On April 2, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) met with public relations professionals from nearly 20 Georgian ministries to discuss the effectiveness of the government’s electronic communication platforms. IDFI presented its research about the topic and identified strategies to improve the e-communication of public institutions.

IDFI analyzed the e-participation mechanisms on the webpages of 23 Georgian public institutions, including Parliament (www.parliament.ge), the president’s office (www.president.gov.ge), the Central Election Commission (www.cec.gov.ge), and Tbilisi City Hall (www.tbilisi.gov.ge).

IDFI evaluated the websites according to three internationally recognized criteria for e- governance: how well the site informs users, the site’s capacity to facilitate interaction and feedback, and the mechanisms available to involve the public in decision-making processes.

IDFI found that most government sites do not enable two-way communication between official institutions and the general public. The sites also do not accommodate special needs, for instance by providing zoom features or videos.

The government representatives at the meeting responded positively to IDFI’s presentation.
Several noted that IDFI’s recommendations will help them improve e-communication strategies they are currently developing. Some also expressed a desire to coordinate with IDFI on a study to determine how to improve face-to-face and telephone consultation services at public institutions.

EWMI G-PAC funds IDFI’s efforts to improve e-governance and e-participation in Georgia through its Partnership for Change (PfC) program.