About CONTACT Centre in brief
National Assistance and Information Centre for NGOs from Moldova CONTACT is a non-profit independent non-governmental organization that contributes to the development of the civil society in the Republic of Moldova by providing information, consulting, training, facilitation services, grants and technical assistance. It was registered by the Ministry of Justice on December 17, 1995 as a public institution. In 1997-1999 CONTACT Centre opened regional centers in Balti, Cahul, Soroca and Comrat.
Strategic profile - Platform of communication, resource, analysis, knowledge and skills for civil society and community leaders.
Strategic objectives:
1.
Strengthening capacities of Civil Society in Moldova.
2.
Improving the quality of life in rural communities by promoting and monitoring of local development policies, support and encourage citizen involvement in community life
3.
Promote good governance principles through active participation of citizens in decision making process and monitoring the activities of public authorities
Within the past years, CONTACT has successfully carried out its activity by extending the assistance provided for NGOs in Moldova in such cities as Chisinau, Balti, Cahul, Soroca, Comrat, Tirsapol and about
400 rural communities.
CONTACT Center participated in several programs and projects on facilitation of strategic planning activities of several localities in Moldova. CONTACT Center experts were involved in developing guidelines, methodical indications on the strategic planning process, developed methodological and didactic materials (videos, guides, PPT presentation) for different categories of civil servants in the country.
In recent years CONTACT Center has provided training services, assistance, and advisory sessions in different areas for local public authorities.
In 2007 and 2011 CONTACT experts participated in implementation of UNDP Project on training of local elected representatives from localities of the Republic. Within the approximately 200 seminars and trainings were trained over 6,000 councilors and mayors from 50 municipalities.
In 2008 CONTACT Centre facilitated elaboration of Local Economic Development Plans in
Şoldăneşti and Rezina city supported by UNDP.
In 2012 CONTACT Center implemented the project “Support CALM Women’s network,” supported by the UN Women, within which over 200 representatives of the local public authorities enhanced their knowledge of female leadership and became aware of the importance of developing and building female leadership in communities.
In 2009, the CONTACT Centre experts attended training courses on European projects management, delivered by the GIZ, and later, in 2010, they organized training courses addressed to representatives of LPAs, NGOs and other entities eligible for the EU funding programs, who wanted to acquire project development knowledge and skills, in order to facilitate their access to external funding sources. Trainings were delivered to three groups of participants, altogether 36 persons.
Training courses were structured in 4 modules of 2 days each.
Beneficiaries also received additional consulting after the end of the training course. 32 of the participants and submitted project proposals to different donors.

At the same time, through the Czech Public Association "People in Need” assistance was provided to Moldovan LPAs and NGOs in writing funding applications for European projects. Three zonal seminars for representatives of local public authorities were organized, where participants had the possibility to study EU application templates and benefited from methodological assistance in writing draft applications on behalf of municipalities.
CONTACT experts considered individually draft applications submitted by municipalities and provided over 70 hours of consultations.
Also, experts provided assistance in preparing the documentation, and as a result, five municipalities submitted applications for grants from the European Union within the Operational Program
Romania-Ukraine-Republic of Moldova on cross-border cooperation, in the total amount of EUR
5,993,000.
In 2011, the CONTACT Centre experts provided training services in writing funding applications for
EU programs to about 200 newly elected mayors, beneficiaries of a project implemented by the
International Republican Institute in Moldova (IRI).
The CONTACT Centre has partnership relations with several non-governmental organizations from
Ukraine and Romania, focused on the community development by attracting European and international funds.
In particular, in 2010, the CONTACT Centre in partnership with the Civil Society Development
Foundation from Romania and the Bucovina Center for Reconstruction and Development from Ukraine implemented the Project “Strengthening the involvement of Moldovan, Ukrainian and Romanian civil
society organizations in the ENPI programming,” unreeled within the East East Program: Partnership beyond Borders (EE:PBBP), where the participation opportunities of NGOs and LPAs from Romania,
Ukraine and Moldova in the accession to European funds were widely discussed.
Within the last year CONTACT Centre actively participated in local development process on all economic and social levels especially paying attention on localities from security zone. Thus during May
2014 – January 2015, with the support of USAID within LGSP Program, the team of CONTACT Centre experts developed activities focused on local government support of 14 partner – cities by developing
Integrated Local Development Strategies in - Briceni, Donduşeni, Ocniţa, Edineţ, Râşcani, Floreşti, Soroca,
Glodeni, Făleşti, Criuleni, Anenii Noi, Cimişlia, Cahul, Leova.
As well as CONTACT Centre conducted activities in the development and adoption of integrated sustainable development strategic local plans and development of energy efficiency chapter in the following partner cities: Hincesti, Calarasi, Nisporeni, Basarabeasca and Stefan Voda.
Thus we involved in our activities 5 cities from security zone: Floreşti, Soroca, Anenii Noi, Stefan Voda,
Criuleni. At the end we achieved the following results at the local level:

14 public hearings organized with the participation of 1058 people;

In 5 localities developed strategic framework and energy efficiency component

178 proposals for improvement of produced documents

452 citizens from security zone (LPA representatives, community leaders, business representatives, social workers, etc.) involved in the the process of strategic planning
Within another initiative implemented in 2014 - “Strengthening capacities of communities on both banks of the Nistru River to implement joint development initiatives” Ref 14/00884, CONTACT Centre concentrated its efforts on providing of large number of trainings to community leaders from communities on both banks of the Nistru River. At the end we managed to achieve the following results:


275 community leaders trained within 3 Modules of training (Community mobilization, strategic planning; Project Management, Fundraising and Partnerships; Results Based Management )

61 communities involved (29 from left bank, 32 right bank of Nistru) within 20 training – days

A number of partnerships developed between representatives of both banks
The CONTACT Center has a staff of 15 own and co-opted experts - facilitators able to provide consulting and coaching services in all areas of activity of civil society organizations and LPA. In 2013, seven CONTACT experts attended 60 hours of training courses, delivered by Romanian specialized agencies and received
Project Manager Certificates