International Workshop for Managers of Research Organizations in the Western Balkans and the EU: 19 October 2015

Organised by Center for Social Research Analitika
Event type External Event
Location Sarajevo, Bosnia
Start date 19 October 2015
Center for Social Research Analitika, in cooperation with the Regional Research Promotion Program in the Western Balkans (RRPP) and the Think Tank Fund of the Open Society Foundations, will jointly organize “International Workshop for Managers of Research Organizations in the Western Balkans” in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 19 October.

Organizations involved in policy research and applied social science research in the Western Balkans region, such as research institutes and think tanks, are facing a number of obstacles to their work. These include unpredictable socio-political contexts, insecure sources of funding, high staff turnover and a shortage of trained staff, and increasing competition.

On October 19-21, 2015, the Center for Social Research Analitika, in cooperation with the Regional Research Promotion Program in the Western Balkans (RRPP) and the Think Tank Fund of the Open Society Foundations will jointly organize “International Workshop for Managers of Research Organizations in the Western Balkans” in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The purpose of this international workshop is to address the needs of managers (directors, executive directors, deputy directors and research directors) of research organizations that are facing some of the challenges mentioned.

The event will offer an insight into the state of the art of theory and practice of managing research organizations through presentations by managers from leading think tanks and research institutes from the region and EU. It will provide ample opportunity for an exchange of experiences and networking between participants.

The workshop will cover the following 6 broad pillars of management responsibilities in think tanks and research institutes:

  1. Research process management and quality control processes;
  2. Management of communications and advocacy;
  3. Standard operating procedures;
  4. Human resource management and staffing processes;
  5. Governance, oversight, and management of external inputs into programmatic work; and
  6. Sustainability: fundraising, financial management, and strategic planning.

Keynote speakers and presenters will be senior managers from some of the leading think tanks and research institutes based in the European Union and the Western Balkans. The final list of speakers will be available at the end of August 2015.

FOR DETAILED WORKSHOP PROGRAM, PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK

Criteria for Participation

The workshop is intended for representatives of established research organizations (think tanks, centers and institutes) that meet the following criteria.

  • The organization is located in one of the Western Balkans countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.
  • The organization has published applied social science research or policy-relevant research (such as policy papers and policy studies). A minimum of three such outputs have been published in the past two years.
  • The organization has participated in at least 1 advocacy activity/campaign in the past two years.
  • The organization has at least 4 full-time employees, including a full-time director/manager.
  • The organization is registered as a separate legal entity or can demonstrate a level of managerial independence from a larger institution (i.e. university) it is a part of.

Participation Costs

  • The costs of travel, food and accommodation for accepted applicants from the organizations based in the Western Balkans will be fully covered by the organizers.
  • In case the applicant is selected, his/her home institution will be required to pay a participation fee of 50 EUR.

Who should Apply?

The workshop targets senior managers of research centers, primarily directors, executive directors, presidents, development directors, and research directors from Western Balkans research organizations.

How to Apply 

  • Application deadline: July 15, 2015
  • Apply online 
  • The number of places is limited to 30.

Contact

In case you have any questions regarding the workshop please contact us at: [email protected]

About the Organizers

This workshop is jointly funded by the Regional Research Promotion Program (RRPP) in the Western Balkans and the Think Tank Fund of the Open Society Foundations.

Regional Research Promotion Programme is aimed at fostering and promoting social science research in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia). RRPP is coordinated and operated by the Interfaculty Institute for Central and Eastern Europe (IICEE) at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). The programme is fully funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Think Tank Fund of the Open Society Foundations works to ensure decision makers and relevant stakeholders in the countries of operation use high quality, evidence-informed research to develop and implement policies that lead to and sustain more open and prosperous societies. Active in more than 20 countries across Europe and the South Caucasus, the Think Tank Fund devises country-by-country funding strategies based on needs assessments, cooperation with local Open Society foundations, and careful selection of grantees.