Annual Project Results Report Mobile Service Delivery for Conflict-Affected Populations in Eastern Ukraine

Project Number: Reporting Period: P006554 27 March 2019 – 31 March 2020 Country / Region: Date of Report: Ukraine / Europe 31 March 2020 Name of Implementer: United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) Implementer’s name and contact Information: United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) Victor Munteanu Programme Manager United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 1 Aeroklubna Street, Kramatorsk, 84300, Ukraine E-mail: [email protected]

Total Project Budget: CDN $5,000,000 Project start and end date: 27 March, 2019 – 30 June, 2022 1 3

Outcomes Achieved1 4

Progress towards the Ultimate Outcome 1000

Improved stability, enjoyment of human rights, and gender equality, of conflict- affected population, especially women and vulnerable or marginalized groups, of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts

Prior to the establishment of a network of mobile administrative service centres (ASCs) in the conflict-affected areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the programme carried out a comprehensive assessment and analysis to identify 10 target communities - five from Donetsk and five from Luhansk oblasts. The communities were carefully selected in line with the project’s objectives and applications received from local authorities. Preference was given to the communities in close proximity to the “contact line” and to exit and entry checkpoints (EECPs), as well as large districts with a significant proportion of rural residents. Last but not least, the interest of communities in working and closely cooperating with the programme was assessed so as to ensure the sustainability of subsequent results. As a result, the following communities were selected to participate in the “Mobile Service Delivery for Conflict-Affected Populations in Eastern Ukraine” Project: Kurakhove, Mariinka, Mariupol, Siversk and Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast, and Novoaidar, Popasna, Shchastia, Sievierodonetsk and Stanytsia Luhanska in Luhansk Oblast (see Figure 1). Communities of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, and Hirske and Zolote in Luhansk Oblast were selected as reserves1.

Figure 1. Project’s Target Communities in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts

Target communities Reserved communities

EECP

LUHANSK OBLAST

Novoaidar Lyman Sievierodonetsk Siversk

Hirske Shchastia Stanytsia Zolote Luhanska Popasna Slovianoserbsk Sentianivka Stanytsia Luhanska Pervomaisk Klynove LUHANSK EECP Krynychanske Mykolaivka Kadiivka

Alchevsk Brianka Novosvitlivka

Maiorsk EECP Lutuhyne Sukhodilsk Debaltseve Krasnodon Chornukhyne Petrovo- Vuhlehirsk Krasnosillia Izvaryne DONETSK OBLAST Antratsyt Khrustalnyi Rovenky Dovzhansk

Miusynsk Novodarivka Makiivka Shakhtarsk Mykhailivka Voznesenivka Kurakhove Torez Liubymivka Biriukove Mariinka Naholno- Tarasivka DONETSK Dmytrivka Diakove Ilovaisk Mariinka EECP Mospyne Vuhledar Amvrosiivka

Kalmiuske Novotroitske EECP

Hnutove EECP Mariupol

Azov Sea

1 Letters of approval from Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast Administrations are available in the Appendices to this report. 5

Figure 2. Mobile ASC Service Proposition Following the selection process, the UN RPP conducted a series of meetings and roundtables with the local

Provision of quality administrative and legal authorities and representatives of civil society, services to the conflict-affected population in the including members of vulnerable and marginalized format of a 'one-stop-shop' groups, in eight target communities (with the exception of Kurakhove and Shchastia, which are undergoing Flexible schedules in remote locations community amalgamation at this time and do not yet have stationary ASCs). The purpose of these meetings was to present the main goals of the project, the Comfortable facilities, accessible to the elderly, parents with small children and persons with cooperation framework, discuss planned activities, and disabilities to receive feedback from target group representatives on the design of the mobile ASC service package, the 4 workplaces for ASC administrators, legal aid information platform, and the overall physical set-up providers and other professionals and equipping of the mobile units. In total, over 125 target group representatives (77.6 percent of them Up-to-date online platform with GPS tracking women) and 56 members of the local authorities (55.4 percent of them women) were directly involved in the abovementioned activities.

Easy-to-use feedback mechanism

In order to meet all of the possible requirements of prospective users of mobile ASCs, the programme Mobile studied best practices, along with feedback from focus ASCs groups drawn from the target areas. It was determined 1O that a mobile service unit should be a truck-based office, equipped with the necessary equipment and navigation tools, specifically tailored to the needs of the most disadvantaged community members, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, and women facing multiple forms of discrimination. The equipment EECPs should be widely available, reliable, of high quality, easy 5 and safe to use, cost-efficient, and highly secure. The mobile ASCs should also have air conditioning, heating, ventilation, a water supply, built-in furniture, as well as a battery backup to ensure they can be independent of the power grid, and a reliable internet connection. An Public approved mobile ASC set-up and service proposition 1OO+ services are summarized in Figure 2. The set-up and operationalisation of the mobile ASCs have been divided into two periods: 1) the deployment of the first six vehicles (three in each oblast) by the end of July 2020; 2) procurement of the remaining four vehicles by early 2021. This two-step procedure will Routes allow the viability of the planned interventions to be 8O+ tested and to learn important lessons, which will be taken into account when realising the second round of procurement.

3 Detailed data on the number of participants, disaggregated by gender, geography and professional occupation, is presented in Output 1113 (Tables 1 and 2). 6

Figure 3. The main components of the mobile case for providing administrative services.

1. laptop with a software; 2. ID-card reader; 3. portable scanner; 4. modem; 5. printer; 6. webcam to record service 2 3 4 6 delivery process.

5 1

The programme completed an assessment of market opportunities for acquiring mobile ASCs, together with the equipment required for them, and announced an open tender for the provision of the first six mobile service units2. Based on a competitive selection process, the UN RPP on 23 December 2019 contracted Mokavto LLC to deliver these vehicles by the end of July 2020, with the contract’s value totalling $1.13 million. The vehicles will be handed over to Mariinka, Mariupol, Siversk (all three in Donetsk Oblast), and Novoaidar, Popasna, and Stanytsia Luhanska (all three in Luhansk Oblast). The new mobile ASCs will provide local citizens - including the most vulnerable ones - a full range of administrative, social and legal aid services practically identical to those available at stationary centres.

The vehicles will have four working spaces for public service providers , including the pension fund, legal aid experts, social security and others, equipped with computers and modern software and mobile cases for providing administrative services (the so-called “ASC in a suitcase”) and another for carrying out energy audits. Despite the vehicles still being under development, the programme has already started the process of procuring the necessary equipment for them. For instance, on 19 February 2020 the UN RPP took delivery of the computers, printers, monitors, GPS trackers, navigators and other equipment for all 10 vehicles that are expected to be acquired for the project. Portable access ramps and a wheelchair lift will also be installed to ensure access to mobile ASC services for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

The programme also examined the conditions for operating such vehicles throughout Ukraine and identified the need to provide wider support for their operation in remote locations. This will entail the construction of specially equipped sites in remote areas and at the EECPs for the operation of the mobile ASCs. These sites will also provide the vehicle with connections to mains electricity and to the Internet. It is expected that at least 50 service points (waiting zones) will be established by the end of the project, and 20 of them by the end of August 2020.

2 Terms of References (TORs) for the provision of mobile ASCs are available in the Appendices. 3 These personnel will be able to render services to up to four customers at once. 7

In order to design the mobile ASCs service package on the basis of the actual needs of the target groups, the programme has used various engagement methods that have allowed it to capture a broad range of views by: a) carrying out a representative survey of residents of the target communities and persons crossing the EECPs; b) conducting in-depth interviews and focus groups with representatives of marginalized and vulnerable groups; and c) organizing meetings and roundtables with local governments and target-group representatives at the local level. During the reporting period, the main project’s gender and age disaggregated baseline indicators were identified and collected.

To do this, a baseline assessment was carried out, entitled: “Accessibility, timeliness and quality of administrative and legal aid services for women and men most affected by the conflict along the ‘contact line’ in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts”4. The assessment was carried out in 10 target locations (five in each oblast) to establish a number of baseline data capturing the needs of people with regard to the relevance and quality of administrative and legal services. The sample was 820 respondents (494 women), consisting of 410 persons crossing an EECP (252 women), and 410 residents of remote settlements (242 women).

An analysis of the questionnaires established several important facts that directly affect the project’s implementation, in particular:

When conducting fieldwork, the interviewers noted that respondents at the EECPs and in remote settlements had a relatively low rate of recognition of the term “Mobile Administrative Service Centre” (or mobile ASC). Persons crossing the “contact line” at the EECPs were relatively more aware of these service units than representatives of remote target communities (18 percent and 10 percent respectively5).

At the same time, at least 50 percent of the respondents had used the services of stationary ASCs during the last year. The average accessibility rate of the administrative services was 3.2 points (out of 5) and is significantly lower among the representatives of vulnerable and marginalized groups, such as persons living in remote rural communities (2.9 points), the elderly (2.9 points) and persons with disabilities (2.8 points).

The main obstacles to obtaining administrative services are: long waiting lines (reported by 81 percent of the respondents), distance to the stationary ASCs (reported by 47 percent) and a lack of affordable transportation options (indicated by 40 percent). In contrast, the low effectiveness of ASC staff and corruption were rarely mentioned by the respondents (7 percent and 2 percent respectively). It should be noted that, on average, women tended to cite these obstacles more often than men.

Over 60 percent of the respondents said they had not noticed any improvement in the provision of administrative services over the past 12 months.

Most often people receive administrative services at the Departments of Employment and Social Protection (34 percent), ASCs (24 percent), the pension fund (21 percent) and their local administrations (18 percent).

Most respondents said they welcomed the opportunity to receive administrative services directly at their own locality, but said their local administrations should promote the use of mobile ASCs more actively. In particular, the results revealed that the vast majority of respondents (88 percent)

4 The full text of the survey report is available in the Appendices. 5 There were no significant gender differences in awareness of the work of mobile ASCs. 8

Figure 4. Expected benefits from the establishment of a network of mobile ASCs (by gender)

Women Men

80% 73 64 58 60% 53 52 45

40% 30 26 20%

0% Reduction of waiting Ease of access Reduction of costs Opportunity to recieve times services in remote communities

and especially women (91 percent) would use the mobile ASC services if there were such an opportunity. The main expected benefits of this service include: a reduction in waiting times (a problem reported by 70 percent of the respondents), a reduction of costs (reported by 49 percent) and ease-of-access (a problem cited by 56 percent of the respondents). On average, women are more positive in assessing the potential benefits of the project (see Figure 4), indicating that the main assumptions and activities of the project were defined correctly.

The following were mentioned by the respondents as being among the most important services to be provided by mobile ASCs: getting an international passport and/or an ID card (51 percent), registration of place of residence (27 percent), registration of property rights (24 percent), registration of land rights (21 percent), vehicle registration (19 percent), getting a driving license (11 percent), MSME registration (7 percent). Same as previously, the perceptions vary by gender - with women being more interested in the registration of property and land rights, and men being more interested in vehicle registration and getting a driving license (see Figure 5).

The findings were also confirmed by follow-up consultations and roundtables in the communities which indicated high expectations from the implementation of this project among the local population (Activity 1113.3). This participatory process included the engagement of representatives of the local authorities, civil society and women’s organizations. Notably, over 180 representatives of target groups and local authorities (128 women) took part in the consultations, which allowed the development of preliminary routes and a proposed package of services to be provided by mobile ASCs. 9

Figure 5. Ranking of the most important services to be provided by mobile ASCs (by gender)

Women Men

60% 50 52

40%

28 25 25 29 21 23 20% 18 20 12 7 7 5 0% Getting an Registration Registration Registration Vehicle Getting MSME international of place of of property of land rights registration a driving registration passport and/ residence rights license or ID card

Table 1. Number of community members involved in drawing up the mobile ASC service package (by community, disaggregated by gender)

Community Oblast Number of men Number of women Total

Mariinka Donetsk Oblast 7 15 22

Mariupol Donetsk Oblast 7 18 25

Novoaidar Luhansk Oblast 4 8 12

Popasna Luhansk Oblast 2 11 13

Sievierodonetsk Luhansk Oblast 3 11 14

Siversk Donetsk Oblast 2 12 14

Stanytsia Luhanska Luhansk Oblast 1 8 9

Vuhledar Donetsk Oblast 2 14 16

Total 2 28 97 125 10

Table 2. Number of local authorities directly involved in the design of the mobile ASC service package (by the community, disaggregated by gender)

Community Oblast Number of men Number of women Total

Mariinka Donetsk Oblast 1 7 8

Mariupol Donetsk Oblast 4 1 5

Novoaidar Luhansk Oblast 4 5 9

Popasna Luhansk Oblast 4 4 8

Sievierodonetsk Luhansk Oblast 1 6 7

Siversk Donetsk Oblast 4 2 6

Stanytsia Luhanska Luhansk Oblast 4 5 9

Vuhledar Donetsk Oblast 3 1 4

Total 2 25 31 56

In order to effectively share the information gathered among the beneficiaries and other relevant stakeholders, the programme prepared information leaflets to inform partners about project activities and the advantages of the administrative services to be provided by the mobile ASCs, as well as maps showing proposed routes6.

Establishment of a network of mobile ASCs will mark an important paradigm shift from government-centred public services to human-centred service delivery in the conflict-affected communities of eastern Ukraine. The improvement of access to, relevance and quality of administrative, legal aid and information services provision for target group representatives (in particular women along the “contact line” and in remote rural areas) will allow them to complete their administrative procedures in a more time-effective and better quality manner. Ultimately, public trust in the state and its institutions will increase. One can also argue that successes achieved in serving the targeted population better and in a timelier manner in the GCAs will help to demonstrate to women and men in NGCAs that there are realistic and visible alternative models to service provision and to development - thus contributing to conflict transformation and peacebuilding.

6 The leaflets and maps are available in the Appendices. 11

Figure 6. Provision of administrative services at the administrative service center in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast.

Progress towards the Intermediate Outcome 1100

Enhanced equitable delivery of needs-based, gender-responsive services by mobile unit staff and volunteers that meet the needs of conflict-affected people of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, especially women and vulnerable or marginalized groups

In line with the findings of the Gender Equality Assessment and the Human Rights Analysis conducted by the programme during the design stage, the project applies a human rights- based and gender-responsive approach to the implementation of all its activities. The project will support the efforts and capacity of governments to ensure public services respond better to the needs of women and vulnerable people. Mobile ASC services will be specifically adapted (in terms of physical access, case handling procedures and information provision) to the needs of women facing multiple forms of discrimination, including elderly women, women with disabilities, women with children, and women suffering from gender-based violence.

A detailed Project Gender Equality Strategy7 has been developed by a UNDP Gender Mainstreaming Specialist, in cooperation with a gender equality consultant contracted by Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The document is aligned with GAC’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) and fully adheres to the following action areas:

7 Project’s Gender Equality Strategy is presented in the Appendices. 12

1) Gender equality and the empowerment of women The project will address gender-based violence experienced by women through the provision (by the mobile ASCs) of relevant, practical, and confidential information on the various types of professional support that GBV-affected women can obtain, their localisation, costs, etc.

2) Growth that works for everyone Promote women’s economic rights and access to decent work, while providing administrative services through redirecting them to providers of social assistance and employment services. In addition, the project will promote better access to services.

3) Inclusive governance Conflict-affected women and representatives of vulnerable and marginalized groups will be engaged at all stages of project implementation to ensure their meaningful participation in the planning and design of the mobile ASC service package.

4) Peace and security The project will support the meaningful participation of women and women’s rights organizations in conflict-prevention efforts and will help advance women’s rights in post-conflict state-building and local governance.

With an aim of reducing hardships among the conflict-affected population in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts by improving their access to quality public services, it is important that there is growing understanding of human rights principles among all who are engaged in the process - both ASC staff and officials from the local authorities. Dedicated training sessions on gender equality and human rights principles will be organized for key stakeholders. Moreover, the same principles will also be mainstreamed across all capacity-building interventions supported by the project. These measures will improve the knowledge and skills of relevant actors in integrating gender equality and human rights into their policies and plans, which will allow the issue of equal access to the relevant services by women and men in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to be addressed. This work is to be complemented by focus groups and public consultations on the protection of human rights (including those of women and vulnerable groups) in the target oblasts to provide a sound analytical basis for all planning and development efforts8.

In these efforts, the project will utilize a broad UN RPP network of gender experts and focal points in the communities, including but not limited to representatives of partnering UN agencies (UN Women and UNFPA), local women’s organizations, and service providers.

Of those interviewed for the baseline assessment, 31 percent overall reported that they had applied for legal aid services at least once during the last year. Respondents crossing the EECPs sought legal aid services more frequently (38 percent) than those living in remote settlements (23 percent). At the same time, only 27 percent of those interviewed rated the accessibility of legal aid as “good” or “excellent”, while 23 percent of those interviewed in the settlements judged these services to be completely inaccessible. The average legal aid availability score was 2.8 points (out of 5). The lowest score was observed among the most vulnerable groups of the population, including the elderly and persons with disabilities. As for the geographical tendencies: the lowest rating was given by the people crossing the Novotroitske EECP and citizens of Popasna district.

8 Some of these efforts are co-funded by other donors within the UN RPP framework, including the European Union, and the governments of Denmark and the Netherlands. 13

Figure 7. Main Obstacles to Obtaining Legal Aid Services Figure 8 Main Obstacles to Obtaining (by Geography) Legal Aid Services (by Gender)

Total EECPs Communities Women Men

48 51 Lack of financial resources 45 51 44

35 38 Absence of legal advice in my community 30 40 31

31 35 Lack of transportation 32 30 24

19 20 Lack of information 23 18 16

8 8 Low level of trust to legal aid organisations 12 9 5

6 5 Lack of professionalism among legal aid providers 9 7 3

22 18 No obstacles 23 28 21

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

The main obstacles to obtaining legal aid services were financial, as reported by 48 percent of respondents, and logistical issues - in particular, the lack of legal advice available at their locations (35 percent) and poor transport connections with district centres (31 percent). Some 19 percent of interviewees also emphasized the lack of information regarding where legal services can be obtained (see Figure 7). Importantly, financial obstacles were more often reported by women (51 percent) than men (44 percent). Logistical issues were a priority for respondents crossing the Novotroitske EECP, 59 percent of whom noted the unavailability of legal advice in their settlements, and 47 percent of whom reported a lack of proper transport connections. Similarly, women tend to report more obstacles to obtaining legal aid services and are more vulnerable to logistical issues and lack of transportation (Figure 8).

As for the respondents’ general need for legal aid: 29 percent of respondents said they needed this type of service. According to the assessment results, notary services (34 percent), civil law issues (26 percent) and family law issues (22 percent) were the areas of particular interest to those requiring legal assistance, and all categories of respondents - men, women, those crossing EECPs, and those in remote settlements - reported similar levels of interest in obtaining advice in these areas of law (Figure 9).

To address the above-mentioned issues, the project will partner with the Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision, whose specialists will work with the mobile service centres. During the reporting period, preliminary consultations between the implementation team, target group representatives, the local authorities and legal aid service providers were held to discuss the modality of future cooperation in this field. It was agreed that Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the municipalities and the Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision would be drawn up and signed. These documents will outline the details 14

Figure 9. Estimated demand for legal services among the conflict-affected population (disaggregated by geography and gender)

EECPs Communities Women Men

40%

36 36 35% 33 32

30% 28 26 25 25% 24 22 22 21 20% 19

15%

11 11 10% 10 9

5 5 5 5% 4 3 3 2 2 3 1 1 1 0% Notary Civil Law Family Law Land Law Commercial Criminal Law Difficult to Services Law answer

of the involvement of state-funded legal experts in the work of mobile ASCs and describe a system of “joint routes” of administrative and legal aid service providers that will be piloted in conflict-affected communities in eastern Ukraine. The UN RPP will provide the necessary methodological guidance to both parties, as well as develop the capacities of selected legal specialists in handling the issues of security, gender, and human rights sensitization.

Establishing remote LAN connections linking the mobile ASC vehicles with the relevant stationary ASCs is an essential prerequisite for efficient service delivery in the field. With this in mind, the UN RPP conducted desk research to identify the electronic equipment, hardware and software required to operate the mobile and main ASCs.

The creation of a mobile workstation access point for registering documents confirming a person’s citizenship of Ukraine, and certifying that a person has a special status for further submissions to the information systems of the Unified State Demographic Register of the State Migration Service of Ukraine, would be one of the potential solutions. The mobile access point is installed on the chassis of the truck and performs the following functions: • supports information exchanges between users of the national secure communications system; • provides for the protection of open data belonging to state information resources, confidential information held by information managers, and official information processed in the private ITC networks of the users of the national secure communications system, as required by the national legislation; • ensures integration with other networks (systems) of the national secure communications system and distributed departmental ITC networks; • provides a technical solution for determining a location (geolocation) by using special client-server GPS technology. 15

According to these criteria, and in partnership with the selected ASCs, the programme identified all of the equipment needed for an administrator’s working place, as well as all other equipment required to operate a mobile ASC. In particular, 10 PCs were purchased to be used in the main ASCs to monitor and control the mobile ASCs during their operations in the field.

To ensure the best possible interoperability of the services to be provided in the mobile ASCs, the programme conducted a series of meetings with the State Migration Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Special Systems state enterprise, and the Document state enterprise on providing passport services using mobile ASCs. These consultations established that there was a need to create a special information and telecommunication system for the mobile ASCs to ensure they could provide all services effectively. For this purpose, Ukrainian Special Systems will be contracted to design and develop such a system.

Services such as issuing passports and ID cards are activities that demand a high degree of data security. To ensure these services are secure, Ukrainian Special Systems will develop a special monitoring system for mobile ASCs that would allow the State Migration Service of Ukraine to operate and provide these services in remote locations. As of now, the contractor has identified a list of equipment and IT solutions necessary to ensure the effective functioning of the mobile ASCs. This list needs to be approved by the State Migration Service.

It is expected that during the second year of project implementation all 10 mobile ASCs will be linked in LANs with the main service centres via stable data transfer facilities, approved by the relevant governmental institutions.

Progress towards Immediate Outcome 1110

Enhanced capacity of target local governments to deliver needs-based gender-responsive services to conflict-affected people living close to the contact line, especially women and vulnerable or marginalized groups.

To ensure the needs of the target population are addressed, the UN RPP continuously monitors Ukrainian national legislation and best practices in the provision of administrative and other legal services. Ukrainian legislation establishes regulations covering ASCs, mobile ASCs, and remote workplaces, which provides opportunities for local authorities to enhance the quality of their administrative services.

The Law on Provision of Administrative Services defines the legal basis for the realization of the rights, freedoms and legal interests of individuals and legal entities in the provision of administrative services, and regulates the establishment of ASCs, as has been mandatory for all cities of oblast and district significance since 2014. The ASC Provisions and Regulations approved by the respective local authorities are mandatory documents adopted on the basis of the Model ASC Provisions and Model ASC Regulations earlier approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. These documents contain the basic requirements and norms for establishing and operating ASCs, including the functioning of mobile ASCs under the main ASCs.

The concept for the operation of ASCs stipulates that ASC employees act as state “intermediaries,” preventing the applicant having direct contact with the provider of 16

Figure 10. Meeting with representatives of Luhansk Oblast Administration and target groups (Sievierodonetsk, 2019).

the administrative service, and thus eliminating the factor of corruption, as well as simplifying conditions for accessing services, and significantly shortening the time it takes to provide the services. Moreover, according to current Ukrainian legislation, in most cases individuals, including legal entities, have the right to be provided with administrative services irrespective of their place of registration or current place of residence.

The implementation of mobile ASC operations in Ukraine is both an innovative and rather new type of activity, which definitely requires more effort in the strengthening of institutional capacity. For this reason, the programme supports local authorities in the elaboration of regulatory documents and rules of procedure to ensure the effective operation of the mobile ASCs. To lay the groundwork for drafting the above-mentioned documents, an analytical report with a review of the national legislation and good practices in providing administrative and legal aid services was drawn up9.

Another analytical note was drafted that provided justifications of the need for the mobile ASCs, and proposals for organizing the provision of administrative services through them, as well as an analysis of the current situation in the provision of administrative services in each of the target locations10.

This work was followed by the holding of working meetings in four of the target locations in Luhansk Oblast in the period of 11-13 February 2020, which followed on from similar working meetings in four of the target locations in Donetsk Oblast held on 3-6 February 2020. The meetings were attended by representatives of the local authorities, the heads of ASCs, and other relevant stakeholders. During these meetings, the project partners discussed the results of the analytical

9 The full text of the report with a review of the national legislation and good practices in providing administrative and legal aid services is available in the Appendices. 10 Separate reports on the current situation in the provision of administrative services in each of the target locations for Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts are available in the Appendices. 17

work that had been carried out and the next steps in the process of elaboration of the legal statutes of mobile ASCs. In total, 180 representatives of target groups and local authorities (128 women) were involved in the institutional design of mobile ASCs.

As part of its information campaign for key stakeholders and representatives of the target groups, the programme also organized and conducted a roundtable for representatives of Luhansk Oblast Administration on 7 September 2019 in Sievierodonetsk (23 participants, including 18 women), and a roundtable for representatives of Donetsk Oblast Administration on 17 September 2019 in Kramatorsk (25 participants, including 14 women). These roundtables delivered the general findings of the above-mentioned assessments and also presented the project’s capabilities in facilitating the provision of administrative services in both oblasts.

The mobile ASCs will have to have firm legal and institutional foundations for them to be viable and sustainable over the long term. The project will call upon institutional development/legal experts to organise and conduct institutional set-up workshops with representatives of the participating main ASCs and officials from the relevant local governments. The workshops will help clarify the institutional and legal basis on which the mobile ASCs can be established and linked to the main service providers.

As a result of mobilization and dialogue efforts with relevant stakeholders at the local level, the communities of Popasna and Sievierodonetsk (both in Luhansk Oblast) and Siversk, Mariinka, Vuhledar and Mariupol (all in Donetsk Oblast) confirmed their readiness to allocate funds to support the operation of a network of mobile ASCs in the future. Endorsement by other target communities will be obtained after the completion of the amalgamation of territories and the holding of local elections scheduled for October 2020.

In order to support the local authorities and service providers in their commitment to evidence-based decision making, the project will be strengthening the capacity of relevant actors to use effective analytical and reporting systems, based on systematically collected and disaggregated socio-economic, geographic, gender and vulnerability data.

It is envisaged that a user-friendly feedback system - designed in a participatory way - will be established (the key characteristics of this system are described in Immediate Outcome 1210). Under this output, the main focus will be to develop the skills and competences of ASC staff and volunteers in effectively using the results of the feedback mechanism to update and improve their services. Additional resources will be invested in improving the existing communication practices of public service providers to make their reporting more regular and results-oriented. The main indicators on numbers of citizens served, services provided and feedback received will be properly analysed and presented to the general public in an easy-to-understand manner.

Unified reporting templates and information dashboards will be developed for the mobile ASCs to monitor and compare the performance of different service units. Best practices in data collection and data management will be recorded and disseminated among all ASC staff and volunteers. At the same time, citizens will be encouraged to use the feedback system, demonstrating to them the value of collecting this information to further improve the service. 18

Figure 11. Satisfaction with the competence and dedication of ASC staff (measured on a 1-5 scale)

5 4.4 4.4 4.1 4 3.7 3.7 3.4

3

2

1

0 Average Respondents at Young people Elderly (over 60 Persons with Residents of Maiorsk EECP (18-29 years) years of age) disabilities Bakhmut raion

Progress towards Immediate Outcome 1120

Increased knowledge and skills of target local governments to deliver needs- based gender-responsive services to conflict-affected people living close to the contact line, especially women and vulnerable or marginalized groups, through mobile ASCs.

The effectiveness of mobile service centres will depend on the competence and dedication of their staff. The project will thus support the stationary ASCs and other relevant service providers in: • carrying out the necessary identification and recruitment processes by preparing and updating the terms of references for each position and supporting the selection process. The project will ensure the application of gender quotas for women in management (70 percent) and administrative positions (60 percent); • providing the relevant training to the selected staff. Training will include (but will not be limited to) such themes as working with the public, in-depth knowledge of administrative procedures, knowledge of the relevant legislation, advisory and consulting (including information provision) skills, handling security issues, etc. It is expected that at least 85 percent of mobile ASC personnel will gain new knowledge and skills to ensure they can provide high-quality administrative, legal and information services to the conflict-affected population of eastern Ukraine ; • assessing the positive change in knowledge and skills of the trained mobile ASC staff.

According to the baseline survey conducted by the project, the average satisfaction rate among target group representatives11 with the competence and dedication of ASC human resources is high (4.1 on a 5-point scale), but varies significantly in terms of the respondent’s background and place of residence (see Figure 11). For example, the highest average quality rating was given by interviewees at Maiorsk EECP (4.4 points), while the lowest was observed among the residents of Bakhmut district (3.4 points). Similarly, young people (from 18 to 29

11 These include residents of 10 target communities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as residents of NGCA coming to obtain public services in government-controlled areas. 19

years of age) are more satisfied with the capacities of ASC specialists (4.4 points), than the elderly over 60 years of age and persons with disabilities (both 3.7 points). These considerations will be duly taken into account during the development of tailored capacity-building programmes for the staff of mobile ASCs, so as to ensure the responsiveness of their services to the needs and expectations of the conflict-affected populations of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, especially representatives of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.

The capacities of partnering institutions and their human resources also vary significantly (see Table 3). While in Mariupol there are three modern ASCs13 that can provide over 280 services and that have 91 dedicated staff members, the vast majority of other partnering ASCs have about four administrative specialists, who are able to provide slightly over 100 different services. The communities of Kurakhove (Donetsk Oblast) and Shchastia (Luhansk Oblast) don’t yet have their own stationary administrative service centres. Both centres are expected to be established and approved by the relevant municipal bodies by the end of the year. The centre in Stanytsia Luhanska (Luhansk Oblast) is in poor condition and not able to match the increasing demand for services, both from the local population and from NGCA residents. Only 78 administrative services of the required minimum of 102 services are provided there. With financial support from the European Union, the UN RPP will support an extensive renovation of the ASC building, as well as providing other relevant technical assistance in terms of computer equipment, software, e-documentation tools, etc. The mobile ASC provided by the project that will operate under the stationary ASC in Stanytsia Luhanska will benefit from all these new facilities, equipment and tools.

Table 3. Overview of human resources and capacity of partnering ASCs

Number Total Number of Number of Territorial unit Oblast Area (sq. km) of services population admin staff other staff provided Donetsk Kurakhove 43.2 26 826 NA NA NA Oblast Donetsk Mariinka 1 350.5 80 001 5 0 104 Oblast Donetsk Mariupol 134.7 461 417 57 34 288 Oblast Donetsk Siversk 194.4 13 776 4 0 103 Oblast Donetsk Vuhledar 208.3 27 215 4 0 183 Oblast Luhansk Novoaidar 1 835.9 40 270 8 0 98 Oblast Luhansk Popasna 1 466.5 75 111 4 4 110 Oblast Luhansk Shchastia 225.3 19 607 NA NA NA Oblast Luhansk Sievierodonetsk 74.6 113 616 18 6 181 Oblast Stanytsia Luhansk 1 900 47 238 3 1 78 Luhanska Oblast

Total 2 880.5 905 077 103 45 107 (median)

All activities contributing to this immediate outcome will start in the second year of project implementation.

12 That includes: 1) the main stationary ASC of Mariupol; b) Joint Service Centre of ASC and the Ministry of Internal Affairs; and c) “Multicentre” Social Office. 20

Figure 12. The draft layout of a mobile app interface, developed to support conflict- affected women and men in accessing administrative and legal services

Progress towards the Intermediate Outcome 1200

Increased equitable usage of administrative and legal services by conflict- affected people of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, especially women and vulnerable or marginalized groups.

In line with the core concept of the project, which is to provide easy and rapid access to the administrative services that will be delivered by the mobile ASCs, the programme contracted a professional software developer to create support applications, websites and notification systems. To establish what is required of the information support systems, the programme assessed a number of similar projects that are already operating, as well as best practices: in particular the previous experience of the Visa ASC in Kryvyi Rih. For the provision of information about the services, a system based on a module of the abovementioned ASC, with the working name “Interactive Guide,” will be employed to give clear, step-by-step access to information on how to obtain administrative services. A stylish and modern design for the mobile application and website has been developed (see Figure 12). Convenient and intuitive navigation, as well as a version for visually impaired persons, will mean all categories of users will be able to use the website and mobile application. The website and the mobile application will be in two language versions: Ukrainian and Russian.

The mobile application will be optimized as much as possible to work offline, with only updated information being downloaded, saving data traffic, with periodic synchronization of its data with the server. The SMS notification system will enable users to receive up-to-date information offline, in places where there is no access to the Internet.

A brand new geo-localized information platform and mobile app (which will include the SMS notification system) are currently under development13. These tools will improve access to relevant information and services for the conflict-affected population, as well as set up feedback mechanisms for interactions between service providers and beneficiaries. The information platform and the mobile app will have intuitive web-interfaces that will provide a better experience to their users. With these

13 A demo version of the mobile application is available by the following link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ua.tsnap.mobile&hl=ru&ah=kOLGG_3lJQCvkVGNgE-Y5PqtcrM 21

tools in hand, conflict-affected women and men will be able to easily find information about relevant administrative and regulatory procedures, track the locations of mobile ASCs, as well as provide feedback about services received. It will also give an option to send information with schedules and routes of mobile ASCs to one’s relatives and friends using the SMS notification system.

The project will ensure that the information platform, once developed, is tested by the target group, especially women, and that it is fine-tuned. The staff of the mobile service centres and volunteers will be trained in the use of the information platform so as to be able to provide the relevant consultations to members of the target group. The required evaluation techniques will be applied to assess the capacities of those who have been trained before their deployment to the field.

The activities under this intermediate outcome will start in the second year of project implementation, after the development and testing of the information platform. It is expected that at least 30 staff members of the mobile ASC will take part in training sessions on the use of the platform. Training of Trainers (ToT) methodology will be utilized to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of capacity- building sessions. As a result, a network of qualified trainers and promoters will be established in both oblasts (15 persons in each oblast) to guarantee that the impacts of training are maintained over the long-term.

As a result of a participatory process involving representatives of local authorities, ASC staff and community representatives, the project has determined routes for the mobile ASCs in 10 communities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (see Table 4). Overall, more than 220 communities (73 percent of them being small rural settlements of less than 1,000 residents) will be covered by the network of mobile service centres. The total population of these communities is approximately 230,000 persons (55 percent women). The mobile ASCs will follow their designated routes each week in all target territories, as well as visiting five EECPs on the “contact line” to serve citizens coming from non- government-controlled areas.

Table 4. Overview of mobile service schedules/routes

Number of Number of Number Estimated communities Territorial unit Oblast EECP communities of routes number of with less than covered designed beneficiaries 1,000 residents

Kurakhove Donetsk Oblast - 27 24 7 21 858

Mariinka Donetsk Oblast Mariinka 12 4 12 25 900

Mariupol Donetsk Oblast Hnutove 10 5 6 23 656

Siversk Donetsk Oblast Maiorsk 9 7 6 4 752

Vuhledar Donetsk Oblast Novotroitske 15 9 9 11 943

Novoaidar Luhansk Oblast - 36 27 6 37 168

Popasna Luhansk Oblast - 34 24 12 44 024

Shchastia Luhansk Oblast - 22 17 5 16 983

Sievierodonetsk Luhansk Oblast - 20 16 7 15 207

Stanytsia Stanytsia Luhansk Oblast 39 31 12 30 337 Luhanska Luhanska

231 828 Total 2 5 224 164 82 (127 500 - women) 22

Figure 13. Example of a route for the mobile ASC in Mariinka district (Donetsk Oblast)

Economic efficiency and logistical, security and human rights factors were duly taken into account at the design stage. The newly developed schedules/routes of the mobile service centres will be advertised through the SMS/Tracking App and by other means (identified in Output 1223) to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized groups. The project team will invest additional resources in developing the capacity of information and communication specialists to work with the SMS notification and GPS Tracking App to ensure there are timely updates to the system. Both activities will start in the second year of the project’s implementation.

In order to arrange for the effective functioning of mobile ASCs, ensuring the provision of high-quality administrative and legal aid services to the population of settlements located in remote areas and/or close to the “contact line,” as well as to NGCA residents crossing EECPs, the UN RPP will organise specially equipped spaces in all of the target locations expected to be included on the mobile ASCs’ routes.

As a result of an assessment conducted by the programme, 20 locations in the GCAs of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts have been identified as the most in need of mobile ASC operations support. Construction work related to equipping mobile ASC service points will be carried out in close coordination with the relevant local authorities and with the involvement of the State Emergency Service, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Joint Forces Operation, Security Service of Ukraine, Oblast Administrations and the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Ukraine.

To ensure mobile ASCs are accessible to all groups of the population, including the elderly and persons with disabilities, all service points will be equipped in accordance with the principles of universal design. The service points will include a waiting area equipped with seating for visitors (protected from rain and snow), a space for disseminating information on mobile ASC operations, while ensuring unobstructed entry to and exit of the mobile ASC. Energy-efficient solutions will also be applied.

It is expected that at least 50 service points (waiting zones) will be established by the end of the project - 20 of them by the end of August 2020. 23

Figure 14. The draft layout of the mobile ASC information platform for Luhansk Oblast.

Progress towards Immediate Outcome 1210

Enhanced access to needs-based gender-responsive services by conflict- affected people living close to the contact line, especially women and vulnerable or marginalized groups.

The IT product consists of a website and mobile application (both described in Intermediate Outcome 1200). These products will allow a user to track the locations of mobile ASCs, and receive information about routes and schedules through the use of SMS codes, without requiring an internet connection. The demo versions of information platforms for Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts are already developed and available for testing14, 15.

The platforms will also contain detailed up-to-date information about the Project, types of services provided by mobile ASCs, feedback forms, and the required reference documentation. Preliminary layout of the website is presented in Figure 14.

Based on an assessment of current methods of information sharing on the provision of administrative services in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the programme developed routes for the mobile ASCs serving the 10 target communities.

The assessment, in particular, identified the interests, needs and personal expectations of the citizens of the target territories regarding requirements for information on administrative and other services (including free legal aid). A study of the available and preferred methods of information sharing also helped identify the most efficient routes for the mobile ASCs.

During the reporting period, the programme carried out an analysis of the available technology- based client feedback systems operating in Ukraine and abroad. A specific focus was placed on systems that are relevant to the project’s goals (the provision of administrative and legal services, and the development of information platforms and GPS tracking applications).

14 The demo version of the information platform for Donetsk Oblast is available at: https://tsnap.dn.ua/ 15 The demo version of the information platform for Luhansk Oblast is available at: https://tsnap.lg.ua/ 24

After exploring the various options, it was proposed to use as a feedback system a self-developed, three-component system (Feedback, Quality Score and FAQ) similar to Google Forms, but which will include an offline mode with delayed data submission. The programme has developed a user-friendly feedback questionnaire that will be incorporated into the information system16. It will be further tested, in cooperation with ASC staff and management, to make sure that all important insights are properly captured and disaggregated by geography, gender, age, disability and types of services.

Paper-based feedback forms will be also available at the information desks of mobile ASCs to allow users to provide their feedback about any services received. Anonymity will be ensured, which may prompt a better response rate and encourage reporting on sensitive subjects.

It is envisaged that the following information will be collected from the clients of mobile ASCs and the users of the information platform: • Their detailed demographic profile (gender, age, place of residence, economic and migration status); • Their most frequently used information sources and channels; • Awareness level of the availability of the information platform for mobile ASCs; • Satisfaction with the quality, relevance and timeliness of administrative and legal services provided by mobile ASCs; • Satisfaction with the quality, relevance and timeliness of information provided by the platform; • Analysis of the main problems and reasons for dissatisfaction among the customers of mobile ASCs and users of the information platform (including, but not limited to: the attitude of ASC staff, working hours, accessibility for persons with special needs, list of available services, waiting times, etc.); • Their experience with the client feedback system itself.

Progress towards Immediate Outcome 1220

Increased awareness by conflict-affected people living close to the contact line, especially women and vulnerable or marginalized groups, about the availability of administrative and legal services provided through mobile ASCs.

Civil society representatives from both oblasts will be mobilized and empowered to provide information services to the conflict-affected population and to support the work of mobile ASCs. A network of the committed young women and men will be developed, in cooperation with the local authorities in target communities and with UN RPP community mobilization specialists, leveraging on the programme’s established field presence and a wide network of focal points at the local level. At least 80 volunteers will be engaged in raising awareness and helping the target group access administrative and legal services, guaranteeing the presence of a minimum of two volunteers per week in each mobile service unit.

Tailored training programmes will be developed to increase the capacities of volunteers to provide high- quality, gender-responsive information services to mobile ASC visitors, based on the principles of human rights and conflict sensitivity (Activity 1222.2). The knowledge and skills of the volunteers will be assessed before their deployment to the field (Activity 1222.3).

The project was presented at the first national forum “UN RPP for Reforms in Eastern Ukraine,” which was organized by the programme. Over 120 representatives from local government bodies in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, and development partners took part in the forum, where they discussed key achievements and further developments

16 A copy of the questionnaire is available in the Appendices. 25

in decentralisation reform in eastern Ukraine, as well as innovative methods of service provision (including different types of e-governance tools and mobile ASCs). In addition, key project plans, results and lessons learned are continuously being shared at the local, regional and national levels. Notable examples include: 1) the UN RPP Board meeting, attended by over 50 representatives of national and regional authorities, the donor community, and various UN agencies; 2) four roundtable sessions with oblast administrations and target group representatives in Kramatorsk and Sievierodonetsk (two in each oblast), where the project’s progress, opportunities and challenges were presented and discussed.

In order to identify the most appropriate methods for informing the population about existing administrative and other services, including free legal aid, the UN RPP initiated a study focused on the needs, preferences and expectations of the population living in the project target territories in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. A series of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted by the Individual National Consultant, covering 213 persons (71 percent women). Respondents included representatives of target communities, employees of ASCs, and representatives of the local authorities.

In the study, the majority of respondents in both Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts noted a lack of access to information about the available administrative and free legal aid services. Only 6 percent of the respondents in Donetsk Oblast rated the availability of information about administrative services as “good” or “excellent,” compared to 27 percent of the people interviewed in Luhansk Oblast. As for free legal aid services, 16 percent and 23 percent of respondents in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts respectively gave a high rating to the availability of information about these services. Apart from that, interviewees reported significant gaps in the completeness and adequacy of the information already available across all information channels, while also complaining about the amount of time it takes to search for information. However, the information regarding ASCs was deemed sufficient by 71 percent of those interviewed. In addition, interviewees noted that the information available from official sources (local authorities’ websites, the information in ASCs’ and local authorities’ premises, etc.) was up-to-date.

Interviewees said the following information was the most important for users: • Addresses where relevant services can be provided (15 percent); • List of services provided by ASCs (20 percent); • Information about service provision procedures, including lists of required documents, fees, terms, etc. (19 percent); • Information on the status of applications and documents submitted (10 percent); • Routes and addresses where mobile ASC will operate (10 percent).

Online resources, such as ASCs’ and local authorities’ webpages (12 percent), social networks (14 percent), and public buildings (11 percent) were identified as the most popular information channels for receiving the necessary information, both in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Along with this, the most trusted and convenient sources reported were online ones, along with information received either in- person in ASCs (communication with an ASC employee) or during a phone/email/SMS communication.

Local ASC staff and volunteers will be specifically trained to be able to effectively promote the information platform among the customers of mobile ASCs by showing them the practical benefits of using the system.

The main obstacles to receiving/searching for information mentioned by the respondents were a lack of knowledge about information sources (23 percent), the lack of a good Internet connection (19 percent) and a lack of necessary information from the available sources (17 percent).

A number of recommendations produced by the study, focusing particularly on mobile ASCs, will also be followed by the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme in the course of implementing the Project so as to ensure that the provision of administrative services is of high quality. 26 2Reach 27

During the reporting period, the project reached out to two Oblast Administrations and 13 conflict-affected communities (see List of Partners in the Appendices). Ten target communities were selected in line with the project’s objectives and from which applications were received from the local authorities. Preference was given to the communities in close proximity to the “contact line” and to exit and entry checkpoints (EECPs), as well as large districts with a significant proportion of rural residents. Last but not least, the interest of communities in working and closely cooperating with the programme was assessed so as to ensure the sustainability of subsequent outcomes. As a result, the following communities were selected to participate in the “Mobile Service Delivery for Conflict-Affected Populations in Eastern Ukraine” Project: Kurakhove, Mariinka, Mariupol, Siversk and Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast, and Novoaidar, Popasna, Shchastia, Sievierodonetsk and Stanytsia Luhanska in Luhansk Oblast. The communities of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast and Hirske and Zolote in Luhansk Oblast were selected as reserves.

At the individual level, some 125 target group representatives (97 of them women) and 56 members of the local authorities (31 of them women) were directly involved in the design of the mobile ASC service package, the information platform, and the overall physical set-up and equipping of the mobile units. Detailed distributions of participants by locality are presented in Table 1 and Table 2 of the report.

In addition, the project interviewed 820 conflict-affected persons (494 women), of them - 410 persons crossing an EECP (252 women), and 410 residents of remote settlements (242 women). The sampling allowed the collection of reliable disaggregated data (by gender, location, age, disability status) to establish baselines, as well as gathering important insights and users’ feedback on the work of the stationary ASCs and their expectations from the implementation of the present project. These data were duly taken into account during the elaboration of the mobile ASC service package and allowed the most effective means of communication and outreach for each of the main target groups (women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, rural population and NGCA residents) to be determined.

Detailed statistics on the number and views of direct beneficiaries (customers of mobile ASC) will start to be collected in the second year of the project’s implementation after the establishment of the network of mobile ASCs in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The deployment of the first six vehicles (three in each oblast) is to be completed by the end of July 2020. The project will ensure that these performance indicators are properly disaggregated by gender, 2 migration status, types of services received, geographical location, age and disabilities. Changes to Theory of Change, the Logic Model and Performance Measurement 3Framework The Theory of Change, the Logic Model and the Performance Measurement Framework of the present project were developed in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) experts and approved during the first quarter of project implementation.

According to the United Nations terminology list, the project uses the term ASC (shortened form of Administrative Service Centre) instead of TsNAP (Ukrainian acronym of the ASC, or Центр надання адміністративних послуг) in its official documents and reports in English. Both terms are equivalent and can be used interchangeably. Based on this, both the Logic Model and Performance Measurement Framework were updated. The latest versions of both tools are available in the Appendices.

Additional layers of disaggregation have been added to some of the indicators (1110.1 and 1110.2), based on feedback received from GAC RBM specialists.

The programme will conduct an internal session to review the assumptions, risks and its theory of change in May 2020. The recent findings from large-scale research activities supported by the RPP, including SCORE, the Security and Justice Survey and AGORA project (done in partnership with ACTED and IMPACT) will be used to inform the discussions and test the validity of the logic 3 of the current interventions. Lessons Learned and Actions taken, Recommendations 4and Next Steps 1. Recent assessments conducted by the UN RPP confirmed that the initial focus and design of the “Mobile Service Delivery for Conflict-Affected Populations in Eastern Ukraine” Project were well-tailored to needs on the ground.

On the one hand, the delivery of administrative and other crucial social and legal aid services needs to become more mobile and innovative, and aimed at genuinely reaching out to women and men living along the “contact line” or crossing the line, who have been affected the most by the conflict. On the other hand, compared to men, women are more dissatisfied with existing practices and standards of service provision, which is not always tailored to their specific needs. Not surprisingly, over 91 percent of surveyed women confirmed that they would use the mobile ASC services if there were such an opportunity. Based on the insights collected from the target groups, the programme has supported the design of the mobile ASC service package that responds to the needs and expectations of the conflict-affected population in general, and women and representatives of vulnerable and marginalized groups, in particular.

2. The global pandemic of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a novel coronavirus that was identified following an initial outbreak in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, has the potential to impact the “Mobile Service Delivery for Conflict-Affected Populations in Eastern Ukraine” Project with regard to the timing of its implementation.

Ukraine’s government on March 25 ordered the extension of quarantine measures in the entire country until April 24 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. As of the end of March 2020, Ukraine shut down public transportation, domestic and international travel, shops, restaurants and gyms until further notice. Separately, UNDP headquarters in New York and the local UNDP office in Ukraine in Kyiv drew up arrangements for telecommuting for staff and ordered restrictions on travel within the country.

As it is still not yet clear how long these measures will be in effect, and as the course of the global pandemic will be affected by the actions of individual governments and organizations in a way that is difficult to predict, there is a great likelihood that the schedule of implementation of the project will be delayed. Some components of the project that may not be directly impacted by the measures described above may nevertheless be affected by delays to other components in the workflow sequence on which they depend. An overall delay to the project in the order of several weeks should thus be anticipated. The project implementation team is continuously monitoring developments related to the quarantine measures and is developing various scenarios of the next steps that could be taken in response to the current situation.

3. The timeframe of the project’s implementation may also be affected by uncertainty over the course of decentralisation reform and the holding of the upcoming local elections.

Due to the fact that the Administrative Service Centres (ASCs) through which the mobile ASCs are to be operated were themselves created under local district administrations, and under the government’s decentralisation plans, these local district administrations are being phased out, questions have arisen over the subordination of the new ASCs.

In addition, due to there being no Amalgamated Territorial Communities (ATCs) in some places where the subordination of ASCs is to be transferred, and due to the moratorium 4 of the holding of local elections for security reasons, financing is limited. This is especially the case in those communities that were formed on the basis of villages (Novoaidar and Stanytsia Luhanska). Communities of Kurakhove (Donetsk Oblast) and Shchastia (Luhansk Oblast) do not yet have their own stationary administrative service centres. Both centres are expected to be established and approved by relevant municipal bodies by the end of the year.

The routes for the mobile ASCs designed by the programme may also be revised based on progress in decentralisation reform and the completion of amalgamation processes in some of the target communities.

To ensure the sustainability of project outcomes, the UN RPP undertook the following actions:

• divided the set-up and operationalisation of the mobile ASCs in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts into two periods, where the communities that do not yet completed the amalgamation or not fully ready to take ownership of new infrastructure were selected for the second period (starting in 2021). During 2020, there will be additional capacity building and awareness raising activities conducted in these communities to guarantee their involvement in all aspects of project implementation;

• ensured the buy-in and commitment of key stakeholders at the Oblast and district levels to support the establishment of mobile ASCs in areas, which do not yet have their own stationary ASCs;

• assessed the financial implications to make sure that the mobile ASCs will be operational in all of the project’s target communities. The UN RPP will continue to closely monitor the developments related to the implementation of decentralization reform in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as conducting regular consultations with relevant partners on the ground.

4. On the security side of things, if the current agreements on the disengagement of forces along the “contact line” are implemented in full and in a timely manner, new entry-exit checkpoints for the civilians will be established.

This is especially relevant for Luhansk Oblast, where there is only one EECP at Stanytsia Luhanska. The UN RPP will closely monitor the situation and is ready to update the routes of the mobile units to include newly established EECPs in their coverage areas.

5. In addition to its initiatives to resolve the armed conflict, the new Ukrainian government has also continued to support the post-2014 drive for decentralisation and is also promoting the introduction of e-governance.

Emphasising this, the new administration created a new ministry – the Ministry of Digital Transformation – to coordinate efforts to promote e-governance and enhance the digital literacy of the Ukrainian population.

This opens a new window of opportunities for the project to establish new partnerships with actors at the national level related to the development of e-solutions and the innovative delivery of public services. The lessons learned and best practices of this project will be shared with relevant line ministries and agencies to inform reform priorities in other parts of the country. At the same time, low digital illiteracy among the local population in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts could prevent them from benefiting from the new digital/online services developed by the programme. These include the information platform, the SMS/GPS Tracking App, and the feedback tool.

The UN RPP will invest additional resources into obtaining reliable evidence of the scale of this problem, using robust large-scale surveys (AGORA, SCORE, and the Security and Justice Survey). The programme will be also investing additional resources in building the capacities of local volunteers to provide quality information services to the customers of mobile ASCs and to the local population, as well as experimenting with new forms and methods of capacity building and the development of digital skills, especially among the most vulnerable (women facing multiple forms of discrimination, the elderly, and persons with disabilities).