Building NGOs Monitoring Capacities to Support FCTC Implementation in Armenia (American Cancer Society, Cancer Research UK, and the Framework Convention Alliance)

The goal of the project is to build monitoring capacities of non-governmental organizations involved in tobacco control in Armenia through an interactive training seminar and field work.  In March 2009, CHSR organized a highly demanded and successful training course on tobacco control programs’ evaluation.  The goal of the training was to extend the knowledge and understanding of tobacco control issues, introduce monitoring and evaluation methods, and strengthen public support to FCTC implementation in the country in Armenia.  Not only members of the Coalition for Tobacco Free Armenia but also other NGOs interested in tobacco control policy advocacy and monitoring applied for participation in the training. Seventeen NGO and two Ministry of Health representatives were selected to participate in the training.  This should benefit the tobacco control in Armenia both in terms of future state-civil society cooperation and also in upgrading the health officials’ approach to tobacco control and evaluation issues.