Davit Margaryan
2024 IVLP Impact Award Project: NGO Excellence ExchangeArmenia
Davit Margaryan is the CEO and co-founder of the School of Local Democracy educational foundation. He has been a member of the Communities Finance Officers Association Board since 2012. Davit holds significant expertise in systemic reforms of local self-government, citizen participation in decision making processes at local level, local democracy and governance, local economic development, and administrative territorial reforms. He has conducted comprehensive research, drafted regulations and other legislative acts, organized community development programs, provided specialized consultations to local self-government entities, and developed training modules within those fields of expertise. He collaborated as an independent expert in numerous local self-government projects implemented by international donor organizations such as USAID, Council of Europe, UNDP, GIZ, EU, UNICEF, World Vision, and others.
Davit holds a Master’s degree in State and Municipal Administration (2008) and a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Local Self-Government (2011). Since 2016, he has been a co-author of the annual report series “Local Self-government in Armenia” and “Local Governance Annual Index.”
IVLP Impact Award Project: NGO Excellence Exchange
The project enhanced the effectiveness of Armenian civil society organizations (CSOs) by sharing best practices from US NGO management. An intensive two-day training empowered 20 young CSO leaders (ages 18-35) with the knowledge and tools to strengthen their organizations and contribute more effectively to their communities. Participants showed a 30% increase in understanding key topics like project monitoring and evaluation, financial management, and leadership strategies, as measured by pre- and post-training assessments. The training concluded with a panel discussion featuring three IVLP alumni, whose presentations and insights further inspirated participants.
The CSO leaders who attended the training are now more confident in driving change within their communities and are sharing the knowledge and skills gained with their teams to improve organizational management and community engagement. This project has laid a strong foundation for continued growth and development among Armenian regional CSOs and IVLP alumni, ensuring they are better equipped to serve their communities effectively.
"All the courses were interesting, but I would like [to highlight a few]: the experiences shared by participants of the International Visitor Leadership Program and the program's content, the role of youth programs and NGOs within the community, and the different methods and tools for fundraising. Everything was very well thought out; it would be great if we had more time for this course.” – Project Participant
IVLP Exchange Experience
Davit participated in the IVLP Project NGO Management I, organized by the U.S. Department of State and World Learning, in partnership with Global Minnesota, Cleveland Council on World Affairs, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, International Institute of Wisconsin, and the New York Program Branch.
Davit’s exchange experience led to the development of his project: “Our meeting with the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee left a profound and positive impression on me, illustrating how collective efforts around a shared vision can trigger large-scale changes.”
U.S. Communities Visited
Washington, DC; Minneapolis, MN; New York City, NY; Cleveland, OH; Philadelphia, PA; Milwaukee, WI