"Advocacy Training Workshop"
REPORT
Tsakhkadzor, 27-30 July, 2004
In the period of July 1 – September 15, 2004 Armenian Young Lawyers
Association implemented the sub-project “Training of Trainers on Advocacy
for NGOs” in the bounds of a larger project "The Armenia - Public
Sector Reform Programme", which was carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers
Inc. on the financial support of Great Britain’s Department for International
Development (DFID). The sub-project was aimed at organizing “Advocacy
Trainings” for the representatives of Armenian NGOs.
19 representatives from 17 Armenian non-governmental organizations were trained
in the first three-day Advocacy Training Workshop, which took place in Tsakhkadzor
on July 27-30, 2004. Alan Gogbashian, an international expert conducted the
training. Karen Zadoyan, AYLA President assisted him and conducted the training
as well. Experts David Abgaryan, AYLA Vice-President and Gerasim Barseghyan,
President of "Areg-73 Scientific-Cultural Youth Association" NGO
also presented their reports. The workshop was held using the interactive methods.
The participants listened to the reports, held discussions and carried out
group-works and exercises. Karen Zadoyan, AYLA President, Carl Ulbricht, expert
of the project "The Armenia - Public Sector Reform Programme" and
international expert Alan Gogbashian held speeches at the beginning of the
workshop.
In accordance with the agenda each day of the three-day workshop was carried
out in the following way: first the trainers and the participants introduced
their reports and held speeches, after that they held discussions and carried
out group-works, exercises and plays. The participants then introduce key social
policy problems. The working day was accomplished with practical session and
summarizing of the day’s work.
The first day of the workshop started with introduction of the organizations
by the NGO representatives. They explained the orientation of their organizations,
their role and importance, as well as their expectations from the workshop.
Then Alan Gogbashian took the floor with the report on introduction to advocacy,
where he explained the meaning and the essence of that phenomenon. After Mr.
Gogbashian’s report, four participants introduced their key social policy
problems (all the participants of the workshop in their turn introduced their
social policy problems during the three days of the workshop). In the result
of the discussions the participants defined 4 main problems, which had global
importance. The participants were split into 4 groups. Each group started elaborating
a strategic plan on advocacy aimed at solving the problem. Alan Gogbashian,
Karen Zadoyan, David Abgaryan and Gerasim Barsegyan coordinated the group works.
Alan Gogbashian’s report “Revealing of the Problem - the First
Stage” of the Advocacy Cycle opened the second working day. Then David
Abgaryan introduced his report on “The Structure of the Government and
the Legislative Reforms”, which was followed by hot and effective discussions.
After that Alan Gogbashian introduced the 2nd report of the Advocacy Cycle “Study
and Analysis”. Thereafter Karen Zadoyan presented and discussed the Manual
on Participatory Activities. Then Alan Gogbashian introduced the 3rd report
of the Advocacy Cycle “Planning”. At the end of the second working
day the 4 work-groups continued work on the elaboration of the strategic plan
on advocacy.
On the third working day of the workshop Alan Gogbashian read the 4th and 5th
reports on “Realization of the Activities” and “Evaluation” of
the Advocacy Cycle. Gerasim Barseghyan reported on “Mass Media in Armenia”.
After Mr. Barseghyan’s report the participants practiced an exercise
on “Media Coverage of NGO Activities” and organized a press conference.
The media representatives asked questions to the NGO representatives to clarify
the NGO role and importance. After that the four work-groups continued their
work on the elaboration of the strategic plan on advocacy aimed at solving
the chosen problems.
On the fourth day each of the 4 work-groups summarized the carried out activities,
which were based on the results of the first three days of the workshop and
introduced the elaborated strategic plan on Advocacy. At the end, the participants
summarized the results of the workshop and made conclusions. They also filled
in the evaluation papers of the workshop. All participants received certificates.
