Client: Moldova Social Investment Fund

Year Completed: 2004

 

The Moldova Social Investment Fund was created to assist rural communities in the Republic of Moldova with capacity building and community development planning. Under IBI’s Development of Partnerships between Moldovan Communities project the firm facilitated sustainable community-level development. Through two main project components – extensive training and study tours – IBI worked with a group of diverse Moldovan community leaders to define development needs, understand limitations, devise appropriate strategic plans, and build relationships crucial for plan implementation and sustainability.

 

IBI designed and implemented an intensive two-week training program for Moldovan community leaders. Using IBI’s community development training manual, A Guide for Planning Civic Education and Action Campaigns, the company trained participants to identify community needs and to design and implement strategic plans that address these needs. Participants learned to conduct both informal information gathering exercises and formal focus group research to shape both needs assessment and decision-making. Moldovan leaders learned to develop and implement communications campaigns for their communities as a means of generating support for a particular development plan. IBI also advised participants on methods for establishing partnerships among all relevant community stakeholders.

 

Subsequently IBI provided technical assistance in organizing and carrying out two comprehensive study tours for the same Moldovan community leaders. The study tours provided solid reinforcement of knowledge gained and skills developed during the earlier training: Participants learned directly from counterparts in another country about best practice methods for establishing strategic plans, creating effective communications campaigns, and fostering relevant partnerships. During the study tours IBI organized a series of daily meetings with mayors, civil society organizations, and business leaders; and guided all discussions between participants and hosts.

 

Under this project IBI enabled Moldovan community leaders to bring together diverse views and interests in creating a unified development vision and subsequent strategic plan. Moreover, during the training sessions and the study tours, IBI facilitated the development of an informal network among various Moldovan community leaders; participants maintain contact and share information, techniques, successes, and failures.