EPI ICT for E-Government Assessment Recommendations and Prioritizations Final

The report aimed to identify e-government opportunities, assess public and private sector capabilities, and increase understanding of information and communication technology (ICT) priorities in support of the Economic Prosperity Initiative (EPI) in Georgia. The EPI is a competitiveness program focusing on selected firm-level and industry-level improvement through assistance to selected agricultural and nonagricultural value chains. In support of its competitiveness work, EPI works with the Government of Georgia (GoG) to address key policy and administration areas that most directly affect Georgia's competitiveness and support private sector growth. The report evaluated several e-government initiatives, including the IPR System (Sakpatenti), Trade Facilitation System (Data Exchange Agency), State Property Management System (SPMS), and Container Terminal Management System (GR). These projects were selected for potential funding and implementation by GoG and USAID, and were deemed to have high relevance and impact. The Sakpatenti Intellectual Property Rights System is a stand-alone legal entity that aims to modernize, standardize, and support enforcement of policies, processes, and regulations for intellectual property rights (IPR) management. The Sakpatenti e-filing initiative will include the application of best practices in design, development, implementation, and adoption of a Web-based intellectual property rights system, as well as business process redesign in various areas. The proposed scope for EPI intervention includes functional and technical requirements development and validation, business process analysis and documentation, and procurement of a Georgian ICT subcontractor for implementation. The system design will include e-filing for IPR applications, front-end application interface, back-end process automation, database design, data migration, and copyright and trademark search and reporting functionality. The estimated impact of the Sakpatenti e-filing initiative is significant, as a strong IPR regime can have a notable effect on economic growth in open economies like Georgia. The implementation of an IPR system is a first step in strengthening Georgia's competitiveness and supporting private sector growth. The report also evaluated other e-government initiatives, including the Agricultural Commodity Pricing System and the Standards, Technical Regulations and Metrology Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development (MOESD). These projects were evaluated for potential funding and implementation, but were not selected by USAID for funding. Overall, the EPI ICT for E-Government Assessment, Recommendations, and Prioritizations report provides a comprehensive analysis of e-government initiatives in Georgia and identifies opportunities for EPI intervention to support the country's competitiveness and private sector growth.