Freedom of Information Center of Armenia.

Since 2008 the Freedom of Information Center of Armenia, together with the State Civil Service Council, has started the training of civil servants. The training was first launched within the framework of the “Freedom of Information Training for Civil Servants Responsible for Public Affairs” Project, which was supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan. During two-day training workshops 84 employees of information departments of governmental bodies and 10 regional administrations acquired necessary practical knowledge and skills for the implementation of the Law on Freedom of Information.

Another outcome of this cooperation was the revision of the job descriptions of civil servants responsible for public affairs in the Armenian civil service system. Their job descriptions have been revised to include their specific functions and duties in the FOI sphere.

The FOICA - Civil Service Council cooperation was continued in November 2010 when the training of civil servants restarted in the “Non-Formal Freedom of Information Educational Center”. Those were three-day training sessions devoted to the freedom of information. Following the training the participants received state-approved certificates. In November-December 2010 and March-June 2011, 301 civil servants took part in the trainings of the Educational Center.

The training sessions are held in accordance with the program on “Ensuring the Principles of Integrity Freedom of Information and Public Affairs in the Governance System”, approved on 28 October 2010, by the Decision N847 of the RA Civil Service Council. The Civil Service Council with its decision N302-², dated 17 April, 2008, included the “Freedom of Information and Public Relations in the Governance System” training program into the permanent training curriculum of civil servant information officers.

Since October, 2011 Freedom of Information Educational Center has restarted its training courses, where community servants from the regions of Kotayk, Aragatsotn and Ararat participated. The trainings are held with the training program “Interpersonal Relations, Freedom of Information and Public Affairs in the Local Self-Government System”, established by the 20 October, 2011 N 129-² order of the ARM Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Territorial Administration Armen Gevorgyan. Each training lasts for 3 days. Upon graduation the participants are given state certificates accredited by the ARM Ministry of Territorial Administration, Freedom of Information Center of Armenia and the Union of Armenian State Employees.

It should be mentioned that Freedom of Information Educational Center was founded on 22 November, 2010 by Freedom of Information Center of Armenia in the framework of the “Access to Information for Community Involvement” project financed by USAID Armenia. In 2010-2011 the educational center trained 441civil and community servants.