"Umid" HSSC launched the second stage of its cooperation with CHF/International - Azerbaijan on Social Investment Initiative (SII) from November' 2002. The first stage of SII project, aimed at increasing community participation and organizational capacity building through providing technical assistance to implementation of infrastructure projects necessary for long-term planning, covered 152 southern, central and urban communities, i.e. 16 regions. As envisaged in the project, these communities acquired skills on project writing, project management and promoting project's sustainability. For this purpose, they are delivered the following trainings by "Umid" HSSC:

  • Mobilization;

  • Long-term Community Action Plan (L-CAP);

  • Sustainability and Management.

The second stage of the project envisages communities' capacity building to solve their own problems, and foundation of community-based economic development and democratic management.

For this purpose, "Umid" HSSC and CHF/Azerbaijan staff shared their experience, and training modules were improved in November-February. Experience of the first stage, strengths and weaknesses, as well as needs were taken into consideration in elaboration of modules. Besides it, information posters covering training topics were prepared to be submitted to communities.

Communities are delivered trainings beginning from the second part of February.

Communities receive different trainings depending on their coverage by the first stage of SII Program. So, communities participated in the first stage of SII Program receive one-day refresh training. These trainings on the topics of "Long-term Community Action Plan" and "Sustainability" focuses at organizational capacity building of communities through implementing projects within long-term planning. The followings are communities that received refresh training:

Gulustan (Ganja);
Yeni Khojavand (Beylagan);
Yukhari Kabirli (Beylagan);
Salmanbayli (Agjabadi);
Shirinbayli (Saatli);
Gazanbatan (Saatli);
Hajiselli (Yevlakh);
Alibayli (Agdam).

Communities that have not participated in the first stage of SII Program, but suits to selection criteria and selected to be targeted under the project are delivered 2-day "Sustainability and Management Plan" and "Long-term Community Action Plan" trainings. These are the following communities:

Varvara (Yevlakh);
Garagoyunlu (Barda);
Yeni Dashkend (Barda);
Dunyamalilar (Beylagan);

Trainings not only stimulate an implementation of the current project ("Community's readiness to participate in trainings" is also included in a list of selection criteria), but also Community Action Team (CAT) acquires some skills after completion of the project:

  • Identification of top problems;

  • Long-term planning (After implementation of a project on SII Program by 86% of communities in the first stage, various activities have been implemented within the framework of L-CAP);

  • Assessment and management of community resources;

  • Implementation of projects;

  • Promoting a sustainability of projects;

  • Looking for ways of economic opportunities extension to promote sustainability of projects.