities:

• Individual capacity building: young professionals and other individuals, primarily those employed or volunteering in local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) or other organizations engaged in priority areas identified by CIDA, are supported in professional education and training through a competitive awards mechanism;

• Organizational and training capacity building: 1) CSOs are supported in strengthening their skills and knowledge to contribute to the advancement of the country’s Poverty Reductions Strategies and progress towards MDGs; and 2) Local Training Institutions are supported in designing and delivering training to CSOs and associated individuals in governance-related and organizational strengthening topics, through the forging of partnerships with Canadian institutions and/or expertise and in providing small awards to support this partnership building.

Since its inception in 2004, CBIE’s Africa program has awarded 134 scholarships to Ethiopian students, who have pursued courses in Ethiopia’s priority development sectors: Agriculture, Food Security, Governance, Justice and Education.

The Canadian Education and Training Awards – Africa (CETAA) in Ghana, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal, is a program designed and implemented by CBIE and sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency. This program is designed to strengthen the capacity of civil society in four African countries (Ghana, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal) to have a measurable influence on the policies and practices of regional and national governments’ commitments in furthering the progress towards poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

In order to reach this goal, the program supports two principal streams of activities:

• Individual capacity building: young professionals and other individuals, primarily those employed or volunteering in local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) or other organizations engaged in priority areas identified by CIDA, are supported in professional education and training through a competitive awards mechanism;
• Organizational and training capacity building: 1) CSOs are supported in strengthening their skills and knowledge to contribute to the advancement of the country’s Poverty Reductions Strategies and progress towards MDGs; and 2) Local Training Institutions are supported in designing and delivering training to CSOs and associated individuals in governance-related and organizational strengthening topics, through the forging of partnerships with Canadian institutions and/or expertise and in providing small awards to support this partnership building.

Since its inception in 2004, CBIE’s Africa program has awarded 132 scholarships to Ghanaian students, who have pursued courses in Ghana’s priority development sectors: Water, Food Security, Governance, and Education.

The Canadian Education and Training Awards – Africa (CETAA) in Ghana, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal, is a program designed and implemented by CBIE and sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency. This program is designed to strengthen the capacity of civil society in four African countries (Ghana, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal) to have a measurable influence on the policies and practices of regional and national governments’ commitments in furthering the progress towards poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

In order to reach this goal, the program supports two principal streams of activities:

• Individual capacity building: young professionals and other individuals, primarily those employed or volunteering in local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) or other organizations engaged in priority areas identified by CIDA, are supported in professional education and training through a competitive awards mechanism;
• Organizational and training capacity building: 1) CSOs are supported in strengthening their skills and knowledge to contribute to the advancement of the country’s Poverty Reductions Strategies and progress towards MDGs; and 2) Local Training Institutions are supported in designing and delivering training to CSOs and associated individuals in governance-related and organizational strengthening topics, through the forging of partnerships with Canadian institutions and/or expertise and in providing small awards to support this partnership building.
  

Since its inception in 2004, CBIE’s Africa program has awarded 99 scholarships to Malian students, who have pursued courses in Mali’s priority development sectors: Health, Education, Economic Development, Good Governance, and Rule of Law.

Senegal

The Canadian Education and Training Awards – Africa (CETAA) in Ghana, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal, is a program designed and implemented by CBIE and sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). This program is designed to strengthen the capacity of civil society in four African countries (Ghana, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal) to have a measurable influence on the policies and practices of regional and national governments’ commitments in furthering the progress towards poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

In order to reach this goal, the program supports two principal streams of activities:

• Individual capacity building: young professionals and other individuals, primarily those employed or volunteering in local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) or other organizations engaged in priority areas identified by CIDA, are supported in professional education and training through a competitive awards mechanism;
• Organizational and training capacity building: 1) CSOs are supported in strengthening their skills and knowledge to contribute to the advancement of the country’s Poverty Reductions Strategies and progress towards MDGs; and 2) Local Training Institutions are supported in designing and delivering training to CSOs and associated individuals in governance-related and organizational strengthening topics, through the forging of partnerships with Canadian institutions and/or expertise and in providing small awards to support this partnership building.

Since its inception in 2004, CBIE’s Africa program has awarded 102 scholarships to Senegalese students, who have pursued courses in Senegal’s priority development sectors: Rural microfinance and microenterprise, Governance, and Education.

Armenia

CBIE has cooperated closely with the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia (PAARA) to train faculty to develop individual and institutional capacity to plan, design and deliver modern, gender-sensitive teaching in public policy under the CIDA-funded Public Policy Knowledge Network (PPKN) Project (2003-2008). Under PPKN, CBIE provided leading Canadian expertise to support PAARA in the development of seven graduate-level public administration courses to form the basis of its Master in Public Administration (MPA) program of studies. The seven courses are: Gender Analysis in Public Policy, Economics in Public Policy, Introduction to Public Policy Analysis, Cost Benefit Analysis, Program Evaluation, Strategic Planning/Management, and Introduction to Public Administration. Many of these courses were also adapted into shorter courses to be delivered as in-service training modules for the national civil service in coordination with the Civil Service Council of Armenia.
CBIE also worked with the Public Administration Academy of Armenia to establish a new indigenous terminology for the entire field of public administration. Specifically, with support from CBIE’s partner, the Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative (LGI), PAARA translated several English-language texts and published the first ever Armenian-language Manual on Public Policy and the first Armenian-language Glossary of Public Administration Terms.

In addition to capacity building activities undertaken in Armenia, CBIE has arranged and facilitated several study tours for its partners. In the spring of 2005, a one-week curriculum development study tour with representatives from the schools of public administration of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan met at the National Academy of Public Administration in Ukraine. The training was delivered by Canadian and Ukrainian professors and resulted in the development of preliminary curricula and resource lists for 3 courses: Gender Aspects and Public Policy, Economic Analysis of Public Policy, and Introduction to Public Policy. In October 2006, CBIE implemented a study visit to Ottawa for three senior representatives of the Armenian faculty of public administration to gain insight on Canadian approaches to the management of public administration training institutions, focusing on both degree-granting and in-service training programs. The delegates were introduced to Canadian approaches to the management of public administration training institutions and programs; to the training of civil servants; and to Canadian approaches to teaching various themes in the field of public administration. Through the visit the group was able to gain a thorough overview of Canada’s more decentralized training system, and learned about some of the advantages and challenges posed by this structure.

In spring 2007, CBIE worked with its partner, the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest, Hungary, to provide PAARA faculty members with the opportunity to visit the CEU Centre for Policy Research to examine a policy specialization program within a public administration training institution as well as to provide an opportunity to gain exposure to lessons learned in the development of a public administration academic institution in a post-communist context.

Since 2003 CBIE has cooperated closely with the Azerbaijan Academy of Public Administration to build individual faculty and institutional capacity to plan, design and deliver modern, gender-sensitive teaching in public policy under the CIDA-funded Public Policy Knowledge Network (PPKN) project (2003-2008). Specifically, CBIE has provided training to faculty and directly supported the Academy to develop three policy courses to add to its existing curricula for its Master of Public Administration program. With the help of Canadian experts arranged by CBIE, the Academy created its Introduction to Public Policy Analysis, Gender Integration, and Economic Analysis courses. In addition, the Academy also produced an Azerbaijani language glossary of public administration terms; a handbook on integration of gender in public policy; four Azerbaijani language editions of English textbooks on public policy and public administration; a book of case studies on gender issues; and a course reader containing a variety of articles and monographs on public administration topics in various languages. These resources were developed under the PPKN project with the support of CBIE’s partner, the Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative (LGI),

In Azerbaijan, CBIE has also used its innovative PPKN project portal at www.ppkn.net as a core mechanism for knowledge sharing among project partners and as a digital library of public policy and governance resources. This digital library contains web links, documents, how-to guides and other materials related to public policy. As well, the portal has also served as a platform for discussion, as a networking tool for regional practitioners, and as the core mechanism for knowledge sharing among project partners. The PPKN portal has been a key element of CBIE activities in Azerbaijan. The Azeri Academy has been a leader in adapting the PPKN web portal to address the Academy’s need for core academic resources. Azerbaijani users are the majority of the portal’s members, and the school has a large on-line information libraries.

In addition to capacity building activities undertaken in Azerbaijan, CBIE has also arranged and facilitated a study tours for its partner. In the spring of 2005, a one-week curriculum development study tour with representatives from the schools of public administration of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan met at the National Academy of Public Administration in Ukraine. The training was delivered by Canadian and Ukrainian professors and resulted in the development of preliminary curricula and resource lists for 3 courses: Gender Aspects and Public Policy, Economic Analysis of Public Policy, and Introduction to Public Policy.

Under the CIDA-funded Public Policy Knowledge Network (PPKN) Project, CBIE has been working in Georgia since 2003 to build capacity within the Government of Georgia to meet global standards and best practices in public policy and public administration, and develop academic institutional capacity to plan, design and deliver modern, gender-sensitive teaching in public policy consistent with administrative reforms. With its partner, the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS), CBIE has trained over 100 Georgian government officials in modern best practices in public policy analysis and development through its policy working group program in the period between 2003 and 2007. During the four cycles of the ten-month program, policy fellows completed training courses in public policy conducted by Canadian, international and local experts, and drafted major policy papers relevant to their respective areas of public service responsibility. The policy working group program has had a significant impact on the policy making environment in Georgia, with many PPKN fellows having been promoted to advisory and decision making positions following their engagement in the program.

Since 2005, CBIE has also delivered direct policy advice to the Government of Georgia in priority areas of reform such as public consultations; public sector reform; investment promotion, country branding and marketing; and national official statistics programs under the PPKN project’s policy advice for reform mechanism. This mechanism has also focused its assistance to support capacity building in human resource management to an extensive professional network of senior HR managers established under PPKN – the HR Manager’s Network. Through this network, PPKN has provided extensive trainings in job analysis, job description writing, and performance based appraisal systems to numerous senior HR officials from across the Government of Georgia.

CBIE has designed, coordinated and implemented targeted study tours to introduce senior Georgian government leaders to Canadian approaches to public policy and administration. In May 2005, ten Deputy Ministers and senior government officials took part in the Leadership in Public Policy study tour to Ottawa, Canada. Through several meetings with senior Canadian officials, the delegates gained knowledge of Canadian best practices in decision- making, leadership, change management, and in particular, the role of the Deputy Minister in policy development. In June 2006, CBIE designed and implemented a Human Resource Management study tour to Canada to demonstrate Canadian best practices in public sector human resource management to fifteen heads of ministerial human resource and personnel departments. Most recently, CBIE implemented the Leadership in Public Policy and Decision Making Study Tour to introduce senior members of the Government of Georgia to Canadian best practices in machinery of government, public policy analysis, development, coordination and decision-making in May 2007.

From 2003-2006, CBIE also worked very closely with the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) to develop two tailored graduate-level courses for the academy – Ethics and Gender Analysis in Public Policy and assist in building capacity to plan, design and deliver modern, gender-sensitive teaching in public policy consistent with administrative reform. With its partner, the Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative (LGI), CBIE provided Canadian expertise and support to the development and production of all accompanying resources for the Ethics and Gender Analysis in Public Policy courses.

Presently, CBIE is working to consolidate public policy analysis capacity within the Georgian government by supporting the establishment of four pilot policy analysis teams in select ministries to foster the institutionalization of formal policy development processes and thereby secure the demand for, and sustainability of , PPKN’s key results – enhanced capacity policy analysis skills. CBIE will also provide direct Canadian expertise to the Office of the Prime Minister of Georgia to assist in strengthening policy coordination and cohesion across the government as well as harmonize policy presentation to Cabinet. The PPKN project will also design and develop a set of Georgian “policy cycle” manual(s) to enhance public policy capacity, work methods and techniques throughout the Government of Georgia.

Highlights of our work in Ukraine include:

• Policy Reform and Implementation Support Mechanism (2007-)
• Ukrainian Civil Service HRM Reform (2006-)
• Policy Advice for Reform (1997-2006)
• Public Policy Capacity Building (1999-2003)
• Public Service Reform Project (1996-1998)
• Institute of Public Admin. and Local Government (1992-1996)
• Community Economic Development (2004-2007)
• Civil Society Community Roots (1998-2003)
• Partners for Civil Society 1 and 2 (1994-1998)

Our current Ukrainian undertakings support reform efforts within the public sector as well as Ukrainian civil society.

In the area of public sector reform, the Policy Reform and Implementation Support Mechanism Project (PRISM), a CIDA-funded project, is designed to support multiple policy reform initiatives in Ukraine from 2007 until 2012. This Project managed by CBIE provides:

• targeted support to strengthen the policy development, implementation and coordination capacities of Ukrainian government institutions as they move forward on their ambitious reform agenda;
• a flexible, responsive and proactive programming tool for Canadian technical cooperation capable of responding to evolving political and economic events in Ukraine; and
• a mechanism for responding to policy related requests from the Government of Ukraine that are in line with the Canadian government’s objectives in Ukraine.

PRISM funds individual initiatives (sub-projects) in four sectors: public administration, judicial policy, private sector development and gender equality, which respond to the evolving needs and capacities of partners in Ukraine.

Initiatives support policy work with the Government of Ukraine at central and regional levels, or a combination thereof. Through PRISM, Ukrainian government institutions are able to access Canadian and European advisory expertise and support. Through its policy investments, PRISM will also work to enhance the role and capacity of civil society to work in partnership with government institutions to formulate, implement, monitor and evaluate government policies in a democratic and participatory manner.

Our second major public sector reform initiative is the Ukrainian Civil Service Human Resource Management Reform (UCS-HRM) Project - which provides Canadian support to Ukraine’s Main Department for Civil Service in its present civil service reform efforts, in particular in the area of public sector human resource management.
The overall goal of the UCS-HRM Project is the promotion of transparent and accountable governance in Ukraine through targeted reforms of the central government human resource management system in line with SIGMA/OECD baselines.

Specifically, the UCS-HRM Project will:

• assist the Government of Ukraine in the development of a human resource management strategic framework and in the reform of legislation, policies, procedures and regulations, with the aim of improving the effectiveness of human resource management within the Ukrainian civil service;
• support the development and integration of consistent and effective human resource management processes and procedures based upon the principles of political impartiality, transparency, meritocracy and equality in selected Ukrainian government ministries and agencies;
• enhance the capacity of the Main Department for Civil Service and selected government bodies’ human resource units to effectively implement human resource management processes and procedures in a sustainable transparent and apolitical manner; and
• develop and institutionalize a sustainable human resource management training and mentoring program.

The UCS-HRM Project runs until late 2011, and is financed by the Canadian International Development Agency

For further UCS-HRM Project information, please visit the project website at http://www.ucs-hrm.org.ua.

In the area of civil society development, our flagship project in Ukraine is one focused on community economic development. The Community Economic Development Project (CED), funded by CIDA, works with people in small marginalized Ukrainian communities to help them develop their own plans to improve the social and economic quality of their lives. Over four years (2004-2007) the CED Project has empowered communities to play a key role in implementing an alternative cooperative and participatory development framework based on mobilizing committed citizens to initiate and generate their own solutions to common economic problems and on enhancing the capacities of stakeholders in fundamental community economic development skills.

Ranging in population from under 1,000 up to 15,000, numerous villages and towns in Lviv, Transcarpathia and Cherkasy Oblasts have energized thousands of individuals from various age groups to undertake sustainable social and economic projects which are locally owned and managed, create jobs for residents, use local resources, and keep money circulating within the community. Restoration of deteriorated street lighting, renovation of parks and playgrounds, as well as expansion and upgrading of school facilities have helped to create a more attractive living environment for individuals and families, thus encouraging them to see their future in their own communities. Nearby neighbourhoods and communities have been inspired to replicate the initiatives of project partners.

Numerous community economic development associations, established by project stakeholders, are encouraging ideas for the establishment of local businesses, such as transportation services, local garden-supply shops, eco-tourism and rural tourism homes, and milk-processing cooperatives. In addition to raising funds from and enlisting the efforts of ordinary local residents, these projects and community economic initiatives have successfully attracted the financial and technical support of municipal and district authorities, private businesspersons and other international donors, including the Bishop Budka Charitable Association of Edmonton.

Concordia University and Simon Fraser University have participated in developing CED skills and knowledge with Ukrainian counterparts. In addition, Uzhgorod National University and Cherkassy State Technological University, having participated in the project from the beginning, are contributing to its sustainability by creating centres for community economic development to support local communities through research, advice and training.

An underlying theme of the CED Project has been the strengthening and encouragement of a participatory democratic culture within all three community sectors: civil society, business and government. This has meant changes in political and other habitual patterns of behaviour, empowering communities to create their own solutions, using a flexible plan growing out of trusting relationships, working toward a consensus decision-making framework and a facilitative form of leadership, and developing methods to involve the most vulnerable and marginalized.