WESTERN BALKANS – An online capacity building training for the RYCO beneficiaries supported within the fourth RYCO Open Call for Project Proposals co-funded by the European Union took place on Thursday, 11 March. The training gathered representatives from the lead applicants of the twelve awarded projects within this call. It provided an in-depth understanding of crucial rules and guidelines for successful project implementation.
The projects that will be implemented by the networked lead civil society organizations and their partners in the Western Balkans will consist of various activities that will connect youth of the region. To support these activities as well as to ensure that they will be effectively and efficiently implemented, particular attention was paid to all the procedures that are crucial for project implementation. The sessions focused on procedures and requirements relating to administrative provisions, financial obligations and communication-related rules and practices.
During the online training, the welcoming remarks were delivered by Project Coordinator Mr Denis Piplaš and RYCO Program Manager Mr Besnik Vasolli.
“All of our energy is being invested in this Open Call, as the implementation of supported projects is one of RYCO’s organizational priorities for 2021. RYCO wants to be a close and strong partner to its beneficiaries, and the training serves the purpose of providing in-depth understanding of rules, procedures and requirements for this specific Call,” Mr Piplaš stated.
Speaking of the next steps of the project implementation phase, Mr Vasolli added that RYCO stands by its beneficiaries for continuous support wherever needed.
“RYCO is here to help and support you. This is an important activity and we are very hopeful of what the impact will be. We will be in close contact to make sure that we have provided everything needed,” Mr Vasolli concluded.
The training continued with open-questions and discussions among the RYCO staff and the beneficiaries. It was highlighted that given the current circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, further training sessions on applying digital tools to youth-related projects and initiatives will be organized.
The projects supported within the 4th RYCO Open Call are being implemented from February to October 2021, fostering reconciliation and regional youth cooperation, as well as strengthening the capacities of the civil society to adapt to the COVID-19 environment. Throughout the implementation of this call, innovative projects will provide youth in the region with new spaces for dialogue and engagement.
