On January 12, a public discussion was held in Vanadzor, during which the results of a budgetary analysis in the field of social protection were presented. The event was organized by NGO Center for Civil Society Development within the framework of the “Budgetary Analysis in the Social Sector” sub-grant provided under the “Budgets for Citizens” program, implemented by a consortium led by Armenian Lawyers’ Association NGO with financial support from the European Union.
The discussion focused on improving the transparency of state support measures aimed at forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as enhancing public participation in this process.
Participants included representatives of the Lori Regional Governor’s Office and various community administrations of the region, staff members of the Vanadzor office of the Unified Social Service, representatives of civil society organizations, and forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh. The event opened with welcoming remarks by Susan Hovsepyan, Grants Manager of NGO Center and Head of the “Budgetary Analysis in the Social Sector” program, and Susanna Soghomonyan, expert of the “Budgets for Citizens” program.
Subsequently, Nane Mkrtchyan, a junior specialist in the budgetary field of the program, presented the details of the conducted research, which included an analysis of the state budget for the years 2020–2024 and the first nine months of 2025. The presentation addressed planned, revised, and actual indicators, as well as budget execution.
In the second part of the meeting, group discussions were organized to validate the recommendations developed as a result of the research and analytical work, as well as to formulate new proposals. This format enabled participants to actively engage in identifying key issues in the social protection sector and to develop practical recommendations aimed at improving social support programs. The collected proposals, together with the analytical report, will be submitted to the relevant state authorities with the aim of initiating positive changes in the sector.