Davit TOTADZE, Georgia
PROJECT: Interim monitoring of the three-year reform of the Youth Agency

For as long as he can remember, Davit has always been civically active, so he was engaged and interested in politics. Davit has worked with organizations ranging from small youth organizations to larger international research companies, then he co-created CSO and now works as the president of the Human Rights Research Center (HRRC). HRRC works with different vulnerable youth groups by using non-formal education as a tool to ensure equal access to education. For Davit, HRRC is the biggest achievement he has ever had, so he is using all the developing competencies to increase his capabilities to successfully transform it into a think tank, as it was intended from the very beginning.

Davit holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the Caucasus University (CU), and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Ilia State University. Additionally, he will spend 2022-2023 academic year at University of Wroclaw as part of the Lane Kirkland Scholarship Program.

“In March 2022, I was participating in Swedish Phase of the International Training Programme: Human Rights Based Approach organized by Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD). It was dinner time so we were sitting around the table and I was joking about one person from the organizing team (who is now my dearest friend) that when he is with me good things are happening to me. At this exact moment, when my phone connected to the hotel’s Wi-Fi I received an email noticing me that my project was selected. I remember all the details of this day because I already knew that this exact moment would be life-changing for me.”– Davit TOTADZE

Interim monitoring of the three-year reform of the Youth Agency

Fellowship Summary: Evidence-based research to implement an interim monitoring of the 3-year reform of the Youth Agency, and advocacy for more inclusive access to public services.

The Interim Monitoring of the Three-Year Reform of the Youth Agency stands as the first research report that evaluates the performance of Georgia’s Youth Agency from the perspective of its beneficiaries. Established in 2019, the Youth Agency had not undergone any external assessment, making Davit’s research a landmark contribution to the youth policy field in Georgia.

Through a rigorous and inclusive methodology, the research engaged almost 50 participants in six focus group discussions, including youth organisation representatives, youth workers, and college representatives from diverse regions, age groups, and gender identities. All participants had direct experience with the Agency’s programmes and welcomed the opportunity to be heard, noting that this was the only space available for them to share their concerns about the development of the youth sector in Georgia.

The findings, compiled in both Georgian and English, were published and made available online and received strong interest from the youth sector and academia further demonstrating the report’s practical relevance. (Download the report in English here and in Georgian here).

An online presentation of the report took place on January 9, 2023, where a representative of the Youth Agency expressed appreciation for the effort and emphasized its potential to contribute meaningfully to youth development in Georgia.

Davit’s work provides an important independent lens into the challenges and opportunities within Georgia’s youth policy framework. He sees the report as a valuable resource for international donor organisations, civil society actors, and researchers working to strengthen non-formal education and advocacy in the youth field.

By giving voice to beneficiaries and producing a structured, evidence-based report, this fellowship project has laid the groundwork for more accountable and responsive youth policy development in Georgia.

Fellowship Programs 2021
Country Georgia
Areas of Interest Advocacy
Topics Transparency & accountability
Youth empowerment
Project duration May - October 2022