Part of the PHIG policy framework. Download the full manual (PDF). To raise a concern: admin@accreditation.ge.
This manual sets out the 47 policies that govern how the Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG) works: integrity, safeguarding, reporting, data, security, research, publishing and money. It is written for staff, volunteers, consultants, partners and the donors who fund them.
Status: Consolidated edition, September 2026. PHIG has applied institutional policies and procedures since its registration in 2011, updating them as its work grew. In September 2026 all of them were reviewed, updated to current Georgian law and international donor standards, and synchronised into this single manual, which replaces every earlier version. Each policy is reviewed every year, or sooner if the law or a donor requirement changes.
Legal basis: PHIG is a non-commercial legal entity registered in Georgia (ID 404407815). Where a policy and Georgian law differ, the stricter rule applies. Where a funding agreement sets a stricter rule, that agreement applies to that project.
Policy owners and focal points
| Person | Role in this manual | Main policies owned |
|---|---|---|
| Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze | Chair of the Board | Approves all policies; receives any report involving the Head of Administration |
| Ioseb Demetrashvili | Head of Administration | Code of Conduct, Delegation of Authority, Financial Management, Procurement, Safety and Security (overall duty of care), Grants Management, Travel, Assets, Environmental and Social Safeguards, Records, Branding, Risk Management, Transparency |
| Irakli Pshinashvili | Ethics and Compliance Officer; Financial Crimes Focal Point | Conflict of Interest, Gift Acceptance, Anti-Fraud, Anti-Money Laundering, Sanctions Screening, Whistleblowing, Incident Management, Donor Disclosure, Cost Allowability, Lobbying and Political Activity |
| Sulkhan Inaishvili | Safeguarding and People Lead; PSEAH and Child Safeguarding Focal Point | PSEAH, Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk, Trafficking in Persons, Equal Opportunity and Gender Equality, Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace, Human Resources, Feedback and Grievance Mechanism |
| Tamar Talakvadze | Data Protection Officer; Research Integrity Officer; Security Focal Point | Data Protection, Research Ethics, Security incident logging and travel tracking, IT and Cybersecurity |
The Georgian Medical Journal’s editorial office owns Policy 19 (Editorial Independence) under the Editor-in-Chief, with the Ethics and Compliance Officer as the independent contact when the Editor-in-Chief is conflicted.
How to raise a concern
Anyone can report a concern, in Georgian, English or Russian, by any of these routes:
- Confidential email: admin@accreditation.ge — PHIG’s dedicated confidential ethics mailbox, accessible only to the Ethics and Compliance Officer and the Safeguarding Lead
- Direct to a focal point: the person named in the table above
- To the Chair: when the concern involves the Head of Administration or a focal point
- Post: marked “Confidential — Ethics”, Public Health Institute of Georgia, 3 Betlemi Rise, Tbilisi 0108
Reports can be anonymous. No one who reports in good faith will suffer any retaliation (Policy 13).
How the policies fit together
The Code of Conduct is the umbrella; every breach of any policy is reported and handled through Policies 13–15.
Common definitions
- PHIG personnel: Board members, employees, volunteers, interns, consultants and anyone acting on PHIG’s behalf.
- Partners: sub-grantees, contractors, suppliers, co-publishers and implementing organisations.
- Participants: patients, research participants, trainees, council members and members of the public we serve.
- Child: anyone under 18, whatever the local age of majority (Code on the Rights of the Child of Georgia).
- Must / must not: mandatory. Should: expected unless there is a documented reason.