On June 30, 2022, a webinar was held as part of “DRIVE: Digital Research and Impact for Vulnerable E-citizens”, a joint project of the Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) and the eGovernance Academy (eGA). The training was based on the report on digital vulnerability published in May, intended for civil society organizations. It covered the stages of civic engagement, tools for collaboration between stakeholders, and effective communication issues.

The webinar was led by Kristina Mänd from the e-Governance Academy. She talked about the ways civil society organizations can build connections with different stakeholders, collaborate on joint initiatives and effectively address digital vulnerability issues. In addition, Kristina discussed concrete successful examples of engagement and collaboration between stakeholders and shared best practices from Estonia.

The online event lasted 4 hours. Webinar participants engaged in interactive activities and collectively discussed issues of effective engagement, collaboration, communication, and more.

The second part of the webinar was conducted by IDFI's Local Government | Internet and Innovations Directions Head, Teona Turashvili, and IDFI’s analyst, David Eristavi. They presented a brief overview of the results of the research conducted in Georgia, including an overview of the main findings and developed recommendations. And as part of interactive activities, the participants were given the opportunity to express their opinions regarding each recommendation.

As part of the upcoming activities of the DRIVE project, all participants of the training will also be invited to participate in a training planned for fall of 2022, together with the representatives of the public sector.

The DRIVE project aims to improve the quality of life for vulnerable groups in Ukraine and Georgia by creating the necessary conditions, raising awareness, and developing skills to enable them to digitally engage in political decision-making and access services online. IDFI and eGA organized the event with the support of the global philanthropic organization, Luminate.