PROJECTS FOR COMBATING POVERTY

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www.eeagrants.org www.fondong.fdsc.ro

Recognizing the relevance, the committed e�orts and the quality of the

social services built and supported by NGOs

In a constant reality of Romania where poverty and social exclusion a�ects over 40% of the population (Eurostat, 2014),

the NGOs have become a crucial part in implementing what had been intended as a consistent public policy in the social

field.

Unfortunately, in a system impacted by continuous reforms and adjustments, the non-governmental organizations

have been under constant pressure to identify resources to support the people in vulnerable situations, to ensure a

continuity of this support as to increase the chances of improving people's lives, to empower them to change their status

from being assisted to being active.

In the same time, the NGOs have constantly invested energy in determining the decision makers to restructure the

social service system: to promote public policies focused on the beneficiary and its needs, to facilitate access to services

in areas and to categories of people that the public system has failed over time to ensure the minimum support required.

The fact that almost half of the accredited social services providers in Romania are non-governmental organizations is

more like a reflection of the needs that must be addressed at the community level. By no means, however, does this

relieve the State from the obligation to ensure availability and access to basic services through the e�ective recalibration

of the institutional structures and available financial resources.

The social services provided by non-governmental organizations represent an intervention as complex (serving

beneficiaries in several dimensions, in parallel) as it is profound (serving a smaller number of beneficiaries than a public

institution, the organizations adapt their services much easier in order to respond as closely to the needs of the

vulnerable persons).

Accountable firstly to the community they serve and only secondly to the specific procedures of the centralized social

systems, the NGOs are in a constant process of developing standards of service. Often faced with the growing needs of

the vulnerable groups, they turn into an agent of change, impacting even the way the public institutions are providing

social services.

Through a consistent financial allocation under the NGO Fund for the provision of basic social services (9.6 million

euros) and for social justice issues (4.5 million euros) the aim was the enhancing of the capacity among NGOs, the

streamlining of their services, the creation of new services, the growth and professionalization of existing ones and the

sustainable development of partnership relations.

The diversity of the provided services (over 150 social and basic services were provided just in 2015), the development

of intervention methodologies tailored to a direct need that is also enabling the complementarity of the available support,

the quality of service, the direct involvement of beneficiaries in evaluating these services and the changes of attitude are

some of the results of the identifiable communities where the funded NGOs directly intervened.

In February 2016, the Romanian Government published a national anti-poverty package with specific intervention

measures addressing all ages and especially children. An analysis of the objectives and intervention methods shows that

about 160 of the NGO Fund projects are relevant to 27 of these measures (i.e. 57% of the package).

The Romanian Government's stated intention to expand such measures and services nationally is a further proof of

the e�ectiveness of the social NGOs, almost a quarter of the active NGOs in Romania. However, the government’s

openness to take over the models tested by NGOs is also a test: can the public system of social assistance successfully

integrate the measures through which the NGOs serve their community? Should the methods used by NGOs be taken

over by the public institutions that provide social assistance or should the public social assistance budget be instead

contracted in an increasingly larger proportion by the NGOs?

The schematic structure of the contribution of the projects funded under the NGO Fund in defining the government

package of measures is presented below.

Recognizing the relevance, the committed e�orts and the quality of the

social services built and supported by NGOs

In a constant reality of Romania where poverty and social exclusion a�ects over 40% of the population (Eurostat, 2014),

the NGOs have become a crucial part in implementing what had been intended as a consistent public policy in the social

field.

Unfortunately, in a system impacted by continuous reforms and adjustments, the non-governmental organizations

have been under constant pressure to identify resources to support the people in vulnerable situations, to ensure a

continuity of this support as to increase the chances of improving people's lives, to empower them to change their status

from being assisted to being active.

In the same time, the NGOs have constantly invested energy in determining the decision makers to restructure the

social service system: to promote public policies focused on the beneficiary and its needs, to facilitate access to services

in areas and to categories of people that the public system has failed over time to ensure the minimum support required.

The fact that almost half of the accredited social services providers in Romania are non-governmental organizations is

more like a reflection of the needs that must be addressed at the community level. By no means, however, does this

relieve the State from the obligation to ensure availability and access to basic services through the e�ective recalibration

of the institutional structures and available financial resources.

The social services provided by non-governmental organizations represent an intervention as complex (serving

beneficiaries in several dimensions, in parallel) as it is profound (serving a smaller number of beneficiaries than a public

institution, the organizations adapt their services much easier in order to respond as closely to the needs of the

vulnerable persons).

Accountable firstly to the community they serve and only secondly to the specific procedures of the centralized social

systems, the NGOs are in a constant process of developing standards of service. Often faced with the growing needs of

the vulnerable groups, they turn into an agent of change, impacting even the way the public institutions are providing

social services.

Through a consistent financial allocation under the NGO Fund for the provision of basic social services (9.6 million

euros) and for social justice issues (4.5 million euros) the aim was the enhancing of the capacity among NGOs, the

streamlining of their services, the creation of new services, the growth and professionalization of existing ones and the

sustainable development of partnership relations.

The diversity of the provided services (over 150 social and basic services were provided just in 2015), the development

of intervention methodologies tailored to a direct need that is also enabling the complementarity of the available support,

the quality of service, the direct involvement of beneficiaries in evaluating these services and the changes of attitude are

some of the results of the identifiable communities where the funded NGOs directly intervened.

In February 2016, the Romanian Government published a national anti-poverty package with specific intervention

measures addressing all ages and especially children. An analysis of the objectives and intervention methods shows that

about 160 of the NGO Fund projects are relevant to 27 of these measures (i.e. 57% of the package).

The Romanian Government's stated intention to expand such measures and services nationally is a further proof of

the e�ectiveness of the social NGOs, almost a quarter of the active NGOs in Romania. However, the government’s

openness to take over the models tested by NGOs is also a test: can the public system of social assistance successfully

integrate the measures through which the NGOs serve their community? Should the methods used by NGOs be taken

over by the public institutions that provide social assistance or should the public social assistance budget be instead

contracted in an increasingly larger proportion by the NGOs?

The schematic structure of the contribution of the projects funded under the NGO Fund in defining the government

package of measures is presented below.

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PROJECTS

7MEASURE

Ultrasound and medical

screening at birth01

PROJECTS3

MEASURE

No child without PNC

(Personal Numerical Code) 02

PROJECTS

3MEASURE

Extending the

“Medical Caravans to

Villages” program03.2

PROJECT

1MEASURE

Monitoring the law

enforcement of

"Every child in Kindergarten" 3.1

1PROJECT

School supplies and clothes

for preschoolers who

receive social tickets 3.2MEASURE

PROJECTS

2MEASURE

Healthy children

in kindergarten 3.3

0 - 3yrs.

3 - 6yrs.

3 - 6yrs.

3 - 6yrs.

0yrs.

0yrs.

3/7

PROJECTS

40MEASURE

The school as a engine

for inclusion in

disadvantaged areas6.1

PROJECTS

29MEASURE

"School after School"

Nationwide program

in disadvantaged schools 6.2

PROJECT1

MEASURE

"Second Chance"

Nationwide program

in disadvantaged areas6.3

PROJECTS

4MEASURE

Schools accessible

to children 6.6

PROJECTS

2MEASURE

Integrating national programfor unemployed youth which

are not encompassed ineducation nor in

professional formation(NEETs)

16.1

PROJECTS

9MEASURE

Active employment

measures 24.1

6 - 18yrs.

6 - 18yrs.

6 - 18yrs.

6 - 18yrs.

16 - 24yrs.

24 - 65yrs.

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PROJECTS

12MEASURE

Rural

entrepreneurship24.2

PROJECTS

3MEASURE

Social

entrepreneurship 24.4

12PROJECTS

Implementation and

monitoring

of the national strategy

for promoting active

aging and elderly

protection

65.1MEASURE

PROJECTS

45MEASURE

Multifunctional

community centers 65.3

PROJECTS

5MEASURE

Funding the home care

services

for the elderly65.5

PROJECTS

6MEASUREReducing the social

and family trauma

caused by

the pathology

associated with

the third age

65.6

24 - 65yrs.

24 - 65yrs.

+ 65yrs.

+ 65yrs.

+ 65yrs.

+ 65yrs.

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PROJECT

1MEASURE

Social housesF1

PROJECTS

19MEASURE

Reducing domestic

violence F5

PROJECTS

34MEASURE

Social team

integrated

in every communityF6

PROJECTS

2MEASURE

Deinstitutionalization

and transition

towards

community careF8

PROJECT

1MEASURE

Customizing

the interaction

between minors

and justiceF10

11PROJECTS

Health in

the rural area F12MEASURE

FAMILY

FAMILY

FAMILY

FAMILY

FAMILY

FAMILY

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PROJECTS

2MEASURE

Social canteensF13

PROJECTS

11MEASUREThe strategic map

of social services

and the need for

developing and

supplying themF14

PROJECTS

36MEASURE

Social inclusion

of people

with disabilitiesT3

www.eeagrants.org www.fondong.fdsc.ro

The approaches of the projects financed through the NGO Fund are complex and occur on several levels. The projects are addressing many

age groups and di�erent categories of beneficiaries. Thus, a project may include actions proposed in the measures of the national anti-poverty

package launched by the Government. The interventions made through the projects support people in situations of vulnerability pursuing the

activation of their potential, the exercise of their rights and the increase of access to various services.

Poverty among children and poverty in rural areas are addressed with priority by the funded projects. The situation, dramatic and

persistent, is approached not only regarding children, through education programs and support for school attendance, but also regarding

families through counseling, parenting skills development, access to employment etc. Thus, most projects are to be found in the group of

transverse measures aimed at the family and at the encouragement of school participation in disadvantaged areas. A significant number of

projects are aiming at increasing the quality of life of older people and people with disabilities.

On www.fondong.fdsc.ro you can find examples of NGOs interventions and their contribution to the fight against poverty.

*The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the SEE 2009 – 2014 Grants

FAMILY

FAMILY

TRANSVERSE

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