Commitment: Improved public services for all
Commitment Description:

This commitment of the OGP Georgia Action Plan for 2018-2019 continues the aims of the first commitment of the OGP Georgia Action Plan for 2016-2017, requiring introducing a special navigation system in Tbilisi Public Service Hall and equipment of its infrastructure with tactile paths and Braille maps. The current commitment implies developing the standard of service delivery for persons with disabilities and the gesture language tutorial and improving the quality of public service delivery through capacity-building of PSH employees.

Outcome: - Three focus groups with participation of PWDS to study needs have been held; - Engagement of PWDS in the process of the standard of serving and gesture language tutorial development, for which 4 meetings with PWDS in the round table format were arranged, has been ensured; - The PWDS Serving Standard has been developed and is accessible; - The Gesture Language Tutorial has been published and distributed through the organizations working on the rights of PWDS; - The Training Module has been developed and approved; - 50 PSH employees have been trained by means of Training Trainers, 750 – by means of other training courses, and 2- by means of the gesture language mastering course; - 80% of trainees have upgraded their skills being evidenced by the pre and post tests; - At least 80% of trainees positively assess the training; - Materials for raising awareness have been developed and distributed
Timeline: Start date - July 2017, End date - December 2018
OGP Thematic Areas: Access to Services, Accountability
Reporting Period: 2019, Annual
Lead Agency: LEPL - Public Service Hall
In the reporting period, the PSH has conducted a study of needs assessment, which revealed the challenges experienced by both people with disabilities when using the services of PSH and the employees when providing services to them. Within the needs assessment study, focus groups were held in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi for local people with disabilities and PSH employees. Also, interviews and round-table discussions were held among the experts and the PSH's management.

The external experts developed the manual of serving the PWDS14 based on the outputs and the best practices of needs assessment. The document determines the standards for PSH employees on how to offer services to PWDS. The manual is also abundant in practical exercises and information found out as outcomes of the study. It is noteworthy that both the manual and its audio version15 are publicly available.

The rules of behavior and communication given in the manual have already been integrated into the Service Quality Standard16 of the PSH, which is the key regulatory document of the service delivery process and is mandatory for all employees. It aims to define all the general rules of behavior and communication adhering to which will contribute to a quality of delivery of public and private services to the PSH clients, pursuing the rights of PWDS and their engagement in public life.

A training module on serving the PWDS in the PSH was developed based on the manual. In the reporting period, 750 employees of the PSH were re-trained within the training cycle. Based on the analysis of training feedback, 94% of the employees increased their awareness on serving the PWDS.

In the reporting period, gesture signs corresponding to 400 new terms were explicitly developed for the PSH. The new characters are available in the Gesture Language Glossary17 containing graphical images. Also, video materials demonstrating corresponding gesture signs were developed.

Up to 20 employees of Tbilisi PSH learned the gesture language and now they can provide services to PWDS without interpreters. Thus, the quality of public services tailored to the needs of PWDS has been significantly improved.

Handouts and visual content: leaflets, brochures and posters on PSH services tailored to the needs of PWDS were developed to raise awareness of the society, especially PWDS and their family members. The above materials were delivered to various organizations for further dissemination. Additionally, all the necessary materials were published on the PSH website and social networks.

According to the Secretariat's assessment, the commitment is fully implemented within the planned timeframe, since all the milestones of the commitment are successfully implemented.
Contact point: Natalia Abashmadze - Deputy Director of the LEPL - Public Service Hall