From February 3, 2017, the Center of Electoral System Development, Reforms and Training (hereinafter- the Training Center), LEPL, is announcing a competition for the following direction – Enhancing Electoral Capacity of Political Parties for the 2017 Local Elections.

Situation analysis

According to the Election Administration of Georgia 2015-2019 Strategic Plan, effective realization of the goal of enhancing electoral culture in the country requires the development and implementation of electoral awareness-raising/educational programs for electoral stakeholders. To ensure access to wide range of training services during the electoral period, the CEC, under the 2016 Ordinance, passed a decision to fund the following direction through the grant competition: Enhancing Electoral Capacity of Political Parties for the Parliament of Georgia Elections. 9 grant projects were funded under grant competitions announced for the mentioned topic and they were implemented in all regions (73 electoral districts) of Georgia. Training programs implemented under the grant projects were focused on election related legal and other general conceptual matters. Notably, in the course of implementing grant projects, the Training Center provided extended its contribution and provided training to representatives of parties on legislative regulations of elections. According to the statistical data, 1,431 representatives of 23 political parties (including 11 qualified and 12 non-qualified parties) took the training course.

Following the survey conducted among participants of grant projects, the demand for continuing electoral awareness-raising and educational projects for parties has been identified. Considering high demand expressed by electoral stakeholders, and scheduled local elections in 2017, under its January 20, 2017 Ordinance N1/207 on grant competition, the CEC made a decision to fund projects aimed at the enhancement of electoral capacity of political parties who, pursuant to legislation, will be authorized to appoint members and/or representatives at district and precinct election commissions.

Competition topic – Enhancing electoral capacity of political parties for the 2017 Local Elections

Based on the determined purpose of the competition topic, grant project applications submitted by NGOs have to envisage implementation of a training program for political parties in all of the modules listed below:

• International standards for elections;
• current electoral system for local elections in Georgia;
• electoral registration of electoral stakeholders, their rights and duties during the electoral process and electoral ethics;
• conducting pre-election campaign/outreach and restrictions;
• conflict management and international standards for electoral dispute resolution;
• communication, teamwork and accountability;
• inclusive elections (participation of vulnerable groups);
• Any other additional training module directed at the enhancement of electoral capacity of political parties, in addition to the modules provided below, that will be delivered by the Training Center, as part of its contribution.

Note:

• The failure meet the condition related to the above-mentioned training program will form the basis for removing bidding documentation from competition.
• Duration of trainings to be conducted by an NGO under the training program shall be at least 21 hours (training hours, excluding break times).
• Importantly, for evaluation purposes, the training program has to include goal, content, learning outcome, methodology, duration and information about an individual in charge of delivering the training (See the sample available in Georgian).

In coordination with a winning NGO, over the course of project implementation, the Training Center will extend contribution by conducting the following modules for target groups:

• election cycle and managing electoral operations (model and powers of election administration);
• voting day and polling process guidelines;
• Electoral credibility and security

Consider:

• The duration of trainings to be conducted as a contribution by the Training Center under the project is 6 hours (note that the duration of mandatory training program to be conducted by an NGO that equals at least 21 hours does not include the above-mentioned 6 hours).
• Projects submitted by applicant NGOs have to include the condition of the Training Center contribution. Labor and business trip expenses associated with the training course delivery by the Training Center employees will be reimbursed by the Training Center.

Target groups of the grant project

In the course of forming target groups out of representatives of political parties to enhance electoral capacity of human resources of political parties and promoting the development of competitive political environment, NGO shall fulfil all of the requirements provided below, specifically:

1. a) the following shall be submitted to the Training Center:

• Proof of sending a letter of invitation to participate in the project to twenty qualified political parties (list available in Georgian) and letters of consent received in response to the letter of invitation from at least eleven qualified parties on the participation in the project;
• A proof of sending a letter of invitation to participate in the project to not less than six non-qualified parties (list available in Georgian) that have participated in one of the general elections held over the past three years, and in case of consent to participate in the project according to a letter of invitation, such letter of consent.

1. b) letters of consent received from parties shall be signed by an individual with leadership/representation power. Letters of invitation sent to parties and letters of consent received from parties shall be submitted to the Training Center within no later than 5 business days from sending a notice about the mentioned requirement to an e-mail of an NGO (letters shall be submitted in hard copy and electronic format (CD)).

Note: The failure of an NGO to meet the above-mentioned requirements will result in the decision of the Commission to refuse to fund an NGO.

Consider:  To ensure equal conditions and proportionality, for the purposes of the competition, those parties out of twenty qualified political parties authorized under legislation to appoint members at election commissions for elections (seven parties list available in Georgian), shall be allowed to nominate two representatives for target groups per each district election commission (see the areas below), while the remaining parties (qualified, as well as non-qualified) – one representative each.

Geographic scope of the grant project and the extent of funding

Grant project application will be directed at maximum number of representatives nominated from political parties (33 representatives, per district election commissions within the geographic scope determined below), the extent of funding is determined as follows:

• Tbilisi (Mtatsminda, Vake, Saburtalo, Krtsanisi, Chughureti) – not to exceed GEL 123,750;
• Tbilisi (Isani, Samgori, Didube, Nadzaladevi, Gldani) – not to exceed GEL 123,750;
• Kakheti (Sagarejo, Gurjaani, Signagi, Dedoplistskaro) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Kakheti (Kvareli, Lagodekhi, Telavi, Akhmeta) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Kvemo Kartli (Rustavi, Gardabani, Marneuli) – not to exceed GEL 74,250;
• Kvemo Kartli (Tsalka, Tetritskaro, Bolnisi, Dmanisi) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Shida Kartli (Kaspi, Gori, Kareli, Khashuri) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Mtskheta-Mtianeti (Mtskheta, Tianeti, Dusheti, Kazbegi) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Samtkshe-Javakheti (Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, Adigeni) – not to exceed GEL 74,250;
• Samtkshe-Javakheti (Aspindza, Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda) – not to exceed GEL 74,250;
• Imereti (Zestaponi, Kharagauli, Sachkhere, Chiatura) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Imereti (Tkibuli, Terjola, Bagdati, Kutaisi) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Imereti (Samtredia, Vani, Khoni, Tskaltubo) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti (Oni, Ambrolauri, Tsageri, Lentekhi) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti (Abasha, Martvili, Senaki, Chkhorotsku, Khobi) – not to exceed GEL 123,750;
• Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti (Poti, Zugdidi, Tsalenjikha, Mestia) – not to exceed GEL 99,000;
• Guria (Ozurgeti, Chokhatauri, Lanchkhuti) – not to exceed GEL 74,250;
• Adjara (Kobuleti, Batumi, Khelvachauri) – not to exceed GEL 74,250;
• Adjara (Khulo, Keda, Shuakhevi) – not to exceed GEL 74,250.

Note:

• under the announced competition, an NGO is authorized to submit only one grant project application for one of the geographic area divided by district election commissions.
• For the purposes of the competition, one winning project will be identified per each area divided according to district election commissions.
• In case a project is funded, funds will be disbursed in stages, within the timeframes stipulated in a contract.
• If it can be ascertained from letters of consent to participate in the project received from parties that the number of participants in target groups envisaged under the project has decreased, an NGO is required to submit to the Training Center adjusted project budget, considering the above-mentioned principle of calculation. The Adjusted budget shall be accompanied by the letters of invitation sent to parties and letters of consent received from parties (in hard copy and electronic format (CD)). If an applicant fails to meet the above-mentioned requirement, the Committee will make a decision to refuse to fund an NGO.

Grant project duration

Grant project implementation period may comprise:

• the period from May 1, 2017 to no later than August 1, 2017, provided the project has been submitted for such an area the boundaries of which, for the purposes of the competition, include at least four district election commissions;
• The period of May 1, 2017 to no later than July 1, 2017, provided the project has been submitted for such an area the boundaries of which, for the purposes of the competition, include three district election commissions.

Who is eligible to participate in the grant competition

Non-commercial legal entities (NGOs) registered according to Georgia legislation prior to the announcement of the competition are eligible to participate in the competition.

NGOs shall not be eligible to participate in the competition in case leadership of such NGOs and/or the individuals envisaged to implement submitted grant project are either of the following: a member of the Central Election Commission of Georgia; a Head of a structural unit of the CEC Apparatus; a Head, a Deputy Head of the Training Center; Head of a structural unit of the Training Center; a member of a grant competition committee, committee secretariat and monitoring group. Leadership of an NGO imply individuals with leadership/representation powers at an NGO according to an extract from the Registry of Enterprises and Non-commercial Legal Entities.

Competition documentation to be submitted under the grant competition

For participating in grant competition, an NGO shall submit the following competition documentation, by observing the indicated rule:

a) grant application, following the format of Annex №1 (available in Georgian) (in print and electronic format (CD));  

b) an extract from the Registry of Enterprises and Non-commercial Legal Entities obtained after the announcement of the grant competition (February 3, 2017), the information in which confirms that an NGO does not have the following obligations: attachment/injunction, tax lien, Registry of Debtors (hard copy);

c) a founding document (statute, charter, etc.) verified according to Georgia legislation (hard copy).

Reviewing body:

Grant competition commission will take a decision about dismissing competition documentation, about funding/refusal to fund an NGO, removal of competition documentation from competition. The grant competition commission takes the mentioned decisions in absentia of a representative of an NGO that has submitted competition documentation.

Grant competition commission members will evaluate grant project proposals according to the criteria stipulated in the evaluation sheet of competition documentation (See Annex №2).

Publicity of grant competition results:

Grant competition participants will be notified about the results of the competition via a message to their e-mail. Information about NGOs funded at the decision of the grant competition commission will also be posted on the CEC and the Training Center websites.

Schedule

• Announcing grant competition: February 3, 2017;
• Timeframe for submitting bidding documentation: from February 6, 2017 through February 17, 2017 (except for weekend), from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, at the following address: 13^th km, David Aghmashenebeli Alley, Tbilisi (CEC building, Floor 5);
• Informational meetings (open house days) about the rule of submitting competition documentation: February 7-8, 2017, at 3:00 pm, at the following address: 13^th, David Aghmashenebeli Alley, Tbilisi (CEC building, Floor 5).

Follow the link to see the Grant Issuance Rule (available in Georgian).

 For additional information contact us at: 261 21 11; 599 95 83 83.