Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

As demands for efficiency, accountability, trust and transparency rise towards the public sector institutions, more and more of these organizations envisage the need for effective strategic planning. The Central Election Commission of Georgia has to respond to the increased expectations of more active and vocal stakeholders, voters, media and donor organizations. In this respect, strategic planning and institutional betterment are the key ingredients of success. In his initial request to NIMD, Chairman Zurab Khararishvili stated that for upcoming elections of 2012-2013 an extensive need to reinvent and reengineer the CEC management exists. "We have realized the need to constantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and to collaborate more effectively", he said.

NIMD has supported CEC initiative by collaborating with the Management Academy - a non-profit training center - a newly established but already well respected institution in Tbilisi, which delivered four module trainings to the CEC working group. Mr. Alexander Jejelava (himself a part of the NIDM program dealing with political party development) and Mrs. Sopho Jugheli, both professional management trainers, with extensive practical experience delivered four strategic planning trainings to the CEC leadership. The trainings encompassed topics such as the principles of management, strategy and game theories and 10 key strategic management models. The trainers drew a genuine picture of how to transform broad strategic plans into good action plans.

By offering this short, but intensive training, NIMD aimed to furnish the CEC representatives with the better awareness of what are the key ingredients of a good strategic planning process. On June 7, 2011 training course was successfully completed. CEC members and heads of departments expressed their appreciation towards the NIMDs effort to support more effective electoral administration and noted the importance of practical knowledge gained at the trainings, something that will assist the various CEC departments to advance significantly in the strategic planning process currently underway in the Commission.