OSCE Mission to Georgia /Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

Center for Parliamentary Reform (CPR)

In a joint initiative with the Georgian Parliament and in close partnership with the OSCE Human Dimension Office in Tbilisi, the OSCE/ODIHR assisted in setting up the Centre for Parliamentary Reform (CPR) in January 2006. The aim of the creation of the CPR was to strengthen the capacity of the Georgian Parliament in analyzing, strategizing, coordinating and monitoring its own reform process.

The Centre aimed to:

• provide expert and technical assistance to the Parliamentary leadership in the field of  parliamentary reform;
• strengthen the Parliament’s capacity in monitoring its own reform process and coordinate reform projects as well as donor aid;
• assist the Parliament in identifying the programs to assist parliamentary reform and attracting new donors.

During three years of its operation, the CPR implemented the following activities:

• Informed and advised the Speaker Appointed Coordinator and the Speaker’s Office on parliamentary reform issues and strategy on regular basis;
• Systematized information regarding the needs of parliamentary reform, as well as acted as a repository of relevant documents;
• Prepared the Speaker Appointed Coordinator for regular donor coordination meetings;
• Coordinated donor aid and assisted in providing information and advise to existing and potential donors;
• Monitored and assessed the steady development of individual reform projects as well as the overall parliamentary reform process;
• Evaluated and made recommendations to the Speaker Appointed Coordinator and the Speaker’s Office on new parliamentary reform project proposals;
• Ensured that MPs and parliamentary staff were informed about as well as engaged in on-going internal discussions on the reform of their institution;
• Produced three annual journals on Parliamentary Reform Activities;
• Liaised with relevant Departments and all Parliamentary Committees;
• Established links with the parliamentary reform bodies inside and outside of Georgia.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Strengthening Effectiveness and Transparency of the Parliament of Georgia

Period: June 2004 – December 2008

The project aimed to increase the capacity of the parliamentary bodies and the central Government to exercise accountable and efficient public management through better alignment of executive and legislative branches of power, ensuring the transparency of decision-making, policy dialogue and better public accountability. This objective was reached through advanced methodology and e-tools which included creation of nets and provision of modern hardware and software, as well as training for public servants.

In the framework of the programme, the project team supported the Parliament in:

• Establishing links with the parliamentary reform bodies inside and outside of Georgia;
• Improving the internal organization of the Parliament;
• Strengthening institutional capacity to develop regulatory and legal policies;
• Strengthen public management skills and capabilities;
• Improving the document management procedures;
• Implementing the corporate Management Information System;
• Training the MP and staff on issues related to their roles and responsibilities as well as professional skills development;
• Strengthening business and technical skills of the civil servants;
• Creating new participatory mechanisms and developing tools for facilitating wider access to public information and information available online;
• Ensuring the record of citizen complaints/requests and tracking progress through extended net-points and public access terminals at the Parliament, Prime Minister’s Office and Georgian National Library;
• Establishing e-links between the (i) Parliament, (ii) Administration of the President, (iii) Prime Minister’s Office, (iv) Ministry of Justice and (v) Georgian National Library via Internet; their provision with computer hardware, peripheral, office, media, net and special equipment;
• Providing the Parliament with Internet service and new web-portal.

EC Delegation / GTZ

European Union Support to the Reform of the Parliament of Georgia (EUSPGeorgia)

Period: October 2005 – August 2009

The overall objectives of the project were to:

• Improve the professionalism and the working conditions of the Parliament;
• Improve the role of the Parliament in the oversight of the executive;
• Increase the Parliament’s capacities in terms of EU policies and legislation;
• Improve the relations between the Parliament, civil society and interest groups;
• Establish fruitful relationships between the Parliament, parliaments from EU member states, parliaments of neighbouring countries and the European Parliament.

During the activity period the Project:

• Worked on the translation of a European treasures of legal terminology, EUROVOC;
• Supported the development of specialist knowledge in key areas of European integration and harmonisation and approximation of legislation with that of the European Union;
• Supported the implementation of the PCA, through the establishment of a horizontal mechanism in Parliament and up-to-date research and information facilities in the Parliament for understanding EU policies;
• Assisted Parliament in accessibility to the public, being more open to citizens and more informative about its work;
• Assisted in facilitating productive relations between Parliament and its Members with a number of neighbouring and EU national parliaments, including parliaments of new EU member states;
• Assisted MPs and staff to develop a good understanding of the work of the European Parliament and other key institutions and processes within the European Union;
• Set up the EU Information and Documents Centre (EU IDC) to deliver EU-related information to any interested party withing and outside of the Parliament. After the completion of the Project, the EU IDC became a structural unit of the Parliament’s Research Department;
• Provided support in terms of equipment and foreign literature for MPs and the departments within the Parliament.

EAST WEST PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE PROPJECT (EWPPP)

Duration: July 2005 – December 2007

The primary aim of the EWPPP’s three-year programme for members and staff of the Georgian parliament was to strengthen parliamentary and institutional capacities in practicing economic good governance.

The objectives of the program were:

• Enhance Parliament's capacity to exercise budgetary control and manage public finances;
• Strengthen the role of parliament in controlling the executive; Boost the capacity of parliamentary committees to conduct independent analysis of the budget;
• Promote budgetary transparency;
• Create a network of personal and professional ties between Georgian MPs and their EU and regional counterparts;
• Promote European Union standards of good governance.

The programme consisted of five activities aimed at MPs and staff involved in the budget process. Project activities included different training/workshops organized in Georgia, one regional working visit to one of the Baltic States and one working visit to the Parliament of the Netherlands.

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL GEORGIA (TI Georgia)

Funded by: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, SDC

• TI Georgia Office in Parliament February 2006- April 2008
• The Majoritarian Project: Informed Citizens and Accountable Government June 2005 - May 2008

Developing and Publicly Signing a Code of Ethics for the Georgian Parliament

Period: May – October 2004

Funded by OSCE, the Project aimed to Develop and Publicly Sign a Code of Ethics for the Georgian Parliament in order to encourage professional behavior and to strengthen democratic values among the Georgian MPs, and to increase the population’s respect for its legislature.

EUROPEAN UNION (EU / B & S EUROPE / COWI)

European Union Legislation Screening in the Georgian Parliament

Period: December 2004 – May 2005

In the framework of the Project:

• A series of trainings were held for the parliamentary staff on the structure and institutions of EU as well as the principles of harmonization of Georgian legislation with the European legislation;
• Educational booklets and brochures on legislative process and harmonization were published.

Latvian-Georgian Parliamentary Co-operation Project

Period: January – July 2006

The Project aimed to strengthen cooperation between the parliaments of Latvia and Georgia in the direction of European integration. In the framework of the Project, the Georgian delegation visited the Latvian Parliament where a conference, seminars and meetings were held. The main topic of the visit was the parliamentary work in the process of approximation of national legislation with the European legislation.

REPUBLIC OF POLAND

Period: 2007

With the support of European Union Support to the Reform of the Parliament of Georgia (EUSPGeorgia), the Parliament of Georgia and the Ministry of the Foreign Affaires of Poland signed a document under which the Polish government subscribed and purchased useful web-sites for the Georgian Parliament.

REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA

Period: April 2006

The Parliament of Georgia presented to the Parliament of Georgia a digital stenographic system which was installed in the plenary session hall.

• Digital Technologies in Parliament of Georgia;
• Act of transfer and receipt between the Chancellery of the Parliament of Estonia (Riigikogu) and the Chancellery of the Parliament of Georgia;
• Digital stenography system STENO Georgia hardware specification.

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

Period: September 2005

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany presented to the Parliament of Georgia as a gift 4 Toshiba screens. The screens were installed in the plenary session hall.