The project is aimed at online representation of regional youth as well as increasing the amount of the newly registered NGOs. This will be achieved through the provision of services of the simplified and automated electronic preparation of constituent documents online. The project also aims at increasing the use of e-government practices and information about them. The project activity includes the set up of a specialized website that contains software tools using which the applicant without special legal knowledge will be able to make informed choices on the legal form of the future NGOs.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Minsk
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
Young people of Belarusian regions are at the very center of the project activities. As a lot of door to door interviews says 70 percent of young people who are living in regions want to leave the country, and without doubt, many wish to do so for because of lack if possibility to self-express. There is a need in a number of activities to protect our future – invest into regional youth. Young people, is exactly the target group that we want to work with. They are ready for changes, but the only thing that is necessary for every person is a push and a need for motivation. ICT and online presentation gives such a possibility. Youth in the capital and big cities is represented online through numerous interest groups, while regional lack ICT skills to launch a website or start an NGO.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Electronic Advocacy Center (Belarus). Electronic Advocacy Center (Belarus) is a recently established NGO that provides civic society organizations in Belarus with software solutions and technical support (programs, widgets), thus presenting achievements of modern software technologies to the CSO's, making them user-friendly.
Hackerspace club. Legal Status Hackerspace.by is a first in Belarus studio club, where enthusiasts are able to gather and form groups of interest, whether amateur radio, design, programming, simulation or even artistic creativity.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
There will be developed a system of preparation of constituent documents and on-line consultations on registration based on the orientation on legally unprepared audience: representative of the initiative group, answering questions adapted for non-lawyers, combined in a logical tree-tuned, will be able to fill in the necessary documents form. Depending on the preferences of each user, which will be reflected in his / her responses to the questions, he / she will in the end receive the filled constituent documents corresponding to their needs. The website wil also have the options of free consultation and a forum where young regional activists can gather together, share their views and ideas and be able to upload results of eir NGO activities (materials, links etc.) on the website.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
Our organization is a Full member of the «Belarusian Union of Youth and Children's Public Associations – BUYCPA RADA/National Youth Council. BUYCPA RADA is the member of the European Youth Forum (http://www.youthforum.org/). We expect that these links will be able to provide us with the necessary contact with the regional representatives and attract regional youth.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
System of preparation of constituent NGO documents for the youth groups through the online system will be simplified. Services provided by partner organizations for the small action groups on registration of legal entities will be promoted. Quality of applications and the constituent documents will be improved as well as the level of legal education of the initiative groups Effective and simple online interaction between the youth group on the registration of civil initiatives and legal consultants on the non-profit law will be promoted It is expected that not less than 50 initiative youth groups will use the online electronic document preparation system within half of year of the project realization, with at least half being later legally registered.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
There will be developed a system of preparation of constituent documents and on-line consultations on registration based on the orientation on legally unprepared audience: representative of the initiative group, answering questions adapted for non-lawyers, combined in a logical tree-tuned, will be able to fill in the necessary documents form. Depending on the preferences of each user, which will be reflected in his / her responses to the questions, he / she will in the end receive the filled constituent documents corresponding to their needs.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The events of the project team will be held in Hackerspace.by, first in Belarus studio club, where enthusiasts are able to gather and form groups of interest. It contains the premises of amateur workshop and laboratory. There are approximately 20 computers available and internet wifi connection.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
First of all, the project team partially consists of the young people who moved to large cities and thus they understand the problems that the regional youth face.
Secondly, we are a part of a larger Belarusian youth network, and we have an extensive experience working with Belarusian youth in the regions since 2009.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
The project is complementary to the activities already carried out by Youth Initiative. With its successful implementation, it will facilitate in other activities carried out by the Initiative, as well as partner NGOs and it will act for a few years. At the end of the project realization software created by the project (the platform) will become the know-how of the applicant organization and partner organizations, which will be able to use it freely for non-commercial activities. Thus, the newly establishing NGOs will be able to freely use the software tools and forum.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
System of preparation of constituent NGO documents for the regional groups through the online system will be simplified. Services provided by partner organizations for the small action groups on registration of legal entities will be promoted. Quality of applications and the constituent documents will be improved as well as the level of legal education of the initiative groups Effective and simple online interaction between the initiative group on the registration of civil initiatives and legal consultants on the non-profit law will be promoted It is expected that not less than 50 initiative groups will use the online electronic document preparation system within half of year of the project realization, with at least half being later legally registered. Forum regional youth will appear.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
Creation of software product: 1. Creation of a legal algorithm (“Tree of questions”) 1 month Electronic Advocacy Center (Belarus) 2. Establishment of legal algorithm in the form of an electronic platform (software part) 2 month YI. 3. Development of site structure 2 month YI, Electronic Advocacy Center (Belarus) 4. Collection and disposal of content (reference information, tips, links) 2 month YI, Electronic Advocacy Center (Belarus) 5. Testing and revision 2 month Electronic Advocacy Center (Belarus) Promotion of services 6. Designation of advertising platforms 3 month YI 7. Creation of electronic promotional materials 3 month YI 8. Search for stakeholders (sites) and placement of the plugin on their sites 3-6 month YI Activities on popularization of the service and maintenance: 9. Printing and distribution of promotional leaflets YI 10. Continuation of services’ provision 3-6 month, Electronic Advocacy Center (Belarus) , YI 10. Content management of website and froum, 3-6 month YI.
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Elaboration of algorithm for electronic registration: 2.5 USD per hour x 70 Working hours people = 175, compilation of background information: 2.5 usd per hour x 120 working hours = 300, updating legal database: 20 usd per month x 6 month= 120; Content management of the website: 180 usd x 5 month = 900
Promotion of services Printed promo-materials. 0,7 usd per unit x 100 Leaflets = 70; Banners. 20 usd per unit x 10 Days =200
Rent of premises for seminar-presentation in Minsk: 100 usd, Rent of premises for 3 seminar presentations in the regions : 100 usd x 3 = 300
Website hosting. 200 Usd per year x 1 year = 200 Website domain. 50 usd per year x 1 year = 50
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
Assistance may include provision of consultation on the issue of social networking
Contact name
Denis Kolga
Organization
NGO “Youth Initiative”
