Improving Public Service Delivery at Tbilisi City Hall

A one-stop-shop service model will assist Tbilisi Architecture Service to deliver faster and more effective services to its customers.

Tbilisi City Hall’s Architecture Service is reforming its public service delivery to address current challenges faced by customers and simplify and optimize its services.

The concrete steps planned under the ongoing reform were discussed at a working meeting on 21 June 2018, attended by over 40 representatives of the Tbilisi Mayor’s Office, government agencies, NGOs, private companies, and international and donor organizations.

Temur Bolotashvili, Head of the Tbilisi Architecture Service, stressed that, as one of the largest municipal public service providers in Georgia, Tbilisi Architecture Service is committed to offering timely and effective services to its customers. “The ongoing reform helps us reveal and analyze current problems in service delivery, find appropriate solutions and tailor public services to customers,” Temur Bolotashvili said.

The reform is based on problem mapping and recommendations, provided to the Tbilisi Architecture Service by a non-governmental organization Innovations and Reforms Centre (IRC), with the support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UK Government under their larger program in support of Public Administration Reform in Georgia.

Nato Gagnidze, IRC Director, described specific assistance offered to the Tbilisi Architecture Service. “Our recommendations are based on the analysis of the services that are critical for the operation of the Tbilisi Architecture Service – construction permits and architectural project approvals. The reform we are proposing envisions substantive changes in the service delivery model, based on best practices in this field. Quality service is customer-oriented service. To achieve that you need to address a number of tasks, including the establishment of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, improvements in the human resource system, introduction of quality assurance and evidence-based decision-making, development of Standardized Operation Procedures (SOPs) and better application of Information Technologies,” said Gagnidze.

The proposed reform is expected to be completed in December 2018.

“Reforms in municipal services are an important component of the wider Public Administration Reform in Georgia. The ongoing developments in the Architecture Service of Tbilisi Municipality are a good example of local authorities working hand in hand with civil society organizations to find winning solutions to the challenges. UNDP welcomes this process and hopes that it can be replicated and adopted by other municipal service providers across Georgia,” said Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative.

Public Administration Reform (PAR) aims to promote effective, transparent and accountable public administration as a backbone of an open and responsive government. The reform tackles six major policy areas as outlined in the PAR Roadmap 2020: Policy Planning, Civil Service and Human Resource Management, Accountability, Service Delivery, Public Finance Management and Local Self-Governance.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: Tbilisi City Hall