Kakha Bendukidze outlines his experiences and personal views about downsizing Georgia’s civil service and reducing the number of government agencies, functions and employees. He argues that the traditional model of civil service promotion and tenure is not appropriate in the fluid political and economic context of Georgia. He suggests that reforms cannot be sequenced formally. Rather, the opportunities for reform fluctuate with political circumstances and must be seized when they present themselves. He explains how budget reforms were used as instruments to reduce the size of the civil service and the functions of Georgia’s government.
Case Study: Delivering on the Hope of the Rose Revolution: Public Sector Reform in Georgia, 2004-2009
Full Interview
At the time of this interview, Kakha Bendukidze had returned to the faculty of the Free University in Tbilisi (February 2009) after serving four years and nine months in the government of Georgia, most recently as head of the state Chancellery. Before assuming that position in February 2008, he served as minister for reforms coordination and minister of economic development in 2004-2005.