George Hartman has a strong background in local administration, local development, housing, heritage management and institutional development. His experience as former deputy mayor, management consultant and manager in Dutch municipalities enable him to establish productive partnerships with local authorities. His proficiency in Arabic and knowledge of the Middle East greatly contribute to his effectivity as development expert in those areas. He worked on assignments for the World Bank, EU, USAID, and GIZ, pre-dominantly in the following countries: Pakistan (on irrigation management) Syria (on local administration, regional planning and legislation), Egypt (on taxation), Lebanon (on strategic planning for ministries) and Jordan (on improvement of municipal service delivery)