The institutional capacity of the Center for the Study of Democracy is, among other things, the product of a critical mass of non-resident contributors from both the public and private sectors and of a particular effort to maintain high standards of administrative and financial management. These two factors have also contributed to CSD's financial and political independence which has allowed it to become one of Bulgaria's leading policy institutes.

The Center's extensive cooperation with non-resident experts in its policy analysis projects is an important contributing factor to the credibility and, hence, impact of its research. It is an established practice for CSD's Programs to involve governmental and private sector specialists in both the production process of papers and their discussions. In addition to enhancing the quality of the analytical output, bridging this dialogue contributes to the sustain-ability of the reform process through the joint effort of state institutions and nongovernmental bodies.

Having worked under a wide variety of reporting requirements, CSD's administration and accounting departments have accumulated valuable experience. This has made the Center a reliable partner for many international organizations and bilateral donors working in Bulgaria as it has given it the ability to implement large scale projects under the strictest accounting standards. For seven years now external audits by the leading international accounting firms have both developed and streamlined CSD's general and financial management. The experience and knowledge in the field of internal management and external control has translated into long term commitment to enhancing the competence and professionalism of the NGO community in the country and their public standing through various training, advocacy and legislative projects.

As regards internal control and administration mechanisms, in 1998 the Center reviewed its policy manuals in the areas of governance, financial management, accounting, personnel, outside consultants policy and information technology policy. Improvements to the management reporting system, introduced the previous year, proved quite useful in providing financial information to senior managers on a monthly basis. The implementation of a database of over 1,000 external contributors has increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

In 1998, CSD employed 52 staff members of which 35 were professionals, including part-time consultants, and 17 were support personnel.

The external audit for 1998 was performed by KPMG.