Sound management and adequate administrative support have always been the key to the success of CSD’s research and program development activities. Therefore, the Center strives to continuously develop and apply advanced management techniques and administrative procedures, while at the same time preserving their proven quality.
For several years now CSD has been developing and implementing complex projects,which involve participants from the different programs at the Center, outside experts and partners
from the public and private sectors, and the NGO community.These projects require multi-layered managerial approaches,and better coordination and administrative support. CSD’s management has been able to expand the Center ’s activities through a balanced leverage between in-house resources and outside expertise. In 2002 CSD employed a staff of 65 persons, of which 48 professional and management, including part-time consultants and 17
support personnel. The Center has regular working relations with a large pool of external contributors.
In 2002 CSD continued to be true to its long-standing commitment to review and update its internal system of rules and regulations,concerning administrative and financial management, recruitment, accounting,etc., by taking into account new legislative changes in the NGO sector (Law on Not-for-Profit Legal Persons in force since January 1,2001) and most recent international experience.
As one of the leading organizations in the NGO sector in Bulgaria CSD represents a model for the development of other non-governmental players in the country and has tried consistently to transfer know-how and best practices in administration and management to its partner organizations and the NGO community at large. Furthermore, understanding the importance of the third sector for the democratic development of the country the Center has taken a pro-active role in shaping the legislative and administrative environment for the successful and sound advancement of the NGO sector.
In 2002 the Governing Board of CSD developed and adopted specific formal requirements for the Small Grants Program of Coalition 2000 Civil Society against Corruption.These aim at
achieving greater transparency and accountability,and regulate among others the following important points:
Recruitment criteria for consultants and evaluators;
Project selection procedures;
Grant contracting;
Monitoring,reporting and evaluation procedures for the subgrants;
Consulting and technical support for the grantees.
CSD ’s Financial Manager took part as a consultant and panelist in a financial management seminar organized in cooperation with DPK Consulting and Coalition 2000 . The seminar reviewed a number of important grant management activities:
Negotiating and running a grant;
Cost principles according to USAID regulation;
Matching between USAID costs reporting requirements and Bulgarian accounting legislation;
Contract and reporting requirements.
Through its Financial Manager the Center actively participated in the work of an expert group to the Ministry of Finance tasked with the development of the tax legislation for non-governmental organizations in Bulgaria.
Accountability and transparency have been established as the leading principles of CSD ’s operation. CSD has tried to ensure wide publicity of its activities and their results through a number of channels some of which have been:
publishing independent annual audit reports since 1992 (CSD ’s financial statements and KPMG audit report for 2002 follow);
performing audits of individual projects (since 1992);
publishing annual reports (since 1994);
uploading detailed information on CSD’s activities on its web-site;
releasing information on projects and activities in the massmedia;
issuing a range of print materials,etc.
Moreover in 2002 CSD registered as a public benefit organization with the Central Registry of NGOs at the Ministry of Justice.Public benefit organizations are obliged by law to a
number of additional reporting rules and ndergo stricter financial and administrative scrutiny.
CSD grantees in 2002
Access Association
Center for the Study of Political Processes, Shoumen
Department for International Relations Association
Association Knowledge, Lovech
Black Sea Legal Society, Bourgas
Bulgarian Association for Out-of-Court Dispute Resolution, Plovdiv
Bulgarian Youth League “Stefan Stambolov ”, Smolian
Center for Economic Development
Public Barometer Civic Association, Sliven
Civic Association for Countering Corruption and Illegal Construction Building, Sofia
Department of Law, Technical University, Varna
Edu Foundation
Foundation for Entrepreneurship Development
Institute of Healthcare
Integra, Sofia
Local Agenda, Veliko Tarnovo
Town and Culture Foundation, Varna | 
