School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi

Programme Overview

School infrastructure plays a fundamental role in safeguarding student safety, fostering learning equity, and supporting educational continuity.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌⁣ Public institutions, particularly across seismic zones in Central Asia and the Caucasus, face significant challenges in upgrading aging educational buildings to withstand earthquake hazards. This five-day course equips technical specialists with practical competencies in modern engineering norms, climate adaptation principles, and seismic resilience. Participants examine practical structural solutions, site planning, and quality assurance processes essential for safe, inclusive, and durable physical learning environments.

The programme provides rigorous analysis of international building codes, Eurocode standards, and regional seismic regulations applicable to educational institutions. Participants explore structural retrofitting methodologies, including concrete jacketing, steel bracing, and base isolation, alongside universal accessibility mandates and sustainable WASH integration. Through structured modules, civil engineers and infrastructure officers learn to address systemic vulnerabilities in load-bearing masonry and precast concrete school buildings, aligning civil works with the operational requirements of national ministries and donor-financed development portfolios.

Hosted in Tbilisi, Georgia, the training combines technical lectures, architectural drawing reviews, and simulated site inspections. Delegates practice auditing structural renovation blueprints, preparing defect assessment reports, and specifying green building measures, such as thermal insulation and low-carbon materials. Emphasising practical compliance across donor procurement environments, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and United Nations agencies, this programme empowers professionals to manage civil works contracts that uphold stringent structural integrity, energy efficiency, and child-centred environmental design standards.

Educational authorities across Central Asia and the South Caucasus are undertaking capital investments to replace or upgrade vulnerable school infrastructure, notably under initiatives such as the Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education project.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌⁣ Many existing learning facilities are vulnerable to earthquake activity, lack adequate thermal efficiency, and fail to provide modern water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. Delivering on public safety and donor-financed rehabilitation mandates requires procurement managers and infrastructure specialists to implement resilient designs, enforce stringent technical supervision, and execute seismic retrofitting before catastrophic structural failures or climate disruptions occur.

Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Tbilisi, Georgia, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Regional tectonic hazards, geotechnical risk evaluation, and school site selection criteria
• Comparative analysis of regional building codes, Eurocode 8, and international educational standards
• Vulnerability assessment of legacy masonry, unreinforced brick, and precast frame school structures
• Child-friendly architectural layouts: functional zoning, structural grid planning, and egress routes
• Integrating universal design, disability access, and physical safety into educational planning
• Non-destructive testing methods for concrete strength, masonry integrity, and reinforcement layout
• Engineered seismic strengthening: reinforced concrete jacketing, shear walls, and steel bracing systems
• Foundation underpinning, soil stabilisation, and seismic base isolation in public school assets
• Infrastructure planning and prioritisation
• Project appraisal and business cases
• Financing options and public-private partnerships
• Procurement and contracting for works

It is designed for civil engineers working within national ministries of education, school infrastructure project coordinators and technical advisors, procurement managers overseeing donor-funded civil works packages and others who want practical, current skills in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships.

The Growing Importance of School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi

Infrastructure and urban services shape growth, health and opportunity. Projects are large, complex and long-lived, and weaknesses in planning, financing or delivery are costly to fix later.

Governments increasingly combine public investment, partnerships with the private sector and new technologies. Teams who can plan, appraise, procure and manage these investments deliver better assets and services.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Plan and prioritise infrastructure investments
• Appraise projects and prepare business cases
• Choose financing and delivery models
• Supervise works for time, cost and quality
• Manage assets over their life

Strong infrastructure, urban development and partnerships systems help organisations:

• Select the right investments
• Deliver projects on time and on budget
• Attract financing and partners
• Keep assets working for longer

This School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.

Who Should Attend This School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Civil engineers working within national ministries of education
• School infrastructure project coordinators and technical advisors
• Procurement managers overseeing donor-funded civil works packages
• Structural engineers responsible for school rehabilitation and retrofitting
• Infrastructure specialists from Tajikistan educational development agencies
• Public works inspectors monitoring educational building construction sites
• Municipal and regional education department facilities managers
• Architects designing public learning facilities and early childhood centres
• Project management unit engineers managing multilateral development bank projects
• Environmental and social compliance officers overseeing school civil works
• Infrastructure and urban planners
• Engineers and technical managers

The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.

School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Training, participants will be able to:

• Appraise educational architectural designs against international seismic performance standards and regional building regulations
• Select appropriate seismic retrofitting techniques for vulnerable reinforced concrete, masonry, and precast school buildings
• Incorporate green building measures and energy efficiency standards into school renovation and reconstruction specifications
• Audit structural renovation blueprints to identify structural design deficiencies, safety hazards, and non-compliance issues
• Establish compliant water, sanitation, hygiene, and universal accessibility arrangements within educational building facilities
• Conduct thorough on-site inspections of structural civil construction works, earthworks, and material installations in schools
• Formulate quality assurance and construction supervision plans aligned with multilateral development bank procurement procedures
• Explain how infrastructure is planned and prioritised
• Appraise projects and prepare a business case
• Compare financing and delivery models, including partnerships

Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.

Programme Contents and Structure

The programme runs over 5 days. Each day combines expert input, practical work and a closing workshop or case study:

• First Day: School Infrastructure Standards and Seismic Risk Profiling
• Second Day: Seismic Retrofitting Methodologies and Structural Interventions
• Third Day: Green School Buildings, Energy Efficiency, and Climate Resilience
• Fourth Day: WASH Standards, School Safety, and Operational Services
• Fifth Day: Construction Supervision, Quality Assurance, and Contract Management

Full day-by-day contents

First Day | School Infrastructure Standards and Seismic Risk Profiling

• Regional tectonic hazards, geotechnical risk evaluation, and school site selection criteria
• Comparative analysis of regional building codes, Eurocode 8, and international educational standards
• Vulnerability assessment of legacy masonry, unreinforced brick, and precast frame school structures
• Child-friendly architectural layouts: functional zoning, structural grid planning, and egress routes
• Integrating universal design, disability access, and physical safety into educational planning

Workshop: School Infrastructure Standards and Seismic Risk Profiling: Applying It to Your Institution

Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.

Second Day | Seismic Retrofitting Methodologies and Structural Interventions

• Non-destructive testing methods for concrete strength, masonry integrity, and reinforcement layout
• Engineered seismic strengthening: reinforced concrete jacketing, shear walls, and steel bracing systems
• Foundation underpinning, soil stabilisation, and seismic base isolation in public school assets
• Addressing non-structural hazards: securing ceilings, lighting, heavy fixtures, and partition walls
• Practical blueprint analysis: identifying structural vulnerabilities in school refurbishment drawings

Workshop: Seismic Retrofitting Methodologies and Structural Interventions: Applying It to Your Institution

Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.

Third Day | Green School Buildings, Energy Efficiency, and Climate Resilience

• Thermal envelope optimisation: external wall insulation, high-performance glazing, and roof design
• Passive ventilation, indoor air quality management, and natural lighting in classroom environments
• Specifying renewable energy systems and energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
• Climate-resilient drainage, surface runoff mitigation, and flood prevention on educational plots
• Selection of sustainable, non-toxic, locally sourced, and low-carbon construction materials

Case Study: Green School Buildings, Energy Efficiency, and Climate Resilience in Practice

Participants analyse a realistic case, compare the choices made with good practice and draw lessons they can use in their own setting.

Fourth Day | WASH Standards, School Safety, and Operational Services

• Sizing and designing inclusive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure in schools
• Sanitary safety, greywater disposal, connection to municipal utilities, and decentralised sewage treatment
• Fire protection systems, smoke evacuation protocols, and emergency escape route compliance
• Integrating operational maintenance considerations into preliminary architectural and MEP designs
• Classroom ergonomics, acoustic insulation, and thermal comfort criteria for high-performance learning

Workshop: WASH Standards, School Safety, and Operational Services: Applying It to Your Institution

Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.

Fifth Day | Construction Supervision, Quality Assurance, and Contract Management

• Developing quality control and quality assurance frameworks for public school construction works
• On-site civil inspection protocols: rebar placement, concrete pouring, masonry, and weld verification
• Managing site records, non-conformance reports, and technical variation orders under donor rules
• Environmental, health, and safety supervision during active school rehabilitation and retrofitting
• Simulation exercise: conducting final structural inspection, snagging, and facility handover reviews

Capstone Exercise: School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Action Plan for Your Institution

Participants bring the week together in an action plan for their own institution, with priorities, owners and first steps, and present it for feedback from peers and facilitators.

School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Training Methodology

The training employs an applied, hands-on instructional approach tailored to the technical requirements of civil engineers and procurement specialists.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌⁣ Delegates engage with authentic architectural drawings, structural engineering models, and material technical data sheets. Instruction combines structured presentations on engineering standards with collaborative blueprint audits, case assessments of structural failures, and group defect-logging exercises. Participants analyse realistic site inspection scenarios and debate retrofitting trade-offs, enabling immediate application of quality assurance and contract monitoring tools within public educational infrastructure projects.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on current practice
• Regional and international case studies
• Group work and practical exercises
• Simulations and role plays where relevant
• Discussion of participants' own challenges
• Peer learning across institutions and countries
• Practical tools and templates to take back to work
• Daily reflection and action planning

Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group. Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Training, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrated capability to evaluate architectural and structural blueprints against seismic safety and green norms
• Competence in selecting technically sound and cost-effective retrofitting solutions for aging educational structures
• Practical skill in preparing energy-efficient and climate-resilient specifications for school civil works packages
• Proficiency in executing structured on-site civil works inspections and identifying structural non-conformities
• Ability to design compliant, inclusive, and hygienic school WASH facilities aligned with international standards
• Enhanced readiness to enforce quality assurance and donor contract compliance across educational construction works
• Plan and prioritise infrastructure investments
• Appraise projects and prepare business cases

Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.

Institutional Application of School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Investment planning
• Project appraisal
• Partnership management
• Works supervision
• Asset management

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Business cases
• Risk allocation
• Contract management
• Maintenance planning
• Service monitoring

The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.

Regional Relevance & Application

Europe

European institutions apply infrastructure, urban development and partnerships within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.

Africa

Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.

Middle East

In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on infrastructure, urban development and partnerships. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.

Asia

Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to infrastructure, urban development and partnerships that suit smaller institutions.

Holding the programme in Tbilisi, Georgia brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how infrastructure, urban development and partnerships is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.

Host Country Profile – Georgia

Programmes, Workshops, Exposures, Training Courses in Tbilisi, Georgia by Risalat Consultants International

Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.

School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Readiness Assessment
• School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi Training Manual
• Project Appraisal Template
• PPP Risk Allocation Matrix
• Works Supervision Checklist
• Asset Management Plan Template
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Business Case Review Checklist
• Maintenance Planning Template
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.

Common Challenges in School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi, And How This Training Helps

How can institutions plan and prioritise infrastructure investments?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (School Infrastructure Standards and Seismic Risk Profiling), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions appraise projects and prepare business cases?

The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Seismic Retrofitting Methodologies and Structural Interventions), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions choose financing and delivery models?

The programme addresses this directly on the third day (Green School Buildings, Energy Efficiency, and Climate Resilience), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions supervise works for time, cost and quality?

The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (WASH Standards, School Safety, and Operational Services), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions manage assets over their life?

The programme addresses this directly on the fifth day (Construction Supervision, Quality Assurance, and Contract Management), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the School Infrastructure Standards, Seismic Retrofitting and Green Building in Tbilisi programme take place?

It runs from 11 Oct 2027 to 15 Oct 2027, in Tbilisi, Georgia. The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for civil engineers working within national ministries of education, school infrastructure project coordinators and technical advisors, procurement managers overseeing donor-funded civil works packages, structural engineers responsible for school rehabilitation and retrofitting, and others who want practical skills in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.

Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?

Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.

Do I need prior experience in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships?

No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.

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