On the way to civil service reform in Georgia, the UK Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assist the Civil Service Bureau to study and analyse legal and procedural gaps preventing people with disabilities and representatives of ethnic minorities from getting jobs and building careers in the public sector.

On 3 May, UNDP and the Civil Service Bureau unveiled four studies that were carried out in partnership with local experts and civil society organizations – the PMC Research Centre and the Disability Research Centre (DRC) of Tbilisi State University.

The research reveals that insufficient knowledge of the Georgian language is one of the main barriers for Armenian- and Azerbaijani-speaking people in seeking public employment. It also shows that in municipalities with a high concentration of ethnic minorities, the representation of women in the civil service is lower than the national average and does not exceed 33 percent. The research assesses the effectiveness of state-funded initiatives, including the internship programmes for ethnic minorities, and offers recommendations for improvement.

In the case of people with disabilities, the study focuses on professional qualifications and education and training opportunities and highlights unsupportive attitudes from civil service employers and staff. The research analyses the issues associated with the physical accessibility of public buildings, including transportation and inclusive infrastructure.

Two specific studies examine staffing and recruitment policies in the civil service. One of these researches focuses on women, people with disabilities and representatives of ethnic minorities, while the other analyses the inclusiveness and accessibility of HR.GOV.GE, the main recruitment resource of the civil service.

“Equality and diversity are the core values of civil service. We acknowledge existing challenges and work to involve people from diverse backgrounds in creating public policies and services,” said Catherine Kardava, Head of the Civil Service Bureau.

“The UK is proud to support systemic reforms in Georgia’s civil service. Credible research and solid evidence will help achieve the reform goals and ensure transparency, representation and inclusion of the public sector,” said Ellen Wichmann, Head of Programmes, British Embassy in Georgia.  

“Modern civil service is a diverse workplace, committed to promoting and ensuring equality and valuing diversity. Our research will help Georgia’s civil service to better understand the needs and gaps of minorities and people with disabilities and ensure equal job opportunities for them in public sector,” said Anna Chernyshova, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Georgia.

The studies are available on the UNDP website.

Media contacts

• Sophie Tchitchinadze, UNDP, sophie.tchitchinadze@undp.org, +995 599 196907
• Ira Sulava, UNDP, irine.sulava@undp.org, +995 599 579105
• Ekaterine Siradze, CSB, esiradze@csb.gov.ge, +995 577 244599