The "Forging ahead: Process-oriented Technical Assistance to the Ministry of IDPs (MRA)" project (EuropeAid/133979/C/SER/GE) organised a three-day training session for the Ministry's hotline and reception centres in Ankalia, Georgia.
The learning objectives of the training were to raise the quality of service provided by the MRA Hotline and reception centers in providing information to beneficiaries on IDP rights and establish a pool of trainers and focal points, who are selected specialists of relevant line ministries with an in-depth knowledge.
More than 30 delegates from the Ministry Of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation And Refugees Of Georgia, the Division of Social Issues and Allocation of Housing of IDP Department and reps from MRA Regional Divisions, participated in the event.
In the framework of customer service, hotline and reception centres (in Tbilisi and 4 other regions) are significantly important for the MRA processing. Through the hotline and reception centres MRA raises awareness on IDP rights and obligations provided in the IDP Law and State strategy and Action Plan besides beneficiaries receive information and services they need about issuance of IDP cards, IDP allowance, durable Housing, one-time monetary assistance, applications including DHS, renting subsidies and livelihood programs and other issues.
The concept of the training for the provision of customer service is to train beneficiaries on how to provide effective service to the citizens through a hotline and reception centers, especially regional divisions on issues related to IDP rights and obligations provided in the IDP Law. The participants have been also briefed on the State strategy and Action Plan for IDPs, filling of standard requests and applications including DHS and Renting subsidies, entitlements, methodology and scoring system of Targeted Social Assistance (TSA).
Training sessions were held by trainers from MRA, the project Senior Expert, Mr Valerian Kopaleishvili adviser to the MRA and invited specialist from the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia.
The three-day event was part of the MRA training plan of eleven modules and two training of trainers (ToT). So far, the project has completed the development of five modules and one ToT. Currently, the team is working on Module 7: Policy Development & Strategic Planning. Module 11 - Training on communication and information raising campaign will be carried out in April 2016.