The present research analyses the e-learning experiences of Georgian civil servants amidst lockdowns. Its quantitative part is based on the results of phone interviews with 1,654 civil servants from 30 municipalities, while a qualitative part comes from analysing focus group discussions and the reports of the online training sessions.

Key findings:

• Civil servants appreciate an opportunity to study online, stating that it saves time and helps blend professional development with daily duties.
• 63 percent of respondents fully or partially agreed that online training can be as effective as a face-to-face class.
• 45 percent of respondents noted that online training saves transportation costs.
• Limited social interaction between colleagues and difficulty concentrating on learning tasks were commonly mentioned as e-learning drawbacks.
• Respondents noted that some of the training providers were not skilled in organising the engaging and interactive training sessions online. 
• 30 percent of women respondents said that e-learning is an opportunity to combine work, studies and family duties, while the discussions in focus groups revealed that e-learning can be a challenge for those civil servants, mostly women, who carry a burden of family care.
• The majority of Georgian civil servants has access to computers at work (91 percent) and home (83 percent), as well as webcams (72 percent) and microphones (75 percent).
• Stable broadband internet connection is available to civil servants both at work (74 percent) and home (77 percent).

The research was conducted in 2020 by the Georgian agency PMC Research Centre together with the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) with the assistance from UNDP and the UK Government.