Strengthening the Capacity of Active Rural Citizens of Adjara

About the Project 

As part of its Rural Community Capacity Building Program, the UNDP supports rural citizens, and particularly AMAGs, to diversify their activities and switch from engaging in purely agriculture-focused activities to embrace some other activities that boost the rural economy in general.

The overall objective of the Project was to build community capacity and to enable individuals, groups and community activists in rural areas of Adjara to develop the confidence, understanding, and skills required to influence rural policy dialogue, and decision-making through established AMAGs. This was to include: enabling communities to provide and manage local actions to meet rural needs; and enabling communities to have a real influence in the planning, delivery, and quality of mainstream municipal services related to rural development, as well as specific initiatives such as those aimed at achieving six priority goals for the integrated rural development of Adjara.

Our Role 

The ACT team elaborated and delivered an interactive training program for members of AMAGs across Adjara, and, based on an open competition, then developed business plans regarding the initiation of local economic activities.

Project Outcome(s)

189 representatives of AMAGs were trained in:

• Leadership and teambuilding;
• Community-Led local development (CLLD) and CLLD in practice: the relationship between strategy, partnership and area(s);
• Analytical and critical thinking skills;
• Economic issues;
• Environmental issues; and
• Social/employment issues.

The ACT team comprising business developers assisted individuals or groups of individuals representing AMAGs to devise business plans. Some of the initiatives were funded by the UNDP, and the AMAGs are still being supported in an effort to ensure sustainable rural development.