Taking Stock of Ethnic Minority Participation in the Public Service

The study aims to support interventions pursuant to both more balanced and inclusive ethnic representation in the public service, and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (indicator 16.7.1b). For this purpose, the research focuses on several goals including: studying the demographic characteristics of the public sector in Georgia; understanding the challenges faced by underrepresented groups (i.e. ethnic minorities) in gaining employment in the public agencies of Georgia; and exploring the challenges and gaps in the existing data collection and analysis methods and their compatibility with SDG 16.7.1b.

 In the course of the research project, the following activities are being implemented:

• Desk research to gain an understanding of the situation with regard to inclusivity in the Georgian public sector;
• Secondary data analysis of existing administrative data on the demographic characteristics of the public service;
• Key informant interviews to collect expert knowledge in the key research areas;
• Focus group discussions with ethnic minorities to explore the challenges faced by ethnic minorities employed in the public service; and
• Focus group discussions with HR representatives and/or high-level managers working in public institutions, with the purpose of establishing the general level of awareness among public sector employers regarding ethnic minority representation.