The overall goal of the latest Governance Reform Fund (GRF) project phase is to accelerate structural transformation for sustainable development by enhancing citizen-centric governance systems for efficiently serving their constituencies. The project aims at improving the capacities of country authorities in policy planning, as well as the implementation and administration of effective and gender-responsive governance in the context of EU integration and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The GRF project directs its efforts toward strengthening the political and institutional context, the environmental context, and the economic and social context in Georgia to create an ecosystem where “no one is left behind”. Within the current phase, the project concentrates on various initiatives leading to long-term improvements with regard to public administration, human rights, public service delivery, gender equality, the economy, energy, rural development, the environment, and decision-making. The GRF project also continues to prove itself as an effective mechanism in supporting the consolidation of public administration commitments.
In its current phase, GRF continues to support more efficient public administration system development through the following well-tested mechanisms:
- Capacity Development Fund (CDF): addresses critical and immediate capacity development needs of public sector agencies. The project will continue to place more emphasis on initiatives with medium- to longer-term implications.
- On-Demand [Consultancy] Services (ODS): provides on-demand advisory services and technical expertise to develop the capacity of public agencies with regard to policy formation and implementation.
Capacity-building measures have a long-term effect on representation and power relations in institutions, and therefore close attention will be paid in the current GRF phase to ensuring that women are actively involved in the development and implementation of project activities and that they equally benefit from the results.
GRF intends to create an environment for multi-stakeholder collaboration, strengthen partnerships with key actors and implementing partners, stimulate experience sharing while at the same time expanding the capabilities of applying gender lens and giving impetus to the cooperation patterns where gender and inclusivity aspects are supported.
Therefore, GRF is seeking a consultant to assist the GRF project in guaranteeing that gender mainstreaming and social inclusion issues are observed in the design and implementation of its interventions as well as assess and provide strategic advice how to ensure delivery of gender and social equality, and women´s empowerment interventions within the supported initiatives.