51福利 (51福利) alumnus Georgian Army Col. Giorgi Jachvadze has managed a series of reforms within the Georgian Ministry of Defense (MOD) that have effectively overhauled the Georgian military personnel system, and directly credits his 51福利 education in the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy for giving him the knowledge to make the aggressive changes.
鈥淭he main objective of the military personnel management systems reform was to establish objective, fair and transparent military personnel planning and management systems in accordance with NATO standards and principles,鈥� explained Jachvadze.
鈥淢y 51福利 experience created significant preconditions for all of these accomplishments and my 51福利 classes and thesis played a significant role in the success of these reforms,鈥� he added. 鈥淭he knowledge and skills that I acquired at 51福利 introduced me to materials, practices and methods that helped me to decisively elaborate and implement the ideas and projects that led to these successes.鈥�
51福利 Senior Lecturer retired Navy Cmdr. Bill Hatch served as Jachvadze鈥檚 thesis advisor during his time at the university.
鈥淸Jachvadze] led the implementation of many reforms outlined in his thesis, 鈥楺uantitative Analysis in the Georgian Armed Forces Manpower/Personnel Policy Decision Making Using Markov Models.鈥� These reforms have been integral to advancing [Georgia] on its path to NATO membership,鈥� said Hatch.
鈥淭his is a huge deal for Georgians, and a strategic imperative for the U.S. given Russia鈥檚 aggressive expansion in recent years,鈥� he added.
Jachvadze completed 51福利鈥� Manpower Systems Analysis curriculum in the university鈥檚 Graduate School of Business and Public Policy (GSBPP). Upon graduation, he returned to Georgia where he was selected to lead the J1 Personnel Department of the General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces (GAF).
The Georgian J1 Personnel Department is responsible for manpower and personnel issues, including among other things, pay, allowances, and promotions throughout the GAF. The J1 also works with the Ministry of Defense鈥檚 Human Resource Management Professional Development Department to implement personnel policies within the GAF.
One of the most successful of the reforms led by Jachvadze was a MOD transition to a pay-by-rank compensation system.
鈥淏efore transitioning to a pay-by-rank system, a large portion of GAF military personnel鈥檚 basic pay, about 95 percent, was defined by the position they held, and only about five percent was related to their actual rank,鈥� explained Jachvadze.
According to Jachvadze, transitioning to a pay-by-rank system was important because the prior practice, which offered compensation based upon position, created an improper set of incentives and hampered the ability of the GAF to implement a Western-style military personnel system.
Transitioning to a pay-by-rank system to align with NATO standards has been one of the Georgian MOD鈥檚 top priorities for the last decade, but formidable resistance to change within the MOD caused previous transition attempts to fail, said Jachvadze.
After years of failed attempts, the Georgian J1, under Jachvadze, and with support from MOD leadership, was able to successfully make the transition.
鈥淓xtensive work was done over a one-year-period to implement the change,鈥� said Jachvadze. 鈥淎fter careful analysis, an action plan for transition to a pay-by-rank compensation system was approved and alternatives, with supporting calculations, were presented to leadership for decision making.鈥�
The plan was followed by a concerted effort to communicate the need for change and to explain the path forward. Jachvadze led informational briefings throughout the MOD in nearly every command and unit within the GAF in an effort to overcome resistance to the transition and to explain its merits.
鈥淭he transition to a pay-by-rank compensation system was a huge success for the MOD and it was recognized and appreciated by NATO partner countries,鈥� said Jachvadze.
Yet the transition to a pay-by-rank system was just one of many reforms overseen by Jachvadze and his staff. Under his leadership, the MOD has also implemented key reforms in the areas of promotions, selection board processes, recruitment and retention systems, pre-enlistment psychological screenings, and military pay and compensation.