Dear Nino

Further to yesterday’s online meeting and subsequent receipt of the concept note on the PR event planned by SESA, for which you have requested technical and financial support from the project, I note that the topic of the event is defined as: “Summarizing the process of granting compensations considered by targeted state program to reduce the damage caused by new Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) infection (COVID-19) and introducing the latest 6 months future plans”. However, I was under the impression that the aim was to provide information about the steps taken to operationalize the Agency during the time of the pandemic and to introduce next steps which I assumed to be about delivery of the new service model through the new regional offices.

I am a little concerned because the Terms of Reference for our project were quite precise about the focus of our public awareness raising activities and the Inception Report, which is now approved by the EU Delegation, includes two specific communications activities related to SESA: “Generating public awareness of employment services and ALMPs to provide visibility for SESA, advertising their services and targeting young people, women and vulnerable groups including NEETs: This will involve working with the MoIDPLHSA, SESA, its regional offices and partners in the regions to provide public information about opportunities available through the employment services and supported by ALMPS, and promote the benefits to job seekers” (listed under Output 1.3) and “Develop proposals for increasing public awareness of employment services” (listed under Output 4.1).

Although our Incidental Expenditures budget provides for “Costs related to communications and project visibility: media activities, products”,  it is clear that events organized under this budget line should closely align with the objectives of the project, its outputs and activities. From the topic of event, as defined in the concept note, it appears that the event is focused more on the coronavirus pandemic than on promotion of SESA and its delivery of public employment services. In order to meet the requirements for expenditure from our budget, we need to have more information about the planned agenda and especially about content related to the provision of services for job seekers. A focus on only coronavirus-related issues and compensatory payments does not seem to meet this requirement, and would be very difficult to justify to the EU Delegation.

I also noted that the concept note states that the date of the event will be 12^th August, whereas the date you mentioned yesterday was 14^th August. Can you please clarify which date has been fixed for the event.

I look forward to receiving further information about the agenda for the event and confirmation of the date.

With best regards

David

 

DAVID HANDLEY

Team Leader

and Skills Development Expert

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Technical Assistance to Skills Development for Matching Labour Market Needs in Georgia

An EU-funded project under the Skills4Jobs Programme, Phase 2

Implemented by a Consortium led by GOPA Worldwide Consultants

Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport

4 Sanapiro Str. 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia

Cellphone: +995 595 400 371 (Georgia), +44 (0) 77 6880 7787 (UK)

david.handley@gopa.de; david.handley@pem-consult.de

Skype: handleyd