On 19-20 March, BCSDN members met in Pristina, Kosovo, for a strategic workshop on the Monitoring Matrix, co-hosted by Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF), to solidify the network’s position and efforts undertaken in the monitoring and advocacy on the enabling environment. Under the theme “The Way Forward”, the workshop served to determine a joint strategy and plan for implementation of the Monitoring Matrix in the coming years, while focusing on the strategic positioning, presentation and communication towards key stakeholders. BCSDN members stressed their commitment to the Monitoring Matrix, as one of the core and most valuable activities of the network in the area of enabling environment for civil society development.

At the two-day workshop, participants reflected on the previous experience of implementing the Monitoring Matrix and the lessons learned, both in terms of the monitoring and the advocacy based on the findings. An implementation framework with timeline and goals was decided upon, and improved and more efficient tools for the future monitoring and advocacy were proposed, with the aim to provide consistent systematic monitoring of the CSO environment in the Western Balkans and Turkey (WBT). The Monitoring Matrix is recognized as a relevant and credible tool, leveraging the expertise and legitimacy of the network, by donors, EU institutions and other civil society organizations and networks, not only in the WBT region, but also in other regions and globally.

BCSDN will continue with its efforts to promote the enabling environment through the Monitoring Matrix, and country reports or updates for 2017 are expected to be published in the coming months at the Monitoring Matrix platform: www.monitoringmatrix.net