G-PAC News 5 ENG

7/29/2019 G-PAC News 5 ENG

1/8

Criticism with Solutions:What CSOs Must Do Now

Issue 5 November 2012

This newsletter is made possibleby the generous support of the

American people through theUnited States Agency for

ernational Development (USAID).

The contents do not necessarily

eflect the views of USAID or the

United States Government.

iticism with Solutions:hat CSOs Must Do

1

Os Strengthen Dem-ratic Processes

2

vil Society and Unem-oyment: More Engage-nt Needed

3

Os Spur Health Re-ms, Suggest Priorities

4

vil Society Promotesrporate Accountabil- 5

WMI G-PAC Grants &

ents Schedule8

G-PACNEWS

By Fron NahziThe recent elections showcased the ability

of Georgian citizens to come together andeffect change. Citizens led nonpartisandemonstrations against prisoner abuse thatgave voice to the publics demand for socialjustice. Following these demonstrations,citizens exercised their basic civic right, theright to vote, and sent a clear message to the

government and civil society organizationsthat justice andaccountability arekey principles ofGeorgian society.T h e n e wgovernment hasresponded byreaching out torepresentativesof the civilsociety sector,

think tanks, andadvocacy groups.

Th i s newp o l i t i c a ll a n d s c a p epresents a uniqueopportunity tothe CSO community. While the major socialissues in Georgia remain the same (e.g.,healthcare, education, economic development,agriculture, and good governance), thepossibilities for change have increased. ManyCSOs have worked on the key issues inGeorgian society for many years, making themexperts in their respective fields. As such,both the public and the new government arelooking to the CSO sector to help themprioritize social issues and provide concretestrategies for solving them.

To learn more about what CSOs areplanning to do with this opportunity and todetermine how we can assist them in theiradvocacy efforts, EWMI G-PAC recently

organized a series of discussions with NGOsand students throughout Georgia. While theparticipants recognized that the key socialissues in the country are still the same, theyagreed that much remains to be done in termsof developing solutions.

The new government has given CSOs awindow of opportunity to propose changes tothe governing system and to key policies. Thisis a chance for CSOs to demonstrate to thegovernment that they can be critical partnersin the countrys development, while alsoproving to the general public they are muchmore than grant eaters.

This moment provides both opportunities

and risks for CSOs. If CSOs fail to effectivelybring the publicsconcerns to thegovernment, itmay decreasepublic confidencein CSOs as agentsof change. Onthe other hand, agood workingrelationship withthe government

would improveCSOs publicimage.

All the while,C S O s m u s tbalance betweenbeing a partner to

the government and maintaining theirindependence and watchdog status. It is vitalthat CSOs maintain their role as critics;however, providing criticism without solutionsdoes not resolve problems.

This issue of the EWMI G-PAC newsletterlooks at some CSO programs that identifyproblems and provide solutions. We examinesome of the most important public issuesfacing Georgia today, and highlight pastsuccesses and current challenges andopportunities CSOs face in resolving theseissues. We hope these profiles provide aplatform for discussion that enables civilsociety, the government, and the public tounite in addressing Georgias most pressing

social challenges.

Fron Nahzi is EWMI G-PACs Chief of Party. Theviews in this article are his own and do notrepresent the views of EWMI G-PAC, USAID, orthe U.S. Government.

Advocacy

Civic Responsibility

Civil Society

Fron Nahzi, EWMI G-PAC CoP, discusses the new political

landscape with CSOs in Tbilisi on October 24.


2/8

CSOs Strengthen Democratic Processes forParliamentary Elections

The Arts for AdvocacyAfA) program enables

rtists to use their craftdance, drama, theatre,lm, music, poetry, visualrt, etc.) as a medium toa r v e o u t n e wpproaches to challengingublic issues. Eligibility ismited to Georgianitizens, who must applyhrough or in partnership

with registered Georgiano r g a n i z a t i o n s .

Applications are acceptedon an ongoing basis. Youan learn more about

AfA and download anp p l i c a t i o n f r o m

www.ewmi-gpac.org.

Page 2 G-PAC NEWS

Arts for Advocacy

Open Door Grants

Do you see unique, time-ensitive and unforeseenpportunities for policyhange? Do you need toddress issues of vitalmportance to the publichat require immediatettention? Open Door

Grants provide up to10,000 in resources forrojects lasting up to six

months. Grants are openo CSOs, informal groups,n d i n d i v i d u a l s .

Applications are reviewedn an ongoing basis, and

we respond within 7 to 10ays so that you can actuickly. Applications arevailable at www.ewmi-pac.org.

Civic Responsibility

Professionalism

Advocacy

Public Policy

Current Finance Minister Nodar Khadauri (right), describes Georgian Dreams platform at a presentation hostedby Georgian think tanks. Nino Evgenidze (left), Executive Director of the Economic Policy Research Center, mod-

erated the event.

Domestic and international observers wide-ly acknowledged that Georgias recent parlia-mentary elections were the freest and fairest inthe countrys history. This success was thanksin part to the efforts of civil society, which wasnotably active in helping voters make informed

decisions, advocating for changes to electionlaw, and ensuring that the elections were fair,inclusive, and transparent.

Several CSOs monitored the pre-electionenvironment and cited violations of electionlaw and voter rights when they occurred.Transparency International (TI) Georgia, forexample, released a report on September 12analyzing these types of violations (http://goo.gl/ghwD2).

TI Georgia also partnered with the Geor-gian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) and

the International Society for Fair Elections andDemocracy (ISFED) on an innovative monitor-ing project co-funded by EWMI G-PAC. Theproject featured a webpage (www.electionportal.ge) with a map displaying thelocations of reported violations. Citizens re-ported nearly 350 incidents dating back to2011 by sending an SMS message or postingdirectly to the website. ISFED also monitoredthe election itself and the post-election envi-ronment to assess the fairness of the results.

In addition to calling attention to violationsof election law, Georgian CSOs worked toguarantee that everyone with the legal right tovote could do so. The Coalition for Independ-ent Living, another EWMI G-PAC grantee, ad-vocated for all polling stations to be accessiblefor people with disabilities. Others CSOs, in-

cluding Article 42 of the Constitution, ob-served elections in Georgian prisons to makesure all eligible inmates could cast their ballotsand that these votes were properly counted.

Truly democratic elections require morethan fair and transparent processesthey also

require an informed electorate. To improvethe information available to voters during thecampaign, four Georgian think tanks collaborat-ed to clarify, publicize, and evaluate the plat-forms of the top six Georgian political parties,including the United National Movement andGeorgian Dream. EWMI G-PAC funded thecoalition, which hosted public presentations ofeach partys campaign platform. The coalition

Zurab Japaridze of the United National Movement(UNM) addresses the media after his presentation

of UNMs campaign platform on September 24.

Continued on page 7
http://www.ewmi-gpac.org/http://www.ewmi-gpac.org/


3/8

Civil Society and the Unemployment Issue: MoreEngagement Needed

Public opinion polls in Georgia consistent-y identify unemployment as one of the mostmportant issues facing the country. Since2005, the Georgian government has aimed to

address the issue through job creation andretraining initiatives. Despite these efforts,and the countrys continuing economicgrowth, high unemployment rates have per-sisted.

According to a 2011 EWMI G-PAC publicopinion poll, 66% of Georgians think CSOsneed to do more to address unemploymentand the related issues of poverty and inflation.To respond to this public demand, the civilsociety sector can build on the work of CSOs

that have been active in investigating the issueand proposing solutions.One such organization is EWMI G-PAC

grantee Economic Policy Research Center(EPRC), which has researched the underlyingcauses of unemployment in Georgia. Accord-ng to EPRCs research, a particularly im-portant structural issues in Georgia is themismatch between workers skills and labormarket needs. Much of this is a lingering re-sult of the collapse of the Soviet Union, afterwhich workers educated under the Soviet

system found that their skills no longermatched the needs of the new Georgianeconomy. However, unemployment rates areactually highest for youth between the ages of20 and 35, which implies that the secondaryand higher education system are not educat-ng students with the skills demanded by theob market.

Another factor contributing to the mis-match between skills and the labor market isdisproportionately high employment in the

agricultural sector, where 50% of employed

Georgians claim to work. According to EPRC,the sector is oversaturated, and more peopleworking in agriculture should pursue retrain-ing in other sectors with greater potential forgrowth.

EPRCs findings point to the need for abetter alignment of education to the needs ofthe labor market. But how exactly can thegovernment promote this? EPRC recom-mends a focus on improving basic reading andmath skills so that high school graduates canbe more easily trained to meet the demands

of employers. EPRC also argues that in-creased investment in vocational educationwould help fill technical needs in areas of theeconomy that are seeing growth, such astechnology, transport logistics, and the ser-vice and tourism industries.

Other EWMI G-PAC grantees are cur-rently conducting educational research thatwill build on these recommendations. TheEducation Policy and Research Association(EPRA) is reviewing international assessments

of Georgias education system to improve

its overall quality, including in the basicskills areas that EPRC believes are so im-portant. Meanwhile, the International Insti-tute for Education Policy, Planning andManagement (EPPM) is researching theconnection between higher education andemployment in Georgia to identify the ex-tent to which the current higher educationsystem meets Georgias labor needs.

To this end, EWMI G-PAC is promot-ing better connections between higher

education and workplace skills through itsPaid Internship Program. 33% of the pro-grams 51 alumni are now employed intheir areas of expertise, 53% of them attheir internship host institution. The suc-cess of the program could encourage


University AssistanceGrants (UAGs) develop

capacity in public policy,publ ic administration,political science, and relateda c a d e m i c g r a d u a t eprograms. The grant isopen to all universities andacademic institutions withgraduate (MA and PhD)programs in these fields.EWMI G-PAC acceptsapplications on an ongoingb a s i s . F o r m o r ei n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i twww.ewmi-gpac.org.

Page 3

UniversityAssistance Grants

We welcome graduatestudents in public policy,political science, publicadministration, economics,

and related academicprograms to apply for paidinternships. Successfulapplicants will enrich theirresearch skills and lay thefoundations for theircareers by interning at aGeorgian CSO or publicinstitution. Applications areaccepted before the lastFriday of every month. Visitour website for moreinformation: www.ewmi-gpac.org.

Paid Internshipsfor Graduate Students

Civic

Responsibility

Professionalism

Advocacy

Public Policy

An intern in EWMI G-PACs Internship Program

presents research results at the Ministry of Justice.

According to an August 2012 public opinion poll by the Na-

tional Democratic Institute (NDI), 57% of Georgians believe

unemployment is among the countrys most important issues.

Continued on page 4

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Georgia's Most Important National Issues


4/8

Civil Society and Unemployment (Continued)

more higher education institutions topromoteinternships as a means of providing studentswith practical skills, thereby increasing em-ployment for university graduates.

Another EWMI G-PAC-supported thinktank, ISET Policy Institute (ISET PI), is taking a

broader economic approach to the employ-ment problem. ISET PI is partnering with thegovernment to research and produce Geor-gias first national competitiveness report,which will identify the sectors of the Georgianeconomy that have the highest potential forgrowth and make recommendations for howGeorgia can harness this potential to createjobs.

What else can CSOs do? Aside from con-tinuing to conduct research, provide recom-mendations, and monitor the effectiveness ofgovernment policies, CSOs might also exploreways that policy can promote the growth ofsmall businesses and encourage entrepreneur-ship. They can advocate for educational initia-tives that improve workplace connections, orthey can even create such initiatives them-selves. They can partner with businesses and

government to determine the precise skillsthat are needed, and offer their assistance inproviding training to develop these skillsamong the work force.

CSOs could also take a broader approachto labor that focuses on the quality of jobs.

For example, the Georgian labor code doesnot provide regulations stipulating maximumworking hours, wage requirements, hiring andfiring procedures, collective bargaining rights,or disability compensation. Recent protests byindustrial workers in Chiatura and Kutaisidemonstrate that these issues are importantto the Georgian public.

The recent change in government presentsa brief opportunity for CSOs to work with thepublic and government officials to addressthese issues through improved legislation andregulation. The new government has statedthat unemployment and labor issues are prior-ities, but they may not seek out CSO input forlong. CSOs must act quickly to ensure theyare addressing what many Georgians considerto be the top issue facing the nation.

Georgian public opinion polls consistentlyshow that healthcare is one of the top issuesin the country. Since 2007, the governmenthas constructed 150 new hospitals, upgraded

equipment, privatized the sector, and intro-duced a public health insurance program. Doz-ens of new hospitals have been built,equipped, and privatized, and insurance cover-age has increased to nearly 1.5 million people.

Despite these efforts, healthcare costshave increased dramatically from 15% ofhousehold disposable income in 2001 to 34%in 2009, and quality remains low. Why hashealthcare remained such a difficult and per-sistent issue? Georgian civil society organiza-tions and think tanks have been active in an-swering this question and proposing workablesolutions.

One problem is the nature of privatizationunder current policies. Research by Transpar-ency International (TI) Georgia found that asmall number of companies control healthinsurance, the pharmaceutical industry, andhospital and pharmacy management. This re-stricts competition, thereby reducing qualityand keeping prices high. Another issue is thatthe government assigns insurance companies

and treatment locations to beneficiaries underthe public insurance program, which reduces

consumer choice and drives up premiums. (Tor e a d T I s f u l l r e p o r t , v i s i twww.transparency.ge).

According to TI and the Economic PolicyResearch Center (EPRC), another EWMI G-PAC grantee, one solution may be an in-creased regulatory role for the government.TI recommends that the government ensurehospitals are independently managed and

owned, protect patients rights, increase mini-mum salaries and labor

CSO Efforts Spur Health Reforms, SuggestPriorities for the Sector

Professionalism

Advocacy

Public Policy

Prescription drugs now make up 60% of householdhealthcare expenditures in Georgia.

Civil Society

Citizens

Advocacy Grants

Our Citizens Advocacy

Grants (CAG) Programupports issue-baseddvocacy in i t i a t i vesndertaken by Georgian

CSOs at local and regionalevels, with priority giveno CSOs based in theegions. The deadlineor the latest CAGo m p e t i t i o n i s

December 12, 2012.or more information,

isit www.ewmi-gpac.org.

Think TankSupport Grants

ur Think Tank Supportrant (TTSG) Programonsors organizations thatimarily focus on policysearch and analysis. TTSGojects foster informedblic debate and policy-aking, and includeo n c r e t e p o l i c ycommendations andlow-up advocacy efforts.

he deadline for thea t e s t T T S Go m p e t i t i o n i secember 3, 2012. Forore information, visitww.ewmi-gpac.org.

Continued on page 6

Page 4

Continued from page 3

G-PAC NEWS
http://www.transparency.ge/http://www.transparency.ge/


5/8

Civil Society Promotes Corporate Accountability

Since the Rose Revolution, Georgia haspursued economic development policies thatprioritize a highly deregulated business envi-ronment as a means to promote growth andcreate jobs. These policies have been suc-

cessful in many ways, as Georgias economicgrowth rate and its ranking on the WorldBanks Ease of Doing Business index haveimproved in recent years.

However, this deregulation has come withtradeoffs. Some corporations have side-stepped their obligation to be accountable tothe public. This lack of accountability has ledto accusations of unfair business practices,which may actually inhibit long-term growth ifleft unchecked. Fortunately, Georgian civilsociety has been working to ensure that cor-porations are accountable to Georgian citi-zens.

One way CSOs have done this is by recti-fying specific local grievances with companies.For example, when consumer water bills sud-denly doubled in Kutaisi, EWMI G-PAC ActNow grantee New Civic Thinking + (NCT+)investigated the matter and found evidence offraudulent billing practices. The new feestructure introduced by the Kutaisi WaterDistribution Company included a charge for

new water meters, even though one-third ofthese meters had been provided free by aninternational donor. Through a media cam-

paign and public meetings, NCT+ was suc-cessful in removing this fee from consumerwater bills.

In Chiatura, the Union of Chiaturians(UoC), another EWMI G-PAC grantee, con-

ducted a petition drive and other publicevents to call for the Georgian Mining Com-pany to take responsibility for the manganesepollution caused by its activities. As a resultof UoCs efforts, the mining company beganrecultivating polluted soil and built laboratoryfacilities to test pollution levels as a means ofprotecting community health.

CSOs have also held corporations ac-countable on broader national issues likeproperty rights, which have affected manyGeorgian communities in similar ways. Duringrecent efforts to improve road and railwayinfrastructure throughout the country, theprivate property of many citizens has beenappropriated or damaged. In the past year,several EWMI G-PAC grantees the GuramTikanadze Svaneti Youth Center (Latali), theImereti branch of the Association of YoungEconomists of Georgia (Kutaisi), and theCenter for Public Monitoring and Research(Kharagauli)have successfully advocated forthe construction companies, international

donors, and the government to compensatecitizens for property their projects have dam-aged.


We provide technical

assistance and demand-driven training to all ourgrantees. Our assistanceinvolves one-on-one onlinea n d o n - t h e - j o bconsultations, as well asc l assroom tra in ings .Grantees also receiveongoing in-house anddistance mentoring fromour Georgian, Europeanand U.S. partners. Visit

www.ewmi-gpac.org formore information.

Page 5

Mentorship andTraining

To increase impact, wefacilitate linkages andcoordination amongadvocacy CSOs, thinktanks, and academicinstitutions through the

Partnership for Change(PfC) grant program. PfCgrants are designed forforma l or ad -hoccoalitions, networks, orpartnerships of at leastt w o o r g a n i z a t i o n sestablished around anadvocacy issue. The nextPfC competition will beannounced on January 14,2013. Check www.ewmi-gpac.org for moreinformation then.

Partnership forChange Grants

CivicResponsibility

Professionalism

Advocacy

Public PolicyContinued on page 7

A representative of the Guram Tikanadze Svaneti Youth Center monitors the construction of the Mestia

Zugdidi Highway in 2011 to protect the property rights of local residents and assess the projects design

and implementation quality.


6/8

ontactt-West Managementtitute (EWMI)icy, Advocacy, and Civilciety Development inorgia (G-PAC)

Marjanishvili St.rd Floorlisi 0102 Georgia(995 32) 2 202 444

[email protected]

ww.ewmi-gpac.orgitter.com/ewmigpacebook:

p://www.facebook.com/ewmigpac

CSO Efforts Spur Health Reforms (Continued)pcoming G-PAC

Events

ovemberov. 21: E-consultations viape and Facebook from 16 pm for the Paid In-

nship Program

ecemberc. 2 16: U.S. publicnagement experts Marilynbin and Roddrick Colvint Tbilisi to assist in MPA

ogram development andet with government andO representatives.

c. 3: Think Tank Support

ant application deadline

c. 12: Citizens Advocacyant application deadline

c. 21: E-consultations viape and Facebook from 16 pm for the Paid In-

nship Program

nuary. 14: The next PartnershipChange grant competitionounced

Be sure to checkwww.ewmi-gpac.org for

e latest updates on our

upcoming events!

rights for healthcare workers, and allow publicinsurance beneficiaries to choose their provid-ers and hospitals. EPRC has identified the needfor better regulatory frameworks, particularly a

greater role for the government in regulatingprivate insurance companies.

The structure of pharmaceutical distributionin Georgia is another major factor in highhealthcare costs. Drug purchases constituted60% of household healthcare expenditures in2010, and prices have risen sharply over thelast five years. One reason for this, accordingto research byEWMI G-PACgran tee t heGeorgian Insur-ance Association(GIA), is that ge-neric brand drugsconstitute only4% of prescrip-t i o n s , e v e nthough the priceof generics is ap-proximately one-third that ofb r a n d - n a m e

products. GIAalso found thatdoctors in Geor-gia prescribe ahigh number ofdrugs per patientvisit, which couldmean that people are paying for drugs theydont need. To read GIAs report, visit theResources section of EWMI G-PACs web-site.

GIA and TI recommended a number of poli-

cy reforms to improve pharmaceutical distribu-tion, including incentives for the increased avail-ability and prescription of generics, preferreddrug lists, anti-monopoly regulation, drug safetyand quality assurance mechanisms, and guide-lines for writing prescriptions.

CSO research and advocacy has contributedto legislative results. In mid-2012, the Georgiangovernment passed a series of reforms thatestablished a list of approved drugs and re-quirements for pharmacies aimed at improving

the availability of generics. The Ministry of La-bor, Health, and Social Assistance (MoLHSA),insurance companies, and medical service pro-viders are also collaborating on a list of pre-scription protocols for doctors to promotegenerics and reduce unnecessary medications.To ensure prescriptions are filled properly,MoLHSA is developing a digital database to

monitor them.In addition to fomenting new legislation,

CSOs are also improving the implementation ofexisting government policies. EWMI G-PAC

grantee Association Green Wave, for example,is helping public insurance beneficiaries betterunderstand their health insurance plans througha weekly radio talk show on every Thursday at5 pm on Radio Green Wave.The Partnershipfor Social Initiatives (PSI), another EWMI G-PAC grantee, is working with the governmentto monitor existing health insurance and ser-

vice provisionmodels to identifythe most effectivestructures.

Stronghealthcare systemsalso stress educa-tion and preven-tion, and GeorgianCSOs are begin-ning to call atten-tion to these long-term issues. Ac-cording to govern-ment statistics,

nearly 12,000deaths each yearamong the Geor-gian working-agepopulation are dueto preventableconditions like

cancer and cardiovascular disease. Accordingly,EPRCs report recommends greater govern-ment emphasis on programs promoting healthylifestyles through nutrition, exercise, and tobac-co and alcohol awareness. Along these same

lines, EWMI G-PAC grantee The WelfareFoundation is advocating for better enforce-ment of the governments UN commitments tosmoke-free public environments. EPRC has alsoidentified the need for reforms to the medicaleducation system, which it argues produces toomany doctors and not enough nurses to meetGeorgias existing needs.

While ongoing reforms in the sector arepromising, there are clearly many issues thatremain to be addressed to secure accessible

and high-quality medical care for all Georgians.It is crucial that Georgian civil society expandsits efforts to research underlying issues, advo-cate for improvements, monitor reforms, andeducate the public about a variety of healthcareissues to help the Georgian people clarify theirneeds and present their demands to policymakers.

Continued from page 4

G-PAC NEWSPage 6

Recent government reforms have improved hospital infrastruc-

ture. However, high healthcare costs remain a major concern.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


7/8

Professionalism

Public Policy

Corporate Accountability (Continued)

valuated these platforms, along with publicatements by party leaders, based on factual

ccuracy, feasibility, and a number of othermpartial criteria on the projects website,

ww.econpolicyfact.ge.Georgian civil society also advocated for

eforms to election law. This Affects You Too,nonpartisan coalition of civil society and me-a organizations, has worked since February012 to change controversial election laws.ccording to the coalition, some laws create

an unequal playing field for political parties andplace undue restrictions on voters, oppositionparties, the media, civil society organizations,and businesses.

These projects contributed to the successof Georgias recent elections, but much re-mains to be done to solidify Georgian democ-racy. CSOs can take another step toward en-suring good governance by being proactive inholding the new government accountable tothe promises they made during the elections.


E W M I G - P A C i s

c o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h

Columbia University and Ilia

State University (ISU) to

establish a Master in Public

Administration (MPA)

Program at ISU. Every

month during the fall and

s p r i n g s e m e s t e r s ,renowned professors from

Columbia University visit

Georgia to mentor new

faculty, assist in course

development, and engage

students in applying the

l a t e s t i n t e rna t i ona l

research and theory to the

Georgian context.

EWMI G-PAC ha s

provided $400,000 to ISU

to develop the programs

curricula and materials,

recruit academic personnel

and top students, establish

high-tech facilities, and

conduct policy-related

conferences and events.

Program graduates will be

qualified to hold leadershipp o s i t i o n s i n t h e

government, consulting

f i rms , i n terna t iona l

organizations, the private

sector, and civil society

organizations (CSOs).

Page 7

MPA Program atISU

CivicResponsibility

Professionalism

Advocacy

Public Policy

ntinued from page 5

CSOs & Democratic Process (Continued)ontinued from page 2

While addressing corporate violations after

ey happen is effective at rectifying individualevances, this strategy does not ensure thate same problems wont reoccur in the future.ith this in mind, Georgian CSOs have alsoled attention to underlying legislative issuesat allow these violations to continue. Inring of 2012, a policy paper by the ISET Policytitute produced with funding from EWMI G-

AC argued that property rights legislation ineorgia is inadequate. The study found thateak property rights are constraining Georgiasonomic development by creating uncertainty

at makes investors wary of establishing newsinesses. According to ISET PI, stronger prop-ty rights legislation could actually increaseng-term business development in Georgia.

Tougher anti-monopoly legislation and regu-ion could alsokey to ensur-

g corporate ac-untability. Anti-mpetitive prac-es are a prob-

m because they

nd to drive upsts and reduceality whichn have a directpact on publicellbeing in areasch as food safe-and healthcare.rthermore,mpetition helpssure long-term

owth, whicheans that effec-e competitionlicy is beneficial for society in the long term.EWMI G-PAC grantee Transparency Inter-

tional (TI) Georgia researched competitionlicy in Georgia and found its current provi-ns to be poorly enforced. TI also found evi-

dence suggesting anti-competitive practices and

collusion might exist in the private sector, in-cluding in the fuel and food markets. Other re-search by TI about the healthcare sector hasidentified similar tendencies in the pharmaceuti-cal and health insurance industries, where a fewvery large companies dominate the market. Alt-hough TI admits that hard evidence of thesetendencies is scarce, it argues that there isenough information to warrant a governmentinvestigation into the matter to reconsider theadequacy of existing regulatory codes and en-forcement.

To effectively promote an environment con-ducive to corporate accountability, CSOs needto continue and expand the watchdog, monitor-ing, and advocacy roles they are already playing.To bolster support for real changes, CSOs

working onthese issuesshould considerforming coali-tions that advo-cate for specificimprovements to

policies and reg-ulation. Repre-sentatives of thenew governmenthave alreadypublicly ex-pressed theirsupport forstronger anti-monopoly legis-lation, so the

time is right forCSOs to cometogether and

propose policies to the government related tothis issue. The new political landscape is a newopportunity for CSOs to ensure that corpora-tions are transparent and accountable to socie-ty.

Chiaturans sign a petition circulated by the Union of Chiaturans re-

questing that the local mining company clean up and prevent pollu-tion caused by its activities. The company agreed to these requests.


8/8

ontactt-West Managementtitute (EWMI)icy, Advocacy, and Civilciety Development inorgia (G-PAC)

Marjanishvili St.rd Floorlisi 0102 Georgia(995 32) 2 202 444

[email protected]

ww.ewmi-gpac.orgitter.com/ewmigpacebook:

p://www.facebook.com/ewmigpac

EWMI G-PAC Grants Schedule, 20122013

pcoming G-PACEvents

ovemberov. 21: E-consultations viape and Facebook from 16 pm for the Paid In-

nship Program

ecemberc. 2 16: U.S. publicnagement experts Marilynbin and Roddrick Colvint Tbilisi to assist in MPA

ogram development andet with government andO representatives.

c. 3: Think Tank Support

ant application deadline

c. 12: Citizens Advocacyant application deadline

c. 21: E-consultations viape and Facebook from 16 pm for the Paid In-

nship Program

nuary. 14: The next PartnershipChange grant competitionounced

Be sure to checkwww.ewmi-gpac.org for

e latest updates on our

upcoming events!

The information in this schedule is subject to change.

G-PAC NEWSPage 8

Grant Amount Launch Date Deadline

Think Tank Support Grant (TTSG) $50,000 Nov. 2, 2012 Dec. 3, 2012

Citizens Advocacy Grant (CAG) $20,000 Nov. 12, 2012 Dec. 12, 2012

Partnership for Change (PfC) Grant $60,000 Jan. 14, 2012 Feb. 2013

TTSGClosed Competition $75,000 March 2013 April 2013

PfCClosed Competition $80,000 June 2013 July 2013

CAGClosed Competition $30,000 May 2013 June 2013

Arts for Advocacy (AfA) Grant $10,000 Oct. 11, 2012 Ongoing

Open Door Grants $10,000 Nov. 2, 2012 Ongoing

University Assistance Grants (UAG) $10,000 Oct. 3, 2012 Ongoing

Paid Internship Grants $250 per month Oct. 4, 2012 Ongoing

Students discuss creating a viable student government and improving university career services at a meeting

with EWMI G-PAC at Shota Rustaveli State University in Batumi on October 29. EWMI G-PACs new Open

Door Grants Program, which supports small-scale advocacy efforts by CSOs, informal groups, and individuals,

could help support ideas like these from active citizens outside of the traditional CSO community. For more

information about the Open Door Grants Program, contact us or visit www.ewmi-gpac.org.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Documents

G-PAC News 5 ENG