USAID-sponsored Protection, Inclusion and Empowerment Activity   Program launched in Armenia 

ArmInfo. Accurate assessment of needs and cooperation with the executive and legislative powers is  important in implementing any programmes, Heriknaz Tigranyan, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Health Care and Social Affairs, Parliament of Armenia, said at a meeting with members of Democracy International. 

Implementation-related problems could necessitate legal amendments,  so the Parliament should be informed of the process and arising  problems. 

James Wasserstrom, Chief of Party for Democracy International in  Armenia, presented the USAID- sponsored Protection, Inclusion and  Empowerment Activity Program, aimed at improving the living standards  of vulnerable sections by means of amendments to laws, improving the  quality of services and intensifying cooperation between government  agencies and NGOs. 

"The aim of the program is to help the targeted vulnerable groups in  Armenia. We want to reveal the needs of the marginalized and  vulnerable groups in order to be able supporting the Government - to  have qualified social services. It is also important that all the  services, which the vulnerable and marginalized groups should receive  be at the right time and place," Mr Wasserstrom said.  

The 5-year programme has five components aimed at social protection  during crises. 

Elaborating on the programme components, Mr Wasserstrom spoke of  policy and legislative reforms aimed at ensuring protection,  inclusion and empowerment, which constitute the first component. The  second component is improved services, and the third component is  higher-level protection of persons subjected to violence during  hostilities. The fourth component is information, communication and  research in politics and social sector. The fifth component is  adaptive social protection to cope with the aftermath of global and  internal crises. 

Armenia's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is the key partner of  the project and will receive assistance in introducing an assessment  and monitoring system and raising public awareness. A multi-sectoral  task group will be formed to support social reforms.

During the first year of the program assessment of available needs in  the protection sphere will be carried out, which will go along with  the analysis on the theme gender equality and social inclusion. The  abovementioned researches will launch from June of this year, and its  aim is to understand what social services are rendered to the  targeted and vulnerable groups at the given moment, to disclose the  gaps and to fill in them. In September, the results of the research,  which will be predetermined for defining the program further  priorities, will be ready.

Zaruhi Batoyan highlighted the participation of the targeted groups  in the program implementation process.  Speaking about the persons  who suffered from the conflicts, she evaluated the quick response  programs.

According to Heriknaz Tigranyan, many NGOs carry out numerous grant  funding projects, but sometimes they do not fix distinct results.  Hence, she once again emphasized the importance of registration of  distinct, tangible and visible results.