The CSO Market research was conducted within the framework of CSO DePo: CSO Development Program. The primary objective of the research was to evaluate the gaps in CSO capacity building and the services necessary for their development. The research consisted of two components – a selective quantitative survey of the CSOs located throughout the territory of Armenia and a qualitative study of the opinions of other stakeholders. Comparing the results of this research with previous and other contemporary studies, one can note that the self-awareness of CSOs and the wording used for their problems have become more diverse and nuanced. Obviously, this has happened due to several factors, including the different kinds of assistance that CSOs have received from their supporting structures over the years. In this research, that issue becomes particularly noticeable when comparing the results of the quantitative and qualitative studies.

This shows the opportunity for a new, and so far stable, stage in the development of CSOs. At the same time, new issues are coming up like, for example, the need to make a statement directed at the Armenian business sector about what CSOs are doing and why they are a necessity. The summary presented is, of course, just a section of a multi-layered study with the relevant interpretation, and we hope that other users will complement the presented recommendations and/or clarify their prioritization by studying the results obtained from the research, thus imparting continued value to this research and the activities that stem from it. We thank all the individuals and organizations that participated in the survey and/or expressed their opinions during the in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, to the whole CRRC research team and the representatives of the CSO DePo program who, led by EPF, contributed their part to the realization of this research, as well as to USAID, and specifically its Local Solutions team, who continuously support Armenian CSOs.

More information can be found here.