NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

National Situation Room established under the National Crisis Management Center (Department) within the Office of the National Security Council, ensures effective coordination of national scale crisis.

The National Situation Room is a physical facility equipped with modern communication and technical means, which is activated during the national level crisis situation posing threat to the national security and  is managed by the Prime Minister of Georgia. 

The National Situation Room can accommodate up to 100 representatives of various stakeholders in single access friendly working space, providing improved coordination. Modern equipment ensures unhindered information flow and data processing (including video-audio signals) from the incident area.  The relevant functional Cells of the National Situation Room are activated in accordance to the type of crisis.

During the crisis, National Situation Room constantly receives information from the relevant governmental agencies, regarding natural or man-made incidents across the country, analyzes information flow and elaborated recommendations for decision makers, coordinates the enforcement/implementation of highest political decisions.

Based on the decision of the Prime Minister of Georgia, the right to use the National Situation Room can be transferred to the relevant responsible authorities.

National Level Crisis Management

In the majority of developed countries, as well as in Georgia, crisis management is ensured based on three-tier planning and command system – strategic, operational & tactical levels. This concept of operations is also undertaken by the NATO member states and the Alliance itself.

This model is practically universal and can be adopted to any type of situation. In accordance with Georgian crisis management concept, two levels of the system can be activated at the National Situation Room – strategic & operational. As for the tactical level, it is set up in direct vicinity of the incident area.

Strategic Level – National Security Council is chaired by the Prime Minister. Council comprises of permanent members (Prime Minister – the Chairman of the Council; Secretary of the Council - Minister of Internal Affairs; Minister of Defence; Minister of Foreign Affairs; Head of the State Security Service; Minister of Finance; Head of Intelligence Service; Commander of the Georgian Defence Forces.) and invited members (in case of necessity). At this level, the Council takes strategic decisions required to effectively manage and resolve the crisis.

Operational Level – is a special anti-crisis multiagency working group, which coordinates management & recovery process. Exact composition of the group depends on the type and nature of the crisis.

Tactical Level – is a team comprising of a single agency representative(s) or a multiagency task force directly managing an incident in the vicinity of an affected area. Team is assigned to a coordinator (leader), which will represent a leading agency in accordance with the type and nature of the incident.

Creation of the National Situation Room

The National Situation Room was inaugurated in January 2016 under the aegis of the State Security and Crisis Management Council. The Room was developed with the active participation of the British experts and created in accordance with the UK Cabinet Office Briefing Room or “COBR” concept, but at the same time is adopted to Georgian specifics.