Developing the Strategy and Action Plan for High Mountainous Regions of Georgia

Project Description:

The objective of the assignment is to support the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure (MRDI) to develop a methodology to prepare and draft the Strategy for Developing the Mountain Regions of Georgia, and to facilitate drafting of the Strategy, Action Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the High Mountainous Regions of Georgia.

The methodology, consistent with EU framework policies and the best European and/or international practices, outlines the actions to be undertaken to develop the Strategy and the format or specifications of the strategy along with its respective Action Plan and monitoring and evaluation instruments.

The methodology addresses the following:

• Conducting context analysis for the elaboration of the Strategy and diagnostic methods for identifying the policy, social, economic or other types of needs or gaps at various levels including national, regional and municipal
• Conducting SWOT analysis to define the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities or threats of relevance for the development of mountainous or high land areas in Georgia
• Defining an overall vision (general objectives) of socioeconomic development of Georgia’s mountainous and high land areas
• Defining medium-term priorities/strategic objectives for the development of mountainous and high land areas in Georgia
• Defining the Action Plan format consolidating programs (groups of activities), projects, initiatives or activities which contribute to the implementation of medium-term strategic objectives
• Elaborating the monitoring and evaluation system to measure progress in accomplishing the strategic objectives
• Public engagement, civil society consultation and awareness raising
• Institutional setup of the Strategy elaboration process defining the main roles or responsibilities of all key actors involved at national, regional or municipal levels

The purpose of the strategy is to provide a framework of justified objectives (based on, but not limited to, the goals and outcomes/outputs listed in the 2015 Law on Mountainous Areas) and to show how achievement of these objectives derives from the implementation of specific preferences listed in the adopted Law of 2015; the Strategy will also cover: actions that will be eligible for funding from the Mountain Development Fund; implementation and evaluation of individual projects funded by relevant Regional Action Plans and Municipal Action Plans; rural and agricultural development programs and funds; and SME development funds under the Ministry of Economic and Sustainable Development.

The Strategy focuses on the following priorities and actions:

• Social Security and Healthcare
• Education, Science, Culture and Sport
• Utility Services
• Infrastructure
• Agriculture
• Tourism
• Other Sectors of Economic Development (Industry, Trade, Transport, Public Services, etc.)
• Sustainable Use of Natural Resources & Environment Protection

The Action Plan and M&E Framework associated with the Strategy and Action Plan is used to monitor the progress of the implementation and covers the 2017-2019 period. 

Under the assignment, PMCG will:

• Collect and analyze appropriate national and regional mountainous area development strategies and action plans and will identify important gaps in available sets of important baseline data
• Prepare the Strategy and Action Plan

Background information:

UNDP’s Regional and Local Development (RLD) project has provided substantial legal and policy support to the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia (MRDI), the Parliament Committee for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy between 2014 and 2015 to help prepare and finalize the draft Law on Mountainous Areas. This was adopted by Parliament on 31 July 2015.

The overall aim of the Law is to raise the welfare of citizens living in mountainous regions by:

• Raising their standard of living
• Promoting employment
• Improving their economic and social standards

The Law enables a National Council of Mountain Development to be established under the authority of the Prime Minister, with the following powers:

• To endorse and submit the high mountainous settlements development Strategy and Action Plan for government adoption
• To endorse and submit agricultural and other economic infrastructure development programs
• To make recommendations to relevant ministries concerning actions they should take arising from the development Strategy, the Action Plan, and the implementation of the development program
• To make recommendations to the Government for inclusion/deletion of settlements from the registry of high mountainous settlements
• To exercise the powers assigned by this Law, as well as other powers assigned by the legislation of Georgia

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