Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia presents the information regarding the expenditures of Kutaisi municipality from 2017 to December 2020, that amount to GEL 22,551,848 in total. The research compiles the information on remunerations, rewards/bonuses, additional pays as well as on the communication costs of the administrations, business trips, fuel, vehicle repair/diagnostics, and representative expenditures. Read more…  Source: The web-page of the organization

Tbilisi. On March 31-April 1, 2021, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC) and Management Systems Development Center (MSDC) held two-day online training on the Local Self-Government Index for regional organizations. “The Local Self-Government Index is a joint initiative of these organizations, which evaluates accountability and transparency of municipalities. The aim of the training was to introduce an evaluation methodology to the representatives of partner regional organizations. In the future they will evaluate the executive and representative bodies of municipalities based on this methodology. The assessment of municipalities will be launched on April 5, 2021. The training participants received both theoretical information and practical experience of the assessment of municipalities' accountability and transparency. They were provided with the details of the index methodology and discuss particular circumstances of the assessment process. The participants also got familiar with the information of quality assessment criteria and the methods to verify the information reliability”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. Transparency International Georgia published outcomes of 2019-2020 Activities of Committees of Concerned Citizens in Samegrelo. By the information TI spared, the majority of the problems identified by our CCC members in Khobi and Zugdidi were related to rehabilitation and pavement of the roads, increasing the number of municipal public transport, water supply-related works, renovating recreational zones, children’s attractions, and playgrounds, increasing the number of garbage containers, adjustment of the outdoor lighting poles and fencing the village cemeteries in various districts of cities and villages. Read more…  Source: The web-page of the organization

Samtskhe-Javakheti. Transparency International Georgia published Outcomes of 2019-2020 Activities of Concerned Citizens in Samtskhe-Javakheti. “Active citizens residing in Samtskhe-Javakheti joined TI Georgia’s CCCs in 2019. That year, they identified up to 30 infrastructural needs in the total of 14 settlements in Akhaltsikhe and adjacent villages: among the problems were the situation prevailing in kindergartens, irrigation system, outdoor lighting, poor condition of internal village roads as well as that of the sidewalks, curbs and traffic lights in Akhaltsikhe”, - declares the organization. Read more…  Source: The web-page of the organization

Imereti. TI published 2019-2020 Activities of Transparency International Georgia’s Committees of Concerned Citizens in Imereti.  “Improving the system of public transport in Kutaisi, resolving the problems with a drinking water supply and outdoor lamp-posts in the villages of Tskaltubo and Tkibuli, rehabilitation and paving of roads in various municipalities – this is but a small list of implemented projects advocated by the members of Transparency International Georgia’s (TI Georgia) Committees of Concerned Citizens (CCCs) to the corresponding municipalities. In 2019, our CCC members in Imereti identified 38 problems, and local self-government authorities resolved 15 of them in 2020 using municipal budget resources”, - is mentioned in the information published by TI.  Read more…   Source: The web-page of the organization

Tbilisi. By the Council of Europe within the regional project ‘Strengthening Institutional Frameworks for Local Governance”, IDFI was developed as a free Handbook on Transparency and Citizen Participation, for employees at public and local governmental sectors. By the organization, the Handbook consists of four chapters and combines the most important topics for the public service and local authorities such as Public Ethics and Accountability, Corruption Risks, Transparency, and Citizen Involvement in the decision-making process. To further analyze the issues of the Handbook there are many practical cases from Georgia. At the same time, the interested readers can see the list of the regulatory and recommendatory international documents which can be useful sources for acquiring additional information. Read more…  Source: The web-page of the organization

Ajara. Transparency International Georgia published problems and outcomes of 2019-2020 activities of committees of concerned citizens in Ajara.  By the document, - Paving internal roads is vitally important for the high-mountain settlements of Adjara, fixing the drinking and irrigation water systems in the villages is equally important, Unlike the school infrastructure, the rehabilitation of kindergartens falls fully within the competence of local municipalities, correspondingly, considering modest resources, it was not possible to conduct rehabilitation works in many kindergartens, etc…  Read more…   Source: The web-page of the organization

Europe Foundation published a post about positive examples in Ozurgeti Municipality where budget related-issues were resolved through a participatory principle  “GIFT (Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency) has declared 10 principles of public participation in fiscal policy to implement citizen-oriented budgeting policy. One of these principles is SUSTAINABILITY”, - Is mentioned in the post, - “There are some positive examples in Ozurgeti Municipality where budget related-issues were resolved through a participatory principle helping to institutionalize public participation in fiscal policy. Founder of Progress House Mindia Salukvadze is sharing his experience of collaboration with local government and some positive results he has seen in Ozurgeti municipality”.  Read more…  Source: Page in the social network

Tbilisi.Handbook is elaborated with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Project “Citizen Participation in Municipal Budgeting” is implemented within the frames of Eastern Partnership Regional Fund for Public Administration Reform.  Practical Handbook on Participatory Budgeting

Racha-Lechkhum-Kvemo Svaneti. LDA Georgia is still holding meetings with the members of Civic Advisory Councils and public servants in Tsageri and Lentekhi municipality within the framework of the grant “ Racha-Lechkhumi and lower Svaneti Regional Development Initiative”. All the main inter-municipal initiatives which can be implemented by neighboring municipalities were discussed at the meeting.  „Racha-Lechkhumi and lower Svaneti Regional Development Initiative” is undertaken within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) “Fostering Regional and Local Development-Phase 2” project, with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the Government of Georgia.  Read more…  Source: Page in the social network

Today, IDFI team held an online meeting together with the representatives of USAID/Georgia, GGI Georgia, the City Hall of Telavi Municipality and the local non-governmental organizations. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the draft Integrity and Transparency Strategy and Action Plan of the City Hall of Telavi Municipality with civil society. Read more…  Source: The page in the social network

 With the support of the EU GEL 5 Million awarded to first municipalities under Pilot Integrated Regional Development Programme...  The Government of Georgia, with the support of the EU, awarded the first 11 municipalities under the Pilot Integrated Regional Development Programme with a total of GEL 5 million in grants in the area of local infrastructure and business development - of Kakheti, Imereti, Guria and Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti.  These grants are part of the Government’s GEL 220 million Pilot Integrated Regional Development Grant Programme, of which GEL 186 million will come from EU funding. The aim of the programme is to promote a more balanced territorial development and improve living standards and conditions of the population in the regions through inclusive, smart and sustainable socio-economic means.  Read more   Source: The web-page of the organization

Tbilisi. According to information released by the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), part of local self-government bodies has been engaged in a campaign in favor of the ruling party since April 2020, using official “Facebook” pages. Besides the campaign in favor of the ruling party, some municipalities are also involved in a campaign that benefits majoritarian deputies of the Parliament of Georgia. Read more… Source: isfed.ge

Tbilisi. According to a public opinion survey ordered by Transparency International Georgia, the majority of population (75%) consider that local self-governments should have more authority to address problematic issues of municipalities. “The vast majority of citizens are satisfied with issues related to electricity, gas and water supply at their settlements, however, these issues are no longer to be solved by municipal services. Out of competencies of local self-governments citizens are satisfied with garbage collection and cleaning services the most of all, while they are mostly dissatisfied with the arrangement of parks and squares, landscaping and settling problems of homeless animals”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Shida Kartli. The City Assembly of Gori Municipality approved rules for implementation of co-funding programs for projects of the municipality and the list of information to be published proactively broadened. Amendments were made within the framework of the project – “Advocacy for effective participation”, which is implemented by the Gori Information Center and the Gori office of the Civil Society Institute with the financial support of NDI Georgia and USAID. Shortcomings existing in current programs of co-funding for projects and initiatives of Gori Municipality were revealed as a result of a qualitative research conducted at the beginning of the project. It turned out that there were no common rules that would ensure both increase of participation of population in implementation of projects and transparency of co-funding processes. It should be noted that this is the success of the first lobbyist woman of Gori Municipality - Darejan Muradashvili, Head of the Gori Branch of the Civil Society Institute and Mikheil Chitadze, Head of the Gori Information Center, registered as lobbyists at the City Assembly of Gori Municipality to lobby for projects related to initiated legal acts. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Ajara. In the framework of the EU funded project “Promotion of Rural Development and Diversification in Khulo Municipality”, implemented by Caritas Czech Republic in Georgia (CCRG), second Rural Development Grant Competition has been completed and results announced.  According to quotas, Grant budget limitations and rural development grant committee decisions 45 full projects have been selected for granting. Winner projects desegregated by priority themes: Rural tourism – 9;  Agriculture – 11;  Social and communal infrastructure – 1;  Culture, health, education, sports, and youth – 4; Non-farm entrepreneurship – 20. Read more…  Source: http://enpard.ge

Kvemo Kartli. The Youth Bank has one of the most active committees in the Marneuli district. Both committee members and the authors of projects, i.e., young persons who turn ideas into projects, are quite active, and, in a joint effort with the committee, they work to benefit their local communities. This process is supported by Europe Foundation within the framework of its Youth Integration Program. This year, youth in the Marneuli district set a precedent for future projects to follow – they built a greenhouse that will generate income for the Maradisi village school district. Read more…  Source: http://www.epfound.ge

Kakheti. More than 65 residents took part in two-day training sessions on the LEADER-CLLD (Community-Led Local Development) approach in Akhmeta municipality in the region of Kakheti.  The training was organised within the framework of the EU-funded ENPARD project “Promoting inclusive and participatory local development in Akhmeta Municipality” and aimed at providing attendees with a thorough induction on the concept and principles of the LEADER-CLLD approach and how they might adapt this proven methodology to their own unique context.  Read more…  Source: http://enpard.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes a blogpost: Gender imbalance in the self-government bodies of the municipalities of Adjara. “The representation of women in the city councils of Adjara has increased, although, in spite of this, there is a significant gender imbalance in the self-government bodies, especially in the executive organs of the municipalities. Women’s representation is still low in the factions and commissions of the city councils. Only 2 of the 29 factions (both in Batumi) in the region’s self-government bodies are chaired by women. As for commissions, only 4 of the 30 commissions in 6 city councils are chaired by women (in Kobuleti, Khelvachauri, Shuakhevi, and Khulo)”, is noted in the statement.  Read more… Source: www.transparency.ge

Kvemo Kartli. The last session of the second cycle of training course, based on the Law of Georgia on Competition was held in Rustavi. The purpose of this training was to ensure compliance of work performance of the local self-governance representatives with the requirements of Law on Competition. During April-July 2019, with the initiative of the Competition Agency of Georgia, support of GIZ Legal Program, and technical assistance of the Academy of Ministry of Finance of Georgia fourteen training sessions were conducted on practical application of certain articles of the Law of Georgia on Competition in six selected regions of Georgia, which totally trained 420 local officials. Read more…  Source: https://www.facebook.com/giz.law.ge

Imereti. Local Democracy Agency Georgia was held forum in Zestaponi Municipality. Forum was attended by citizens, Mayors, City Hall department heads, and mayoral representatives in the administrative units from Baghdati municipality. The goal of this forum is to increase the involvement of citizens in municipal-level planning, include citizens’ input in next year’s budget, and improve communication between municipality’s local authorities and its populations. Read more…  Source: https://www.facebook.com/LDAGeorgia

Local Democracy Agency Georgia was held forum in Baghdati Municipality. Forum was attended by citizens, Mayors, City Hall department heads, and mayoral representatives in the administrative units from Baghdati municipality. The goal of this forum is to increase the involvement of citizens in municipal-level planning, include citizens’ input in next year’s budget, and improve communication between each municipality’s local authorities and their populations. It should be noticed, that according to the research by LDA Georgia, two social programs such as Autism Spectrum Kids program and Home care program,will be included in the 2020 budget of Baghdati municipality. Read more… Source: Social network