The one year initiative Public Service Code had been implemented by UNAG in 2005 supported by the Eurasia Foundation, acting with financial assistance from USAID and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Georgia had no unified set of public service regulations, consequently various ministries and departments separately regulated their ethics codes, working practices, and responsibilities to beneficiaries. Differences in working conditions, benefit packages, and remuneration were at times highly pronounced between various state agencies. The career paths of public servants were unclear and subject to arbitrary decisions by politically appointed ministers, which leaded to instability, undermines institutional memory, and adversely affects the quality of public service. UNAG worked on drafting a unified Public Service Code and thus help establish a professional public service.

Activities

In 2004 the project team analyzed the legal and procedural gaps created by current legislation. Based on this research, in 2005 a group of experts drafted the concept of a Public Service Code and opened it for discussion with the civil community, independent experts, and state agencies.