Development of strategic recommendations for the new SFK program, Open Economy Initiative for 2017-2019

The project focuses on providing expert recommendations of the strategic opportunities existing for SFK regarding advancing open society through economic reforms during 2017 to 2019. The recommendations will take into account the strategic roles that SFK may play (catalyzer of change, policy broker, public policy hub, grant-maker, advocate, etc.), in reference to the internal capacity of SFK and SFK’s ability to build partnerships across Europe, U.S. and Eurasia. 

The objectives of the project include: 
1.    Development of recommendations on key thematic areas and specific strategic objectives for SFK’s Open Economy Initiative for 2017-2019 based on the expert analysis of the situation. 
2.    Development of recommendations on some specific activities within identified strategic objectives (commissioning research, grant-making, conferences, international advocacy aimed at OECD, etc).
3.    Production of recommendations on the theme, format, agenda and participants of the first Open Economy Forum scheduled for February/March 2017. 
4.    Providing suggestions on CASE’s input into the implementation of the OEI workplan in 2017-2019.
In order to achieve these objectives and to provide quality analysis of the economic situation in Kazakhstan, as well as tailored recommendations to the SFK, the research project will consist of the following tasks: 
1.    Support to the  SFK in organizing the first Open Economy Forum (scheduled for first trimester of 2017)
1.1    development of recommendations on theme, format, agenda and participants; 
1.2    consultations with SFK staff, Board and partners;
1.3    assistance in reaching out to international speakers;
1.4    a study trip to Kazakhstan (Almaty, Astana).
2.    Development of draft recommendations on the scope and specific strategic objectives for SFK’s Open Economy Initiative for 2017-2019:
2.1    development of recommendations on some specific activities within identified strategic objectives;
2.2    development of suggestions on CASE input in the program implementation;
2.3    joining the consultation meeting with the OSF Economic Advancement Program in London (in person or by videoconference depending on availability);
2.4    finalizing and submitting all recommendations.

The outputs of the project include:

- recommendations on key thematic areas and specific strategic objectives for SFK’s Open Economy Initiative for 2017-2019

- recommendations on some specific activities within identified strategic objectives

- recommendations on the theme, format, agenda and participants of the first Open Economy Forum scheduled for February/March 2017

- suggestions on CASE’s input into the implementation of the OEI workplan in 2017-2019