The first online Training of Trainers organized under the IRIS NETWORKing – CSOs for protection sensitive migration management was a great success! Over the course of 7 days, more than 20 participants from the Iris Network from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia have joined forces with the exquisite, experienced trainers in the domain of Migration Management and Adult Learning.
The third Iris Network Regional Social Academy is successfully completed – three days, 36 participants, exchange of experiences, and shared know-how for the benefit of all participants and their organizations. We talked about the application of agile methods in management, as well as the structural changes that this way of management brings.
Although in an online environment, this Academy has had the added importance of connecting Iris Network members, for their exchange of opinions, experiences, and knowledge about both agile management and the work of their organizations.
Newsletter:
Recommendations for CSOs in providing services to migrants on the Serbia – Bosnia route
Support to projects of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) – social service providers in SEE in scope of the project „IRIS NETWORKing – CSOs for protection sensitive migration management
Author’s word
The recommendations at your disposal are the result of research that was intended to assist the work of civil society organizations (CSOs) working in the field in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Seen from the perspective of migrants as beneficiaries, as well as CSO representatives, the authors wanted to draw a parallel and a kind of self-assessment is the fieldwork of the organizations recognized by the migrants, and is it considered useful?
Given that state institutions are primarily responsible for the registration and reception of refugees and asylum seekers, we need to carefully set and build our position to become a reliable pillar of support that both the state and beneficiaries can count on. In this coordination, mutual praise and constructive criticism are a necessary prerequisite for progress, in order to create the conditions for qualitative and quantitative improvement of
the overall efforts to overcome the migrant crisis that had its biggest breakthrough in 2015. The research did not aim at assessing the work of state structures, on the contrary, but overview and analyze services provided by CSOs, bearing in mind that the role of CSO is not only providing direct help, but also the role of mediator in referring beneficiaries to an already existing institutional framework of support and services.
With the best intention of helping and doing our job well, we forget to evaluate our work by those who are being helped. Equally important, an evaluation of our work is needed by others who provide this assistance, which may be the object for some future research. With sincerely hope that these Recommendations can be of use to you as a CSO representative, we thank you for your time.
Association of citizens Sigma Plus – Nis, Serbia
Association Nova Generacija – Banja Luka, BiH
**Recommendation are made within the project „Route services“ implemented by NGO Sigma Plus, Serbia in cooperation with Association Nova Generacija, BiH within the IRIS Network small grants scheme with financial support of EU
Publication, download link:
Iris Network conducted the survey “Social services during coronavirus pandemic in Western Balkan
countries” in order to assess the current state of the pandemic as well as the repercussions it will have on
the provision of social services to beneficiaries provided by IRIS Network members in the local
communities. The results of the survey serve as a baseline for this Report.
The Report provides a particular overview of the actual challenges and hardships that CSO providers of
social services encounter in working with beneficiaries in light of the pandemic predicament. It also serves
to map assistance models and as an instrument in advocating for policies and measures of
national/regional/ EU Institutions which focus on service providers during and after the crises implicated
by COVID-19.
Read the full report at the link below
IRIS network is publishing call for the tenderers for the service of “Consultant for mentoring – assisting CSOs in acquirement of licenses for provision of social services (fulfilment of quality standards) and mentoring in overall strategic development of the CSO in question”. Tender is open in the framework of the project: “IRIS NETWORKing – CSOs for protection sensitive migration management“
The Contracting Authority is tasked to organise Capacity Building of CSOs providing social services activities. One of the measures is Mentoring program – Assisting CSOs in acquirement of licenses for provision of social services, fulfilment of quality standards and Mentoring in overall strategic development of the CSO in question.
Please find more information on the following link.
Contract notice SRB1801-012
– Contract notice SRB1801-012
Content of Tender Dossier
– Content of Tender Dossier
– Instructions to tenderes
– IRIS Action Fact Sheet
Contract & Special Conditions
– Contract & Special Conditions
– Contract Natural person
– Annex I – General Conditions
– Terems of Reference Mentoring
– Organisation and Methodolgy
– Key Expert
– Budget
Administrative grid
– Administrative grid
– Evaluation grid
– References
Tender form
– Tender form
– Annex VI – Leg Entity Company
– Annex VI – Leg Entity Natural Person & copy of ID
Assessing social progress in the Western Balkans 2016
This country report provides policy recommendations on how to strengthen social inclusion and protection of minorities in the Western Balkan region and how to enable the environment for CSOs to provide social services. It focuses on recent developments that have taken place since January 2016.
This country report is based on inputs provided by members of the IRIS Network, a regional network that brings together CSOs providing social services in the Western Balkans: Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia . The inputs provided by partners in the Western Balkans are focused on the following sections:
1. Social inclusion, human rights and protection of minorities;
2. The situation of civil society organizations as service providers.
The IRIS network has been founded in the in the framework of the EU-funded project “Improving the provision of Social Service Delivery in South Eastern Europe through the empowerment of national and regional CSOs”, implemented by the consortium of LIR CD BiH, OGI Croatia, EDC Serbia, SOS TELEPHONE Montenegro, CLARD Kosovo, ARSIS Albania, ASYD FYROM, and SOLIDAR – led by ASB Germany.
IRIS Network members: ASB, Solidar, LIRCD, ASYD and EDC, participated in Framework Partnership Agreements (FPAs) Closing Event on 10 -11 November 2016 in Skopje. The aim of the event is to discuss issue concerning general development of the civil society in the Western Balkans and Turkey and to generate concrete self-reflective recommendations for further improvements concerning civil society organizations (CSOs) and CSO networks, but focusing on needed internal changes – values, strategic approaches, relevance, constituencies, public image and other issues.
During the Event, IRIS Network presented achievements regarding social service provider capacity building and policy influencing in 7 countries in SEE. The participants discussed the current issues concerning the civil society in the region and identified other pending issues in the thematic areas of: environment, governance, and social development.
The conference was attended by representatives of the FPA projects, relevant key representatives from public institutions and CSOs from the Western Balkans and Turkey as well as representatives from EU institutions.
The IRIS Network is led by Arbeiter Samariter Bund e.V who is main social partner in Germany, and trough Forieign aid to South East Europe and other regions/countries around the world. Countries of Western Balkans (WB) are characterized with the transitional situation affected by extreme levels of unemployment, social exclusion and poverty.
IRIS Network established strong partnerships with the relevant decision makers and institutions representing and is actively involved in many aspects of the policy development, changing legislation and consulting processes. Representatives of the IRIS network are members of the various coordinating bodies and councils at the national and local levels. Principally, network encourages founding and the work of social councils which are counseling bodies of regional and local self-government.
Read more here.