Name: Anna Kebadze

Country: Georgia

Years in the industry: 2 years

How long have you been a mentor and How did you learn about ICLD?
– I learned about the ICLD and its programme from my colleague when the ICLD was recruiting mentors in Georgia.

Areas of Expertise: Public policy and administration, project management, human and institutional capacity development

Why did you become a mentor?
– My current work is focused on the development of the capacities of local authorities and supporting the decentralization process in Georgia. Hence, I see the opportunity to mentor local teams participating in the ICLD ITP as a possibility for me to further contribute to the enhancement of local competencies and local development in Georgia.

Why do you like to mentor?
– Mentoring the ITP participants is a great opportunity to guide and support the teams in designing and implementing projects that can bring positive change at the local level. At the same time, mentoring is mutually beneficial – it is not only the teams I work with who benefit from the process, but I myself learn a lot during the working process, get the various perspectives about a range of topics, better understand how things work at the local level and enhance my mentoring and communication skills. Moreover, it gives me both a professional and personal satisfaction to be able to transfer the knowledge and skills accumulated through my professional experience.

What are the success factors for building dynamic, inclusive and professional mentoring culture?
– Effective communication is a key to build a professional mentoring culture. It is crucial to dedicate time to get to know each participant and appreciate those different perspectives, experiences and values that they bring. It is also crucial to be very careful and considerate while giving feedback, to avoid criticism to any opinion that might come up during the discussion and encourage the active participation and diversity of ideas.

What is the most challenging thing while being a mentor?
– While mentoring the teams, there is a very fine line between telling the participants what to do and guiding the discussion to allow them to figure out the right path for their projects. Therefore, avoiding to provide ready-made answers and keeping the group discussions thought-provoking and meaningful can be rather challenging for mentors.

What is your passion in life?
– Growing up in the country undergoing a transition from the soviet past to the democratic realities imported on me the passion for the change – whether it was changing the playground inventory as a kid or launching new education projects impacting the lives of vulnerable communities as a professional. The passion to use my skills for the positive change is a driver behind my career and daily life.