SIGMA (Support for Improvement in Governance and Management) - a joint initiative of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union, has assessed the Policy Development and Coordination area within the Public Administration Reform (PAR) in Georgia. According to SIGMA, out of 21 short-term recommendations envisaged in the 2018 Baseline Measurement, Georgia has fully implemented seven, not fully implemented 10 and unimplemented four recommendations.

The implementation of the short-term recommendations is intended for 1-2 years. The fact that in two years Georgia has been able to fully implement only a third of the recommendations issued, and at the same time, in the case of fully implemented recommendations, SIGMA still indicates the need to improve a number of issues, shows that significant challenges still remain in the direction of policy planning and coordination. This is well represented in the alternative monitoring reports of the Public Administration Reform Action Plan implementation carried out by GYLA and IDFI in 2019 and 2020.

SIGMA highlights the need for implementation of general rule of the public consultation in the policy planning process, which is an unimplemented commitment according to the interim alternative monitoring report on the implementation of the Public Administration Reform action plan for 2019-2020.

The SIGMA report also indicates the need for further increasing the openness and transparency of the government as well as the need for improving the planning of the legislative activities of the Government. The document stresses out the need for more cooperation and coordination between the central government agencies.

In order to overcome the existing challenges in direction of Policy Planning and Coordination, the Government should undertake relevant commitments in the new Public Administration Reform Action Plan. It is crucial that Georgia adheres to the SIGMA recommendations and unimplemented commitments of 2019-2020 Public Administration Reform Action Plan.