TWO MOBILE ASCS LAUNCHED AT THE U-LEADSTEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE U-LEAD WITH EUROPE PROGRAMMEISSUE # 17, NOVEMBER 2019

EU and Government representatives presented the keys of two mobileAdministrative Service Centres to Heads of hromadas. Photo: U-LEAD Archives

The Steering Committee for U-LEAD assembled for its 6th meeting in the House of Decentralisation on 26 November. The focus was on key achievements of the Programme since January 2019 as well as the roadmap for 2020 and beyond. The meeting was chaired by Aliona Babak, Min-ister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, and co-chaired by Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.

“Ukraine values the support to decentralisation processes provided by U-LEAD with Europe, integrating European ex-periences in key tasks for implementation of the reform in the country”, said Aliona Babak.

“The Programme is now prepared for its continuation next year. We believe that the European Charter of Local Self-Government is an important guideline, the benchmark for the next steps of the reform,” noted Stefan Schleuning.

Both Programme Directors of U-LEAD with Europe, Bastian Veigel and Susanna Dellans, presented results of U-LEAD to donor representatives, namely the European Union and its member states Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Estonia.

Just before the meeting, Aliona Babak and Stefan Schleun-ing presented the keys of two mobile Administrative Ser-

vice Centres to the Heads of Dunayivtsi AH (Khmelnytskyi oblast) and Mezhova AH (Dnipropetrovsk oblast). The Mobile ASCs are part of the support provided by U-LEAD to improve the administrative service delivery in Ukraine. Establishment of high-quality public services infrastruc-ture and bringing services closer to the people is one of U-LEAD’s goals.

Susanna Dellans, Sida Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe: “These two Mobile ASCs are handed over to hromadas in two different regions of Ukraine and will pro-vide quality services for more than 50 000 residents of 80 settlements. We are very proud that Sweden is part of this action. Through the joint efforts of Ukrainian and European experts together with the newly amalgamated hromadas, the residents of Ukraine will have access to qualitative ser-vices even in the most remote settlements”.

Bastian Veigel, GIZ Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe: “I would like to emphasise that we work hand in hand with our Swedish colleagues in the frame of U-LEAD. We are on the same page at the national level in terms of supporting MinRegion (our main political partner) and we also contribute together to decentralisation and local em-powerment. U-LEAD with Europe has supported all 1,004 amalgamated hromadas established to date, as well as other hromadas yet to be amalgamated”.

DYNAMICS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IMPRINT

Feature: How to establish an energy efficient administrative building in the Ukrainian hromada

The Interview:Oksana Troian

Decentralisation Dynamics

Success Story: The road to inclusive education in Ukraine

Facts & Figures

Voices of U-LEAD with Europe

Responsible forthe publication:

U-LEAD with EuropeProgrammeBastian Veigel,Susanna Dellans

Editors:Olena MolodtsovaRoland Hackenberg

Production and distribution:U-LEAD Monitoring,Visibility and KnowledgeManagement Team

ADVOCACY AND POLICY SPECIALIST, U-LEAD WITH EUROPE PROGRAMME’S SUPPORT TO

IMPROVED ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE DELIVERY

VASYL SEHIN

“STATE IN A SMARTPHONE”:

WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW BEFORE

LAUNCHING?

U-LEAD IN THE SPOTLIGHT

One of the most ambitious projects in the area of administrative services in recent years is certainly the “State in a smartphone”. However, prior to proceed with the implementation of future plans, it is worth getting familiar with the current situation.

Systemic implementation of the reform in the area of administrative services was intensified in 2012, and since 2015 it has been closely interconnected with decentralisation processes in the country. The hromadas have gained authority and resources to properly meet the needs of the population for administrative services. Establishment of ASCs is voluntary for the hromadas (except for cities of regional significance), but nevertheless they have shown a broad interest in this opportunity as administrative services provision is a much sought-after form of citizens’ interaction with public authorities.

Surveys show that 91 % of ASC visitors in large cities assess the operation of the centres positively. The opposite rating is observed for the ASCs of district state administrations (rayons), ASCs that were often established on paper only (by virtue of the law) and do not meet an appropriate level of service quality.

It should be noted that only 5 % of the population benefit from online administrative services. Therefore, when reforming this area, it is crucial that no restrictions are imposed on the physical access to services, as such services will remain in demand for a long time for various population groups, even when development of online services is a priority.

The importance of making physical services available is also confirmed by the number of consultations provided in the ASCs. Based on monitoring results of the first ASCs opened under the U-LEAD with Europe Programme in hromadas – about 40 out of 100 visitors apply for consultations in physical centres even though consultations are available online.

The President’s team pays attention to the challenges with administrative services provision. However, we have noticed that the goals for development of online services are more ambitious than the goals for physical access to services. Receiving services through a smartphone is a long-term prospect for a majority of the population. Meanwhile, the decentralisation reform and the network of ASCs already deliver fast and sustainable results. Capable hromadas are the key to a successful state, and well-functioning ASCs are the key to citizens satisfied with a “service state”.

I hereby invite you to enjoy this edition of Dynamics and learn more on the decentralization progress and achievements of the last month.

KYIVAND THE WINNERS OF THE CRYSTALS WERE...They came. They celebrated financial integrity in local self-government. And they took home awards for their contributions to budget transparency. At the Crystal 2019 Awards in Kyiv on 19 November 2019, 32 nominees from amalgamated hromadas around Ukraine waited with excitement to hear who had scored highest in 11 categories of transparent budgeting. Promoted by USAID Ukraine through its DOBRE Program and U-LEAD with Europe, the awards assessed good practices in transparent budgeting. In 2018, 50 AHs and 37 cities participated in the evaluation. In 2019, that number was 106, proving that the awards also encourage other hromadas to go through the assessment process and improve their public financial management. Supported by U-LEAD with Europe, the Amalgamated Hromada of Chmyrivska in Luhansk Oblast set the record for the evening by taking home two awards: For gender mainstreaming in the budgeting process and for most innovative practices of budget transparency. Nemyrivska AH from Vinnytsia Oblast came in first for most open budget information (see the interview).

UKRAINESUCCESSES AND INSPIRATIONS FOR 2019/2020Stories of successes are more than just accounts of people who tapped the potential decentralisation offers in Ukraine to effect change in their cities, towns, villages and settlements. They are inspirations. Visit any amalgamated hromada in Ukraine and the people involved all have their stories to tell. Stories of how people can lead better lives in their home towns and villages. Stories of new approaches that make life worth living. Stories of achievements by residents of communities they could not have managed before 2014. To honour the changes that have been made since 2014 and are still being made, U-LEAD with Europe published a new compendium of success stories as download and in print from your U-LEAD regional office. While the stories may all be in the past, their effects are felt in both the present and long into the future.

KYIVEGOV4UKRAINE PROJECT TO UPDATE “VULYK”The EGOV4Ukraine project conducted two workshops for further improvement of the information system “Vulyk” in November. The workshops were held in order to summon the experience gained during the early implementation of the system in order to update the and improve the system, taking into account the future significant scope of its implementation in hundreds of Administrative Service Centres. About 30 representatives of state bodies, the IT-sphere, specialized projects, U-LEAD experts and hromadas took part in the workshops. The participants suggested lots of ideas for expanding the functionality of the “Vulyk”. The most relevant suggestions will be applied after analysis of the EGOV4Ukraine.

KHARKIVKHARKIV TO HELP INTEGRATE WITH TREMBITAOn 5 November, EGOV4Ukraine project experts visited Kharkiv to discuss the issues of e-governance development with the city council. One of the city’s ASCs was also visited. It was agreed that the project would help to integrate the city’s electronic registers with state registers through the Trembita data exchange system. The plans are set out in a Memorandum of Cooperation signed by EGOV4Ukraine Team Leader Mari Pedak and Kharkiv Mayor Gennady Kernes.

KYIVENGAGING RESIDENTS IN HROMADA DEVELOPMENT: PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION TIPS (VIDEO)Earlier this autumn the U-LEAD with Europe Programme launched its Manual on Informing and Engaging Citizens in the Work of the ASC. During the presentation experts from leading Ukrainian communications agencies, EU projects, governmental and non-governmental organisations gave their recommendations to hromada activists on how to communicate effectively and involve the residents in joint activities.Please have a look at this video, in which communication experts answer the following questions:• What are the most important factors for effective

communication of the authorities with the residents of the newly established AH?

• What tools do you find most effective for Ukrainian hromadas?• How can hromada residents be persuaded by management to

plan resources for community outreach and involvement?

HOW TO ESTABLISH AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING IN THE UKRAINIAN

HROMADA: PRESENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME’S ENERGY MANUAL

On 7 November the Forum “Energy Modernisation of Administrative Buildings in Ukraine: Practices and Challenges” was held in Kyiv. with the launch of the Manual “Best Practices and Advice on the Establishment of Energy Efficient ASCs in AHs” and the online energy efficiency calculator devel-oped by leading Ukrainian and Swedish experts of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

The Manual was designed to raise the hroma-das’ awareness of advanced technologies and energy-efficient approaches that contribute to sustainable development. Based on practices rel-evant for Ukraine, practices of implementation of energy-efficient technologies in Swedish munici-palities and successful examples of Ukrainian hro-madas, the Manual explains the basic principles of energy efficiency. It also gives practical advice and summarizes the regulatory and technical framework for the modernisation and construction of ASCs and other public buildings.In addition an online energy efficiency calculator

for administrative buildings was presented at the Forum. This is a tool with which the hromadas can calculate their energy usage of ASCs and other administrative buildings and learn about measures that will help them save costs for of maintenance of buildings without inflicting the visitor’s comfort. The calculator is available here: tsnap.ulead.org.ua/energy.

During the Forum “Energy Modernisation of Ad-ministrative Buildings in Ukraine”, the participants discussed national strategies for modernisation of administrative buildings, opportunities for coop-eration between hromadas and the public sector in green technologies, and learned about best practices of the implementation of energy-effi-cient technologies in Swedish municipalities and Ukrainian hromadas. All the Programme’s Manuals are available at the U-LEAD website for Support to Improved Administrative Service Delivery: tsnap.ulead.org.ua/library.

Natalia Starostenko, Head of Local Development Sector, the EU Delegation to Ukraine, welcomed the participants.Photo: U-LEAD Archives

Tamara Beresh, Institutional Support Coordinator of U-LEAD with Europe Programme’s Support to Improved Administrative Service Delivery presented the manual.Photo: U-LEAD Archives

OKSANA TROIAN HEAD OF FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT, NEMYRIVSKA AH, VINNYTSIA OBLAST

WINNER OF THE 2019 CRYSTAL AWARD

FOR OPEN BUDGET INFORMATION

Our motivation to win this award came from the desire to be open and transparent to our hromada and residents. The Nemyrivska City Council website contains a section with regular coverage and reporting of almost the entire budget process in the community, including socio-econom-ic development programmes, budget decisions and amendments, local budget forecasts, budget passports and performance reports, evalua-tions and reports on implementing local budgets. In short: The web page contains all the information that legislation requires on municipal enter-prises. We publish news in mass media and Facebook on meetings held by Mayor Victor Kachur with labour collectives and site visits and hold regular public consultations on use of funds. Finally, we provide budget information on the Edata website and in machine-readable format on the open data.gov.ua portal of the government. The list goes on…

Transparency became more of an issue for us with the start of the de-centralisation reform in Ukraine, particularly after our hromada amal-gamated. 12 villages and Nemyriv City are now in the hromada. It is no secret that before amalgamation, our funds were barely enough to pay state employees and solve pressing needs in the housing and commu-nal sector. Our administration showed great interest in transparency and accountability of budget processes. Now, in less than three years, we managed to repair roads, install lighting, replace the central water supply system, renovate classrooms, purchase equipment for schools and so on. Many good things were done, but it is not always visible to everybody. People like things to look nice – beautiful squares, gardens with foun-tains and pavements. We try to make residents aware of our develop-ment strategy and plans. At the same time, we want their feedback – to hear their ideas and assessment of our work.

The main incentive for taking part in the assessment was to under-stand if our approach meets standards for public financial man-agement. We did not have enough experience at the time when the hromada amalgamated. Consulting and advice from experienced experts is invaluable. Obviously, it is also difficult to evaluate yourself and we were concerned we might be too subjective when evaluating our financial management. We were very interested in budget disclosure for citizens, as we believe informing residents about budgetary practices is an innovative approach. The hrom-ada learnt how to explain which sources of revenue make up the budget and where spending goes in an understandable and easy fashion.

Citizens tend to be more interested and engaged in matters to do with spending and budgets when issues arise. We try to prevent this through consultation before taking any action. We respond to people’s concerns and I also believe that citizens’ awareness of tasks can relieve social ten-sion. However, transparency of budgetary information also helps attract investments to our hromada that it always needs. We have seen that our experience, not only in financial management, but in management of as-sets received, is valuable for others. This is hard daily work we do and thanks to U-LEAD we tell other municipalities about our experience. In the end, the best validation or award for our transparency and openness is the wish another 12 hromadas have expressed to amalgamate with Nemyrivska AH.

Congratulations on winning the Crystal Award for open budget information! How does Nemyrivska AH make citizens aware of how tax money is spent?

When and how would you say did your hromada start giving transparency of budgets more thought and action?

You took part in public financial management as-sessment by U-LEAD with Europe and the DOBRE Program by USAID Ukraine. What rating would you have given yourself before the evaluation and what were important lessons you learnt?

How committed are citizens to finding out more about where money is being spent? Has your exam-ple helped and encouraged hromadas to follow suit?

Questions prepared by: U-LEAD with Europe

Q:

Q:

Q:

Q:

THE U-LEAD WITH EUROPE INTERVIEW

SUCCESS STORY

THE ROAD TO INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN UKRAINE

DECENTRALISATION DYNAMICS

The vision in Ukraine is to include every Ukrainian citizen in the benefits of the decentralisation reform. This includes children, and especially children with disabilities who are particularly vulnerable. Strategies for education can now be drafted locally to cater for more inclusive approaches and op-portunities in schools.

Of 700,000 Ukrainian children with disabilities, more than 168,000 of them have special educational needs. Until recently, children with disabilities were taught in special classes, segregating them from mainstream school-ing – and the possibility to learn and make friends with other kids their age. Nowadays, 6% of schools in Ukraine have inclusive classes; that number is growing.

U-LEAD WITH EUROPE SUPPORTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION - FROM PLANNING...

With its expertise in education sector reform, U-LEAD with Europe occu-pies a vantage point for assisting and supporting municipalities in oppor-tunities for inclusive education. In Kherson Oblast, U-LEAD worked with the City of Nova Kakhovka to lay the groundwork for its inclusion strategy. As local educator Maryna Skrypnikova says, “Conditions for inclusive edu-cation and upbringing of children are being created in schools in all settle-ments of Ukraine.” With a population of 52,000, Nova Kakhovka wanted to ensure children with disabilities would be well accommodated.

Working together with U-LEAD with Europe, Nova Kakhovka took advan-tage of professional consultations on inclusive spaces and a study trip to Poland on introducing the right curricula in schools. Additionally, with an Inclusive Education Resource Centre in the hromada, educators and psy-chologists could provide consulting on childrens’ needs and assess needs for children with disabilities to enroll and join classes in secondary schools.

...TO ESTABLISHING THE STRUCTURE FOR ALL CHILDREN TO GO TO THE SCHOOLS THEY NEED

“There was a growing need for psycho-pedagogical assessment of inclu-sive children,” Maryna Skrypnikova adds. With support from U-LEAD, in a little under a year, the city managed to establish and open its own Inclusive Resource Centre. The offices and premises in one of the city schools were repaired and overhauled to fulfil standards of accessibility for children with special needs.

These centres provide services for up to 12,000 kids and determine edu-cational needs for individual children. Staffed by practical psychologists, the centre in Nova Kakhovka can assess childrens’ intelligence coeffi-cients. With data available on children and their potential, the centre can contribute to recommendations for the hromada’s general educational programme. Nova Kakhovka is now in a better position to provide the right psychological-pedagogical and correctional-developmental services for the city’s children – within its mainstream secondary schooling.

WE NEED HELP OF HROMADAS TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE DECENTRALISATION, - VYACHESLAV NEHODAThe reform of local self-government and territorial organisation of power (decentralisation) is coming to its end. At this stage, the quickest and the most responsible decisions in the country should be taken. It is necessary to change the Constitution, to make a new and capable administrative-territorial order in the country, and to have local elections on a new territorial basis in 2020. We expect that at least the amalgamated hromadas will be our assistants in reporting merits and necessity of these changes to the public, said Vyacheslav Nehoda, Deputy Minister of Development of Hromadas and Territories of Ukraine during the round table “Road to capacity. Dialogue of hromadas” held in the Lviv Oblast State Administration

MORE THAN 1000 AHS ESTABLISHED IN UKRAINE (MINREGION’S MONITORING)1002 amalgamated hromadas (AHs) with a population of more than 11 million people were formed in Ukraine as of 10 November, reports MinRegion, citing the monthly monitoring of the decentralisation process and local self-government reform. 96 of them with hold their first local elections in December. Another 23 AHs await the decision of the Central Election Commission to appoint the first local elec-tions in their territory. 43 AHs were formed with centres in cities of oblast significance.

In total, 6389 local councils remain outside the process of capable hromadas’ formation. The Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts ranked as leaders of capable hromadas’ formation. The last positions of the ranking are repre-sented by the Kirovohrad, Zakarpattia, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Lviv Oblasts. Only 8 oblasts have approved perspective plans for the formation of hromadas’ territories that cover 100% of oblasts. However, these plans also need adjustments.

LOCAL ELECTIONS IN UKRAINE WILL TAKE PLACE IN AUTUMN 2020, – HEAD OF VERKHOVNA RADAUkraine’s local elections will be held in the autumn of 2020, said Dm-ytro Razumkov, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, during a working trip to Zaporizhzhia.

According to him, local elections will take place after the completion of decentralisation and adoption of the Electoral Code.

“If we talk about elections in general, they will take place after the decentralisation reform is over – this is the first point. Secondly – af-ter the so-called Electoral Code is adopted. If we talk about the time elections will take place, then by one hundred percent in 2020, most likely in autumn. But I do not exclude the fact that elections on some territories may be held earlier,” said Dmytro Razumkov.

Inclusive education lets children with disabilitieslearn with other kids their age.

Photo: U-LEAD Archives

U-LEAD VOICES

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union and its member states Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of its authors and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union and its

member states Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Sweden.

© U-LEAD with Europe, 2019

Since amalgamation, the topic of budget transparency has become more important. People are beginning to identify with the community and understand that every single penny of tax paid will go to the development and maintenance of the amalgamated hromada.

Hryniuk SvitlanaDeputy Head of Chmyrivka Village

Amalgamated HromadaInterview with U-LEAD with Europe

The new Administrative Service Centre in Komyshuvakha will bring many positive benefits to thousands of citi-zens, such as equal and improved administrative ser-vices and faster access. I am delighted to see that the de-centralisation reform, one of the most important reforms in Ukraine, continues to deliver for the people thanks to the strong cooperation between the EU-supported Pro-gramme and the Ukrainian amalgamated hromadas.

Christian DanielssonDirector-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, at the ASC opening ceremony

in Komyshuvakha AH

I believe local self-government is key to democracy in Ukraine. A transparent budget is one of the main tools for local development. And it is the local self-govern-ment that by effective resource management will make Ukraine great.

William TaylorActing United States Ambassador to Ukraine

Speaking in Kyiv at the Crystal Awards Ceremony

Gender responsive budgeting is also about ensuring that communities make the best possible use of their resources. It’s only when men and women have equal opportunities to pursue their full potential as human beings and as citizens that societies can fulfil their potential. Gender responsive budgeting makes a huge contribution to Ukraine’s economic prosperity.

Tobias ThybergSwedish Ambassador to Ukraine

Speaking in Kyiv at the Crystal Awards Ceremony

We all know how difficult it is to cope with new rules, new procedures, and a new environment. Therefore, hroma-das have done a tremendous amount of work to meet the challenges given by decentralisation aiming to get closer to the citizens and build trust by being transparent about their local budgets.

Alexandra FehlingerDeputy GIZ Programme Director of

U-LEAD with EuropeSpeaking in Kyiv at the Crystal Awards Ceremony

Websites: u-lead.org.ua, decentralisation.gov.ua https://tsnap.ulead.org.ua/

Facebook: facebook.com/ULEADwithEurope

Address: House of Decentralisation, 20 Velyka Zhytomyrska Street (4th floor),

Kyiv 01001, Ukraine Phone: (+380 44) 581 27 99

Email: pr@u-lead.org.ua