Proiect finanțat prin granturile SEE 2009-2014,
în cadrul Fondului ONG in România
Launching event of the Norway-Romania, comparative
analysis regarding the provision and financing of the social
services, 2014 / Executive summary
1 . About the project
The analysis has been produced within the project
“NGOs Stronger Together!” - Lobby and advocacy for creating equal opportunities for
NGOs in accessing public funding.
The project is financed by the EEA grants, 2009-2014, within the NGO Fund in Romania.
This report does not necessarily represent the official position of the EEA Grants 20092014.
The project “NGOs Stronger Together! - Lobby and advocacy for equal opportunities in
accessing social services funding" Caritas Romania Confederation and its partners, the
Foundation "Aproape de Voi" Iași, Foundation" Pentru Voi" Timișoara, Caritas Alba Iulia,
Caritas Satu Mare and Caritas Norway has created an extensive consultation process
with a representative number of representative NGOs that provide social services in five
regions of the country (South, East, Central, West, North West) in order to formulate a
public policy for financing social services.
2 . About the objective
The main goal of the analysis is to identify elements and approaches of providing and
funding social services in Norway, with learning potential in formulating public policies
of funding social services in Romania. In this context the focus is on designing a friendly
framework for the development of the NGO sector in Romania.
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Proiect finanțat prin granturile SEE 2009-2014,
în cadrul Fondului ONG in România
3 . About the content
The substance of the analysis is given by learnings from presentations, deep interviews,
discussions and experiences during a study visit in Norway. The discussions are
presented in detail so each reader should be able to "take a seat" at these meetings.
The meetings with persons and institutions considered to be relevant for the project
purpose where prepared by the Norwegian partner of the project, Caritas Norway.
The study visit delegation was composed by representatives of all project partners. They
had de honor to meet the following personalities and institutions:
Hanne Serck-Hanssen, managing director and Anne Lise Fossland, consultant /
Norwegian Church Aid
Birgitte Brekke, secretary general / Frivillighet Norge
Alexander Golding, domestic affairs coordinator / Caritas NorwayKathrine Paulsen, special consultant / City of Oslo
Bengt Morten Wenstøb, Member of Parliament / Standing Committee on Labour and
Social Affairs Johannes Heggeland, secretary general and Børre Arnøy, spiritual / Church
City Mission Norway
The collected information and data where correlated with supplementary public
information sources.
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Proiect finanțat prin granturile SEE 2009-2014,
în cadrul Fondului ONG in România
4 .About the main learnings
In order to improve the general framework for civil society in Romania:

Advantages, values, resources and potential of civil society organizations in
Romania should be identified, quantified and promoted

Visibility of the non-governmental sector should be enhanced at the level of the
large publicity, the authorities and the economic agents

Civil society organizations should aggregate in representative and strong umbrella
associations, capable for representation, lobby and advocacy

Civil society organizations should be included in all stages of the governance
process on central, regional and local level

Conditions for cooperation and funding (incl. public funding) for civil society
organizations in general and social services provider NGO's in special should be
relaxed.

Fiscal facilities for persons and economic agents supporting civil society
organizations in general, and social services provider NGO's in special should be
ensured

The special status of NGO's of public utility, including the relaxation of financing
and contracting conditions for services of public utility should be regulated

Tax and VAT facilities and exemptions for civil society organizations developing
activities of public utility in general and social services providing NGO's should be
ensured
In order to improve the general framework for providing social services in Romania:

Reliable data and studies regarding the social reality and the access to social and
medical services should be collected and developed, presented and interpreted to
political deciders and the large publicity.

A comprehensive definition of social services, with interdisciplinary (social,
medical, educational, socio-pedagogical, therapeutically...) approach should be
developed

A minimal-package of social services should be defined as a universal
right for all citizens, without discrimination of any kind.
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Proiect finanțat prin granturile SEE 2009-2014,
în cadrul Fondului ONG in România

The financial background for providing social services should be improved by
complementing the local authorities budget with "earmarked" funding from the
central state budget

Minimal professional, administrative and economic standards, including
sustainability and value-based criteria should be developed for these services

The special status of social care providers of public utility should be regulated

Exemptions from public procurement procedures in case of only one existing
providers should be made

Possibility of contracting social services for more than one budgetary year should
be made possible
5 . About the author
Márton András was born in 1967 in the Transylvanian city of Tirgu Mures. He studied
medicine at the Medical University of Tirgu Mures and acquired specialist degree in
family medicine in 1997. Between 1997 and 2007 he is responsible for the development
of the home care services network in the frame of Caritas Alba Iulia, the charity and
social service providing NGO of the Catholic Church, with activities in 9 Transylvanian
counties. He is coordinating the establishment of the Home Care Task Force of Caritas
Europa and preside this taskforce between 2006 and 2011.
From 2007 he is the director of Caritas Alba Iulia. His main fields of interest are specific
patterns and dynamics of individual and organizational development processes.
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