Program: Community Economic Development (CED)

The Small Business Development (SBD) Program was started in October 1993 and the first 14 SBD Volunteers were exclusively assigned to business advisory centers newly created through an initiative of the European Union. Volunteers provided a wide range of assistance services, from direct client consulting, to advisory work on organizational development and customer service. A next step meant a shift of Volunteer assignment from solely business advisory focused organizations to a broader range of community economic development organizations, including local and regional development agencies, educational institutions and NGOs engaged in economic development issues.

The CED program took the SBD experience to a higher level. It aimed at supporting Romanian communities in their economic development efforts and offers technical assistance to non-profit organizations, local administration offices, education institutions and individuals, so that they may better apply market economy practice and principles to improve their living conditions and participate successfully to the global economy.

Romania joined the EU on January 1st 2007. The EU integration agenda became the new strategic drive for the country, and, though much harder to achieve, it does provide a clearer sense of strategic direction. This was a good opportunity for the CED program to be reassessed and redirected, to be consistent in purpose and approach with the new Romanian context.

The CED program aims at supporting Romanian communities in their efforts to value their potential, seize opportunities and mobilize their assets in order to achieve strong sustainable economic development. This will bring valuable contributions in addressing strategic development priorities such as increasing economic competitiveness, human resources development, promoting employment and social inclusion and strengthening public administrative capacity, development of the rural economy reducing the economic and development disparities among the communities.

 

The new goals we are setting for ourselves include contributions to the effort for rural development in Romania, as well as the revival of Romanian post-industrial urban communities - towns and small cities which used to be heavily dependent solely on their production capacities in the communist era, and whose industries collapsed in theearly 1990’s, generating high unemployment and poverty rates. CED Volunteers are expected to help members of the above mentionedcommunities to learn values, principles and practices that would enable them to effectively address the issues of high unemployment and poverty rates, and promote initiatives that would generate income and lead to economic growth, as well as to enhance the social dynamics and the quality of life in rural areas.

 

The new goals we are setting for ourselves include contributions to the effort for rural development in Romania, as well as the revival of Romanian post-industrial urban communities - towns and small cities which used to be heavily dependent solely on their production capacities in the communist era, and whose industries collapsed in the early 1990’s, generating high unemployment and poverty rates.

CED Volunteers are expected to help members of the above mentioned communities to learn values, principles and practices that would enable them to effectively address the issues of high unemployment and poverty rates, and promote initiatives that would generate income and lead to economic growth, as well as to enhance the social dynamics and the quality of life in rural areas.

 

The types of work CED PCVs are expected to undertake include:

• awareness activities, business education and training
• business consulting and technical assistance (including information activities, business contacts, networking, support and facilitation of access to grants, loans or micro credit programs),
• agribusiness and agro-tourism training programs, special events and the production of promotional tools.

Currently there are 24 CED PCVs serving in 13 counties in Romania.

 

Meet the Staff

Oana Boingeanu, CED Program Manager

Program Brochure

The CED Program Overview brochure provides background information about the program, highlights examples of partnerships and reviews several successful projects. You can download the brochure here:

• Program Brochure- PDF Attachment »
• Program Brochure- Webversion 1st page, 2nd page »

Request a Volunteer

If you are interested in requesting a volunteer please download and complete an application and return by email it to CED@RO.PEACECORPS.GOV or by mail at Str. Negustori #16, Sector 2, Bucuresti Romania. You can download an application by clicking here.

 

CED Volunteer Projects

The following are several highlighted projects

Job Fair

One CED Volunteer facilitated a Job Fair in his medium-sized town of Onesti in County Bacau. The Volunteer identified a local non-profit organization, The Rotary Club and with financial and logistical assistance from The Rotary Club, the local Unemployment Office held the first ever public job fair on November 22, 2007. Read More »

Euro 2007 Build

Peace Corps Romania Volunteers and staff participated with 650 other volunteers from nine other countries at the Habitat for Humanity Euro 2007 Build September 3-7, 2007 in Radauti, County Suceava. During the event they built twenty-seven houses, one house to represent each EU Nation. Read More »

 

For more information about the CED program, or to initiate collaboration with a Peace Corps CED Volunteer, please contact CED@ro.peacecorps.gov.

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"I came to Romania wanting to find the best opportunities to utilize my business skills and education. Creating a business incubator that focuses on helping high school students learn and apply business skills has proven to be inspiring. The students are smart and motivated and I see them becoming Romanian's inspiring business leaders." Eric Halsey, Peace Corps Volunteer