The Election Administration (EA) of Georgia has completed its work on the project of the 2024 Action Plan. The workshop, covering a discussion of implemented activities in 2023 as well as plans for the future initiatives, was held inclusively and had equal and highly interactive participation of the staff members.

The workshop had an attendance of the representatives from the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia, the Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Training Centre (Training Centre), and the Supreme Election Commission of Adjara. The head persons of the structural units of the CEC and the Director of the Training Centre delivered summary reports reflecting the implemented initiatives in 2023 and persistent challenges. The workshop participants also discussed the draft of the 2024 Action Plan and the envisaged activities.

Another part of the workshop was devoted to the issues regarding the organizational culture and aimed at strenghening the institution.

According to the CEC Chairperson, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the team work in the processes of planning the work, assessment and analysis as well as sharing opinions of the staff members  is essential.

“It has been the second year since the EA made it a tradition to involve the most  of its staff members in all processes pertaining to the elaboration, study and summary of the implemented activities, and planning of the future initiatives. At first, such workshops, receiving, discussing and, certainly, sharing the staff members’ opinions promote the teambuilding, the exchange of information between various structural bodies and units of the Election Administration that will indeed be positively reflected in the quality of the institution’s functioning. I believe, that such inclusive approach was one of the preconditions that enabled us to successfully complete the pilot stage of introduction of electronic voting technologies and modernization of elections in the year of 2023 which was quite complex and full of challenges. The very fact encourages us to confidently state that the gained valuable experience  in the field of applying technologies, we are ready to administer the 2024 Parliamentary Electins as well as the upcoming elections at high professional level”, - said Giorgi Kalandarishvili.

The 2024 Action Plan was developed in light of the 2023-2026 Strategy. The project of the action plan includes the activities appropriate for the strategic targets, the most of which are novelties or  created based on evidence and involve innovative approaches as much as possible. The summary meeting was preceded by the working meetings of the Strategic Planning and Reporting Department held with the employees of each structural unit and the Training Centre during the recent two months. The last version of the document will be a subject of discussion at the CEC Meeting scheduled on December 27 with the aim of its approval.

It is noteworthy that the 2023-2026 Strategy was developed through active engagement of the EA staff members last year. It encompasses three strategic priorities, such as improvement of electoral environment, institutional strenghthening and technological development. The activities, that are indicated in the Strategy, promote the achievement of the stated goals.

The workshop took place on December 23-24 and was organized by the CEC with the support of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in the region of Kakheti, Georgia.