State Procurement Regional Training and Awareness Raising

The activity was implemented in five locations: Imereti Region - Kutaisi; Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region - Municipality of Zugdidi; Autonomous Republic of Adjara – Batumi; Kakheti Region – Municipality of Telavi; and Shida Kartli Region – Municipality of Gori. The Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) collaborated with the State Procurement Agency (SPA) to develop and implement the program. GCCI's close cooperation with enterprises and state authorities, broad membership base, and experience in implementing trainings and conducting PPDs made it well-positioned to address the SPA's challenge. In 2016, GCCI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SPA and had previously organized several PPDs with the private sector to discuss participation in tenders and other relevant matters. The main objectives and expected results of the program were to develop a training of trainers (ToT) program, train 15 trainers in state procurement, implement trainings in selected regions for SMEs on state procurement, and hold five PPDs related to state procurement in the regions. GCCI developed and implemented the following activities: training materials development, selection of regional trainers, training of trainers (ToT), and regional trainings. Training materials were developed in collaboration with the SPA, including textbooks for the e-system, user textbooks on Georgian Legislation on State Procurement, Methodological Guidelines and Best Practices, and Electronic Tenders. A call for potential trainers was published on the GCCI website and disseminated through relevant sources of information. Fifteen potential trainers from five selected regions were selected, five from GCCI's staff for sustainability purposes. Potential trainers provided written consent on commitments to the project prior to the commencement of the training. The ToT was held in Tbilisi, at the SPA office, and covered relevant topics such as the essence of public procurement, integrated services in a single electronic system, procurement preparation stages, and general tendencies in state procurement. The trainers proactively participated in the training process and expressed interest in the proposed topics, providing their questions and opinions on the current challenges and issues related to state procurement. Regional trainings were held in five locations, with 126 SMEs identified and trained in state procurement procedures and regulations. All participants received the relevant printed materials, and trainers from Zugdidi demonstrated exceptionally good results in knowledge of material and presentation skills. The program aimed to enhance awareness and capacity of SMEs in the regions to participate in state procurement tenders and engage in PPDs, and the activities implemented by GCCI and SPA were designed to achieve this goal. The program's success was measured by the number of SMEs trained, the quality of the training materials, and the participation of regional trainers. The program's impact was expected to be significant, as it aimed to increase awareness and capacity of SMEs in the regions to participate in state procurement tenders and engage in PPDs. The program's results were expected to contribute to the development of a more competitive and transparent state procurement system in Georgia. The program's implementation was a collaborative effort between GCCI and SPA, with the support of the USAID | Governing for Growth (G4G) in Georgia project. The program's success was dependent on the effective collaboration and coordination between the implementing partners, as well as the commitment of the regional trainers and SMEs to the program's objectives.