An interregional round table on “Civil service reform: development and implementation of the law on civil service,” organized by the Civil Service Bureau of Georgia, took place in Tbilisi on 3 February 2016.

Heads of the Presidential Administration and the Government of Georgia, representatives of state bodies and public institutions of the countries in the region, as well as leading international experts in the field of civil service attended the round table.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Regional Hub of Civil Service in Astana, Alikhan Baimenov, outlined a number of common challenges for civil service development in the region, including lack of knowledge and experience in the field of HR management. He noted that in order to improve the civil service systems, these countries are making new laws on civil service. “There is an intensive process of transformation of society and the role of the government. Civil services are facing new challenges” Baimenov said.

The Chairman went on to say that the Regional Hub in Astana helps governments of the region to build the capacity of civil service. “Through the activities of the Hub authorized state bodies of the region have become closer to each other. Along with Singapore, Astana is becoming the knowledge and experience centre in the sphere of civil service and the centre of gravity for the authorized civil service bodies of the region.” He also noted that the third stage of civil service reform is being implemented in Kazakhstan in the framework of the “Plan of the Nation – 100 concrete steps”.

Issues of civil service reform in Georgia were also discussed, including methods employed to effectively combat corruption in the law enforcement entities. Alikhan Baimenov underlined that: “Every new successful experience of any regional country is important in order to use it in other countries.”