ეთერ ხარაიშვილი ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, პროფესორი თბილისი, საქართველო Email: eter.kharaishvili@tsu.ge https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4013-7354   ნინო ლობჟანიძე ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, ასისტენტ-პროფესორი თბილისი, საქართველო Email: nino.lobzhanidze@tsu.ge https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5830-6924   მოკლე აღწერა აბსტრაქტი. სტატიაში ბიბლიოგრაფიულ კვლევაზე დაყრდნო­ბით გაანალიზებულია მდგრადი განათლების გამოწვევები სხვა­დასხვა ქვეყანაში, შესწავლილია ამ ქვეყნებში არსებული მიდგო­მები და კონცეფციები, დისტანციური სწავლების თეორიული და პრაქტიკული ასპექტები. საქართველოში მდგრადი განათლების სისტემის ფორმირების ხელ­შემშლელი ფაქტორების გამოსავლენად, დისტანციური სწავ­ლე­ბის პოზიტიური და ნეგატიური მხარეების შესაფასებლად და მდგრადი განათლების მიმართულებების დასადგენად ჩატარე­ბუ­ლია რაოდენობრივი კვლევა. ნაშრომში გამოკვეთილია საქართველოს უმაღლეს საგანმანათ­ლებ­ლო დაწესებულებებში მდგრადი განათლების სისტემასა და დისტანციური სწავლების სფეროში არსებული პრობლემები, და­სა­ბუთებულია დისტანციური სწავლების პირობებში იმ მექანიზ­მების გამოვლენის აუცილებლობა, რაც განათლების სისტემის მდგრადი განვითარებისათვის ხელსაყრელ პირობებს შექმნის. სტატიაში შეფასებულია მეცნიერ-მკვლევრების მოსაზრებები დის­ტანციური განათლების შესახებ, ჩატარებულია დისტან­ციუ­რი სწავლების SWOT ანალიზი. დისტანციური სწავლების მდგრა­დი განათლების სისტემაზე გავლენის დასადგენად გამოყენებუ­ლია პოპულაციაზე დაფუძნებული (Population-based/Census-based) მიდგომა. კვლევის შედეგები დამუშავებულია SPSS პროგრამით. რაოდენობრივი კვლევის შედეგების ანალიზისა და ფოკუს ჯგუ­ფებთან დისკუსიის საფუძველზე გაკეთებულია დასკვნები და შემუშავებულია რეკომენდაციები დისტანციური სწავლების პი­რო­ბებში მდგრადი განათლების მიღწევის მიმართულებებზე.

Introduction. The paper analyzes the dynamics of exports of the Georgian mineral water product and identifies the reasons for the upward or downward trends. The paper assesses the methodological issues of measuring the level of competition in agri-food markets in general. The paper uses a theoretical-methodological study of the issue. Comparative statistical analysis is performed according to the foreign trade statistics. The Revealed Comparative Advantage Index (RCA) and the Relative Export Advantage Index (RXA) are calculated to assess the competitiveness of the Georgian mineral water sector using the “ex-post” method. In addition, an econometric model is constructed to substantiate the relationship between cause-effect variables. The model substantiates the impact of competitiveness weighed and estimated by “Doing Business”, „Index of Economic Freedom” rankings and the potential demand of partner countries weighted by trade shares, on the growth of Georgia's mineral water exports. Aim and tasks. The main purpose of the article is to highlight the role of product competitiveness among the factors affecting export growth, to identify the main obstacles and suggest ways to overcome them. The article also analyzes the most acute problems caused by Covid 19 in the field. There are analyzed policy and forecasts in response to the complicated economic situation created by the pandemic of the main companies of the Georgian mineral water market. Results. Based on the statistical trends, mathematical calculations and econometric model evaluations, a positive correlation between competitiveness and exports is substantiated. Also, the main points of the mineral water companies performance and state support economic policy are presented due to the pandemic situation. Taking into account the general and current problems in the sector the ways to maintain and increase the level of competitiveness of the product are identified. Conclusions. The conducted research presents the importance of the competitiveness on the export growth. Accordingly, the article proposes ways to increase the level of competition and competitiveness. Conclusions have been made on the underlying problems in the field, including those caused by Covid 19 and beyond, and recommendations for addressing these problems have been proposed. Keywords: competition, mineral water sector, export diversification, competitiveness indexes.

The paper analyzes the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the development of Georgian economy. It is justified that the development of effective mechanisms of public procurement in this type of enterprises will greatly contribute to the growth of GDP, as well as play an important role in the structural change of the economy, in the formation of a competitive environment, in the development of private entrepreneurship, in the modernization of the consumer market and in solving socio-economic problems. The contribution of public procurement to GDP growth is studied using several key indicators: awareness of public procurement, level of involvement in public procurement, funds management, tax procedures, access to relevant information and data, security. The work is done using the bibliographic and empirical research methodology. Analysis, synthesis, induction and other methods are used to determine data selection, grouping, similarities and differences. Quantitative and qualitative research has been conducted to identify challenges and evaluations according to procurement indicators; Through meetings with focus groups, procurement barriers are specified, directions for service improvement are determined. The research examines the experience of the leading states in public procurement in small and medium-sized enterprises, and analyzes the procurement support programs and services. It is concluded that the search for challenges in public procurement in small and medium-sized enterprises in Georgia should be conducted taking into account the examples and experience of successful countries in the field of public procurement. According to the bibliographic and quantitative research, the main challenges of public procurement in small and medium-sized have been identified: information uncertainty, lack of tender preparation skills, less access to electronic tenders, lack of electronic platforms, ignorance of procurement procedures, time-consuming and strict procurement process, and others. In addition, the factors of information uncertainty and inability are considered to be the main challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises in Georgia. The article proposes the possibilities of strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises with local production support mechanisms through state procurement. The following questions are answered: how it will facilitate access to public procurement opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, how it will improve the general economic environment, how much it will facilitate access to resources and fair competition, how much it will ensure inclusive and sustainable development of the economy.

The role of agri-food trade in food security and agricultural development is substantiated in the article. There is Assessed food trade challenges, export restrictions and import facilitation during the COVID-19 crisis. The paper examines the changes in supply caused by various factors in the production sector in the agri-food sector, hypothesizing that food demand is relatively stable financially, as well as during various crises. The paper analyzes the views of scientists on the difficulties caused by the pandemic, on the basis of which two development scenarios are formulated. Opportunities have been identified for the continuation of trade in agri-food products between countries, and there is a reasonable view on the incentives for trade in these products in the short and long term. In the process of research, through comparative analysis, the indicators of trade in agri-food products of Georgia in the pre-pandemic (2018-2019) and post-pandemic (2020-2021) periods are grouped, positive and negative trade trends are identified. At the same time, based on the results of the global financial crisis and the pandemic, an in-depth analysis of typical and atypical crises has been conducted for the agri-food sector around the world and in Georgia. Based on the results of the research, a matrix has been compiled to determine the growth and decline rates of trade in agri-food products before and during the pandemic. The paper draws conclusions and makes recommendations on food trade challenges and trade improvement measures during the COVID-19 crisis.