TACSO Manuals

The Technical Assistance to Civil Society Organisations (TACSO) in Western Balkans and Turkey is an EU-funded office supporting national NGOs to access EU financial assistance by keeping them aware of funding opportunities and training them to develop, write and submit suitable project proposals.

It can be extremely challenging for individual CSOs which are trying to understand how investment decisions are made within EU institutions and how to successfully apply for EU funding. Indeed, for many CSOs the challenge seems like an insoluble mystery, and for organisations in the Western Balkans region and Turkey, despite being geographically and, in terms of forthcoming accession, close to the EU, the EU’s funding processes can appear mysterious and at times frustrating. To help clarify and explain this process we have produced this Manual. It and the accompanying Toolkit is aimed at assisting CSOs in the Western Balkans and Turkey to understand the process of accession to and subsequent successful management of EU funds. It is intended to show CSOs how they can become both more effcient and more effective in accessing and managing EU funds. Download: Manual on Developing and Managing EU-Funded Projects (pdf). This is particularly for funding under the IPA and is the main reason why this Manual and Toolkit is specifically designed for CSOs in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

TACSO has also published for a new manual on citizens’ participation. The Manual is made up of three main parts. The first part deals with the concepts and general approaches, mechanisms and methodologies for effective citizens' participation; the second one looks at citizens' participation in action, at both the local and national level and the last is a 'Toolbox' which contains checklists and examples of templates and methodologies to be used in support of citizens' participation. Here you can download the Manual on CSOs and Citizens' Participation (pdf).