Type
Seminar
CIFAL Tbilisi - Civic Budgetary Oversight and Budget Advocacy
Location
Gori, Tbilisi, Georgia
Date
-
Duration
4 Days
Programme Area
Decentralize Cooperation Programme
Partnership
CIFAL Tbilisi
Europe Foundation
Policy and Management Consulting Group
Registration
Invitation-only event
Mode of Delivery
Face-to-Face
Language(s)
Georgian
Pillar
People
Event Objectives
Part 1: Civic Budgetary Oversight and Budget Advocacy • Principles of self-government and decentralization strategy. • Municipal budget structure, calendar, and financial documentation. • Stakeholder engagement in budget planning and participatory budgeting. • Program budgeting, audit report analysis, and budget monitoring. • Civil society’s role in budget advocacy and campaign strategies. Part 2: CSO Participation in Service-Oriented Government Programs • Review of decentralization strategy and priorities’ documents. • Stakeholder analysis and levels of citizen participation. • Tools for identifying and prioritizing issues for budget initiatives. • Development of budget initiatives including program indicators. • Role-playing and communication exercises to simulate real-life advocacy. Each day includes interactive sessions, group work, tests, and wrap-ups.
Background
Local civil society organizations (CSOs) in Georgia's regions of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Shida Kartli, and Guria play a crucial role in enhancing transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in public administration. However, there is a significant need to strengthen their capacity to effectively participate in civic budgetary oversight and advocate for more service-oriented public programs. This training initiative organized by CIFAL Tbilisi and Europe Foundation and based on strategic decentralization priorities, seeks to address these capacity gaps by equipping CSO representatives with the knowledge and tools to engage in local budgeting processes and advocate for meaningful community-driven policies. Since 2018, Europe Foundation has collaborated with groups of DPOs and CSOs engaged in disability-related work, offering various capacity-building opportunities and involving them in participatory processes. These efforts aim to support the effective implementation of commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Disability Law of Georgia. The training is part of the project Civil Society Monitoring Public Administration Reform and Service Delivery, implemented by the Association Anika in cooperation with Europe Foundation and supported by the European Union. The project seeks to strengthen civil society’s role in enhancing public administration and service delivery in Georgia.
Learning Objectives
Part 1: Civic Budgetary Oversight and Budget Advocacy • Principles of self-government and decentralization strategy. • Municipal budget structure, calendar, and financial documentation. • Stakeholder engagement in budget planning and participatory budgeting. • Program budgeting, audit report analysis, and budget monitoring. • Civil society’s role in budget advocacy and campaign strategies. Part 2: CSO Participation in Service-Oriented Government Programs • Review of decentralization strategy and priorities’ documents. • Stakeholder analysis and levels of citizen participation. • Tools for identifying and prioritizing issues for budget initiatives. • Development of budget initiatives including program indicators. • Role-playing and communication exercises to simulate real-life advocacy. Each day includes interactive sessions, group work, tests, and wrap-ups.
Content and Structure
At the end of the course, learners should be able to understand: • the basic principles of self-governance for creating financial opportunities • the budgetary process, including the budget calendar, preparation of financial documents, and monitoring mechanisms • International practices and local experiences related to citizen engagement in the budgeting process • municipal financial resources and fiscal decentralization, including the types of financial resources to be transferred to municipalities, property transfer issues, and strategic activities undertaken • the structure and key parameters of the budget, including revenue and expenditure components • program budgeting, including the development of programs, their objectives, expected results, and performance indicators • advocacy campaigns led by civil society and their impact on the budgeting process.
Methodology
Training will be provided in Face-to-Face format. The training methodology integrates both theoretical and practical approaches: • Lectures and Presentations: Provide foundational knowledge on public finance, local governance, and budgetary processes. • Group Work and Case Analysis: Encourage collaborative learning and practical application of concepts through real municipal data and policy documents. • Interactive Tools: Use of digital quizzes (e.g., Kahoot), role-plays, and participatory planning tools like the Eisenhower Matrix. • Discussion and Reflection: Enable peer-to-peer exchange and contextual understanding through guided discussions and feedback sessions. • Assessments and Evaluation: Pre- and post-tests to measure knowledge gained; participant evaluations to inform future capacity-building needs.
Targeted Audience
civil society organizations
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