Strengthening of municipalities in child-centered social programming

“We worked as a team, not only our department, but also the representatives of the municipalities in the villages. We went from house to house and collected data for the community needs assessment, and then processed and analysed the information.” Maya Kiladze, Head of the Child Rights Protection and Support Unit at Kutaisi Municipality, describes the efforts conducted as part of the EU-funded project Strengthening Systems and Services for Child Protection in Georgia.

This three-year-long project which was implemented by UNICEF in partnership with the Government of Georgia started in 2021 and is coming to completion. Kutaisi, Georgia is one of the ten original municipalities from the start. The project was later expanded to 18 municipalities. Kutaisi is one of the successful examples.

Local government representatives studied the needs of the local community in relation to children and their families to ensure their actions were relevant and needs-based. This intensive fieldwork also ensured that every family felt heard by the local government and gave them a chance to express what they needed for their children in their community. This approach focused on the deprivations of each family, what the family wanted, and gave a voice to the most remote families and homes in Georgia. Their voices translated into municipal programmes.

The collected data revealed what the community needed most: services such as transportation to kindergartens and daycare centers, extracurricular activities for children, positive parenting or economic empowerment programmes.

This child-centered social programming approach was made possible with support from the European Union in partnership with the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure and implemented by UNICEF and the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG).

Mzia Giorgobiani, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, states the urgency of this project, “Development of social policy and evidence-based programming at the municipal level need to be supported in order to further strengthen child protection systems and services, and efforts in this direction are to be made, especially now that municipalities are delegated more and more decision-making powers."

The project addresses these increased responsibilities through delivering more effective and accessible support to the municipalities to better serve their citizens, especially those who are farther detached from the central hubs of the region. This project not only aids the children and families of Georgia in a practical way, but supports the path of the country to European Union membership. “Strong municipalities are crucial for Georgia’s path to EU membership,” says Jesper Moller, UNICEF Representative in Georgia. “This initiative fostered more structured partnerships between local authorities on social programming and focused on peer-to-peer exchanges to jointly find innovative solutions for shared local challenges. The partner municipalities are now better equipped to provide needed support to families and children at the local level. Thanks to the support from the European Union and in partnership with National Association of Local Self-Government of Georgia, we will continue further strengthening municipalities to ensure they respond to the needs of families and children in their communities”, Moller added.

The importance of this project is summed up by the Executive Director of NALAG, Nino Rukhadze, “Against the backdrop of increasingly delegated powers to municipalities in the social sphere, a pressing need arises for municipalities to unite forces to effectively deliver services to their citizens. Municipalities must engage in experience-sharing, mutual learning, idea exchange, and collective problem-solving. To overcome challenges and foster inter-municipal cooperation, local governments must unite to advocate for their interests.” This change has been developing over the years, as the Georgian government has been decentralizing and shifting responsibilities to the municipalities.

UNICEF/Geo-2023/Gabechava

To respond to the need for better inter-municipal cooperation, the project stimulated creation of the Regional Inter-municipal Platform on social Affairs in a pilot region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. All nine municipalities of the region got together on a regular basis to discuss the issues related to social programming for children. This platform became a forum for knowledge, information, practice exchange and is highly valued by the municipalities.

The initiative responded to the new role of municipalities defined by the Code on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 2019. Based on the Code, Georgian municipalities are granted a significant role in child protection and support. This role is two-fold: firstly, municipalities should be able to identify families and children in need and support them through social work and social services that are available in the community; secondly, municipalities should also be able to identify social needs in the community and address them by developing child-centred social programmes.

Due to the decentralizing of responsibilities down to the municipal level, the support provided by the European Union and UNICEF has filled the void with evidence-based social programming, methodological guidelines, and project experts. Other municipalities have also been interested to get similar support and embed this approach in their practice. This way, families and children with unmet social needs have access to social programmes tailored to their needs, building a stronger community and empowering the families of the municipalities. Due to the effectiveness of this project, children and families at risk have received help to build a better future and to have their voices heard.

Gulnazi, mother of five, is one example of the impact of the project, “We had problems all the time. The state support we received was only enough for some food and basic goods, but the children need so much more as they grow up. But now, with more targeted attention – to the needs of my children and to my needs – I feel seen. I feel more optimistic for the future of my children. I am hopeful that with the knowledge and skills they are gaining now, they will grow up to be independent and successful people.” Gulnazi’s family lives in the Zugdidi municipality, one of the ten pilot municipalities throughout Georgia supported by the project.

The project left tangible results, which the municipal governments can use and even expand after it ends. Tamar Dakhundaridze, Deputy Mayor of Kutaisi said it best, “This project was very useful because it equipped us with specific skills and competences. The needs we identified as part of the assessment helped us to make correct decisions. The study was initially about families with children, and we are planning to expand it now to assess the needs of other groups in the local population as well.” The insights and lessons learned from the project will inform the design of future strategies for both municipalities and the central government.

With the help of the European Union and UNICEF, Georgian municipalities have been able to provide better services for the children and families living in their constituencies.

The article was produced with the assistance of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.