Development of a Monitoring and Assessment System of the Government Policy and Legislative Acts (GE0049)

Development of a monitoring and assessment system of the Government policy and legislative acts; The Administration of the Government of Georgia in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice will develop a unified system for monitoring and assessment of the government policy planning documents and legislative acts. By means of the system, on the basis of ex-ante and ex-post assessment, it will be possible to identify challenges regarding the implementation of the commitments taken by the Government in a timely manner. This will make the policy management process more efficient. In addition to this, on the basis of ex-ante assessment it will be possible to identify particular problems that could be addressed by relevant legislative acts and/or policy planning. In order to engage society, the platform for dialogue will be enhanced. On the one hand, this will enable the government to provide citizens with information, while on the other hand, our society will also be able to use the space to offer the government its recommendations. In particular, citizens will have an access to the system and will be able to present their ideas in writing in an electronic form. Following analysis of the information, obtained through the monitoring process, the monitoring report will be prepared, contributing to an even more transparent and accountable government. Monitoring on the changes implemented through a short-term and a long-term documents (for example, nation-wide documents or sectoral strategies) will be performed on an annual basis. Monitoring of short-term documents (annual working plan, Action Plan) shall be conducted quarterly or biannually. Monitoring and reporting of internal documents (Ministry plans, department plans and individual plans) shall be handled on a monthly basis. Monitoring and reporting mechanism for each planning document shall be defined during the strategy implementation process. Furthermore, in 2017 a new electronic system will be introduced for the government to better carry out and monitor its activities. The system will ensure: (1) creating electronic reports about the activities planned by different public agencies in the framework of the government annual action plan; (2) monitoring and analysis of implementation process. Various sectorial and multi-sectorial action plans will also be integrated into the system. The platform will enable stakeholders to organize information by sector or direction. Date of Implementation: 2016-2017; Issues to be Addressed: As of today there is no unified system for monitoring and assessment of government policy, though it is being introduced gradually. It should be noted that this is a cornerstone of the ongoing public administration reform, it is also one of the priorities and an important challenge of the policy planning strategy. Today the policy documents of strategic importance, which shall be submitted to and approved by the government, are being developed and assessed by the department of Government Plans and Innovations within the Government Administration. State programs and projects are implemented under various action plans. Ministries have their action plans that include the working plans of their LEPLS. Furthermore, the Government of Georgia has to fulfill commitments deriving from virous sectoral and multi-sectoral action plans (for example, EU-Georgia Association Agreement; Human Rights Action Plan of the government of Georgia 2016-2017). However, there is no unified system that would enable the public agencies to function in the unified format and simplify the monitoring progress and coordination between agencies.

8. Development of a monitoring and assessment system of the Government policy and legislative acts

Commitment Text:

The Administration of the Government of Georgia in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice will develop a unified system for monitoring and assessment of the government policy planning documents and legislative acts. By means of the system, on the basis of ex-ante and ex-post assessment, it will be possible to identify challenges regarding the implementation of the commitments taken by the Government in a timely manner. This will make the policy management process more efficient. In addition to this, on the basis of ex-ante assessment it will be possible to identify particular problems that could be addressed by relevant legislative acts and/or policy planning. In order to engage society, the platform for dialogue will be enhanced. On the one hand, this will enable the government to provide citizens with information, while on the other hand, our society will also be able to use the space to offer the government its recommendations. In particular, citizens will have an access to the system and will be able to present their ideas in writing in an electronic form.

Following analysis of the information, obtained through the monitoring process, the monitoring report will be prepared, contributing to an even more transparent and accountable government. Monitoring on the changes implemented through a short-term and a long-term documents (for example, nation-wide documents or sectoral strategies) will be performed on an annual basis. Monitoring of short-term documents (annual working plan, Action Plan) shall be conducted quarterly or biannually. Monitoring and reporting of internal documents (Ministry plans, department plans and individual plans) shall be handled on a monthly basis. Monitoring and reporting mechanism for each planning document shall be defined during the strategy implementation process.

Furthermore, in 2017 a new electronic system will be introduced for the government to better carry out and monitor its activities. The system will ensure: (1) creating electronic reports about the activities planned by different public agencies in the framework of the government annual action plan; (2) monitoring and analysis of implementation process. Various sectorial and multi-sectorial action plans will also be integrated into the system. The platform will enable stakeholders to organize information by sector or direction.

Responsible institution: Administration of the Government of Georgia

Supporting institution(s): Ministry of Justice of Georgia

Start date: March 2016 End date: December 2017

Commitment Aim:

The Administration of the Government of Georgia committed to developing a unified system for ex-ante and ex-post assessment of the country’s policy planning documents and legislative acts. This also included creating a monitoring and reporting system with the participation of citizens who would be able to submit their ideas and recommendations. Specific aims of the commitment included:

• Launch a new electronic system of reports on the activities planned by different public agencies as well as reports on the monitoring and analysis of the implementation process;
• Prepare quarterly or biannual monitoring reports on the implementation of the government’s nationwide strategy and policy documents;
• Prepare monthly monitoring reports on the implementation of internal planning documents; and
• Give citizens access to the new system so they might present ideas electronically and organize the available information by sector or direction.

Status

Midterm: Limited

At the midterm, the commitment had limited implementation. In 2016, the government decreed that all public agencies must conduct monitoring and assessment of the implementation of their policy strategies and action plans. Based on this decree, the government administration selected five pilot ministries (Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Affairs; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Education and Science; Ministry of Agriculture; and Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development), who had to draft their specific strategies and perform monitoring. The administration planned to add seven more pilot ministries to the system and, later, all remaining ministries. The lack of capacity in some ministries created a challenge for operating the system within all government agencies.

End of term: Limited

The commitment’s implementation remained limited at the end of term. While the five pilot ministries developed the monitoring and assessment reports of their policy strategies and action plans, the new and unified electronic system envisioned in the commitment was not yet launched. During the reporting period, the administration was in the process of consulting with ministries and donors about the new system. An important topic under discussion concerned which part of this system would be made public: electronic reports about the activities planned by different public agencies or the monitoring and analysis of the implementation process. [24]

Did It Open Government?

Access to Information: Did Not Change

The new monitoring and assessment system of the government’s policy and legislative acts was not launched in the period covered by the action plan and this report. Therefore, there was no change in government practice in terms of improving public access to information.

Carried Forward?

The commitment was not carried into the new Action Plan 2018−2019, but the government intends to continue this project outside the OGP process. Civil society thinks that the new system can improve the quality of government decision-making only if it includes elements of openness, public participation, and accountability. Explanatory notes and budget impact of each draft policy and legal act need to be published together with a simplified analysis of the pros and cons about the proposed change. Additionally, the government should publish the number and name of stakeholders consulted, including a summary consultation report and government responses. The government could also create an online mechanism for consultations with stakeholders, allowing interested parties to provide individual feedback.