Semi-Annual Performance Report 1 October 2019 – 31 March 2020

USAID/ENGAGE ENHANCE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ACTORS AND GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT

SEMI-ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT 1 OCTOBER 2019 – 31 MARCH 2020

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT NO. AID-121-A-16-00011

SUBMITTED BY PACT, INC. CONTENTS

Abbreviations 3

I. Executive Summary 5

Achievements, Lessons and Adaptation 6

II. Analysis 9

III. ENGAGE Activities 28

Objective 1: Enhance civic education 28

Objective 2: Foster effective national, regional, and local civic 32 coalitions and initiatives to promote democratic reforms

Objective 3: Improve organizational capacity of partner CSOs 52

Objective 4. Develop local capacity to ensure long-term civic engagement in democratic reforms 57

IV. Cross-Cutting Considerations 61

V. Coordination with Other USAID Implementing 62 Partners

2 ABBREVIATIONS

AC Anti-Corruption AntAC NGO Anti-Corruption Action Center ARMA Asset Recovery and Management Agency CATI Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews CD Capacity Development CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CEC Central Electoral Commission of Ukraine CEDEM Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law CEP Civic Engagement Poll CLA Collaborating, Learning, and Adaptation CLT Civic Literacy Test CPLR Centre of Policy and Legal Reform CSO Civil Society Organization DG East USAID Democratic Governance East Activity DIF Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation DRM Domestic Resource Mobilization EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ENGAGE USAID Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement EU European Union HACC Higher Anti-Corruption Court HCJ High Council of Justice HQCJ High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine ICT Information and Communications Technology IFCN International Fact-Checking Network IFES NGO International Foundation for Electoral Systems IMF International Monetary Fund IR Intermediary Results IREX NGO International Research and Exchange IRF International Renaissance Foundation ISO Intermediary Support Organization IT Information Technology J2SR Journey to Self-Reliance KIIS Kyiv International Institute of Sociology LGBTQI Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex Persons MOES Ministry of Education and Science MOYS Ministry of Youth and Sport MP Member of Parliament MRD Ministry of Regional Development of Ukraine NABU National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine NAPC National Agency for Prevention of Corruption NDI National Democratic Institute NEC New Europe Center

3 NPI Network Performance Index ONA Organizational Network Analysis OPI Organizational Performance Improvement OPU Office of the President of Ukraine OSCE The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe OTI Office of Transition Initiatives PJSC Public Joint Stock Company PWD People with Disabilities RPR Reanimation Package of Reforms SACCI USAID Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions Program SAPO Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office SBI State Bureau of Investigations SPA School of Policy Analysis SSU Security Service of Ukraine TAPAS Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration Services TIU NGO Transparency International Ukraine UCBI USAID Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative UCIPR Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research ULA Ukrainian Leadership Academy UNDP United Nations Development Programme UPLAN Ukrainian Public Law and Administration Network URC Ukraine Reform Conference USAID United States Agency for International Development UTT Ukrainian Toronto Television

4 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Under the Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement (ENGAGE) activity, Pact supports civil society in Ukraine with the goal to increase citizen awareness of and engagement in civic activities at the national, regional, and local levels.

Pact’s activities lie in the larger USAID Civic local issues and influence national-level Oversight Project and the Anti-Corruption Project policies; and networks and coalitions to build and are aimed at strengthening democratic on civic education results and increase civic governance at the highest level (Development education in campaigns. Objective 3). As part of USAID’s Ukraine Country • Objective 3: Improve organizational capacity Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), of partner CSOs. Pact sub-awards strengthen ENGAGE also seeks intermediary results (IR) of CSOs’ technical and organizational capacity, greater citizen engagement in good governance particularly their ability to communicate more (IR 3.1) and a government that is more responsive effectively with constituencies and the media. and accountable to citizens (IR 3.2) • Objective 4: Develop local capacity to ensure long-term civic engagement in democratic The ENGAGE activity uses a focused approach reforms. Pact will lay the foundation for a to engage citizens in Civil Society Organizations’ conducive ecosystem for civil society by (CSOs) activities and civic actions at the local developing an actionable vision for CSO and national levels. Through a mix of innovative sustainability. approaches and proven methods, ENGAGE focuses efforts at both the grassroots level to educate and activate citizens to engage in civic initiatives, as well as at the national and subnational levels to improve organizational capacities, build coalitions, and support advocacy and watchdog initiatives. While ENGAGE works throughout Ukraine, the South and East are geographic priorities.

The objectives of ENGAGE are: • Objective 1: Enhance civic education. The activities under this objective support the Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) to develop and pilot a civic education curriculum, as well as CSO-led civic education initiatives. Partners raise awareness among citizens of their civic rights and responsibilities and support provides them with the tools and opportunities to become more active citizens, including in battling corruption. • Objective 2: Foster effective national, regional, and local civic coalitions and initiatives to promote democratic reform. Pact supports national CSOs to engage and integrate local-level counterparts; local and regional activists and organizations to address

5 ACHIEVEMENTS, LESSONS AND ADAPTATION

Over

policy people were engaged directly changes in ENGAGE-supported 6 adopted 20,000 events/activities 7.5% of whom were Over reached for the rst policy time changes 2 pending 130 events/activities conducted

An estimated

people reached via traditional 16,700,000 and online media

Highlights of Results and Achievements successful infotainment initiative “#@)₴?$0 with Key programming highlights and findings from Michael Shchur”, by the CSO Ukrainian Toronto the first half of FY20 implementation: Television (UTT). During the first half of FY20, UTT produced 22 episodes that were traditionally • Six policy changes adopted and two broadcasted on three major national television pending; channels (UA:PBC, Hromadske, and TV24) and • An estimated 16.7 million people reached via on social media. The episodes generated great traditional and online media; interest from society and the media, as evidenced • Over 130 events/ activities by 95 mentions and links to the program on conducted; various information platforms, as well as about • Over 20,000 people were engaged directly 11.7 million program views on UTT’s official in ENGAGE-supported events/activities, YouTube channel (an average of over 530,000 7.5 percent of whom were reached for the views per episode). The number of subscribers first time. to UTT’s official pages increased by 12.5 percent (+45,000) on YouTube and 15.5 percent (+21,000) Objective 1: Enhance civic education on Facebook. Compared to the previous reporting This year, Pact took time to reflect on period, the number of comments on YouTube achievements and identify current challenges videos increased by 37,200 and the number of and possible gaps in civic education. Pact shares increased by 67,127. conducted several rounds of consultations with civic education stakeholders to prepare a sectoral Objective 2: Foster effective national, regional, analysis on teaching civic education in Ukraine and local civic coalitions and initiatives to and to offer recommendations to international promote democratic reforms donors on future possible interventions. ENGAGE core partners continued taking initiative USAID/ENGAGE designed a complex response to convene CSO coalitions pursuing civil society- to the need of increasing understanding and led agendas across different reform areas. This recognition of the importance of civic education resulted in successful advocacy for policy changes among school administrators, teachers, and supporting the country’s pro-European pace. parents, which was highlighted by both internal ENGAGE significantly contributed to civil society and external reviews last year. and government dialogue, which was halted after Pact continued to support the flagship and highly last year’s elections. Pact supported Reanimation

6 Package of Reforms (RPR) to create several Pact obtained greater results in raising awareness meeting points to reignite reform dialogue. As a on a broader level to better involve citizens (and result, dialogue around key reforms was restored particularly youth) in anti-corruption efforts, and civil society experts are involved in the inclusion, and global environmental concerns. discourse with the Government and Verkhovna Pact’s regional coordinators in Sumy, Kharkiv, Rada. Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia energized and Use of creative social media content can be mentored locally-based newly emerged horizontal

Over very effective in reaching wide audiences, networks and initiatives, and supported them in especially youth, as evidenced by the success their activities to overcome pessimism and the policy people were engaged directly changes in ENGAGE-supported of “#ЙдиОбирай” (GoElections) project, which low level of citizen participation in democratic 6 adopted 20,000 events/activities 7.5% reached over 4 million users on Instagram, reforms. of whom Facebook, and YouTube. were Objective 4: Developing local capacity to ensure Over reached for ENGAGE was involved in producing innovative long-term civic engagement in democratic the rst civic education tools, using simulation and policy time reforms changes gamification. These tools are becoming pending events/activities conducted 2 130 observable in the programming of other USAID Although one-third of the ENGAGE CSO partners implementing partners and various other reported improved organizational sustainability, financial sustainability remains a challenge. An estimated international development cooperation programs in the country and gaining more traction in Partner CSOs are still finding their way to progress Ukraine. ENGAGE and its partners’ creative in terms of pursuing their own Journey to Self- people reached via traditional Reliance (J2SR), and to achieve more tangible 16,700,000 and online media and innovative mechanisms led to the creation and introduction of four new Information and results, e.g. in the area of non-donor funding Communications Technology (ICT) tools to diversification and overall financial sustainability educate and inform Ukrainians of public oversight prospects outside of international donor funding. and local participation mechanisms. ENGAGE continued to mainstream the J2SR Four local reform coalitions, which unite 70 concept, which was started in Year 3, and collected local CSOs in Sumy, Kharkiv, Kropyvnytskyi and a vast background on sectoral and organizational Chuhuiv, continued engaging citizens into local sustainability. ENGAGE collected and analyzed decision-making processes and awareness-raising data from Year 3 engagement with businesses that activities. The coalitions organized 30 public and host large popular events in promoting inclusion, direct-action events, engaging more than 700 environmental sustainability, and civic activism citizens into civic activism and participation in and adapted activities in Year 4. reform processes, such as signing petitions or Neither of the envisioned sustainability participating in townhall meetings. Pact coalitions mechanisms has proven realistic at this stage. use different tools to engage citizens, including CSOs, by and large, are preoccupied with their media campaigns, street actions, performances, own organizational sustainability at best. Not trainings, and door-to-door campaigns. one or a group of CSOs dared to endeavor to take Over 20,000 people were engaged directly in responsibility for the whole sector or a sub-sector. ENGAGE-supported events/activities during the Private sector engagement of CSOs is weak. Some reporting period via innovative civic engagement high visibility activities and issues that are seen tools. outside of the realm of politics do attract private sector support, but businesses stay away from any Objective 3: Improve organizational capacity of activities that may trigger political reactions. CSO partner CSOs watchdogging, reform advocacy, and government From recent strategic communication and accountability programs can operate thanks to citizen engagement campaigns, core partners exogenous support. began to understand the need and appreciate direct engagement as a way to increase citizen Activities in the first half of Year 4 provided Pact awareness of and engagement in further reforms. lessons throughout the reporting period: However, further expansion of partners’ ICT tools From regional outreach and data analyses, Pact remains an issue. Only a few partners demonstrate learned: good usage of their own ICT tools for citizen • The high unemployment rate and low level engagement. Via infotainment and edutainment, of income in rural communities pose obstacles

7 for civic engagement into the reform process; • There continue to be diverging views as to citizens can concentrate primarily on their the Activity’s aims for sustainability, whether own livelihoods. it is a project, organization, sub-sector, or • Initiative groups in the settlements where the entire CSO sector, or the sustainability of Pact’s partners operate clearly demonstrate a fundamental rights and democratic values. lack of activism. The smaller the settlement, • The general liquidity (monetary funding) the more often the most active citizens are problem of Ukraine is exponentially true in the represented in parallel local authorities, CSO sector and its sub-sectors. local social and cultural institutions, and • Despite positive examples supporting CSOs. On the one hand, it fosters cooperation advocacy CSOs, private sector engagement in between active citizens and authorities on civic activities remains a challenge, in general. reform promotion by means of coalitions and This tendency suggests that the private sector networking, but on the other hand, a large is engaged when it is seen as entirely non- number of activist-officials does not contribute political. to the development of anticorruption or watchdog initiatives in the settlement. There Adapting to the challenges in the second half of are no competing elites or thought-leaders in Year 4: the nucleus of communities. • ENGAGE will raise recognition and credibility • Environmental concerns are the most of civic education teachers and a mandatory feasible theme to rally regional-based local civic education course in the 10th grade at the CSOs and groups around common activities. national level. It will also provide a framework for further cooperation of civic educators and From empowering sub-awardee cohorts and international donors through strategizing coalitions and ENGAGE core partners, Pact and designing criteria for successful civic learned: education in schools. • Unfortunately, Ukrainian CSOs, including • ENGAGE will increase support for the Pact’s partners, in most cases are slow to adapt development of partners’ adaptive capacities and react to the rapid changes in the country and prepare them for quick adaptation to the regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. This relates fast-changing environment. to both their ability to reprogram activities and • ENGAGE will increase partners’ ability to their ability to propose new tools for citizen creatively use virtual tools to engage citizens. engagement and watchdogging during the quarantine. • ENGAGE will complete the holistic assessments of key partners’ performance using • Core partners are at the beginning of their a complex Organizational J2SR Assessment J2SR, although there are notable exceptions to assess constituency engagement, outreach from the cohort of 11 CSOs. They need to to local- and regional-level counterparts, master their skills and knowledge to project network and coalition expansion, and gender their perceived leadership at their technical and inclusion-sensitive programming. sectoral level. Their gradual reckoning of Performance will be assessed towards financial leadership and the responsibility it entails and programming outcomes. The assessment opens an opportunity for a future sustainable will also consider the leadership development CSO ecosystem, coalescing around critical outcomes under Activity 3.5 (strengthening reform themes with ENGAGE core partners as CSOs to provide strategic leadership to flagbearers. civic initiatives). Awardees with positive • They need to be more intentional, developing performance assessment results and results of and utilizing evidence and data garnered as a ENGAGE’s leadership development program result of their technical excellence. The fact will take part in Objective 4 sustainability that they are regular consumers of others’ activities. analyses and observations presents a highly • ENGAGE will follow the early steps of the technical capacity development opportunity. Sustainability strategy and the Roadmap From Pact’s increased level of effort on Objective developed during the first half of Year 4. 3 (capacity development) and 4 (sustainability), Pact learned:

8 II. ANALYSIS

ANTI-CORRUPTION DECAMERON: WORKING TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY IN UKRAINE

Executive Summary The first quarter of 2020 brought about a “perfect trends throughout January 2020. Nevertheless, storm”, with changes in higher echelons of comparison of the next Civic Engagement Poll government, a global pandemic, domestic dataset with the winter 2020 one is likely to show wildfires near the Chornobyl Nuclear Power stark differences, as society weathers the current Plant, stringent domestic quarantine measures, turbulence and tilts towards more paternalism, and strengthened undemocratic trends1 against seeking state protection from storms that rage. the backdrop of a looming financial crisis and The AC institutional architecture will likely be uncertain International Monetary Fund (IMF) allowed to function as long as it targets the mid- cooperation. Earlier forecasts on the stability of size fish. Policies and institutions are in place; anti-corruption (AC) institutions and the overall policies need to be applied universally while trend for demonstrating justice through court institutions should be safeguarded from the cases against Poroshenko-era elites have so far influence of particular interests. been put on hold. Instead, attention is currently focused on whether the new Prosecutor General Background will succumb to pressure and start delivering At the end of December 2019, USAID/ENGAGE politically-motivated cases, and whether and USAID Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Ukraine can retain its democratic controls with Institutions Program (SACCI) joined efforts a population that, predictably, desires a “strong to craft a wide-angle assessment of Ukraine’s hand” at times of severe crisis. Anti-corruption progress in anti-corruption reform to date and CSOs have generally re-adapted to the new prospects for 2020. Back then, Ukrainians’ environment and started delivering COVID- demonstrated significant enthusiasm regarding related activities. Yet, there is still no revival the new president and his consolidated power- of the coalition spirit felt throughout the 2019 vertical to decisively advance reforms. elections (as with the election-related “Anti- Corruption Agenda”) amongst CSOs that work on As the year was nearing its end, negotiations the narrower AC institutional agenda. with the IMF continued, reform of the Prosecutor General’s Office was in full swing, and the Anti- The justice reform coalition seems to perform Corruption Court was picking up speed with cases much better. A new impetus for uniting efforts, getting adjudicated. Analysts of both programs though, may come as the pendulum continues noted that the bulk of legislation necessary for the swinging towards more “screw-tightening” effective operation of dedicated anti-corruption on behalf of the authorities. Citizen voices institutions was in place and that more emphasis have not demonstrated any major surprising would need to be made throughout 2020 to guard

1 Please see the most recent journalist investigation on the the turf of the newly-established or relaunched growing influence of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its institutions, rather than concentrating on long-standing leader, Arsen Avakov: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TgwBXdBUeB0 additional regulations.

9 One of the forecasts then was that the anti- appointment of his rival, Andriy Yermak, would corruption architecture would be allowed (and usher in a new era under Zelenskyy’s leadership. even encouraged) to operate effectively to start delivering on the electoral promise of making Changes came shortly thereafter. On March 3, “spring incarcerations”, as long as the suspects Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk submitted his represented the pre-Zelenskyy elites. Both resignation letter, thus automatically sending the program teams agreed that if the trends visible in whole Cabinet into resignation, and on March 4, December were to stay stable, the fall of 2020 could Denys Shmyhal was ushered in as the next Cabinet see the first pushbacks against the anti-corruption chief. Just two days later, on March 6, Prosecutor reform gains, as the AC infrastructure could, by General Rouslan Ryaboshapka, previously known then, start targeting Zelenskyy team members. for his extensive anti-corruption background, Assessment of sociological data in December also was also handed a vote of non-confidence by the showed no surprises: citizens continued to crave Parliament. peace in the Donbas and tangible signs of anti- corruption work, and sought economic stability, As such, the President completed a relaunch of his better healthcare, and general well-being. team (Head of the OPU, Prosecutor General, Prime Minister) with only the head of the Parliament As these forecasts and analysis went on air, remaining in place, as well as the party leadership though, the domino effect that would unravel for Sluha Narodu. Significant changes were called itself in the months to come. It is now in a different to channel away at least some of the mounting 2 reality that this memo attempts to analyze the social frustration . With these transformations, situation and to gauge trends that can change the President also sent a clear message: he was Ukraine’s governance fundamentally. done with his “first stage” of leadership. The era of those who brought him victory in the first place This analytical report briefly outlines the throughout the elections of 2019 was over. Government-wide changes that were made The appointment of Andriy Yermak and public in mid-February 2020 and that have subsequent developments with the so-called unraveled against the backdrop of a deteriorating Consultative Council for the Trilateral Contact situation with the global spread of COVID-19. In Group in Minsk were also heavily linked with the its second section, the report looks at the latest desire to demonstrate progress to the Ukrainian Civic Engagement Poll data conducted by Pact public that still seems to practice “magical in January 2020. ENGAGE is reviewing existing thinking” regarding finding a solution to the war data and comparing that to other sociological in the east3.In response to these developments sources to assess how citizen priorities in areas around the Minsk accords and negotiations of transparency and integrity are likely to change process, multiple CSOs and volunteer groups in the given context. Finally (speculative at this voiced concern and warned the Zelenskyy point as it may be) several avenues are outlined leadership team that public reactions should be that could unfold in the anti-corruption sphere, expected. At the same time, the approaching as well as implications for USAID anti-corruption COVID-19 wave brought in quarantine measures programming and beyond.

2 For comparison: at its peak, 79 percent of respondents trusted President Zelenskyy in September 2019, while only 13.5 percent AC Architecture: Changing Horses In The Middle did not trust him. In February 2020, only 51.5 percent of citizens Of The Stream trusted the president, while 41 percent did not. http://razumkov. org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/otsinka- gromadianamy-diialnosti-vlady-riven-doviry-do-sotsialnykh- Abrupt developments instytutiv-ta-politykiv-elektoralni-oriientatsii-gromadian-liutyi- 2020r. On February 10, news outlets around the country 3 The most recent Razumkov Center data that measures blasted out with reports that Andriy Bohdan, Ukrainians’ attitudes to different ways the temporarily-occupied formerly President Zelenskyy’s right hand and Donetsk and Luhansk territories can return to Ukraine suggests that citizens would like a) to avoid a military re-conquest, Head of the Office of the President (OPU) would be b) would like the returned areas to have no change in status as compared to 2014 (roll back to things as they were), and resigning. Analysts offered different explanations c) are against compromises in re-integrating the occupied and suggested varying paths that the country’s territories. Almost equal segments of the population support (41%) and oppose (40%) the idea of direct negotiations with governance at the highest levels could take from the pseudo-republics. http://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/ then onwards. Yet, one idea in common for all sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/gromadska-dumka-pro-sytuatsiiu- na-donbasi-ta-shliakhy-vidnovlennia-suverenitetu-ukrainy-nad- pundits was that the step-down of Bohdan and okupovanymy-terytoriiamy-liutyi-2020r

10 that have effectively hobbled any public protest public. Here and onwards, the media landscape outdoors. A significant group of Sluha Narodu that captures references to AC institutions is Members of Parliament (MPs) have also voiced based on the analysis carried out by USAID/SACCI their concerns over proposed new formats for from February 17 to March 29, 2020. The media Minsk-related talks and have publicly stated their sample includes 60 outlets (print, online, and dissent with the position of the new Head of the television) with the largest audiences. OPU. NABU was, quite predictably, the most quoted Anti-Corruption Institutional Machinery AC institution throughout the period analyzed and, unfortunately, this limelight was mostly a Meanwhile, in the landslide governance changes negative one. For the most part, Ukrainians could that came in late February-early March 2020, consume stories that forecasted a quick removal the anti-corruption architecture (National of Artem Sytnyk from his position due to criminal Anti-Corruption Bureau / NABU, Higher Anti- case that found him guilty of a corruption- Corruption Court / HACC, Specialized Anti- related crime. The media narrative was further Corruption Prosecutor’s Office / SAPO, and the strengthened by reports from a Verkhovna newly relaunched National Agency for Prevention Rada committee and the protest-driven self- of Corruption / NAPC)4 continued operations incineration of a person who accused NABU of without much change. At the end of February, not reacting to his information about corruption the situation surrounding NABU and its leader, crimes. The President himself and media Artem Sytnyk, was the worst; there were high figures who represent his team were speaking in chances that he would be deposed from his unison about the ineffectiveness of the current position alongside Rouslan Ryaboshapka but, at NABU leadership and suggested that the NABU the last moment, this issue was soft-pedalled. Director could be removed soon. At the same One possible explanation is that it would be time, an interesting (and probably unsurprising) much harder to remove the NABU Director due finding is that the media outlets that savored the to a very elaborate and narrowly-prescribed possible removal of Artem Sytnyk from office procedure in the law. The other – a much more were classified as pro-Russian media by the banal one – was that there was not enough time media monitoring system. One of the strongest to complete this move, and with deposition of the amplifiers for this idea was the “Vesti” newspaper Prosecutor General, worries of an independent associated with Viktor Medvedchuk. This NABU Director were mostly quelled. In response squarely fits within the by now obvious trend to these moves, Ukraine’s anti-corruption CSOs within the Russian-oriented media of portraying have stood by NABU leadership, have spoken Ukraine as a hopelessly corrupt country without up against Sytnik’s deposition, and have voiced any progress in governance. Also, unsurprisingly, praise for the short but eventful term of Rouslan Artem Sytnyk was, in many of those materials, Ryaboshapka as Prosecutor General. linked to the so-called “children of Soros” (sorosyata), a pejorative term for usually young The overall rhetoric surrounding the work of and Western-educated Ukrainian reformers. specialized AC institutions is well-depicted in Collateral damage was done to all other AC the national media. Articles, video-reports, and institutions, as they were listed as NABU sister- dedicated blogs are also a good predictor of the agencies in most of the publications. overall narrative that is being promoted to the Ukrainian public and, as research suggests, then HACC became the second most-quoted AC correlates with the level of support for the AC institution in the media during the monitoring reform5. Analysis of the media-landscape, which period. The court was mostly represented in immediately precedes the quarantine measures, the press by pieces reporting on current cases indicates which events gained prominence and under adjudication; the most cited were the how the agencies were positioned for the wider investigation of possible corrupt activities by

4 A wider classification also usually includes the Asset Recovery the new customs leadership, Maksym Nefyodov, and Management Agency (ARMA), Security Service of Ukraine and cases that involved former President Petro (SSU), and the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI). At the same time, a narrower approach is taken here, with focus exclusively Poroshenko. Overall, the media tonality regarding on the dedicated AC bodies. the HACC started changing in comparison with 5 “Blind Zones of Corruption” 2018 media analysis, USAID/ previous monitoring periods. Starting from SACCI. http://longread.uacrisis.org/blindzone.

11 AC Architecture: USAID/SACCI expert take* SAPO and NAPC have, as before, kept a rather low profile in reports by Ukrainian media. One While it is problematic to make any forecasts of the most popular materials regarding SAPO in regarding sustainability and proper operations the reporting period contained an interview with of the AC architecture over the next three Nazar Kholodnitskyy, who noted that he had no months, as the epidemic – hopefully – subsides intent to hold onto his position after his current enough for citizens to start returning to term in office expired. SAPO-related speakers the priorities of the pre-quarantine era, also commented on the Ukroboronprom-related expert interpretations of the AC architecture investigations. have mostly coincided. While the four AC institutional pillars have been designed Media messages that included NAPC were mostly with maximum independence in mind, the neutral and described the Agency’s internal investigatory arm (SAPO and NABU) heavily transformations. The most significant outlier in depend on who the Prosecutor General is. this regard is the message that the new Head of the Expert voices were unanimous: with removal of OPU, Andriy Yermak, published his eDeclaration Rouslan Ryaboshapka as Prosecutor General, a through the official NAPC portal, including a significant roll-back is in place (some noted that recently-bought luxury automobile. Negative “we are back in 2017”). While NABU leadership messages for NAPC were mostly linked to the fact may try to demonstrate independence and that the Kyiv District Administrative Court opened play their own game, the agency is no longer a case in which independent MP Anton Polyakov a big threat to the political elite, as it was demanded that NAPC investigate why Andriy in the Ryaboshapka–Sytnyk tandem. The Yermak had not published his declaration on time. forecast is that over the next three months, NABU and SAPO will be allowed to investigate Throughout the first two weeks of the COVID-19 mid-level corruption (heads of district state quarantine in Ukraine, media witnessed almost administrations or mayors of smaller cities) immediate relative silence with regards to NABU, but not the truly large-scale crimes. Should the HACC, and NAPC. SAPO was featured widely public “awaken” from the quarantine priorities March 15-30, mainly due to the launch of a and query about top-level incarcerations and criminal case against Oleksiy Honcharuk and his verdicts, the current NABU Director would be Cabinet for, allegedly, failing to ban the export easy prey for firing. Experts were also of an of protective masks from Ukraine in anticipation opinion that the President would not stimulate of a domestic COVID-19 epidemic. The “storm” politically-motivated cases yet; instead, he surrounding the possible demise of Artem Sytnyk would use these prudently as a bargaining tool subsided (at least as visible to the public eye). in his Parliamentary faction, which is showing significant internal discord and “disobedience” To sum up, the AC infrastructure entered a to harvest necessary votes. turbulent time pre-COVID measures, mostly due to a large-scale governance purge initiated by *This brief analysis is based on USAID/SACCI the President. While all four key agencies have expert consultations in early April 2020. remained in place (their top leadership included), the following months – especially with the gradual relaxation of the quarantine measures – will September 2019, the HACC launch and operations demonstrate whether the President is willing were mostly quoted as the latest AC achievements. to “chop more heads” to demonstrate to his The institution was mostly described as “showing voters: “ineffective” leaders of AC agencies (i.e., hope” and as one that has to be given some time those who bring about no high-level cases) will to show results. In contrast, February and March be mercilessly removed. Yet another essential 2020 started registering critical remarks, most consideration, including in light of previously- importantly and alarmingly from the topmost adopted legislative changes on MP immunity, speaker of the country. The President’s rhetoric is the figure of the current Prosecutor General, started showing notes of impatience, as he would Iryna Venediktova, who has a mixed reputation, reiterate that the electoral promises were made for in part due to allegations of readiness to pursue quick investigations and incarcerations and the politically-motivated cases if instructed to do so. AC infrastructure should deliver soonest.

12 CSOs shift gears. Priorities re-visited. In response to abrupt changes in the governance Before the multiple crises unfolded, AC CSOs sphere and a novel working environment tried to unite under the auspices of designing a presented by the coronavirus epidemic, AC new National Anti-Corruption Strategy, but that CSOs at the national level began re-mobilizing did not bring a higher degree of teamwork. Faced again, arguably for the first time since the 2019 with a whole range of superimposed challenges Parliamentary elections. Overall, the national- (government re-shuffles, attempts to dismantle level stage for AC CSOs from August 2019 until AC institutions, precarious economic conditions, February 2020 was marked with a relative respite. possibly unwelcome developments with regards By August 2019, united efforts of “The Anti- to the Minsk process, growing autocratic law Corruption Agenda”6 – a coalition of 23+ CSOs and enforcement trends, and coronavirus restrictions, movements that sought pledges of Presidential to name a few), the AC CSO community chose to candidates and, later on, political party respond individually. The types of activities that commitments to anti-corruption throughout two the core AC CSO actors currently engage in are: election campaigns – seem to have brought the monitoring of state procurements (especially desired results. A promising young Cabinet was in with an eye towards medical bids)7, analysis of place (with many individuals themselves from the proposed legislation to spot corruption risks8, CSO sector), and a well-trusted anti-corruption lifestyle- and declaration-monitoring of officials9, professional was appointed to head the Office online visualization and open data-based of the Prosecutor General and was given wide- instruments10.It is expected that as politically- ranging powers to cleanse the institution. The motivated cases appear on the Prosecutor Verkhovna Rada Anti-Corruption Committee was General’s agenda, civil society will react in led by well-known and liked AC activists from synchrony, mobilizing efforts through electronic NGO Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), instruments. NGO Transparency International Ukraine (TIU), and Anti-Corruption Headquarters. Finally, the In contrast, the informal Judicial Reform NAPC, one of the most criticized agencies in the Coalition, advocating for the Agenda for Justice AC architecture, was successfully relaunched in before the Presidential elections, continued December 2019-January 2020 with CSO experts working after Zelenskyy’s inauguration and participating on the selection panel for the new the end of the Parliamentary race. The main Head. The stage seemed well-set for progress points, established early on in the design of a and positive cooperation. Yet, the break was a shared CSO vision, included the relaunch of short one. the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine (HQCJ), the introduction of High The national-level CSOs working on the AC Council of Justice (HCJ) checks and balances, and institutions more narrowly entered the initial development of an unbiased system of judges’ turbulence in February without a formal coalition selection for the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. or a unified set of demands / cooperation Throughout the summer and fall of 2019, coalition streams with the government. The previous members were engaged in direct parliamentary 2019 transformation agenda, while still requiring advocacy of the Agenda for Justice provisions action by Ukrainian authorities, was sizzling pertaining to judicial reform. Closer to winter on the backburner as each of the major AC CSO 2010, coalition member-CSOs focused on the players went on with their own priorities. Re- process of expert delegation for selection of HQCJ launch of the Cabinet, dismissal of Rouslan members and controversies surrounding the HCJ Ryaboshapka as Prosecutor General, a new wave Ethics Commission. The most recent joint press to undermine and overthrow Artem Sytnyk, conference of coalition members happened at the coupled by stringent quarantine measures (i.e., amongst other things, prohibition on public rallies 7 Typical example: https://www.facebook.com/shtab.net/ and protest performances), a new prosecutor with posts/1294797977378455 8 Typical example: https://antac.org.ua/news/ a worrisome agenda, and the growing influence of aktyvistam-ta-narodnym-deputatam-vdalosia-zbyty- the Government’s law enforcement block led by neobgruntovani-novovvedennia-v-antykoronavirusnomu- zakonoproiekti-analiz-tekstu/ and https://www.facebook.com/ Arsen Avakov were a powerful bell tower toll, not TransparencyInternationalUkraine/posts/3150748904946125 a gentle wake-up call. 9 Example: https://www.facebook.com/corruption.schemes/ posts/3146321462068281 6 For more details on the pledges sought and coalition members: 10 Example: https://www.facebook.com/bihus.info/ http://anticoragenda2019.org.ua/en. posts/2961989697187047

13 43,3 52 37 36,5 35,6 36,4 34 30,4 43 28,6 28,4 27,1 40 36 33 33 21,2 21,2 30 31 18,8 19,3

13,8 14,1 12,9 12,3 13,2 19 20 6,5 14 2,4 10 1,9 1,9 1,7 1,4 8 8 8 4 5 State apparatus NABU SAPO NAPC HACC 2 3 2 (civil servants) 4-7 Nov 2019 22-25 Nov 2019 Dec 2019 Feb 2020 Totally distrust Rather distrust Rather trust Fully trust Hard to say

Very successfully Rather successfully Rather unsuccessfully Totally unsuccessfully Hard to say / Refuse to answer end of February and was dedicated to unblocking How much do you trust these social the decisions needed to continue judicial reform institutions? (ensuring open and transparent competition to the Figure 1: Razumkov Center poll, February 2020 HQCJ, unblocking the nomination of HCJ Ethics Commission, and due consideration of the Venice Commission recommendations on preserving the existing number of Supreme Court judges). are distrustful of state agencies and civil servants In light of the COVID epidemic, the Coalition in general, and they hold this opinion firmly intends to continue monitoring and advocacy (overall balance of trust is 61.1 percent, and efforts in telework mode and is tracing reform 6.5 percent were unsure of their answer). The developments. negative attitudes towards AC institutions are comparable. At the same time, the share of In The Eye Of The Beholder. What Do Ukrainians respondents who found it hard to voice a definitive Think Of It? answer (“undecided”) is significant. If these are citizens who indeed do not know much about the This section looks at the ways Ukrainian citizens anti-corruption institutions, this could denote a interpret corruption and anti-corruption through need for more awareness-raising and confidence- the prism of their experience, how they assess the building vis-à-vis the AC institutions. success of AC activities so far, and which overall societal mood currently prevails. Another recent poll12 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) measured the Mistrust Of Government Agencies. Perceived perceived success of the new elite in tackling Lower Effectiveness Of AC Fight high-level corruption, as the most desired sign Ukrainians distrust the new AC agencies and of irreversibility of reforms in the country. Ukrainians distrust the new AC agencies and Comparison to data gathered throughout institutions, as they do the overall system of November and December 2019 registers the government bodies and civil servants. Below is the overall balance of trust to social institutions not exceed 2.3 percent for the national sample. http://razumkov. as was measured by a Razumkov Center poll in org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/otsinka- 11 gromadianamy-diialnosti-vlady-riven-doviry-do-sotsialnykh- February 2020 , which indicates that Ukrainians instytutiv-ta-politykiv-elektoralni-oriientatsii-gromadian-liutyi- 2020r 11 “Citizens’ assessment of government activity, level of trust 12 KIIS poll, February 27, 2020. N=1500, all population in social institutions and politicians, electoral orientation of of Ukraine without occupied territories and older than citizens (February 2020)”, Razumkov Center, February 24, 2020. 18. Sample design corresponds to the distribution of adult N=2018, all population of Ukraine without occupied territories population of Ukraine. Method: Computer-Assisted Telephone and older than 18. Sample design corresponds to the distribution Interviews (CATI). Margin of sample error (not including of adult population of Ukraine by age, sex, oblast, and settlement design effect) does not exceed 3 percent.https://kiis.com. type. Margin of sample error (not including design effect) does ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=920&page=1

14 43,3 52 37 36,5 35,6 36,4 34 30,4 43 28,6 28,4 27,1 40 36 33 33 21,2 21,2 30 31 18,8 19,3

Very successfully Rather successfully Rather unsuccessfully Totally unsuccessfully Hard to say / Refuse to answer

How successfully or unsuccessfully are, Pact’s regular flagship Civic Engagement Poll according to you, the new leadership (President (CEP)13 spotted similar trends when Ukrainians Zelenskyy, Cabinet of Ministers, Verkhovna were asked about their perceived effectiveness Rada, law enforcement bodies) coping with the of Ukraine’s authorities in fighting corruption (a following tasks? drop from 11 percent of positive impressions of reform efficacy to 6 percent). It also registered Figure 2: Kyiv International Institute of a growing number of respondents who found it Sociology poll, February 2020 difficult to answer the question or simply refused to provide their opinion.

population’s growing pessimism for successes in bringing top-level corruption under control. 1% 10% 34% 46% 9%

Jun 2019

1% 6% 35% 44% 13% 1%

Jan 2020

Very eective Rather eective Rather ineective Not eective at all Hard to say/Do not know Refuse to answer

In your opinion, to what extent is the government of Ukraine effective in fighting 13 Here and onwards references made to CEP mean the corruption? latest update of the regular poll that was issued in early 2020. Summary presentation: https://engage.org.ua/ukrainians-are- Figure 3: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll aware-of-civic-activities-but-unwilling-to-take-action/. N=2,011, all population of Ukraine without occupied territories and older 2019-2020 than 18. Sample design corresponds to the distribution of adult population of Ukraine by age, sex, oblast, and settlement type. Margin of sample error (not including design effect) does not exceed 2.2 percent for the national sample.

15 While two questions on success of the reform of the possible explanations is that citizens are are framed differently, one directly referring to used to equating effectiveness (and irreversibility top-level corruption and the other not, previous of reform) with higher-level criminal cases that in-depth data queries have shown that by should result in incarcerations. Worrisome as it “corruption” Ukrainians mean “state capture” may be, the first long and detailed interview of the or “high-level political corruption.”14 Effective or new Prosecutor General reiterates this promise to not, according to the winter 2020 CEP, Ukrainians the public15. see minimal progress in AC reform (71 percent see almost no change or no progress at all). One 15 Ukrainska Pravda interview of Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, published on April 7, 2020, in which she makes 14 “Corruption in Ukraine: Perception, Experience, Attitude”, direct reference to the Zelenskyy team’s election promises vis-à-vis 2018, commissioned by Pact. N=10,000 https://dif.org.ua/uploads/ incarcerations. Ukrainian only: https://www.pravda.com.ua/ pdf/6343688805c078ceeea4aa6.97852084.pdf articles/2020/04/7/7246769/ Sep 2017 21% 19% 51% 8%

2% 20% 36% 35% 7% Nov 2018 17% 22% 49% 12%

Jun 2019 17% 22% 53% 9%

Active changes Quite slow changes Almost no changes No changes at all Hard to say/No answer Jan 2020 15% 25% 45% 15% In your opinion, what is the progress of anti- corruption reforms? Yes, I faced it personally Not me, but my family members faced it Figure 4: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement No, neither me nor my family members faced it Hard to say/No answer Poll January 2020

7% 16% 67% 10%

Decreased Increased Stays the same Hard to say/No answer

Yet, when faced with a question of whether In your opinion, the corruption rate increased, corruption is becoming worse and more decreased or stays the same during the last 12 entrenched, 67 percent noted that corruption months? levels have stayed stable over the last 12 months. Only 16 percent of respondents pointed out that Figure 5: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement things got worse, disagreeing with 7 percent of the Poll 2020 optimists who noted that the corruption swamp had been drained at least a bit.

16 Stable Share Of Those Who Indeed Faced Corruption Most importantly, when asked whether they or accounts of relatives has stayed stable: close to their close ones encountered corrupt activities the 40 percent share mark. Interestingly, the directly throughout the last year, a cumulative share of respondents who either found it difficult 40 percent share of respondents confirmed such to make up their mind or refused to answer this situations taking place. Time-series analysis of question was the highest this time since the CEP data shows that since 2017, the share of those beginning of the longitudinal study. facing corruption directly or reporting it through

Sep 2017 21% 19% 51% 8%

2% 20% 36% 35% 7% Nov 2018 17% 22% 49% 12%

Jun 2019 17% 22% 53% 9%

Active changes Quite slow changes Almost no changes No changes at all Hard to say/No answer Jan 2020 15% 25% 45% 15%

Yes, I faced it personally Not me, but my family members faced it

No, neither me nor my family members faced it Hard to say/No answer

Have you or your family members directly faced corruption (bribe, extortion, nepotism, etc.) during the last 12 months? Figure 6: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement 7% 16% 67% 10% Poll 2020

Decreased Increased Stays the same Hard to say/No answer Anti-Corruption Still At The Top Of The Chart. Will It Be There For Long?

While the CEP poll results were ready before and pensions. As far as respondents themselves a full-blown epidemic touching the lives of all were concerned, poverty, healthcare, the war in Ukrainians, they are a good benchmark for data the east, corruption, and unemployment were that will be gathered throughout the next quarter vital concerns. Both of the priority lists have to register the shifted citizen priorities. stayed relatively stable over time, but there is a lot to suggest that the priorities registered next time At the beginning of 2020, Ukrainians continued will revolve much more around healthcare, the to note that the top-5 issues they think are overall economic situation, the standard of living, important for the country were: the war in the and (potentially) personal security, alongside east of the country, corruption (i.e. top-level other fundamental necessities, as the country political corruption), poverty, unemployment, goes through the epidemic.

17 Poverty 38% 48% 73% 72% Environment 7% 11% 68% 18% Access to healthcare 32%

Land market reform 11% 7%

Corruption 49% 27%

Crisis in the Donbas 50% 29%

Education 6% 9% 20% Pension 25% 24% Unemployment 27% 17% 14% 14% 4% Ease of doing business 6% 8% 6% 7% 6% 6% 6% Crime level 8% 8% 1% 1% 1% 5% Tax avoidance I have done this in I have not done this, I have not done and I am interested in Do not know 4% the past 12 months but I am interested in am not interested learning more about 5% doing so how I can use this tool Violations of employment rights 8% Reports on corruption cases to the Prosecutor’s o ce or the police (personally or by phone) Impunity of law enforcement 12% Anonymous reports on corruption online or violations at elections 8% Open reports on corruption in media (dierent types, including blogging and social networks) Lawlessness / lack of rule of law 17% 14% 13% Emigration 8%

Hard to say 1% 3%

Choose the three most important issues for Ukraine today

Choose the three most important issues for you and your family today

The Nucleus Of Those Who Report Corruption Is Top priorities for Ukraine Small. AC Action Close To One’s Home. Protest Potential Is Counter-Balanced By Inert Citizens. Figure 7: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll 2020 It comes as no surprise, keeping in mind the data analyzed in previous CEP iterations, that few citizens have reported corruption cases to authorities (1.5 percent), anonymously (0.6 percent) or in the media (1.1 percent).

18 Poverty 38% 48% 73% 72% Environment 7% 11% 68% 18% Access to healthcare 32%

Land market reform 11% 7%

Corruption 49% 27%

Crisis in the Donbas 50% 29%

Choose the three most important issues for Ukraine today

Choose the three most important issues for you and your family today In most cases, respondents noted that AC-related The citizen protest potential (if counted only by activities that were open to common citizens those who fully agreed that they would be ready included activities such as curbing corruption to join in collective protests against national- or in their condominiums or housing and utility local-level corrupt officials) is identical vis-à- service companies (6.9 percent), at local schools vis national- and local-level officials and hovers (6.4 percent) or community medical clinics (7.6 below 10 percent, being offset by the passive percent). majority.

19 Revitalizing your home’s territory 44% Organizing leisure activities 25% Revitalizing the local park 23% Supporting retired people and people with disabilities in your house 16%

Supporting retired people and people with disabilities in your city (community) 13% None of the above 13% Renovation or repair of your multi-apartment house 12% Hard to say / Refuse to answer 10%

Repairing local school or kindergarten 8% Tackling corruption in your medical clinic 8%

Decreasing corruption in your utilities company (ZHEK) 7% Tackling corruption in your local school 6% Improving quality of utility services 6% Improving situation with streets crime in your neighborhood 4%

Repair of your local communal medical clinic 3%

Improving quality of the air in your city (community) 3%

In your opinion, which activities could citizens implement by uniting their efforts with others without relying on (local) government? Figure 9: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll 2020

Participation in person 18%

24.3% 24.1% 24.3% 24.5% 21.6% 21.4% Remote participation* 11% 17.2% 17.4%

*Most frequent remote activities: 9% 8.9% reporting on infrastructure issues signing electronic petitions 3.7% 3.7%

Totally agree Rather agree Rather disagree Totally disagree Hard to say/ Refuse to answer Do not know

I am ready to join collective protests against national level ocials and politicians who are involved in corruption I am ready to join collective protests against local corrupt ocials who are involved in corruption

How much you agree or disagree with the following statement Figure 10: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll 2020Poll 2020

20 Materialism And Love Of Freedom: Ukrainian Revitalizing your home’s territory 44% Values At The Onset Of The Pandemic Outbreak

Organizing leisure activities 25% The USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll on Ukrainians value system at the onset of the Revitalizing the local park 23% findings demonstrate that Ukrainians face COVID-19 pandemic. Based on USAID/ENGAGE’s moral dilemmas in their daily life choices. As a winter 2020 Civic Engagement Poll17, after Supporting retired people and people with disabilities in your house 16% result of heightened public health security, like looking at Ukrainians democratic participation, Supporting retired people and people with disabilities in your city elsewhere around the world, Ukrainian citizens we present their beliefs about power, the role of (community) 13% might be facing the challenge of democratic the state, convictions how the rule of law plays None of the above 13% backsliding16. As coronavirus cases mushroom, out in every-day practice, and their creed about Renovation or repair of your multi-apartment house 12% the state focuses more on disaster prevention freedoms and citizenship. Hard to say / Refuse to answer 10% and human rights and the rule of law might left more and more unprotected, putting Ukrainians’ When taking part in public life, Ukrainians are Repairing local school or kindergarten 8% citizenship skills to test. Citizens’ values can help more confident in achieving results, when doing Tackling corruption in your medical clinic 8% understand the fundamental beliefs that together something with their own hands. Actions they Decreasing corruption in your utilities company (ZHEK) 7% constitute the departure point to democratic and are to be engaged in are those on the grassroots, economic progress. often the ones they can perform on their own, Tackling corruption in your local school 6% such as revitalizing their home territory (44%) Improving quality of utility services 6% Values can project what citizens would expect of or the local park (23%). During the COVID crisis Improving situation with streets crime in your neighborhood 4% the state, how they interpret justice and effective people might be more likely to get involved

Repair of your local communal medical clinic 3% governance. They shed light on citizens’ mindset into delivering goods to the needy or donate to about collectivism, self-reliance, freedoms, hospitals for purchasing protective gear, thereby Improving quality of the air in your city (community) 3% power and authority. To assess the society’s increasing public health risks. Ukrainians are backbone of warding off potential threats to much less interested in commenting on draft laws Ukraine’s further democratization, we zoom in or participating in online public consultations, when online participation in all walks of life is 16 2020 World Press Freedom Index: “Entering a decisive today’s most accepted and possible behavior as a decade for journalism, exacerbated by coronavirus” Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Retrieved from: https://rsf.org/en/2020- result of the pandemic. world-press-freedom-index-entering-decisive-decade-journalism- exacerbated-coronavirus and COVID-19 Civic Freedom Tracker, ICNL. Retrieved from: https://www.icnl.org/covid19tracker/ 17 USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll, winter 2020

Participation in person 18%

24.3% 24.1% 24.3% 24.5% 21.6% 21.4% Remote participation* 11% 17.2% 17.4%

*Most frequent remote activities: 9% 8.9% reporting on infrastructure issues signing electronic petitions 3.7% 3.7%

Totally agree Rather agree Rather disagree Totally disagree Hard to say/ Refuse to answer Remote and in person citizen participation Do not know practice I am ready to join collective protests against national level ocials and politicians who are involved in corruption I am ready to join collective protests against local corrupt ocials who are involved in corruption Figure 11: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll 2020

Trust of Ukrainian citizens is hard to gain. The through the history of modern Ukraine, but in the high hopes the new Ukrainian leadership enjoyed post-EuroMaidan era between November 2015 at the inception of its tenure in 2019, by winter through January 2020, Ukrainians began feeling 2020 significantly faded away, leaving widespread more empowered and less prone to think that the frustration in its place. Disillusionment runs authorities use power for personal gain.

21 Totally / Rather disagree Totally / Rather agree Absolutely / Rather disagree Absolutely / Rather agree The rich become richer, the poor Jan 2020 11% 84% If a person has broken through to the higher become poorer Nov 2015 5% 93% echelons of power, he will use his status/position 11% 84% for his own enrichment People of power do not care Jan 2020 12% 83% about us at all Nov 2015 5% 93% I am ready/willing to give power to a strong leader so that he/she can nally bring order 17% 72% Most of the people of power try to prot Jan 2020 11% 82% to the country at the expense of people such as you Nov 2015 5% 93% There is no real political elite in Ukraine, so there is 22% 67% Your opinion does not matter Jan 2020 14% 81% no one to choose from for people in power Nov 2015 6% 93% Ukrainian laws are so imperfect that sometimes 26% 61% It is not in your power to inuence Jan 2020 18% 78% people are forced to break them events which happen in the country Nov 2015 10% 87% If Ukraine were to appoint foreigners to key positions, they would be able to bring order 26% 59% Q: To what extent do you agree with the to the country following statements In the face of constant embezzlement of budgetary 40% 48% Figure 12: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement funds, tax evasion is unfairly considered a crime Poll 2015-2020 It is impossible to live completely 39% according to the law 45% By the time the global pandemic hit the country, the majority of Ukrainians are going to rely on the those previous years gains appear dissipated. government to solve their problems. On average, 48% of Ukrainians believe that their well-being is Unlike those active citizens who self-organize the responsibility of the state. However, almost in times of crises, Ukrainians writ large look at every sixth senior citizens (57%), a main COVID the state more than at each other for finding at-risk group and otherwise most active citizens, solutions. Paternalism has historically been expect the state to provide for their livelihoods. strong in Ukrainian society and in COVID-crisis

59% For greater security and well-being, Freedom cannot be sacri ced, Average 48% 55% one can sacri ce freedom even for greater security and well-being 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 RtoS/HtoS 46% 42% 43% 37% 2% 1% 4% 5% 7% 11% 7% 10% 11% 6% 29% 7% 19% 74%

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Q: The state should be responsible for everyone’s well-being? Figure 13: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll 2020

22 Totally / Rather disagree Totally / Rather agree Absolutely / Rather disagree Absolutely / Rather agree The rich become richer, the poor Jan 2020 11% 84% If a person has broken through to the higher become poorer Nov 2015 5% 93% echelons of power, he will use his status/position 11% 84% for his own enrichment People of power do not care Jan 2020 12% 83% about us at all Nov 2015 5% 93% I am ready/willing to give power to a strong leader so that he/she can nally bring order 17% 72% Most of the people of power try to prot Jan 2020 11% 82% to the country at the expense of people such as you Nov 2015 5% 93% There is no real political elite in Ukraine, so there is 22% 67% Your opinion does not matter Jan 2020 14% 81% no one to choose from for people in power Nov 2015 6% 93% Ukrainian laws are so imperfect that sometimes 26% 61% It is not in your power to inuence Jan 2020 18% 78% people are forced to break them events which happen in the country Nov 2015 10% 87% If Ukraine were to appoint foreigners to key positions, they would be able to bring order 26% 59% to the country

In the face of constant embezzlement of budgetary 40% 48% funds, tax evasion is unfairly considered a crime

It is impossible to live completely 39% according to the law 45%

Q: To which extent do you agree or disagree A vast majority of Ukrainians expect their with the following statements? existential matters turn for the better thanks to a single heavy-handed person: 72% on average are Figure 14: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement ready to give power to a strong leader so that s/he Poll 2020 brings “order to the country”.

Q: With which of the statements do you agree What might balance out inclination to favor one- the most? man-rule, support to draconian measures and strengthen social cohesion is Ukrainians love Figure 15: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ of freedom and democratic social and political Poll 2020 values. In the eve of COVID, a similarly large share of the public (74%) said that freedom cannot be sacrificed.

23 These days one should take care of his/her own interests, Everyone should take care of without paying attention to others mutual interests these days

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 RtoS/HtoS

6% 2% 7% 10% 10% 22% 10% 9% 9% 3% 7% 5% 35% 38%

Also, slightly more (38%) Ukrainians share socially Q: With which of the statements do you agree responsible values than exhibit signs of blatant the most? individualism (35%). Figure 16: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll 2020

Citizens predominantly share liberal democratic of citizens believe that political awareness is values and behaviors. Nine out of ten citizens indispensable to be a good citizen. Another three Do you believe that giving bribes, unocial services, or believe that one should be aware and defend their quarters of Ukrainians opine that to be a good gifts can be justied if it is necessary for solving a Ordinary citizens also have a right to not observe the law, problem which is important for you? as public servants do constitutional rights and a similar percentage citizen, one has to support those who are in need. praise law-abiding citizenship. Three quarters Always justied 42% Totally agree In most cases is justied Rather agree Absolutely / Rather disagree Absolutely / Rather agree In most cases is not justied Rather disagree 34% Never justied 31% 32% Totally disagree Are fully aware of rights and are able to 7% 90% Hard to say Hard to say/ defend them Do not know Refuse Always observe rules and 6% 90% abide and laws 17% 15% Good knowledge and understanding of 15% 85% the history of his/her own country 10% 10%

Always pay taxes 14% 86% 5% 2% 2% Be uent in ocial language/languages of his/her own country 29% 81%

Always participate in electoral voting 11% 81%

Help people who have worse standards of living than I do 14% 76%

Follow the news and events which 74% happen in the country 18%

I am ready/willing to give power to a strong leader so that he/she can nally bring order to the country. Perform military service 21% 65% 32% 40% 12% 5% 11% Actively participate in activities of CSOs 26% and initiatives 62%

Q: Who can be called a good citizen? Absolutely Agree Rather agree Rather disagree Absolutely disagree Hard to say Figure 17: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll 2020

24 In sum, Ukrainians’ values and convictions give abiding by them anyway. Four in ten respondents These days one should take care of his/her own interests, Everyone should take care of reason for concern but the society exhibits firm stated that bribery is, in their eyes, never justified, without paying attention to others mutual interests these days ground for continued social responsibility and even if it serves as a facilitation payment for a 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 RtoS/HtoS ability to withhold contemporary threats to the service important for the individual. Similarly, country’s democratic gains. Ukrainian society, every third Ukrainian is totally against the idea on the whole, provide further hope that citizens that if officials break the law, then it is acceptable would work together to combat challenges for common people to do it as well. When speaking 6% 2% 7% 10% 10% 22% 10% 9% 9% 3% 7% 5% resulting from the current crisis and advance the of values of liberty, three in four Ukrainians state 35% 38% country’s democratic consolidation. that freedom as a value cannot be sacrificed, even for greater security. Moral Stances Stand Strong. Will They Hold The Epidemic Test? Ukrainians take a moral high-ground when assessing whether bribery is justified or whether you can still violate the rules since no one is

Do you believe that giving bribes, unocial services, or gifts can be justied if it is necessary for solving a Ordinary citizens also have a right to not observe the law, problem which is important for you? as public servants do

Always justied 42% Totally agree In most cases is justied Rather agree Absolutely / Rather disagree Absolutely / Rather agree In most cases is not justied Rather disagree 34% Never justied 31% 32% Totally disagree Are fully aware of rights and are able to 7% 90% Hard to say Hard to say/ defend them Do not know Refuse Always observe rules and 6% 90% abide and laws 17% 15% Good knowledge and understanding of 15% 85% the history of his/her own country 10% 10%

Always pay taxes 14% 86% 5% 2% 2% Be uent in ocial language/languages of his/her own country 29% 81%

Always participate in electoral voting 11% 81% Figure 18: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll 2020 Help people who have worse standards of living than I do 14% 76%

Follow the news and events which 74% happen in the country 18%

Absolutely Agree Rather agree Rather disagree Absolutely disagree Hard to say

Figure 19: USAID/ENGAGE Civic Engagement Poll 2020

25 Conclusion

Ukraine has found itself amid a perfect storm. Times of crises always give ample opportunities With a formidable pandemic at its door, a new for the growth of corruption risks and re- Cabinet, new Prosecutor General, a thin promise emergence of bad governance practices that could of IMF assistance, continued war in the east, and be dormant before. The global COVID-19 epidemic, agile Russian action to remove aggression-related and its progress in Ukraine, offers fertile ground sanctions, and against the backdrop of a looming for manipulations, siphoning of state- and donor world financial crisis, the country is in a tough / IFI funds, promotion of self-interest and other position. As noted above, it is no surprise in this unethical or illegal practices. situation that Ukrainians lean towards desiring a “stronger hand” that would be able to set things in AC CSOs in Ukraine, especially at the national order amongst chaos. level, have shifted gears from their usual operating modes and priorities (including AC regulations, Trends towards mission creep of law enforcement institution-building and reform, broad / political agencies in Ukraine have been evident for a long investigative journalism). Instead, as open sources time, and the current situation with a “naturally- note recently18, the CSOs have started acting on emerging disaster” that calls for extraordinary what may be achieved in the quarantine settings measures brings two categories to the fore as (i.e. without the necessity for physical contact) – saviors and as those who may be excused from procurement monitoring. Despite the relaxation usual scrutiny in these times of trouble as long of the procurement regulations specifically as they save lives: healthcare personnel and law for the COVID epidemic purposes (see Decree enforcement. Throughout these trying times, #248 as of 29 March 202019), the results of such Ukrainians would like to be more protected from procurements, even if post-factum, are depicted the invisible virus threat (doctors), and are afraid in the ProZorro system – thus enabling analysis of social order collapsing with increased crime and drawing attention to the cases where faults rates and looting as the quarantine-undermined could have taken place. standard of living begins to deteriorate (police and national guard). This, natural, desire for The very focus of AC CSO monitoring is something to lean on and to bring law and order understandable – as procurements on medical in a crisis situation is likely, nonetheless, to be supply are easier to spot, the domain is well- used by political leaders to increasingly impose defined and rules are set. Also, keeping in mind citizen-control measures that have little to do the considerable experience that Ukrainian CSOs with protection from the biological threat of a have in this area (recalling Nashi Hroshi and the pandemic. DoZorro community), there are already trained experts who can easily re-focus their attention Another, and a very much cognate, consideration from other thematic domains to healthcare. At is that in times of a massive crisis with a shift in the same time, the narrow focus on procurement priorities and values, Ukrainians will start drifting of a list of COVID-related medical supplies and – towards excusing the “necessary” corruption on a bigger scale – focus on potential procurement more and more. This narrative reminds one of malpractices only may be questioned. the defenses in the case of Oleg Gladkovskyy and the corruption cases of Ukroboronprom. Below are recommendations and considerations Those willing to excuse the activities of his son that could be taken into account when delivering and his accomplices noted that during an import programming support to CSOs in the anti- ban from Russia, it was acceptable to smuggle corruption area working with COVID-19 response: spare parts for Ukrainian battle tanks and other 18 Please see, for instance, the TI Ukraine column on military equipment for the higher purpose of organizational response on medical procurement https://nv.ua/ ukr/biz/experts/zakupivli-masok-testiv-shvl-shcho-kupuye- saving soldiers’ lives. By analogy, in the situation derzhava-v-prozorro-novini-ukrajini-50083806.html or AntAC of a severe epidemic, the population will be much column on the situation with alleged improper procurement of protective anti-viral costumes by MOH instead of the Central less scrupulous about increased prices for medical Procurement Agency (CPA) https://www.pravda.com.ua/ equipment, illegal surcharges, or corruption that columns/2020/04/23/7249053/ and a series of Nashi Hroshi publications on medical procurement nationally and in the thrives with medical procurement, as long as regions. lives are saved and the disease is tackled more 19 https://www.kmu.gov.ua/npas/pro-vnesennya-zmin-do- postanovi-kabinetu-ministriv-ukrayini-vid-20-bereznya- effectively. 2020-r-225-248290320

26 • The very fact that civic monitoring is present behind the methodology. If the methodology and active in procurement is a positive trait. At was applied consistently and universally, it the same time, it would be beneficial, to have could attest certain findings. This, in turn, a better effect, to look carefully in each case to brings into light the issue of AC CSO coalition- establish facts (to the degree possible) and to work and common approaches to tackling provide professional commentary from health problems – rather than individualist work that experts who have relevant specialization. gained more traction after September 2019. Thus, one of the counter-arguments that is • Attention to the regional dimensions of used in the case of protective suit procurement procurement (see earlier argument about by the CPA and MOH is that the product to be capacity of procurement specialists at the purchased under the intended CPA bid (lower grassroots) are necessary – possibly from price) was not meeting quality standards. the regional CSOs that are already dealing A simple announcement of “lower price is with other aspects of minimizing the COVID- better” without presentation of all facts – or epidemic. at least disproving the counter-arguments – • Corruption in the COVID-19 setting is should not be taking place. much wider than procurements. With public • Announcement of procurement practices competitions for civil service positions and as “rigged” or “fraudulent” should probably National Agency for Civil Service in limbo, not take place until there is contact with the malpractices with appointments may take procurement-initiating entity to determine place. Manipulations with medications falsely that it was not a mistake. Despite a widely- claiming to be anti-COVID20 have already hit shared perception, especially at the regional Ukrainian markets and pockets of patients. levels, there are not too many extra-quality In the current uncertain environment specialists on procurement. Personnel may and with proven drugs for COVID absent, make mistakes and classify procurements pharmaceutical lobbying for recommending mistakenly, not maliciously. Procurement their particular medication as the standard monitoring needs to bear in mind the ultimate of choice is quite possible (if not already goal – prevent fraud from happening, not happening). After all, international experience publish statements on alleged cases. This with off-label use of medication is currently approach would help minimize accusations of wide-spread for COVID in all countries to help manipulation or political killership (especially find the cure. In essence, a wider glance is in the light of possible local elections). possible and could be recommended as CSO • Standardization and ability to claim a response in the given situation. common measurement practice would be beneficial. What could be considered is a common standard for civic monitoring of 20 Please see information on the misleading advertising of COVID-related procurement practices to make “Protiflazid” (https://youtu.be/lAXMqHyas58) and “Dekasan” (https://ms.detector.media/manipulyatsii/post/24379/2020-03- sure that as many organizations as possible are 23-virobnik-dekasanu-vibachivsya-za-nekorektnu-reklamu-pro- likuvannya-koronavirusu/)

27 III. ENGAGE ACTIVITIES

OBJECTIVE 1: ENHANCE CIVIC EDUCATION

WORK PLAN STATUS UPDATE

Objective 1: Enhance civic education Status

1.1 Support MOES to incorporate civic education in education reform 1.2 Design and pilot civic education curricula Sectoral discussion on teaching civic education Not completed 1.3 Support extracurricular civic education activities; State-building simulation exercise Ongoing 1.4 Build demand for civic education initiatives Civic education strategic communication campaign Ongoing 1.5 Support CSO led civic education linked to advocacy initiatives Continue to support flagship infotainment initiative Completed Link CSO-led civic education initiatives with A-C partners Ongoing

Key Take-Aways and Challenges

• Civic education is a broad and complex and the importance of their participation; concept that is understood differently. Overall, therefore, it is necessary to continue civic Ukrainians have a poor understanding of what education at the very local level. civic education is and why it is important. School administrators, teachers, parents, and ….and Adaptation school children are not prepared to treat the • Pact will continue work on raising awareness civic education course in schools seriously. about the importance of civic education and • The COVID-19 outbreak in Ukraine showed its benefits for society. In the second part of that the MOES was not fully prepared to move FY20, Pact will focus on implementing a civic school education into virtual mode because education strategic communication campaign of a lack of technology, internet access, and and facilitating cooperation of Ukrainian teachers’ information technology (IT) and educators and technical assistance programs online communication capacity. to create the “Best Teacher of Civics” Special Nomination within the Global Teacher Prize • There is on-going demand for innovative Ukraine 2020. educational tools. Pact continues receiving requests to organize simulation games (State- • In consultation with the MOES, ENGAGE will building simulation game and City Z advocacy support its CSO partners to develop an online game), both within larger educational and course on civic education for the 10th grade. networking events and as a separate learning • Pact will continue to conduct innovative event. citizen engagement civic education events, • ENGAGE partners in target regions report such as the State-building simulation game and that citizens have low knowledge and low others focusing primarily on target regions. awareness of available civic engagement tools

28 Activity 1.1 Support the MOES to incorporate Activity 1.3 Support extra-curricular civic civic education in education reform education activities Activity 1.2 Design and pilot civic education curricula “There is on-going demand for innovative educational tools. Pact continues receiving “The COVID-19 outbreak in Ukraine showed requests to organize simulation games that the MOES was not fully prepared to (State-building simulation game and move school education into virtual mode City Z advocacy game), both within larger because of a lack of technology, internet educational and networking events and as a access, and teachers’ information technology separate learning event.” (IT) and online communication capacity” Pact continued to conduct informal civic In Year 4, ENGAGE continued working with education through its own innovative the MOES on incorporating civic education in approaches. USAID/ENGAGE conducted three education reform through several discussions of State-building simulation games with more than the current status of civic education in schools, 200 civic activists. existing challenges, and possible approaches to improve civic education teaching. “There is on-going demand for innovative In February 2020, ENGAGE conducted educational tools. Pact continues receiving consultations with international donors, requests to organize simulation games technical assistance programs, and Ukrainian (State-building simulation game and teacher associations to collect feedback City Z advocacy game), both within larger on the effectiveness of civic education for educational and networking events and as a school children and investigate needs that separate learning event.” require further attention. Consultations were The games brought together active youth from conducted with IFES, IREX, USAID/SACCI, different parts of Ukraine in December 2019 in International Renaissance Foundation (IRF), Kyiv and civic activists in Sumy and Zaporizhzhia Internews Ukraine, United Nations Development in November and December 2019. The games Programme (UNDP), the European Wergeland allowed participants to improve negotiation and Center, the Academy of Ukrainian Press, Nova leadership skills and to increase the level of their Doba, the National Association of Teachers of political literacy. Players tried different social Civic Education and Social Sciences, the MOES, roles and learned to put common interests first. and the Ministry of Youth and Sport (MOYS). A More games are planned in response to requests donor coordination meeting on civic education coming to Pact. Also, at least two more games are hosted together with the MOES was postponed planned after the quarantine in USAID/ENGAGE until the end of the COVID-19 quarantine. target regions of Kharkiv and Kherson. (See also Activity 3.3 Strengthen CSO capacity to conduct A sectoral analysis will also help to raise awareness civic engagement and constituency-building to about the sector among regional Ukrainian CSOs support reform initiatives.) and inform national CSOs working on educational reform about the needs that require additional Activity 1.4 Build demand for civic education attention. (See also Activity 2.2 Strengthen civil initiatives society understanding of issues and actors at the local level.) In Year 4, Pact focused on communication of the Civic Literacy Test (CLT) from the Pact flagship Civic Engagement Poll and from Ukrainian schools where the new mandatory civic education curriculum was introduced in September 2018. CLT results and the newly introduced mandatory civic education course’s effectiveness were communicated by Pact to more than 200 educators from all regions of Ukraine. (See also Activity 2.2 Strengthen civil society understanding of issues and actors at the local level.)

29 “School administrators, teachers, parents, the prize. Engaging the private sector as well, the and school children are not prepared to Global Teachers Prize involves collaboration with treat the civic education course in schools Deloitte in Ukraine, Microsoft Ukraine, and MHP seriously.” Agricultural Holding.

In fall 2019, USAID/ENGAGE and partners Activity 1.5 Support CSO-led civic education developed a new strategic communication linked to advocacy initiatives campaign to raise recognition and credibility Pact continued to support the flagship of civic education schoolteachers and the 10th- infotainment initiative “#@)₴?$0 with Michael grade mandatory civic education course at the Shchur”, produced by UTT. During the first half national level. The key initiative is a new Best of FY20, UTT produced 22 episodes that were Teacher of Civics nomination in 2020, within traditionally broadcast on three major national the Global Teacher Prize Ukraine, the annual television channels once a week (UA:PBC, national award to the most outstanding Ukrainian Hromadske, and TV24), and online. The episodes teacher. The communication campaign will run generated great interest from society and the April to October 2020. To ensure coordination of media. This is evidenced by 95 mentions and links donor efforts and sustainability of the prize, Pact to the program on various information platforms, conducted consultations with the major civic as well as about 11.7 million program views on education programming implementing partners UTT’s official YouTube channel (an average of (IFES, IREX, and SACCI), European donors, and over 530,000 views per episode). The number of relevant Ukrainian ministries (MOES and MYS). subscribers to UTT’s official YouTube increased IRF and IFES expressed readiness to co-finance by 12.5 percent (+45,000) and on Facebook by

Figure 20: ENGAGE State-building simulation game

30 Figure 21: YouTube channel of “#@)₴?$0 with Michael Shchur”

15.5 percent (+21,000). Compared to the previous episodes have been devoted to addressing this reporting period, the number of comments on issue. Michael Shchur talked about how the world YouTube videos increased by 37,200 and the is changing because of the quarantine, and a series number of shares increased by 67,127. of ill-advised steps by the Ukrainian authorities to combat the spread of the disease, such as the In addition to the main weekly episodes, UTT quick decision to close the metro and restrict also prepared three special editions and aired access to public transportation, without thinking them on Toronto TV. One is devoted to explaining about the consequences of crowds around the propaganda mechanisms with the example of land transportation, which in reality did not slow blogger Anatoly Shariy21. The program received down but accelerated the spread of the disease. a lot of attention in social networks and much These programs help people to counteract panic positive feedback (13,279 comments). Many by having explained how unverified information national and regional media mentioned this about the virus spreads fakes and provokes panic. episode, which had over 500,000 views on Toronto TV’s YouTube channel and about 400,000 In fall 2019, UTT successfully established views on Facebook. The coverage of this video partner relations with the private sector. Several was over 3.6 million. businesses supported UTT through product placement in the show, which allowed UTT not Another issue was devoted to the topic of the only to gain income but also engage with younger quarantine and coronavirus, explaining why demographics. This cooperation ensures UTT’s people need to stay home. Over the course of one sustainability and its journey to self-reliance. The and a half hours, well-known people and opinion funds received through private sector engagement makers like Sergey Prytula, Sergey Sternenko, allowed UTT to cover the production of four Yuko, and Kalush spoke about changes in their episodes in February 2020. UTT will need to lives caused by the quarantine and about the continue working aggressively with the private importance of staying home. sector to increase both the social and financial effects of product placement, as the income from Due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, product placement constitute just over 10 percent most of the “#@)₴?$0 with Michael Shchur” of the cost per season to date.

21 https://bit.ly/2VfrBQi

31 OBJECTIVE 2: FOSTER EFFECTIVE NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL CIVIC COALITIONS AND INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS

WORK PLAN STATUS UPDATE

Objective 2: Status

2.1 Enable long-term planning of coalitions through institutional grants Organizational Journey to Self-Reliance assessment Ongoing Assist core partners' own journey to self-reliance Ongoing 2.2 Strengthen civil society understanding of issues and actors at the local level Sectoral analyses Ongoing Civic Engagement Poll Completed Civic Literacy Test 2.3 Mobilize local activists through fellowship opportunities and micro-grant N/A support 2.4. Scale up advocacy initiatives through issue-based grants Award sectoral issue-based subawards Completed Mentor, support, coach and monitor grants on high profile reforms Completed 2.5 Foster relationships, networks, and coalitions at the local, regional, and national levels Host Annual Civil Society Development/Citizen Participation forum with Completed RPR and SPA Host at least four formal networking events among core partners Ongoing 2.6 Ensure creativity and flexibility through rapid-response and innovation grants Private sector engagement Ongoing

Key Take-Aways and Challenges • With ENGAGE support and targeted capacity • While the core support partners continue development, regional reform coalitions to be leaders of CSOs coalitions pursuing civil became champion civil society unions in the society-led agendas across different reform regions with regard to reform promotion and areas, enhancing the scope of their sub-national advocacy capacity. Pact’s tools and mentoring and local outreach to wider constituencies still approach enable them to scale up internal requires further efforts. capacities and the breadth and depth of • Despite some progress in their capacity membership. development, ENGAGE regional partners in • Effective civic advocacy and oversight the South and East are experiencing different campaigns were implemented in the regions. challenges regarding civic engagement and For instance, local advocacy campaigns on could benefit from further mentoring and environmental and inclusive issues were coaching on innovative tools and mobilization launched in Enerhodar (Zaporizhzhia Oblast). activities around reforms implementation.

32 • The focus on capacity development, Sectoral Network Analysis, and Outcome transferring skills, and fostering cooperation Harvesting. The evaluation will provide two-fold between CSOs in the regions is of crucial results areas: assistance for ENGAGE to define importance for enabling regional CSOs to partner CSOs that will become part of USAID/ address citizens’ issues of concern. ENGAGE sustainability activities in FY20 and • The performance level of regional networks, FY21, and equipping ENGAGE partners with as well as the level of individual engagement sound background for defining areas of strength and motivation of each team member, and potential areas for further organizational depends a lot on the organizational capacity development in order to sustain. Assessment of the CSO administrator or network leader. results will be communicated to partners during If a network consists of newly established Collaborating, Learning, and Adaptation (CLA) CSOs and initiative groups and is managed by events in the second half of Year 4. (See also a CSO without experience and capacity to set Activity 3.3 Strengthen CSO capacity to conduct up even its own internal processes, the overall civic engagement and constituency-building to performance of the network can hardly be support reform initiatives.) higher than the leader’s level. As a fists stage of the OJ2SR assessment in • Anti-corruption partners’ pilot efforts 2020, ENGAGE assessed performance of its to engage citizens and a wider circle of main partners (Transparency International stakeholders in oversight and advocacy Ukraine, Center of Policy and Legal Reform, activities are demonstrating promising Centre UA, Vox Ukraine, Anti-corruption Action results. However, civic engagement is still Center, New Europe Center, the Ilko Kucheriv a “new territory” for them and they are not Democrativ Initiatives Foundation, Ukrainian aware of the audiences’ needs. They need to Leadership Academy, Ukrainian Toronto further fine-tune their approaches to achieve Television, Automaidan and Global Office) using sustainable success and appeal to a wider 360 assessment tool. Assessment analyzes the audience. level of partners’ progress towards self-reliance … and Adaptation in five dimensions: constituencies’ engagement, outreach to local and regional level counterparts, • ENGAGE will further promote J2SR among network/coalition expansion, gender and partner CSOs and to ensure more tangible inclusion-sensitive programming, sectoral progress, including in the area of CSO financial leadership and financial sustainability. sustainability. This will include development of five roadmaps and coaching and mentoring Key findings of the assessment: based on the results of Organizational J2SR • ENGAGE main partners are recognized as assessments currently conducted by Pact. champions in constituencies engagement, • Leveraging its experience with election- outreach to local and regional counterparts related activities in 2019, and knowledge and sectoral leadership. They are, on average, of new media instruments to target youth, more productive in achieving influencing than ENGAGE will continue to support youth adaptive capacity22. mobilization campaigns in upcoming local • CSO’s performance in the realms of ensuring elections and beyond. gender and inclusion sensitive programming, network expansion and financial sustainability Activity 2.1 Enable long-term strategic planning are perceived as “blind spots” for external of coalitions through institutional grants audience. Being considered a private matter, In the first half of Year 4, ENGAGE started to financial sustainability remains to be viewed assess performance of its core/key 11 partner as a sensitive issue, poorly highlighted by the CSOs using a tailored Organizational J2SR, sector. which was developed by ENGAGE in Year 3. • USAID/ENGAGE partners are viewed as Within January-March 2020, USAID/ENGAGE sectoral leaders, not only having quality conducted a series of analyses and applied a set of Pact tools: self-evaluation survey, 360º 22 According to the Pact Capacity Development Gold Standard, assessment gauging the views of organization Adaptive capacities are the ability to react to changes in the stakeholders, Organizational Performance financial, political, environmental, or socio-cultural context. Influencing capacities enable the partner to alter the environment Index (OPI), Sustainability Performance Index, in which it operates.

33 expertise and knowledge of the target • At the same time, only a few partners engage audience, but turning this knowledge into into specific activities to promote inclusion or benefits for the sector. gender equality in the sector. Findings by Components: Sectoral leadership Constituencies engagement • According to the Self-Assessment, ENGAGE • Key partners most often name citizens and partners and their peers have varying views authorities among their constituents. on sectoral leadership, yet key partners, in • ENGAGE partners frequently engage their general, are seen externally as leaders in the constituents into activities and planning. sector. They collect feedback from them, normally • Most partners stated that they shape policy once or more than once a month using agenda in their sphere. They also see their online polls/google feedback forms, social leadership in development of analytical media comments, interviews, regular methodology, direct-action activities, expert/stakeholder surveys and face-to-face awareness- raising and products for youth as communication. well as fact-checking approaches. Outreach to local and regional-level counterparts Financial sustainability • External stakeholders, in general, • ENGAGE partners rarely received funding commended ENGAGE partners’ efforts from business or government in 2019. Yet, at outreach to regional and local level some CSOs demonstrated a history of stable counterparts, identifying and accounting for cooperation with both sectors. Three CSOs their needs. in 2019 introduced social entrepreneurship • Presence in regional and local media initiatives. landscape, provision of interviews and • In 2019 partners were more active in their commentaries were stressed as factors of efforts to attract support from citizens with crucial importance. 7 out of 11 key partners receiving monetary • ENGAGE partners report communicating support. strategically with regional partners more than • Almost all partners have a fundraising once a month. Most partners (9 out of 11) report strategy to plan their efforts ahead. having joint projects with local and regional peers. Activity 2.1 Enable long-term strategic planning Network/coalition expansion of coalitions through institutional grants • The scoring demonstrates that ENGAGE partners are well-experienced in network “There is on-going demand for innovative and coalition-building. All but one reported educational tools. Pact continues receiving creating or leading a coalition and 7 of 11 state requests to organize simulation games that they achieve better results as part of a (State-building simulation game and coalition rather than on their own. City Z advocacy game), both within larger educational and networking events and as a • Types of networks, in which ENGAGE separate learning event.” key partners are engaged include formal ones for supporting CSOs’ strategic goals Transparency International Ukraine developed implementation, informal networks and its sub-national outreach efforts, engaging local initiatives, ad-hoc issue-based coalitions and CSOs in a study tour to Lithuania, which helped network platforms for ensuring inter-sectoral Ukrainian civil society representatives learn the coordination. wider international anti-corruption context and Gender and inclusion sensitive programming practices. Working with national and international • Most partners indicated incorporation of partners, TIU convened a number of events to gender equality and inclusion issues into discuss AC legislation, launch of the HACC, and internal policies, planning and activities. Only overall AC reform agenda; and to maintain its a few have cited relevant documents, yet, network with the key AC bodies, experts, and most demonstrated integration of equality CSOs. principles into organizational cultures.

34 in public asset leasing. The law was signed by the President of Ukraine25.

TIU also successfully joined advocacy efforts to promote the legislation on protection of whistleblowers26, which eventually came into force starting January 202027. The law provides for safeguards to protect corruption whistleblowers in Ukraine.

Contributing to the response to coronavirus infection, TIU introduced a relevant public procurement procedure type in the online Prozorro system28, which makes it easy to identify and analyze procurement procedures related to the fight against COVID-19. The CSO also made a public statement urging for transparency in medical procurement amidst the pandemic in Ukraine29.

To widen its financial sustainability prospects, the CSO launched TIU’s online shop30, selling its branded products to the public.

Following the 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine, Centre UA worked to adapt their organizational goals and operational planning to the new context. The Figure 22: Merchandise from TIU’s online shop CSO conducted a number of internal discussions, https://ti-ukraine-shop.prom.ua/ which were followed by a strategic session to shape further visioning of the organization. Centre UA decided to extend its focus to include TIU launched an online survey to evaluate public policy analysis. At the same time, since the performance of the public procurement its establishment in 2011 under the Centre UA monitoring portal DOZORRO23. Based on user umbrella, the CHESNO movement has grown into feedback, the CSO developed recommendations a mature entity able to continue its monitoring for DOZORRO team analysts, including on activities as a fully-fledged organization. Thus, improving user guidance for monitoring of Centre UA decided to concentrate on analytical procurement opportunities. TIU also signed a and reforms advocacy work at the national memorandum of cooperation with the State and local level, including covering the areas of Property Fund24, which provides the framework democratic balance of powers and influencing

for the CSO to help the state body combat 25 “Volodymyr Zelenskyy Signed the Law on Lease of State and corruption in public property sales. Communal Property”, https://president.gov.ua/news/volodimir- zelenskij-pidpisav-zakon-pro-orendu-derzhavnogo-ta-59089?fb clid=IwAR3cbQVCCDMhPxxtOrq-t44Cz7QUnmzjl7LlskAQv_ TIU actively advocated for AC reform progress in Jf6f4qyaTyTA_3M98 Ukraine. The CSO provided expert inputs to shape 26 “Protection of Whistleblowers: Analysis of Presidential Draft the Law on the Lease of National and Communal Law”, https://ti-ukraine.org/news/zahyst-vykryvachiv-analiz- prezydentskogo-zakonoproektu/ Property, resulting in the condition that state 27 “Law on ‘Changes to the Law of Ukraine on Preventing property can be leased only through transparent Corruption’ on Corruption Whistleblowers is Adopted”, https:// iportal.rada.gov.ua/news/Novyny/182921.html and competitive auctions via electronic trading 28 “COVID-19 Now in Public BI Prozorro Module”, https:// system, ensuring accountability and efficiency ti-ukraine.org/en/news/covid-19-now-in-public-bi-prozorro- module/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=transparency_international_ukraines_digest&utm_ 23 https://dozorro.org/ term=2020-03-27 24 “Small Privatization: TI Ukraine Signed a Memorandum 29 “Healthcare Minister Renews ‘Watcher’ System in Medical with the State Property Fund”, https://ti-ukraine.org/news/mala- Procurement”, https://ti-ukraine.org/en/news/healthcare- pryvatyzatsiya-ti-ukrayina-pidpysala-memorandum-z-fondom- minister-renews-watcher-system-in-medical-procurement/ derzhmajna/ 30 https://ti-ukraine-shop.prom.ua/product_list

35 decisions for local communities through MPs and stipulating non-personal voting as a public consultations. CHESNO will continue its criminal offence38. watchdog efforts as a separate CSO, focusing on accountability of elected officials, monitoring of Responding to COVID-19, Centre UA in partnership parliamentary work, and political party financing. with Ukrainska Pravda created the information platform ‘Help’, seeking local volunteers to collect Centre UA continued to develop its regional data on combatting the pandemic in the regions outreach efforts to increase local communities’ and on existing citizen needs for wider support capacities to influence local policy decisions and from volunteers. Maintaining its commitment promote wider citizen engagement into reform related to the J2SR agenda, Centre UA continued processes. Activities covered 74 consultations raising in-kind contributions, collecting an in consolidated communities and resulted equivalent of $55,800 since September 2018 in in establishing a local youth public council31, support of its events and activities. launching an environmental community initiative32, increasing citizen engagement in the Anti-Corruption Action Center continued participatory budgeting process33, and shaping a championing civil society reforms advocacy. local community development plan34. The CSO experts participated in working groups of the Verkhovna Rada Financial Committee, Centre UA continued its reform advocacy drafted amendments to the draft law on activities. It pursued the electoral reform agenda, Public Procurement, advocated for MPs to file advocating for legislative amendments regarding amendments, for the Committee to consider open party lists, easier registration of candidates in the amendments, and for more transparent and elections, and improved procedure to pass related efficient procurement of medicines, including amendments in Parliament35. The Verkhovna Rada through international organizations. Moreover, re-considered the Electoral Code, which had been AntAC experts explained the draft law provisions vetoed earlier by the President, removing the to MPs, including the so-called “money laundering barriers to candidate registration and introducing without obligatory prosecution for predicate open regional party lists to increase transparency offence.” The resulting legislation was adopted by of the electoral process36. Parliament and signed by the President.39

The CSO also continued its scrutiny over The online platform Serpom po reytinhu40, Parliamentary work, including monitoring of managed by AntAC, raised Ukrainian citizens’ violations during MP voting and highlighting awareness of alleged misbehaviors by MPs. numerous cases of deliberate voting for absent Engaging by its nature, this tool involves public MPs37. Resulting from these efforts, Parliament crowdfunding to highlight perceived corruption adopted legislation ensuring personal voting of cases, with targeted campaigning among relevant electoral constituencies through Facebook. The 31 “Youth Public Council Will be Launched in Krasylivska Consolidated Community”, https://centreua.org/article/vidteper- project delivers impressive results, having raised u-krasilivskij-miskij-otg-funkcionuye-molodizhna-gromadska- up to $5,000 from citizens during the reporting rada 32 “Public Organization Will be Established to Protect the Silske period, and reaching out with its information Lake in Kulykivska Consolidated Community as a Result of Public campaigns to 1.5 million Facebook users. Consultation”, https://centreua.org/article/u-kulikivskij-otg- stvoryat-gromadsku-organizaciyu-dlya-zahistu-ozera-silskogo- 41 rezultat-publichnoyi-konsultaciyi In coordination with Agenda for Justice partners, 33 “Ways Identified to Engage Citizens into Budgetary including DEJURE Foundation, Automaidan, and Allocation Process in Chemerivska Consolidated Community as Nashi Groshi, AntAC advocated and promoted a Result of Public Consultation”, https://centreua.org/article/u- chemeroveckij-otg-viznachili-sposobi-zaluchennya-gromadyan- judicial reform. Seven draft laws reflecting the do-rozpodilu-byudzhetu-rezultat-publichnoyi-konsultaciyi justice agenda priorities were advocated. The 34 “Strategic Community Development Plan Will be Developed in Keretska Consolidated Community as a Result of Public communication campaign to support the agenda Consultation”, https://centreua.org/article/u-kereckij-otg- rozroblyat-strategichnij-plan-rozvitku-gromadi-rezultat- publichnoyi-konsultaciyi 38 “Adoption of the Law ‘On Amending Certain Legislative 35 “Electoral Code: Aiming for Reform but Making Acts of Ukraine Regarding Ensuring Personal Voting by People’s a Democracy Threat”, https://vybory.pravda.com.ua/ Deputies of Ukraine’”, https://rada.gov.ua/news/Novyny/186571. articles/2019/12/4/7150092/ html 36 “Farewell to Majoritarian System! What is Envisaged 39 “Volodymyr Zelenskyy Signed the Law to Improve Public in the New Electoral Code”, https://www.pravda.com.ua/ Procurement”. https://www.president.gov.ua/news/volodimir- articles/2019/12/24/7235740/ zelenskij-pidpisav-zakon-shodo-vdoskonalennya-publ-57881 37 “There is the Tenth ‘Button-Pusher’ in the Parliament”,: 40 https://www.serpom.org.ua https://www.chesno.org/post/3718/ 41 https://pravosuddia2019.org.ua/en

36 Figure 23: Online platform Serpom po reytinhu https://www.serpom.org.ua/

included at least eight meetings with key NGOs in AntAC advocated and promoted AC legislation the sector; meetings with international partners; that will benefit SSU reform and improve the at least 15 publications; and 132 media social external audit procedures of the NABU and SAPO. media posts reaching almost 1.2 million citizens. Additionally, AntAC advocated against lifting Additionaly, two policy briefs were prepared and MP imminity, analyzed the cases investigated by disseminated among international partners. NABU and approved by SAPO that are now under court consideration, and formed a baseline for In coalition with CSOs partners, AntAC advocated the evaluation of HACC operations. for legislative amendments to restart the HQCJ and create an effective tool for refining the HCJ. AntAC and TIU drafted an anti-corruption These are key steps to ensure transparency and sectoral policy brief45 for the 2020 Ukraine Reform 42 independence of the judiciary as these bodies Conference (URC) managed by RPR. The policy influence appointments and dismissals of judges, brief was discussed during the Kyiv Forum in including for the Supreme Court of Ukraine. February 2020, along with 19 other policy briefs Subsequently, relevant legislation was adopted by on different reforms prepared by RPR, and will be 43 Parliament . With other CSOs, including ENGAGE discussed during regional presentations in April- activity partners TIU and Center for Political and June. Adjusted after regional presentations, the Legal Reforms, AntAC continued advocating for AC policy brief will be presented at URC in Vilnius 44 proper implementation of the law . in July 2020.

Centre of Policy and Legal Reform (CPLR) 42 “Failures of the High Council of Justice”, https://vrpfails. continued building capacity of its sub-national dejure.foundation/ 43 “On Changes to the Law of Ukraine on Judiciary and Status network Ukrainian Public Law and Administration of Judges and Some Laws of Ukraine on Bodies of Judiciary Network (UPLAN). It was established in 2017 Governance”, https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/193-20 44 “NGOs Call on The President to Unblock the Judicial Reform”, https://antac.org.ua/en/news/ngos-call-president- 45 https://rpr.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ unblock-judicial-reform/ anticorruptions.pdf

37 Figure 24: UPLAN workshop on sociological research methods for students of the Dnipro State University of International Affairs Dnipro, December 3, 2019 Photo by UPLAN

with 10 regional CSOs in Dnipro, Lviv, Odesa, the quarantine on reform implementation in Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia to accelerate reforms the regions, and the legality of local authorities’ in the areas of constitutional development, public activities in response to COVID-19. In order to administration, courts and judicial proceedings, keep Ukrainian citizens informed about important law enforcement agencies operations, anti- reform developments, UPLAN publishes its expert corruption, and regional development. materials in regional and national media, and communicates messages via its Facebook page47, UPLAN members continue to be successful which expanded its average daily reach during the advocates of reforms in the regions. The Ministry reporting period from 3,320 to 5,288 and followers of Regional Development (MRD) incorporated from 644 to 982. In addition, UPLAN works to proposals based on previous UPLAN research attract readers to its Telegram channel “Guide to into its own compilation of recommendations for Reforms”48, and regularly disseminates e-Digests regional state administrations. to raise public awareness on reforms.

CPLR continues promoting the UPLAN Network VoxUkraine communicates the reform agenda website46 within its communication strategy. through data and evidence-based analytics. During the reporting period, more than 110 During the reporting period, it focused on reforms articles, expert blog posts, and news items were and legislation adopted during the Parliament’s published. The analytics highlighted the topics ‘turbo-regime.’ VoxUkraine also paid close of gender equalities in Ukrainian think tanks, attention to decentralization reform in view of the constitutional reform challenges, the impact of 47 https://www.facebook.com/UkrainianPlan/ 46 http://uplan.org.ua/ 48 https://t.me/gidreforms

38 Figure 25: Panel discussion “MedNight: health reform at the crossroads” organized by VoxUkraine, November 2019 Photo by VoxUkraine

upcoming local elections, the conflict in Donbas, civil servants audit (October 11, 2019), and health developments in civil service reform, and land reform progress (November,1 2019). VoxUkraine reform. For example, an article on the expected events in the last six months attracted more than impact of opening land the market in Ukraine, 220 participants. published in November 2019, received over 13,000 views. VoxUkraine continued to monitor the Expanding its regional outreach and within the state budget implementation within the Budget VoxConnector activity, VoxUkraine distributed Watchdog project and published articles49 related more than 30 expert comments50 for local media to public finance. Strengthening its awareness and launched a new radio program51 with the activities, VoxUkraine held a series of public Centre for Economic Strategy on Hromadske events on key reform achievements (December Radio. The main purpose of this program is 19, 2019), labor migration (November 13, 2019), to reach wider audience, explaining to them important and complicated economic issues. 49 “Budget Is Not Catching Up. What Prevented Implementation of the 2019 Budget?”, November 26, 2019. https://voxukraine.org/uk/byudzhet-nazdognali-riziki-shho- VoxUkraine helped citizens in debunking false zavadilo-vikonannyu-koshtorisu-2019/; “Autumn Acts of Betrayal and Triumph in The Struggle Against Political Distribution of narratives. With the use of the “Anthology of Funds”, December 23, 2019 https://voxukraine.org/en/autumn- Lies” fact-checking platform52, VoxCheck analysts acts-of-betrayal-and-triumph-in-the-struggle-against-political- distribution-of-funds/; “Find The Difference: 11 Budget 2020 regularly prepared broadcasts and explainers Features”, December 24, 2019. https://voxukraine.org/en/find- on decentralization, the distribution of powers, the-difference-11-budget-2020-features/; “How Much and What is Budgeted For in the 2020 Budget to Improve the Environmental 50 https://voxukraine.org/uk/category/voxconnector/ Situation in Ukraine?”, January 21, 2020. https://voxukraine. org/uk/skilki-ta-na-shho-zakladeno-u-byudzheti-2020-dlya- 51 https://hromadske.radio/podcasts/shcho-z-ekonomikoiu pokrashhennya-ekologichnoyi-situatsiyi-v-ukrayini/ 52 https://nepravda.org/

39 healthcare reform, communal tariffs, labor migration, vaccination, government debt, the IMF, and others.

VoxCheck is not limited to fact-checking of statements by Ukrainian politicians. Promptly responding to pressing challenges and the surge of misinformation globally, VoxUkraine joined the #CoronaVirusFacts/#DatosCoronaVirus Alliance53, which was launched in January by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and unites more than 100 fact-checkers around the world in publishing, sharing, and translating facts Figure 26: VoxUkraine joined IFCN’s surrounding COVID-19. Since then, VoxCheck has Coronavirus Fact-Checking Alliance analyzed at least 20 fake news items per day about the coronavirus.

Thanks to VoxUkraine’s experience with and inauthentic content, and inform people by giving reputation about exemplary fact-checking, it was them more context on the posts they see. accepted as a member of Facebook’s Fact-Checking In terms of organizational J2SR, VoxUkraine program in March 2020. Since then, VoxCheck managed to raise more than $4,000 via its web- has been included in the Facebook three-part site54. Since the start of fundraising through the strategy for stopping false news: remove accounts donation page in January 2018, VoxUkraine raised and content that violate Facebook standards and $45,000 from more than 250 individuals. policies, reduce the distribution of false news and 54 https://voxukraine.org/uk/yak-vi-mozhete-dopomogti- 53 https://www.poynter.org/coronavirusfactsalliance/ voxukraine

Figure 27: VoxCheck joined Facebook’s Fact- Checking program Photo by VoxUkraine

40 Figure 28: NEC presentation of the “European Map of Ukraine” Zaporizhzhia, February 2020 Photo by NEC

The New Europe Center (NEC) focused its findings, conducted in December 2019, revealed efforts on outreach activities in the regions that 74 percent of students are satisfied with the in support of the EU integration agenda for program and 82 percent highly evaluate specific Ukraine. NEC conducted a series of regional courses. presentations on “The European Map of Ukraine. Rating of European Integration of Regions”55, a In terms of organizational J2SR, ULA developed comprehensive rating of Ukrainian regions that its fundraising strategy with the involvement of measures progress towards European integration ULA ambassadors at the local and regional level based on 34 indicators. With ENGAGE support, to incorporate the best ideas into the work plan. NEC was able to organize discussions of the map ULA also strengthened its team with one member in the regions, where its results offer meaningful per branch being responsible for fundraising and insights. The European integration map of provided training for the them. These efforts Ukraine was presented on November 28, 2019, in allowed for increased funding diversification Dnipro; on December 10, 2019, in Chernivtsi; and and decreased revenues from other sources, in on February 11, 2020, in Zaporizhzhia. addition to international donor funding growing from 15 percent in 2018 to 35 percent in 2019. Ukrainian Leadership Academy (ULA) worked on restructuring modules. The student ULA intensified work with its 406 alumni. ULA personal development profile and ULA branch Alumni Club “Sophia”, established in September development profile were created. ULA collects 2019, conducted regular meetings with alumni and analyze data on a quarterly and annual and invited prominent guests in Kyiv and Lviv. basis to analyze the success of interventions and The Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives changes. The latest program quality evaluation Foundation (DIF) worked on enhancing its analytical and advocacy capabilities, transforming 55 http://neweurope.org.ua/en/analytics/yevromapa-ukrayiny- rejtyng-yevrointegratsiyi-oblastej/ to a center of advanced intellectual support for

41 pro-democratic and pro-reform national and • Presentation on anti-corruption for USAID in subnational CSOs, and increasing government cooperation with USAID/SACCI, December, 20, responsiveness to policy alternatives proposed 2019. and advocated by civil society. Within its objective See also Activities 2.4, 2.5 and 4.1. of enhancing the quality, outreach, and impact of analytical materials, DIF experts conducted During January 8-31, 2020, Pact conducted the public events, prepared articles, and provided winter round of the CEP to gauge citizen awareness commentary to different media on the most urgent and engagement in civil society activities and issues. The topics raised covered important issues citizen participation in and perception of reform like public attitudes towards reform progress in processes in Ukraine. Respondents were also asked Ukraine56, judicial reform57, Donbas issues58, and questions that measure their values, convictions, party discipline59, among others. and attitude to life, and an additional section was dedicated to migration. In April, DIF started a new rubric called “Political Quarterly.”60 Using a questionnaire, DIF asks The main take-aways of the winter 2020 CEP experts to assess the overall performance of include: government agencies and propose their forecast • One in three Ukrainians (32.8 percent) for the top political events and activities citizens say that they regularly or randomly attend could expect in the upcoming weeks. meetings in their communities, and a smaller DIF maintained its high position on the Global Go share of citizens says that they are engaged in To Think Tank Index61. DIF ranks 52nd among the CSO activities (16.9 percent). top 106 think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe. • Ukrainians are mostly interested in reporting DIF was also ranked 48th on the list of 2019 Top infrastructural issues, either in-person or by Transparency and Good Governance Think Tanks. phone (21.2 percent). Additionally, people show interest in reporting infrastructural Activity 2.2 Strengthen civil society issues online (20.1 percent), community work understanding of issues and actors at the local committees (17.2 percent), and submitting level formal informational requests to state bodies (16.8 percent). The summer 2019 Civic Engagement Poll data, major civil society trends, corruption related data, • Citizens are the least involved in anti- and political economy analyses prepared by Pact corruption activities. Only 1.5 percent have were actively communicated to the wider civil reported corruption to law-enforcement society audience, government, and international bodies. Almost the same portion of respondents donor community during the following events: (1.1 percent) has been involved in reporting corruption publicly to the media. Only 0.6 • USAID/ENGAGE Annual Civil Society Forum, percent have used online tools to anonymously PlatForum, November 19-20, 2019; report corruption or electoral violations. • Civil Society Capacity Development Forum, December 4, 2019; • Citizens perceive the biggest role in countering corruption is now played by anti- • Kyiv Reform Forum (preparatory step for corruption authorities (37.9 percent), while the Vilnius Ukraine Reform Conference 2020), the President of Ukraine is ranked second (31.5 February 25, 2020; percent). At the same time, almost every fifth • Civil Society Donor Coordination meetings, Ukrainian believes that countering corruption December 4, 2019, and February 6, 2020; depends on him/her. Only 6.3 percent of 56 https://dif.org.ua/article/suspilne-tlo-dlya-provedennya- respondents perceive the Government of reform-pozitivne Ukraine as effective in fighting corruption, 57 https://dif.org.ua/article/chi-prodadut-ukraintsyam-feykovu- sudovu-reformu with around 71 percent of Ukrainians see no or 58 https://dif.org.ua/article/rozvedennya-viysk-yak-vlada- almost no changes in anti-corruption reform. pomilyaetsya 59 https://www.pravda.com.ua/columns/2019/11/26/7233068/ • Three categories – pensioners (48.1 percent, 60 https://dif.org.ua/article/politichniy-kvartal-sichen- youth (23.9 percent), and IDPs from the Donbas berezen-2020 (22.8 percent) – are perceived as the most 61 https://dif.org.ua/article/deminitsiativi-v-chisli-krashchikh- analitichnikh-tsentriv-skhidnoi-ta-tsentralnoi-evropi discriminated groups of people in Ukraine.

42 • The highest rate of reported personal being, and 30.0 percent acknowledged that experience with the violation of rights is they carry responsibility for their own well- in healthcare (43.3 percent), followed by being themselves. consumer rights (39.3 percent), and social ENGAGE prepared a series of publications security and benefits (29.9 percent). Almost presenting the CEP data from different one half of respondents would be ready to perspectives on its website62 and Facebook page63. support discriminated groups of people to A special interview on the winter 2020 CEP was which they do not belong in order to prevent aired by Hromadske radio64. that discrimination. • The overwhelming majority of the During first part of Year 4, ENGAGE continued to population agrees that the rich enrich strengthen partners’ understanding of issues and themselves (84.5 percent), the people in promote a data-driven approach to programing. power do not care about ordinary people (83.4 ENGAGE conducted a launch meeting with core percent) and profit off them (82.3 percent). partners on October 17, 2019, to communicate The vast majority of Ukrainians believe that the ENGAGE Year 4 implementation plan to the general public’s opinion does not matter partners, improve core partners understanding to people in authority (81.0 percent) and that of the main civil society trends and approach to ordinary citizens do not have the power to advocating for CSO sustainability, and to learn influence events in the country (77.6 percent). how to use an evidence-based approach in their • The majority of respondents (63.5 percent) decision-making. During the meeting, the core are not ready to sacrifice freedom for greater 62 https://engage.org.ua/category/news/ security and well-being. Almost half (47.8 63 https://www.facebook.com/usaidengage/ percent) of respondents also said that the state 64 https://hromadske.radio/podcasts/hromadska-hvylya/63- should be responsible for everyone’s well- ukraintsiv-ne-hotovi-zhertvuvaty-svobodoiu-zarady-bil-shoi- bezpeky-opytuvannia

Figure 29: CEP data promotion on ENGAGE website

43 Figure 30: “Changes Start with You” Forum for Kharkiv Oblast CSOs Chuhuiv coalition, October 2019 partners learned how trends in Ukrainians’ civic With HIV/AIDS also lent their voices and insight. engagement, citizen participation, values, and Based on lessons learned and recommendations civic literacy have changed from 2015 to 2019, provided, a new grant for the summer 2020 based on ENGAGE CEP results. The meeting also festival season was awarded. provided an opportunity to present and discuss “A Synthesis Study of Financial Support Mechanisms In the first half of Year 4, Pact summarized the Effectiveness for Advocacy-Focused CSOs”44, main findings and results from the support which was prepared by the USAID/ENGAGE provided to local coalitions during the preceding sustainability consultant under Objective65. years via cooperation with RPR. In 2018, building upon the success of horizontal networking, On November 3, 2019, ENGAGE gathered Ukrainian ENGAGE supported seven local coalitions in the festival organizers from across the country to RPR format, in Rivne, Sumy, Kharkiv, Ternopil, discuss the main achievements, challenges, Chuhuiv, Bohuslav, and Kropyvnytskyi. With and adaptation from joint efforts of USAID/ ENGAGE support, local RPR coalitions were ENGAGE and commercial festivals in promoting enabled to build on a community of joint actions ecological awareness, inclusion, and engagement. on local issues such as government transparency In attendance were CSO representatives who and accountability, inclusion and accessibility of participated in GROWMADA, an initiative that public spaces, anti-corruption, environmental has implemented “CSO alleys” at festivals protection, decentralization, promotion of where CSOs exhibit their work and interact with education reform, etc. the public. Festival representatives from Atlas Weekend, Faine Misto, Respublica FEST, and Along with providing funding to ensure network Rap.ua participated in the workshop. Members and coalition activities, ENGAGE applied its of All-Ukrainian Association of Mass Music Event horizontal network-building approach to partners Organizers, Global Office, Edison Space, TIU, through a combination of ENGAGE mechanisms and the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living for coalition support under Activity 2.4 and Activity 2.5. This approach was centered around

65 https://engage.org.ua/a-synthesis-study-of-financial-support- ENGAGE staff mentoring and coaching with sub- mechanisms-effectiveness-for-advocacy-focused-csos/

44 Figure 31: Accessible Space panel at the “Reforms in Kharkiv: Successes and Challenges” Forum Kharkiv October 2019 Photo by Kharkiv Reforms Coalition

awardee partners, including applying tools, in social request for the implementation of reforms, particular the Organizational Network Analysis engaging citizens into local decision-making (ONA) and Network Performance Index (NPI). processes and awareness-raising activities. These tools helped ENGAGE to set baselines Local coalitions succeeded in organizing direct and measure change in coalition performance actions, rallies, and online and street flash mobs, over time. In addition, the results help to mobilizing their communities to act promptly for understand the extent to which the capacity common needs. In total, coalition events engaged development support provided by ENGAGE 2,515 unique participants in civic activism and benefits the overall impact and positive changes reform processes during 2018-2020. Citizen in coalition performance. Based on the results engagement of RPR local coalitions participants of the comprehensive assessment of coalition went beyond passive participation and meant performance conducted in Year 3, the coalitions active engagement through the tools provided by that coordinated their internal work effectively the coalitions. achieved better outcomes and appeared to be more successful in performing their activities. In The systemic and active work of local coalitions this regard, equipping networks and coalitions within their Roadmaps of Reforms encompassing with ONA and NPI data was essential for their 44 reform directions created a background for subsequent decision-making on capacity- their visibility and recognition from media and building issues. It is also valuable in terms of ordinary residents. Local coalitions were able ensuring local coalitions’ broader perspective, to attract media attention to their activities, strategic vision, progress, and resilience. generating more than 1,600 mentions in online and traditional media and attracting more than The key task of local coalitions was to form a 6,000 followers to their official Facebook pages.

45 Over the entire period of ENGAGE support, events and directly engaged over 700 citizens in local reform coalitions have become advocacy reform processes. Member Satisfaction champions in their regions. While implementing 4 projects, they significantly stepped up their ENGAGE repeated the ONA for four coalitions in October-November 2019, after one year of network capacity to collaborate with a wide range of Social Capital stakeholders in order to benefit reform promotion performance. The results of the repeated ONA 3 Standards by developing local bylaws that meet citizens’ suggest that all four coalitions have enhanced needs. Coalition activities in 2018-2020 resulted their internal capacity. Reform coalitions in in 34 local policy changes in spheres such as local Kropyvnytskyi and Kharkiv were able to increase 2 government transparency and accountability, the density of their ties regarding information procurement of public services, utilization of exchange within their member network. In 1 direct democracy tools, environmental protection, Chuhuiv and Sumy, local coalitions scaled up health, and decentralization. their membership base with new organizations Resources 0 and increased the density of internal information Delivery In view of the policy outputs, coalitions of local sharing. CSOs demonstrated their capacity not only in building cooperation around reforms, but also In October-November 2019, ENGAGE piloted the NPI tool for measuring network performance rapidly enhancing their social capital and adding Rivne local coalition to the favorable environment for CSOs’ long- changes. NPI was recently designed by Pact, similar Ternopil local coalition lasting cooperation at the regional and local to the OPI, to help to see network outcomes across Sumy local coalition level. A high level of credibility throughout their four domains of performance: Effectiveness, Learning Member services cities allows coalitions to serve as influencers Efficiency, Relevance, and Sustainability. ENGAGE Kharkiv local coalition and mediators between authorities, citizens, and slightly adapted the NPI to make it relevant for Chuhuiv local coalition the Ukrainian context and applied it to six of the different interest groups. Target Population Kropyvnytskyi local coalition most resultative local CSO RPR-format coalitions During the first half of Year 4, Pact continued operating in the cities of Rivne, Kropyvnytskyi, providing support to local RPR coalitions to Ternopil, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chuhuiv and which advocate and communicate cities’ roadmaps were supported by ENGAGE in FY19 and FY20. of reforms. Four local reform coalitions, which Overall results showed that a reform coalition’s unite 70 local CSOs in the cities of Sumy, Kharkiv, strength lies in experience sharing and engaging Kropyvnytskyi, and Chuhuiv, continued engaging target population, while their main weakness is citizens into local self-governance processes domestic resource mobilization, like all advocacy and awareness-raising activities. In October- groups. November 2019, coalitions organized 30 public

Figure 32: Visualization of the informational linkages based on ONA of Chuhuiv coalition conducted December 2018-October 2019 Left: January 2019, Right: October 2019

46 Member Satisfaction 4

Social Capital 3 Standards

Resources 0 Delivery

Rivne local coalition Ternopil local coalition Sumy local coalition Learning Member services Kharkiv local coalition Chuhuiv local coalition

Target Population Kropyvnytskyi local coalition

Figure 33: Network Performance Index of six local reform coalitions supported by ENGAGE

As part of ENGAGE’s efforts to strengthen civil established a new CSO in her city, Pervomaiskyi. society’s understanding of issues and actors at She is involved in activities of the local coalition the local level, the ONA and NPI results serve of youth hubs supported by ENGAGE. as learning to both ENGAGE and local coalition partners. The results were shared and discussed Activity 2.4. Scale up advocacy initiatives with the coalitions, particularly to add to their through issue-based grants understanding of how to strengthen ties of In early 2020, ENGAGE partnered with RPR informational exchange and cooperation between and the Election Council UA coalition led by their members and become more effective in School of Policy Analysis (SPA) to host the Kyiv terms of sustainability and effectiveness of Reform Forum, which was a preparatory step external operations. ENGAGE assistance with for the Vilnius Ukraine Reform Conference 2020 OPI and NPI tools helped coalitions to identify and follow on to the PlatForum conference to all key organizational, technical, adaptive, and relaunch civil society-government relations. influencing capacity development targets and The event, in February 2020 in Kyiv, involved gave them an impetus for further building on their representatives of the Government, Office of potential to serve as powerful change agents with the President, Parliament, and over 100 civil perceptible impact on community development. society leaders from all regions of Ukraine. The conference ensured multi-stakeholder dialogue Activity 2.3 Mobilize local activists through in discussing the current reform progress and fellowship opportunities and micro-grant enhanced civil society engagement in identifying support further reform priorities. Pact also presented the After the completion of the KOLO program, results of the 2019 summer CEP. a second round Fellow from Kharkiv Oblast

47 ENGAGE continued to partner with the CSO Global In Year 4, Pact started facilitating two issue- Office for the“#ЙдиОбирай” (GoElections) project, based coalitions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast which promotes youth mobilization towards closely connected with communication of the democratic rights and responsibilities with a environmental reform agenda. The first issue- nationwide information campaign encouraging based coalition includes 10 local initiatives from young people to vote. Following the success of Enerhodar, led by Freedom. They advocated the “#ЙдиОбирай” awareness raising campaign for inclusiveness and environmental issues in related to the early Parliamentary elections Enerhodar, and engaged at least 100 citizens in in Ukraine, the project continued activities in advocacy activities. The coalition released four the period between elections. The initiative videos and conducted 32 media activities. At least was promoted to visitors of the ХерсON Fest 8,000 citizens were covered by the information GROWMADA alley, organized by ENGAGE, and to campaign and raised their awareness of inclusive participants of the GOxChange meetings run by spaces, city recycling system, and local civic Pact’s Global office. initiatives.

Being active online, the project deployed social media66 to explain elections-related terminology to youth, engage with the audience through short interviews on ways to make informed choices, and encourage young people to take an active stance by participating in elections. In the past period, the project reached a massive amount of almost 1.5 million online users, including 222,271 on Instagram, 567,166 on Facebook, and 668,217 on YouTube.

In the first half of the fiscal year, ENGAGE awarded eight subawards in four target regions (Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson) to intensify citizen engagement in the reform process, ensure networking and watchdog activities on the local level. Figure 34: #ЙдиОбирай (GoElections) Facebook page Two ENGAGE local CSO partners from Kharkiv Oblast, Chuhuiv Human Rights Group and Development Together, advocated a reform agenda in five cities and four consolidated rural The second issue-based coalition working communities, involved 1,500 citizens in the in environmental sustainability is in the public oversight of activities regarding suburban city Zaporizhzhia. Mediavision, Dzyga, and transportation, and 130 citizens from local CSO Zaporizhzhia Investigations Center raised and initiative groups in four Kharkiv rayon awareness about environmental reform and settlements into the coalition building process. engaged citizens into an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The coalition conducted public The Center of Modern Development “Astra” in events (hearings, townhall meetings) to vocalize Nova Kakhovka (Kherson Oblast) conducted the EIA results: The communication campaign watchdog activities on illegal construction and and public pressure resulted in 90 percent provision of utilities to the population. The of EIA recommendations being accepted by organization created two community initiative Zaporizhzhia Foundry and Mechanical Plant and groups to join advocacy efforts on select topics. PJSC ZAPOROZHOGNEUPOR. The partner uses its YouTube channel and online media to inform residents about the advocacy During first half of Year 4, ENGAGE supported campaigns. During the reporting period, eight three organizations in Sumy Oblast to implement videos on issues of interest of local community projects on inclusion, gender equality, and anti- were released, which had more than 27,000 views. corruption. The Bureau of Legal Communications conducted public monitoring of accessibility 66 https://www.facebook.com/pg/vlipy.za.sebe/posts/ and held discussion with municipal government

48 representatives on the social accessibility of health care facilities providing primary health care services. Eighty-four citizens took part in these activities.

Public Sumy Circle worked on increasing the impact of community members on gender- sensitive community development strategies, created a list of the gender sensitive initiatives of communities in Ukraine and Sumy oblasts, and made 12 Facebook posts and one video about the project. Three local initiative groups from Lebedyn, Yampil, Seredyna-Buda, Krolevets, and Konotop were created for further gender analysis and advocacy campaigns in these communities.

Railway Without Corruption monitored public procurement in the PROZORRO system. During the reporting period:

• 130 procurement cases were monitored; • 15 investigative articles were published; Figure 36: PlatForum, Kyiv, • 18 tenders were found with signs of November 19-20, 2019 violation; • 25 articles were published in social media; • 17 independent investigations were carried • 16,267 citizens visited the organization’s out with the organization’s support; and website67, with publications about the state of use of community funds, implementation of • 17 complaints about violations of the law in reforms, and publicity of local authorities. the field of public procurement were sent; Activity 2.5 Foster relationships, networks, and coalitions at the local, regional, and national levels. On November 19-20, ENGAGE, in partnership with the EU Project for Civil Society Development in Ukraine, RPR, and the IRF, held the Annual Civil Society Forum - PlatForum. Gathering over 400 leaders from national and regional CSOs, think tanks, and regional reform coalitions, with activists representing all oblasts, PlatForum served as a stage to create a renewed dialogue between civil society and government representatives, aiming to unite efforts and accelerate pro-European reforms in Ukraine.

Through a series of panels and interactive activities, PlatForum identified the role of CSOs in reform implementation, increased the capacity of Ukrainian civil society for participatory Figure 35: Meeting of community residents governance in the new political environment, initiated by Astra to discuss local issue of illegal strengthened CSOs’ understanding about their construction relations with citizens, and promoted citizen participation in decision-making. Photo by Center for Modern Development

“Astra” 67 http://gromo.org.ua/

49 Government and parliamentary representatives Kornienko, Chairman of the Servant of the People praised the Ukrainian people, citing that political party. In turn, MPs used the PlatForum to citizens have the greatest potential to create distribute their key messages on education and change in Ukraine and that everyone’s voice economic issues, with minor reference to civil should be heard. Therefore, the importance of society. Participants and organizers described communication between CSOs, representing the event as a great beginning to the dialogue the public interest, and the government was a between the officials and civil society actors. resounding theme. ENGAGE also conducted two networking events “We shouldn’t concentrate on only one with its main CSO partners. In October 2019, form of dialogue between the Government partners took stock of ENGAGE activity progress, and citizens. The situation is changing, and and discussed the main civil society trends and the forms of our dialogue are changing, the CEP findings, which would inform further as well. Its architecture should be multi- joint programming. The networking event in dimensional, and the dialogue should be January 2020 focused on validating the draft open.” Sustainability Strategy with partner CSOs. Pact presented conclusions and recommendations - Aliona Babak, Minister for Communities for a CSO sustainability strategy mechanism in and Territories Development Ukraine, which was followed by fruitful peer discussions. ENGAGE collected CSO feedback PlatForum provoked a wave of comments and recommendations on funding options for regarding possible and existing ways to bridge the supporting advocacy-focused organizations, gap between officials and civil society in Ukraine. which will be taken forward by ENGAGE to A special HUB was announced by Oleksandr

Figure 37: ENGAGE networking meeting with CSO partners

50 finalize the Sustainability Strategy to ensure long- time ever, 30 people with disabilities (PWD) term civic engagement in democratic reforms. attended the Khortytsia Freedom Festival in See also Activity 4.1. Zaporizhzhia thanks to the inclusive conditions provided by ENGAGE. Activity 2.6 Ensure creativity and flexibility Festivals territories were made accessible for through rapid-response and innovation grants. PWD, including installation of viewing podiums, During the reporting period, Pact continued ramps, rubber surfaces, navigation, and cooperation with the private sector promoting accessible toilets. Waste sorting stations were inclusion, environmental awareness, and arranged in places with the most people flow for national and regional CSO activities. ENGAGE recycling at each festival. GROWMADA NGO alleys organized and facilitated GROWMADA NGO were equipped with everything required for CSO alleys at seven commercial festivals across participants to effectively promote their activity, Ukraine: Atlas Weekend in Kyiv, Faine Misto including tents, furniture, support, coordination, in Ternopil, KhersON in Kherson, CxidPok in handout printing, and reimbursement of Trostyanets, Zaxidfest in Rodatychi, Respublica transportation and interactive activity expenses. Fest in Khmelnytskyi, and Khortytsia Freedom in Zaporizhzhia. Each GROWMADA provided for In fall 2019, Pact gathered Ukrainian festival accessibility and waste management. Overall organizers from different regions who had attendance of the seven events was 533,000 participated in the Pact-supported project people. More than 300 CSOs took part in the to promote a festival culture in the sphere of GROWMADA NGO alleys and communicated ecology, inclusion, and civic society engagement with citizens. Three festivals took place in to facilitate feedback from them and explore ENGAGE priority regions: Kherson, Sumy and possible areas for improvement and adaption of Zaporizhzhia. It is emblematic that for the first the project activities.

Figure 38: Figure 39: GROWMADA promotion: “Festivals - part of (resolving) the problem”

51 OBJECTIVE 3: IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY OF PARTNER CSOS

WORK PLAN STATUS UPDATE

Objective 3: Improve organizational capacity of partner CSOs Status

3.1 Strengthen Intermediary Support Organizations to effectively build the N/A capacity of CSOs 3.2 Promote strategic communications of CSOs to support civic initiatives Anti-corruption strategic communication campaign Ongoing Youth communication campaign in ENGAGE target regions Ongoing Democracy in Action conference Ongoing 3.3 Strengthen CSO capacity to conduct civic engagement Consumer analyses Not completed 3.4 Develop (highly) technical skills for implementation of civic initiatives ICT support for sub-awardees Ongoing 3.5 Strengthen CSO leadership to provide strategic leadership to civic initiatives Coaching and mentoring on sustainability Ongoing

Key Take-Aways and Challenges • The Capacity Development (CD) Marketplace result, two initiative self-based groups were produced mixed results. The open application established, which engage citizens on public period attracted 78 percent of targeted EIA hearings. Intermediary Support Organization (ISOs) • CSOs from rural areas and remote rayons but demonstrated a relatively low uptake by of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, which usually take other targeted regional CSOs: only 24 percent a traditional approach to civic education, of the those applied for vouchers. While citizens engagement, and youth work, had the CD Marketplace mechanism under this the opportunity to try a new edutainment sub-contract proved to be useful in terms approach thanks to their participation in the of developing ISOs’ basic organizational State-building simulation game. capacities, a low number of ISOs demonstrated • Local CSOs in target regions often met increased support to civic initiatives and resistance from local authorities while existing and nascent CSOs. ISO results in making efforts to promote and coordinate engaging citizens or raising their awareness innovative ICT tools at the citywide level. are disproportionately low compared to The misunderstanding and lack of further the significant amount of ENGAGE funding support are caused by the fact that often local allocated to them through the CD Marketplace. authorities have a lower level of ICT-literacy • The number of engaged citizens (volunteers and awareness of 21st century trends than local and activists) in Zaporizhzhia increased. activists. ENGAGE reached 100,000 citizens with several • Facebook is often the only communication different components of an information channel for regional CSOs due to practically campaign (advertising in social networks, face- zero access to traditional media, as well as a to-face-meetings, traditional print ads). As a lack of skills to cooperate with them.

52 • Since there are few interested people in the development partner, to strengthen capacities regions who would like to investigate, regional of ISOs and CSO partners through CD CSOs need to lure and motivate people to have Marketplace vouchers. Organizations that more interested activists. used the opportunity of the ENGAGE-funded • The active use of online tools in everyday CD Marketplace report an increase in their activities makes organizations more adaptive capacities. Resulting outputs include: in a contingency like COVID-19 and the related • LASKA Foundation (Mykolaiv Oblast) restrictions on offline events. This allows started coaching local CSOs on planning them to remain in the information field and environmental activities in the region; keep in touch with their audiences. • Volyn Institute of Law developed a Gender • The active participation of CSOs from rural Equality Policy and started consulting areas and remote rayons in the State-building other CSOs on implementation sub-grants simulation games in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy considering a gender perspective; demonstrated that they need a new approach • Institute of Analysis and Advocacy (Poltava) to civic education activities. launched a campaign to facilitate allocation of local budget funds to implement “The Third …and Adaptation: Age University” project to provide educational • ENGAGE will continue to work with core opportunities to the elderly. partners to develop their ownership and At the same time, the CD Marketplace manager did leadership capacities and be trailblazers in the not apply enough tangible efforts to proactively CSO sector. promoting the CD voucher opportunity to • Pact will motivate regional partners to potential applicants, which resulted in the diversify their communication channels by relatively low amount of applications overall. supporting constituency engagement and While the application period for ISOs was open outreach skills development. from November 2017 until June 2019, only 21 of • ENGAGE will ensure knowledge and skills 27 identified ISOs applied for vouchers, with an in ICT use, data collection, and advocacy average of 1.05 unique ISO applicant per month. campaigning exchange amongst core and During the application period for CSOs from regional partners. September 2018 through June 2019, only 24 • ENGAGE will support CSOs to expand their out of 98 eligible CSOs applied for the vouchers strategic communication on reforms in the managed by the sub-contractor, with an average regions (for example, through diversifying of 2.4 unique CSO applicants per month. communication channels, simplifying messaging, and building strong cooperation Activity 3.2 Promote strategic communications with local media), and imbue partners with of CSOs to support effective civic initiatives sociological data in order to understand the Marking International Anti-Corruption Day on shift in perception of reforms by citizens. December 9, 2019, AntAC hosted an event with • It can be useful to consider re-programming more than 150 attendees representing Ukrainian the current ENGAGE core support CSOs, anti-corruption activists, government partnerships, moving from the capacity officials, and international partners to discuss the development activities to more targeted issues of corruption and money laundering, as efforts aimed at long-term civil society well as the potential of Government and activists coalitions and networks supporting the uniting efforts to combat the problems. The event pro-European pace of the country. This re- was also the first platform at which the Zero programming will be an integral part of the Corruption Conference was publicly announce. planned organizational J2SR assessment of Major Ukrainian media and international outlets the main ENGAGE partners, reflecting the such as The American Interest covered the event. priorities of USAID’s J2SR approach. The international democracy conference Zero Corruption Conference68 will be a high- Activity 3.1 Strengthen ISOs to effectively build level international forum linking corruption the capacity of CSOs and money laundering with global security, • ENGAGE concluded the services of ISAR Ednannia, USAID’s civil society capacity 68 https://zerocc.org/

53 environmental, energy, and public health issues. Organized by the AntAC, the conference aims to shape a new agenda for reaching a future with zero corruption. The Advisory Board includes Francis Fukuyama, professor of Political Science and Senior Fellow at Stanford University; Oliver Bullough, journalist and author of non-fiction books on Russian history and politics; Rebecca Harms, politician and former Member of European Parliament; Katarina Pisarska, professor and founder and director of the European Academy of Diplomacy; and Nino Evgenidze, executive director of Economic Policy and Research Center. The Zero Corruption Conference, initially planned for April 26-28, was postponed due to the COVID-19 quarantine. AntAC, with support from ENGAGE, initiated a communication event to promote the conference and showcase Ukraine as a creative lab for anti-corruption solutions, in an effort to ensure that the conference achieves its intended goals and gathers quality participants.

In collaboration with the Association of Graphic Designers 4th Block, the international poster campaign “World 2020-2030” was launched as a separate side event to the Zero Corruption Conference. As of March 2020, organizers received 1,300 posters from 450 designers in 40 countries. Figure 39: Launch event of Zero Corruption The artworks are divided into three categories: Conference fight against corruption, environmental problems, and mental health. Contest results will be of these communication models, and, based on announced in autumn; 250 selected posters will the results, provide an algorithm for improvement. be published in a special catalogue presented Selection of a service provider will be completed during the conference. in April, and work will commence in May 2020. The American Interest, Hromadske TV, UA The objectives of the contract are: Suspilne, Kyiv Post, Novoe Vremya (including • To strengthen more effective civic education radio NV), and The Day newspaper agreed to and engagement; support the conference as official media partners. • To assist an ENGAGE partner to expand its A special edition of the Brussels Ukraїna Review, constituency networks in order to support with a conference announcement, is expected to democratic reforms; be published in fall 2020. • To assist in the successful implementation of an ENGAGE partner’s information and Activity 3.3 Strengthen CSO capacity to conduct oversight activities. civic engagement and constituency-building to support reform initiatives During the reporting period, ENGAGE conducted To assist in building more effective civic its tailored Organizational J2SR Assessment. Using education and engagement in Ukraine, ENGAGE a complex holistic methodology (including a range planned to conduct a consumer analysis for of Pact tools: Organizational Sustainability Index, its lead civic education infotainment partner, 360 Assessment, OPI/NPI, Outcome Harvesting, Ukrainian Toronto TV. The purpose, developed Network Mapping, and secondary data analysis), in collaboration between ENGAGE and UTT, is to ENGAGE assessed partners’ constituency analyze partner and constituent communication engagement (Activity 3.3 Strengthen CSO capacity models, evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness to conduct civic engagement and constituency-

54 building to support reform initiatives), outreach has 42,910 followers, 10,157 Twitter followers, to local- and regional-level counterparts 6,816 people subscribed to the VoxUkraine (Activity 3.2 Promote strategic communications online newsletters. Its Instagram page also of CSOs to support effective civic initiatives), continues to grow; by the end of 2019, it has network/coalition expansion (Activity 2.4 Scale almost 500 subscribers and was demonstrating up advocacy initiatives through issue-based good outreach. The CSO created a number of grants and Activity 2.5 Foster relationships, interactive headings that simplify navigation for networks, and coalitions at the local, regional, users, including: and national levels), and gender and inclusion- • VoxCheck, an interactive section where sensitive programming (Mandatory Cross- subscribers can try to guess which statements Cutting Considerations). The assessment also by politicians are true or false; active helps to define partners’ leadership potential and involvement is 30-50 percent of people who sustainability readiness. All the necessary data have seen a “story” publication; was collected and is being analyzed; results will be completed and shared by applying USAID’s • VoxLife, about the team, events, and CLA principles in the second half of the fiscal projects; year. • VoxBirthday, with the birthdays of famous economists. Activity 3.4 Develop technical skills and knowledge for effective implementation of civic It is also developing two Telegram channels. The initiatives. “4.2% of GDP” channel69 has 3,280 members, 70 USAID/ENGAGE analyses of ICT usage by partners, and the “Anthology of Lies” channel has 1,640 both for outreach and citizen engagement members. The first channel provides short purposes, suggests that: descriptions of research papers on economics and other briefs of the main VoxUkraine’s • ICT can build both strength and credibility publications. The second channel publishes fact- by helping organizations inform, organize, checks from the Anthology of Lies in the form and mobilize citizens. ENGAGE partners are of questions, and users can vote if a statement using ICT to fact-check, conduct research, and is true, false, or a manipulation. As a result of a to generate citizen interest and input. Tech- promotion campaign and active content creation, enabled organizing increases the credibility VoxUkraine’s YouTube channel exceeded 3,800 and effectiveness of partner CSOs, especially subscribers71. when they are recognized as honest brokers of information. Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiative Foundation • ICT proved to be a perfect tool for partner expanded its audience by using new social 72 CSOs to reach remote and marginalized media. DIF created a page on Instagram , while communities, as well as youth. DIF’s Facebook page reached more than 7,300 followers73. In addition, DIF analyst Andrii • Using ICT may also take away from other Sukharyna started a YouTube vlog called Political important tactics. CSOs frequently focus Crackers74, where he analyzes actual political on ICT use to the detriment of building a developments in short videos. Since October collective voice, leading to a lot of information 2019, 18 video blogs were released, with almost but little action. In most cases, technologies 4,000 views. used by CSOs generate data that is not then acted upon. This leads to the technologies ENGAGE partner Center of Modern Development falling out of favor - people will not use them “Astra” from Nova Kakhovka (Kherson Oblast) for long. Long-term, listening-based, citizen- actively informed community members about focused approaches are key to the use and watchdog activities and implemented advocacy success of ICT. 69 https://t.me/vox_ukraine 70 https://t.me/s/voxcheck VoxUkraine widely uses social media tools such as 71 https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram. The UCR6MsnwJpQUJMYbef2vRbvw CSO was able to attract more than 133,000 visitors 72 https://www.instagram.com/deminitiatives/ to its website, which is 15 percent more than in 73 https://www.facebook.com/deminitiatives 74 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLylK_ the previous period. To date, its Facebook page ffFVEFxRX9MalIiPpvaNvbsLR2ui

55 Figure 40: YouTube channel of the Center of Modern Development “Astra”

campaigns through its YouTube channel75 and pages (627 and 1,595 followers, respectively) and local online media. The group released eight their cities’ main Facebook groups (15,911 and videos on its YouTube channel about local issues 17,282 members, respectively). More than 50,000 (public transportation, illegal construction, citizens were reached with publications since the environment, local budget spending, corruption), beginning of the FY20. which were viewed more than 27,000 times; close to 2,000 people subscribed since October 2019. Railway without corruption created a toolkit76 for reporting corruption abuses and a methodology In the first half of Year 4, two local ENGAGE for monitoring procurement, “Where is our partners in Kharkiv Oblast, Development Together money?”77, to use during investigations of activists in Zmiiv and Chuhuiv Human Rights Protection and journalists. Group, engaged citizens through their Facebook

75 https://www.youtube.com/channel/ 76 https://goo.su/0Nhz UC6tcz8vp7lhxhBMCHwosK0w 77 https://goo.su/0nHX

56 OBJECTIVE 4. DEVELOP LOCAL CAPACITY TO ENSURE LONG- TERM CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN DEMOCRATIC REFORMS

WORK PLAN STATUS UPDATE

Objective 4: Develop local capacity to ensure long-term civic Status engagement in democratic reforms 4.1 Stimulate dialogue on options for a sustainable civil society Sustainability strategy validation workshop Completed Follow-up workshop on lessons learned Planned for 2nd half of FY 4.2 Develop sustainability strategy Sustainability Strategy Completed Civic education, awareness-raising and citizen engagement Not completed alignment study 4.3 Provide targeted capacity development to support strategy implementation Sustainability Mechanism Core Award Planned for 2nd half of FY Coaching and mentoring partners on "graduation roadmap" Planned for 2nd half of FY Management coaching Planned for 2nd half of FY

ENGAGE’s Objective 4 correlates strongly with the • While a majority of donations are collected USAID strategic model of Ukraine’s J2SR approach, via ‘traditional’ mechanisms such as donation which seeks to more systematically orient USAID boxes in stores, there is an uptick in the use of programming toward building the country’s Ukraine-based and other global crowdfunding capacity to plan, finance, and manage its own platforms (particularly for millennials), as development. well as increased direct banking transactions. Notably advocacy-focused organizations such Key Take-Aways and Challenges as TIU and AntAC raised significant funds from citizens and abroad (AntAC in particular) • CSO advocacy vibrancy is still high, but through direct banking transactions. institutionalization to engage in policy making is still fragile and seen as a significant • When considering the private sector’s role, challenge. there is potential, but it is still in the early stages • CSOs in Ukraine are beginning to take steps to of development. There is strong public opinion limit their reliance on donor support by raising that businesses should contribute to the work the share of self-generated revenue in their of CSOs, and CSOs themselves see businesses as budgets. For example, UTT was able to involve a good source of funding. At the same time, the the private sector via product placement in reality is that many CSOs (43 percent) identify its flagship and highly popular “#@)₴?$0 with having a poor connection with businesses Michael Shchur” show. as part of their funding difficulties. Also, it is unclear what level of support businesses could • There was a continued slight increase in CSO provide for advocacy-focused organizations, funding diversification and financial viability. and selecting appropriate partners is likely to Public funding options are unclear for the be particularly sensitive. near term.

57 …and Adaptation fruitful peer discussions. Partners validated the • ENGAGE will consider providing (more/ seven areas where Pact/ENGAGE recommends to specified) support for partners to experiment further strengthen their financial diversification with trying to make specific projects support. Many acknowledged working in the sustainable through non-grant funding. direction of financial diversification through a ENGAGE may support initiatives within variety of instruments. At the same time, partners organizations that have developed products or noted specific skills and methods with which they initiatives and seek ways to continue beyond need support, such as crowdfunding campaigning grant funding. and methods to reach and engage business and diaspora as key potential donors. Partners also • ENGAGE will intensify dialogue amongst shared their opinions and concerns related to a donors and begin implementing the Advocacy joint advocacy fund, articulating both positive CSO Sustainability Strategy Roadmap and negative consequences of establishing a developed by ENGAGE, which foresees an fund with multiple donors on board. However, Advocacy Challenge Fund Mechanism as a they were unified in stressing the need to engage possible instrument to ensure sustainability of CSOs in the process of creating and managing a advocacy CSOs. fund. The key concerns mentioned by partners Activity 4.1 Facilitate dialogue on options for a are fund flexibility and conflicting policies and sustainable civil society ideologies that might obstruct decision-making During the reporting period, ENGAGE and hamper representation of smaller advocacy convened a networking event with the main groups. ENGAGE will take these findings forward CSO partners, which focused on validating the with the Sustainability Strategy to ensure long- draft Sustainability Strategy developed by an term civic engagement in democratic reforms (See ENGAGE sustainability consultant. Pact presented also Activity 2.5 Foster relationships, networks, conclusions and recommendations on the way and coalitions at the local, regional, and national forward with a CSO sustainability strategy levels). mechanism in Ukraine, which was followed by

Figure 41: ENGAGE networking event with CSO partners

58 In the first half of Year 4, in close consultation with core partners, USAID, and a select set of donors USAID, ENGAGE continued to coordinate with active in supporting CSOs in Ukraine. local and international “investors” in Ukraine’s civil society to gauge their interest, plans, and The strategy built on conclusions from the vision about CSO sustainability in Ukraine. October 2019 ENGAGE Synthesis Study that ENGAGE, in cooperation with the Embassy of looked at global experience in supporting Sweden, hosted a donor coordination meeting on advocacy organization financial diversification, the Sustainability Strategy prepared by ENGAGE’s which concluded that no one funding mechanism technical consultant. Representatives of the stands out as meeting the needs of advocacy CSOs Embassy of Sweden, Embassy of Czech Republic, except to foster funding diversification. It further Embassy of Norway, European Endowment suggested, as part of diversification, the potential for Democracy, IRF, USAID, UNDP, and OSCE benefits of a hybrid advocacy fund in Ukraine. discussed a ‘good donorship’ approach in Ukraine The assumptions of the synthesis study were and commented on the draft Sustainability tested during ten days of fieldwork in Ukraine Strategy. in October 2019. Key conclusions from the fieldwork suggest that financial diversification of some of the most established advocacy CSOs is Activity 4.2 Develop sustainability strategy progressing, but particularly domestic resource In the first half of Year 4, in close consultation mobilization (DRM) is still in the early stages. The with USAID and based on the external mid-term fieldwork also highlighted the mixed donor and evaluation results, ENGAGE hired a technical enabling environment within which CSOs must consultant with a broad understanding of and navigate with few coordinated efforts in place experience with societies in transitions after to support a clear drive towards advocacy CSO graduating from U.S. government support to financial sustainability or conditions in place for work on a sustainability synthesis and develop establishment of an advocacy legacy fund at the an Advocacy CSO Sustainability Strategy and current time. Road Map. The Strategy suggests next step recommendations and guidance for further development of advocacy CSO sustainability Activity 4.3 Provide targeted capacity programming in Ukraine, which is envisioned to development to support strategy include development of an advocacy legacy fund implementation mechanism. ENGAGE’s facilitation, mentoring, and coaching of current and new core partners in the first part The strategy firstly focuses on steps that ENGAGE of Year 4 focused on core partners’ capacity to can take in the next eighteen months to further lead sectoral coalitions. Formal and informal support select CSOs’ financial sustainability networking workshops organized throughout efforts to be more financial diversified and the year within Activity 2.5 Foster relationships, resilient and to be able to take advantage of networks, and coalitions at the local, regional, future advocacy fund mechanism support. It and national levels and Activity 3.2 Promote also identifies a number of issues that ENGAGE, strategic communications of CSOs to support USAID, and other donors will need to more effective civic initiatives bolstered core partners’ coherently address in order to provide a legally network strengthening, constituency building, enabling and donor-coordinated environment and strategic communication and leadership conducive for advocacy CSOs’ further financial skills. diversification options. Thirdly, it provides a general blueprint for USAID to consider for ENGAGE institutional support allowed ENGAGE consultation on and designing of an advocacy core grantees to promote approaches to ensure fund mechanism for advocacy organizations in sustainability through social entrepreneurship Ukraine. Looking forward, it provides guidance and provide systematic support to other CSOs, as to what would be strategic considerations civic initiatives, and individual agents of change for advocacy CSO sustainability programming in their capacity development. Through the beyond 2021. During validation fieldwork in support under Activity 3.5 Strengthen CSOs to January 2020, the technical consultant refined provide strategic leadership to civic initiatives, these strategy objectives and recommendations ENGAGE partners can enhance their leadership with key stakeholders, including ENGAGE CSO skills and ICT tools.

59 One of the notable examples of providing systemic crowdfunding and awareness-raising components solutions and building relations with business to enhance civic engagement in anti-corruption is UTT, which successfully established partner oversight. More specifically, it raises funds relations in fall 2019 with several businesses and from citizen donations to ensure dissemination product placement in the program, thus ensuring of information on parliamentary members’ additional flexible funds on its way to self-reliance corruption cases among their direct constituencies and reaching new demographics, i.e. youth. The through targeted Facebook posts. advertising funds covered production of four episodes of the show “#@)₴?$0 with Michael In order to ensure financial sustainability, ULA Shchur” in February 2020, and constitute just developed a fundraising strategy with the over 10 percent of the cost per season. UTT will involvement of ULA ambassadors at the local continue working on private sector engagement to and regional level to incorporate the best ideas increase this budget share. in the work plan. ULA also strengthened its team with one member per branch being responsible Other ENGAGE partners resorted to social for fundraising and provided training to them. entrepreneurship and applied fundraising These efforts increased funding diversification techniques to ensure sustainability. For instance, and decreased revenues from other sources, in AntAC’s launch of a new online platform78 is addition to international donor funding growing an example of a new ICT tool involving both from 15 percent in 2018 to 35 percent in 2019.

78 https://serpom.org.ua/

60 IV. CROSS-CUTTING CONSIDERATIONS

In the first half of Year 4, ENGAGE started gender analyses of various normative legal acts, assessing the performance of core institutional bills, and programs at different levels. Three partners using a tailored Organizational J2SR regional initiatives groups from Lebedyn, Yampil, Assessment, which was developed by ENGAGE Seredyna-Buda, Krolevets, and Konotop were in Year 3. This will help to assess constituency established for further gender analysis and engagement (Activity 3.3 Strengthen CSO capacity advocacy campaigns in their own communities. to conduct civic engagement and constituency- building to support reform initiatives), outreach To complement formal civic education, ENGAGE to local- and regional-level counterparts supported a range of CSO-led, non-formal civic (Activity 3.2 Promote strategic communications education initiatives to address bullying against of CSOs to support effective civic initiatives), LGBTQI, reduce gender stereotypes, and reach network/coalition expansion (Activity 2.4 Scale underserved communities, such as persons with up advocacy initiatives through issue-based disabilities. grants and Activity 2.5 Foster relationships, networks, and coalitions at the local, regional, and national levels), and gender and inclusion- sensitive programming (Mandatory Cross-Cutting Considerations). Performance will be assessed towards financial and programming outcomes. The assessment will also consider the outcomes of leadership development under Activity 3.5 Strengthen CSOs to provide strategic leadership to civic initiatives. Awardees with positive performance assessment results as well as results of the leadership development program from ENGAGE will be part of Objective 4 sustainability activities under Activity 3.3 Strengthen CSO capacity to conduct civic engagement and constituency-building to support reform initiatives.

During the reporting period, Pact supported Public Sumy Circle to raise awareness on and increase the influence of citizens in development of gender-sensitive community development strategies and to create a list of communities’ gender-sensitive initiatives in Ukraine and Sumy Oblast. As the result of the activities, 42 participants from different rural communities were able to increase gender sensitivity in language and understanding of gender stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination. They also gained skills in organizing and conducting

61 V. COORDINATION WITH OTHER USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS

During the reporting period, Pact engaged other ENGAGE continued to coordinate effectively with USAID implementing partners in the main CSO other U.S. Government projects and implementers partners event to discuss approaches to ensure in Ukraine, including the National Democratic sustainability for advocacy-focused CSOs. Institute (NDI), IFES, USAID/SACCI, USAID/ Representatives of Internews, ISAR Ednannia, Media Program in Ukraine, USAID Democratic Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM), Governance East Activity (DG East), USAID/CSO and Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Enabling Environment & Democratic Principles, Research (UCIPR) shared their views on the and others. Pact worked in close collaboration Sustainability Strategy, which will be taken with non-U.S. Government donors, including onboard by ENGAGE for further progress the IRF, the Swedish government, the Canadian under Objective 4 (See also Activity 2.5 Foster government, the EU Delegation, and other EU relationships, networks, and coalitions at the projects implemented in Ukraine. Specifically, local, regional, and national levels). ENGAGE coordinated with:

• The CSO Enabling Environment & Pact consulted with IFES to coordinate activities Democratic Principles activity implemented related to “#ЙдиОбирай” (GoElections), by Ednannia on improving the Marketplace implemented by ENGAGE in partnership with mechanism, sharing data and learning the CSO Global Office. Following an invitation materials in the online library for CSOs, from the Central Electoral Commission of Ukraine delivering CEP data to Civil Society Capacity (CEC) in December 2019, Pact participated in a Development Forum participants, and on meeting co-hosted by the CEC and IFES to discuss sustainability for advocacy CSOs; effective ways and approaches to implement voter education. Global Office took part in the training • USAID Media Program in Ukraine ‘Civics and Voter Education’ run by IFES. Skills implemented by Internews on the and knowledge gained from this training will be sustainability strategy for advocacy CSOs, co- used in ENGAGE activity implementation. sponsoring UTT, and different topics related to program implementation; As ENGAGE supports civic initiatives across • USAID anti-corruption partners, including a broad spectrum of development sectors the Transparency and Accountability in Public (economic, health, agriculture, energy, and Administration and Services Activity (TAPAS) others) within identified advocacy themes, its and SACCI, on delivering anti-corruption activities are implemented in close collaboration presentations for different audiences, with all Mission activities, including those outside including USAID; co-sponsoring several CSOs the democracy and governance sector portfolio. (AntAC, TIU); CEP data sharing; the Zero ENGAGE made a concerted effort to share Corruption conference; implementation plans, monthly event calendars, • The Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) reports, and other documents to ensure proper Ukraine Confidence-Building Initiative (UCBI) coordination with implementing partners carrying on the State-building simulation exercise in out related activities. Zaporizhzhia, Plan B Festival, and work in ENGAGE target regions and the Azov region;

62 • DG East on civic education, network • Swedish Embassy, IRF, EU Delegation, strengthening, inclusion activities, Plan B European Endowment for Democracy, and the Festival, and co-sponsoring the ULA branch in Canadian Embassy around the sustainability Mariupol; strategy for advocacy CSOs, and the Ukrainian Reform Conference in Vilnius. • NDI on the Annual Civil Society Forum – PlatForum, and co-sponsoring CentreUA and CPLR;