Presentation by Davit Gogilashvili at the 2016 annual meeting of the European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD).

1. TRANSFORMING
IN RURAL GEORGIA
SINCE 2010
LIVES TO BETTER
Presented by: Davit Gogilashvili
Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist
Regional Development
Association
Prague, Czech Republic

2. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 2
RDA Philosophy - Who We Are?
• Regional Development Association RDA - A nonprofit organization founded in Tbilisi,
Georgia in 2010
Mission
“ To impact lives by encouraging people to engage in changes for
the better ”
Goal
“ To support establishment of business favorable environment
and reinforce social corporate responsibility in rural Georgia ”

3. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 3
Preconditions for Establishing RDA in 2010
01Entrepreneurs
02Challenges
03Solutions
04Impact
RDA founders run ISO
certified Dairy and
Combined Feed
plants and milk
collection centers in
Samtskhe-Javakheti
Region (South of
Georgia)
• Social
• Policy
• Economic
• Mentality issues
Milk suppliers have been
upgraded by providing:
• free consultations in
veterinary and feeding
issues
• vaccines and
medications for gratis
• Improved animal
health conditions
• higher and better
quality milk for
processing
• enhanced socio-
economic status
of beneficiaries
05Founding RDA
Reinforcing social
corporate responsibility
in rural Georgia.

4. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 4
RDA Geographic Coverage

5. RDA ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 5
Governing Board
Director
Finance
Division
Human Resource
Division
PR & Marketing
Division
Monitoring &
Evaluation
Division
Regional
Coordination
Units
Logistics
Division
Finance Manager
Finance Officers
HR Manager
PR & Marketing
Manager
M & E Manager
M & E Specialists
Logistics Officer
HR Specialist
PR & Marketing
Specialist
Community
Liaison Officers

6. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 6
RDA Current Projects
Community Development Initiative CDI West
Donor: Partners:
Goal: “To enhance positive relations between BP and communities along the Baku- Tbilisi Ceyhan BTC/South
Caucasus Pipeline SCP route by investing in communities that demonstrate a commitment to become models for
sustainable community development”
RDA has been granted a right to implement 3 phases of CDI West in 33 villages of 3 municipalities in Samtskhe-
Javakheti region of Georgia
CDI 3 - 2010/2012
Phase 3
CDI 4 – 2012/2015
Phase 4
CDI 5 – 2015/2018
Phase 5

7. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 7
Community Development Initiative CDI
CDI project goal will
be achieved through
two major thrusts that
imply an economic
development
component and a civil
society development
component

8. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 8
Community Development Initiative CDI
Social Development Component
• Grants for infrastructure rehabilitation to
Community Based Organizations (CBO)
• Grants to CBOs for establishing Social Enterprises
to render paid services and carry out social
projects for community benefit
• Grants to farmer groups for agricultural
cooperative development
• Capacity building of CBOs through skills assessment
and trainings in fundraising and project
management
Economic Development Component
• Potential entrepreneur trainings in business plan
writing and bookkeeping, follow-on consultations
• Subsidized Micro loans to farmers implemented
through third party financial institution
• Grants for establishing Financial and Legal Service
Groups and capacity building through trainings
• Inputs and extension to farmer groups for
arrangement of On-Farm Demonstrations
• Linking farmers and small businesses to retail
outlets

9. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 9
20 Infrastructural projects implemented, with
average 35% community contribution
• 5049 households of 20 villages benefit
• 320 households acquired access to basic services
(clean water, etc.) for the first time
• 162 ha plots irrigated and/or fenced anticipated
to provide productivity increase by approx. 20%
• 1320 head of livestock will use watering
arrangements (one village Ude)
• 6 new CBOs (community based organizations) are
established
Community Development Initiative CDI 5
Key Figures 2015/16
Total ERR (saving of 5049 household) at the end of
the project 751,702 GEL
28 Input producer demonstration farms created, 57
farmers involved, 19.61 ha production area, 35.30
demonstration area
• 86% productivity increase
• 1300 farmers acquired high quality inputs
• 548 farmers received extension trough various
activities
• 925 farmers transferred technologies

10. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 10
100 businesses are established with 40%
contribution
• More than 50% of entrepreneurs are women
• 185 entrepreneurs received trainings trough
various activities
• 134 new jobs created
• 9,785 services rendered
• 148,750 GEL profit generated
Community Development Initiative CDI 5
Key Figures 2015/16
22 businesses are expanded with 46% contribution
• More than 50% of entrepreneurs are women
• 42 entrepreneurs received Trainings trough various
activities
• 35 jobs created
• 5,220 services rendered
• 81,213 GEL profit generated

11. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 11
European Neighborhood Programme for
Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD)
Donor: Partners:
Goal Sustained increase of food production and rural poverty reduction in Georgia
Objective The development of innovative and financially sustainable models of cooperatives
Duration: January 2014 – December 2017
Domains: Agricultural development, market-linkages, women empowerment
Geographic Coverage: West Georgia (9 municipalities in 3 regions)
Impact Group: Rural poor, smallholder farmers, women

12. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 12
European Neighborhood Programme for Agriculture and
Rural Development (ENPARD)
Key Figures 2014/16
SURVEY RESULTS SHOW 40% INCREASE IN
FARMERS INCOME WHICH PARTICIPATED
IN AG-COOPERATIVES
• Trainings conducted: 72
• Cooperatives/Farmer groups attended: 332
• Farmers attended: 880
• Topics of the trainings: Organizational development, business
planning, taxes, fundraising, technical trainings depending on
field of activity
• Grant competitions conducted: 4
• Cooperatives financed: 33 (in addition 7 are pending)
• Farmers involved in cooperatives: 534 (19% or 192 are women)
• Grants awarded to 33 cooperatives: 1.9 million GEL (761,000 USD)
• Cooperatives contribution: 764,000 GEL (306,000 USD) 41%

13. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 13
Partners:
Goal The USAID Zrda Activity is designed to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth in target
regions by improving MSME growth, increasing productivity of rural households, facilitating
market linkages between producers and buyers, and promoting local economic development by
establishing and strengthening networks.
Duration: 5 years (2016/2021)

14. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 14
70 Communities:
• Shida Kartli
• Samegrelo-Zemo
Svaneti
• Samtskhe-Javakheti
• Kvemo Kartli
• Mtskheta -
Mtianeti
• Pankisi Valley

15. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 15
USAID ZRDA Sectoral Focus
Fruit Tree
orchards
Vegetable
production
Berry Potato Beekeeping
Tourism Service industry
(including ICT)

16. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 16
USAID ZRDA- Promoting New Technologies
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AGRICULTURE INSURANCE
GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION DEMONSTRATION PLOT

17. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 17
USAID ZRDA Services & Innovation
Modernizing regional businesses
and farming communities
Promoting
IT/entrepreneurship
opportunities in Zrda
target regions
Digital consultancy and
online agro-input
marketplace
Application (Traktor)

18. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 18
USAID - ZRDA 5 Year Targets
650 MSMEs
11,000
households
$3 Million
Leverage
Community Resilience
2,000 Jobs

19. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 19
RDA Partners

20. 12/15/16 Regional Development Association RDA 20
Thank You for Attention
Any Questions?
Regional Development
Association RDA
Tbilisi Head Office
Address: #38 Gogebashvili Str., 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia
Tel: +995 32 291 27 24; +995 32 219 21 71
Email: info@rda.org.ge​
Website: www.rda.org.ge