EFC and the Donors and Foundations’ Networks in Europe (DAFNE) agreed to undertake a joint project to collect comparable data and evaluate the The project aims to initiate discussions and learning events within the foundation sector and beyond, and to assess potential future action for different stakeholders where appropriate. ECNL serves as an external consultant in the project that runs until early 2011 and helps design the methodology and structure of the mapping of the regulatory and soft-law approaches and provides a written analysis of collected data in the target countries including an assessment of potential additional measures with regard to transparency and accountability of public benefit foundations.

ECNL is a Technical Assistance Advisor within the framework of the International Monetary Fund’s program in Indonesia. Along with the Charity Commission’s International Programme ECNL provides short-term expertise in assisting the Indonesian authorities in drafting and implementing the Government Regulations relating to the oversight of NGOs.

ECNL provides technical assistance with respect to ICNL’s contract with the Academy for Educational Development relating to the possible establishment of a civil society support fund in Jordan. The aim of the project is to produce a white paper and organize an interministerial retreat with respect to government support to CSOs. ECNL is taking the lead in developing the white paper and provides recommendations for and help to contact appropriate experts of funds or foundations that support civil society to appear at the interministerial retreat. ECNL also assists in developing an agenda and content for the retreat.

ECNL was awarded a short-term expert position to prepare a publication on “Public funding for Civil Society Organizations Good practices in EU and Western Balkans“. Within the framework of the 2-year IPA-funded project on CSO development in the Balkans, ECNL’ll develop a comparative publication on public financing mechanisms in Croatia, Macedonia, UK, Hungary and Estonia for the TACSO Montenegro office.

ECNL prepared an assessment report on the legal framework for civil society under ICNL’s project funded by ISC Kosovo. The Report provides an initial assessment of the legal framework in the key areas of NGO – government relations in Kosovo, and also in regard to immediate needs to advance the legal framework for NGOs. Based on European best practices and regional experiences, it then sets out issues for the strategic consideration of stakeholders in their efforts to advocate for a more enabling environment for civil society in Kosovo.

Currently, ECNL serves as a consultant to ISC Kosovo on technical aspects of the administrative instruction of the NGO law and its implementation, reviews draft laws impacting civil society on the needs basis, provides comparative analysis and ongoing legal advice on best practices in the region and beyond to CSOs and legal experts.

ECNL was contracted by UNDP Office for Europe & CIS to develop a comparative analysis and a Handbook on non-state models of social service delivery with examples from Armenia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The Handbook will also include European practices of social contracting that would assist the government officials in the mentioned countries and other CIS countries with improving or developing legal framework for the involvement of non-state actors in social services delivery. Three field visits were completed during which ECNL legal experts met with local NGOs and government representatives to collect information on local practices in social contracting. In addition, focus group meetings were held with local stakeholders, where ECNL experts shared good European practices.