Accelerating the Socioeconomic Reintegration of Internally Displaced People in Georgia

Challenge

Ethnic conflict in Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions in the early 1990s and in 2008 caused waves of forced displacement, leaving approximately 270,000 IDPs in the country today. IDPs are generally socially and economically marginalized within the wider society. Moreover, they have worse living conditions and more limited income and livelihood opportunities than the nondisplaced.

Solution

By using a clear set of criteria and an accountable process for the selection of target communities, the project undertook extensive outreach and research to identify the most isolated and vulnerable IDP communities. The community mobilization method enabled IDPs in those communities to articulate a wide range of local development needs and come to a consensus on their local development priorities. Microprojects were implemented to fulfill those needs. The benefits of the demand-driven approach included: (i) flexibility toward a range of different needs in different communities, and (ii) strong community involvement in the microproject process.

Wherever possible, microproject benefits were extended to the local, nondisplaced population, ensuring inclusiveness of benefits to both groups. Residents in each community formed a Micro-Project Management Committee (MPMC) to act as a representative body to coordinate with the Project Management Unit (PMU), enabling IDPs to have a voice and a choice in the use of 

Results

The project increased opportunities for participation in community development activities and access to basic infrastructure, services, employment, and livelihood opportunities, and also enhanced national capacity to provide support to IDPs.

Key results during 2009–12 included:

• 180 community meetings were held over the two years of community mobilization in target communities. Out of 13,850 participants, 50 percent were women; out of 330 MPMC members, 40 percent were women.
• 47 microprojects in 40 communities in eight regions were implemented, benefiting 5,500 households. The majority focused on basic infrastructure improvement (e.g., gasification, access to water, building rehabilitation, etc.); 25 percent were income-generating projects.
• 13 trainings on topics related to (i) project management, (ii) international procurement, (iii) participatory rural appraisal; (iv) leadership and team building; (v) English; and (vi) accounting and taxation were conducted for regional and central government officials from the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodations and Refugees. In total, about 400 staff were trained.
• 85 percent of beneficiaries stated that the microprojects had improved their living conditions, access to services and infrastructure, or livelihood opportunities.
• Beneficiaries stated that 57 percent of the microprojects had fully achieved their expected results. 

Bank Group Contribution

The project was financed through a US$2.2 million grant from the State and Peace-Building Fund (SPF) in 2009. The World Bank provided roughly US$130,000 from its budget to support project implementation.

Partners

The project was implemented by the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodations and Refugees. Local governments made in-kind and financial contributions to three microprojects. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provided matched funding for the construction of agricultural storage facilities in three additional projects.

Moving Forward

Since the closure of the project, the World Bank has strengthened its engagement on IDP livelihoods through a technical assistance report, “Supporting the Livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons in Georgia: a Review of Current Practices and Lessons Learned,” which informed the content of a new IDP Livelihood Strategy approved by the Government of Georgia in February 2014.