The responsible approach and systematic management of documents ensures their availability and integrity for long-term and permanent use! – this was the reason that thirty-six representatives of civil society organisations were trained in administrative work on 21.10.2025 at the Civic Resource Center (CRC) in Skopje.
At this workshop, the participants increased their knowledge of what office and archival work encompasses and became more familiar with some of the basic concepts in office and archival work: archival material, documentary material, document/record, holder of public and private archival and documentary material, difference between office and archival work, etc.
Furthermore, the participants learned how to arrange and evaluate documents in accordance with the Plan of Archival Signs, the List of Archival Material and the List of Documentary Material with Storage Periods given in the Instructions on the Method and Technique for Handling Archival and Documentary Material in Office and Archival Work.
In addition to theoretical knowledge, the participants also had practical exercises on how to keep a Journal - the basic book for recording all received and own documents/records: the method of recording data in the journal, transferring a basic number, reserving necessary places, inventory of documents/records, linking acts, etc., as well as the method of using a seal, receipt and deadline stamp.
In the last session of the workshop, which was dedicated to archival work, the participants gained knowledge about the method of selecting archival from documentary material, Inventory and description of archival material, as well as Inventory of documentary material for destruction.
After completing the workshop, the participants expressed their satisfaction with the topics covered in it.
“The administrative work training was extremely useful and, by covering important concepts related to office and archival work, allowed me to renew my knowledge, but also to clarify certain dilemmas that I had in practice,” said Daniela Antonovska from the Association for Equal Opportunities, Support and Promotion of the Status of Women and Youth EQUALITICO Skopje. “I am particularly satisfied with the way the trainer led the training – excellent, clear and specific, with detailed explanations for each question asked. I liked that the training was interactive and that there were many practical examples, through which it was easier to connect theory with practical work,” she added.
The topics were relevant, and the practical exercises were also useful for Borche Bozhinov from the STAR-STAR Association in Skopje: “In an era of rapid transformations, where new practices and regulations dictate new standards, this training significantly deepened the foundations of my knowledge in the field of office and archival work and enabled me to be prepared for modern challenges. The practical examples and detailed explanations regarding the planning and evaluation of documents were crucial in advancing my knowledge. Such trainings have an irreplaceable role in strengthening the capacities of civil society organisations and in building an efficient, transparent and responsible civil society. I left the GRC with the realization that the paper we create as a document gains greater value if we store it with responsibility and a systematic approach,” he said.
The interest in strengthening capacities in this area was expressed by civil society organisations through a public call, and the participants were instructed to review the legal and by-laws in this area before the training:
Law on Archival Material and Archival Activity
Decree on Office and Archival Work
as well as all other legal and by-laws that are relevant to the documentation held by the holder.
At the workshop, special emphasis was placed on the importance of regularly monitoring all changes in the legal and by-laws related to this topic.
After the workshop, mentoring activities on this topic will be conducted with all interested civil society organisations.The workshop was organised under the project "EU Support to the Civil Society Resource Centre - Phase 2", funded by the European Union, and implemented by the National Civil Society Development Foundation Civic Resource Centre, the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation (MCIC), Media Plus, Shtip and the Association for Democratic Initiatives - ADI, Gostivar.
