Participatory Monitoring of the State Rural Support Program in Mestia Municipality

The project aims to enhance the accountability of the local government of Mestia municipality and to promote civic involvement in the local decision-making processes through public participation mechanisms.

The project has two main activities pursuant to its objectives:

1. Participatory monitoring of the projects funded by the State Rural Support Program in two administrative units of Zemo Svaneti by the local population, members of the Zemo Svaneti Local Action Group (LAG), and representatives of the local government, which entails:

• Creating a participatory monitoring and evaluation methodology and guidance document with the involvement of LAG members, local authorities, and other stakeholders; 
• Conducting training on the participatory monitoring and evaluation methodology for the local population, authorities, and Zemo Svaneti LAG members;
• Conducing monitoring in the filed with the involvement of local media;
• Preparing video monitoring reports on the projects implemented in the communities;
• Preparing two interim monitoring reports, to be written by the people responsible for monitoring with the involvement of experts; 
• Convening general assemblies of a settlement in two targeted communities to discuss the monitoring results with the population and to develop recommendations for the Mayor of Mestia municipality;
• Providing live broadcasts from the general assemblies of the settlement through the Facebook pages of Svanetinews and the Zemo Svaneti LAG; 
• Preparing final monitoring reports, to be written by the persons responsible for monitoring with the assistance of experts; and
• Organizing a meeting with the Mayor of Mestia municipality to discuss the interim results of the monitoring and the recommendations developed by the population.  

2. Increasing public engagement in the local decision-making processes through the public engagement mechanism known as the General Assembly of a Settlement (GAofS) in Mestia municipality, which entails:

• Preparing and disseminating information videos, infographics, and presentation about the GAofS;
• Preparing and disseminating information videos, infographics, and a presentation about the State Rural Support Program; 
• Organizing training on the GAofS; 
• Organizing a two-day training for civil servants involved in the implementation of the State Rural Support Program on the basic procedural rules to be followed during the GAofS; 
• Preparing a guide on how to conduct effective public deliberation through the GAofS;
• Organizing workshops in the target communities to develop project applications to be submitted under the State Rural Support Program; 
• Inviting community residents to the GAofS, organized under the State Rural Support Program; 
• Broadcasting live the GAofS meetings organized within the framework of the State Rural Support Program and sharing the reports prepared by Svanetinews through the Facebook pages of Svanetinews and the LAG; and
• Preparing and publishing four public monitoring and evaluation reports (two for our target communities and two for other similar administrative units) in the target community.