RADA PROGRAM Responsible, Accountable, Democratic Assembly in Ukraine 2nd quarterly performance report Year 7 (January 1, 2020 – March 31, 2020) Submitted: April 30, 2020 Cooperative Agreement No. AID-121-A-14-00001 Prepared for USAID/Ukraine C/O American Embassy 4 Igor Sikorsky St., Kyiv, Ukraine 04112 Prepared by East Europe Foundation 83, 3rd floor, Saksahanskoho St., Kyiv 01033 USAID RADA Y7 Annual Report, January 01, 2020 – March 31, 2020 Page 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 I. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 3 II. CONTEXT UPDATE ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 III. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................... 4 IV. KEY NARRATIVE ACHIEVEMENT........................................................................................................................... 5 V. PROGRESS AGAINST TARGETS ................................................................................................................................. 5 OBJECTIVE 1: Increase civic representation and public engagement in the Parliament’s work ....... 5 Expected Result 1.1: The Model Districts Initiative institutionalized. ..................................................... 5 According to the schedule agreed with international partners the visits of Ukrainian MPs and their aides abroad as well as their international partners visits to Ukraine were planned for March-June. Due to the COVID-19, all international visits had been postponed. All peer-to-peer visits TBC ASAP post quarantine situation will be clear. However, RADA Program discusses with Twinning program’s participants possibilities to organize serious of online events, in particular to discuss best practices and lessons learned in communication with voters and work in the constituency in quarantine circumstances. Expected Result 1.2: Parliamentary Education Center created and institutionalized. ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Expected Result 1.2: Parliamentary Education Center created and institutionalized. ..................... 9 OBJECTIVE 2: Strengthen capacities of the Members of Parliament and the Secretariat staff ....... 10 Expected Result 2.1: The European Information and Research Center (EIRC) institutionalized. ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Expected Result 2.2: New member orientation training conducted and sustainability advanced. ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 OBJECTIVE 3: Advance Coordinated Donor Support to Parliament ........................................................... 12 Other Relevant Activities ............................................................................................................................................... 14 CROSS-CUTTING USAID COMPONENTS .................................................................................................................. 17 Gender N/A .......................................................................................................................................................................... 17 The USAID RADA Program presented the resources offered to MPs and their teams within the Model District project and other opportunities provided by the Program in collaboration with the VRU apparatus to enhance the effectiveness of the MP and his team and offered support in further communication and exchange of experience. and the best practices of majority MPs. ........................... 17 VI. PERFORMANCE MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING ............................................................ 17 VII. LESSONS LEARNED ................................................................................................................................................. 17 VIII. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING .................................................................................................................... 18 IX. PROGRESS ON LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................... 18 X. PROGRESS ON LINKS TO HOST GOVERNMENT ............................................................................................. 18 XI. PROGRESS ON INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................... 18 XII. FINANCIAL INFORMATION .................................................................................................................................. 18 XIII. SUB-AWARD DETAILS........................................................................................................................................... 18 XIV. ACTIVITY ADMINISTRATION ............................................................................................................ 18 XV. ATTACHMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 23 USAID RADA Y7 Annual Report, January 01, 2020 – March 31, 2020 Page 2 I. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ALI Agency for Legislative Initiatives (RADA Program partner) APDU Association of People’s Deputies of Ukraine AUC Association of Ukrainian Cities CEC Central Election Commission CM / CMU Cabinet of Ministers / Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine CoE Council of Europe COP Chief of Party CSO Civil society organization DCOP Deputy Chief of Party EEF East Europe Foundation EIRC European Information and Research Center EP European Parliament EU European Union IL Interns’ League (RADA Program partner) IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union IT Information Technologies IUA Internews Ukraine (RADA Program partner) LSG Local self-government MP Member of Parliament MPs’ aides Assistants to Members of Parliament NDI National Democratic Institute NF Narodnyi Front, political party NGO(s) Nongovernmental organization(s) NMO New Members Orientation ODIHR/OSCE OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights OGP Open Government Partnership OSCE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe PEC Parliamentary Education Center PIP Parliamentary Internship Program PPB Petro Poroshenko Bloc, political party PWD Persons with disabilities RPR Reanimation Package of Reforms SMD Single mandate district SME Small or medium enterprise SMS Short Message Service via mobile telephones ToT Training of trainers UN United Nations USAID United State Agency for International Development VR / VRU Verkhovna Rada / Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Parliament of Ukraine) VRC Committee of Verkhovna Rada VRS Secretariat of Verkhovna Rada WG Working group USAID RADA Y7 Annual Report, January 01, 2020 – March 31, 2020 Page 3 II. CONTEXT UPDATE COVID-19 has become challenge for the planned activities of the program. During the second part of March RADA program succeeded to revise planned activities and find best online solutions that helped to sustain almost all planned activities with exception of exchange visits to European countries to Parliamentary Education Centers and Research Services. Also, the Twinning Program between MPs that had been planned and cleared was postponed on after quarantine period. COVID-19 opened several windows of opportunities to bring impact on activities conducted by RADA program several years ago. E-Parliament strategy that was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada under assistance of RADA Program in 2018. Electronic instruments that included E-Committees modules have been fully regulated and proper legislation adopted to allow Parliamentary Committees’ Sittings be conducted in the teleconference mode. Great attention was paid to RADA program component: 1) parliamentary education center strategy had been finalized after a number of strategic sessions communicated to VR Secretariat and MPs corps; 2) civil society organizations working within the grants program succeeded to transfer their facilitation between MPs and voters and assistance to set up effective instruments to constituencies to the teleconference mode; 3) advocacy for the creation of the parliamentary research service was not just limited by the communication and education campaign, RADA program continued to meet information inquiries from MPs and Parliamentary committees to supplement their policy and legislative advice in the remote regime. III. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The reporting period covers the second quarter of the Year Seven of the program, according to Modification No. 05 to Cooperative Agreement No. AID-121-A-14-00001. During the reporting period, the Program concentrated on: 1. Finalizing portfolio of NMO course. 2. Expanding model district component onto Ukrainian regions in order to strengthen representative function of newly elected MPs and their teams. 3. Development of models for VR research service