European Neighborhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) Georgia – Review Mission for Budget Support: Third and Fourth Tranches under ENPARD III

The EU-funded European Neighborhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) in Georgia supports the implementation of the Georgia’s agriculture and rural development strategies, in order to accelerate the restructuring of the agricultural sector and the inclusive development of the rural economy of Georgia.

In 2017, a Financing Agreement was signed and, accordingly, the third phase of the Programme commenced, aiming to boost rural economic diversification, employment and services, to enhance the competitiveness of the agriculture sector, and to improve sustainable management of natural resources and climate actions in Georgia.

The budget support component of ENPARD III is foreseen to entail four subsequent instalments, the first two of which have already been implemented. Disbursement details and performance indicators are outlined in a Financing Agreement signed between the Government of Georgia (GoG) and the European Union (EU). Besides the budget support component, complementary measures are to be delivered through delegation agreements with international organizations (FAO and UNDP), and grants delivered through a Call for Proposals.

The purpose of our project is to provide an independent and detailed review of the Georgian government’s fulfilment of the conditions laid out in the contract. The assessment is being conducted using the performance indicators and sources of verification outlined in the “Specific Conditions for the disbursement of tranches of the Technical and Administrative Provisions (TAPS) of the Financing Agreement ENPARD Georgia – Phase III,” while taking into account the baseline assessment and data provided in the agreement.

The review team will analyze and assess progress made in any given area, while looking at the broader context and determining whether the budget support conditions are being integrated into a broader set of reforms, which would be indicative of overall progress.

The team will subsequently put forward recommendations for:

• The Government on how to improve their performance, linking their current results to the conditions of the next tranche, where relevant; and

• The EU Delegation to Georgia with regard to the level of disbursement deemed appropriate for each obligation (i.e., no disbursement, partial disbursement, or full disbursement) and for the overall tranches, in accordance with the variable tranche calculation tables.