Donors/partners:

1. USAID
2. AIP Foundation Abkhaz Intercont (AIC)
3. Tetra Tech/Local Governance program

Total budget of the project: 63,399.73 GEL

The part of the budget assigned to EDEC: 63,399.73 GEL

Objective:

1. To facilitate the resolution of acute problems in two communities of Oni and Tkibuli municipalities (Sakao and Tsutskhvati) through the partnership with local self-government, private sector, and civil society organizations, and active participation of rural communities
2. Supporting residents of target villages in conducting multi-sectoral advocacy campaigns to address pressing problems identified at the General Assembly of the settlement

Target group(s): Population of Target Communities: 160 individuals including rural community members, local self-government representatives, and stakeholders

Beneficiaries: Population of Target Communities: Specifically, 671 residents in Tsutskhvati and 342 residents in Sakao, who directly benefit from the project’s initiatives

Planned activities:

1. Holding informational meetings to inform representatives of the target communities about the competencies of local self-government and citizen engagement mechanisms
2. Organizing General Assemblies in the settlements, defining at least three priority problems and their solutions in each community, and preparing meeting minutes and electing an initiative group and providing it with a mandate of trust from the community
3. Conducting 2-day 2 training-seminars on the protection and advocacy of civil interests
4. Arranging public discussions with the involvement of experts and interested parties (local and central government, business, media, international and local civil organizations) on the problems put forward by the population and ways to solve them – public discussion of 6 problems in the target communities, formation of private-public partnerships to solve them
5. Residents of Sakao and Tsutsukhati participate in Sakrebulo sessions to advocate for solutions to their identified issues
6. Raising the awareness of community leaders about the work performed by the municipality Mayor or the sakrebulo member

     Expected results :

1. Community members are informed about the forms and mechanisms of citizens’ involvement in solving local problems
2. Awareness of the target communities is increased about the importance of organizing general meetings of the settlement and experience is gained about the solution of local problems through using the existing mechanisms of involvement
3. A community initiative group consisting of at least 3 people and a leader are motivated to justify the mandate of trust given by the community
4. Community members have increased knowledge and have appropriate skills for advocacy of community problems and protection of civil interests
5. As a result of the multi-sector advocacy campaign, at least one of the problems identified at the general meeting of the settlement is resolved