Georgia Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD ...

Georgia Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) Activity Revised Work Plan YEAR 1 (DECEMBER 21, 2020 TO DECEMBER 20, 2021)

Version 1 Submission Date: March 3, 2021 Version 2 Submission Date: March 8, 2021 Version 3 Submission Date: August 19,2021 Contract Number: 72011421C00001 Activity Start Date and End Date: December 21, 2020 to December 20, 2025 COR Name: David Dzebisashvili ACOR Name: Lela Kerashvili

Submitted by: Kaizen, A Tetra Tech Company 1775 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20006 USA Tel: +1 202-299-9801

This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This report is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of Kaizen, A Tetra Tech Company and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

HICD Activity Year I Revised Work Plan 2 Contract No. 72011421C00001

TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................ 3

SECTION I - INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 5

SECTION II – WORK PLAN .............................................................................................. 9

HICD SERVICES ...................................................................................................................................... 9 CENTER OF EXCELLENCE ........................................................................................................................ 19 LOCAL SUBCONTRACTORS DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................ 20 EXCHANGE VISITORS SUPPORT ................................................................................................................ 22

APPROVAL: HICD ACTIVITY YEAR I REVISED WORK PLAN (AUGUST 2021) ...... 23

ANNEXES ......................................................................................................................... 24


ACRONYMS ADS Automated Directives System (USAID’s Operational Policy) ATC Association for Talent Development CLA Collaborating, Learning and Adapting toolkit COE Center of Excellence COP Chief of Party COR Contracting Officer’s Representative CPAR Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting CPT Certified Performance Technologist CSB Civil Service Bureau DCOP Deputy Chief of Party OP Director Operations and Procurement Director DRG Office of Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Office EG Office of Economic Growth EU European Union EVs Exchange Visitors GAPOMR The Georgian Association for Public Opinion and Market

Research GEC GEC Corporation GEPRA Georgia Entertainment Public Relations Alliance GLA Georgian Logistics Association G2G Government-to-Government HAC Health and Accident Coverage HICD Human and Institutional Capacity Development HICD 2020 USAID/Georgia Human and Institutional Capacity

Development 2020 Activity HO Home Office HPI Human Performance Improvement HR Human Resources HRM Human Resources Management IP USAID Implementing Partner ISFED International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy ISPI International Society for Performance Improvement ISPI EMEA International Society for Performance Improvement Europe,

Middle East, and Africa Kaizen Kaizen, A Tetra Tech Company KPI Key Performance Indicator KRA Key Result Area LEPL Legal Entity of Public Law MAG Mediators’ Association of Georgia MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning M&E Monitoring and Evaluation OD Organizational Development OFM Office of Financial Management OP Operations and Procurement PDO The Public Defender of Georgia PIRS Performance Indicator Reference Sheet PIRLS Progress in International Reading Literacy Study


PISA Programme for International Student Assessment PMCG Policy and Management Consulting Group PMO PMO Business Consulting PR Public Relations PSP Performance Solutions Package RPM Rapid Procurement Mechanism SRFI Security Risk and Fraud Inquiry STTA Short-term Technical Assistance TBSC TBSC Consulting TCN Third-country national TEAMS USAID Training & Exchanges Automated Management System TIMSS Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study UNDP United Nations Development Program USAID United States Agency for International Development


SECTION I - INTRODUCTION

This document presents the Georgia Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) Activity Revised (Version 3) Work Plan for Year 1. The document includes a brief description of partner institutions the HICD Activity intends to cooperate with during Year 1. It also describes the needs of these organizations and types of assistance the HICD Activity recommends providing to them. Given the nature of the activity, specific details will be set forth in individual implementation plans following ongoing consultations with the Mission, partner institutions, and other stakeholders. Project Background The HICD Activity is implemented by Kaizen, a Tetra Tech Company (Kaizen) in conjunction with its local subcontractors, Policy Management and Consulting Group (PMCG), GEC JSC (GEC), GEPRA, TBSC Consulting (TBSC), PMO Business Consulting (PMO), Development Evaluation and Progress Assessment Consulting (DEPA), GeoWel Research, and Personnel Management Center (PMC). The objective of the HICD Activity is to achieve lasting results in the human and institutional capacity development of key strategic partner institutions in Georgia that play an important role in fulfilling the country’s development objectives (see Figure 1 below). These may include governmental, non-governmental, and private sector entities for all types of HICD services. The HICD Activity will increase the organizational integrity, operational effectiveness, and long-term viability of these key partner organizations, which, in turn, anchor the country’s reform efforts across all development sectors. The HICD Activity draws on its internal capacity to carry out performance assessments and implement multiple performance solutions through its subcontractors. Starting with five HICD-experienced, Georgian subcontractors with complementary skill sets, the HICD Activity increased the pool to seven. We will only engage foreign expertise when no qualified Georgian firms and/or individuals are available. Our Center of Excellence (CoE) connects those advancing HICD and shared national goals in a vibrant peer network within and across partners, regions, and organizational levels to provide practical support and incentives for local professionals to lead HICD and apply the Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) toolkit. Our online and in-person events incorporate analytics and user feedback models with top resources available on flash drives for off-line uses. The CoE will be sustained by competitively selected local stakeholders from the end of year three. For Local Subcontractor Development, the HICD Activity uses the Kaizen Accelerator approach, which supports subcontractors to cooperate by sharing experiences learning and installing donor-compliant systems in the Georgian context, while also competing to win awards. The HICD Activity also provides Exchange Visitors (EVs) Support services to all USAID/Georgia programs. As a cross-cutting theme, gender is integrated into all activities of the project by identifying and addressing any gender-related disparities experienced by employees within the partner institutions. As applicable, the project will also integrate gender-related considerations into


the HICD cycle to ensure that the policies, procedures, and practices of the partner institutions do not discriminate on the basis of gender identity. Additionally, the HICD Activity will produce a variety of products to communicate key results activity of interventions. These products will include social media posts, videos, and one-pagers that communicate project successes and lessons learned to both USAID and our partner organizations. This effort will be led by the activity’s Communications Specialist.

Figure 1: Georgia HICD Activity Results Framework

Project Organization The HICD Chief of Party (COP) leads the field office in all aspects of the program, including activity design, development, and implementation. The COP supervises the long-term field team and directly supervises the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and the Operations and Procurement (OP) Director. The DCOP directly oversees the Program Team, which includes the following positions:

• Center of Excellence (CoE) Manager o Acceleration Advisor (provided by PMCG) o Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist

• Organizational Development (OD) Advisor • Organizational Development (OD) Advisor • Communications Specialist (provided by GEC)

In addition, the DCOP supervises short-term technical assistance (STTA) consultants. The CoE Manager leads CoE and oversees monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and subcontractor development activities.


The OP Director oversees the Operations Team, which includes the following positions:

• Administrative Manager o Driver/Logistician o IT Specialist

• Finance Manager • EVs Specialist

This organization is summarized by Figure II below.

Figure II: Georgia HICD Activity Organizational Chart

The COP and the DCOP liaise with USAID to set the project’s technical direction. The Program Team is responsible for achieving results under the HICD (including long-term, short-term, and last-mile) services, CoE, and Local Subcontractor Development, and providing MEL support across all components to ensure tracking and reporting against organizational and project indicators. STTA consultants provided by Kaizen, GEC, and PMCG offer targeted expertise for the HICD services and Local Subcontractor Development. The Operations Team supports the Program Team and manages local procurements and subcontracts, local accounts, operations, and logistics. The Operations Team also implements the EVs Support services. Kaizen’s home office (HO) provides overall management of the Activity including technical, administrative, financial, and contractual backstopping from Washington, DC. The HO is


responsible for hiring and payroll administration for all U.S. and third country national (TCN) personnel, STTAs, and processes the monthly invoice submitted to USAID. The HO supervises the COP and ensures timely resolution of managerial and contractual issues, as well as assists with issues related to information technology, training, EVs processing, procurement, and project communications. The HO closely collaborates with the Activity’s Georgian subcontractors GEC, PMCG, GEPRA, TBSC, PMO, DEPA, GeoWel Research, and PMC. Both GEC and PMCG provide long-term staff (Communication Specialist and Acceleration Advisor respectively) and local and international STTA consultants (except cases when such consultants will be provided directly by Kaizen). In addition, GEC and PMCG will implement long-term HICD programs, as well as some short-term and last-mile activities. GEPRA, TBSC, PMO, DEPA, GeoWel Research, and PMC will implement short-term and last-mile solutions.


SECTION II – WORK PLAN HICD Services Based on the nominations provided by USAID, and discussions with the nominating offices, the first year of HICD services will initially constitute the below-mentioned interventions. The Activity will also accept additional nominations throughout the year, on a rolling basis, and in consultation with the COR. Note that all of the interventions below are conditioned on the sustained commitment, buy-in, and active support and involvement from the partner institutions themselves. Partners will be asked to play an active role in making use of and advancing the objectives of all support received. We will ascertain the level of each partner’s commitment at various stages of our engagements. When partner commitment and contributions are insufficient, we will pause or stop the engagement(s), in consultation with the COR. Also, whenever possible we will seek to address the similar institutional support needs of multiple partners simultaneously through shared access technical assistance and/or peer-to-peer learning. This reduces costs while also strengthening partner engagement. Short-Term HICD: The National Assessment and Examination Center (NAEC) (Nominated by USAID/Georgia DRG Office) NAEC is a Legal Entity of Public Law (LEPL) under the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia (MoESG). It was established in 2002 to manage and administer standardized, high-quality exams for schools, universities and vocational educational entities. In 2005, the very first unified national examinations were conducted that played a crucial role in the development of the Georgian higher education system. Over the last 16 years, NAEC administers a range of testing programs, including school graduation (currently annulled), university, and Master’s degree entry exams, vocational education professional programs, students’ grant competitions and teachers’ competency testing. This process includes authoring and assembling tests, administering testing exams, scoring test, and analyzing data. The other important area of NAEC’s mandate is educational research. The Center administers national assessments as well as international educational research, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), in Georgia to identify the national performance in literacy, numeracy, and sciences, and compares countries’ achievements globally. NAEC needs assistance to:

• Enhancing its communication practices with relevant stakeholders, target groups and the wider public through systematization its public relations (PR) and communication practices, and institutionalization of effective communication tools and mechanisms.


Current Status/Implementation Plan: Activity/Component Status Dates Sub/STTA Cost (USD) Communication and PR Planned. RFTOP

issued to IQS holders.

Sep 2021 - TBD

TBD TBD

Short-Term HICD: The National Agency of State Property (NASP) of Georgia (Nominated by USAID/Georgia EG Office) NASP is a Legal Entity of Public Law (LEPL) under the Ministry of Economics and Sustainable Development of Georgia. In August 2020, the agency merged with the Service Agency (SA), an LEPL under the ministry of Finance. The prime objectives of the newly reorganized agency are: Management and administration of movable and immovable state property; Transfer of the state property for use; Exercising powers of a partner/shareholder in enterprises with state ownership; Management of strict accounting forms related to the agreement, registration,

preparation, storage, usage, and utilization of state-owned assets; Support in managing property of physical and legal entities, including through the e-

auction web-page: www.eauction.ge. NASP needs assistance to:

• Effectively perform its mandate through modernization and optimization of its business processes.

Current Status/Implementation Plan:

Short-Term HICD: The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia (MoESD) (Nominated by USAID/Georgia EG Office) The HICD Activity supports the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia (MoESD) in conducting a rapid assessment of advantages and disadvantages of the prospective merger between the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA) and the Mountain Resorts Development Company (MRDC).

http://www.eauction.ge/


GNTA is a legal entity of public law (LEPL) under MoESD, funded from the state budget (not mandated to derive profit). As the key policymaker in the Georgian tourism sector, GNTA’s mission is to formulate and enforce state tourism development policies in Georgia, support the development of sustainable tourism, promote the generation of export revenues and job creation through tourism, attract foreign visitors to Georgia, facilitate domestic tourism, and promote the development of tourist destinations, infrastructure, and human resources in the tourism industry. The development and promotion of mountain resorts are among GNTA’s top priorities as Georgia continues to capitalize on their rich potential, turning them into some of the most appealing tourist destinations. Their value is especially high during winter when the ski season is at its peak. While GNTA is fully in charge of the promotional and marketing efforts for Georgia’s key mountain resorts (including coverage of all associated financial costs), their management (especially of the resorts’ infrastructure and facilities) falls under the purview of MRDC. This management dynamic calls for close alignment between the two entities when it comes to effectively operating, marketing, and promoting these important tourist destinations. MRDC, a limited liability company (LLC) established in 2013 and a current staff size of 630, has been managing the mountain resorts of Gudauri, Bakuriani, Goderdzi, Hatsvali and Tetnuldi, including their associated infrastructure and facilities since 2017, and has been working alongside GNTA, with a staff size of 104, on operating these locations since then. As an LLC, MRDC generates its own revenue and is not financed from the state budget. MoESD has requested the HICD Activity to:

• Conduct an assessment of advantages and disadvantages of a prospective merger between GNTA and MRDC.

Short-Term HICD: The Rural Development Agency (RDA) (Nominated by USAID/Georgia EG Office) RDA is a Legal Entity of Public Law (LEPL) under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MoEPA). The organization implements variety of programs and projects initiated by the MoEPA to promote well-being and prosperity of farmers and rural residents by providing them with necessary resources. For overall operational effectiveness and to respond to post-pandemic emergencies, RDA is committed to improve its organizational effectiveness by modernization of its operational and management systems aligned with IPARD/EU requirements. RDA has requested the HICD Activity to:


• Strengthen the Agency’s human resource management (HRM) system to better

achieve organizational goals and meet EU/IPARD requirements. Current Status/Implementation Plan:

Long-Term HICD: Civil Service Bureau of Georgia (CSB) (Nominated by USAID/Georgia DRG Office CSB is an independent Legal Entity of Public Law (LEPL) mandated to support the implementation of a uniform civil service policy in Georgia and the development of a professional, career-based civil service through improving legislation, establishing effective and transparent governance and ethical standards, as well as promoting anti-corruption policy. The mandate and mission of CSB has significantly broadened with new functions and responsibilities following the adoption of the new Law on Civil Service (2017). However, the structure and functions of the CSB have not been analyzed in this context. Doing so will inform structural and operational changes necessary to meet CSB’s expanded mandate. As the current environment is in constant change, CSB needs to be responsive to the emerging needs of civil service and at the same time address internal organizational matters. CSB needs external assistance to:

• Conduct CSB’s performance assessment, including development of a set of recommendations.

• In consultation with the COR and the Mission’s Office of Financial Management (OFM), the assessment may include aspects of Government-to-Government (G2G) Risk Assessment.

• Develop a Performance Solutions Package (PSP). • Implement the PSP.

Current Status/Implementation Plan: Activity/Component Status Dates Sub/STTA Cost (USD)


Short-Term HICD: Mediators’ Association of Georgia (MAG) (Nominated by USAID/Georgia DRG Office) MAG was founded in December 2019 following the adoption of a new law on Mediation. Establishment of this association creates the possibility for multiple pathways to justice and greater efficiencies in dispute resolution. MAG unites 55 certified mediators and expects that this number will increase to 300 by the end of 2021. As a brand-new agency, MAG suffers from multiple problems. The main challenge facing the organization is building its internal management structures. In June 2020, MAG developed its 2020-2025 Strategy and accompanying Action Plan with the assistance of UNDP. The Strategy outlines MAG’s needs in detail, including the areas listed below:

• Develop a robust HRM system, including the development of HR strategy (policy and procedures) and motivation system; development of functional job descriptions; development of training needs assessment practice, etc.

• Develop procurement and database management manuals. • Develop a PR and marketing strategy and its corresponding action plan.


Activity/Component Status Dates Sub/STTA Cost (USD)

Short-Term HICD: The Public Defender of Georgia (PDO) (Nominated by USAID/Georgia DRG Office) PDO is an independent constitutional body mandated by the Constitution and the laws of Georgia to monitor protection of the human rights and freedoms on the territory of Georgia, identify incidents of the human rights’ violations and contribute to the restoration of the violated rights and freedoms. To eliminate all forms of discrimination and ensure equality, PDO monitors activities of the administrative, state and local self-government authorities, public institutions and officials, physical and legal persons, detects discrimination, and acts on eliminating the consequences of discrimination. PDO examines the cases pertaining to decisions of the public institutions, violations of human rights and freedoms during the court case reviews, violations of the rights of detainees, prisoners, and individuals whose liberties have otherwise been restricted, compliance of normative acts with the Constitution’s Second Chapter, constitutionality of the norms regulating referenda and elections, as well as the


elections/referenda held or to be held on the basis of these norms. PDO considers applications about violations of human rights and freedoms enshrined in the laws of Georgia, as well as in the international treaties and agreements, to which Georgia is a party. In 2020, USAID’s HICD 2020 Activity assisted PDO in improving its human resource management (HRM) system and strengthening the public outreach functions. Building on prior assistance from HICD 2020, PDO needs additional support to fully institutionalize best HRM practices. Moreover, in 2018 the public audit emphasized that PDO needs to assess its IT infrastructure and create an IT security policy in order to protect sensitive information. This need became even more urgent after the Covid-19 outbreak. PDO needs assistance in the following areas:

• Further strengthen PDO’s HRM system: o Create employee satisfaction questionnaire and HR manual, develop

methodology to identify cadre with high potential, create systems for employee motivation; conducting trainings for managers in the areas such as, interviewing techniques, evaluation of employees (providing feedback, performance management), developing managerial skills.

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of PDO’s IT infrastructure and IT security capabilities:

o Audit of IT hardware, software, security; development of IT strategy and its corresponding action plan; development of IT security policy.



Short-Term HICD: The Georgian Association for Public Opinion Research (GAPOR) (Nominated by USAID/Georgia DRG Office) In the summer of 2020, USAID’s HICD 2020 Activity facilitated the establishment process of GAPOR. Specifically, HICD 2020 supported GAPOR in developing an ethics code, the delivery of educational sessions to Georgian pollsters and drafting by-laws.

1 The Mission is considering the opportunity of partnering with PDO through a G2G agreement. The HICD Activity may be requested to support this effort by helping the Mission to carry out a G2G Risk Assessment. An amendment to the implementation plan will be requested for the COR’s approval to accommodate the request.


The goals of the GAPOR are to facilitate scientific and ethical conduct of research in the field of public opinion and survey research, assist researchers in improving their knowledge of research methods and techniques, and support the development of professional standards. Support in further development of the Association will contribute to enhancing public and political stakeholder credibility in non-partisan polling and help reputable Georgian pollsters to agree and maintain the community of practice and further enhance their professional polling activities. The Association has already created its official email address: [email protected] and conducted elections for the positions of the Executive Council. The elections took place on February 25, 2021. On March 2, 2021, the Secretary General registered the Association as a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity at the Public Registry. GAPOR needs assistance in the following areas:

• Long-term organizational strategy development and corresponding action plan for the years of 2021-2022. This will also include the preparation of a transparency initiative.

• Development of recommendations on the provision of services by the Association. Current Status/Implementation Plan:

Activity/Component Status Dates Sub/STTA Cost (USD) I

Short-Term HICD: The Cultural-Humanitarian Fund “Sukhumi” (Nominated by USAID/Georgia DRG Office) The Cultural-Humanitarian Fund “Sukhumi” was established in 1997 as a non-for-profit, non-governmental organization. Its mission is to promote social, economic, and political empowerment of women by building their capacities, raising their social and legal awareness, and supporting them to develop as equal partners, active citizens, and decision-makers. In July 2020, a USAID/Georgia conducted a pre-award assessment of Fund “Sukhumi”. The pre-award assessment’s objective was to determine whether the recipient of USAID funding had the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operations controls, and technical skills essential to achieve the objectives of the project, or whether special award conditions would be needed.

The assessment concluded the following: 1) Fund “Sukhumi” currently does not have sufficient financial management and accounting systems in place to adequately safeguard U.S. Government resources. The Fund’s internal controls, financial management capacity, and accounting practices and procedures must be improved to be sufficient to effectively manage

mailto:[email protected]


and fully account for USAID funds; 2) based on the survey, Fund “Sukhumi” falls into the medium risk category with the risk score of 68% (the top level of the medium risk continuum); 3) the organization will need a certain degree of oversight, with its activities subject to monthly reviews to ensure proper accountability of funds provided to the organization. The USAID Agreement Officer included in the award mandatory recommendations as special award conditions, which Fund “Sukhumi” will be required to address within six months from the award date. Current Status/Implementation Plan:

Activity/Component Sub/STTA Cost (USD)

Short-Term HICD: Elections and Political Processes (EPP), Assistance to USAID Implementing Partners (nominated by USAID/Georgia DRG Office) The DRG Office seeks to engage with EPP partners to enhance the analytical impact of their activities. The development of a more cogent and cohesive message for voter information products and other reports will improve the effectiveness of the EPP activity’s goals to improve the ability of Georgia’s democratic processes to represent diverse citizen interests while also increasing the institutional robustness and sustainability of local partners. The selected EPP Implementing Partners (IPs) are Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA), Public Movement Multinational Georgia (PMMG), International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Transparency International (TI), Eastern European Center for Multi-party Democracy (EECMD), and Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP). These organizations have a high level of expertise in their respectful fields, however, the quality of the reports they submit to USAID needs to be improved. Also, there is a need to improve their general communication practices with different audiences. Specifically, EPP IPs need external assistance to:

• Improve their report writing capacity. This will include report format/structure, style, substance, etc.

• Improve overall strategic communications, including the ability to identify target audiences, what type of information to release and when, to name a few.



Short-Term HICD: The Georgian Competition Agency (Nominated by the USAID/Georgia EG Office) The Competition Agency was established based on the Law of Georgia on Competition in 2014. The main task of the Agency is to strengthen competition policy in the country, to create and protect the conditions conducive to the development of competition, and to prevent and detect all types of anti-competitive agreements and actions for this purpose. Based on the recommendations developed under the EU-supported project, critical amendments to the Competition Law entered into force on November 4, 2020. These amendments are fully in line with European best practices and DCFTA requirements and reflect EU competition law's basic principles. In 2020, additional functions have been added to the Competition Agency. These include enforcement of anti-dumping law and consumer protection law, as well as overseeing public procurement dispute council. These new functions, as well as the existing ones, should be reflected in the Agency’s Organizational Strategy and the planned activities outlined in the action plan. In addition, activities under current and new mandates have to be adequately communicated to the relevant stakeholders, which include businesses, consumers, the Government of Georgia, media, practitioners, etc. A well-crafted communication strategy will increase the Agency's credibility and enhance its effectiveness in terms of enforcing fair competition on the market. The Agency needs external assistance to:

• Develop a long-term organizational strategy and its corresponding action plan. • Strengthen PR and communication functions at the Agency, as well as conduct a

rebranding exercise. Specifically, we well develop the PR/Communication strategy and its action plan, and the branding manual.




Short-Term HICD: Sakpatenti, the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia (Nominated by the USAID EG Office) Sakpatenti is a legal entity of public law (LEPL) accountable to the Prime Minister of Georgia. Its primary function is to protect intellectual property through devising and enforcing the intellectual property-related policies. Intellectual property protection is an indispensable part of a knowledge-based economy, and it lies at the core of the country’s economic, social, and cultural growth. Given its importance, Sakpatenti has always maintained a strategic standing, and continues to cooperate with donors including USAID, UNDP, EU, and others. The performance assessment of Sakpatenti was conducted in 2016 by the HICD 2020 Activity. This was followed by development of the PSP outlining several areas for improvement, including strengthening communication and PR functions at Sakpatenti. The HICD Activity will work with Sakpatenti to improve its communication and PR functions by developing a PR/Communications strategy and a corresponding action plan. Current Status/Implementation Plan:



Center of Excellence The CoE represents a dynamic hub providing partners with innovative HICD knowledge, tools, and research. It facilitates peer-to-peer learning across organizations and regions, empowering and motivating reformers, and accelerating enduring capacity of the local organizations. The CoE virtual launch took place on June 24 with 114 participants in attendance. The event attendees included representatives from governmental organizations, NGOs, Business Support Organizations (BSOs), universities, and the HICD Activity’s subcontractors. As of August 16, 2021, the CoE has 71 registered members. In Year 1, we also started working on an interactive Facebook page. A CoE member Facebook group will ensure unhindered online communication between the members. The CoE will be member-driven: the members’ needs and priorities will increasingly determine the focus and direction of the HICD CoE activities, and the CoE activities focus on the practical application of international best-practices, not just theory. The CoE will prioritize member-based contributions: members will commit to giving back to the CoE by supporting the advancement and reform initiatives of their peers. The CoE will seek to maintain free and open access and use of resources developed by the HICD community, while also increasing awareness of more specialized services available from qualified vendors. We will develop services under the freemium and premium membership packages. Free services for the CoE members include executive roundtables (ERTs), brownbag discussions, e-trainings, Organizational Capacity Self-Assessment (OCA), member case studies and experience videos, access to a library of tools and templates, and fact briefs on organizational development models and approaches. The premium package includes expert/situation support, HICD Academy certification, resource compilation and recommendations, and certificates of accomplishment. The CoE offers personal professional growth and development for individual members, while organizations benefit from increased organizational improvement capacity via cost-effective training and support.


Local Subcontractors Development The Kaizen Accelerator approach uses ‘co-optition’, which supports subs to cooperate by sharing experiences installing donor-compliant systems in the Georgian context, while also competing to win awards. It works, as subs universally respond to the incentive of more funding. Led by a dedicated Acceleration Advisor closely working with our CoE Manager and supported by Kaizen’s Home Office, we are engaging in the following proven, iterative process of building capacity. In Year 1, in order to evaluate Georgian subcontractors’ capacity, the HICD Activity employed the Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) tool. The assessment tool was adapted in conjunction with the Non-U.S. Organization Pre-Award Survey (NUPAS) tool to include open-ended questions, a self-assessment questionnaire, and a file upload section. The assessments were conducted to create a baseline showing each sub’s capacity to fulfill the terms of a prospective large award. 87.5% of the HICD Activity’s IQS holders participated in the survey. The final individual score for each organization was calculated by averaging sub-section scores. The baseline score for the above seven service provider organizations reported for the PMP indicator 3.1.2, subcontractors’ average performance evaluation score, is 2.43 (the maximum OCA score is 4.00). The HICD Activity will develop 1.5-2-year individual development plans for each subcontractor to achieve incremental improvements of the score by the next evaluation process, which will be done by the end of the current IQS period. Kaizen experts in finance, project management, business development, and MEL will lead regular roundtables facilitating peer-to-peer learning and providing hands-on support. Initially for subs exclusively, we may also include others receiving donor funding, and invite USAID employees to speak at or co-lead select sessions. We will hold monthly applied-learning events to support subs to address their core needs. Additionally, we will strengthen capacity of the subcontractors through competition for awards and learning-by-doing. In Year 1, we will begin supporting our subs through the assistance, peer-learning, and other means described above. We will also engage them in a regular cycle of competing for small HICD awards, learning by doing, coaching, and receiving performance feedback. We will use a Rapid Procurement Mechanism (RPM) and contractor performance assessment reporting-like (CPAR) report cards to simulate donor processes, and to onboard other Georgian providers if needed. At the same time, the HICD Activity will offer participation in the HICD Academy to its local subcontractors, which will include start-to-end individual coaching, online courses and access to necessary materials for organizational development. The HICD Academy will be led by the recognized expert in the area of performance improvement, Mr. Klaus Wittkuhn, from Performance Design Partners (PDP). Upon completion of the Academy, the IQS holders will receive Academy Certificate showing their HICD credentials. Finally, the HICD Activity established a Training and Development Fund dedicated to professional development for the HICD staff, local subcontractors, and partner organization staff. Professional development must contribute toward Certified Performance Technology (CPT), Human Performance Improvement (HPI), or other relevant professional certifications.


To allow for international experience amongst HICD practitioners in Georgia and to create space for the development and dissemination of best practices, HICD sets aside a portion of the Training and Development Fund for participation in relevant professional conferences and events (e.g., annual conferences organized by the International Society of Performance Improvement (ISPI), Association for Talent Development (ATD), etc.). For instance, the HICD Activity, together with its subcontractors plans to participate in the 20th ISPI Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Annual Conference (virtual event) on September 30 - October 5, 2021.


Exchange Visitors Support Georgia HICD Activity provides a complete range of Exchange Visitors (EVs) processing services to USAID programs in Georgia, including language testing, medical certification, health insurance enrollment, security risk inquiry, and visa processing as per ADS 252. EVs processing is a demand-driven service that the HICD team provides in response to requests from IPs. More specifically, to ensure that ADS requirements are met, the HICD Activity administers a comprehensive range of participant processing services related to:

• Coordinating Security Risk and Fraud Inquiry (SRFI) with the Mission. • Health and Accident Coverage (HAC) enrollment. • Visa processing support, including the preparation of the supporting documents for J-

1 visa applications. • Designing and facilitating pre-departure orientation for participants on all aspects of

USAID sponsorship, in accordance with USAID policy. • Tracking and reporting participants and program activities based in the U.S. that are

fully or partially funded by USAID the agency’s TEAMS reporting system. The HICD staff serves as R1/R2 (see the list below) to enter and verify exchange visitor data and upload support information in TEAMS.

• Monitoring participants for punctuality and completion of their program and return to home country.

To administer the above services in an efficient and timely manner, the HICD Activity closely coordinates with the IPs who request support for nominated training participants. As these services are demand-driven, the foundation of an efficient, well-functioning participant training system is proactive planning and effective communication. In practice, implementing partners should identify participant training needs and receive the COR’s approval at least 8 weeks in advance.

HICD Activity Year I Work Plan 24 Contract No. 72011421C00001

ANNEXES

Annex 1: Illustrative Timeline

Activities Jan-21 Feb-21 Mar-21 Apr-21 May-21 Jun-21 Jul- 21

Aug-21 Sept-21 Oct-21 Nov-21 Dec-21

Operations Project start-up Technical HICD Services National Assessment and Examination Center (NAEC) National Agency of State Property (NASP) Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development (MoESD) Rural Development Agency (RDA) Civil Society Bureau (CSB) Mediators Association of Georgia (MAG) Public Defenders Office (PDO) Georgian Association for Public Opinion Research (GAPOR) Fund Sukhumi Election and Political Processes (EPP) implementing partners Georgian Competition Agency

Patent Office (Sakpatenti) CoE CoE scoping document and rollout approach developed CoE virtual launch CoE interactive Facebook page and member Facebook group developed CoE member registration ongoing First iteration of CoE’s business/operating model developed CoE member needs assessment developed and launched CoE free member services (ERTs, brownbag discussions) offered CoE premium member services (HICD Virtual Academy) offered CoE outreach and communication plan finalized Learning resources available for the CoE members Local Subcontractors Development IQS call for proposals from the additional potential subcontractors published IQS with the additional subcontractors signed Rapid Procurement Mechanism (RPM) implemented Subcontractors’ capacity assessed using adapted organizational diagnostics tool Individual development plans for each subcontractor developed Capacity building activities for the IQS holder organizations launched ISPI EMEA conference 2021 EVs Support J-1 Visa support services, TEAMS tracking and reporting

Georgia Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD ...

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Transcript of Georgia Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD ...