On March 30, Caucasian Institute for Economic and Social Research organized a workshop with the CIESR experts and local self-government members. The meeting focused on the issues related to the reforms in the sphere of pre-school education.The initiative was held in the framework of the project: “Increasing purposefulness and efficiency of public funds allocated from Reserve Fund of Tbilisi budget and for pre-school educational institutions through monitoring”. 

On February 25, Caucasian Institute for Economic and Social Research organized a meeting of the CIESR experts and parents of the different public kinder gardens’ children, which aimed to set up a parents committee. The initiative was held in the framework of the project: “Increasing purposefulness and efficiency of public funds allocated from Reserve Fund of Tbilisi budget and for pre-school educational institutions through monitoring”.

Caucasian Institute for Economic and Social Research (CIESR) joined the campaign “This Affects You Too”. The representatives of non-governmental and media organizations, while acknowledging the importance of fair and free elections, consider the related legislative amendments of December 2011 unacceptable, as they...

The authority, skilled on certain budget issues and election technologies, tries to hide expenditures in the budgets, which will be considered usage of administrative resources [during elections]. 2012 State Budget does not contain information about expenditures of the previous year, in order not to compare the election year of 2012 with the non-election year of 2011. Despite similar difficulties, the “tricks” of the government to gain more votes during the elections is clearly detected when comparing 2011 and 2012 budgets.

On January 25, 2012 Caucasian Institute for Economic and Social Research (CIESR) conducted a focus group to develop content and structure of the guidebook on monitoring of local self-governance for regional non-governmental organizations and the Media. Experts involved in the project, donor organization and up to 10 different NGO and media sector representatives (including regional organizations) were attending the meeting. Dr. Davit Narmania, executive director of the CIESR was facilitating the focus group. Invited guests shared their views, recommendations and comments in respect to the structure and content of the guidebook.