Community Level Access to Social Services (CLASS) Project Quarterly Progress Report

The project aims to strengthen Armenia's social protection system through community-based social work and improve the lives of vulnerable children and their families in all communities across ten regions and Yerevan. The project's three main objectives are to establish community-based social workers within local government, enhance communities' ability to identify, prevent, and address social issues, and support the psychosocial recovery and build resilience of women affected by the conflict. To achieve the first objective, the project supports the adoption and enforcement of legislation regulating community social workers' positions and promotes the establishment of sustainable mechanisms for capacity building and integration into the local self-government structure. During the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2024, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remained a subject of concern, with over 100,000 ethnic Armenians, including women and children, forcibly displaced to Armenia. In response, the CLASS project initiated a series of trainings on prevention of psychological and emotional burnout for community social workers, who served as frontline staff for the arriving displaced people. The project also provided supportive supervision services to the social workers through additional trainings and individual and group consultations. The supervision manual, approved by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and printed during this quarter, aims to facilitate a conducive atmosphere for reflection, inquiry, and guidance. The project has successfully incorporated a mechanism for social worker supervision into the draft law on Social Assistance, which will ensure the proper implementation of supervision and secure the sustainability of the adopted practices. Education component activities were a priority for the project, with the organization of 10 performances on bullying in ten selected schools in ten marzes, in cooperation with the Theater for Change. The project also distributed posters, books, and stickers raising awareness among children, school staff, and parents on bullying. The training module on Violence against Children and guideline on "Prevention and Response to Violence Against Children" was approved by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and will be applied in all schools in Armenia. The project continued its Economic Resilience interventions, providing vocational trainings and professional tools to 133 households, including 89 forcibly displaced families from Nagorno-Karabakh. The ARNAP Foundation continued proactive engagement in the project, supporting the implementation of activities and providing resources to the project team. The CLASS project has made significant progress in achieving its objectives, with a focus on supporting the most vulnerable populations, including women and children affected by the conflict. The project's activities have been well-received by the community, with a high level of engagement and participation from local stakeholders. The project's success is a testament to the importance of community-based social work in addressing social issues and promoting the well-being of vulnerable populations. The project's geographic coverage includes all ten regions of Armenia and Yerevan, with a focus on supporting the most vulnerable populations in these areas. The project's implementation is led by World Vision Armenia, with support from the Child Development Foundation, Women's Support Center, and Disaster Risk Reduction National Platform. The project's budget is managed by the USAID/Armenia Mission, with oversight and monitoring by the project's implementing partners. The CLASS project has a strong commitment to sustainability, with a focus on building the capacity of local stakeholders and promoting the adoption of best practices in community-based social work. The project's supervision manual and training module on Violence against Children are examples of the project's efforts to promote sustainability and ensure the long-term impact of its activities.