giorgi meskhidze amiran gigineishvili cooperation for development - working together for...
TRANSCRIPT
Giorgi MeskhidzeAmiran Gigineishvili
COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT - Working
together for organizational integrity and preventing
corruption
Supported by FPDL/Local Government Initiative of the Open Society Institute “Program for Anticorruption Practitioners - PAP
2010”
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 1
What is this Anti-Corruption Initiative and how did you
become involved in it?
International Association Civitas Georgica
Program for Anticorruption Practitioners – PAP*
FPDL initiated with the support of LGI/OSI and WBI, PAP*, aimed at establishing a network of skilled anti-corruption practitioners to work with LGs, to cure and prevent corruption.
Civitas Georgica got involved in the process in 2009 by participating in PAP*. After FPDL theoretical and practical training, we have implemented a pilot project in Lanchkhuti municipality.
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 2
Can you tell to our international audience a
little bit about Lanchkhuti municipality?
International Association Civitas Georgica
Lanchkhuti MunicipalityLocation: West Georgia, mainly mountainous with Black Sea coastPopulation: 40 000 people, one town and 15 surrounding communities. Socio-Economic situation: Few employment opportunities, but developed civil society & mediaLocal government structure: • local council (elected) and executive
branch/mayor (appointed)• 26 elected council members and 107
employees in mayor’s office
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 3
Why did you pick Lanchkhuti municipality to
work with?
Is it particularly known as a corrupt city?
International Association Civitas Georgica
Reasons for selection of Lanchkhuti municipality
PAP* approach focuses on prevention and on building organizational integrity so that there is neither opportunity, nor motivation, to engage in corrupt behavior.
Why Lanchkhuti?
Experienced in working with civil society organizations
Average size, income – typical municipality
Cooperative and open to innovations
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 4
Why did Lanchkhuti local government agreed to take
part in this project?
International Association Civitas Georgica
Reasons for interest of Lanchkhuti
Nothing like that was ever done in Georgia before, would like to be the first (pioneer) to try it
Zero-tolerance policy towards corruption (in particular bribery) declared by central government
Experience in previous cooperation with Civitas
Important to talk in pre-elections about transparency, accountability and integrity
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 5
So how did you go on with the corruption prevention
process?
International Association Civitas Georgica
The process – start-up
Obtaining strong support from mayor, signing a memorandum of collaboration
Establishing strong working team – guiding coalition formed by nine members: deputy mayor (leader of the group), heads of departments: Procurement, Finance & Budgeting, Property Management, Public Relations, Infrastructure & Development, Social Services, Organizational (including human resources) , one local councilor
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 6
Who decided on the guiding coalition composition?
Did it change during the project?
Why do you have a representative of local council engaged?
And, why the local team are not you, the consultants?
International Association Civitas Georgica
Guiding CoalitionMayor recommended key managers – department heads.
The composition changed due to LG elections in May, 2010. However, some people remained engaged.
Presence of elected council member, gave legitimacy to the work of the coalition as strategic plan must be approved by the council.
Ownership for the process and results stay with guiding coalition.
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 7
Which were key stages in your work with the guiding
coalition?
International Association Civitas Georgica
The process – summary
Stage 1 – Information collection - Documents & Survey
Stage 2 –analysis and identification of vulnerable to corruption areas
Stage 3 – Getting to root causes of problems
Stage 4 – Working out solutions & elaborating the strategic plan
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 8
What did the survey demonstrate and which areas did the guiding
coalition select to focus on?
International Association Civitas Georgica
Vulnerability Analysis Survey Results
Citizens Municipal Employees Guiding Coalition
Human resource management
Human resource recruitment/dismissal
Organization of public amenities such as street
lighting, parks, visual face of the city/settlement etc.
Infrastructure project selection/implementation
Human resource promotion/punishment
Control over construction projects safety
Organization of public amenities such as street
lighting, parks, visual face of the city/settlement
etc.
Organization of public amenities such as street
lighting, parks, visual face of the city/settlement etc.
Public transportation
Permits and licenses Public transportation Human resource promotion/punishment
Regulation of small-scale street trade
Regulation of small-scale street trade
Pre-school education, kindergartens
Land management Control over procurement terms
Human resource recruitment/dismissal
Water and forest management
Infrastructure project selection/implementation
Land management
Social issues Building Permits Regulation of small-scale
street trade
Public amenities
Control of construction projects
Public transportation
Human resource assessment
Pre-school education
Human resource recruitment
Land management, leasing
Building permits
Regulation of small trade
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 9
What did the strategic plan contain?
International Association Civitas Georgica
Focus areas of strategic plan
1. Human resources management:• Recruiting/dismissal• Promotion, bonuses, assessment
Most of activities focused on this
2. Improvement of municipal territory• Selection of infrastructure projects• Control of implementation/monitoring
of implementation of infrastructure projects
Less actions here due to introduction of electronic tender system
International Association Civitas Georgica
Lanchkhuti LG strategic objectives
Improve management and increase transparency of infrastructure projects selection and implementation in the interests of citizens
Establish adequate working conditions for effective functioning of staff
Increase staff qualification and motivation
Develop service regulations and standards to prevent and limit the possibilities of misuse of the official position for personal gains
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 10
Why did Lanchkhuti local government decide to
focus on these two fields selected and not others?
International Association Civitas Georgica
Reasons for Lanchkhuti choice
Decentralization process in Georgia not complete
Many functions that are under control of LG in Europe are still at national level in Georgia.
Thus, the emphasis was put on issues that the municipality can tackle independently.
International Association Civitas Georgica
Question 11
So what were results of your work?
What did each of you learn from your engagement in
this one year project?
International Association Civitas Georgica
Lessons Learned - LGDifferent forms of corruption – not only bribery, cultural issues – nepotism, protectionism
Despite the fact that we all (guiding coalition members) work in the same building, our communication needed improvement
Strategic thinking
Elaboration of the plan is not enough, it needs implementation
Our plan will be part of the national plan
International Association Civitas Georgica
Lessons Learned - Consultants
Focus on municipal function/area rather than department
Publicity of the project is important
Communication and meeting with the coalition should occur at least once a month, homework in between
Engagement of elected council representative in the work of guiding coalition is crucial
International Association Civitas Georgica
International Association Civitas Georgica
Contact Information
“Civitas Georgica”97 Tsinamdzgvrishvili
St.Tbilisi, 0164, GeorgiaTel: +995 32 951991Fax: +995 32 911948
E-mail: [email protected]
Blog: www.civitas.ge/wordpres
s/www.civitas.ge