THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE U-LEAD WITH EUROPE PROGRAMME DYNAMICSISSUE # 11, APRIL 2019

U-LEAD, MinRegion and the European Union cooperating on planning for 2019 at the House of Decentralisation in Kyiv Photo: U-LEAD Archives.

TABLE OF CONTENTS FIVE YEARS OF DECENTRALISATION

Cover Story: REFORM IN UKRAINE

Five years of decentralisation reform It’s official. In the second round of Ukraine’s presidential years of the reform and its implementation. It is now consid- in Ukraine election on 21 April 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky won against ered one of the greatest successes of his tenure. Feature: What has been done over the incumbent president . five years of decentralisation? The European Union also recognises the value of the re- Congratulating the new president, who will take office in one form to all Ukrainians. European observers and stakehold- The Interview: month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel released a state- ers consider decentralisation the most successful reform in Petro Kiyashko ment shortly after the win underscoring that Ukraine’s im- Ukraine. Following appraisal missions from both the EU and plementation of decentralisation is close to her heart. “The the German government, U-LEAD with Europe is set to con- Decentralisation Dynamics Federal government will continue to actively assist Ukraine,” tinue into 2020 and beyond. she wrote. Success Story: After five years of the reform, 9.1 million people in all oblasts The election of the new president comes with the fifth an- of Ukraine live in amalgamated , over a quarter of Revival of Preobrazhenka niversary of the Concept of local self-governance and terri- the population. One of the biggest changes for them is the torial power reforming in Ukraine which initiated a new and transition of powers to a new generation of politicians who Voices of U-LEAD with Europe comprehensive decentralisation reform in the country. The are making needed reforms. outgoing president, Petro Poroshenko, had overseen the first IMPRINT

Responsible for the publication:

U-LEAD with Europe Programme Directors Bastian Veigel, Kameran Khudur

Editors:

Olena Molodtsova, Roland Hackenberg

Production and distribution:

U-LEAD Monitoring, Visibility and Knowledge Management Team U-LEAD IN THE SPOTLIGHT

SUMY, KHARKIV PROFESSOR MILBRADT AND U-LEADERS VISITED TWO OBLASTS On 23-25 April, a delegation of U-LEAD with Europe chaired by Georg Milbradt, the special envoy of the German Government for the Ukrainian reforms of gov- BASTIAN VEIGEL ernance and decentralisation, went to the Sumy and Kharkiv Oblasts and took part in a number of events ranging from a meeting with the Sumy governor GIZ PROGRAMME DIRECTOR Mykola Klochko to a Q&A session with pupils of a modern school in the Piso- chynska AH near Kharkiv, having also visited the successful AH in the city of Trostyanets with a renovated hospital and two rayons of the Kharkiv Oblast where villages are still not eager to amalgamate. Professor Milbradt, EUD’s First Secretary Benedikt Herrmann and U-LEADers 888 HROMADAS had two hot discussions with the village heads of the Krasnokutsk and Bo- hodukhiv Rayons and less heated but more constructive dialogues with civil society representatives in the Sumy and Kharkiv LGDCs, preceded by press conferences there. Professor Milbradt, who delivered a lecture on decentrali- IN FIVE YEARS, sation to the students of Sumy State University, said that he had received sev- eral lectures from local people during the trip. In Kharkiv, the delegation was joined by the German Consul General based LOOKING FORWARD TO in Dnipro, Wolfgang Mössinger, and met with the Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Council Serhii Chernov, his first deputy Viktor Kovalenko and the deputy gov- ernor in charge of decentralisation Mykhailo Chernyak. Summing up the field visit, GIZ Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe Bastian Veigel said that 1,500 AHS the delegation had obtained valuable insights to be used in the further support to the reform and fine-tuning U-LEAD’s activities at the local level.

DNIPRO AND 600 ASCS PREPARED TO SOLVE HEALTHCARE PROBLEMS Hromadas are very interested in improving local healthcare systems, and U-LEAD with Europe eagerly assists them along this path, having developed a series of “Steps for Leaders” trainings on healthcare. On 16 April, the heads of In five years, decentralisation has affected the everyday lives of nine AHs from the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kirovohrad, Luhansk and Odesa million people in 888 amalgamated hromadas (AHs) across Ukraine. Oblasts took part in one of the training events of this series. During the seminar, the participants learned about the key challenges associ- The core goal of U-LEAD with Europe is to provide support to all of ated with capable primary healthcare network formation. After the training, AH them and help accelerating the amalgamation of the remaining hro- heads will be able to address healthcare problems, turn challenges into opportu- madas. nities to provide high-quality medical services in their hromadas.

LVIV Soon after the fifth anniversary of the Decentralisation Reform, in VOLUNTARY AMALGAMATION, mid-April, the directors of Local Government Development Centres ALSO INTO FIRE BRIGADES came to the House of Decentralisation to internally coordinate their Advisers of the regional Local Government Development Centres attended the activities in all . The LGDC directors also discussed training in the field of civil protection and security in amalgamated hromadas, U-LEAD’s thematic support packages (TSPs) aimed at assisting organised on 10-12 April in Lviv by the Association of Voluntary Fire Brigades of the Republic of Poland and supported by U-LEAD with Europe. The words of the AHs and the upgraded Data Management Infrastructure which helps head of the Buhrynska AH (who called upon hromadas not to be afraid of im- U-LEAD monitor and evaluate its capacity building measures for plementing the reforms) became the motto of the training: “Start with yourself, Ukrainian amalgamated hromadas the total number of which should because there is nobody else.” This is probably the main thing that the trained reach 1,500-1,600, according to the . experts have to bring to leaders of the newly formed hromadas for their suc- cessful work, particularly in the field of civil security and protection. The training participants got skills in assessing the situation and developing community se- April 2019 was also marked with a field trip of Professor Georg Mil- curity plans, identified key partners in the development of security infrastructure bradt and a delegation of U-LEAD with Europe to the Sumy and and studied the best practices of Poland and Ukraine in creating voluntary fire Kharkiv Oblasts to see the real achievements and challenges of the brigades and volunteer involvement. decentralisation reform at the local level. KYIV ROUND 4 SELECTION FOR ASCs Last but not least, U-LEAD with Europe supports AHs and small cities ESTABLISHMENT LAUNCHED with the establishment or modernisation of their own Administrative The fourth and the last selection round was launched within the Roll-Out Phase of U-LEAD’s Support to Improved Administrative Service Delivery. 150 additional Service Centres (ASCs). As the final round of calls for participation in hromadas will be selected to receive support from U-LEAD with Europe to estab- this part of the Programme is approaching, up to 600 ASCs in total will lish or modernise their well-functioning ASCs. In this selection round, hromadas be opened with U-LEAD’s help. from all 24 oblasts of Ukraine can apply for support. The application is open online till 30 June 2019. The information session on the conditions and rules of application will take Marking the fifth anniversary of decentralisation, U-LEAD’s team for place on 14 May in Kyiv. The registration to participate is open online. improved administrative service delivery presented a Visual Report on the achievements between March 2018 and March 2019. The re- ODESA port is available in English and Ukrainian . VULYK AWARDS ITS MOST ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS EGOV4UKRAINE finalised the piloting of the Vulyk information system and awarded its most active users at the seminar held in April 2019 in Odesa. The project presented seven ASCs with Wi-Fi routers for their active participa- tion in the piloting of the Vulyk system. The awards went to ten administrators from seven ASCs, marking their valuable contribution and smart ideas during the piloting phase conducted from August 2018 until March 2019 in 10 ASCs. All participants of the piloting took part in the seminar: representatives of ASCs of the cities of Nova Kakhovka, Kamyanets-Podilskyi, Kakhovka, Obukhiv, Olevsk, Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, Rzhyshchiv, Yuzhne; EGOV4UKRAINE project team, officials from the State Agency for E-Governance of Ukraine and the Cen- tre of Information Resources of Ukraine, as well as people from Soft Xpansion Ukraine which is developing the information system. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE OVER FIVE YEARS OF DECENTRALISATION?

The decentralisation reform is five years old projects are identified locally due to elaborated devel- but still faces some serious challenges, as opment strategies. In this way we achieve synergies be- its irreversibility is not yet politically fixed in tween the state regional policy and the regional develop- the , stated Henna- ment strategies adopted on the ground,” the official said. dii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Mr Zubko also believes that the current decentralisation Housing and Communal Services of reform is the biggest anti-corruption step in our country’s Ukraine. history. Answering a student’s question in Chernivtsi on what prevented all previous authorities in Ukraine from People who believed in the reform and implementing the decentralisation reform and trans- united, feel the achievements of de- ferring powers to municipalities, the Vice Prime Minis- centralisation “Ukrainians already have ter said: “They were lacking political will. Back in 1996, opportunities to really influence the local Ukraine signed the European Charter of Local Self-Gov- authorities, plan their develop- ernment. And since that time, every president, every Verk- ment, receive new quality educational, medi- hovna Rada, that came to power, said that powers would cal, social and administrative services, as well be transferred to the local level. Then they looked at those as not allow to stop the reform,” Hennadii Zubko resources to be transferred and changed their mind. They emphasised. thought, “It would be better if people from the village, where a school or a kindergarten need to be built, come The Vice Prime Minister also touched upon the issue of to us and offer 30% kickback, and then we will give money local budget increase. “When there is a state support from the budget. But the issue number 1 is to create con- and constant growth of own revenues, hromadas have ditions with no possibility to steal.” the opportunity to plan and implement priority projects. Comparing the revenues of local budgets, in 2014 they “Did corruption go down with resources to the lower level? amounted to UAH 70 billion, in 2018 – to UAH 234 billion, I think it did, since it always follows the funds. But where and in 2019 we count on UAH 291 billion. In terms of the is there more transparency and where is it easier to con- state support – in 2014, UAH 0.5 billion was allocated to trol? Of course, at the local level. Therefore, this way of the local level, this year – UAH 33 billion. These funds are transferring powers and resources to the regions is pre- transferred by the state to the oblast level, and priority ventive, it prevents corruption,” Hennadii Zubko said.

THE U-LEAD WITH EUROPE INTERVIEW PETRO KIYASHKO NOBODY WANTS HEAD OF VESELIVSKA RURAL AH, VESELE RAYON, ZAPORIZHZHIA OBLAST THE PAST BACK

As a mayor, you have witnessed the decentralisation reform since How did U-LEAD with Europe support the hromada’s development? Q: its beginnings. What has it brought? Q: Nobody wants to go back to the past. Today, 70% of all residents in the hromada will We have been cooperating closely with U-LEAD. I have been the mayor for thirty tell you the reform was exactly what we needed. The essence of the reform was to years, but in the past three I have learnt more than in the time before. We were used teach amalgamated hromadas how to deal with money and resources properly. We to allocated funds. Now, we need to learn how to find and save and spend money. have to learn to live with money, develop our potential and work with citizens actively. And I am grateful to U-LEAD with Europe which supports us and other hromadas with We have gas. We have water. We have education. We are all writing project proposals training, consultations and study trips. for programmes. Vesele is developing.

In the end, local economic development is a key factor to keeping a For most citizens, direct administrative services are the main point hromada attractive. What incentives are happening? of contact with their local self-government. How does your ASC Q: Q: work? As part of the cooperation and peer-to-peer agreement that we developed with the With the help of U-LEAD with Europe, we renovated the premises and installed city of Rakvere in Estonia, 15 employees from businesses went there to learn their modern equipment in our ASC which has 12 desks for its 12 employees. We pro- experience. We have got a number of ideas and are already implementing them. We vide most important services to our people, including social services, registration are now able to see what will happen here in five years. of property and residence, issuing driving licences and processing subsidies and pensions. Our ASC works for 24,000 residents and serves about 120 people every day. Anyone can pay with a card, it costs less to pay for services here rather than at a bank with a larger fee. Our citizens like our ASC.

Questions prepared by Oliver Koehler. DECENTRALISATION DYNAMICS SUCCESS STORY ELECTIONS IN AHS ON 30 JUNE

The Central Election Commission appointed elections in 66 amalgam- ated and 30 accessed hromadas for 30 June. By its resolution, the CEC appointed the first elections of deputies of village, settlement, city councils of amalgamated hromadas and corresponding village, settle- REVIVAL ment and city heads in 66 AHs (7 urban, 14 settlement, 45 rural AHs) for 30 June 2019. It also appointed additional elections of deputies of OF PREOBRAZHENKA 30 village and settlement councils (14 village, 16 settlement councils) accessing AHs. Drive into the Preobrazhenska amalgamated hromada and you may already notice the crane statue in the centre of the village. A symbol of good fortune NEW LAW WILL PREVENT AMALGAMATION and prosperity, the statue serves the village well. On the outside, small de- tails reveal the positive changes the hromada has been able to make through DELAYS THROUGH COURTS Ukraine’s decentralisation reform. The patterned paving leading up to the mayor’s office. The government of Ukraine approved a draft law that will make it im- possible to delay the process of hromadas’ amalgamation through The cleanliness of the pavements and roads. The sight of small to medi- courts. um-sized companies lining the road into town. In the framework of U-LEAD with Europe, Iryna Drozdova, deputy head of the Preobrazhenska AH, took The draft law No 10240 proposes to define a clear procedural mech- part in the study trip of Zaporizhzhia Oblast’s educators to Poland and later anism for appealing decisions of the village, settlement and city made her contribution into the establishment of the AH’s hub school with two councils on the approval of the draft decision, as well as final de- branches and a pre-school unit. cisions of local councils on the voluntary amalgamation of hroma- das or voluntary accession to the AH. It will also classify cases on “Hromada for a person: raising the hromadas’ competence for social ser- appeals against relevant decisions as urgent administrative cases, vice development” – social work entities of the Preobrazhenska AH undergo namely an administrative case on a claim for appealing against such a comprehensive training programme for AH representatives during 2018 – decisions will be decided by the court within five days after the open- 2019. It helped to establish a communal enterprise “Social Service Centre.” ing of proceedings; an appeal will be considered within two days af- ter the expiration of the time limit for appeals. A methodology has been developed for the provision of two new social ser- vices on improving parents’ potential and forming a socially healthy family The new law will clearly identify the subjects entitled to appeal, model “Healthy Family – Happy Hromada” and corrective recovery of children namely, citizens of Ukraine whose place of residence is registered with special needs “Get to Know the World by Touch”.The Preobrazhenska on the territory of the administrative unit that is part of the respec- AH has won an award from U-LEAD with Europe for strategic planning in the tive territorial hromada, or the village, settlement, city council, which healthcare sector at the hromada level. The mission of the Primary Health- initiated or gave consent to voluntary amalgamation (accession) of care Centre of the Preobrazhenka village council was defined and a strategic territorial hromadas. plan for the development of the institution on providing quality medical ser- vices was developed.Besides, the hromada became a winner of the “E-Solu- Moreover, a decision on voluntary amalgamation may be appealed tions for Hromadas” initiative funded by U-LEAD. within ten days since the date of adoption. Now the project participants are working on improving the individual hrom- ada development plan and preparing data registries. Through participation in educational events of the Zaporizhzhia LGDC, representatives of the AH acquired knowledge that helps hromada develop tourism, culture and youth initiatives, as well as new opportunities for self-employment of the rural pop- ulation. The local youth council has already been created, a tourist route is being developed and the AH began to elaborate a tourism development road map.

U-LEAD VOICES

The Dnipropetrovsk LGDC has become a catalyst for the de- The best way to predict the future is to create it. With the centralisation reform and sector reforms in the region. With expert support of the Donetsk LGDC, Illinivska rural AH the LGDC’s assistance, we developed a concept of an inclu- planned and adopted the socio-economic development sive space for education, culture and sports, and through strategy for the hromada until 2025. The team of advis- the implementation of it we won two awards at the Good ers from the LGDC actively participated in discussions and Neighbourhood Fair and a victory in the All-Ukrainian Com- problem-solving rounds while preparing the strategy. They petition of Best Local Self-Government Practices. also helped select the fields that would be most important for life and work in Illinivska AH in the near future. Iryna Hrekova, Head of Education Department, Valentyna Troyan, Solonyanska AH Secretary of Illinivska AH

You can have a budget of tens of billions, hundreds of op- The success of decentralisation rests on three pillars. De- portunities and huge resources, and still not succeed. Only livering quality administrative services. Improving living if people are able to use funds effectively, execute opportu- standards. And changing public awareness. In the time the nities and use resources creatively can they create a suc- AH has existed, a Development Strategy for three years has cessful hromada. I am glad we found Zhytomyr LGDC as been approved. We worked on this document together with an ally when we formed Zhytomyrska urban AH. With their Sumy LGDC, which provided invaluable assistance while help, the community of Veresy was able to accede smooth- the hromada was being formed and further support to our ly to the city of Zhytomyr in 2018. projects and activities, including both the ASC and mobile unit. The next step is to create a safety centre with a fire brigade, police and ambulance. Serhii Sukhomlyn, Head of Zhytomyrska AH Yurii Yaremchuk, Head of Krasnopilska AH

The essence of Administrative Service Centres is that gov- It is of high importance to disseminate the best practices ernment services are as close to the residents as possible. and knowledge, accumulated by the Programme since the There is a principle that we call the “one stop shop prin- Inception Phase in the form of manuals. They ensure that ciple”. That is, a person enters a single institution and re- all ASCs are established under one sustainable methodol- ceives there 90% of the necessary administrative services. ogy. We have already developed four manuals (on institu- In many hromadas of Ukraine the situation has already im- tional and physical establishment of ASCs, gender main- proved. One head of the village council told me that his fel- streaming and training of the personnel) and currently work low villagers can get many services, including a passport, on manuals on awareness raising, citizen engagement and in their village and do not have to go to the rayon centre or anticorruption to be accessible by 2020. further. Tamara Beresh, Carola Gunnarsson, Coordinator of the Institutional Support Unit of the Spokesperson of Cohesion Policy and Territorial Dde- U-LEAD with Europe’s Support to Improved velopment of the Council of European Municipalities Administrative Service Delivery and Regions (CEMR), member of the Board of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), Mayor of the municipality of Sala (Sweden)

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

Websites: u-lead.org.ua, decentralisation.gov.ua Phone: (+380 44) 581 27 99 Facebook: facebook.com/ULEADwithEurope Email: [email protected] Address: House of Decentralisation, 20 Velyka Zhytomyrska Street (4th floor), Kyiv 01001, Ukraine