At the beginning of the year, Macedonian CSO networks were introduced with the Global Standard for CSO Accountability. Using the Rendir App, they learned more about the accountability mechanisms that should be developed by civil society organizations. Recently, BCSDN and MCIC created a video to present the Rendir application, encouraging the Macedonian CSOs with one click to aspire to greater accountability. On the Civica Mobilitas Festival “Day of the CSOs,” MCIC and BCSDN organized a workshop to present the use of the Rendir App, a self-assessment tool designed to improve CSO accountability to the Macedonian CSO representatives.
Opening remarks on the event were provided by Aleksandra Savevska, MCIC Project Officer, who presented the program Sustainable Civil Society – State Financing of CSOs, and the 12 commitments of the Global Standard for CSO Accountability. At the beginning of her presentation, Marija Vishinova, the BCSDN Communications and Information Officer, provided a brief overview of the Global Standard for CSO accountability and the concept of dynamic accountability. She presented BCSDN role in the whole process and the network’s relations with the Global Standards for CSO accountability. After the summary of the Rendir App, its importance, and functionality, based on the 3 clusters, divided into eight questions, with a total number of 24, the participants had a chance to use the application and test their internal accountability.
At the end of the practical exercise, the participants expressed their opinion on using the application. This was also a chance for them to share the organizations’ strengths and weaknesses, as well as the parts of their internal policies that they should further improve. The participants were particularly interested in elaborating on the application’s recommendations that provided insights and advice for the organizations on which aspects they should work on to strengthen their organizational capacities and be accountable in front of their stakeholders, partners, and beneficiaries.
The event concluded with a positive narrative and the commitment that the representatives would share the Rendir App to their colleagues and return on it after improving some of the organizations’ internal policies. They have agreed that with the use of Rendir App, and by improving the organizations’ accountability, they can contribute towards an enhanced CSO environment both on a local and national level, contributing towards Sustainable Development Goals, globally.