Supporting the State Audit Office (SAO) to Review Its Communication Policy and Action Plan and Evaluate its “Budget Monitor” Platform

Project Description:

PMCG, as part of a consortium led by Tetra Tech ARD, in the USAID-funded program “Good Governance Initiative (GGI)”, is providing support to the State Audit Office (SAO) of Georgia to increase the capacity of the SAO by improving its communication policy.

The project is aimed to:

Review the SAO’s communication policy and action plan
Introduce a budget monitor by evaluating its final draft and providing practical recommendations on fine-tuning and promotion of the platform before it is officially presented publicly and made available through the internet

More specifically, PMCG is conducting the following activities:

1. Facilitate the review of the SAO’s communication policy and action plan

1.1 Review the SAO’s communication policy and draft an action plan and other relevant materials
1.2 Work with the SAO’s top and mid-level management to design and facilitate a workshop for reviewing of the SAO’s communication policy and action plan
1.3 Issue recommendations for improving the SAO’s communication policy and action plan

2. Review and evaluate the SAO’s budget monitor platform

2.1 Work with the SAO’s budget analysis and strategic planning and communications teams to design an appropriate evaluation approach for the budget monitor
2.2 Review and examine the budget monitor
2.3 Conduct interviews with the SAO’s senior management
2.4 Design and conduct a working meeting on developing recommendations for promoting the budget monitor
2.5 In line with the evaluation approach, develop a budget monitor evaluation report, including main findings of the evaluation, recommendations on improvement and promotion of the web-portal 
2.6 Present the findings and recommendations of the evaluation to the SAO and USAID

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 related projects:

Good Governance Initiative (GGI)
Needs Assessment of the Public Audit Institute (PAI) of State Audit Office (SAO)
Assisting Parliament of Georgia to Develop Budgetary Process and Oversight Handbook for newly elected Members of Parliament and Budget Oversight System for Parliamentary Committees
Conducting Trainings in storytelling and publication for the State Audit Office (SAO)
Trainings for Civil Servants on Civil Service Reform in Georgia
Training for the Parliament’s Public Relations Department
Organizational Development and Training for Policy Analysis, Strategic Planning and Coordination Department at the Government of Georgia
Strengthening PR/Communications Department of the State Chancellery of the Government of Georgia