Participants of the project “DRIVE Democracy: Developing Regional Information and Voter Empowerment for Democracy” has completed working on regional development roadmaps in 5 cities of Georgia: Tbilisi, Gori, Telavi, Kutaisi, and Batumi.

The regional development roadmap is a citizens’ vision document that identifies problems in the region, defines ways to address them, and proposes recommendations.

The document creation process was preceded by an intensive training course during which participants raised their knowledge on socio-economic issues. After several months of intensive discussion, consultations with experts, research, and problem identification, the participants created eight documents. They focus on different issues and the problem analysis, including recommendations to the relevant institutions and agencies. These documents are:

• Improving citizen engagement within Tbilisi Municipality;
• Ensuring the right to vocational education for persons with disabilities to enjoy a full and decent life;
• Citizen vision on improving the investment and economic environment of Telavi Municipality;
• Promoting the process of entrepreneurship development in Gori Municipality;
• Mediatheka (Media Library) – Multifunctional space for community development;
• A vision for strengthened economic governance of Kutaisi;
• Analysis of preschool education institution problems of Kutaisi and management strategy;
• Civic involvement for the protection and development of the urban and cultural heritage of Batumi.

Since the “DRIVE Democracy“ project aims to empower voters to successfully pursue policies focused on a number of important issues in the country that best meet Georgian citizens’ real needs, the next phase of the project was to present the regional development roadmaps in a political dialogue format. Special task forces have been set up in all five regions covered by the project.

In September-October, the second meetings were held, where members of local self-governments, political parties, non-governmental organizations, experts, and the project participants were presented. At the meetings, the project participants presented their roadmaps and put problematic issues on the agenda. As a result of the discussion, political parties expressed their willingness and readiness to reflect the citizens’ visions in their action plans or party programs.

The regional development roadmaps are being actively advocated at this stage too. The project participants are given the opportunity to continue working on roadmaps’ issues through small grants by solving problems themselves or starting a broad discussion around the matters.

Please see the documents: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1-P9pkm2Oll6izGTnbLHE2m_zQ1elzr01

“This activity was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).”