Eurasia Foundation’s Community Engagement and Accountability Initiative was a grassroots approach to increase openness at the local and national levels. Designed in response to community needs and based on EF’s experience supporting civil society capacity development, this program provided organizations with the training and governance skills needed to address their organizational challenges and exercise greater influence on local decision-making. With this initiative, EF helped organization leaders be more accountable to their constituents.

The program’s three interactive online courses aimed to strengthen CSOs’ capacity to engage citizens and develop long-term community trust and involvement by facilitating productive dialogues, sustaining long-term partnerships, and providing the tools to design effective projects that reflect community needs. The online courses adopted a framework centered on amplifying the voices of the least powerful constituents.

After completing the remote coursework and exercises, CSO leaders implemented outreach campaigns that incorporated the strategies they learned, including meeting with constituents in a participatory design or co-creation process to respond to constituent-identified needs.

EF continued to coach both participating organizations and their constituents as they collaborated to implement their campaigns for transparency.

To establish a continual learning loop, the program fostered international networks of CSOs and identified and shared best practices among them. Select civil society leaders participated in a multi-day workshop in Georgia to continue learning about community organizations in other environments and establish relationships with their international counterparts.

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CODIME built a robust community of practice focused on understanding regional disinformation trends, resisting and refuting these narratives, and fact-checking best practices. This community of practice centered around CODIME’s digital hub. The platform served as a public interface for Arabic-speaking professionals to access the latest tools in fact-checking, regional trends, and open-source investigation, and hosted a range of multimedia pieces exploring contemporary issues across the Middle East.  

CODIME hosted multi-day workshops and trainings, where participants tackled a range of issues, including public health, education, culture, politics, finance, and digital hygiene. The project also supported in-depth journalistic investigations and multimedia campaigns. Pieces included fact-checking videos, podcasts, investigative reports, features, and human-interest stories, each of which was aimed at encouraging active engagement and critical thinking among media consumers. 

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With the generous support of the U.S. Embassy in Amman, EF first assessed existing linkages between Jordanian and American universities and create a roadmap for developing robust and long-term institutional partnerships. In collaboration with institutions in both countries, EF explored a range of partnership models, including student and faculty exchange, research collaboration, and joint degree programs. EF examined the regulatory and enabling environment in Jordan for expanding international linkages. Subsequently, EF issued a written assessment with a set of comprehensive guidelines and strategies for catalyzing new partnerships and set a clear path for sustained cooperation.

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The project was funded by IREX through its Regional Assistance Program and the U.S. Department of State.

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EF supported the creation of several tools to help with stakeholder mapping and analysis, developed an outreach and communications strategy, and guided lobbying efforts. EF also provided strategic guidance on the creation of campaign content including brochures, videos, and online communication tools. As a result, ACRLI and local stakeholders in Jordan were able to propose concrete legislative changes, including a proposal to introduce specialized bankruptcy courts, while stakeholders in Egypt successfully launched a campaign around the need for a robust legal framework for bankruptcy.

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Building on the latest international practices in entrepreneurship development, EF developed tailored course curricula that accounted for both local opportunities and limitations for starting a new business. EF’s training approach promoted dynamic and proactive business planning, and offered new entrepreneurs the agility and flexibility needed to turn unexpected changes and outcomes into opportunities for innovation and success. Each online course was led by a team of skilled instructors who provided advice and support based on an entrepreneur’s needs and business goals.

In addition to technical expertise, participants gained confidence, courage, and determination as they worked collectively to solve problems and overcome obstacles. As a result of the program, a community of women entrepreneurs emerged, serving as an indispensable source of encouragement and support and new economic opportunity.

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The program offered a set of interactive online courses, led by subject-matter experts, on project planning and management, financial management, human resource management, and interpersonal skills. EF used a social learning approach to spur creativity and collaboration among aspiring social entrepreneurs. Throughout the courses, participants exchanged ideas, problem-solved, and offered guidance as they implemented social projects in their communities. The program also offered one-on-one coaching and consultations to build local expertise on program evaluation and fundraising practices. Through this program, EF also developed a series of practical resources on leadership skills addressing topics such as effective team-building, strategic thinking, and conflict management.

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