Good Governance Initiative (GGI) in Georgia

1. Good Governance Initiative (GGI) in Georgia Project Description

2. Basic Facts • Builds on USAID’s successful G3 project • 5 year project (to January, 2020); $11.2 million • Implemented by Tetra Tech ARD • One of four activities of USAID’s TAG Project • Subcontractors: PMCG / Policy Management Consulting Group GORBI Blue Madrona • GGI office location: Pixel Center, 8th Floor 34, Chavchavadze Avenue

3. Four Results • Result 1 – Improved Administrative and Financial Management of Public Institutions at All Levels • Result 2 – Increased Civic Engagement & Improved Access to Independent, Reliable & Balanced Information Relevant to Good Governance • Result 3 – Strengthened Policy Development and Lawmaking Processes • Result 4 – Strengthened Institutional Oversight of Government

4. Principal Counterparts • Prime Minister’s Office • State Audit Office • Ministry of Finance • Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Affairs • Select local government units (Batumi, Kutaisi, Akhaltsikhe) • Parliament of Georgia • Civil Service Bureau • Ministry of Justice • Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure • Civil society organizations

5. Challenges and Opportunities Challenge:Opportunity: Many counterparts Enables synergistic to deal with impacts Many requests for Enables demand-driven assistance response Many donors & projects Cooperation & collaboration active possible Elections coming Creates sense of urgency

6. Result 1: Public Administration Reform • PMO: support implementation of Roadmap— • PASPDC support for standardizing policy coordination, strategic planning & budget preparation in Government • Assist Government Planning and Innovations Unit of PMO/PASPCD to track performance of the Government’s annual Work Plan • Assist Donor Coordination Unit to track and rationalize donor assistance funds • CSB: support finalization and rollout of CSRC— • Manual & TA for Functional Analysis in Line Ministries; pilot in MoLSHA, MoJ, MRDI, MoF, MoE, Ministry of Economy and Tbilisi City Hall • Assist CSB to learn and spread the knowledge of Job Description development skills • Design and pilot national accreditation system • Assess linking of existing Ministry HR databases via new software • Assist with gender mainstreaming in the civil service system • MRDI & LGUs: improve local planning and performance— • SUDPs in three cities: Batumi, Kutaisi & Akhaltsikhe, with CACs & TAG partners • Pilot methodology for LGU civil service certification & accreditation (w/CSB) • Pilot performance self-assessment tool; program budgeting; HR capacity, CAC mechanism, internal audit systems and practices

7. Result 1 (continued) • MOH: improve HMIS to make it available to the public • Extend capacities of the existing HMIS (through development of the new module) to citizens to provide them with access on social and healthcare program info • Ensure security of the personal data contained in the HMIS database (Link to the government.gov.ge infrastructure that will enable ). • MOF: improve public financial management— • Pilot program budgeting (with MOH, MRDI, three pilot LGUs) • Prepare Citizens’ Guide to budgeting (2016) & increase citizen engagement • Revise intergovernmental revenue sharing formula (with MRDI) • Improve capacity of Analytical Department and MOF Academy • Develop two new eTreasury modules (asset management and non-monetary transactions), and provide training

8. Result 2: Openness and Transparency • OGP: support openness and transparency— • Support iChange ePetition platform development, with civic engagement and training of moderators • Improve usage of data.gov.ge web portal through public awareness activities • Inform public about legal scope and procedures for Freedom of Information • Support OGP Forum to sponsor national & regional events, and to prepare the 2016-2017 OGP Action Plan • Support OGP to develop a Communication Strategy • Assist DEA to organize the Hackathon • Strengthen civil society monitoring over the efforts of the government agencies in support to the web portal • Increase public understanding on the services offered by public portal: www.my.gov.ge • Institutionalize local CACs (with MRDI and TAG partners)— • Prepare manuals & regulatory materials for MRDI to guide consultative processes • Incorporate CAC participation in SUDP preparations and other activities undertaken in pilot LGUs (Batumi, Kutaisi & Akhaltsikhe)

9. Result 3: Policy and Law Making • Encourage coordination & evidence-based policy development— • Working across whole-of-GOG (Parliament, PMO, key Ministries), develop an Action Plan for improvement, based on the PMO Reform Roadmap and Parliament’s Institutional Reform Program (IRP), both to be issued this spring • In concert with counterparts and other donors, implement the Action Plan • Support PMO/PASPDC to standardize procedures and techniques for policy development across GOG • Parliamentary Secretary support for design/implementation of fiscal impact assessment methodology & related training (complement G4G) • ISU/PPRTC: a cooperative program of training, coaching & technical assistance (through grant to PPRTC), including— • Provide drafting skills training for preparers of legal and policy documents • Develop procedures for Explanatory Policy Notes to accompany new legislation and policy documents • Develop procedures and pilot activities to improve citizen involvement in policy and law-making

10. Result 3 (Continued) • Initiate a Policy Fellows program to place graduate student, recent graduates & junior faculty in key Ministries and Parliamentary offices • Conduct policy analyses and studies in response to on-demand needs • Parliament: targeted support to Budget, Research & PR Departments, and select Committees (Health & Social Services; Economy & Economic Policy; and Regional Policy & Self-Government)— • Develop and implement capacity strengthening Action Plans for each Committee • Guidance and coaching on assessment of economic, environmental, fiscal and gender impacts of draft bills • Work with Gender Equality Council to mainstream gender issues in Parliament • Improvements to Parliament’s web site, to enhance citizen consultation and information dissemination & sharing, through public hearing & other means • Establish MOU with Parliament Speaker’s Cabinet as framework for developing systems and amendments to Rules of Procedure to enable timely publication of the Parliamentary calendar, draft and amended bills, and other information • Assist implementation of the Open Parliament Program, in parallel to the OGP

11. Result 3 (Continued) • Parliament: Support development of select laws and policies— • Freedom of Information Act • Local Government Code refinement and harmonization • Others TBD • CSB: provide services of a Georgian lawyer to advise the CSB during the drafting of the Civil Service Reform Code • EPRC/Stanford: through a grant to EPRC (in concert with TAG partner ACCESS), support development of an Executive Level Training Course for senior Government and CSO leaders from Georgia and the Region

12. Result 4: Oversight • Parliament: support targeted committees to improve oversight capacity and functions— • Include oversight strengthening in Committee Action Plans (Result 3) for the select committees • Provide training and coaching on oversight functions • Capacity building of the Parliament budget Office to strengthen the parliamentary oversight. • SAO: support independent accountability audits— • Improve SAO external communications and coordination strategy • Develop internal audit capacity of LGUs, • Assist in raising the capacity of SAOs staff though training/coaching of international best practices of fraud audit; int. Audit standards and Report writing. • Assist in raising the capacity of SAOs staff through certificate courses • Assist SAO to comply with international standards of independence & quality • MOH/MRDI: internal audit support— • In concert with the MOF’s CHU, provide training and TA to MOH and MRDI for raising capacity to perform internal audit functions • MRDI/LGUs: LGU performance benchmarking & reporting— • Refine & pilot an LG performance measurement & reporting methodology • Develop internal audit capacity of LGUs

13. Coordination and Cooperation Given our broad scope and limited resources, we are committed to cooperate with other donors, for mutual benefit: • Free flow of information • Co-funding of key activities (such as national ‘lessons learned’ conference for LGU activities) • Avoid duplication and overlap, while eliminating gaps in assistance coverage