VZCZCXYZ0022
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWR #2257/01 2971356
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241356Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2269

UNCLAS WARSAW 002257 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP PHUM PL
SUBJECT:  MEETING SUMMARY FOR STAFFDEL FOLDI IN POLAND 
 
REF:  SECSTATE 170983 
 
¶1. This cable has been cleared by Staffdel Foldi. 
 
MINISTRY OF LABOR AND SOCIAL POLICY - THE RULES AND REGS 
 
¶2. For the governmental perspective, Staffdel Foldi met with 
Krzysztof Wieckiewicz, Director of the Department of the Public 
Benefit at the MOL.  The 2003 Law on the Organizations of Public 
Benefit regulates the functioning of NGOs in Poland, setting out 
mechanisms for financing and functioning of NGOs.  The law 
established the NGO Liaison Council, which includes the 
representatives of the national government, local government and 
NGOs, as a forum of discussion and dialogue on the major problems 
faced by NGOs in Poland.  The MOL created a special Citizens' 
Initiative Fund of $10 million which supports over seven hundred 
different NGOs. These funds are reserved every year in the national 
budget. 
 
¶3. The 2003 Law sets out the rules of cooperation between the 
government and NGOs. There is a public announcement for grants in 
national newspapers and on the Ministry's website, and a transparent 
bidding and awards process. NGOs also have the right to prepare 
proposals and present them directly to the ministry, which must 
officially respond either positively or negatively. 
 
¶4. A major problem is the late awarding of one-year money.  NGOs 
often receive funds during 3-4Q in the year and must spend it by 
year's end.  The law does not allow for no-year money.  To get 
around this the government and NGOs often work together to implement 
multi-year projects on the basis of the draft budget.  Then, in the 
second or third year of the project, as soon as the budget is 
approved, the money goes automatically to a given organization 
without a new tender. 
 
EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY FOUNDATION 
 
¶5. Justyna Janiszewska, Program Coordinator for the Education for 
Democracy Foundation (EDF) described the group's major project: 
Regions in Transition (RITA), which is funded by the Polish-American 
Freedom Foundation, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and the 
Stefan Batory Foundation.  This supports democratic and free market 
change in Central Asia and Eastern Europe (Belarus, Ukraine, and 
Moldova) through partnerships with local NGOs in those countries. 
EDF's success stories include ISO certification for firms and 
good-governance programs in a local municipality in rural, eastern 
Ukraine.  It also trains trainers for local NGOs in its target 
countries and sets up information exchanges between Russian, 
Belarussian, and Ukrainian NGOs. 
 
¶6. The above-mentioned funding for RITA, along with MFA funds will 
total approximately $3 million this year.  Since Poland is often 
seen as a "success story" in its transition to a democratic society 
by Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Polish NGOs bring credibility to 
their projects, especially in Western Ukraine, Kaliningrad, Moldova, 
and Central Asia.  Belarus often sees Poland as a threat, however, 
and EDF sees resistance to both Polish governmental and civil 
society groups. 
 
¶7. Despite little governmental interference regarding the execution 
of its projects, Janiszewska acknowledged the inefficiencies in the 
government's grants process and the short time period in which NGOs 
must use GOP money. 
 
PARTNERS POLAND 
 
¶8. Director Maciej Tanski and International Project Manager Ilona 
Ilowiecka-Tanska explained that Partners Poland is a participant in 
the aforementioned RITA program, receiving funding through it for 
self-governance projects in Georgia and the Balkans. In a project 
funded by UNIFAM and the OSCE, they partner with local NGOs in 
Kosovo to work on short-term rural women's initiatives and have 
several partnerships with NGOs in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Jordan, and 
Mongolia for work on clean governance and anti-corruption in those 
countries.  Partners Poland also serves as a court-appointed 
mediator in both family and business cases, but this is secondary 
work, as the maximum payment allowed for such services is $300. 
 
¶9. Tanski acknowledged the open and free environment in which NGOs 
work but echoed the public money grants problems described above. 
As a 'subcontractor' for American grant money, he believes that NGOs 
in developing nations look up to Poland as a model for transition to 
a democratic society, whereas the American lesson is too foreign. As 
one Mongolian group described, "the US is the money source and 
Poland is the content source."  However, he believes that American 
groups provide rational organization and procedural skills and helps 
develop interpersonal skills. 
 
POLISH ACADEMY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHILANTHROPY IN POLAND 
 
¶10. Tadeusz Schimanek is the Deputy Director of this major Polish 
NGO that runs a wide variety of educational, promotional, and 
financial activities to stimulate the development of local NGOs. 
Funding sources include the national budget (Citizens' Initiative 
Fund), Polish-American Enterprise Fund, and the Stefan Batory 
Foundation.  Its major programs include community foundations, 
Benefactor of the Year Competition, Act Locally (program supporting 
NGOs and civic initiatives benefiting specific local communities, 
Integrating Generations, and Dialogue for the Future (focused on 
Polish-Jewish dialogue and multiculturalism). 
 
¶11. Schimanek adds to the chorus, calling the lack of coordination 
between Ministries and the late-year money "a major headache."  Each 
Ministry has some funds/resources for NGOs, but they act 
independently and there are no common rules that apply to all 
Ministries.  Under the EU, most of the funds from national budget 
are earmarked for projects funded partially through EU structural 
funds, which means that the state money mainly goes well developed 
organizations, meaning that there are not sufficient funds for 
smaller, local NGOs, which fulfill very specific (if narrow) roles 
in their local environment. 
 
PAUCI 
 
¶12. The Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Foundation (PAUCI) is a legacy 
group from a USAID and GOP-funded organization with the goal of 
transferring Polish know-how on democratic transformation to 
Ukraine.  Executive Director Jan Pieklo explained how from 1999-2005 
PAUCI regranted approximately $6 million to various Polish and 
Ukrainian NGOs for projects funded by PAUCI included mainly the 
enhancement of local government and the decentralization of power. 
 
 
¶13. When the tri-lateral program ended last year PAUCI became an 
independent foundation.  It receives funds from USAID ($200,000), 
the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation ($200,000), the Global 
Opportunities Fund (UK - $1 million for a two-year project 
developing a professional civil service in Ukraine), and the Polish 
MFA ($200,000 for youth exchange programs). PAUCI both regrants 
funds to Polish and Ukrainian NGOs and implements their own 
programs. These will include a pilot youth exchange program of 
approximately 1000 students from Poland and Ukraine. 
 
¶14. PAUCI is currently focusing on anti-corruption programs, the 
development of small and medium enterprises, and the enhancement of 
civil society in eastern and southern Ukraine. Future plans include 
the youth exchange program, and working on changing the perception 
of NATO in Ukraine. 
 
¶15. In a recurring theme, the major problem facing PAUCI right now 
is the short time for utilizing all of the one-year money.  The MFA 
granted $200,000 just last month and PAUCI must issue a public 
grants announcement, award a group the money, and spend it all by 
December 31 of this year.  Finding financial sources for re-granting 
is also a major issue, as most of the funds available right now are 
for implementation only.  The Polish MFA does not have the 
experience in the re-granting and it is very difficult to convince 
Polish bureaucrats that this is a normal and common way of financing 
the activities of NGOs. 
 
HILLAS