NISPAcee Projects

 Managing Public Investments at the Municipal Level in Georgia

 

 

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

The project "Managing Public Investments at the Municipal Level in Georgia" has been 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; began in November 2010, and the project's activities are scheduled to last for a period of one-and-a-half years.

Project background:


After the Rose Revolution in Georgia, the new Georgian government declared that integration into the EU was its top political priority and began the implementation of specific sectoral reforms to make Georgian public administration systems more in line with EU standards. Based on commitments made to various EU institutions, the Georgian Government implemented its Local Government (LG) Reform in 2006 and introduced a model of large municipalities with increased responsibilities in the areas of service provision and public investments. In addition, based on the European Neighbourhood Policy of 2009, the government of Georgia, with financial aid from the EC delegation, developed its Regional Development Strategy, which was adopted in March, 2010.

 


Description of the development problem:


The Regional Development Strategy serves as a basic operational tool for Georgian integration into the EU and its successful implementation will become one of the principal tests towards Georgian integration into EU structures. However, there are several threats to its implementation – mainly, the low capacity of Georgian municipalities in managing public investments and development projects. The local government reform in 2006 was not followed by substantial capacity building programmes for Georgian municipalities and therefore, the vast majority of local financial officers are old soviet-style officials, who have a very limited knowledge of how to manage public investments at the municipal level.

Such a huge gap in the functional capacities of Georgian local officials may undermine the implementation of a regional development strategy and hinder the process of Georgian integration into the EU. This will also have a negative impact on the popular support for the newly-elected local governments, which may result in political instability and a further increase in poverty within the regions of Georgia.

Therefore, this project proposal aims to provide local financial officers with the necessary skills in the management of public investments, which will have multiple effects for Georgia. It will contribute to Georgia's European integration and simultaneously, will guarantee an active role for Georgian Local Authorities in regional development and fighting poverty at the local level.


Project goal:

Strengthening the integration and administrative capacities in Georgia at the municipal level through building capacities for the implementation of an EU-funded Regional Development Strategy.


Project outcome:

Georgian municipalities able to efficiently and effectively manage their public investments and develop public investment strategies.


Project outputs:

· Training module on managing investments at the municipal level in Georgia.

· Training materials on managing investments at the municipal level in Georgia.

· Up to 10 Georgian trainers prepared to lead future training courses on public investments based on EU principles.

· Up to 60 Georgian financial officials from 4 municipalities understanding the principles of managing public investments in the European Union and their application in Georgia.

· Guide on Public Investments for local officials in Georgia.


Core project activities:

· Preparatory meetings

· Training needs assessment

· Training module

· Training materials

· Training of trainers

· 4 pilot training sessions implemented in 4 selected municipalities

· National conference

· Guide on Public Investments for local officials


Project beneficiaries:

- Georgian municipalities – 4 directly within the project: Kutaisi, Rustavi, Poti, Batumi, and others after the project ends, by utilising the project outputs.

- 60 Georgian local financial officials.

- Georgian partner organisation NALAG.

- 10 Georgian trainers.


Tbilisi, Georgia


Tbilisi, Georgia


Juraj Nemec, Slovak Leading Project Expert and Mzia Mikeladze, Georgian Project Expert


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