Freedom of Information Center of Armenia (FOICA) NGO has completed the final external evaluation of the 19-month project entitled “Access to Information and Investigative Journalism for Better Informed Citizens” (“Informed Armenia”), co-funded by the European Union. The evaluation confirms that the project fully achieved its objectives, strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations to monitor state budgets in key sectors of EU–Armenia cooperation and empowering young journalists to engage in investigative reporting.
The project has worked to raise awareness on EU-Armenia relations, reforms expected from these relations, access to information issues, international best practices in respect to policies and watchdog strategies relating to the promotion of EU integration, with a special focus in the sectors of health, transport, energy efficiency, anti-discrimination, etc, covered by the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed by the EU and Armenia on 24 November 2017. The project outputs are in line with the priorities identified under EU Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society in Armenia 2018-20201, including but not limited to supporting Armenian civil society efforts to act as efficient government watchdogs and provide constructive contribution to governance reforms; provide targeted capacity building for civil society to engage with citizens and become more sustainable effectively.
The assessment highlights the project’s tangible results, including 23 sub-grants, extensive capacity-building activities for CSOs and media, creation of online platforms and tools for public oversight, and the establishment of sustainable cooperation mechanisms between civil society and government bodies. The project’s diverse thematic coverage — from environmental protection and public transport to e-governance and health — has contributed to broad public awareness and policy impact. Full Text of the Evaluation Report
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