RESULTS FOR 2019 1 61% Batumi 60 9% Samtredia 2 57% Rustavi 61 8% Adigeni 3 56% Lagodekhi 62 7% Aspindza NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF 4 55% Zugdidi 63 7% Ninotsminda GEORGIAN MUNICIPALITIES 5 52% Tetritskaro 64 6% Akhalkalaki (2019) 4 60 3 1 61 5 2 62 64 63 28% % 21% 31% % 24% 19% 25% 2017 2019 2017 2019 AVERAGE SCORE 2017 2019 MUNICIPAL COUNCIL CITY HALL Municipalities with Biggest Improvements Compared to 2017 www.lsgindex.org +34% +26% +25% +24% +23% Batumi City Senaki Tsageri Tetritskaro Tsalenjikha Municipality Municipality Municipality Municipality Municipality RESULTS FOR 2019 1 61% Batumi 60 9% Samtredia 2 57% Rustavi 61 8% Adigeni 3 56% Lagodekhi 62 7% Aspindza NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF 4 55% Zugdidi 63 7% Ninotsminda GEORGIAN MUNICIPALITIES 5 52% Tetritskaro 64 6% Akhalkalaki (2019) 4 60 3 1 61 5 2 62 64 63 28% 31% 21% 24% 19% 25% 2017 2019 2017 2019 AVERAGE SCORE 2017 2019 MUNICIPAL COUNCIL CITY HALL Municipalities with Biggest Improvements Compared to 2017 www.lsgindex.org +34% +26% +25% +24% +23% Batumi City Senaki Tsageri Tetritskaro Tsalenjikha Municipality Municipality Municipality Municipality Municipality Proactive Disclosure of Public Information Participation and Accountability Administrative General The Council of Civil Advisors 7% Expenses 50% Information is yet to be created in MUNICIPALITIES 11% 11 Legal 40% Entities Legal Acts and Court Decisions 19% 33% Budget Property Only 26 MAYORS MAJORITY OF MEMBERS of only 15 held public hearings of their municipal councils held public hearings of 29% performance reports their performance reports 20% Meeting Public Protocols Procurement Citizen participation programs were observed only in the budgets of 20% 26% Municipal Batumi and partially, Rustavi Staffing Services Policy Public 24% Information Electronic Governance 19% Use of Social 70% Networks Information about Forms of Participation Periodic disclosure of information Disclosure of public information about municipal projects to increased from 49% to 64% citizens increased from 45% to 66% 64% Compliance with 49% 43% Technical Requirements of Municipal Websites Electronic 17% Participation Proactive Disclosure of Public Information Participation and Accountability Administrative General The Council of Civil Advisors 7% Expenses 50% Information is yet to be created in MUNICIPALITIES 11% 11 Legal 40% Entities Legal Acts and Court Decisions 19% 33% Budget Property Only 26 MAYORS MAJORITY OF MEMBERS of only 15 held public hearings of their municipal councils held public hearings of 29% performance reports their performance reports 20% Meeting Public Protocols Procurement Citizen participation programs were observed only in the budgets of 20% 26% Municipal Batumi and partially, Rustavi Staffing Services Policy Public 24% Information Electronic Governance 19% Use of Social 70% Networks Information about Forms of Participation Periodic disclosure of information Disclosure of public information about municipal projects to increased from 49% to 64% citizens increased from 45% to 66% 64% Compliance with 49% 43% Technical Requirements of Municipal Websites Electronic 17% Participation Proactive Disclosure of Public Information Participation and Accountability Administrative General The Council of Civil Advisors 7% Expenses 50% Information is yet to be created in MUNICIPALITIES 11% 11 Legal 40% Entities Legal Acts and Court Decisions 19% 33% Budget Property LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT INDEX: Key Findings and Recommendations Only 26 MAYORS MAJORITY OF MEMBERS of only 15 held public hearings of their municipal councils held public hearings of 29% performance reports their performance reports The Local Self-Government Index was de- The report can be found at: 20% Meeting Public Protocols veloped by the Center for Consultation and www.lsgindex.org Procurement Training (CTC), Institute for Development The Index was developed with the support of of Freedom of Information (IDFI) and the Citizen participation programs were Open Society Georgia Foundation. Opinions ex- Management Systems Development Center 26% observed only in the budgets of pressed in this report may not reflect those of 20% (MSDC). Municipal Batumi and partially, Rustavi Staffing the foundation. Services Policy Public 24% Information Electronic Governance 19% Use of Social 70% Networks Information about Forms of Participation Periodic disclosure of information Disclosure of public information Authors: about municipal projects to increased from 49% to 64% citizens increased from Giorgi Toklikishvili Koka Kighuradze Goga Tushurashvili 45% to 66% Teona Turashvili Tamar Naskidashvili 64% Compliance with 49% 43% Technical Requirements of Municipal Websites © Local Self-Government Index: Key Findings and Recommendations, 2019. Electronic All rights reserved. The report may be reprinted with the consent of the authors. 17% Participation Evaluation of the 2019 Local Self-Government Index was conducted by: Nino Khukhua Local Democracy Agency Georgia (LDA) Davit Salaridze Local Democracy Agency Georgia (LDA) Maka Tsertsvadze Local Democracy Agency Georgia (LDA) Marika Nanitashvili Association DEA Bakur Gogokhia Association DEA Giorgi Andghuladze Union of Democratic Meskhs (UDM) Jaba Natenadze Union of Democratic Meskhs (UDM) Giorgi Abuladze Green Caucasus Zura Akhmeteli Green Caucasus Natia Apkhazava Civil Society Institute - Batumi (CSI) Maia Bidzinashvili Community Organization Nukriani Nino Goginashvili Community Organization Nukriani Levan Khintibidze Democratic Development Union of Georgia Irakli Papava Democratic Development Union of Georgia Salome Kereselidze Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) John Kvinikadze Center for Consultation and Training (CTC) Mamuka Iskandarashvili Center for Consultation and Training (CTC) Avto Tavdishvili Management Systems Development Center (MSDC) Magda Gzirishvili Management Systems Development Center (MSDC) About the Index Block I. Proactive Disclosure of Public Information. In 2016-2017, the local self-government Includes 11 sub-blocks and 52 criteria. index was created by the Center for Train- ing and Consultancy (CTC), Institute for Development of Freedom of Information Block II. Electronic (IDFI) and the Management Systems De- Governance. velopment Center (MSDC). The index aims Includes four sub-blocks and 27 criteria. to establish transparent and accountable self-governance through a unified national Block III. Citizen Participation evaluation of municipalities in Georgia, to and Accountability. increase the level of public participation Includes two sub-blocks and 19 criteria. in local issues and to decrease the risks of corruption. The Open Society Foundation Proactive disclosure of public information supports the initiative. by municipalities (block 1) and electronic According to the index, the first unified na- governance (block 2) were evaluated tional evaluation was carried out in 2017. based mainly on the monitoring of their Two years later, in 2019, the second evalu- official websites. Citizen participation and ation was carried out. This document pro- accountability (block 3) was evaluated by vides an overview of the evaluation’s key analyzing public information requested findings, tendencies and recommendations. from municipalities and observing the practice of citizen participation on the The local self-government index consists of ground. Municipalities that failed to provide three thematic blocks, which combine 98 the requested information during the evaluation criteria. evaluation received the minimum score for the relevant criteria. 7 In addition, the following means were used Following the initial evaluation, represen- to obtain and verify information: tatives of municipal bodies were given the opportunity to register on the platform, Communicating with the municipal view their preliminary results, and leave body by telephone. comments. The project team took into con- Studying legal acts published through sideration all substantiated comments in the Legislative Herald of Georgia. the final evaluation report. Using other official (online) sources When working on this report, experts were that contain relevant information for asked via the focus group interview to pro- the evaluation of specific criteria. vide their opinion regarding the factors that The local self-government index evaluates have led to changes in the municipalities' the executive as well as representative mu- accountability and transparency. nicipal bodies. In the two-year period between the first In 2019, the evaluation of the transparency (2017) and the second (2019) evaluations, and accountability of municipal bodies in some important events related to self-gov- Georgia was carried out from December ernance were observed. 1, 2018 to February 15, 2019. All Geor- gian municipalities, with the exception of Azhara, Akhalgori, Eredvi, Tighvi, and Kurta, were evaluated. 18 representatives of sev- en regional civil society organizations were involved in the evaluation. The evaluation was made using the online platform WWW.LSGINDEX.ORG. 8 Local Self-Government Reforms in 2017-2019 The major changes in the local self-gover- In 2017, the local self-government elec- nance sector between the first (2017) and tions were held. Prior to the election, the second (2019) evaluation are briefly re- status of self-governing city was annulled viewed in this chapter. The review enables for seven cities, a decision that was made us to see how the environment changed without convincing arguments and, most between the first and second evaluations.