Center for Local Governance (CLG)

History

The Center for Local Governance (CLG) was established within the School of Government in 2002. Shortly thereafter, the CLG developed a professional-level Master’s academic program in local government administration. It is the only program of its kind in Georgia in the Georgian language, emphasizing both review and reform of local government legislation and policies through public administration education and training, capacity development and inclusive systems of consultation with local communities actively involving and engaging women and ethnic minorities.

Mission

To contribute to the ongoing decentralization process and local governance reform in Georgia through the capacity building of qualified local government officials, NGOs and community leaders.

Services

The CLG offers the following services: education and capacity-building activities for the public, private and civil sectors; institutional development for beneficiary organizations and stakeholders, regional networking, consulting, trainings and research.

CLG Work Fields and Activities

The CLG works in three main fields: tailor-made training for municipalities, research and consulting as concerns local governance issues, public discourse vis-à-vis decentralization and the strengthening of local democracy through policy and practice.

The CLG engages in the following types of activities: local government administration, regional development, local economic development, organizational management, finance, budgeting, strategic planning, infrastructure, urban policy, public participation and public policy at the local level.

Intervention Methodology

The CLG offers training courses for local authorities, on-the-job consulting and in-kind assistance, coordination and networking, research and surveys, strategic development, organizational development, awareness-raising, public-private partnership development, designing projects to provide employment opportunities for rural populations, issues concerning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returnees, building regional networks and designing projects to increase youth participation in decision-making processes.

Beneficiaries

CLG beneficiaries include members of local self-governments, regional government, central government, civil sector, local communities and youth groups.

Outreach Resources – Regional Network

The CLG works within a regional network that engages in projects outside of Tbilisi and targets the following direct beneficiaries: 1) graduates of the Local Government Administration Master’s Program living in various regions of Georgia, 2) central and local governments of Georgia, 3) partner organizations such as the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG), the Community Association of Armenia (CAA) and the Center for Regional Development (CRD), among others, and 4) educational institutions in Georgia’s regions as well as the broader South Caucasus and Ukraine including the University of Telavi and the Academy of Municipal Administration of Armenia (AMAA), among others.

Center Director

The head of the Center for Local Governance (CLG) is Nino Loladze, an academic staff member of the Local Public Administration Program.

The GIPA Center for Local Governance is actively involved in the implementation of decentralization strategies, contributing to the strengthening of the academic institution's role in the local governance process. It facilitates the sharing of practices in the field of local governance with GIPA’s Local Governance students.

The center’s head is a member of the decentralization strategy working group and actively participates in working meetings and the preparation of recommendations.

The Center for Local Governance is engaged in various project implementations. On behalf of the center, the head, GIPA lecturers, and invited experts conduct training sessions for municipal representatives.

The center’s head has collaborated with NDI’s local governance program for several years. On behalf of the center, they have conducted training sessions and working meetings for members of municipal councils and representatives of city halls in Telavi, Zugdidi, Gori, Marneuli, Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti, Chokhatauri, Zalenjikha, and Poti.
In collaboration with NDI’s local governance program, a budget guide for council members and a budget guide for citizens were developed.

In September 2022, on behalf of GIPA’s Local Governance Center (CLG), a contract was signed with HEKS-EPER for "Gender-Responsive Participatory Planning and Budgeting." Under this contract, trainers conducted workshops for representatives from municipal administrations and the civil sector in the Shida Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions.

The head of GIPA’s Local Governance Center participates in various conferences on behalf of the center.

Short and Medium-Term Courses and Trainings

The following courses are offered by the CLG:

Urban Management Certificate Program:

Rural Management Certificate Program Training in Participatory Decision-Making in Local Governance (for representatives of local governments in Akhaltsikhe, Akhalkalaki, Telavi, Gori and Marneuli);
Course in Strategic Planning and Performance Evaluation (for representatives of local governments in Gori, Mtskheta, Tbilisi and Marneuli);
Training in Local Self-Governance Issues and Participatory Approaches for political parties Training in Human Rights, Conflict Resolution, Georgian-Russian Relations, Leadership and Effective Communications (for IDP children and socially vulnerable groups);
Training in Service+, Management and Budgeting (for Tbilisi Municipality civil servants);

Textbook Development

The CLG is actively involved in developing books and textbooks in the Georgian language as well as translating quality materials from other languages. Books and textbooks created, translated and published by the CLG include:

Strategic Planning for Local Government, by Gerald L. Gordon;
Accountability for Performance: Measurement and Monitoring in Local Government, by David N. Ammons
Urban Management, by David Melua, Tengiz Shergelashvili, Givi Erkomaishvili, Tamar Sulukhia, Lado Vardosanidze and David Losaberidze.

Research and Evaluation

The CLG conducts the following research and evaluation projects:

Qualification Needs Assessment of Municipal Public Officers, funded by the Municipal Development Fund;
West Georgia Municipalities Needs Assessment supported by the Urban Institute;
Assessment of Educational Institutions Working on Local Government Issues, supported by GTZ;
Opportunities for Inter-Municipality Cluster Development in Georgia, supported by the Civil Society Institute;

Assistance for Municipalities

The CLG creates and delivers projects aiming at assisting local governments such as:

Supporting the Work of the Ozurgeti Municipality and Increasing its Effectiveness (with the participation of the GIPA Local Government Administration Master’s Program senior students);
Improvement of the Quality of Citizen Participation in the Telavi Municipality, funded by Open Society Georgia;

Supporting Telavi Municipality Activity (with the support of students from Telavi State University), funded by Open Society Georgia

Local Governance Laboratory

The Local Governance Center operates a Local Governance Laboratory. The aim of the laboratory is for students to gain practice-based knowledge in local governance issues, become familiar with practical case studies from various municipalities, and analyze real-world challenges. The laboratory also assesses the performance of municipalities in delivering various services.

Within the laboratory, students critically analyze existing problems in municipal activities, develop alternative solutions, and propose ways for municipalities to address these issues.

In the context of the Local Governance Laboratory, students meet with representatives from different municipalities and sector experts on specific issues. After the meetings, they study the discussed issues in depth and prepare recommendations for improving the services provided by specific municipalities. Students use the theoretical knowledge gained during their studies to solve practical problems.

Issues discussed and invited guests within the laboratory:

Municipal Infrastructure - Management of Local Roads:

Giorgi Tolordava, Head of the Infrastructure Service of the Poti City Hall.

Municipal Infrastructure - Water Supply, Sewerage:

Mikheil Tataradze - Expert in Water Supply Systems; General Director of Santech Holding.
Ledi Turiashvili - Representative of the Infrastructure Service of the Gurjaani City Hall.
Beka Feikrishvili - Acting Head of the Infrastructure Service of the Sagarejo Municipality City Hall.
Magda Khvtisavri - Specialist in the Infrastructure Service of the Sagarejo Municipality.

Management of Local Significance Property:

Giorgi Chaduneli - Head of the Property Management Service of the Borjomi Municipality City Hall.
Tinatin Khandzhaliashvili - Chairperson of the Property Management Commission of the Telavi City Council.

State Procurement by Municipalities:

Zviad Kobaladze - Member of the Dispute Resolution Board.
Davit Moralishvili - Head of the Department at the State Procurement Agency; Former Head of the Procurement Service at the Tbilisi City Hall.
Giorgi Mateshvili - Head of the Procurement Service at the Bolnisi City Hall.

State Audit and Internal Audit Activities in Municipalities:

Giorgi Mamrikishvili - Head of the Audit Department for Local Self-Governments at the State Audit Office.
Mikheil Chikovani - Employee of the Audit Department for Local Self-Governments at the State Audit Office.

Development of Public Services:

Nika Baramia - Senior Analyst at the State Services Development Agency.

Municipal Cultural Strategies:

Levan Kharatishvili - Expert in Cultural Issues.
Nino Gvasalia - Head of the Sustainable Development and Innovation Department at the Poti City Hall.
Marika Khasia - Head of the Investment Projects and Donor Relations Department at the Zugdidi City Hall.
Lasha Jikia - Head of the Monument Protection Department at the Zugdidi City Hall.

Management of Local Museums:

Nini Sanadiradze - Head of Tbilisi Museums Union.

Management of Local Theaters :

Mariam Mindiaashvili - General Manager of the Rustavi Theater.
Lasha Chkhartishvili - Theater Scholar; Lecturer at the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgia State University.

Management and Challenges of Preschool Institutions:

Nino Burzenidze - Expert in Early Childhood Education and Gender Equality Advisor to the Mayor of Tbilisi.

Local Policy on Gender Equality Issues:

Tengiz Mtavarelshvili - Chairman of Telavi City Council.
Nino Liparteliani - Chairman of Khashuri City Council.
Nino Sukhiashvili - Gender Focal Point at Khashuri City Hall.
Neli Abedzkhishvili - Gender Focal Point at Telavi City Hall and Manager of the "Women’s Room."
Elene Ruseckaya - Expert in Gender Equality; Head of the Women’s Information Center.

Human Resource Management:

Irma Mikadze - Expert in Human Resource Management; HR Consulting.
Koka Pilishvili - Head of Human Resource Management and Information Technology Department at Qvareli Municipality.

Management of Municipal Financial Resources:

Levan Mikava - Deputy Head of the Finance Service at Tbilisi City Hall.
Shota Murghulia - Expert in Local Finance; Former Mayor of Kutaisi.

Regional Policy:

David Parchvania - First Deputy Governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti.

Municipal Policy on Environmental Protection Issues:

Nino Tevzadze - Expert in Environmental Protection; Representative of the Caucasus Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations Network (CENN).
Kakha Sukhitashvili - Expert in Environmental Protection; CENN Representative in the Kakheti Region.
Sopo Demuridze - Administrative Service at Rustavi City Hall.

Management of Local Cultural Facilities:

Tsiko Shaloshvili - Head of the Culture Facilities Management and Planning Department at Tbilisi City Hall.

Social Policy in Municipalities:

Zurab Tatanashvili - Expert in Social Policy.
Nino Skhulukhia - Head of the Social Service Department at Zugdidi Municipality.

Decentralization Strategy:

Mzia Giorgobiani - Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure.

OGP and Municipalities:

Lasha Gogidze - Expert in OGP Issues; Manager of NDI’s Local Government Program.

Participatory Budgeting in Municipalities:

Konstantine Kakava - Deputy Mayor of Zugdidi.
Guram Mikeladze - Deputy Mayor of Akhaltsikhe.
Pavle Chkonia - Head of the Finance Department at Ozurgeti.
Jemal Takidze - Head of the Finance Service at Keda.

Municipal Investment Policy:

Mikheil Skhieri - Expert at PMCG.

Oversight Functions of City Councils:

Tinatin Khinjalia - Chair of the Property Management Commission at Telavi City Council.
Medea Chafurishvili - Lawyer, Advisor to the Chairman of Telavi City Council.

Municipal Development Fund (MDF) Projects in Georgian Municipalities:

Tamar Kardava - Representative of the Municipal Development Fund.

After discussions with sector experts and municipal representatives on various issues, students work on specific topics and prepare presentations.

Student-prepared projects:

Establishment of Water Supply Systems in the villages of Kardenakhi and Bakurtsikhe in Gurjaani Municipality.
Development Plan for Nato Vachnadze’s House-Museum in Gurjaani Municipality.
Plan for the Construction of a Sports Complex in Kobuleti Municipality.
Branding of Galaktion Tabidze Municipality in Tbilisi.
Establishment of an Equestrian Club in Rustavi.
Water Supply Systems Setup in the villages of Sagarejo and Gurjaani municipalities.
Management of Local Theaters (Project for increasing the visibility of Sighnaghi Theater).
Projects for Tbilisi Archaeology Museum Transfer, Creation of a Totalitarianism Museum, and a Contemporary Art Space.
Promotion of Youth Engagement in Ninotsminda Municipality.
Establishment of a Sports and Wellness Center in Borjomi.
Creation of an Entertainment and Recreational Space in Oni.
Implementation of the "Full-fledged Old Age" Project at the Bolnisi Municipality's Philanthropy House.
Evaluation of Programs for Homeless Shelters in Zugdidi Municipality.

CLG Partners and Donors

GIZ, Open Society Georgia, Urban Institute, USAID/Mercy Corps, World Bank Institute, Municipal Development Fund, Council of Europe, Technology Development Fund, Civil Society Institute, USAID.

As part of GIZ's project "Good Financial Governance at the Local Level in Georgia," a field meeting was held for first and second-year students of GIPA's Local Government program from December 6-8, 2023, at the Lopota Lake Hotel. During the meeting, students were introduced to the activities carried out and planned under the GIZ program by the program manager, Ketevan Vardisashvili, and the senior advisor, Rusudan Abuladze. The students expressed their interest and readiness to participate in various projects, should the opportunity arise.

During the meeting, students learned about gender and participatory budgeting practices implemented in municipalities under the GIZ project and were informed about activities related to public finance reform.

Under the USAID Local Government Program, in April 2023, first-year students of GIPA's Local Government program participated in the public discussion of the Bolnisi Municipality Council's 2022 annual budget execution report. Following the meeting, students had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the activities of various municipal departments.

In November 2023, first and second-year students of GIPA's Local Government program attended a community meeting held in the village of Maradis in Marneuli Municipality and participated in the work of the task groups formed during the meeting.