Social partnership mechanisms in Armenia: Opportunities and obstacles

Abstract

Theoretically, Governments and NGOs should be partners in promoting social goods and services to society. In practice, social and political realities do not always provide a functional relationship between Government and NGOs. The purpose of this Master’s Essay is to discuss a framework of thought in considering the Government and NGOs in the context of social partnerships in Armenia, with a focus on the reasons and trends of the dysfunctions of the current relationship. The research also aims at looking what kind of opportunities exist for NGOs: means and mechanisms to promote meaningful NGO-Government partnerships; how successful are they in doing that; and what are the main obstacles, limitations or constraints faced that prevent normal functioning of NGOs in Armenia in provision of social services? Finally, it will draw lessons and recommendations from already studied and examined systems to improve cooperation between the government and public sector in Armenia. The first part of the Essay defines the main concepts and discusses the relevant to the topic literature. The second part shows the findings that have been reached during the research. In the third part the analysis, conclusions and recommendations were drown from the above discussed.