EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This paper reports the results of an assessment the Economic Research Center’s (ERC) use of three years’ of institutional support provided by the Think Tank Fund (TTF) during 2006-2009. This is an ex post assessment that relies on a substantial amount of background material provided to the consultant, information on the ERC web site, responses to a questionnaire sent to ERC for completion prior to the consultant’s Baku visit, critically reading and rating ERC policy research reports and shorter papers, and interviews with ERC management, staff, and Board members, and members of the policy community during an eight day visit to Baku. Within the policy community the consultant met with seven persons in the international community, staff of two NGOs, and three government officials. Those interviewed were selected by ERC and the Center arranged the meetings.
Major findings include that the Azeri policy community certainly views ERC as a successful contributor to the country’s policy development, perhaps the single most successful civil society contributor. In an extremely difficult political environment it has succeeded in having its work taken seriously, even if government officials are unlikely to acknowledge its work explicitly. As one respondent stated, “ERC has played a huge role as a model of other think tanks to show that they can survive and it has demonstrated how to work with government.” The TTF’s support for the public relations and external communications functions certainly appear to have contributed to ERC’s “strong brand” and the high quality of its dissemination program.

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I.GENERAL PROVISIONS
1.1. The Social Union “ECONOMICS RESEARCH CENTER” (hereinafter referred to as –Union) is a free-will organization, established on the basis of common interests, the voluntarism and the equal rights of its members.
1.2. The Union carries out its activity in strict compliance with the provisions of the Constitution and the laws of Azerbaijan Republic.
1.3. The Union will obtain the status of a legal entity only after registration with the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan Republic. The Union has its own balance, the seal with its name on it , the settlement and other accounts with the banks of Azerbaijan Republic and other properties.
1.4 The Union has the right to conclude agreements on its name, to obtain the property and non property personal rights, to bear duties, to appear as plaintiff and the respondent in the courts.
1.5 The address of the Union: 25, Khagani Street, Baku.
II PURPOSES AND DUTIES OF THE UNION
2.1 The main purpose of the Union is to join knowledge and efforts of Azerbaijani intellectuals in order to speed up the progress in the fields of economy, culture and science , to provide the growth and education of the youth in the spirit of patriotism.
1.1 To attain its main purpose, the Union carries out the below stated duties:
 Propagandizes the gained economic, scientific and cultural success of our country:
 Appears with proposals serving the economic progress of the country, organizes discussion:
 Keeps contacts with the official and private organizations, serves the protection of peace via carrying out of measurements in direction of strengthening the friendship among nations:
 Joins the arrangements organized by the international organizations propagandizes our country in abroad:
 Creates rest centers for the children of Azerbaijanis residing in foreign countries , as well as for children of Azerbaijani refugees/
 Assists the education of Azerbaijanis in the colleges and universities of foreign coutries:
 Organizes and assists the improvement training courses for the Azerbaijanis economists in foreign countries:
 Uses of possibilities of the foreign donor organizations in publication of the educational means concerning the economics;
 Conducts various charitable arrangements serving the strengthening of science, culture, education, economy and trade;

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