USAID Georgia Municipal Infrastructure Program

Tetra Tech provided technical services and engineering oversight to help restore and upgrade infrastructure in Georgia.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Caucasus’ Office of Economic Growth selected Tetra Tech to provide technical services and engineering oversight for the restoration and upgrade of transportation, water, sanitation, and energy infrastructure efforts under its Georgia Municipal Infrastructure and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Housing Rehabilitation Program (GMIP). GMIP projects were completed under two consecutive programs, GMIP I and GMIP II.

Tetra Tech was able to respond effectively to a dynamic work environment, particularly during the change in government after elections in October 2012, providing very good oversight and review of procurement, feasibility, and design efforts, along with inspection and monitoring of on-going construction projects.

2013 CPAR Assessing Official

The threefold GMIP mission objectives were to:

  • Upgrade municipal infrastructure including roads, bridges, drainage channels, water, and sanitation systems in targeted municipalities
  • Rehabilitate and construct irrigation channels to enhance agricultural production
  • Improve living conditions for IDPs

The dual shocks of Georgia’s conflict with Russia in August 2008 and the global economic downturn created serious challenges to Georgia’s economic stability. The conflict, crisis, and subsequent slowdown in economic growth and foreign direct investment placed a severe strain on Georgia’s national budget and its ability to finance core investments in critical regional development initiatives. Many years of decline in the quality, coverage, and maintenance of basic services including water supply, sewage, local roads, solid waste services, and irrigation systems dramatically reduced Georgia’s quality of life in rural areas and constrained private sector growth. Such degradation and instances of conflict-related damage have caused constraints to the productive capacity and quality of life of many Georgians, including old and new IDPs, the rural poor, and those directly or indirectly affected by the 2008 conflict.

Through GMIP, Tetra Tech monitored current processes and practices, identified and mitigated risk areas, and carried out oversight and quality control efforts to ensure that municipal and infrastructure projects were implemented effectively and in accordance with U.S. and Georgian standards and regulations. USAID/Caucasus’ Office of Economic Growth implemented this program through Georgia’s Municipal Development Fund (MDF).

Tetra Tech assisted USAID and its implementation partners in procurement management, engineering, environmental science, construction management, monitoring and inspection, and technical training. Tetra Tech also strengthened MDF’s capacity and project recipients to help ensure long-term sustainability of project interventions.