Helping an international inter-governmentalorganization become a recognized brand leader

Sector?

Minority Issues, Conflict Resolution,

What?

Strategic Communication;Fundraising; Resource Mobilization

Where?

Macedonia

Germany

Kosova

Why?

An intergovernmental think tank headquartered in Germany, ECMI wished to enhance its profile as premier action oriented organization in the field of conflict resolution and transformation in Europe and to expand its portfolio of donor governments. It wanted to harmonize the profile of its field operations with that of its headquarters. In 2003 I was commissioned to develop a strategy for communications for the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI).

When?

2003

What exactly?

I conducted focus groups and surveys within and outside the organization to understand the prevailing practices and perceptions. I identified bottlenecks and defined target audiences. Then I conceptualized and developed a range of strategic communication products. Tools developed for this purpose were:

1. Strategic Communications document: once presented to the senior management, consensus was built on the recommendations. This document served as a roadmap for implementation of changes.
2. Mission Statement development: the mission statement was re-phrased to reflect the aspirations and expertise of ECMI. It was phrased in a clear straightforward way leaving no scope for ambiguity.
3. Webpresence: the central web site of the organization was completely re-structured to reflect a wide range of programs that the organization was running and the impact that it was having on its beneficiary www.ecmi.de
4. Project/Country web sites: Web sites of individual projects and country offices were restructured and harmonized. A delicate balance was reached between the needs of individual projects (multilingualism, technical features for beneficiary usage etc.) and the need to present one corporate identity.
5. E-Newsletter: Processes were established for information gathering from all of ECMI’s field offices in a timely and organized fashion to be compiled into a monthly E-Newsletter. This newsletter was in a format that allowed the receiving party to connect to the online version which was graphics enabled.
6. Newsletter: Monthly hard copy version of the newsletter was printed for targeted distribution to ensure visibility of the organization and to meet the needs of project beneficiary at sites where the Internet connection was limited.
7. Brochures & Flyers: New brochures were developed from a scratch for the organization, for the country operations and for individual projects in a way that would present a cohesive image without compromising the individuality of the projects.
8. High Profile Events: Conceptualized and organized a high profile international meet under the patronage of the President of Macedonia titled “Minorities in Democracies”. This event turned into a landmark annual event of ECMI in South East Europe, which brought together politicians, policy makers, academicians and practitioners.
9. Road shows: Conceptualized ECMI’s first road show in Berlin 2004. Organized in the form of a Round Table discussion meeting, it gave the funders and decision makers in Berlin an opportunity to interact with ECMI’s brain trust

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI), Germany

What happened?

The result was a cohesive brand image that attracted long term and framework donors to ECMI.

“ Combined with a strong analytical approach towards problems and challenges he is faced with, and his ability to adapt to almost each and every social context, I have seen Sunoor win immediate trust from the different stakeholders he was dealing with, be it NGO representatives from remote rural areas, government officials, or diplomatic representatives. ”

Matthias Siegfried
SwissPeace
Project Coordinator
Mediation Support Project, Switzerland

Placing a new Think Tank on the global map

Sector?

Refugees, Internally displaced, Humanitarian emergencies

What?

Strategic Communication, Strategic Partnerships

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

The Centre for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies was a newly established think tank. The challenge was how to establish linkages and partnerships with the well-established think tanks around the world on refugee and migration issues.

When?

2000, 2001

What exactly?

In 2000 UNHCR and the University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje jointly set up the Centre for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CRFMS).
UNHCR commissioned me to develop the strategy for this Think Tank including a Communications Strategy.
Following the strategy a website, newsletter, brochures and flyers were developed for the Centre. Targeted dissemination of the outreach material resulted in high visibility of the Centre and its output.
We established a strategic partnership with the Brookings Institute and an international conference in Skopje on IDPs was organized.

With- whom?

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

University of Skopje Ss. Cyril and Methodius

Institute for Sociological Juridical and Political Research

Helsinki Committee of Macedonia

Centre for Human Rights, Macedonia

What happened?

Strategic partnerships were established with leading think tanks including the Brookings Institute and the European Centre for Minority Issues and an international conference in Skopje on IDPs was established.

“ Sunoor Verma has pioneered important and innovative methodologies in relation to project planning and delivery, has the capacity to ensure rapid and reliable project implementation according to agreed targets and possesses an amazing degree of strategic oversight and insight. ”

Marc Weller
Director
European Centre for Minority Issues, Germany

Bringing together political adversaries on policy

Sector?

Minority issues; Inter-ethnic relations

What?

Dialogue Management; Strategic partnerships; Capacity building;

Where?

Republic of Macedonia

Why?

The Ohrid Peace Agreement signed between the Republic of Macedonia and the Albanian armed groups in 2001 was meant to end the armed conflict in Macedonia. The peace negotiators felt that if the communities would not see rapid implementation of the agreement, it would have no meaning and violence would stage a comeback in the country.

When?

2004, 2005

What exactly?

I performed the needs assessment was to examine what intervention would lead to rapid results and de-escalation of ethnic tensions.This led to the design of a dialogue project in the Republic of Macedonia that provided politically influential persons with the opportunity to work together to create more sustainable and inclusive policies. A highly committed team led by Michael Szporluk implemented the project. I supervised the implementation and ensured support from all political parties and donors.

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues, Germany

Ministry of External Affairs, Ireland

What happened?

Policy recommendations generated by the multi-ethnic, multi party working groups were channeled to policy and decision makers. This led to emergence of new policies, which contributed to making the peace agreement work for the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia.

The dialogue process led to the formation of expertise based working groups, which demonstrated to all involved parties that concerns of all ethnic groups are very similar and need to be tackled with professionalism and seriousness.
Experts of the “minor minorities” were engaged in mainstream policy and advocacy work, which opened new channels for their respective communities to express their concerns.

“ Sunoor Verma makes ideals work in practice by focusing on issues that successfully bring together parties, which in another context might be on opposite sides of a conflict. In so doing, he brings about action, which brings concrete benefits to all while making the potential lines of conflict gradually less relevant. ”

Dr. Eben Friedman
Regional Representative
European Centre for Minority Issues

Setting up a Think Tank on refugees and forced migration studies

Sector?

Refugees; Internally displaced; Humanitarian emergencies

What?

Institution building; Confidence building; Fundraising; Think Tank set-up; Strategic planning; Strategic partnerships; Strategic communications

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

Within the first ten years of its existence, two major refugee influxes impacted the Republic of Macedonia. Support of the international community helped the country cope gracefully with these humanitarian emergencies. Acknowledging the inherent volatility of the region, it was vital that the know- how generated in the country in dealing with displaced populations is institutionalized and capacity be built systematically for emergency preparedness.

When?

2000, 2001

What exactly?

I conducted a needs assessment and a mapping of potential partners. I then developed the project proposal and fundraised with donors to set up the Center for Refugees and Forced Migration Studies (CRFMS) at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. The aim of the Center is to become a leading regional resource center in its field; to foster a regional network of similar research centers and to promote standards of excellence in research on Refugee and Forced Migration related subjects. Set up with seed funding from UNHCR, I led vigorous fundraising andexpandedthe portfolio of donors. Ialso set up and mentored the project management team of the centre. The project was implemented from February 2000 to September 2001.

With- whom?

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR

Skopje University Ss. Cyril & Methodius

Institute of Sociological Political and Juridical Research

BPRM USA Government

Royal Norwegian Foreign Ministry,

DfID,

Brookings Institute

What happened?

1. Set up of an active, well functioning research centre on refugee and forced migration issues
2. Established a wide portfolio of donors thus enhancing the sustainability of the centre
3. Management staff was trained to take over the management of the centre
4. Well functioning resource center with a specialized library
5. Internationally networked program on refugee studies was established

“ Sunoor Verma always underlines the importance of local ownership. He may have a lot of knowledge and expertise, but he always ensures that his visions are closely connected to reality on the ground. ”

Peeter Kaaman
Adviser, Human Rights & Democracy
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida),
Department for Europe, Division for South Eastern Europe.

The first global assessment of the needs of Macedonia’s Romani population

Sector?

Minority issues; Roma;

What?

Capacity Building; Fundraising; Project development; Dialogue Management

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

Roma remain the most marginalized group in many parts of Europe. Numerous programs have been implemented in the name of the Roma, however sustainability of these has been poor or non-existent. One of the main reasons of this failure has been the lack of consultations with the Roma in identifying their needs and understanding what interventions would be compatible with their aspirations and life style.

When?

2003

What exactly?

In his capacity as the Regional Representative for the European Centre for Minority Issues, Sunoor led the consultation with donors on the importance of launching this mapping. Sunoor also led the project design process and the building of necessary partnerships with Roma leaders. Fundraising and supervision of the project implementation was Sunoor’s responsibility too.

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues ECMI

Sida Sweden

What happened?

The first global assessment of the needs of Macedonia’s Romani population was conducted. The project was implemented and led by Dr. Eben Friedman.

“ Sunoor Verma played the leading role in establishing ECMI as an organization, which conducts informed and relevant initiatives to further the integration of Romani populations in Europe. ”

Dr. Eben Friedman
Regional Representative
European Centre for Minority Issues

Building and managing a 70 NGOs coalition in Macedonia

Sector?

Inter-ethnic issues; Civil Society; Peace building

What?

Dialogue management; Fundraising; NGO management; Track II diplomacy; Conflict resolution

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

The armed conflict of 2001 in Macedonia left a society divided along ethnic lines. The fragile Ohrid peace agreement required quick measures for building confidence in the communities.

When?

2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

What exactly?

In the midst of the conflict I set out to establish an inter-ethnic network of NGOs along with the European Centre for Minority Issues.

I travelled around the country meeting with communities, citizens and villagers to find those NGOs that were truly committed to improving inter-ethnic relations in the country. The ECMI NGO Network for Improvement of Inter-ethnic Relations in Macedonia was launched with a core group of 17 NGOs from across the country and ethnic groups. Gradually the network grew to a 70 member strong group that engaged in joint design and implementation of grassroots projects. Sunoor headed an umbrella grants program, administering and monitoring 50–70 community projects each year. The project carried a strong capacity enhancement component with emphasis on ethics for the participating NGO Managers.

This project benefitted very much from the guidance and commitment of Farimah Daftary of the ECMI. When no international expert was willing to travel to Macedonia due to the armed conflict, Farimah headed to Macedonia to meet with stakeholders and do a direct assessment of the ground realities. Her research and reporting were instrumental in the project receiving its seed grant. Dr. Eben Friedman succeeded Farimah Daftary at the ECMI as the focal point for Macedonia and maintained the high standards set by Farimah.

Farimah and Eben have contributed to civil society development in Macedonia in the most low profiles yet most effective way. Both heroes!

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues

Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretariat for Peace and Stability)

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Sida Sweden

DfID

What happened?

1. Established the first truly multi-ethnic network of NGOs in Macedonia consisting of 70 NGOs committed to improving inter-ethnic relations.
2. 50–70 community projects generated and implemented each year jointly by NGOs members of the Network.
3. Network becomes reference point for good practices and NGO ethics in Macedonia.

External Evaluation of “ECMI NGO Network for the Improvement of Interethnic Relations in the Republic of Macedonia” 15-19 April 2003

“ In the words of Regional Representative Dr. Sunoor Verma, the Regional Office in Skopje aims to be a model office in terms of professional standards, transparency and accountability. The evaluator gained the impression that the office very much lives up to this goal. The Regional Representative, Dr. Verma is obviously a perfect choice: he is not only very committed to the success of the Network, but also very competent. His critical view of the donor-driven character of much of the NGO activities in Macedonia, especially in the realm of improvement of inter-ethnic relations, helps to make the ECMI Network genuinely innovative in that context. He maintains close contacts with relevant donor and other institutions, and is respected by the member organisations of the Network. ”

DR. ULF BRUNNBAUER
Department of Southeast European History, University of Graz
Graz, Austria

Romani expert groups for Romani integration in the Republic of Macedonia

Sector?

Minority issues; Roma;

What?

Capacity Building; Fundraising; Project development; Dialogue Management

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

Until the launch of this initiative most initiatives aimed at the Romani population of Macedonia were being implemented by non-Roms. This often led to poor participation of the Roms and virtually no transfer of skills or know-how. Through my work with Roms in Macedonia and many Roma NGOs I could see that there is availability of talent and experience in the Roma community. The lack of formal education was a barrier to the advancement of these potential experts. The Romani experts project was launched to prepare a pool of Roma experts who have the skills, knowledge and commitment to work on Roma issues.

When?

2003, 2004

What exactly?

I think I played a key role in conceptualizing this initiative, developing the project proposal and getting donors on board. Dr. Eben Friedman, a leading authority on Roma issues, led this project. I was also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the project and fundraising.

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues ECMI

Sida Sweden

What happened?

Four Expert Group organized around the core areas of education, health, civil rights, and employment were established.
The Expert Groups generated and compiled usable reports with the data necessary to provide a basis for the design of policy not only for Roms, but also by Roms.

The success of this initiative lies in three things that came together at the right time:

1. Understanding through extensive fieldwork: for projects aimed at the Roma community to succeed, they need to be implemented by people who are part of the Roma community.
2. Representatives of Sida Sweden who were committed to undertaking initiatives that other donor designate ‘risky’ if they saw long term value in them. Annika Palo and Peeter Kamaan of Sida Sweden were unique in their untiring quest for sustainable solutions for the people of Macedonia.
3. Dr. Eben Friedman who led the project is not one of those first world experts for whom the Roma community is an exotic experiment from a distance. Eben has dear friends in the community with whom he has lived and has understood the challenges that they face. Eben’s commitment and dedication to the Roma cause ensured that the capacity of Roma experts in built to a level where they can take charge.

I salute the work done in Macedonia by Eben Friedman, Annika Palo and Peeter Kamaan.

I first met Dr. Verma in Skopje, Macedonia where he made an outstanding effort to bring together that country’s various ethnic groups by emphasizing common concerns, i.e., clean water, garbage collection and good education. Dr. Verma’s success in Macedonia is attributable not only to his practical approach to problems, but also to the fact that he concentrated on getting to know key individuals personally and he made an extraordinary effort to engage them in resolving the country’s ethnic tensions.

Dr. Gary F. Collins
Senior Adviser (Judicial Reform)
DANIDA, Bangladesh

Evaluation German government’s civil peace service program

Sector?

Civil society; Peace building

What?

Assessments & Evaluation

Where?

Macedonia

Germany

Why?

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) had launched a pilot Civilian Peace Services program. This pilot needed evaluation to decide how to shape the roll out.

When?

2005

What exactly?

Evaluation of the partnerships of the international NGO- Centre for Education in Non Violent Action- KW with NGOs in Macedonia on peace building initiatives.

With- whom?

German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

What happened?

Recommendation of the evaluation was taken into account for the rollout of the program.

“ Sunoor strikes me as an incredibly good listener with a strong ability to read the “hidden script” between the lines…….. ”

Matthias Siegfried
SwissPeace
Project Coordinator
Mediation Support Project, Switzerland

International conference on minorities

Sector

Minority issues

What?

Dialogue management; Peace-building; Strategic partnerships; Fundraising

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

The Ohrid peace agreement signed in 2001 marked the end of the armed conflict in Macedonia. As part of confidence building measures it was important to highlight the position of minorities in democracies. South Eastern Europe had much experience to share and learn from each other.

When?

2002, 2003, 2004

What exactly?

I negotiated a strategic partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Germany to advance this conference jointly. Andreas Klein who was the Director of this foundation and was posted in Macedonia was that rare breed of expatriates who knew what was happening and what was hurting in the country. Equally comfortable with the grassroots as with the political elite, Andreas ensured that there is a strong buy-in from the office of the President of Macedonia for this initiative. Marc Weller, the Director of the ECMI was quick to see value in the initiative and as a global authority on this subject galvanized a star studded line up of international experts for the conference. Florian Bieber, Eben Friedman and Tom Trier all with affiliations to ECMI and a deep commitment to the region provided cutting edge content and moderation. The South East European university had collaborated in the past with the ECMI and was an excellent partner for this initiative. Among other things I was also responsible for raising funds for hosting this conference. The ECMI team in Macedonia led by the Office Manager Gordana Cvetkoska managed the invisible backend of this huge logistic challenge as always without any show of fatigue or stress.

With- whom?

Office of the President of the Republic of Macedonia

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Germany

European Centre for Minority Issues

South East European University, Macedonia

What happened?

An annual dialogue forum “Minorities in democracies” has been established which brings international and regional south-east European experts to debate on the position of minorities in democracies. The first two editions saw the late President of the Republic of Macedonia HE Boris Traijkovski deliver the opening speeches before his untimely death in an airplane crash.

“ Sunoor’s insatiable desire for critical and meaningful dialogue has profoundly influenced the format and content of the Geneva Health Forum, pushing us to consider new rules of engagements, and new ways to frame and debate global health topics. ”

Dr Slim Slama
Co-Founder
Geneva Health Forum

Kosovo Refugee Crisis

Sector

Refugees; Global Health

What?

Humanitarian emergency; Dialogue Management; Needs Assessment; Stakeholder Consultations; Project development; Negotiations.

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

In 1999 during the Kosovo refugee crisis, following concerns of inter-ethnic instability, the Republic of Macedonia imposed a condition on the international community for admitting refugees from neighboring Kosovo. The number of refugees that are evacuated from Macedonia to NATO countries would be the number of newly admitted refugees into the country. In the race against time, while it was vital to evacuate as many refugees as possible, it was important to give priority to vulnerable cases. Prioritizing medical cases among an exhausted from difficult travels and traumatized population was one aspect of the challenge. The other- convincing reluctant host governments accept medical cases for evacuation and the associated costs to their health systems.

When?

1999

What exactly?

Sunoor Verma’s services were retained by the UNHCR to formulate priority criteria for the evacuation of refugee patients to NATO countries. Sunoor prioritized the cases from 7 geographically dispersed refugee camps, and negotiated with NATO country delegations transfer and treatment of emergency medical cases from among the refugees. He coordinated and monitored the facilities for evacuation of severely ill refugees. He played a key role in the initiation, planning and implementation of extending the medical evacuation program to approximately 200,000+ host family refugee cases. Sunoor monitored the standard of medical escorts during evacuation. He worked in partnership with local medical authorities, government authorities, donor community and NGOs to facilitate the patient evacuation process.

With- whom?

UNHCR

NATO

What happened?

1. Medical evacuation program extended to approximately 200,000+ refugees residing with host families.
2. Significant increase in evacuation of patient to NATO countries for treatment.

( on the value that Sunoor Verma brings to project design/ innovation..) Good sense of “common sense”, no fear of criticism and trying to look into issues from all kinds of angles: in short the ability to make the project as likely to succeed as possible.

Annika Palo
Adviser, Department for Europe
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency