Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the New Planning and Construction Code in Georgia

In 2010, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia (MoESD) launched the new Spatial Planning and Construction Code, aiming to address challenges in the construction sector, and to unify and harmonize the legislation regulating spatial planning, urban planning, and construction activities.

The objective of the RIA is to evaluate the potential effects of the Code on specific aspects of the country’s social and economic development. Meanwhile, the project’s key focus is on ensuring that the RIA aligns with international standards, enabling thorough and rigorous evaluation of the new code. The RIA is being used for professional and informational purposes by the MoESD, the Government of Georgia (GoG), the Parliament of Georgia, and the wider population.

PMCG is providing the following services:

• Planning the RIA, which includes identifying data sources and key stakeholders affected by the new regulation, as well as planning consultations and the final report outline;
• Identifying potential issues for each stakeholder regarding the new code and defining the objectives of interested parties;
• Conducting a comparative assessment of the old and proposed codes, and assessing the potential impacts of each change;
• Completing a cost-benefit analysis, which includes identifying all direct and indirect economic, social, and environmental impacts, and the nature and extent thereof on each stakeholder group;
• Presenting preliminary findings;
• Consulting on the draft and design recommendations with stakeholders in order to verify the analysis, thereby identifying risks and devising a mitigation strategy; and
• Submitting the final RIA report.