DECENTRALISED STRUCTURES IN UKRAINE – CLOSE TO CITIZENS
In Ukraine, efforts are under way to build trust and make structures more responsive to citizens’ needs. In future, many political decisions are to be taken at the level where their impact will be most acutely felt, in other words at local level. As the country moves closer to the EU, and as part of the ambitious reform agenda it has been pursuing since 2014, the country is decentralising its administrative structures.
EUROPEAN ENGAGEMENT FOR UKRAINE’S ADMINISTRATION
Ukraine is receiving broad support from Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Poland, Sweden and the European Union in these efforts. The reform project, initially piloted in two regions and funded by BMZ, was rolled out nationwide in 2016, with the support of new partners. The scaled up programme is funded by an EU special programme which is fostering decentralisation and regional development in Ukraine. GIZ and Sweden’s government-owned development agency Sida are implementing the project jointly.
The most important element is the training being provided for staff in Ukraine’s administrative bodies. 24 regional centres are being established and specialists and managers trained to handle the wide spectrum of new responsibilities that decentralisation is bringing. These include efficient public financial management and civic participation, as well as technical issues like regional planning in rural areas and the use of energy-efficient technologies.
EXPERTS PROVIDE LONG-TERM SUPPORT FOR MUNICIPALITIES
The introduction of these nationwide training and advisory services for municipalities has triggered a dramatic increase in the demand for administrative experts. To meet this demand, the project is currently using a selection process to establish a countrywide pool of experts, who are to support municipalities in planning and implementing decentralisation measures even after the project itself has been wound up.