USAID Democratic Governance East Activity Quarterly Progress Performance Report
USAID Democratic Governance East Activity FY 2019 Q3 PROGRESS REPORT (April 1 – June 30, 2019)
Contract No: 72012118C00006
Prepared for USAID/Ukraine c/o U.S. Embassy 4 Igor Sikorsky St. Kyiv, Ukraine 04112
Prepared by Chemonics International Inc. 1717 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA
DISCLAIMER This publication was produced by Chemonics International for the USAID Democratic Governance East Activity for review by the United States Agency for International Development. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.
Table of Contents
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 2 I. CONTEXT UPDATE 4 II. INTRODUCTION 6 III. PROGRESS AGAINST TARGETS 29 IV. PERFORMANCE MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING 34 V. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING 35 VI. PROGRESS ON LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES 35 VII. PROGRESS ON LINKS TO HOST GOVERNMENT 36 VIII. PROGRESS ON INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT 36 IX. FINANCIAL INFORMATION 37 X. SUB-AWARD DETAILS 38 XI. ACTIVITY ADMINISTRATION 38 XII. Personnel 38 XIII. Contract, Award, or Cooperative Agreement Modifications and Amendments 39 ANNEXES
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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ACMH Association of Multi-apartment House Owners ACTED Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (NGO) APS Annual Program Statement ASC Administrative Services Center BUR Building Ukraine Together initiative CTC Consolidated Territorial Communities COR Contracting Officer’s Representative CS Civil Society CSC Community Score Card CSO Civil Society Organization DDGS Direct Distribution of Goods and Services DG East USAID Democratic Governance East Activity DOBRE Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency DSP Department of Labor and Social Protection ERA Ukraine Economic Resilience Activity FC2U From a Country to Ukraine (festival) GESI Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Strategy GoU Government of Ukraine HICD Human and Institutional Capacity Development IDLO International Development Law Organization IDP Internally Displaced Person ISPI International Society for Performance Improvement KPVV Exit-entry checkpoint to non-government controlled areas LEF Lviv Educational Foundation LGE Local Government Entity MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning MIS Medical Information System MOU Memorandum of Understanding MoES Ministry of Education and Science MTOT Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories N/A Not Available NGCA Non-Government Controlled Area OPI Organizational Performance Improvement PC Public Council (activity) PHC Primary Health Care PIN People in Need (NGO) PIRS Performance Indicator Reference Sheet REACH REACH Initiative, implemented by ACTED and IMPACT Initiatives RFA Request for Applications RFP Request for Proposals R2P Right to Protection (NGO) SACCI USAID’s Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions Program in Ukraine
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SCORE Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index SeeD Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development SME Small and Medium Enterprises SO Sub-objective SOW Scope of Work STTA Short-term Technical Assistance ToR Terms of Reference UCBI Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative UNDP United Nations Development Programme USAID United States Agency for International Development USG United States Government VNG International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities VR Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine)
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I. CONTEXT UPDATE
The conflict in Eastern Ukraine has been ongoing for five years. While Ukraine and its international allies have emphasized the importance of enhancing the negotiation process and the peaceful resolution of the war in Eastern Ukraine, violations of the Minsk Agreement occur on a near daily basis.
Elections in Ukraine were one of the most discussed topics over the reporting period. The run-off Presidential election was held on April 21, with a resulting in Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s landslide victory over incumbent Petro Poroshenko, 73.2 percent to 24.4 percent. The International Centre for Defense and Security states that Zelenskyi's win was aided by two immensely popular TV programs: Zelenskyi playing the role of President of Ukraine in the TV show “Servant of the People”, and his even longer presence on the screen in his “95 Kvartal” comedy show.1 Other factors that added to Zelenskyi’s win were the popular demand for new faces in politics and general mistrust in politicians. He regularly made populist promises during his campaign, which proved effective. Exit polls indicated Poroshenko’s ratings were lower before the second round, with alleged corruption scandals in the defense and security sphere made public days before the second-round vote, which added to the drop in support for Ukraine’s fifth president.
Verkhovna Rada (VR), the Ukrainian Parliament, set the inauguration for May 20 after intense tension between the VR and President-elect, as the winning side pushed to set the inaugural date earlier. Even before inauguration experts said Zelenskyi wants to dissolve the Parliament and setting the inaugural date later might not allow him to do so under current legislation. In his inaugural speech on May 20, the new president dissolved the VR and called for snap parliamentary elections. He signed a respective decree on May 21, which was published and went into effect two days later. Election campaigns among politicians and their parties started immediately after, on May 24. The presidential decree was later brought to the Constitutional Court to determine whether it was a constitutional decision. On June 20, the Court found that the decision to dismiss the VR was in line with current legislation, affirming July 21 as the date for the early parliamentary election.
By the end of the reporting period, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) had registered 22 political parties.2 Out of these, five parties are likely to cross the 5 percent margin to get into Parliament: Zelenskyi’s Servant of the People party, with more than 40 percent of the votes; Opposition Platform; Poroshenko’s European Solidarity; Holos, newly established by Okean Elzy singer Sviatoslav Vakarchuk; Yuliya Tymoshenko’s Batkivschyna; and Strength and Honor, party of former advisor to the President of Ukraine Ihor Smeshko.
Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy, after meeting with Zelenskyi in Kyiv, stated via Twitter that the EU will fully support the President-elect.3 Poroshenko, when leaving the post, stated he hoped for the country to remain on its firm
1 https://icds.ee/ukrainian-presidential-elections-2019-and-their-consequences-a-pessimists-view/ 2 https://www.cvk.gov.ua/pls/vnd2019/wp400pt001f01=919.html 3 https://twitter.com/JHahnEU/status/1125703707025395712 4 pro-Western, reforms-oriented path with the new leadership in place. Poroshenko himself will likely take the opposition role and run with his European Solidarity party in the upcoming VR elections.
On April 25, the VR passed a law on the Ukrainian language, securing and detailing its status as the official state language. Until 2012, an outdated Soviet law regulated the use of languages in different spheres of life. Seven years ago, the VR passed the so-called “Kivalov- Kolesnichenko” law, drafted by two current Opposition Block leaders and members of Viktor Yanukovych’s former Party of Regions. That law provided for further Russification of the nation, experts said, and spurred protests. In February 2018, the Constitutional Court declared the law unconstitutional. Since then, Ukraine has not had any official regulation on the use of languages. The current version of the law provides for the use of Ukrainian language by all state officials, medical and communal facilities, in education and science spheres, media, etc. Despite popular myth, the use of Russian and other foreign languages is not banned from regular use whatsoever, but rather it is regulated.
Immediately after the second round of the presidential election, the Russian Presidential Administration announced its intent to simplify issuing Russian passports for residents of the Non-Government Controlled Area (NGCA). A few months later, the Kremlin opened passport-issuance centers in Rostov oblast, neighboring and serving the NGCA of Ukraine.
Ukraine continues advancing with reforms, even if slow at times and facing resistance at different levels. Decentralization remains one of the top priorities for the Government of Ukraine (GoU), and it is perceived by Government officials as reaching a point of no return. To date, the Ministry of Regional Development reports 924 Consolidated Territorial Communities (CTCs) have been established, and 44 are awaiting CEC decisions. 33 cities of oblast significance formed CTCs with 74 existing territorial communities.
Citizens see medical, education, and pension reforms as the most needed, and want to build upon the successful local self-governance efforts already underway. However, judicial and anti-corruption reform efforts are the highest in citizen demand, with low, if any, level of successful implementation. According to Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, “the hierarchy of the most important reforms for Ukrainians has been stable for four years in a row, with 63% of Ukrainians ranking anti-corruption reform as the most important. Next come the reform of the health care sector (57%), pension reform and social protection reform (52%), reform of the law enforcement agencies (37%), lustration of officials (33%), army reform, and defense capability (26%). And over the last year the importance of social reforms - pension and health etc., and social security system in general has increased significantly”4. These are the reforms the new Presidential Administration needs to pay attention to.
4 https://dif.org.ua/en/article/Reforms%20in%20Ukraine:%20public%20opinion_2 5
II. INTRODUCTION
Through the Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI) I and II, USAID has promoted development-based peace and stability programs in Eastern Ukraine since the conflict began in 2014. DG East will continue to build on this work and amplify USAID’s meaningful impact in the region. A highly effective and productive platform has been established to deliver assistance in communities that other donors and implementers simply cannot reach. DG East presents a new opportunity to elevate the partnership with USAID by expanding interventions with demonstrated success under UCBI and jointly discovering new programming opportunities.
Over the reporting period, DG East continued programmatic interventions, listed below.
A. Key Narrative Achievements
Tina Robbins, a short-term technical assistance (STTA) consultant on international gender and social inclusion, visited in April to develop the activity’s gender and social inclusion strategy. A two-day training on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) was held for staff in April. Further, DG East staff also participated in procurement trainings. DG East’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system, DevResults, was set up early in the quarter. MEL and other relevant staff members participated in DevResults training in early April led by a short-term MEL Specialist from the Chemonics home office.
DG East engaged an international consultant and four local consultants to conduct six focus groups, face-to-face interviews, and presentations on a customer satisfaction survey about each of the three Outpatient Clinics in Severodonetsk. The key results include higher ratings of service satisfaction due to implementation of a medical information system (MIS). Patients are dissatisfied with the lack of communication links between the primary healthcare system and the more specific secondary one. Most patients are satisfied with the possibility of choosing a family doctor from a list, which is made possible by medical reforms. To make medical services more efficient, primary health care (PHC) facilities must use the full functionality of the MIS, which would lead to automatization of processes and improved service quality.
Grants Program
The DG East Grants Program carried out activities under the following mechanisms: Annual Statement Program No. APS01 Request for Applications No. RFA 01 Media Sector Support in Eastern Ukraine Grants with restricted eligibility
Annual Statement Program No. APS01
DG East received 135 applications under the APS, 89 of which were submitted by civil society organizations, 45 by local government entities (LGEs), and one by an individual.
6 Request for Applications No. RFA 01 Media Sector Support in Eastern Ukraine
DG East published the RFA “Media Section Support in Eastern Ukraine” seeking applications from media entities to develop locally relevant, objective, and professional quality information about Ukraine’s reforms, European trajectory, and efforts to counter malignant propaganda. DG East received 33 applications; six were selected for support and one decision is pending due to technical implementation questions. 1. Hromadske Radio NGO 2. Internews Ukraine NGO 3. Dirigible NGO 4. Anti-crisis Media Center Kramatorsk 5. Crisis Media Center Siversky Donets 6. Media View NGO 7. Our Home Slovyansk (pending)
Restricted Eligibility Grants
DG East signed three grant agreements with organizations: From a Country to Ukraine (FC2U), Nova Druzhkivka NGO, and Mariupol City Council for Left Bank Multicenter renovations. FC2U is supporting two Academies of Festival for local teams to develop concepts to organize local festivals in nine cities in Eastern Ukraine. Nova Druzhkivka is conducting a city accessibility analysis, which involves local authorities, activists, and restricted-mobility groups. The activity includes the creation of a mobile application, an interactive system, to help people with disabilities to more easily navigate the city. Nova Druzhkivka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Druzhkivka City Council and started the first activities. 5 Mariupol Left Bank Multicenter grant activity has been approved. DG East will provide the necessary IT equipment, furniture, and e-queue system for the new facility. By the end of the quarter, DG East published all the necessary tenders for equipment procurement, and service providers will be selected during the next quarter. The Multicenter will provide services for approximately 1,200 people daily, with up to 20 percent coming from the NGCA. In early FY 2019 Q4, DG East and partners will start a Service+ training series for the Multicenter’s future personnel, equipping them with skills on a client-oriented approach, new standards of service provision, and conflict mitigation techniques.
A grant agreement with Lviv Educational Foundation (LEF) to create Building Ukraine Together (BUR) is currently under negotiation with the grantee.
5 https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticGovernanceEast/posts/422156611961586 7
Research
Based on the previously-developed Scope of Work (SOW), DG East announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) to conduct a political economy analysis in selected cities of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.6 The findings will identify the main factors that contribute to or hinder the interaction of citizens with their local governments under current political and economic conditions and will help DG East to better reflect them in future interventions.
DG East announced an RFP on June 11 for a strategy for reform communication, which is intended to shape the activity’s communication around reforms in Ukraine relevant to the target communities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.7 Three proposals were received, and the evaluation committee will convene in early July. The reform communication mapping activity will help DG East to inform contract Deliverable #7, which should be prepared by the end of FY 2019.
DG East had a working meeting with ACTED on REACH products to discuss research Terms of Reference (ToR) for the upcoming accessibility assessments of 15 cities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, which will be conducted under S.O. 2.1, Task 5. ACTED prepared a list of facilities in assessed settlements8 and an observation questionnaire9, which now includes 10 universities and 110 technical schools. ACTED suggested identifying priority facilities for the assessment and a reserve of approximately 50 facilities in case of any refusals or issues with the list of 500. The final list will be validated with the technical working group/DG East prior to data collection. The ToR was finalized and the draft Data Analysis Plan updated. ACTED plans to begin enumerator trainings on July 16, 2019, following agreement with DG East. A subcontract with ACTED will be signed in July. DG East will engage international and Ukrainian STTA accessibility experts to support the accessibility assessment.
Other Activities
In late May, DG East started PHC trainings for medical personnel in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts under SEV007 activity.10 Medics will participate in trainings comprised of six modules: 1. Key principles of health care reform 2. Organizational models of providing PHC services 3. Strategic planning, managing PHC finances 4. Managing PHC human resources 5. Promoting customer-oriented service delivery at PHCs 6. Management of communications
6 https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticGovernanceEast/photos/a.360958428081405/427855818058332 7 https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticGovernanceEast/photos/a.360958428081405/421608338683080 8 https://acted-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/g/personal/kyiv_gis1_acted_org/ESsMmkMT_oVBl_djdgam1U0BlrI3kJEkRJt8X3X- HodL8A?rtime=dlTZFtQM10g 9 https://ee.humanitarianresponse.info/x/#LtQjbmQf 10 https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticGovernanceEast/posts/416144635896117 8
DG East will conduct more than 40 two-day trainings, with about 1,100 health workers participating from Mariupol, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, Bakhmut, Slovyansk, Svatove, Starobilsk, Popasna, Lysychansk, Kreminna, Rubizhne, Stanytsia Luhanska, and Novopskov. Trainings will continue until early FY 2019 Q4.
DG East conducted a Community Development Forum in Mariupol that served as a new pilot platform for the city to build external communications and networking opportunities; discuss sustainable development tools and city development strategies; and build investment interest in the region.11
DG East engaged short-term NGO specialist Tetiana Danyliv to help produce a strategy to identify both traditional and non-traditional CSOs as potential partners, educate the activity team on how best to reach them, develop grants with them, and identify sectors of need within this broad community. The strategy, which is a contract Deliverable #6, should be prepared by the end FY 2019.
DG East conducted two study tours during the reporting period. A study tour to Kharkiv Administrative Services Centers (ASCs). Second study tour was to Drohobych city (Lviv oblast), organized as a “Smart City” tour for Mariupol city and Sartana village council representatives, and Volnovakha ASC.
In late May, a USAID delegation and Mariupol authorities visited the Multicenter site.12 The Multicenter is anticipated to be open by the end of September 2019 but will depend on the construction works done to date. During the next quarter, DG East and partners will start a service and training series for the Multicenter’s future personnel to equip them with skills on client-oriented approaches, new standards of service provision, and conflict mitigation techniques.
Subcontract partner VNG International started major interventions to conduct Public Council (PC) Activities under SO 2.2 Task 1 (b) and (c), and the Community Scorecard activity under SO 2.2 Task 3 (a) and (b). The PC activity is nearly completed and aimed at strengthening PCs as key actors in advocating for citizen–driven initiatives to effectively fulfill their role as representatives of citizen interests before local government.
The Community Scorecard Activity aims to pilot a community scorecard methodology to identify community needs and provide guidance to local administrations to address concrete service improvement recommendations. This activity envisages selecting one pilot community from Year 1 partners in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts (where respective local government demonstrates buy-in to apply the scorecard tool as an effective way to bring together citizens) and LGEs to constructively discuss and make decisions in the community’s best interest.
11 https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticGovernanceEast/photos/a.360958428081405/413015339542380 12 https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticGovernanceEast/posts/413101572867090 9
B. Quantitative Highlights
The MEL team issued the DG East Indicators Baseline Overview and Methodology, and the baseline for several indicators and performance indicator reference sheets (PIRS) will be updated accordingly. Changes will be reflected in two sections of the DG East MEL plan: Annex A. Performance indicator summary table; Annex B. PIRS.
According to MEL data for FY 2019 Q3, DG East trained 1,038 people from five major target groups: local government, CSO representatives, media, medical personnel, and ACMH representatives.
DG East engaged 113 local NGOs/CSOs in activities this quarter, bringing the total to 176. For the previous quarter, DG East found duplicate entries in DevResults and corrected them. DG East has now identified engagement with 63 NGOs/CSOs.
C. Activity Administration
DG East continued screening candidates with necessary qualifications to fill positions across the Activity’s four offices. DG East developed and maintains a rolling recruitment tracker (Annex 1), covering all activity positions. Critical operational personnel were identified and hired for the Activity. Eight positions for DG East’s offices remain open and continue to be advertised, with interviews conducted on a rolling basis. The full personnel chart is attached (Annex 1). DG East opened new positions earlier in the process to better align activities and emerging needs. In Kyiv, Bookkeeper and HR positions opened, and Mariupol will have a Communications Assistant. As advertising for a long-term NGO Specialist continues, DG East continues its work with CSOs with support from its short-term NGO specialist. Larisa Romanenko, an Activities Pool Director, joined the Kyiv office to aid with the implementation of project activities. Also, Diana Zaldastanishvili, a short-term operations specialist arrived in May. She will spend three months with DG East helping establish communications and operations systems. DG East added the position of Environmental Compliance Specialist and continues the search for qualified candidates. DG East engaged short-term environmental specialist Olena Chernikova to assist with ERC/EMMP development. DG East engaged a short-term construction specialist to support the development of its construction plan. Short-term construction specialist Scott Short visits Ukraine in mid-July.
D. Subsequent Reporting Period
Trainings and workshops
The Youth Forum, designed under SO 1.1, Task 2 (a), was rescheduled from June 17-22 to the beginning of July. It will take place in Bakhmut district, convening approximately 60 youth from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts who are not already active on the civic scene. Activity will reveal concrete areas where DG East can provide further support through grants and capacity building.
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Early July will mark the beginning of Service+ trainings for Mariupol ASC, Pension Fund, and Department of Labor and Social Protection (DSP) representatives (i.e., the future Mariupol Left Bank Multicenter), with the first 60 Multicenter staff members participating. The next 60 trainees will participate in mid-July. The training process will continue through November 2019.
A number of workshops and trainings are planned for July. DG East and subcontractor VNG will conduct three trainings in Kreminna district for PC representatives from Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka, and activists from Severodonetsk. Grantee Nova Druzhkivka will conduct trainings on the creation of an inclusive space: two 2-day trainings for local authorities on organizing customer-friendly environment and providing accessible services, and a 2-day training for activists and public organizations for delivering citizen-customer oriented services. Subcontractor SeeD will conduct one-day trainings/workshops for DG East staff and relevant partners (e.g., from media) on using SCORE data to help inform their work. The workshops will be held in each project office. Enumerator training will be led by subcontractor ACTED, international disability inclusion specialist Selena Imerovic Hodzic and national nccessibility assessment expert Olena Ivanova. The accessibility assessment will start in July with data collection via focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and direct observation. In August, a 3-day media and communications training led by consultant media expert Horea Salajan will be held in Svyatohirsk for up to 15 representatives of NGO and media grantees supported by DG East.
Study Tours
In late July or early August, LGE and CSO representatives from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts will visit Ivano-Frankivsk to observe Smart City best practices utilized there.
In late September, 25 Ukrainian professionals from DG East’s partner LGEs, including 19 representatives of city, district, and regional government in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and three CSO representatives focusing on improved governance, will participate in the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) 18th Annual Conference in Skopje, North Macedonia. Participants will be able to exchange knowledge, experience, and innovative ideas in the field of human and organizational performance. This year’s conference will feature interactive presentations and workshops to increase participant knowledge and help them improve their organizations at the local level.
In mid-August, a study tour to Georgia will be organized for up to 30 participants to exchange experiences and learn best practices for institutionalizing municipal transparency mechanisms and effective procurement systems.
In October, DG East will convene LGE and CSO representatives from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to visit Georgia to learn about the successful model of Community Engagement 11
Centers in rural areas. Participants will visit several centers and participate in a one-day workshop to examine the “Center” concept and further develop it for selected DG East pilot communities.
LGE municipal transparency and procurement systems improvement activities (SO1.2 Task 2 c, d, e) started in June. Under this activity, we will assist 15 partner LGEs in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts to improve the transparency, accountability, and effectiveness of municipal procurement systems. The first workshops will begin in early July to identify assessment needs for further trainings. A study tour to Georgia is planned in August. DG East has submitted a list of participants which has been approved by USAID.
Community Festivals
FC2U, with DG East support, is preparing a season of festivals in various locations, opening with Vuhledar on September 27. The full schedule of festivals is available on the event page13 and in the external calendar of events maintained by DG East.14
DG East compiled an external calendar of events, based on the provided template, to be shared with USAID and external stakeholders on DG East’s planned activities.15
Objective 1: Greater acceptance of shared civic culture based on common values and understandings
SO 1.1: Increased interaction of citizens with civil society groups.
Task 1: Strengthen civic groups in areas in which such groups are scarce or weak (e.g. northern Luhansk). a. Conduct DG East introductory kick‐off civil society forums/consultations with existing CSOs in Donetsk and Luhansk, including those previously served by UCBI, and solicit interest from additional CSOs through open calls, postings on partner websites, and on the DG East Facebook page. This activity was completed during the previous reporting period. During the reporting period, DG East conducted a follow-up survey with forum participants to collect feedback on assistance needed and to better design future programming. Based on the results, a draft concept will be provided during the next quarter for SO 1.1., Task 1, d, outlined below.
b. Issue APS for citizen engagement activities to CSOs to solicit grant applications. DG East issued the APS and published on prostir.ua16 with the link pinned at the top of the DG East Facebook page17. The distribution of applications:
13 https://www.facebook.com/pg/krayna.ukraina/events/ 14 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rGKt4py4UZdsUCnCfn_UcfDAQ76lZRqibFOvPPJaIwE 15 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rGKt4py4UZdsUCnCfn_UcfDAQ76lZRqibFOvPPJaIwE 16 https://www.prostir.ua/?grants=proekt-usaid-demokratychne-vryaduvannya-u-shidnij-ukrajini- oholoshuje-konkurs-kontseptsij-hrantovyh-proektiv 17 https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticGovernanceEast/photos/a.360958428081405/372268270283754 12
20 applications were considered ineligible due to being incomplete. 12 applications were supported in the first round for a total estimated amount of 8,720,875 hryvna. The projects are aimed at building connections between citizens, NGOs, and local authorities to tackle the communities’ most vital problems. 15 applications were supported in the second round and will be evaluated in July 2019. 10 applications are pending; a final decision will be taken after applicants respond to DG East’s questions. 43 applications were rejected. 35 applications will be reviewed by Selection Committees in mid-July 2019. c. Based on APS application review, identify CSO needs, strengths, and weaknesses for future capacity‐building assistance. Most applications received under APS01 were from small LGEs for infrastructural projects or equipment requests to provide better services to citizens. Small NGOs in villages or towns also sought support for local community building infrastructure or territory improvements, including communal equipment. Small local NGOs have basic capacity-building needs, specific to each case, but have in common needs for additional staff training, strategy and policy development, and study tours both within Ukraine and abroad to observe best practices that be applied locally. d. Provide technical assistance to build CSO capacity in areas identified. Based on preliminary feedback from NGO Forum participants and an in-depth survey, DG East continued to systematize the vision of public organizations regarding the understanding and functionality of the future NGO HUB. In July, the future HUB’s content and structure will be conceptualized. So far, one of the possible options for the HUB is to create two blocks, interactive and physical. The possibility for division of areas of responsibility between two organizations and issuing two grants for conducting each block of activities might be considered. DG East had not yet filled the long-term NGO Specialist position as of the end of the reporting period. Therefore, DG East engaged Tetiana Danyliv, a short-term local consultant, to work with staff to design the training/capacity-building program. The full concept for CSO capacity-building and the NGO HUB model will be available in early FY 2019 Q4. e. Issue grants, monitor grant activity, capture lessons learned. DG East issued two grants: From a Country to Ukraine and Nova Druzhkivka. Both were issued during the reporting period and were being implemented in accordance with the grant agreement timelines.
DG East also laid the groundwork to issue a number of grants under APS01 in FY 2019 Q4. f. Develop grant with DG East recipient, NGO Nova Druzhkivka. DG East issued a grant to Nova Druzhkivka and signed an agreement on June 3. Following that, Nova Druzhkivka signed an MoU with Druzhkivka City Council and started activities.18 Nova Druzhkivka and city council members formed a working group on accessibility issues and conducted a meeting for people with disabilities to discuss inclusion. Upon the completion of the first grant milestone, the grantee reported their positive collaboration with local authorities. Active citizens and
18 https://www.prostir.ua/?news=u-druzhkivtsi-projde-audyt-dostupnosti 13 representatives of civil society sector can participate in the working group meetings to conduct accessibility analysis of Druzhkivka city, which is a vivid example of transparent cooperation of a city council and NGO sector on a joint project.
Task 2: Develop new and emergent civic groups among interest groups, particularly youth, with funding for micro-activities. a. Hold youth forum targeting young people, including university students, youth‐based NGOs, youth volunteers, as well as youth not identified with CSOs or typically civically engaged to identify young people's ideas for community‐based initiatives. Youth Forum was rescheduled from the end of the reporting period because the primary target audience, students, had end- of-year exams at their universities, and tendering procedures took longer than expected. This activity will now take place during Q4. b. Hold forum for designated interest groups, including varied demographic targets such as IDPs, to identify ideas for community‐based initiatives. In late April, DG East convened ACMH representatives for a 2-day forum as an initial platform for discussing prospects for cooperation. The resulting ideas and issues discussed during the forum are being incorporated into activity concepts, including a comprehensive ACMH engagement activity aimed at increasing civic engagement at the neighborhood level in target communities. c. Issue grant to higher capacity NGO to manage micro‐grant initiatives. DG East will issue an RFA to identify a higher-capacity NGO to manage micro-grant initiatives by the end of FY 2019.
Task 3: Support coalitions or initiatives linking civic actors where civic groups are numerous or well established. a. Based on Task 1 forum results, explore potential interest in collaboration. The analysis of potential collaboration interest is outlined above in SO 1.1, Task 1, d.
b. Identify "host NGO" to serve as focal point for NGO HUB. Work continued during the reporting period to conceptualize the NGO HUB to best meet the needs as articulated by NGOs with whom DG East is engaging (via, e.g., the March 2019 NGO Forum). In addition, one of the proposals submitted in response to the Media RFA included a portion of what DG East would like to see in such a hub model. The grantee, Kramatorsk Anti-Crisis Media Center, is fleshing out what this online informational/networking platform will do for the NGO community in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
c. Provide capacity building support to provide training on coalition building and organization. This activity postponed to take place FY 2019 Q4.
Task 4: Ensure public outreach by civic groups using appropriate media vectors to disseminate success stories and news of project activity.
14 a. Identify CSO public outreach capacity through a needs assessment (Task 1). NGO Forum participants articulated this as a capacity-building need. In addition, Deliverable #6, Community Outreach and Citizen Engagement Strategy, will help DG East address this task. During this quarter, DG East conducted a needs assessment survey of the NGO Forum participants to build a foundational understanding of opportunities for capacity development. To allow for additional time to build upon initial information collected, Deliverable #6’s expected delivery date was moved from FY 2019 Q3 to the end of FY 2019.
b. Provide technical assistance; i.e. Formal training; on‐the‐job‐training. DG East will engage media expert Horea Salajan to work with RFA and APS media and civil society partners. A media and communications training focused on content production and content marketing is planned in July for up to 15 representatives of DG East media and NGO grantees.
c. Issue grants to CSOs for media‐based communications initiatives. This was originally intended for FY 2019 Q3. However, part of the activity will be outlined in Deliverable #6, which will be produced by the end of the fiscal year. In FY 2019 Q4, DG East will design the concept for dedicated media-based CSO communications through a communications hackathon that will engage communications professionals such as audio-visual designers and copywriters to work with targeted CSOs to produce media products that articulate CSO messages in innovative ways.
d. Issue grant to local production company to develop and disseminate online TV shows highlighting CSO/community initiatives. This activity is scheduled to take place in FY 2019 Q4. Media View, one of the RFA01 selected organizations, will complete this task. Media View has preliminary agreements with local TV channels to disseminate a show which will include 12 multimedia stories and six documentaries dedicated to the implementation of reforms in Donetsk oblast. They will demonstrate how reforms have brought changes since 2014, covering topics such as citizen-government engagement, healthcare, education and judicial reforms, decentralization in Donetsk oblast, and raising awareness of the European integration process. The team will engage in content development for local civil activists and CSOs from Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Dobropillia, Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and other places.
Task 5: Assist newly formed business associations, typically formed among new, medium- sized firms, to promote philanthropy and social responsibility. a. Collaborate with ERA project to facilitate future collaboration with business associations and SMEs. DG East is working in close collaboration with USAID and ERA to define this activity. DG East communicated regularly with ERA and expressed interest in providing support to ERA-endorsed business associations and/or SMEs. ERA published its APS in late February, and it is anticipated that potential partners will be shared with DG East in the coming months.
Task 6: Develop “cross-generational” events in which youth and older residents join to develop solutions to community issues.
15 a. Identify opportunities with demographically ‐ targeted NGOs under Task 2. No activities for this task were scheduled during the reporting period. b. Issue grant to Lviv Educational Foundation (LEF) to conduct BUR (Building Ukraine Together) camps. Discussions with LEF remain ongoing. DG East received revised concepts at the end of FY 2019 Q2 for two locations and with a community center in Severodonetsk. The full grant activity was split into two grants: 1) leadership development and volunteer engagement, and 2) the BUR volunteer workcamps themselves. Activities under the first section will include providing local volunteers new knowledge and skills in team building, project management, and the development of volunteer activities in the field. Part 2, BUR camps, will be aimed at practical application of the knowledge gained and the demonstration of tools for collaborative community problem-solving.
SO: 1.2 Increased understanding of reform and participatory governance processes.
Task 1: Work with local media outlets to develop locally relevant, objective, and professional-quality information about Ukraine's reforms, European trajectory, and efforts to counter malignant propaganda.
a. Develop roadmap for media outreach campaigns in Donetsk and Luhansk. This activity will be developed with the help of the media RFA outlined in the SO 1.1, Task 4, c. The six selected organizations will develop a series of outreach events.
b. Identify Donetsk and Luhansk‐based media entities. During the reporting period, the following media organizations had concepts approved for further development by the RFA evaluation committee: Anti-Crisis Media Center, Media View, Hromadske Radio, Internews Ukraine, Dirigible NGO, and Crisis Media Center Siverskyi Donets. These media concepts will be submitted for COR concurrence and, as relevant, the grants will be submitted for COR approval. The focus of these grant activities is content generation and dissemination to promote civic awareness, social entrepreneurship, citizen engagement, and the benefits of reforms and broad integration into the Euro-Atlantic community through community-level improvements in services and more responsive local governance in areas most affected by conflict and divisive influences. Full projects description is available in Annex 3.
c. Provide technical assistance to media entities to build capacity through on‐the‐job training This activity will take place in FY 2019 Q4. DG East will hire a consultant to conduct a series of trainings for selected CSOs and media organizations from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts who will gain practical knowledge and improve their skills in developing media products. The focus will be on developing communications products and usage of various instruments for their wider dissemination among target audiences. As a result, civil society organizations and activists in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts will be able to deliver their messages and raise awareness about their work in a creative way.
The consultant will also support DG East to develop concepts for a storyteller hackathon and a youth social journalism contest. The former will address Objective 1, Task 4 of the annual workplan by replicating a model of the Re3 StoryHack, a hackathon organized in 2013 in the 16
U.S. that brought together creative storytellers and change makers19, and the latter will engage young social journalists across the region. This approach will be instrumental for helping local activists expand the boundaries of storytelling to make their voices heard. Horea Salajan, media expert, will conduct two 3-day trainings, provide mentoring support for trainees, develop recommendations to support strengthening of local CSOs’ public outreach capacities, and produce concepts for the hackathon and young social journalism contest. This activity will be completed by November 2019.
d. Issue grant to media outlets to produce media information products to disseminate information on reform process. This activity is underway and will be implemented in FY 2019 Q4.
Task 2: Provide technical assistance to local governments to use transparent procurement procedures, hold public hearings, manage citizen demands, and use e-governance tools as well as undertake civic-based educational initiatives to frame process like responsive budgeting, public hearings, procurement, and decentralization in terms local communities easily understand.
a. Hold forum with local government entities to provide orientation to DG East goals and identify opportunities for collaboration. DG East continued conducting informational workshops for organizations and local government entities interested in applying for a grant through the APS. The workshops enable prospective grantees to ask questions about the APS procedure and clarify the application requirements to facilitate the conceptualization processes. DG East expects higher engagement levels of local CSOs and increase in APS applications we can potentially support in the region.
b. Conduct Organizational Performance Improvement/Human and Institutional Capacity Development training for local government specialists and managers on how to improve internal organizational capacity. DG East conducted HICD/OPI trainings last quarter for Luhansk oblast officials. On April 5-7, DG East convened Donetsk oblast government officials in Sviatohirsk. Trainings educated local government representatives about HICD/OPI, a USAID methodology for institutionalizing improvements in local government to better respond to the needs of the population, identifying the causes of non-compliance with modern standards, helping to modernize business processes in the area of providing services at the local level, and promoting LGE initiatives for systemic improvement and implementation of key reforms.
Per the Year 1 implementation plan, workshops will be conducted quarterly. Both trainings were attended by oblast, raion, and city representatives. DG East effectively shared methodologies and new approaches that LGEs can use to improve their performance. The representatives of local councils of Mariupol and Kramatorsk showed interest in potential future collaboration with the DG East for deeper introducing shown approaches in
19 https://www.hyperakt.com/labs/re3/ 17 their facilities. The possibilities of this collaboration will be discussed during the planning working session for year 2 of DG East.
c. Provide orientation on local government tools for improved transparency. Link to SO 2.1 Task 2. The first workshops will begin in early July to identify assessment needs for further trainings. In August, a study tour to Georgia is planned.
d. Assist LGEs to develop procurement procedures, including formal training and development of a procurement operational guidelines. DG East’s partner VNG will begin this activity during the next quarter with a workshop for 20 people to assess needs and develop a training program for two upcoming 3-day trainings. The first are scheduled in Mariupol on August 4- 6 and in Sviatohirsk on August 8-10 for approximately 40 participants from Kramatorsk, Bakhmut, Kostiantynivka, Mariupol, and other locations. A study visit to Georgia is planned for August 19-24, with up to 30 people participating. To follow-up on the study visit, a workshop to understand key findings will be conducted in September 2019.
e. Conduct study visit for LGE representatives to observe local or international best practices in local government organizational systems and procedures (Link to SO 1.3, Task 3 for city‐city activity). DG East conducted two study tours during the reporting period. A study tour to Kharkiv Administrative Services Centers (ASCs) included 10 Mariupol ASC representatives and 10 Donetsk oblast Pension Fund representatives. The tour provided hands-on experience with counterparts on the work of two Kharkiv ASCs, the Regional ASC and Kyiv rayon ASC, for possible replication of best practices locally. The second study tour was to Drohobych city (Lviv oblast), organized as a “Smart City” tour for Mariupol city and Sartana village council representatives, and Volnovakha ASC.20 Participants saw how information systems are integrated into the city infrastructure and used these best-practice observations to discuss how to implement similar services in the Mariupol Left Bank Multicenter, which is being improved with DG East support.
Task 3: Support reform-minded government officials.
a. Based on SO 1.2 Task 2 activity outputs, help LGE government officials to identify organizational development needs and provide assistance to introduce improvements in organizational operations and/or service improvement (also link to SO 2.3). Interventions will be identified by the end of FY 2019; implementation will begin in FY 2019 and extend through FY 2020. b. Facilitate LGE participation in ISPI conference to provide exposure to real‐world examples of organizational improvement, and generate ideas that can be adapted to Ukrainian local government. The workshop will take place on September 26-28 in Skopje, North Macedonia. DG East has pre-selected government officials to participate in the conference.
c. Conduct in‐country study visits, for example on Lviv's "Smart City" model to generate ideas to be replicated in Donbas LGEs. DG East conducted a visit to Kharkiv ASC and study tour to
20 https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticGovernanceEast/posts/427254448118469 18
Drohobych. A second study visit is planned to Ivano-Frankivsk (July 27-August 3), with up to 20 participants from Kramatorsk, Svatove, Pokrovsk, Severodonetsk, Slovyansk, Mariupol, Rubizhne, Mariinka, Starobilsk, Popasna, and Bakhmut. In August, DG East will conduct a workshop to identify the services study tour participants would like to implement in their communities. d. Identify and build capacity of local HICD/OPI consultants to work alongside DG East experts so as to create a cadre of locally based experts who will continue to work with local administrations. This activity is planned for FY 2019 Q4.
SO 1.3: Further development of Ukrainian civic identity.
Task 1: Work with local counterparts to develop cultural events and festivals highlighting Ukraine's heritage and common values.
a. Provide a grant for From a Country to Ukraine Foundation to prepare for annual festivals in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. A grant agreement was signed with FC2U on May 14. The grantee successfully conducted two cycles of the Academy, recruited local organizing teams, and helped them to prepare for festivals that will be rolled out in nine target cities at the end of FY 2019 Q4. b. Issue grant for CSOs to identify communities in Donetsk and Luhansk that can create locally based cultural events, i.e. Film festivals, community theater; sporting events; etc. DG East considered a possible pilot event, a regional ceramics festival in Slovyansk. DG East met with ceramics NGOs in Slovyansk and encouraged them to submit applications under APS01. The ceramics NGOs plan to submit an application in the coming quarter.
Task 2: Establish “international houses”, providing meeting spaces in key locations to emphasize European values, materials, cultural influences, and interactive opportunities.
a. Conduct mapping activity to determine existence of local community centers, their current state of operation. Where there is need, assess local commitment to revitalize community spaces. DG East met with the culture departments of both Donetsk and Luhansk regional administration to explain the purpose of our information request. The culture departments facilitated the dissemination of a questionnaire to help with mapping. The activity is in progress and will continue into FY 2019 Q4. Based on the information collected, DG East will either directly or through a subcontract, grant, or STTA activity conduct more in-depth research on a short-list of community centers to identify a pilot community center to support in Year 2.
b. Based on mapping results, support revitalization of community spaces. This activity will be scheduled upon receipt of mapping data discussed above.
c. Research legislation governing modular construction activities. DG East completed an assessment of Ukraine Legislation on Modular Constructions and held a de-briefing on June 11. The assessment identified pertinent legislative regulations necessary to comply 19 with when working with modular constructions as well as step-by-step processes for building modular constructions. With this information, DG East has a framework to apply to its future modular construction work.
Task 3: Establish capacities and facilities for regular interaction between Ukrainian professionals and students with counterparts in the rest of Ukraine and western countries [VNG]. a. Develop roadmap for internships, exchanges, city partnerships for city‐to‐city exchange program based on city profiles. DG East developed the model and will submit documents for COR concurrence in early FY 2019 Q4. VNG has developed its approach to designing a city- to-city partnership program comprising study tours, internships, etc. between DG East target communities and Ukrainian and European communities. VNG consultants are planning to conduct site visits/needs assessments in mid-August.
Problems encountered and proposed solutions in Objective 1
A few of DG East’s anticipated early grants were delayed by ongoing environmental compliance review processes. To finalize early grant activities and ensure that the project’s environmental compliance practices meet USAID requirements, three grants were split into two parts: (1) preparatory stage, and (2) implementation of activities which require environmental monitoring and mitigation. DG East obtained USAID approval to add the new position of Environmental Compliance Specialist to the project organization chart to facilitate environmental compliance processes going forward. DG East published an advertisement to identify candidates and engaged Olena Chernikova, an environmental specialist on a short-term basis to ensure the production and submission of EMMPs.
Objective 2: Increase participation to improve Ukraine's governance and reform processes and help to resolve community problems
SO 2.1: Increased integration of separated, marginalized, or isolated populations.
Task 1: Monitor contact-line crossing areas and checkpoints to facilitate service delivery to border crossing population. a. Identify NGOs targeting checkpoints/crossings that can survey population service delivery needs; i.e. legal aid. DG East continued to meet with key NGOs that provide monitoring and support at the checkpoints, such as R2P and PIN, and determined that they maintain information on service delivery relevant to DG East’s scope and objectives. If there arise opportunities to engage with these NGOs, DG East will explore this.
b. Coordinate with REACH to map citizen service delivery areas. DG East will finalize a subcontract with ACTED in early FY 2019 Q4, which will include a 15-city accessibility survey of public services. ACTED will conduct its Capacity and Vulnerability Assessment in Mariupol, Kramatorsk, and Severodonetsk that will provide detailed information on quality of service delivery and gaps in that area. 20
Task 2: Improve delivery of high-demand services (e.g., administrative and social services; certificates; permits; pensions; social security payments; and social, health, and education service delivery plans), partnering with utility companies to procure equipment and materials for the large number of NGCA residents crossing into government-controlled territory. a. Work with LGEs to facilitate improved ASC/DSP information dissemination to customers Linked to SO 1.2 Task 2; this activity will begin by end of FY 2019.
b. Introduce mobile box services operations for ASCs and DSPs in Luhansk and Donetsk to serve the contact line border crossings, including providing end‐user front and back office training for public servants. DG East prepared MOUs and sent them to recipient communities for signing. Mobile Boxes were delivered to the Severodonetsk office. Next steps (IT customization of Mobile Boxes for ASCs/DSPs and setting up remote access to DSP servers, linking the mobile boxes with ASC or DSP servers) will be provided by the ICT Specialist in the near future. The lists of DSP and ASC participants for trainings were finalized. Workshops are scheduled on July 26-28 for DSP specialists and on August 1-3 for ASC specialists in Severodonetsk, where the mobile cases will be distributed to each recipient ASC and DSP.
Donetsk oblast recipient communities are Mariinka, Bakhmut, Kramatorsk, Pokrovsk, Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka, and Manhush; all will receive boxes for both ASC and DSP. Luhansk oblast recipient communities are Svatove, Kreminna (DSP), Popasna (DSP), Stanytsia Luhanska, Rubizhne, and Starobilsk (ASC). The final draft of Road Maps for Mobile Boxes integration into DSP/ASC services was developed by international STTA Vakhtang Gordeladze and local STTA Olena Nizhelska.
c. Identify target communities for replication of DSP and ASC service delivery improvements. Svatove (Luhansk oblast) proved to be a good location for replicating the activity because of the proximity to a major crossing point and political commitment by the local government. In early July, a meeting will be held with potential bidders to discuss the technical details of activity implementation.
Task 3: Monitor IDP issues, such as voting rights, combatting trafficking in persons awareness raising, housing deficits, and certification difficulties with policy actors at local, regional, and national levels.
a. Identify windows of opportunity to promote issues of importance to the IDP community (by monitoring reports; coordinating with IDP focused NGOs, etc.). During the reporting period, DG East continued receiving updates through the REACH-based online data system such as IDP figures and proportion.21 The Activity also began receiving updates from ACTED on the cross-contact line geographical dynamics such as relevant information on where NGCA residents go for documentation, cash, and food and medicine purchases, etc. DG East met regularly with humanitarian assistance partners to learn about the needs of their
21 https://reachmaps.shinyapps.io/UkraineIDPs/ 21 beneficiaries, including IDPs. If there arise opportunities to engage with these NGOs, DG East will explore this.
Task 4: Facilitate intra-Ukraine exchanges of civic activists, students, professionals, local government leaders, and economic actors [VNG].
a. Linked to SO 1.2, Tasks 2 and 3, and 1.3 Task 3. By the end of June, VNG had developed a concept to establish city-to-city exchanges and partnerships, which will be sent for COR concurrence in early July.
Task 5: Improve access to government and community facilities for people with disabilities, LGBT people, and the aged.
a. Conduct assessment to determine gaps in accessibility when obtaining government services for the disabled. DG East will start assessments during the next quarter through a subcontract with ACTED.
b. Issue grants to specific community‐based organizations around community accessibility initiatives. During the reporting period, DG East issued a grant to Nova Druzhkivka (please see detailed description under SO 1.1, Task 1, f.
c. Conduct assessment on LGBT+ in target communities and other marginalized groups (e.g., Roma population) on barriers to adequate access to services. The assessment will be initiated in FY 2019 Q4. d. Conduct anti‐discrimination training for government officials in client‐facing positions. Nova Druzhkivka will cover this activity in trainings, under its grant activity. The first training sessions are scheduled in early July for front-office staff in the service-provision sphere to improve communication skills with vulnerable groups of citizens (people with mental and/or physical disabilities, the elderly, etc.).
SO 2.2: Effective advocacy by local actors on relevant national and regional policies.
Task 1: Enhance coordination or dialogue on key issues and reforms among local, regional, and national governments. a. Conduct quarterly HICD workshops to bring together local government actors to present and discuss concrete achievements during the recent period and plan future activities. Coordinate with ERA. The first workshop is planned for September 2019.
b. Identify where public councils responsible for advocating for community interests are active. The PC activity is nearly completed and aimed at strengthening PCs as key actors in advocating for citizen–driven initiatives to effectively fulfill their role as representatives of citizen interests before local government. With subcontractor VNG, DG East researched PC activity and engagement levels in Donetsk and Luhansk oblast. DG East visited eight locations: Severodonetsk, Kreminna, Bakhmut, Druzhkivka, Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Mariupol, and Pokrovsk. As a result, four PCs from Severodonetsk, Druzhkivka, Pokrovsk, 22 and Kramatorsk were selected. Three PCs meeting the selection criteria were identified: Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Pokrovsk. While Severodonetsk does not currently have a PC, the city was selected for inclusion in this activity because it previously had one. c. Train the members of the three selected public councils on organizational management and advocacy. Trainings led by VNG were conducted for PC representatives and activists from the selected communities - Severodonetsk, Pokrovsk, Druzhkivka and Kramatorsk Public Councils. During the meetings with the public councils we identified the most critical issues: general introduction to the public councils and legislation issues, conflict-management, and decision-making processes. In June, a 3-day session was held with a total of 56 participants (36 women, 20 men). 52 participants followed the whole curriculum and received certificates. 19 representatives of Public Councils participated; 16 representatives of Local Government; 8 representatives of ACMH and 13 people represented CSO’s. The last one is scheduled for July 2-4. It took longer to identify STTA, obtain USAID approvals and negotiate travel dates. Training on organizational management and advocacy will be scheduled as activities for the year 2 or 3. d. Provide mentorship and training to city council members on decision‐making to advocate for community reforms. Trainings and mentorship started rolling out in FY 2019 Q3 and will continue in Q4. Upon completion, DG East and VNG will explore the further mentorship needs of the selected PCs. e. Assist CSOs or community groups to identify community needs to be advocated with local councils or other sub‐national government entities. See Task 2 (a) below.
Task 2: Facilitate advocacy campaigns of groups, like IDPs, business leaders, community influencers, and students; and highlight their interests to policy-makers and institutions at oblast, regional, and national levels. a. Assist CSOs or community groups to identify community needs to be advocated with local councils or other sub‐national government entities. DG East and ERA collaborated to host a 3- hour roundtable discussion of challenges faced by SMEs in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to identify opportunities to support a business-enabling environment. Approximately 30 business representatives brainstormed issues that challenge businesses in both oblasts. Several key issues were raised: The electricity monopoly requires businesses to pre-pay for energy, which is difficult for businesses because there are fluctuations in the number and type of orders received in any given month. Businesses in Pokrovsk struggle to provide consistent services to customers due to an inconsistent water supply. There is a lack of a consistent public transportation routes for passenger travel. There is no technical inspection facility for heavy haulage vehicles in northern Donetsk; trucks can only be inspected in Izium or Mariupol, which is not cost effective.
23
Cooperation between business and educational/vocational institutions is ineffective. Businesses host interns who are not trained for the type of work the businesses engage in.
The Donetsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry will invite SMEs to share other issues in the subsequent quarter. With the full list, DG East and ERA will determine which issues are most ripe for advocacy support.
Task 3: Assist oblast-level or regional offices of national government institutions, like universities and MTOT, to conduct analytical exercises that improve their functionality and effectiveness in informing policy formation. a. Select pilot community, including local buy‐in from local government entity, to manage community scorecard. Nine locations were under consideration: Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, Kreminna, Popasna, Bakhmut, Druzhkivka, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Kostiantynivka. Rubizhne was chosen, and three municipal services were selected for improving the following procedures: improving government communications and information dissemination, waste sorting, and improving ACMH mechanisms. Working groups are developing service evaluation matrices and focus group discussions will be conducted with the population to evaluate services and develop a plan for improving them. The activity will be completed by July 31. b. Pilot community scorecard methodology to identify community needs and develop concrete recommendations for local government offices for implementation. Engage university students to conduct scorecard data collection. DG East involved university students, acquainted them with the scorecard methodology, reviewed the topics to be discussed in-depth with representatives during groupwork sessions, and considered the communication techniques to be applied. One of the aims of the activity was to apply the scorecard tool as an effective way to bring together citizens and LGEs to constructively discuss and make decisions on the best interests of the community. Student involvement was one of the approaches to achieving these goals. DG East selected five students with background and interest in economics for this activity. Two students are from Rubizhne, the pilot community, two are from Lysychansk, and one is from Severodonetsk. The students helped to collect data and facilitate working groups with the citizens and LGE. DG East will involve the same students in the monitoring of changes in the pilot community in the coming six months. c. Collaborate with REACH to help local, regional, or national level government entities utilize analysis on particular issues to improve their ability to formulate policy. Based on DG East’s observations, ACTED may not be the appropriate partner for this activity; the capacity- building needs of local and regional government require more in-depth assistance. DG East will further consider potential ways to restructure this activity to achieve task objectives.
Task 4: Support horizontal networking among civic groups and economic actors to improve impact and effectiveness by formulating advocacy agendas and vertically integrate civic mobilization processes with local governments via improved opportunities for interaction and communication. 24
a. Under SO 1.1 Task 3 (NGO coalitions) and SO 2.2 Task 1 (public councils), support civic coalitions to network with local government entity and/or economic sector actors to identify issues and advocate to government at local, regional and/or national level. The Community Development Forum in Mariupol brought together different actors to generate ideas for the city strategy. More than 140 people convened, including representatives of CSOs, local authorities, Association of Multi-apartment House Owners (ACMH), youth, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Six working groups made recommendations for city development to be included in the Mariupol city development strategy. The main outcomes are yet to be defined, as DG East is finalizing its approach for creating an NGO HUB. DG East will continue to assess the information gathered to identify the most effective assistance.
b. Support implementation for civic group policy initiatives that had been approved by city councils. This activity is scheduled to begin in late FY 2019 Q4.
SO 2.3: Improved local governance processes and capacities.
Task 1: Design action plans for interventions that demonstrate substantive improvements to residents’ quality of life (e.g., healthcare, education/new hub schools, co-owners housing associations, etc.). a. Assess critical gaps in areas where government and citizens can collaborate to demonstrate substantive improvements to residents’ quality of life (e.g., healthcare, education/new hub schools/parent‐teacher associations, co‐owners housing associations, etc.). The Community Development Forum in Mariupol served as a potential starting point for citizens to contribute to existing initiatives and be engaged in city strategy development. DG East provided Mariupol City Council (MCC) with recommendations during the event. MCC will create five or six working groups on social, economic, cultural, ACMH and inclusion issues. DG East's Civic Engagement Specialist will further facilitate cooperation and dialog between different stakeholders of the city. MCC will assess the findings and existing gaps through public hearings, meetings with citizens, surveys and Google forms to reflect on initial inputs and track changes. This will happen after the July elections, as MCC representatives are actively involved in the electoral process. Economic Resiliency Activity (ERA) representatives are taking the lead in Mariupol strategy development with DG East serving rather as contributing side. DG East will further cooperate with ERA and MCC under this task.
Task 2: Support participatory planning among citizens and between citizens and governments; community-driven improvements to small-scale community infrastructure, like sections of roads, heating, water treatment, or electrical equipment; and community led community improvement initiatives, like the establishment of IT spaces, libraries, revenue- generating youth hostels, business-incubator spaces, murals, publishing houses, and recreation spaces.
25 a. Pilot participatory planning process to identify community‐based public infrastructure improvement. [Note: see also SO 1.3, Task 2]. The activity is scheduled to take place in FY 2019 Q4. VNG will submit a concept in early July.
b. Assess target communities to identify viable locations for the pilot and select one community (based on criteria including political will, no duplication with other donor projects, etc.). This activity will take place in FY 2019 Q4. c. Facilitate public hearings and citizen participation by working with citizens and government officials to prioritize community improvement ideas and identify one small‐scale infrastructure improvement (possibly creation of a community engagement center in a rural community, based on the Georgian model). This activity is scheduled to take place in FY 2019 Q4. d. Facilitate the design and development of the project plans, budget, timelines, etc. to model this for participants. This activity is scheduled to take place FY 2019 Q4.
Task 3: Improve “back end” and “front end” functionality of new and planned key citizen- government interaction points after community consultation on user experiences and improvements to the user experience of residents obtaining social services, health care, and other prioritized services.
a. Improve service improvement organizational capacity of DSPs, including arranging citizens' reception and automating housing subsidies services, as well as training relevant DSP specialists. Process could also include infrastructural changes (architectural plan, technical expertise, and confirm property rights). As discussed under SO 2.1 Task 2.c, DG East identified Svatove as the location for this activity. Estimated activities will include infrastructure rehabilitation, automation, ICT procurement, and STTA expertise. This activity will continue in the next quarter.
b. Conduct citizen satisfaction survey on primary healthcare service improvements in Severodonetsk primary healthcare center (PHC). DG East engaged an international consultant and four local consultants to carry out six focus groups and face-to-face interviews. The key results include higher rating of service satisfaction due to implementation of a medical information system (MIS). Patients are dissatisfied with the lack of communication links between the primary healthcare system and the more specific secondary one. Most patients are satisfied with the possibility of choosing a family doctor from a list, which is made possible by medical reforms. To make medical services more efficient, primary health care (PHC) facilities must use the full functionality of the MIS, which would lead to automatization of processes and improved service quality. c. Identify service provider (CSO or private organization) and provide training on citizen satisfaction survey methodology. This activity was completed. Vakhtang Gordeladze, an international local governance specialist worked with DG East staff to develop the questionnaire, prepare for face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions, synthesize the results, and present the analysis to PHC and government stakeholders. The majority of respondents indicated that the quality of PHC services delivered by the Severodonetsk PHC 26 center improved, showing high values of customer satisfaction index (CSI). The questionnaire included all PHC services that are delivered by Severodonetsk PHC center in all the three clinics. Customers of PHC services, delivered by the Severodonetsk PHC center through clinics #1, #2 and #3, positively evaluated the service allowing users to choose a family doctor, an update made during the PHC system reform, being implemented in Ukraine. STTA developed set of recommendations for the PHC center. Potentially some of these will be implemented during year 2 of DG East. More info about next steps will be known after the working planning session for year 2. d. Conduct baseline survey on citizen satisfaction of local service provision entities supported by DG East in DG East target communities. Will be pursued in collaboration with ACTED or based on DOBRE experience. DG East worked on developing a SOW for a service provider to conduct the survey. e. Replicate/Adapt ASC automation on Citizens Registration Services, to the extent possible covering service delivery close to NGCA checkpoint territories and rural communities (highly demanded ASC service and "successful model" under UCBI II). Services will be covered by the Mobile Boxes activity outlined in SO 2.1, Task 2, b. According to the established procedure and current Ukrainian legislation, all services will be rendered in full for the provision of remote services. f. Conduct 6 training modules for PHC healthcare personnel in Luhansk and Donetsk Oblast (replicating highly demanded training and "successful model" under UCBI II). This activity began during the reporting period and will be completed in FY 2019 Q4; see details in Key Narrative Achievements.
g. Supporting improvement in administrative services provision process for Mariupol city council. The Multicenter will be comprised of the ASC, Pension Fund, and Department of Social Protection, and will host the municipal civil registry office staff members.
DG East published all the necessary tenders for equipment procurement and will select service providers in FY 2019 Q4. The Multicenter will provide services for approximately 1,200 people daily, with up to 20 percent coming from NGCA. In late May, a USAID delegation and Mariupol authorities visited the site.22 The Multicenter is anticipated to open by the end of September 2019, depending on completion of construction works on the facility by the city council.
In early FY 2019 Q4, DG East and partners will start the Service+ training series for Multicenter personnel, equipping them with skills on a client-oriented approach, new service provision standards, and conflict mitigation techniques.
DG East will implement study tours, trainings, and technical assistance; conduct ASC furniture and equipment procurements; and provide mentorship on human resources management for local Mariupol authorities. DG East is collaborating with IDLO on this
22 https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticGovernanceEast/posts/413101572867090 27 activity, which brings expertise in business process optimization and zoning to ensure smooth customer flow and customer accessibility and transparency in business processes. Mariupol City Council is covering all costs related to building and construction.
Task 4: Build the capacity of (non-hromada level) local municipalities to manage citizen demands and community expectations. a. See DG East efforts under SO 2.2, Task 2, and SO 2.3, Task 1 and 2) + SO 2.2, Task 2; SO 2.2, Task 1; SO 2.2, Task 3
Problems encountered and proposed solutions in Objective 2
The performance of both objectives has been challenged by factors related to the environment in which we operate. A primary constraint relates to the availability of experienced professional staff with the education and backgrounds consistent with the needs of the project. While it is possible to find any number of specialists in Kyiv, Donetsk and Luhansk have not had the same opportunities to develop this cadre. This results in operations in the East hiring less than fully qualified personnel and investing in them over time to build capacity. In turn, this has a direct impact on the number of staff required to produce a given amount of progress. In some cases, it’s been necessary to add staff in Kyiv, and/or expatriates where it would have been preferable to hire Ukrainian citizens in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Logistic challenges are likely to remain through the life of the program. Distances are vast, road conditions poor, weather often punishing, and security issues significant. Coupled with relatively poor communications infrastructure, the time required to get out and connect with partners and government is taxing. To date, it’s been a challenge providing project personnel with high quality transportation related both to the quality of vehicles available and the capability of drivers. Going forward DG East will lease its own dedicated vehicles.
Implementation within the broadly worded APS process for identifying grant partners and opportunities is fraught with challenges. DG East receives a very wide range of small project proposals which are often either inconsistent with our objectives or not geographically strategic. One of the results is a very resource intensive process to separate the wheat from the chaff. The outstanding results of the targeted RFA on media support and development suggests a way forward around this issue.
Dramatic national and local election results require recalibration and often development of entirely new relationships with many of our partners and contacts. The overall impact of these changes is not now well understood in the reporting quarter, but will no doubt manifest itself in the coming period.
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III. PROGRESS AGAINST TARGETS
Table 1: Indicators collected and analyzed during FY 2019 Q3 FY 2019 Unit of Base Code Indicator Description Actual Measure line Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Achieve ment Number of DGE07 Number of civic coalitions formed 0 2 0 0 1 N/A 1 civic coalitions Number of CSOs and other civic actors Number of DGE08 25 0 63 113 N/A 176 receiving USG assistance CSOs 0 Number of people engaged in CSO/CS Number of DGE09 0 200 0 0 56 N/A 56 group activities people Number of DGE10 Number of grants issued 0 30 0 0 2 N/A 2 grants Number of LGEs representatives Routine admin DGE14 0 115 0 132 145 N/A 277 trained data Number of civic/cultural events Number of DGE16 0 30 0 0 1 N/A 1 supported by USG assistance events Number of direct beneficiaries from Number of DGE17 0 10,000 0 0 178 N/A 178 civic/cultural activities beneficiaries GNDR-8. Number of persons trained with USG assistance to advance Number of DGE18 outcomes consistent with gender persons 0 150 0 0 126 N/A 126 (FAF) equality or female empowerment trained through their roles in public or private sector institutions or organizations Number of CSOs receiving USG Number of DGE25 assistance engaged in advocacy 0 10 0 0 4 N/A 4 CSOs interventions (DR 4.2-2) Number of participants in community- Number of DGE26 0 200 0 0 796 N/A 796 driven exercises participants Number of local council and Number of commission members trained on DGE27 individuals 0 120 0 0 38 N/A 38 decision-making to advocate for trained community reforms DGE Number of NGO/CSO representatives Individuals 0 ‐ 0 103 43 N/A 146 Internal1 engaged in DG East activities
DGE Number of ACMH representatives Individuals 0 ‐ 0 4 93 N/A 97 Internal3 engaged in DG East activities
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Objective I: Greater acceptance of a shared civic culture based on common values and understanding.
Indicator DGE07: Number of civic coalitions formed. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 2 0 0 1 N/A 1 1 0 0 0
Sub‐Objective 1.1: Increased interaction of citizens with civil society groups.
Indicator DGE08: Number of civil society organizations (CSOs) and other civic actors receiving USG assistance. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 25 0 63 113 N/A 176 35 25 30 40
Disaggregation by: FY 2019 Q2 FY 2019 Q3 Grand Activity Urban Rural Total: Urban Total: Total 3rd Local Government Forum 6 6 6 Community Development Forum in Mariupol 52 52 52 From a Country to Ukraine - People Change a City, and a 1 1 1 Community Changes Ukraine House owners forum for Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts 38 38 38 “From one ownership to Good Neighbors cohesion” NGO Forum for representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk 56 1 57 57 oblasts Selection and training of 3 Public Councils in Luhansk and 12 12 12 Donetsk oblasts Trainings for PHC staff 10 10 10 Total 62 1 63 113 113 176
In consultation with USAID, DG East decided to create an additional internal indicator, “Number of NGO/CSO representatives engaged in DG East activities”, in order to track how many participants were engaged from these 176 CSOs.
DGE Internal1: Number of NGO/CSO representatives engaged in DG East activities: 146.
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Disaggregation by: Sex FY 2019 Q2 FY 2019 Q3 Total Male 41 16 57 Female 62 27 89 Total: Sex 103 43 146 DGE Oblast FY 2019 Q2 FY 2019 Q3 Total Donetsk 9 33 42 Luhansk 94 10 104 Total: DGE Oblast 103 43 146
Indicator DGE09: Number of people engaged in CSO/CS group activities. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 200 0 0 56 N/A 56 350 350 350 300
Disaggregation by: Activity Male Female Total From a Country to Ukraine - People Change a City, and a Community Changes Ukraine 26 30 56
Indicator DGE10: Number of grants issued. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 30 0 0 2 N/A 2 30 30 20 10
Grant ID Grant name Award date KRA_G_001 From a Country to Ukraine - People Change a City, and a Community Changes Ukraine 30 Apr 2019 KRA_G_002 City Accessibility Analysis (NGO Nova Druzhkivka) 3 Jun 2019
Sub‐Objective 1.2: Increased understanding of reform and participatory governance processes.
Indicator DGE14: Number of LGE representatives trained. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 115 0 132 145 N/A 277 115 115 115 0
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Disaggregation by: Sex DGE Oblast Activity Male Female Total: Sex Donetsk Luhansk Total: Community Development Forum in Mariupol 2 3 6 5 5 From a Country to Ukraine - People Change a City, 0 6 6 6 6 and a Community Changes Ukraine HICD training for Donetsk LGEs 7 26 33 33 33 House owners forum for Donetsk and Luhansk oblast “From one ownership to Good Neighbors 8 12 20 20 20 cohesion” Mariupol Multicenter development for improving 2 18 20 20 20 services for people: Study Tour to Kharkiv Mariupol Multicenter development: Study Tour 3 15 18 18 18 to Drohobych Selection and training of 3 Public Councils in 1 9 10 10 10 Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts Svatove DSP replication 3 29 32 32 32 Total: FY 2019 Q3 26 118 145 103 42 144
Sub‐Objective 1.3: Further development of Ukrainian civic identity.
Indicator DGE16: Number of civic/cultural events supported by USG assistance. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 30 0 0 1 N/A 1 100 100 100 50 RoboFest (15 Jun 2019)
Indicator DGE17: Number of direct beneficiaries from civic/cultural activities. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 10,000 0 0 178 N/A 178 23,400 27,400 24,600 12,300
Disaggregation by: FY 2019 Q3 Sex Male Female Total Total 130 48 178
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Indicator DGE18: (GNDR-8). Number of persons trained with USG assistance to advance outcomes consistent with gender equality or female empowerment through their roles in public or private sector institutions or organizations. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 150 0 0 126 N/A 126 150 150 150 150
Disaggregation by: FY 2019 Q3 Sex Male Female Total Total 47 79 126
Objective 2: Increase participation to improve Ukraine’s governance and reform processes and help resolve community problems.
Sub‐Objective 2.2: Effective advocacy by local actors on relevant national and regional-level policies.
Indicator DGE25: Number of CSOs receiving USG assistance engaged in advocacy interventions (DR 4.2-2). FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 10 0 0 4 N/A 4 15 10 20 15
Organization ID Organization name 35699353 Proliska (ГО "Проліска") 39758883 Slovianska Mriya (БФ "Словянська мрія") 40799404 Pani Women's Association (ГО "Асоціація жінок "Пані") 41436596 Movement of active citizens “Together” (РУХ АКТИВНИХ ГРОМАДЯН "РАЗОМ")
Sub‐Objective 2.3: Improved local governance processes and capacities.
Indicator DGE26: Number of participants in community-driven exercises. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 200 0 0 796 N/A 796 1,000 1,300 1,700 1,100
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Disaggregation by: Activity FY 2019 Q3 Community Development Forum in Mariupol 108 Selection and training of 3 Public Councils in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts 38 Trainings for PHC staff 650 Total 796
Indicator DGE27: Number of local council and commission members trained on decision- making to advocate for community reforms. FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Baseline Actual 2018 Target Q I Q II Q III Q IV Target Target Target Target Achievement 0 120 0 0 38 N/A 38 120 120 50 50
Disaggregation by: Activity Male Female Total Selection and training of 3 Public Councils in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts 16 22 38
Grant Total FY 2019 Q3: 1,038 people trained by DG East activities: 294 people trained by DDGS activities; 56 people trained by Grant activities; 650 people trained by STTA activities; 38 people trained by subcontractor activities.
IV. PERFORMANCE MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING
DG East’s MEL system, DevResults, was set up early in the quarter. MEL and other relevant staff members participated in a DevResults training in early April provided by a MEL Specialist from the Chemonics home office.
The DG East MEL Manager took part in the Indicator and Survey Design and Development Workshop at SeeD’s headquarters in Nicosia, Cyprus. The aim of the workshop was to collaborate on the SeeD-created SCORE Index to refine the MEL tools to develop and inform the Activity’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting approach to data utilization. The questionnaire design and calibration phase included adaptation of existing indicators (combining, shortening, strengthening, unpacking) and design of new indicators per the qualitative findings. The questionnaire design took into account three key project objectives: (1) combine and design a questionnaire for Luhansk and Donetsk (SCORE-East) that also includes relevant indicators for booster samples (ATO veterans, IDPs, etc.); (2) design a shorter check-point questionnaire for commuters from the NGCA based on the SCORE-East questionnaire; (3) ensure that the SCORE-East questionnaire is compatible with SCORE- National data collection objectives for 2020. In the coming quarter, feedback from the workshop will be collected and incorporated via a Core Reflection Group network on two questionnaires (SCORE-East general population and SCORE-East check-point) before translating and piloting.
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In FY 2019 Q3, DG East activity implementation identified the following issues: Indicators and activity goals are not always the same, resulting in situations when a big event (inputs) is without indicators. The number of presentations in local communities should be increased to promote the Activity, as beneficiaries might not know about the opportunities. Most activities are currently in cities and not in rural areas, so DG East’s geography should be expanded. Participants in large events should be pre-registered (Google forms, Kobo, etc.) to help collect quality data and determine the actual number of participants. This will also help with planning of open events when food, seating, etc. should be arranged in advance. Trainers hired under the Activity need to be trained in GESI, clearly understand appropriate definitions, and strictly follow acceptable language and examples. The lack of a VNG coordinator led to poor communication during implementation. In addition, some activities with coordinators included in the SOW did not include administrative responsibilities such as logistics, preparing lists of participants, etc.
V. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
DG East hired a short-term consultant to work on ERC/EMMPs.
VI. PROGRESS ON LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES
DG East made the rounds to donors and other activities to discuss geographic and programmatic targets and approaches. In addition, DG East regularly participated in donor coordination meetings on civil society issues, implementing partners meetings, and coordination meetings with ERA. No issues in coordination have yet been identified. In FY 2019 Q3, DG East participated in the following meetings / met with the following:
Protection Cluster in Kramatorsk. Made presentation about DG East for participants (local and international CSOs). USAID Human Rights in Action Program. Discussed activities of both projects and shared ideas for collaboration. R2P. Discussed their current KPVV and IDP monitoring and needs assessments, with a view to engaging them, if relevant, on SO 2.1 Task 1 (a). Donetsk Oblast State Administration requested that DG East provide information on planned ASC/DSP support in 2019 so that they and local administrations can plan to identify additional resources needed. USAID Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions (SACCI) Program in Ukraine (SACCI). Learned about their civic education courses for high school students. Severodonetsk roundtable on support of inclusive society in Luhansk oblast, arranged by UNDP. Participants discussed equal opportunities for people with disabilities, inclusive education, and capacities and issues faced by people with disabilities. Met potential grantees who are working on inclusion topics. 35
UNDP Inclusion Festival in Kramatorsk and a May 14 round table on issues of inclusion. USAID Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency (DOBRE). Learned about its activities, discussed its approach to service delivery community-based methodology in surveying population, and agreed on further cooperation and exchange of best practices between the two USAID-funded activities. UNHCR. Learned about its Peaceful Coexistence Project support to community centers along the contact line and shared DG East’s survey and cultural centers mapping activity. Ministry of Education and Sciences (MoES) Directorate of Inclusive and Special Education (Kramatorsk and Kyiv staff, in Kyiv). Discussed MoES plans and vision for development of inclusive education; needs and challenges with inclusive education on the local level; and ways for cooperation and sharing information. 4th working group meeting on Human Capital, part of the Donetsk ODA’s strategic planning exercise.
VII. PROGRESS ON LINKS TO HOST GOVERNMENT
DG East met with oblast-level officials in Donetsk and Luhansk and with the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories (MTOT) to identify joint efforts and opportunities for cooperation, and to avoid duplication of activities across target locations.
MTOT requested assistance in implementing several proposals. 1. Distribute the positive integration experience of IDPs to receiving territorial communities. MTOT wants to launch another national campaign to prevent stigmatization and marginalization of IDPs in host communities and promote social cohesion. The idea is to identify success stories of IDPs who have successfully integrated into new communities across Ukraine. A series of videos will be disseminated via national and regional TV channels, poplar news websites, and social media platforms. MTOT will be able to provide a detailed budget for this activity as soon as the heroes are selected and number of videos confirmed. 2. Create a mobile application to inform about education issues. MTOT is willing to create an app to address a pressing challenge in the NGCA, where recently more obstacles have been created for the youth living there who want to enroll in colleges or universities in the government-controlled area (GCA). MTOT proposed to provide a SOW and have DG East select and pay a contractor to develop the app. Ideally, this company should be based in Eastern Ukraine, since it would be good to support a local team (for example, IT Cluster Mariupol). Estimated cost of this project is around 300,000 hryvna.
VIII. PROGRESS ON INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT
DG East identified an international short-term expert to conduct a GESI strategy assignment, which was completed.
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DG East will consult with ERA on the business associations and active SMEs it is engaging to identify those which may be open to working with DG East on philanthropy, social responsibility, and other civic values.
In coordination with UNDP, DG East will identify service delivery entities to develop transparent office reception areas in DSPs. Opportunities will be explored for collaboration with ACTED to help local, regional, or national level government entities utilize analyses on particular issues to improve their ability to formulate policy.
XVI. Geographic Information
DG East completed submission of geographic data via the Web App.23
XVII. Attachments
Annex 1: Staffing structure appropriate to “process-heavy” community mobilization designed (updated from original deliverable submission).
Annex 2: Success story: Cultural festivals to bring shared national values and a state of unity to Eastern Ukraine.
Annex 3: Summaries of Media RFA selected projects.
Annex 4: Quarterly Reporting Performance Data table for Q3
23 https://geocenterusaid.org/ukraineactivities/ 41