Irina Lashkhi is a freelance consultant and civil society expert who works with a variety of local and international organizations, including the Open Budget Partnership, Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation, multiple USAID-funded programs, the Goethe Institute Tbilisi office, and a number of local and regional civil society organizations.

Irina has 16 years of experience in developing and managing civil society development and good governance programs. From 2013-2014 she worked on the USAID-funded Policy, Advocacy and Civil Society Development project in Georgia, and from 2005-2013 on the Human Rights and Good Governance Program at the Open Society Georgia Foundation.

Irina possesses an in-depth understanding of the CSO sector and good governance reforms in Georgia and Eastern Partnership Countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine). She has excellent working relationships with think tanks, government representatives, donors, and CSOs operating in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.

Her areas of expertise include: civil society capacity building, grant-making and management, good governance, anti- corruption reforms, and budget transparency.