Tetritskaro LAG as an example of effective cooperation between different sectors
“Tetritskaro Local Development Group” (LAG) was established in 2017. The organization is a multi-sector platform uniting civil, public and private sectors. It has up to 65 members, most of whom are from the civil sector.
The organisation’s main mission is to make decisions on important issues and implement them on a local level. Local Development Group works according to the strategy. The current strategy document includes the 2023-2027 action plan and represents a kind of guidline for the organization.
“The strategy of our organization is comprehensive. We have quite large-scale projects.
We provide services with the assistance of various social, economic, rural, non-rural or infrastructural foundations. Now as a guiding document, we have the 2023-2027 strategy based on which we implement various projects.
We established a real precedent at the regional level when all three sectors gathered around the table and started to work. The process of joint discussions and decision-making was unbelievable. This approach works so well that we carry out many joint projects. Today I can confidently say that we have a friendly and business relationship with the Tetritskaro Municipality Hall. Also, we have signed a memorandum in accordance with the implementation of our strategy”, – Nino Tikurishvili, executive director of the local development group of Tetritskaro.
“Tetritskaro Local Development Group” has implemented various important projects in the municipality over the years.
One of the most large-scale recent projects was the installation of 3-kilowatt solar power plants. Within the framework of this project, solar panels were installed for 17 families living in the municipality.
We have not had such a precedent so far. We named the project demonstrative and we have been observing its progress for the sixth month. Especially since it has coincided with the winter months. The results are impressive – people call us from the village and ask for the installation of the panels to them. Public interest arose as a result of seeing the effectiveness. This is also a very big benefit from an economic point of view – Besides, we chose families that are socially vulnerable, or mothers of many children, etc.
We have had a total of 67 projects financed by our organization in Tetritskaro municipality. The amount was 1,000-60,000 euros. These are the projects financed just between 2017-2020,” – Nino Tikurishvili.
“Tetritskaro Local Development Group” has been the chairing organization of the Association of Georgian LAGs, which unites 14 LAGs across the country for four years.
“ Our organization will undergo accreditation at the Ministry of Agriculture as a LAG i.e. it will be accredited and will have a function which will differ from all other typical non-governmental organizations. In particular, we will be facilitators and decision-makers with regard to various grant programs on a local level.
For example, the applications submitted from Tetritskaro Municipality to the Agriculture Development Agency are sent to us. An individual commission of 7-8 people is created for every grant application. Applications are selected by the given commission. The proportion of commission members is the same as among the LAG members of our organization. These people make decisions on the selection of applications to be funded.
It has to be mentioned that this activity is voluntary. This is the way they work in Europe and it will be a novelty in the context of Georgia. We can say freely that this is the result of our work of many years “ – Nino Tikurishvili, Executive Director of Tetritskaro Local Development Group.
Alongside various other important projects, the “Local Development Group” in Tetritskaro municipality is also responsible for the arrangement of a modern standard cold storage facility.
The capacity of the cold storage set in Saghrasheni village is 100 sq.m. “Eco-Life Consulting” LLC was entrusted with the execution of this work.
“We would hold meetings with local farmers consulting them on the issues of agriculture and environment protection. The problem was the application of chemicals in agricultural production. The advisory group aimed to educate the public to use fewer chemicals in agricultural production. We advised that environmentally friendly products would definitely have its customers.
At that point arose the idea that I needed cold storage facility and a local development group also appeared. I had heard about EU projects before. I got familiar with the projects that the organization was informing the population about at that stage in order to announce the grant competition.
By setting up the cold storage farm we became known among the community and municipality business sector. For people employed in this field, a very good logistic chain ring has emerged, not only in our region. We have vegetables from Akhaltsikhe and Tsalka. However, we don’t have a big load yet. Local fruits such as cherry, cornelian cherry are stored at most since farming has not yet been established as a sustainable business sector” – Khatuna Akhalaia, head of “Eco-Life Consulting” LLC.
Author: Nino Beridze
The article was created with the support of the Civil Society Institute, within the framework of the project “Civil Society Initiative: Sustainable, Open and Accountable Civil Society Organizations for the Development of Georgia” funded by the European Union and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Kvemo Kartli media is solely responsible for its content and it may not reflect the views of the EU and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
The project is implemented by a consortium led by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) together with the following non-governmental organizations – Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), Civil Society Institute (CSI), Counseling and Training Center (CTC), Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC) and European Institute of Policy (IEP).