From April to July, ISET will lead an online training program in Regulatory Impact Assessment aimed at equipping the members of participating institutions with the required technical skills and understanding of the procedures associated with carrying out the RIA in accordance with the methodology set out by the government of Georgia in January 2020. The training is specifically targeted towards energy sector actors (including the GNERC, ESCO, and the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development), and is a result of a collaborative effort between ISET-PI and USAID's Energy Program implemented by Deloitte.

ISET has successfully transitioned its academic and research work to an entirely online format in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and this training is no different, being entirely delivered using an online platform that has been used successfully in all teaching and research-related activities.

The training program will introduce the participants to the legal requirements of conducting RIA activities in Georgia and endow them with a clear understanding of the purpose of the RIA process and the mandatory requirements for carrying out a standard RIA in Georgia.

In addition, the participants will develop a clear understanding of how to set up and implement stakeholder consultations, as well as become familiar with stakeholder mapping and the selection and inclusion of relevant information into RIA documents. Furthermore, the program will go through each analytical step of the RIA process. The participants will have an opportunity to hear about the experiences of the trainers who are themselves active RIA practitioners, as well as to share their own experiences.

Training and capacity building is, of course, of the utmost importance for the success of RIA implementation and systematization. Working closely with Deloitte, ISET-PI developed a detailed training plan with a number of individual modules, each of which contributes to the development of the required skills. All supporting materials are supplied, and the time needed to cover each topic has been carefully planned within the program.