Quarterly Progress Report: Georgia Communities Empowered for Local Decision-Making

The project's overall objective is to achieve more effective, responsive, and accountable local governance in Georgia. Intermediate results include improved capacity of local communities to engage local government and strengthen communities' capacity to rebuild essential services, restore incomes, and empower all citizens of Georgia to have an effective voice in government. The project is designed to achieve community-level impact by using a bottom-up approach to systematically assist Georgian communities to nurture democratic reform efforts. Expected key results include legislative reform matching local government revenues more closely to local government responsibilities, the interests of local governments being advocated and local government best practice being disseminated through demand-driven, democratically organized associations with grass-roots support, and local government/citizen partnerships implementing more effective and participatory methods for managing resources and delivering services. During the April to June 2009 quarter, significant progress was made in various activities. Information centers in Gori and Mtskheta and Social Service Departments in Tetritskaro, Zugdidi, Dusheti, Kaspi, and Kareli were fully operational and providing services to IDPs, local governments, and donors. Proposal writing workshops were conducted in 12 municipalities, providing training to 20 to 25 participants from each municipality. One-day training on local government legislation was provided to 287 participants in 13 municipalities. Community-Based Economic Development Advisory and Working Group workshops were conducted in several municipalities, where participants reviewed and updated their SWOT analyses, mission statements, and action plans. Assistance was provided to 14 municipalities in defining village-level programs for funding, holding public hearings on budgets, and organizing activities to get the 2010 budget process underway. The Municipal Service Providers' Association conducted an assessment of the current system of cleaning and garbage collection fee administration and met with municipalities to plan improvements. Cross-cutting activities included coordination meetings, where stakeholders discussed their activities and future cooperation. CELD representatives attended presentations on the new Local Government program implemented by the Civil Society Institute and financed by the European Union representation in Georgia. The program aims to improve local governance through training, developing tools for citizen participation, raising public awareness, and assisting local governments in effective planning of the budget. CELD staff members also attended a presentation on the survey prepared by the Caucasian Institute for Economic and Social Research in cooperation with GTZ. The survey analyzed expenditure policy of local self-governments in Georgia, highlighting issues such as conditional expenses and expenditures of pilot municipalities. CELD Chief of Party, Bill Krause, visited Chkhorotsku and Tsalenjikha municipalities, meeting with Deputy Gamgebelis to discuss CELD programs and their status. The Deputy Gamgebelis expressed gratitude for CELD's assistance and requested further support in areas such as internet access, billing programs, and household books. Overall, the project has made significant progress in improving local governance in Georgia, with a focus on community-level impact and democratic reform efforts.