2020-02-28
Government of Georgia has developed Rules and Handbook for Development, Monitoring and Evaluation of Policy Documents, which were approved late last year. They substantially transform the process of strategic planning and coordination in the country. It was announced by Natia Mezvrishvili, Head of Government Administration of Georgia in her speech delivered at the launch of a Presentation of a Redesigned System of Policy Planning and Coordination today.
Head of Government Administration underlined the significance of effective coordination and proper strategic planning in the successful implementation of reforms.
"Effective and result-oriented performance of the Government of Georgia and public institutions in the country, along with a high priority of these specific issues have been stressed by the Prime Minister of Georgia at multiple occasions. Effective coordination and proper strategic planning are essential and very important for making our reforms result-oriented and for achieving specific, tangible results. That is why Government of Georgia has developed and adopted Rules and Handbook for Development, Monitoring and Evaluation of Policy Documents expected to lead to significant institutional changes in a short- and long-term perspective" noted the Head of Government Administration of Georgia.
She also noted that policy planning and coordination are part of the Public Administration Reform, which has been implemented by the Government of Georgia since 2015 as one of the key components of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement (AA).
Natia Mezvrishvili focused on the positive results to be drawn from the introduction of rules defined in the newly released Handbook and thereby expressed hope of getting further support from international partners engaged in this process.
"I believe that introduction of these rules will result in the performance of the Government of Georgia be more result-oriented and measurable. What is so important, coordination quality will increase and this process will be led by the Government Administration. We have a Department for Policy Planning and Coordination at the Government Administration. Accountability and transparency will increase in the interaction of civil society sector and other partners. Public consultations on policy documents will become mandatory, which is also a very important component. Special attention will be made on the availability of evidence and relevant data, which is so critically important for proper policy planning. We believe that effectiveness of Government-led reforms will be increased ultimately by taking into account all these components" noted the Head of Government Administration, who thereby thanked the staff of Policy Planning and Coordination Department for their intense work.
In her speech, Natia Mezvrishvili also stressed the importance of civil servant training and noted that almost 300 individuals have already been retrained with support of international partners. Head of Government Administration expressed her gratitude to the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for their support demonstrated in the process.
Also, Natia Mezvrishvili particularly noted the role of civil society and increased engagement of the non-government (NGO) sector in the process of reform implementation.
"We will have an electronic system very soon that will fully automate the policy planning and monitoring process. It will of course further simplify communication between public institutions, as it is important for the design and assessment of reforms. We will be greatly open towards this end. We will talk not only about achievements, but challenges as well, as they need to be overcome through a joint effort" added the Head of Government Administration.
Natia Mezvrishvili expressed gratitude to public institutions and civil servants for their active cooperation, domestic and international organizations, European Union (EU) Delegation to Georgia, Government of UK, UNDP and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the invaluable contribution in the process of reform implementation.
Welcoming remarks were also made by the UK Ambassador to Georgia, Resident Representative of UNDP and EU Delegation official.
H.E. Justin McKenzie Smith Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland once again reiterated the readiness of UK Government in continuing support of Georgia in the implementation of most significant reform agenda.
In the opinion of UK Ambassador, Georgia has achieved a very impressive progress in the reform of its public service delivery in recent years.
"Georgia has entered an intensive pre-election phase. I was greatly impressed by the solid decision made by the Prime Minister of Georgia and Government Administration on the implementation of Public Administration Reform as well as by its openness towards engaging the civil society in the process. International community stands by your side in the implementation of these initiatives. Also, let me acknowledge the endeavors of civil servants. You should be proud of your achievements so far. You serve as an inspiration for many people in the region and countries beyond. This road continues and you may count on the UK Government in making further strides" noted His Excellency.
Louisa Vinton, UNDP Resident Representative in Georgia underlined the public service and administration reform as being a key part of a much wider reform implemented by the Prime Minister of Georgia. She also noted that new approach to monitoring and coordination of strategic documents is a unique achievement not only in the region, but beyond it as well.
"It is a great honor for the UNDP to participate in the process of policy planning and coordination redesigned by the Government Administration not only at a national level in Georgia, but throughout the region, as all of these add up to the golden stars of the country on the road of democratic reforms. New approach of design, monitoring and coordination of strategic documents is a unique achievement not only in the region, but beyond it as well. This reform is particularly noteworthy for us as it is part of a much wider reform agenda. Public Service Delivery, Public Administration Reform is a key component of a much wider reform led by the Prime Minister of Georgia. It is an essential element tailored to a comprehensive coverage" noted the UNDP Resident Representative.
Panel discussions were held after the presentation of a Policy Planning and Coordination System Update with an initiative of the Government Administration of Georgia. They engaged international and local experts and subject-matter specialists, donor agencies and civil society representatives. Adjustments, achieved progress and potential challenges in practice have been discussed.
Introduction of a policy planning and coordination system is aimed at the increase of effectiveness, coordination and accountability of the Government performance, so that reforms and projects that are planned and implemented by public institutions be more result-oriented and lead to greater public wealth and benefit for the citizens of Georgia.