News.

On the 21st of June 2016, the municipality councils of Helme, Hummuli and Põdrala rural as well as Tõrva urban municipalities have signed an amalgamation treaty. As a result of the amalgamation, the new local government unit Tõrva – covering 600 m2 and 6500 inhabitants – will come into being...

On the 25th of February 2016 a meeting took place between the President of the Estonian Parliament, Eiki Nestor, and NGO Polis and its partners, the researchers in the field of local governments and the representatives of the local government unions. The topics of the meeting covered current national development...

The child protection law (entered into force on 01.01.2016) specifies the functions of local government units and provides that the children rights and the compliance with the principles of child welfare should be outlined in the local governments' development plans. Geomedia is conducting a training, which focuses on drafting local government development plans that provide...

Geomedia is conducting the management and work organization audit for Saue city government. The analysis is carried out using a combination of evaluation methodolodies that take into account the nature of public sector (CAF Common Assessment Framework, EFQM Excellence Model). Instruments of the work include structured interviews, secondary analysis of...

On 10.-11. September 2016 the Estonian Village Movement Kodukant organized a summer school that took place at the Rural Economy Research Centre in Jäneda. The meeting focused on the question how to deal with changes on the community level? The points of discussion were the possibilities to enlarge the knowledge...

As part of the Initial Training Network RegPol² Martin Graffenberger will be seconded to Geomedia during March and April 2016. Martin holds a degree in Economic Geography and is usually based at the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL) in Leipzig, Germany. His project investigates innovation activities of businesses that...

On the 25th of August 2016 a conference took place in the Aruküla community house entitled „Local government as base for Estonia’s recovery – maybe even a change engine!“. The traditional conference organized by NGO Polis and its partners was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Estonia regaining its independence....

Geomedia prepares a comparison of theoretical amalgamation reform models for Pärnumaa county, where it analyses different alternatives for organizing local government work in the light of the ongoing amalgamation reform. The criteria for alternative choices evolve from the tasks of local governments and the capacity conditions for their fulfillment, the preconditions for public offices, the...

On the 12th of September 2016, Geomedia welcomed a delegation from Armenia. Members of the delegation belonged to the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, the Communities Finance Officers Association, the Information Systems and Training Center and included also several journalists. The main topic of the meeting were Estonia’s experiences with the administrative...

The annual training event of local governments – the urban and rural municipality days – have become a tradition that already takes place for the 9th time. At this year’s meeting on March, 16-17, the main topic of the fair is „local governments in a changing world“. During the meeting, 2-day seminars, topic introductions...