Mine Victims assistance in BIH

Innovative methodology for creation of grant- based jobs for socially vulnerable – TO EARN NOT TO GET

Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, with its local partners Mine Victim Association „Eco Sport Group“ and Training and Consulting Organisation „Izbor Plus“, is currently implementing the EU-fund- ed project „Socio-economic empowerment of mine victims and their families through provision of business training and employment opportunities in BiH” in the total value of € 1,147 million. EU has contributed € 1 million while 24 project municipalities and ASB provided the rest of € 147.000 for the intervention.

The main objective of the project is to provide business grants for 240 mine victims and their families which will create solid opportunities for future self-employment or employment of selected beneficiaries. On the contrary to many previous actions focus-ing on distribution of business grants for employment creation in the region, this project uses completely new methodological approach to the selection of business grant beneficiaries. Namely, prior to delivery of business grants to 240 foreseen mine victims registered in the Bosnian Mine Awareness Centre (BH MAC), 480 potential beneficiaries will be selected for provision of intensive business trainings through which they will learn how to plan and run the business and write feasible business plan for the desired business. After the submission and evaluation of 480 business plans, only 240 will be selected for granting (50%) based on the quality of submitted business plans and proactive involvement in the business education process. The introduced competition for grants, regardless of the extreme vulnerability of project beneficiaries, will motivate selected in- dividuals to invest significant efforts to compete for business grants with other training attendees due to the fact that business grants will be provided only for every second training beneficiary.

~Total value of the project is € 1,147 million. EU has contributed € 1 million while 24 project municipalities and ASB provided the rest of € 147.000 for the intervention.~

By investing these efforts, the sense of ownership over the process become stronger, self-respect higher and business results better when comes to direct granting for business start-up or development. Past experience in- dicates that mere delivery of material business grants without any pre-condi- tions imposed and no efforts invested by the grant user, often led to misuse of delivered grants and/or malfunction of supported businesses. Between 2007 and 2009, ASB has piloted this competitive methodology for job creation within an EU-funded project for sup- port of mine victims and women war victims in BiH and ex-post evaluation showed significant increase in quality of project results and impact of the applied methodology in comparison with traditional approaches to grant-based job creation. The current project is an excellent opportunity to use the piloted methodology, additionally improve it if required and continue applying it as the model of best practice for support- ed employment creation in the future.