Georgia's Tbilisi Municipal Open Government Issues

The study addresses the importance of open government, particularly in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, which is the only city in the country selected for the Open Government Partnership's Local Government Pilot Program. Open government is increasingly significant, with an emphasis on transparency, citizen participation, and governance reform. The paper aims to analyze the key issues surrounding Tbilisi's open government efforts, including citizen engagement, access to services, transparency, and collaboration. It highlights the challenges and potential areas of focus in improving governance. The research adopts a qualitative approach, utilizing bibliometric analysis to examine articles published from 2011 to 2024. Data is gathered from the Google Scholar database, and tools like Mendeley and VOSviewer are used for data selection and bibliometric mapping. The study reveals fluctuating interest in open government in Tbilisi, with 86 articles published on the topic. The key issues identified include challenges in governance, opportunities for improvement, and various topics like security, education, and policy reforms. New areas of interest include technology, smart governance, and digital information. The research concludes that Tbilisi is making notable strides in its open government initiatives, with a focus on citizen participation through platforms like Smart Map and participatory budgeting. Despite the fluctuating academic interest, Tbilisi's efforts are vital for local governance reform and could serve as a model for other cities.