2004 – 2006
STRATEGIC PLAN
OF
ARMENIAN YOUNG LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

CONTENTS
1.	Historical Overview
2.	Brief Analysis of the Organization’s Activities
3.	Future Vision
4.	Mission and Values
5.	AYLA’s Strategic Goals, Objectives and Action Plan
6.	Expectations
7.	Monitoring and Evaluation
8.	Appendix 1

2. Brief Analysis of the Organization’s Activities

AYLA implements its activities on the assumption of its mission, goals and objectives. We can indicate to principal directions of AYLA's activities:
a) Raise of the legal consciousness among the population and defending their rights:
The organization has been carrying out activities to achieve this goal since its establishment. AYLA was more actively involved in this sphere in 1999 after the establishment of two regional offices in the provinces. Later the number of the offices grew. AYLA offices are carrying out the fallowing activities aimed at raising the legal consciousness among the population and defending the rights of socially vulnerable layers of the population:

• free legal services,
• protection of the rights and legal interest in court,
• publication and dissemination of newsletters referring to different areas of Armenian Legislation,
• broadcast of TV and radio programs on different legal issues,
• organization of legal seminars for the population.

The organization has published the study "Legal Services in Armenia" and the manual "Centers Providing Free Legal Services and Information Dissemination".

b) Activities aimed at raising the professional level of young lawyers, law students and advocates:
This is one of the organization's principle goals as well, which AYLA has been implementing since its establishment. The organization began to work more actively in this sphere since 1999 when it established Legal Training and Information Centers in its central office and later in the regional offices as well. These centers include modern legal libraries, RA legislative computer software program, Internet connection, computers as well as modern technical equipment. The above-mentioned resources are provided to the beneficiaries- the young lawyers, attorneys and the law students. AYLA offices organize professional trainings, seminars, discussions and other events as well. The centers also organize computer courses and courses of English language.
In addition to above mentioned, the organization carried out other activities as well. The organization has actively participated and currently is supporting to judicial and legal reforms in Armenia and especially in the sphere of advocacy. AYLA has organized a number of seminars and discussions, including an international seminar on the reforms in advocacy sphere. The organization has implemented and is currently carrying out projects on refugee issues and migration.
The organization has carried out sound activities aimed at the formation of NGO sector in Armenia. It was involved in the establishment of the legal environment regulating the activities of non-governmental organizations as well as in its further development and improvement. The organization will continue carrying out these activities in future.
AYLA has initiated the establishment of the Coalition of Organizations providing Free Legal Services and launched its website www.legalaid.am as well as the Coalition of the Organizations working in the Social Sphere.
One of the strong aspects of AYLA is its internal institutional development, which is realized as follows:

• Realization of the self-assessment of the organization's activities in the course of the last years with the support of the advisor of the Armenian office of American Bar Association Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (ABA CEELI),
• Elaboration and realization of the organization's development plan for 2003 based on the self-assessment
• Realization of the international audit on the financial activities of the organization in 2001-2002 and the positive conclusion of the audit
• Introduction of the computerized accounting system
• Elaboration and launching of the organization's website (www.ayla.am)
  Parallel to the mentioned above strong aspects the organization has the following weak aspects as well:
• Financial unpredictability and shortage of self-financing means:

At present the greater part of the organization's budget is formed by means of grants received from international and foreign organizations. It is quite possible that the international donor organizations may change their policy or even stop their activities. This may cause financial unpredictability of the organization, as its self-financing sources are still insufficient to secure the organizations activities. Currently the organization has two sources of revenue: the membership dues and the income from its commercial organization.
The membership dues make about 1 or 2 percents of the overall annual budget of the organization, which is quite insufficient to insure the organization's activities. The limited liability company, which the organization had established, initially displayed certain activities. Currently the LLC does not carry out almost any activity. Yet the renewal of the commercial organization is planed after the reforms.

• Lack of the own office space of AYLA's branches in some regions:
  The existence of own office space reduces the expenses and is rather essential from the financial and sustainability aspects of the organization. Although the organization has obtained own office spaces in Yerevan, Kapan and Gyumri, yet the issue of purchasing own office spaces for its regional branches will greatly support to insure the organization's financial sustainability.
• The dependence of AYLA's regional offices from the Central Office:
  The regional offices of the organization are still unable to gain financial means that are necessary to organize the uninterrupted activities independently. This is the reason of their dependence form the Central Office, which secures their financial stability. The regional offices should gradually pass to independent self - financing and cooperate with donor organizations in the bounds of the organization's mission as well as develop self-financing sources.
• Lack of direct connections between AYLA members:
  It is necessary to develop more active relations between AYLA members parallel with the growth of the organization's membership and especially pay more attention to the development of the relationship between the members of the regional branches. Organization of mass events, which will insure contacts among the members as well as develop ties, is still insufficient in this aspect.