powered by the Center for the Study of Democracy
The Research Center for Civil Society is a flagship program of the Center for the Study of Democracy – an accredited center for excellence of Babes-Bolyai University – funded by our strategic funding partner, the Romanian-American Foundation (RAF).
Our mission is to empower civil society organizations (CSOs) to use reliable data to inform their strategies and programs to tackle pressing societal challenges. Developed in response to the sector’s needs, the Center aims to serve civil society and to provide organizations with the skills and tools necessary to collect and use relevant, reliable data in their everyday practice and enhance their impact.
To achieve this, we support civil society organizations in building their capacity to collect, analyze, and interpret data and increasing their ability to measure and manage their impact.
Our team consists of academics from Babes-Bolyai University, civil society practitioners, and “in-betweeners” (experts with backgrounds in academia, business, and civil society), coming together to serve civil society with in-depth specialized knowledge.
Our areas of expertise include philanthropy, NGO management, civil society, corporate social responsibility, research methods, impact measurement and management, democracy, political science, criminology, and law.
Assistant Director
Executive Director @Center for the Study of Democracy
Senior Consultant
Director @Center for the Study of Democracy
University Professor @Babeș-Bolyai University
Each year, we offer two competitive research fellowships ($1500), to early-career researchers who are considering an academic career in the field of civil society to contribute to the Center’s research projects.
The aim of the program is to:
- expand the pool of scholars working on the research projects that benefit civil society,
- increase the visibility of civil society:
a. within academia (to amplify the interest of scholars toward research topics relevant to the Center and the Sector)
b. among undergraduate and graduate students (to boost the image of the sector, and to establish the civil society sector as an attractive career path
c. the general public (to boost the image and the trust in the sector).
INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
We develop interdisciplinary research, combining perspectives to build stronger, more comprehensive insights to address pressing societal challenges.
More specifically, we conduct applied and fundamental research to map and better understand the Romanian CSO sector and support the CSOs in understanding their intervention areas and their beneficiaries.
STRENGTHENING CSO CAPACITY
We support CSOs in enhancing their data literacy, strengthening their impact measurement capabilities, improving management practices, increasing organizational capacity in data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and boosting overall effectiveness through tailored training and consultancy.
More specifically, we develop courses and expert training to boost impact measurement and management (IMM) skills and overall data/research literacy in the civil society sector.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
We bridge the gap between academia and civil society, bringing research-based knowledge closer to practice and providing specialized research services and consultancy tailored to the needs and budgets of CSOs and other key stakeholders.
More specifically, we bring evidence-based knowledge into the practice of civil society and philanthropy to enhance effectiveness and impact while working with CSOs to gather data and build localized knowledge. Our community engagement efforts bring academia closer to practice to support the sector in tackling systemic challenges but also bring CSOs closer to academia to put to good use the expertise of academics and universities.
WEBINARS/ONLINE COURSE
Our webinars are intended for CSO and foundation professionals who are at the beginning of their impact measurement and management journey. These short (2 hours) online courses will provide the fundamental understanding of concepts and processes that will help you make progress in planning for impact, measuring your organization’s impact, and communicating it to key stakeholders.
These courses can be taken together or separately. You may choose what best suits your needs. Taking place during weekdays and working hours, these fit right in with your organization’s personal development.
IMM MASTERCLASS
The Impact Measurement and Management Masterclass is dedicated to CSO and foundation leaders or program managers. It is aims to provide practitioners with an opportunity to reflect about their organizations’ impact, understand how to integrate IMM into the development of their programs, learn about the appropriate means and tools to capture and quantify and record impact, and the strategic implications of doing so It is an intermediate/advanced level course that requires previous experience working with impact measurement methods
RESEARCH MEETS PRACTICE
In an era where data drives decision-making, understanding how to gather, make sense of, and utilize data effectively is crucial for anyone aiming to have a positive societal impact. Data are more than facts in figures that adorn reports, they are the bedrock of the narrative that fuels meaningful change, supporting the missions of CSOs and impact-focused businesses.
This day-long event aims to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application in the CSO sector, fostering a collaborative environment where to enhance societal impact.
Address
Str. Haiducului. nr. 6, 400040, Cluj-Napoca
