CONFERENCE

Managing Public Investments on Municipal Level in Georgia

March 20, 2012, Tbilisi, Georgia

Project: Managing Public Investments at the Municipal Level in Georgia

Supported by: SlovakAid, a Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Programme

Implementing institution: NISPAcee

Partner institution: The National Association of local Authorities of Georgia

The project "Managing Public Investments at the Municipal Level in Georgia" began in November 2010 and was implemented by NISPAcee, in co-operation with the Project Partner Institution "The National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia” (NALAG). The project is supported by SlovakAid.

The National conference took place in Tbilisi, Georgia on March 20, 2012. The conference was opened by Mr. David Melua, NALA Executive Director and Project Coordinator and Ms. Ludmila Gajdosova, NISPAcee Executive Director and project expert. The key presentations were led by the Georgian and Slovak project experts Mr. Akaki Dzagania, Mr. Juraj Nemec, Mr. Peter Kristofik, Mr. Hussam Musa and project manager Ms. Elena Zakova. More than 50 participants attended the conference – experts, trainers and high-level representatives of the local government.

Two special guest speakers - Mr. Giorgi Dididze from the Department for Regional Programmes, the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure and Mr. Gocha Shanidze, member of the Parliamentary Committee on Budgetary Affairs - introduced the Regional Development Strategy and its importance for EU integration.

The Slovak experts presented "Decentralisation and Local Governments in Slovakia from the point of view of the EU Accession Process” and "Slovak and EU experience in Managing Public Finance with special focus on Public Investments”.

The main focus was on the project and topical areas selected for the final project outcome - the manual developed within the project, the project´s results, and the lessons learned within the project’s implementation. The key topics – Project Management, Programme Performance Budgeting, Managing Investments and Public Procurement - were introduced during the afternoon sessions by each of the project experts and trainers. After each session, time was allotted to discussions. The participants took this opportunity and discussed with the experts, not only the results of the project, but also other questions and issues related to the regional development strategy, decentralisation and local governments.