QUARTERLY REPORT for the Development Initiative for Advocating Local Governance in Ukraine (DIALOGUE) Project January - March 2013 QUARTERLY REPORT January - March 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS RESUME 5 Chapter 1. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE REPORTING PERIOD 6 Chapter 2. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION 10 2.1. Component 1: Legal Framework 10 Activity 2.1.1. Legislation drafting based on local governments legislative needs 10 Local government legislation need assessment 10 Technical Area Profiles 12 Legislation monitoring 14 Activity 2.1.2. Expert evaluation of conformity of draft legislation 21 to the European Charter of Local Self-Governance Activity 2.1.3. Introduction of institutional tools for local governments 22 to participate in legislation drafting Round table discussions in AUC Regional Offices and meetings of AUC Professional 22 Groups Setting up a network of lawyers to participate in legislation drafting 32 2.2. Component 2: Policy dialogue 33 Activity 2.2.1. Increasing the participation of the AUC member cities 33 in the policy dialogue established be the Association at the national level Dialogue Day at the Local Government Forum 33 Consultations on budget preparation 33 Cooperation with central government authorities 35 Parliamentary local government inter-faction group (local government caucus) 39 Participation in the work of parliamentary committees 39 Activity 2.2.2. Setting up advisory boards at the regional level with participation 41 of AUC Regional Offices and local State Executive agencies at the oblast level Setting up and working sessions of Local Government Regional Advisory Boards 41 Selection of issues to be discussed at working meetings of Local Government 47 Regional Advisory Boards in 2012-2013 Activity 2.2.3. Establishing formal and regular coordination 47 mechanisms with other USAID supported activities and other donor organizations Forum of Donor Organisations 47 Cooperation with other USAID projects and projects supported by other donor 47 organisations 2.3. Component 3: Fostering Public Support for Reform 49 Activity 2.3.1. Implementation of the integrated Communication and Branding 49 Strategy of the AUC Activity 2.3.2. Integration of communications into day-to-day operations of the AUC 49 Activity 2.3.3. Production and dissemination of tools for message delivery 49 DIALOGUE Project AUC web-site 49 Electronic and printed media 49 Radio coverage 51 2 DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE FOR ADVOCATING LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN UKRAINE (DIALOGUE) TV coverage 52 ©ɡɆȱɋɌɈɜɧɚɍɤɪɚʀɧɚª79SURJUDPVHULHV 53 Activity 2.3.4. Fostering media relations 55 Setting up a team of AUC speakers 55 Implementation of mechanisms for regular communication 56 between local governments and media 2.4. Component 4: Legal Assistance and Protection 63 Activity 2.4.1. Expanding legal consultation services 63 for navigating various laws and regulations Expert workshops in AUC ROs 63 Activity 2.4.2. Legal protection services 72 Monitoring of cases of harassment of local government officials 72 Monitoring of participation of local government officials in elections of 73 National Deputies Local Government Lawyer School 73 2.5. Component: Special Emphasis on Crimea 73 Chapter 3. IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS AND WAYS TO RESOLVE THEM 75 Chapter 4. SUCCESS STORIES 76 Chapter 5. ESTIMATED SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT QUARTER 81 3 QUARTERLY REPORT January - March 2013 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AMSS – Automated Municipal Statistics System ARC – Autonomous Republic of Crimea AUC – Association of Ukrainian Cities AUC RO – Regional Office of the Association of Ukrainian Cities CMU – Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine IBSER – Institute for Budget and Socio-Economic Research KSCA – Kyiv State City Administration LGRAB – Local Government Regional Advisory Board Ltd. – limited MLED – Municipal Local economic Development Project MOH – Ministry of Health Care NA – News Agency NJSC – National Joint-Stock Company OSA – Oblast State Administration PPP – Public-Private Partnership STVRC – State TV and Radio Company TVRC – TV and Radio Company USAID – U.S. Agency for International Development UWLGA – Ukraine-Wide Local Government Association VRU – Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ZhEK – housing neighbourhood maintenance unit CIDA - Canadian International Development Agency GIZ – Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit 4 DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE FOR ADVOCATING LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN UKRAINE (DIALOGUE) RESUME The purpose of the DIALOGUE Project is to promote the environment conducive for local government reforms and to ensure a broad-based support for decentralisation from public servants, civil society organisations and the public at large. Project implementation in January – March of 2013 yielded the following outcomes: x DIALOGUE Project experts prepared 1 draft law, performed the monitoring of 44 draft legislation and ordinances; x The Project conducted working sessions of 8 AUC Professional Groups and updated 9 local government technical area profiles; x DIALOGUE Project experts took part in 9 working sessions of 3 parliamentary committees. This enabled the AUC to defend its position with regard to draft laws initiated by National Deputies; x The Project conducted 10 working meetings of Regional Advisory Boards in 10 oblasts and 8 working sessions of regional press clubs and 1 National Press Club; x 7KH©ɡɆȱɋɌɈɜɧɚɍɤɪɚʀɧɚª>city-minded Ukraine] TV Project continues to cover local government issues and best practices from cities. The Project aired 6 TV programs; x The Project conducted 25 expert workshops in AUC ROs; x The Project provided 163 consultations to local governments and officials; and, x The Project published 3 issues of the AUC Herald and professional legal publications, such as the Legislation News, 1 issue of the Legal Consultations and the Sectoral Monitoring. The winter parliament recess and paralysed Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine postponed the establishment of the inter-faction local government group (local government caucus) and the submission for the parliament consideration of a number of draft legislation prepared within the framework of the Project. At the same time, however, the Project succeeded in spurring up the work with the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities and concluded the corresponding Memorandum for Cooperation. 5 QUARTERLY REPORT January - March 2013 Chapter 1. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE REPORTING PERIOD January 23, the Project conducted a working session of the AUC Union of Local Council secretaries, city of Kyiv January 24, the Project conducted a working session Zhytomyr Oblast Local Government Regional Advisory Board and the Press Club January 24-25, the Project conducted a working session of the AUC Land Relations Professional Group, city of Kharkiv January 26, the Radio Era Company broadcast a program about local government issues January 30, the Radio Era Company broadcast a program about local government issues January 31, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Sumy AUC RO Late January, the Project published the “AUC Herald” (Issue #93) Late January, the Project published and disseminated the twenty-seventh issue of the “Legislation News” Late January, the Project published and disseminated the twenty-ninth issue of the “DIALOGUE Newsletter” Late January, the Project published the Status of Local Self-Governance in 2012 February 06, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Lviv AUC RO February 07, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Kherson AUC RO February 08, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Kirovohrad AUC RO February 08, the Project conducted a working session Volyn Oblast Local Government Regional Advisory Board and the Press Club February 08, the Project conducted a working session Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Local Government Regional Advisory Board and the Press Club February 11, the Radio Era Company broadcast a program about local government issues February 12, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Ivano-Frankivsk AUC RO February 12, the Project conducted a working session Chernihiv Oblast Local Government Regional Advisory Board and the Press Club February 12-13, the Project conducted a working session of the AUC Health Care Professional Group, city of Kryvyi Rih February 14, the Project conducted a working session Odesa Oblast Local Government Regional Advisory Board February 14, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Rivne AUC RO 6 DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE FOR ADVOCATING LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN UKRAINE (DIALOGUE) February 15, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Dnipropetrovsk February 19, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Vinnytsya AUC RO February 20, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Cherkasy AUC RO February 20, WKH)LUVW1DWLRQDO79&KDQQHOɍɌ-IHDWXUHGWKH©ɡɆȱɋɌɈɜɧɚɍɤɪɚʀɧɚª>city- minded Ukraine] program (about the working session of the AUC Health Care Professional Group, city of Kryvyi Rih) February 21, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Kyiv AUC RO February 21, the Project conducted an expert workshop in the Zaporizzhya AUC RO February 21, the Project conducted a working session Poltava Oblast Local Government Regional Advisory Board and the Press Club February 21, the Project conducted a working session Kharkiv Oblast Local Government Regional Advisory Board and the Press Club February 21-22, the Project conducted a working session of the AUC Social Protection Professional Group, city of Lutsk February 22, the Project conducted a working session Khmelnytskyi Oblast Local Government Regional Advisory Board and the Press Club