Regional Assistance Program II (RAP II)

Regional Assistance Program II (RAP II)

Program Type: Civil society capacity-building and rapid response funding

Geographic Scope: Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Funder: US–Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)

Overview: RAP II strengthens civil society organizations and supports civil society actors working toward social and political reform in the Middle East and North Africa. The program provides civil society organizations with financial and/or in-kind support combined with targeted technical assistance to strengthen CSO capacity in project management, advocacy, public discourse, gender auditing, and other areas.

Program Approach:

Responds rapidly to changing events on the ground

Combination of financial support (subgrants) and technical assistance

Training, mentorship, or in-kind assistance from RAP II, regional partners, or other IREX experts

Works with local, regional, and international organizations

Supported Activities:

Respond to emergent political developments (including snap elections)

Complete local or national political, legal, or social campaigns

Projects strengthening relationship between governmental and nongovernmental institutions

RAP I Legacy (2014-2016):

Built capacity of 8 large civil society organizations

These organizations built capacity of 200+ smaller organizations

Trained 250+ activists and community leaders in:

- Advocacy
- Critical thinking
- Media literacy and monitoring
- Election monitoring
- Gender-based violence (GBV) literacy

Established cadres of trainers, facilitators, and mentors in Kuwait and Algeria

RAP I Project Examples:

Kuwait Critical Thinking Program (2015-2016): Promoted active citizenship and collaborative advocacy skills among youth through partnership with en.v; established new cadre of Kuwaiti trainers and activists; integrated social and traditional media tools

Strengthening NADA Network (Algeria, 2016-2017): Built capacity of 48 NGOs/CBOs working in child rights protection; improved effectiveness, efficiency, and service quality of Network for the Defense of Children's Rights (NADA)

Women Municipal Leadership Program (Tunisia, 2017): Trained 44 women candidates from rural Kasserine and Tozeur on campaign strategy, communication, and conflict resolution in partnership with Association for Development of Rural Women (ADFR); 22 trained women intended to run in March 2018 municipal elections

Key Partners:

en.v

Al Hayat Center for Civil Society Development

Contact: mena-rap@irex.org