Training for the Parliament’s Public Relations Department

Project Description:

PMCG, as part of the consortium led by Tetra Tech ARD, provides support to the Parliament of Georgia and conducts training for the Parliament’s PR department within the framework of the USAID Good Governance Initiative (GGI) program.

The Parliament’s PR department is responsible for producing daily content for the Parliament’s website. The PR department’s Press Office staff report on all major parliamentary activities ranging from committee meetings to official visits of the Chair of the Parliament. In addition, the PR department intends to start publishing its regular bi-annual information-analytical bulletin that covers the Parliament activities during a given session (spring session or fall session). Due to the nature of the Parliament’s work, it is sometimes difficult for staff members to convey information to the Georgian population and other Parliamentary stakeholders in a manner that is comprehensible. The goal of the PR department’s new leadership is to change the communication strategy and communication language of the Parliament and translate the technical and legalistic language that is utilized in its outreach efforts into a more simple language for wider consumption.

The training aims to help the PR department staff to acquire practical skills to master the art of conveying very legalistic content in popular, simplified language, and to teach the Press Office staff how to write more effectively for the Parliament website, exploring the possibilities of creating new products for readers.

In this regard, the PMCG team has worked with GGI staff and the PR department leadership to design a training module, meeting the needs of the PR department staff with follow-up sessions as needed. The PMCG team also has developed training materials (including practical exercises, handouts, agenda, homework, etc.), conducted two two-day trainings for PR department staff and reviewed the homework assignments of the training participants.

Background Information:

USAID has awarded Tetra Tech ARD with a 5-year contract under the Office of Democracy and Governance, whose purpose is to support the Government of Georgia in strengthening overall transparency, accountability and effectiveness of selected governance and service delivery systems. GGI’s work targets the legislative and executive branches at both the central and local government levels. To ensure greater government accountability, GGI works with government and civil society representatives to enhance public participation and disseminate public information about key reforms. This activity addresses the Governing Justly and Democratically Objective of U.S. Government Foreign Assistance, and especially the promotion of well-governed states and civil society areas.

The objectives of GGI are to improve administrative and financial management of public institutions at all levels, to increase civic engagement and improved access to independent, reliable and balanced information relevant to Georgia’s good governance, to strengthen policy development and lawmaking processes and to strengthen institutional oversight of government.

Follow the links below for more detailed information:

Good Governance Initiative (GGI)
Program Budgeting STTA to the Ministry of Labor, Social and Health Affairs of Georgia
Program Budgeting STTA to the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia
Partnership for Budget Transparency: Civil Society Oversight of Public Spending
Enhance Transparency and Accountability of the State Competition and Procurement Agency and its Dispute Resolution Board
Consultancy/Training Services in Budgetary Oversight and Programme Budgeting to the Parliament of Georgia within the UNDP Project “A strong Parliament in a Consolidated Democracy”
Study to Enhance the Public Outreach Function of the Competition and State Procurement Agency (CSPA)
Organizational Development and Training for Policy Analysis, Strategic Planning and Coordination Department at the Government of Georgia
Strengthening Government of Autonomous Republic of Adjara Institutional Capacity for Program Budgeting
Review of the Implementation of the PFM Management Sector Budget Support Programme (SPSP)
Financial Oversight Development Project: Professional Training Support to the Parliament of Georgia