Navigating the Georgian Civil Service: Is Georgian Dream Balancing Efficiency and Politicization?

This policy brief assesses the challenges facing Georgia’s civil service system, focusing on inefficiency and pervasive politicization and their implications for Georgia’s pursuit of EU candidacy. By analyzing the current Human Resource Management (HRM) system and the 2022-2023 reforms, the brief highlights the need for a more independent and accountable civil service in line with democratic principles.

The findings reveal two main issues: the HRM system’s inefficiency and the civil service’s politicization. The analysis uncovers an interconnected set of factors contributing to these problems, including a restrictive recruitment process, inexperienced managers, and centralized training. The brief acknowledges the importance of addressing inefficiency and politicization as separate but interrelated challenges, emphasizing the need for policy recommendations to consider both aspects simultaneously.

Addressing these challenges is critical for ensuring citizens’ rights protection during the 2024 elections, promoting civil service independence, and enhancing public trust in the government’s capacity to serve the public interest. Implementing comprehensive civil service reform focusing on improving efficiency and eliminating politicization will help Georgia meet the EU’s expectations and foster a more democratic and accountable government.

Key Words: Human Resource Management, EU Candidacy, Hybrid Regimes, Politicization, Civil Service, Public Administration, Bureaucracy.

Policy Brief #51 | May 2023