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THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE U-LEAD WITH EUROPE PROGRAMME ISSUE # 6, OCTOBER 2018

EGOV4UKRAINE contributes to e-governance in that will provide high-quality G2G, G2B and TABLE OF CONTENTS G2C services. Photo: U-LEAD Archives

Feature: The Mobile ASC: one year in VULYK PILOT IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING field OF ASC’S TASKS The Interview: Roman Matviychuk In a couple of weeks EGOV4UKRAINE The Vulyk was piloted in ASC of Ukrainka, Decentralisation Dynamics finalises the 1st round of piloting of the , , Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky, information system Vulyk in 10 administrative Kamyanets-Podilsky, Kakhovka, Nova Success Story: service centres (ASC). For now, 57 employees Kakhovka, Yuzhne, Olevsk and Chortkiv. The access to public services for of ASCs (administrators) are testing Vulyk and people with disabilities in giving feedback to developers for improving the The Vulyk improves the accessibility and quality Tiachiv hromada system. The most enthusiastic piloters are of administrative services provided by ASCs ASCs of Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky, Yuzhne, through facilitation of communication and work Voices of U-LEAD with Europe Olevsk and Kamyanets-Podilsky. processes, reducing the cost of paper workflow and increasing the accuracy of data. So far the direct interaction between developers, implementers and administrators has helped to The Vulyk is implemented by Estonian e- IMPRINT understand the work processes in ASC even Governance Academy and Soft Xpansion better. Therefore, the system has been adapted Ukraine LLC in cooperation with the State to fit the needs of the administrators. Agency for e-Governance of Ukraine. Responsible for the publication: The administrators are very enthusiastic in The launch of Vulyk in the next ASCs will be set piloting the system and we are open to their up by the end of 2018. The aim of the project is U-LEAD with Europe feedback in order to develop efficient tools for to implement the system in up to 600 ASCs Programme them,” said Mari Pedak, the team leader of across Ukraine by the end of 2020. Bastian Veigel, EGOV4UKRAINE. Kameran Khudur “For example the administrators suggested Editors: adding consultation of customers to the system. Olena Molodtsova Initially there was no measuring tool for the time Roland Hackenberg that was spent on consulting the customers in fulfilling the requirements of documents for Very soon the Vulyk will replace paper-documents by digital

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various government offices,” said Mari Pedak. documents and data-flow. Photo: U-LEAD Archives Production and distribution: U-LEAD Monitoring, Visibility and Knowledge Management Team

U-LEAD IN THE SPOTLIGHT

KYIV SUPPORTING AWARENESS RAISING OF THE DECENTRALISATION BENEFITS MARIIA TYSCHENKO Fifty TV programmes “Svoya Zemlya” (Own Land) with COORDINATOR OF THE POLICY ADVICE AND SUPPORT UNIT, success stories of amalgamated hromadas in different U-LEAD WITH EUROPE’S SUPPORT TO IMPROVED have been produced in cooperation with ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE DELIVERY the Ukrainian Public Broadcaster UA:PBC / Suspilne and its five regional branches with the support of U-LEAD with Europe. “Svoya Zemlya” will be aired every Tuesday at 17:10. POLICY AS NEW KOBLEVE HORIZONS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF AHS, REGIONAL OFFICIALS AND EXPERTS GATHERED TO PROGRAMME DISCUSS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

On 17-18 October, the 2nd Regional Development Forum “Southern Dream”, dedicated to the issues of regional The U-LEAD with Europe Programme is expanding its functions to development and attraction of investments in improve the quality of administrative services via introduction of the amalgamated hromadas, was held in Kobleve with the “policy” direction. support of U-LEAD with Europe. In the course of the event, the implementation of new regional policy at the local level, Based on the monitoring and evaluation of the legislative tourism development in AHs, fundraising for the challenges in the field of administrative service provision, the implementation of development projects and e-solutions Programme's experts will develop the proposals for its for data collection and processing in hromadas were improvement. We have already gathered the problems and discussed. challenges that local governments, including Administrative Service Centres (ASCs), encounter while providing administrative services and structured them by thematic blocks: general issues (changes to the Law of Ukraine "On Administrative Services", development of the ASCs network); staff issues in ASCs; social administrative U-LEAD WITH EUROPE SUPPORTS THE services; pension services; services for registration of civil status SKILLS IMPROVEMENT OF UKRAINIAN acts; registration of residence; passport services; real estate and PUBLIC OFFICIALS business registration; registration of land plots and the issuance of information from the State land cadastre; notarial activities committed by officials of local authorities; financial capability of On 5 October, the Memorandum of Understanding was amalgamated hromadas / sustainability of ASCs / related services. signed between the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil After public discussion of these challenges (both online and offline) Service, the All-Ukrainian Centre for In-Service Training of at the level of definition and structuring, we will work towards Civil Servants and Local Self-Government Officials, the harmonization of the proposals to address these issues with the Council of Europe and U-LEAD with Europe. The goal of possible assistance of the Programme and other stakeholders. We this cooperation is to improve professional training for local hope that this will contribute to positive institutional changes. self-government officials in Ukraine in the field of human resource management. The team of experts consolidates efforts by engaging other projects and programmes. Considering the experience of the Programme’s Inception Phase and the best Ukrainian and KYIV international practices, we provide counselling support to STUDY VISITS TO EXEMPLARY ASCS stakeholders on legislative reform issues.

The introduction of the policy direction within the Support to improved administrative services delivery of the U-LEAD with

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Europe Programme is a "brainstorming" for inspirators and 33 study visits to modern exemplary ASCs established Programme experts. We expect quantitative (establishment of new with the support of the Programme were conducted from appropriate ASCs) as well as qualitative (new practical advantages August to October. 654 leaders of AHs and ASCs, experts of decentralization) positive changes in our society. on the municipalities services etc. from 332 hromadas participated in the visits. The participants This issue of "Dynamics" will provide you with a lot of information learned more about the institutional mechanisms of ASC on how the access to services provision changes and improves the functioning and the key infrastructure features of the well- life of hromadas and their citizens. functioning ASCs. The representatives of different hromadas exchanged experience, as well as got consultations from leading Ukrainian experts in the field of administrative service delivery.

THE MOBILE ASC: ONE YEAR IN FIELD

Residents of many small settlements still have to go tens of The social services are especially popular at the Mobile ASC, and kilometers to get to the ASC. The mobile Administrative Services the periods of subsidies’ registration are the hottest for the ASC Centers can help to solve this issue. It is a specially equipped employees. It is also convenient to use a vehicle for registering vehicle with air conditioning, generator and heater, and is newborns in the city, as it is possible to immediately register a accessible for people with disabilities. place of residence and apply for state aid.

Two administrators can simultaneously serve two visitors in a "It is convenient to order services immediately at the maternity comfortable environment. The first mobile ASC operates as a home. My wife with the baby is busy now, so I can get the mobile office of the stationary ASC and provides about 80 most necessary services. Thanks to this service we didn’t worry about essential services in the Slavuta rayon, and 240 services in the city this matter and quickly decided everything," - shares the of Slavuta. impressions Pavlo Medvedyuk, a young father, after completing the documents in the mobile ASC. The schedule of the ASC’s work is flexible and is based upon citizens' requests. The mobile ASC also serves people in the In future, the hromada plans to install passport equipment in the format of on-site administrator, which is relevant for the elderly mobile office, since there are all the technical possibilities for this in people, people with disabilities, as well as those, who are in the the car. With the provision of passport services, the mobile ASC hospital or cannot visit the ASC themselves for other reasons. will generate revenue for the hromada.

The team of the Slavuta Administrative Service Centre advise hromadas, planning a Mobile ASC project, to be 100% sure that the “ASC on wheels” will be able to provide social services primarily to the residents of remote villages. In practice, this means that all amalgamation processes must be completed in the hromada. Hromada’s ability to maintain it is equally important.

Pensioners of the Slavutska AH are the most frequent visitors to the Mobile ASC. Photo: U-LEAD ASC employees Archives at the mobile office. Photo: U-LEAD Archives

ROMAN MATVIYCHUK THE U-LEAD WITH EUROPE INTERVIEW

REGIONAL COORDINATOR OF THE ROLL-OUT

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PHASE, WEST REGION THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE CENTRES IN SOME HROMADAS ARE BETTER THAN IN CITIES OF OBLASTS CENTRES

For 6 years you have been helping hromadas in establishing ASCs in Western Ukraine. How To what extent are the hromadas of the has the situation in the region changed during western regions realizing the potential of the this period in terms of making services closer cross-municipal cooperations mechanisms? to citizens?

In general, there is a positive trend, especially over the last three One of the examples of the most effective application of hromadas years. cooperation is the organization of provision of the real estate registration services. In 2015, the establishment of ASCs was a rarity in the hromadas that are not cities of oblast significance. However in 2018, the It is expedient to apply this mechanism in organisation ACSs in some AHs are better than some ASCs of the cities of of administrative services delivery in hromadas that are not oblasts centres, particularly in terms of the list of services provided. sufficiently capable and located close to proper ASCs in other hromadas or cities of oblast significance. In this case, the remote workplaces of the ASC's administrator can be created in less capable hromadas.

The example of the city of Slavuta, Khmelnytskyi oblast, is also worth mentioning. There the services are provided to residents of several neighbouring hromadas through the mobile ASC. A number of hromadas selected in Round 1 of the Programme are planning to implement this mechanism.

At the same time, the potential of cooperation can have more practical application and it needs to be further developed.

During the Roll-Out Phase you and the team visited more than 90 western hromadas. What What could be done to speed up this process difficulties do local authorities consider to be (both at hromada and oblast levels)? the most relevant when establishing a well- functioning ASC?

At the level of hromada, it is important to assess the real situation With a proper understanding of the role and place of the ASC in with the provision of administrative services, especially in hromada’s life, local authorities have every opportunity to comparison with best practices in similar hromadas. Active position overcome the existing difficulties. of the hromadas leaders, council members, the public and their desire to improve the existing situation are crucial. Among the infrastructure issues that the hromadas are dealing with, the most important is the selection and preparation of proper At the level of oblast, the coordination of actions, facilitation of premises for the ASC, which provides the open space with barrier- decentralization processes, integration of services to the AHs' free access to the services, incuding for people with disabilities. ASCs are expedient. It is crucial that both oblast and raion state administrations contribute to the establishment of joint ASCs of The Programme is willing to assist both in terms of institutional Regional state administrations (RSA) and hromadas, preferably establishment, integration of services in the ASC, staff training, and with the liquidation of ACSs of RSAs. in terms of physical establishment (purchase of furniture, IT equipment, provision of e-document system, and, if necessary and feasible, mobile ASC and electronic queue management system).

Questions prepared by: Visibility Group of U-LEAD with Europe

DECENTRALISATION DYNAMICS

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FIGURES AND FACTS STUBBORNLY PROVE THAT DECENTRALIZATION CHANGES PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR THE BETTER, SAID VIACHESLAV NEHODA ABOUT REFORM MONITORING DATA

Zhytomyr Oblast is a leader among the regions in the establishment of amalgamated hromadas. Hromadas in Poltava and Vinnytsia oblasts are the best in the use of cooperation tools. In Khmelnytskyi and Ternopil oblasts, the greatest number of starostas has been elected. In Volyn, Zhytomyr and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, there are no raions without AH.

What are the areas in which the regions are leading, Liubov Zelenko and her daughter Svitlana at the opening of Tyachiv and what are the areas in which they are lagging Administrative Service Centre. Photo: U-LEAD Archives behind, how public support funds are distributed and used, what happens in the sectors of medicine, education, administrative services, etc. – in the monthly monitoring of the process of decentralization of power and reform of the local self-government of the Ministry THE ACCESS TO PUBLIC of Regional Development.

“Monitoring is not just generalized data on the progress SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH of reform. These are indicators of real, tangible changes for people in cities and villages. And these indicators DISABILITIES IN TIACHIV stubbornly show that in the hromadas and hence in the country as a whole, the social and educational, medical, HROMADA administrative and utility services become better and more affordable, roads and communal infrastructure are improved, that is to say the living standards of people Liubov Zelenko and her daughter Svitlana are residents of a small are changing. Of course, these changes occur most town Tiachiv, a center of amalgamated hromada in Zakarpattia quickly in big cities and amalgamated hromadas,” oblast. Mom and daughter are both people with disabilities, commented Viacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister Svitlana moves only in a wheelchair. Liubov Zelenko says Tyachiv of Regional Development, Construction and Housing ASC is perhaps the only place in the whole infrastructure of the and Communal Services of Ukraine, on the monitoring town which her daughter is able to enter. data. "Every mother understands how it is to leave her child defenseless on the sidewalk when there is an urgent need to visit some building LOCAL BUDGET REVENUES FOR 9 - it does not matter whether it is a store or government agency. MONTHS INCREASED TO UAH 167.6 When we first got into the premises of the ASC, we felt like citizens of a country that cared about its people. I have never met such BILLION pleasant atmosphere in any other public institutions as in our ASC. The staff is very polite and friendly. I got the impression that they For 9 months of 2018, local budget revenues increased were selected at the best employee competition. We visited the by 25.0% or by UAH +32.7 billion compared to the ASC several times, and each time the reality exceeded our same period last year and amounted to UAH 167.6 expectations. I received a certificate of family composition in 5 billion. This was reported by the Vice Prime Minister – minutes, I filed an application for financial assistance in one visit, Minister of Regional Development, Construction and and in a few days, I received an SMS that the application was Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Hennadii verified, and the assistance would be granted. Everything is simple Zubko on his FB page. and very comfortable", - Liubov Zelenko enthusiastically shares impressions about the work of the ASC. In particular, personal income tax amounted to UAH 98.1 billion, which is higher than revenues received in "It seems to me that the residents of Tiachiv have not fully realized January-September of last year by +26.1%. Of 12 how lucky they are with the new ASC. As for me and my daughter, regions with a PIT growth rate higher than the average we hope that soon there will be other buildings we can visit in Ukraine, 4 regions ensured an increase of more than together in our town", - she adds. 28%. The Tiachiv amalgamated hromada became one of the 26 pilots Payments for land – UAH 20.4 billion. Of 19 regions which received support for the establishment and modernisation of that ensured the land payment growth rate higher than the ASC in the framework of the U-LEAD with Europe the average in Ukraine (2.6%), more than 10% were Programme’s Inception Phase. Tiachiv hromada became the first ensured by 4 regions. in Ukraine where the passport equipment was installed. All ASCs established with the support of the Programme are accessible to The actual receipts of a single tax – UAH 20.2 billion. people with disabilities. (increased by UAH +4.3 billion, or +26.8%).

MR. ZUBKO CALLED ON MPS TO ACCELERATE THE ADOPTION OF THE LAW ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND TERRITORIAL STRUCTURE OF UKRAINE

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The Parliament should adopt the Law of Ukraine “On Principles of the Administrative and Territorial Structure of Ukraine” as soon as possible. It will solve the problem of sabotage by 120 raions, which, after three years of decentralization, have not yet established any AHs. A law that will show how Ukraine will be formed further as an independent state, taking into account the European Charter of Local Self-Government. This was reported by the Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Hennadii Zubko during an Hour of Questions to the Government.

“The Parliament has to prove once again that it is a driving force in carrying out the decentralization reform,” Hennadii Zubko emphasized.

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In every city, in every hromada, we must provide all When we say that only economically strong Ukrainians with a decent living standards, high- hromadas will build a competitive economy of the quality healthcare and education, safe and country, we should make every effort to raise

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comfortable environment. Our main goal is human successful hromadas. As a new territorial basis of potential development, growth of the regional local self-government, amalgamated hromadas in human development index. the first years of their formation need proper support from the state.

Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities

I have visited our ASC and I am completely ASC operates very well. Skilled staff and everything satisfied! Services are provided very patiently. All is set up technically. Just amazing! ASC director my questions have been settled quickly, which is treats the subordinates and visitors humanly, shows important when you have a small child. Earlier, we understanding and helps. The support is felt. Before had to go to rayon centre to receive the necessary the establishment of ASC it was completely unclear certificates. The bus runs only in the morning. We where to go and with what question: to Bucha or to had to spend all day to receive one service. Now . Now all questions are solved in one place, everything is much easier. which is very convenient. Thank you so much!

Valentyna Shpilka, Liudmyla Yushchak, on maternity leave, Yerky amalgamated hromada housewife, hromada

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union and its member states Denmark, Estonia, , 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, 2018

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