Community Investment Program started to be implemented under the financial support of BTC in October of 2004 and lasted till March of 2005. This is one of the community development programs in Azerbaijan.

Within the framework of the program, Umid provided the trainings to 48 Community Groups mobilized by "Save the Children” on the following four topics in six western regions of Azerbaijan (Yevlakh, Goranboy, Samukh, Shamkir, Tovuz and Akstafa):

  • Community Management; Community Fund and its Usage;

  • Needs Assessment and Project Proposal Writing;

  • Long Term Community Action Plan;

  • Sustainability and Management Plan.

Based on the needs, refresh training on "Sustainability and Management” was provided to 14 communities.

Training goal:

 

Community Management; Community Fund and its Usage – To provide the Community Group with more detailed management structure, give information about the formation and dynamic progress of the Community Fund;
Needs Assessment and Project Proposal Writing – To demonstrate new methods for identification of community’s priorities or problems, and explain the ways of project proposal writing;

 

Long Term Community Action Plan – To provide recommendations to the Community Group on elaboration of the action plan for the next one year, and long-term community action plan;

Sustainability and Management Plan – To demonstrate the most effective ways for the Community Group on the protection and efficient usage of the existing buildings and future projects;

Refresh training – To update the information provided to communities, and provide them with new directions.

Related to the completion of the project and in order to gauge the impact of the trainings provided by "Umid” HSSC, monitoring group of "Save the Children” visited Goranboy region Eyvazlilar and Samukh region Hadjialili communities on 20th of February of 2005. The group monitored mainly development of the Community Fund by the CAT after the training, and implementation of activities in accordance with L-CAP and S&MP elaborated by the community group.

 

As a result of the trainings provided by Umid the Community Leaders gained presentation skills that are very important for the establishment of relations with different stakeholders and for fundraising activities.