The National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) awarded 13 municipalities that won 11 nominations in the Best Practice Program (BPP) competition.

At the event, organized by NALAG, special prizes were also awarded to employees of the city halls of self-governing units who directly participated in the preparation of the competition applications.

At the seventh national conference, the following municipalities’ projects were recognized as the BPP Best Practices of 2024:

1. Dusheti – Municipal Participatory Budgeting Program (using Artificial Intelligence tools); Nomination: The development of innovative municipal services/practices/approaches using artificial intelligence.
2. Kutaisi- Odyssey Kutaisi – Digital Tourism Game; Nomination: The development of innovative municipal services/practices/approaches using artificial intelligence.
3. Foti – Social Innovations for the Future; Nomination: Public-private dialogue and partnership at the local level.
4. Tetritskaro – Women’s Football in Tetritskaro; Nomination: Promotion of gender equality and development of gender-sensitive municipal services.
5. Senaki – Implementation of energy-efficient technologies in Senaki Municipality in accordance with the Sustainable Energy and Climate Plan; Nomination: Environmental protection, promotion of energy efficiency, and adaptation to climate change
6. Kutaisi – Kutaisi-Eco Smart City, a portfolio of municipal transformation as a successful experience in promoting environmental protection, energy efficiency and adaptation to climate change; Nomination: Environmental protection, promotion of energy efficiency, and adaptation to climate change.
7. Dmanisi – Development and implementation of a mechanism for assessing the impact of social services; Nomination: Participatory planning of municipal social programs.
8. Kharagauli – Project to promote non-formal education for the blind; Nomination: Participatory planning of municipal social programs.
9. Rustavi – Rustavi Sports Educational Museum; Nomination: Preschool education, extracurricular education, and municipal programs for adult education.
10. Oni – Not a single child living in Oni Municipality without preschool education; Nomination: Preschool education, extracurricular education, and municipal programs for adult education.
11. Batumi – Promoting Non-Formal Education; Nomination: Implementation of youth policy and promotion of youth engagement.
12. Baghdati – Asset and Liability Management; Nomination: Good practice of Public Financial Management and Accountability (PEFA).
13. Khashuri – Elaboration of Khashuri Municipality Development Medium-Term Strategy (2024-2027) and Action Plan (2024-2025); Nomination: Medium-term development planning at the local level; Local economic development planning and the implementation of innovative models of participatory economic development.
14. Dmanisi – Technological bridge between generations; Nomination: Promotion of human rights protection, anti-discrimination, and inclusion at the local level.
15. Foti – Multifunctional Social Space; Nomination: Promotion of human rights protection, anti-discrimination, and inclusion at the local level
16. Zugdidi – Raising the level of awareness of parents and caregivers living in Zugdidi Municipality regarding key issues of parenthood and child needs; Nomination: Child-focused social programs, the protection of children’s rights, and the prevention of harmful impacts on children.

The winning municipalities were selected by the Steering Committee of the Best Practices Competition, based on the recommendations of the Evaluation Commission, which was composed of representatives from the public and non-governmental sectors, as well as experts in the relevant field.

It is noteworthy that 45 applications were submitted for the 11 nominations selected for the 2024 competition. Of these, 23 were shortlisted, and 16 projects were recognized as successful and good practices.

The conference, held at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metekhi Palace Hotel, was attended by representatives of the central and executive authorities, the non-governmental sector, and international organizations, as well as heads of Georgian municipalities and public officials.

The National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia, with the support of donor organizations, has been implementing the Best Practice Program since 2018. This program is recognized by the Council of Europe as a valuable tool for identifying and sharing successful examples of good governance.