UKRAINE - Support to decentralization

In April 2014 the Government of Ukraine (GoU) committed to a process of comprehensive decentralization reforms. By expanding the powers of local government bodies, the GoU intends to promote democracy, improve service delivery to citizens, and better coordinate national and local interests.

In April 2014 the Government of Ukraine (GoU) committed to a process of comprehensive decentralization reforms. By expanding the powers of local government bodies, the GoU intends to promote democracy, improve service delivery to citizens, and better coordinate national and local interests.

The Swedish Government has committed to support the GoU in these reform efforts. Sweden and the Nordic countries have a long history of decentralized government, public service systems and relevant experiences of local self-governance. Through the project “Support to Decentralization in Ukraine” (DSP), the Swedish Government will support the GoU in the decentralization reforms and assist the local government sector to take on more powers and responsibilities.

The DSP is being implemented by SALAR and its subsidiary SKL International, in close cooperation with several key ministries in the Ukrainian reforms, there among Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance. Its inception phase started in September 2014, while the implementation took off from February 2015. The project will run until the end of December 2019. The DSP is a long-term commitment of the Swedish Government and it is being funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

Main thematic options for support

Based on research and assessments during the inception phase, the DSP has the following main themes in focus for its interventions and support:

Fiscal Decentralization

The DSP interventions strives to strengthen the analytical and policy making capacities of the GoU and other Ukrainian key stakeholders with regard to fiscal decentralization. Advisory, analytical and coordination support will be provided to create a shared and more robust empirical foundation for fiscal policy making in a transformed emerging system of decentralized government.

Education

The main objective of the DSP in the education sector is a focused sustained support to the reform of education decentralization and finance and to capacity development of key education stakeholders in Ukraine. The technical entry point for the support is the national legislative requirement and new allocation formulas. The DSP interventions will address the needs and priorities in these fields, and provide advisory, analytical and capacity building support to national and local key stakeholders in education

Support to the Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities (AATC)

Strengthening the legitimacy and membership base of the association to achieve the legal requirements set for the LGSs in the Ukrainian legislation. Capacity building, coaching and advisory support to help the Association to represent its municipal members and undertake proactive evidence-based lobbying and advocacy towards national and regional institutions. Introduction and implementation of sound institutional organizational changes that would help the Association to perform effectively and democratically.

In addition to the above, two cross-cutting areas of support are being integrated in the project.

Communication of Reforms

Interventions of embedding and integrating best practices and principles of transparency and access of information flows throughout the reform process, and improving the communication of reforms to national and sub-national stakeholders as well as to the public. This includes; supporting capacity building of regional media in the

Reform Process Management & Coordination

Strengthening of inter-ministerial and inter-institutional coordination of policy design, legal drafting and policy implementation processes; improving individual and organizational capacities to manage the change process.

Other fields of cooperation may also be requested by the GoU as the project and reform process unfolds. The DSP promotes gender equality, human rights and environmental sustainability in all its development interventions.

Approach and scope of cooperation

To ensure flexibility and responsiveness, a joint Swedish-Ukrainian Secretariat has been established including one office in Kiev. In close dialogue with the Ukrainian counterparts, the Secretariat identifies and respond to emerging needs and priorities along the way as the reform processes progress.

The DSP support Ukraine’s decentralization through different forms of cooperation. The ambition is to always provide adequate support that addresses real needs and issues, backed up both local and international expertise representing Sweden, other Nordic countries, and EU member states such as Poland and the Baltic States. The main forms of cooperation include:

• Identify, assess and address urgent needs and priorities for advisory, analytical and capacity building support.
• Provision of technical assistance in the areas of support
• Policy advice, dialogue and analysis
• Support to organizational and institutional capacity
• Delivery of trainings, seminars and workshops
• Provision of international exchange including study visits, coaching and mentoring

More information and contact

To read more about the Project, please visit our Facebook page DSP Ukraine

Or the project website: http://sklinternational.org.ua