Learning and Development Program for the MoESD: USAID Securing Georgia's Energy Future Program

The program's objective is to provide assistance to the MoESD to establish a talent model based on hiring local university graduates on a contractual basis, supported by appropriate Learning and Development (L&D) programs to train these new hires. The L&D Program sets out the L&D strategies to be implemented by MoESD to achieve the goals identified during the research process. The program held a series of meetings with representatives of the three pre-selected departments of the MoESD responsible for the energy sector advancement: the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Policy and Sustainable Development Department, the Energy Policy and Investment Projects Department, and the Energy Reforms Department. Information and ideas gathered through research and consultation were reviewed as part of the decision-making process and were incorporated in this L&D program. The MoESD is responsible for the development of an appropriate energy policy that will move Georgia closer to Europe by meeting its commitments under the Association Agreement with the European Union (EU). The program has conducted research to determine the size and nature of the gap between current and desirable knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes. The research was conducted within the three key departments of the MoESD, which directly contribute to and are committed to sectoral development. The L&D Program is a strategic initiative that will address the existing capacity gaps which constrain organizational performance and facilitate the development of skills that will catalyze reform agendas. This report offers recommendations to relevant MoESD departments regarding their approach to staff learning and development in light of energy reform implementation. The suggested L&D activities are intended to ensure optimal human development to build a strong executive team. Each department should arrange the processes that will contribute to the identification and/or updating of the strategic goals of the departments and pathways to attain the department's goals. Further, the energy departments of the MoESD should develop the respective learning and development goals. To develop the L&D goals, the MoESD should also evaluate and predict the anticipated changes lying behind the reform process and assess the availability of the required skill sets. The conducted research enabled the Program to identify the goals of the targeted departments, as well as the existing competencies and critical knowledge gaps within the units that affect the sustainable development of the MoESD departments. The Program's research process disclosed a need for capabilities for legislative and policy analysis, the availability of certain in-house competencies and required materials within the MoESD, the application of key performance indicators (KPI) to gauge how the department is meeting set goals, and a quarterly self-evaluation process to identify the existing and missing competencies from the employers' perspective. To address these needs, the Program recommends the implementation of the following activities outlined in the designed L&D program: identify the strategic goals, competency, and knowledge gaps; offer learning choices; and measure the results. The data gathered disclosed the current situation and skills deficits at target departments, as well as needed learning and development interventions, which are felt to be critical for the MoESD staff, in terms of flexibility and proactivity.