G-PAC News 4 ENG

7/29/2019 G-PAC News 4 ENG

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Experts Discuss Public Policy Solutionsat Batumi Conference

ssue 4· Oct. 2011 - Mar. 2012

This newsletter is made possibleby the generous support of the

American people through theUnited States Agency for

International Development (USAID).The contents do not necessarily

reflect the views of USAID or theUnited States Government.

NY Commissioner Ad-vises Georgia on BIDs

2

Stakeholders DiscussTax Code Reforms

3

ISU Launches New MPAProgram

3

EPPM Informs PrivateTutoring Debate

4

Editorial : Improving Edu-cation Quality

4

Local CSOs Improve PR

Strategies5

CSO Advocates for the

Hearing Impaired6

GYLA Promotes Civic

Engagement in Imereti6

Inside this issue

G-PACNEWS

B a t u m i – I m p ro v edcollaboration betweengovernment, business, andcivil society is essential topromot ing economicgrowth in Georgia. This wasthe message sent by leadinginternational and Georgian

academics and practitionersat the “Public Policy in

Action” conference inBatumi on March 16 and 17.The purpose of theconference was to explorehow public policy canpromote sus ta i nab l eeconomic development inGeorgia.

Conference panelsdevoted to f inancial

reforms, education, andpublic-private partnershipsexamined the role of each of thesephenomena in economic growth. Speakersat the conference emphasized thatsustainable development requires long-termplanning and commitment across sectors.

In his keynote speech, Robert Walsh,the New York City Commissioner forSmall Business Services, highlightedsuccessful public-private partnerships in

New York City, and how similar strategiescould spur economic growth in Georgia’scities.

Other notable speakers included AleksiAleksishvili, the former Minister of Finance,who spoke about his administration’s

successful financial reforms. Ilia StateUniversity Professor Nikoloz Kavelashvilibuilt on Mr. Aleksishvili’s presentation bydiscussing what the government needs todo to further reform the financial sectorand encourage more entrepreneurship.

During the education panel, ProfessorFrancisco L. Rivera-Batiz of ColumbiaUniversity sparked discussion with hisrecommendations for increased educationspending targeted toward improving thequality of teaching at all levels.

In his closing remarks, Stephen Haykin,USAID Mission Director for Georgia, madea case for improved collaboration betweengovernment, business, and civil society.“Building a strong inter-sector network foreconomic growth will be a challenge, but itis absolutely imperative, both to suchdevelopment and to the vitality of Georgiandemocracy,” he said.

The conference was organized by EWMIG-PAC, the Picker Center for ExecutiveEducation at Columbia University’s Schoolof International Public Affairs (SIPA) , andIlia State University (ISU) as part of G-PAC’s MPA Program at ISU.

საზოგადოების

ინტერესების დაცვა

Advocacy

სამოქალაქო

პასუხისმგებლობაCivic Responsibility


საზოგადოება Civil Society

Columbia University Professor Francisco Rivera-Batiz pre-

sents during the conference’s education panel

“Building a strong inter -sector

network for economic growth

will be a challenge, but it is

absolutely imperative.”

-Stephen Haykin, USAID

Mission Director for Georgia



NY Commissioner Advises Georgia on BIDs

Tbilisi — Robert Walsh knows how largecities can promote economic growth.Since 2002, he has worked in Mayor Mi-chael Bloomberg’s administration as the

New York City Commissioner of SmallBusiness Services (SBS). During his ten-ure, he has reshaped SBS to respond tothe needs of New York’s 200,000 smallbusinesses, and has overseen the eco-nomic revitalization initiated by the city’s67 Business Improvement Districts(BIDs).

Commissioner Walsh visited Georgia

from March 12 – 17 as part of EWMI G-PAC’s programming. During his visit, theHead of Economic Affairs in Tbilisi, theBusiness Ombudsman, and other Geor-gian government leaders met with him toexplore long-term strategies for develop-ing Georgia’s urban centers. Walsh alsogave the keynote speech at EWMI G-PAC’s “Public Policy in Action” confer-ence on March 16 in Batumi.

Throughout his visit, the Commission-er highlighted the success of BIDs in New

York City in promoting economic growth,and spoke about their potential in Geor-gia. BIDs are partnerships between busi-nesses and local governments that havehelped develop cities around the world.

On March 22, Walsh submitted a re-

port to the Tbilisi city government rec-ommending greater public investment incentral Tbilisi to ensure it stays vibrant inthe face of increasing suburban develop-ment. Walsh cautioned that this suburbantrend led to economic collapse in the ur-ban cores of many U.S. cities.

In his report, Walsh notes Tbilisi’s“bustling commercial corridors,” andmentions Tbilisi’s many ancient churchesand distinctive buildings. “With extra at-

tention … these retail corridors would beeven stronger … and serve as fantastic

attractions,” Walsh writes. He goes on tosay that BIDs in downtown Tbilisi couldhelp maintain streetscapes, attract largebusinesses, market tourist attractions, andadvocate for central Tbilisi’s economicneeds to local government.

The Commissioner’s visit began a dia-logue between the Tbilisi and New York City governments. In May 2012, MayorGigi Ugulava and other Tbilisi city officialswill travel to New York to meet withMayor Bloomberg and his staff to discuss

how New York City’s development strat-egy could be useful in Tbilisi city planning.

For more about Commissioner Walsh’s visit and his keynote speech,

visit www.ewmi-gpac.org.

Advocate, support orpromote the interests of

another with an Arts forAdvocacy (AfA) Grant. TheAfA program enables artiststo use their craft (dance,drama, theatre, film, music,poetry, visual art, etc.) as amedium to carve out newapproaches to challengingpublic issues. Eligibility isimited to Georgian citizens,who must apply through or inpartnership with registered

Georgian organizations. Youcan learn more about AfAand download an applicationfrom www.ewmi-gpac.org.

G-PAC NEWS

Arts for Advocacy

Act Now GrantsDoes your organization faceunique, time-sensitive andunforeseen opportunities forpolicy change? Do you needto address issues of vitalimportance to the public thatrequire immediate attention?Act Now Grants provide upto $5,000 in resources forprojects lasting up to twomonths. Applications arereviewed on an ongoingbasis, and we respond within7 to 10 days so that you canact quickly. Applications areavailable at www.ewmi-gpac.org.


პასუხისმგებლობაCivic Responsibility

პროფესიონალიზმიProfessionalism


ინტერესების

დაცვა Advocacy

სახელმწიფოპოლიტიკის

შემუშავება

Public Policy

Robert Walsh answers questions after his keynote speech at G-PAC’s “Public Policy in Action” conference in Batumi

http://www.ewmi-gpac.org/

http://www.ewmi-gpac.org/



Stakeholders Discuss Tax Code Reforms

Tbilisi - Georgian CSOs rely heavily onforeign grants, which inhibits their finan-cial sustainability. The Georgian tax codecan play a major role in ensuring a moresustainable civil society sector.

In 2011, EWMI G-PAC and its part-ners, the Civil Society Institute (CSI) andthe International Center for Non-ProfitLaw (ICNL), analyzed the Georgian TaxCode to assess its impact on CSO fund-ing. The resulting Tax Code Analysis re-port identified tax laws that inhibit CSOsustainability. The report recommendedtax code revisions to encourage CSOfundraising activities and philanthropy,simplify tax reporting for CSOs and busi-

nesses, and clarify ambiguities that limitvolunteerism at CSOs.On January 24, 2012, G-PAC and its

partners hosted a roundtable discussionin Tbilisi about the Tax Code Analysiswith representatives of Georgian busi-nesses, CSOs, and the government. Atthe roundtable, government representa-tives expressed their willingness to de-velop solutions with the major stake-holders. The Deputy Minister of Finance,Ms. Rusudan Kemularia, agreed with

many of the recommended revisions and

clarifications and identified issues requir-ing further research and assessment.

EWMI G-PAC, CSI, ICNL, GeorgianCSOs, and businesses have continued

working with the government to revisethe discussed recommendations. Mean-while, CSI is developing a guidebook forCSOs explaining relevant tax provisions,and is providing free legal consultationson tax issues to interested CSOs (Visithttp://www.civilin.org/clinic.php).

These tax code reform efforts arepart of EWMI G-PAC’s Enabling Environ-ment initiative, which aims to improvethe legal environment of Georgia to bet-ter support the financial sustainability of

CSOs.

Issue 4· Oct. 2011 – Mar. 2012

We seek to foment changesthat wi l l ensure thesustainability of civil societyorganizations (CSOs) so thatthey can engage effectively inadvocacy and public policyissues in Georgia in thefuture. Through our EnablingEnvironment Program, we arecollaborating with businesses,the Georgian government,and our CSO partners to: i)i m p r o v e t h e l e g a l

environment to bettersupport CSO financialsustainability, and ii) improvecommunication betweenCSOs, citizens, media, and thegovernment.

EnablingEnvironment

We welcome graduatestudents in public policy,political science, public

administration, economics,and related academicprograms to apply for paidinternsh ips . Success fu lapplicants will enrich theirresearch skills and lay thefoundations for their careersby interning at a GeorgianCSO or public institution.Applications are acceptedbefore the last Friday of everymonth. Visit our website formore information: www.ewmi-gpac.org.

Paid Internships for Graduate Students


პასუხისმგებლობაCivic

Responsibility

ISU Launches New MPA Program







Public Policy

Deputy Minister of

FinanceRusudan

Kemulariaspeaks at

the tax code

roundtable

Tbilisi - A new Masters in Public Admin-istration (MPA) program at Ilia State Uni-versity (ISU) strives to bridge the gapthat often exists between the classroomand real-world challenges.

On March 5, ISU hosted a launchevent for the MPA program to welcomeits first class of 24 students. MPA stu-

dents, faculty, administration, and projectpartners attended the event, which in-cluded an overview of the program and atour of the new MPA program facilities.

“Through its combination of academicexcellence, practical application, real

world experience, and institutional net-working, we believe the ISU MPA pro-gram will become the leading public poli-cy and administration program in Geor-gia,” said Stephen Haykin, USAID MissionDirector for Georgia, who providedopening remarks at the launch.

The program creates real-world con-

nections through an internship require-ment and the development and use of Georgian case studies. In the future, theMPA program plans to establish a publicpolicy research center, join internationalnetworks, and facilitate the developmentof public policy and administration educa-tion at other Georgian universities.

EWMI G-PAC, Columbia University,and ISU are working together to developthe program, which aspires to be an incu-bator for the next generation of Geor-

gian policy makers and analysts.Graduates of the two-year program

will be qualified to hold leadership posi-tions in the government, consulting firms,international organizations, the privatesector, and civil society organizations. A new MPA student reviews program

materials at the launch event



Editorial: Improving Educational QualityBy Jason Swantek

A recent study about private tutoringby the International Institute for Educa-tional Policy, Planning and Management

(EPPM) raises serious questions for educa-tional development in Georgia. The studyfound that the practice of private tutoring(PT) is widespread, and that families iden-tified poor educational quality in schoolsas one of the top reasons for seeking PT.As EPPM’s conclusions imply, PT in Geor-gia is a symptom of much larger issues of education quality.

In recent years, the government hastended to pursue high-profile quick fixesover long-term education reforms. Thebest current example of this is a programthat provides 60,000 laptops to first grad-ers without a comprehensive plan detailinghow the computers will be used by teach-ers and students as part of the curriculum.

Improving infrastructure does not nec-essarily improve educational quality, which

is a much more difficult task. However,many of the world’s top-performing edu-cation systems, including Finland andSouth Korea, have managed to drastically

improve their educational quality in thelast two decades. Two notable similaritiesamong such systems are relatively highspending on education and a sustainedinvestment in teachers. It is no coinci-dence that these are also two of the con-crete recommendations made in the EPPMreport, and by Columbia University Pro-fessor Francisco Rivera-Batiz at a recentpublic policy conference in Batumi. Aneducation platform focused on these is-sues could work in Georgia, and wouldconstitute smart, data-driven policy.

In 2011, Georgia spent 2.7% of itsGDP on education, compared to the in-ternational average of approximately 5%.

Although this number is the highest ithas been since the 1990s, it is still

(Continued on page 5)

Tbilisi - Almost 40% of Georgia’s popula-tion lives below the poverty line, yet 25%of students pay private tutors to supple-ment their school education. Of thosewho do not have private tutors, over 50%say the only reason they do not is thatthey cannot afford them.

These were the results of a nationwidesurvey administered by the InternationalInstitute for Education Policy, Planning andManagement (EPPM), a Georgian think tank funded by EWMI G-PAC’s Think Tank Support Grant program to study thecurrent scope, causes, and effects of pri-vate tutoring (PT) in Georgia.

PT can have both positive and negative

effects. On the positive side, it can supple-ment the incomes of teachers and en-hance student learning. On the negativeside, it can be a heavy financial burden forfamilies, increase social inequalities, andcontribute to corruption.

To better understand the impact of PTin Georgia, EPPM conducted 1200 face-to-face interviews across the country withschool-aged children and their parents.The study found that the top reasons fam-ilies pursue PT are poor educational quali-

ty in schools and a mismatch betweenschool curricula and the information test-ed on the national exams.

Based on these findings, EPPM recom-mends increasing education spending and

implementing education quality reforms,such as improving textbooks, teacher in-centives and qualifications, and schoolquality assurance mechanisms. Additional-ly, it calls for aligning school curricula withthe requirements of the national exams.The full PT report is available in Georgianand English at http://eppmge.blogspot.com.

EPPM presented its research and rec-ommendations on January 26, 2012. Morethan 30 people attended the presentation,

including representatives from CSOs, do-nors, educational institutions, and the Min-istry of Education and Science. The eventwas covered by 12 news outlets, includingRustavi2, Liberali, and InterPressNews.ge.

G-PAC NEWS Issue 4 · Oct. 2011 - Mar. 2012

EPPM Informs Private Tutoring Debate





სახელმწიფო

პოლიტიკის


Public Policy

The EPPM study found that most Georgiansbelieve private tutoring is necessary to pass

the national university entrance exams.


საზოგადოება Civil Society

Citizens’

Advocacy Grants

Our Citizens’ AdvocacyGrants (CAG) Programsupports issue-based advocacyinitiatives undertaken byGeorgian CSOs at local andregional levels, with prioritygiven to CSOs based in theregions. The next opencompetition for CAGs will bein May of 2012. For more

information, visit www.ewmi-gpac.org.

Think Tank

Support Grants

Our Think Tank SupportGrant (TTSG) Programsponsors organizations whoseprimary focus is policyresearch and analysis. TTSGprojects foster informedpublic debate and policy-making through in-depthresearch and policy analysisabout issues regarded as toppriorities by the Georgianpublic. Projects also includec o n c r e t e p o l i c yrecommendations and follow-up advocacy efforts. For moreinformation, visit www.ewmi-gpac.org.



Local CSOs Improve PR Strategies

Tbilisi - In today’s intercon-nected world, civil societyorganizations (CSOs) mustbe able to use a wide range

of media tools effectively.Media platforms are essen-tial to an organization’s pub-lic relations (PR) strategy,yet high-tech PR skills areoften not well developedamong Georgian CSOs.

To improve these skills,Partners-Georgia, EWMI G-PAC’s local training partner,held a four-day PR Work-shop in late February in Tbi-

lisi. Representatives from 16CSOs attended the workshop, which wasfunded by EWMI G-PAC.

“PR is a huge topic, but the workshopfocused on how to improve things wealready do each day,” said Geno Geladze,who works for the Institute of Democra-cy in Batumi.

Among other topics, the workshopcovered the effective use of the Internetand social media in PR, tools for mediarelations, crisis management strategies,and report writing skills. As part of theworkshop, participants drafted publicoutreach strategies for their organiza-tions, which they can use to develop sup-

port among their constituents and estab-lish a positive image in their communities.

“There is generally a low level of trustin CSOs all over Georgia … PR plays animportant role in addressing this prob-lem,” said Davit Bagrationi, who works at

Borjgalo, a CSO in Batumi.Raising public trust in CSOs is a major

concern in Georgia, according to a re-cent EWMI G-PAC survey. The results of this survey underscored the need forCSOs to improve their PR efforts. Formore information, visit www.ewmi-gpac.org.

Issue 4· Oct. 2011 – Mar. 2012

We provide technica l

assistance and demand-driventraining to all our grantees.Promising applicants whostruggle to frame their ideasduring the application processare also invited to attend ourtrainings. Our workshopsfoster collaboration betweenand within organizations, andseek to raise their capacity inareas of need. Grantees alsoreceive ongoing in-house anddistance mentoring from ourGeorgian, European and U.S.partners. Visit www.ewmi-g p a c . o r g f o r m o r einformation.

Mentorship and

Training

University Assistance Grants(UAGs) develop capacity in

publ i c po l i cy , pub l i cadministration, politicalscience, and related academicprograms. The grant is opento all universities andacademic institutions withgraduate (MA and PhD)programs in these fields. Thedeadline for applications isthe first Monday of everym o n t h . F o r m o r einformation, visit www.ewmi-gpac.org.

University

Assistance Grants


პასუხისმგებლობაCivic

Responsibility

Improving Education Quality, Cont’d







Public Policy

CSO trainees developed PR action plans at the training

(Continued from p. 5) remarkably low.Over the years, this has had a negativeimpact on the teaching profession. In2006, the average teacher salary in Geor-gia was a little more than half the national

average salary. Georgia’s most qualifiedteachers have responded by leaving theprofession, and its brightest young mindsare aspiring to other occupations.

In high-performing countries, being ateacher is akin to being a doctor or alawyer, as Columbia University ProfessorLinda Darling-Hammond has noted.Teachers are trained rigorously, selectedcarefully, paid well, and offered outstand-ing training and professional developmentopportunities. These perks attract andretain highly qualified new teachers.

To its credit, the Ministry of Educationand Science is beginning to implementsimilar initiatives. Teachers are now re-quired to undergo training and pass cer-tification tests. Although only a handful

of teachers passed the first round of tests and many teachers remain to betrained, this reform establishes standardsfor the teaching profession. The govern-ment has also promised to raise teach-

ers’ salaries based on their qualifications.These measures are reason for cau-

tious optimism, but more needs to bedone. Education spending must increase,and the recent investment in teachersneeds to expand and be constantly moni-tored, evaluated, and revised to ensureconcrete results. This kind of sustained,focused, and well-funded education plat-form is the best way forward for Geor-gia’s education system.

Jason Swantek is EWMI G-PAC’s Public

Policy Advisor. He holds an M.Ed. in Inter-national Education Policy from Harvard University. The views in this article are hisown and do not represent the views of EW- MI G-PAC, USAID, or the U.S. Government.Email Jason at [email protected].



Imereti - The Georgian Young LawyersAssociation (GYLA) improved communi-cation between citizens and local govern-ment through a letter-writing campaign inImereti in late 2011. GYLA set up specialmailboxes in the Tskaltubo and Baghdatimunicipalities, then organized communitymeetings to ask residents to deposit let-ters describing their concerns in the box-es.

As a result, several problems were

addressed. Street lighting systems in thetown of Tskaltubo and the village of Per-sati were repaired, and the kindergartenin the village of Didvela is currently beingrenovated.

To help address people’s concerns,

GYLA provided 139 consultations to let-ter-writers. GYLA facilitated a number of meetings with the local government on avariety of issues, including social welfareprograms, Civil and Administrative Codeprovisions, and the budget formation pro-cess.

After learning that citizens were con-cerned about the local budget, GYLA ana-lyzed the 2012 draft budgets of theTskaltubo and Baghdati municipalities andmade recommendations for revision. Thelocal councils (sakrebulos) agreed to incor-

porate some of these recommendationsinto the budgets, including increases tothe amount of one-time financial assis-tance provided to families with 3 or morechildren and families whose houses weredamaged by a recent fire in Tskaltubo.

Additionally, GYLA organized townhall meetings in November and Decemberso that citizens could communicate di-rectly with government representatives.

GYLA’s activities were reported on bylocal newspaper, television, and Internetmedia outlets. EWMI G-PAC fundedGYLA’s efforts with a Citizen’s AdvocacyGrant (CAG).

Adjara - 15-year-old Nana Putkaradzewanted to go to art school, but initially ahearing impairment prevented her fromobtaining the necessary prerequisite edu-

cation. Batumi-based CSO Step Forwardhelped Nana get the training she neededto be accepted at art school. Nana is justone of many children with auditory defi-cits Step Forward assisted through a re-cent project it completed in February2012.

Step Forward began its advocacy cam-paign by learning about the mainhealthcare and social issues children withhearing impairments face through a quan-titative survey and intensive consultations

with parents.Through trainings and information

meetings, Step Forward empowered par-ents of children with auditory deficits toadvocate for their children’s rights. Theorganization also increased public aware-ness in the Adjara region about the specialneeds of children with hearing issues byprinting and disseminating brochures and

producing televised service announce-ments.

“My daughter and other children withhearing problems need to be more inte-

grated in society. In Batumi, there is noplace for them to work, study, or be to-gether,” said one mother interviewed bythe organization.

To advocate for these children on apolicy level, Step Forward organized ameeting with parents and governmentrepresentatives of the Autonomous Re-public of Adjara.

At the meeting, the Minister of Educa-tion promised to provide individualizededucational opportunities for children

with auditory deficits. To facilitate theearly detection of hearing impairments innewborns, the Minister of Health prom-ised to train neonatologists and procurethe necessary screening equipment for allthe maternity hospitals in Adjara.

EWMI G-PAC funded Step Forward’s

efforts through a Citizen’s AdvocacyGrant (CAG).

G-PAC NEWS Issue 4 · Oct. 2011 - Mar. 2012

Contact

East-West ManagementInstitute (EWMI)

Policy, Advocacy, and CivilSociety Development inGeorgia (G-PAC)

#5 Marjanishvili St.Third FloorTbilisi 0102 GeorgiaTel (995 32) 2 202 444

[email protected]

www.ewmi-gpac.orgTwitter.com/ewmigpacBlog: Ewmigpac.posterous.comFacebook:http://www.facebook.com/ewmigpac

CSO Advocates for the Hearing ImpairedUpcoming G-PAC

Events

GYLA Promotes Civic Engagement in Imereti

GYLA collected letters describing citizen’s

concerns from special mailboxes

April:MPA Program: Prof. RobertMelnick visits Tbilisi to assist inprogram development

Partnership for Change:Winners of the latest grantompetition announced

CAG: Winners of the latestrant competition announced

GPAC: Deputy Chief of PartyTamuna Karosanidze gives birtho her first child. Congratula-ions Tamuna!

May:

CAG: Next request for appli-ations announced

MPA Program: Prof. MarilynRubin visits Tbilisi to assist inprogram development

une:CAG: Regional CSO granteesravel to Slovakia for a studyour

Partnership for Change:

Next request for applicationsnnounced

Be sure to check www.ewmi-gpac.org for the

latest updates on our upcoming events!

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

G-PAC News 4 ENG

Documents

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