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Sociological Program

CSD’s Sociological Program started its activities in 1989. Its main goal has been to apply its sociological expertise in researching various aspects of democratic transition and governance in Bulgaria, as well as to strengthen democratic values and have an impact on the development of civil society in the country. In keeping with CSD’s mission, the Sociological Program is not solely focused on theoretical and empirical research and analysis, but is also driven by the conviction that sociological expertise can and should generate positive and practical changes in society.

The launching of the Sociological Program has enabled CSD to establish and maintain good working relationships in the field of public policy research with institutions such as the UN, UNDP, UNICEF, the European Commission, the World Bank, USAID, Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science, Gallup Europe, the BBC World Service, and many others.

In the 1995-2008 period the Sociological Program operated within the framework of the activities of the Vitosha Research agency for conducting social, political, economic, marketing and media surveys. Since mid-2009, the Sociological Program has resumed its activity as a separate unit within the Center for the Study of Democracy . The program priorities have been reoriented towards developing and implementing research projects of a more academic nature in key areas of socio-economic life, both at the national and European levels. In this context, the Sociological Program has emphasized the following priorities in its recent activities:

Evaluation of public policies and programmes: Development of methodologies and indicators for monitoring and evaluating policies and programs in several key areas of socio-economic life: justice and home affairs, public procurement, tenders for EU structural funds, etc.

Policies for the integration of immigrants and refugees: The Sociological Program conducts projects relating to various aspects of national as well as international policies for the integration of immigrants and refugees.

Science communication in society: Conducting research in the field of science communication and technological development. Theoretical and practical training of Bulgarian and European scientists in the field of science communication conducted by CSD experts.

The Sociological Program has been developing its expert capacity in the following areas as well:  

  • Monitoring and evaluation of the levels of corruption and hidden economy;
  • Victimization and criminological studies;
  • Advocating civic activism and responsible social policies;
  • Promoting human rights and the protection of vulnerable groups;
  • Application of foresight methods.


Events

all events
Press conference: Developing Indicators and Methods of Evaluating the Goals and Actions Related to the Integration of Citizens of Third Countries
On May 19, 2010 at Press Club BTA the Center for the Study of Democracy presented the results of the project Developing Indicators and Methods of Evaluating the Goals and Actions Related to the Integration of Citizens of Third Countries. more »
 
Roundtable: Developing Indicators and Methods of Evaluating the Goals and Actions Related to the Integration of Citizens of Third Countries
On April 28, 2010 at the Center for the Study of Democracy was held a roundtable to present the results of the project Developing Indicators and Methods of Evaluating the Goals and Actions Related to the Integration of Citizens of Third Countries. more »
 
Public Discussion: Transparent Government: Monitoring and Assessment of Public Policies
On 9 February 2010 the Center for the Study of Democracy with the cooperation of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation organized a public discussion on the monitoring and assessment of public policies. During the public discussion, experts from the Center for the Study of Democracy presented the report Monitoring and Assessment of Public Policies and Programmes. more »
 
New project “Developing Indicators and Methods of Evaluating the Goals and Actions Related to the Integration of Citizens of Third Countries”
On December 17, 2009 Sociological Program of the Center for the Study of Democracy, launched a project Developing Indicators and Methods of Evaluating the Goals and Actions Related to the Integration of Citizens of Third Countries. The project is being implemented with the financial support of the European Union through the European Fund for Integration of third country nationals. more »
 

Recent publications

all publications
Monitoring and Assessment of Public Policies and Programmes
The report Monitoring and Assessment of Public Policies and Programmes reviews the methods for monitoring the activity of the public sector, central and regional authorities and public-private partnerships. още »
 
Biggest Cities Review
Industry Watch has recently published one of his periodical reports. "Biggest Cities Review" is the first report which is based on empirical data collected in partnership with Vitosha Research agency. The main goal is to observe some important regional discrepancies in Bulgaria such as: още »
 
Presentation of the report “Police Stops and Ethnic Profiling in Bulgaria”
Between June and December 2005 the Center for the Study of Democracy and Vitosha Research, supported by the Open Society Justice Initiative carried out a study of police stops. The resulting report Police Stops and Ethnic Profiling in Bulgaria examines the use of stops by the Bulgarian police, focusing on the practices of disproportionate stops of members of the Roma ethnic minority. The report also highlights issues related to police abuse during stops as well as crime among in Roma communities. още »
 
e-Bulgaria 2006
ARC Fund has released its latest e-Bulgaria 2006 Report which analyzes the progress in ICT infrastructure deployment in the country, as well as the penetration and use of internet and ICT-related services in Bulgarian households, enterprises, schools, universities and government institutions over this year. The report presents a wealth of empirical and qualitative data, synthetic indicators, trend analysis and projections, policy options and recommendations for the future development of information society in the country. още »
 


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      Related links
 
  • Discussion Forum: The Grey Economy: Impact on the Development of Bulgaria and Measures to Address the Problems: On 19 June 2007 the initiative „Na svetlo“ („In the light“) organized a discussion forum The Grey Economy: Impact on the Development of Bulgaria and Measures to Address the Problems. Mr. Petkan Iliev, Senior Fellow at the Economic Program of the Center for the Study of Democracy took part in the event. more »
     
  • Official launch of e-Municipality Report: The Report e-Municipality was launched in the Information Society Promotion Office on 15 December 2005. The report is elaborated jointly by experts from the Center for the Study of Democracy, ARC Fund, the Coordination Centre for Information, Communication and Management Technologies and Vitosha Research. more »
     
  • Round Table: Corruption and Tax Compliance: On 18 October 2005 the Center for Study of Democracy and Coalition 2000 organized a round table to present the analytical report Corruption and Tax Compliance. Policy and Administration Challenges. The Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr. Boyko Kotzev, made the opening remarks and stated that the Ministry of Interior applies effectively the best practices of the EU countries in preventing corruption within the Ministry. more »
     
  • Videoconference on Corruption Monitoring and Assessment Techniques: On 21 September, 2005 the Center for Study of Democracy and Sofia Distance Learning Center hosted the forth videoconference on the Anti-corruption pilot program titled Corruption Monitoring and Assessment Techniques. more »
     
  • Corruption Monitoring Workshop: On 17 and 18 June, 2005 the Center for the Study of Democracy hosted a workshop on the future of corruption monitoring jointly organized with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The workshop brought together leading experts in the field to discuss the role of corruption monitoring in the context of the evolving international anti-corruption policies. more »