Planning workshop aimed at identifying Swiss-Ukrainian project “Decentralization support in Ukraine” (DESPRO) activities for its Third Phase (2013-2016) of operation took place on 8^th – 9^th November 2012 in Moschun village Kyiv Oblast.

 

Juerg Christen, Director of Swiss-Ukrainian project “Decentralization support in Ukraine” (DESPRO) welcomed the workshop participants. “Within 6 years of project operation we’ve made a great progress. The most important achievement is that we’ve managed to raise population awareness concerning decentralization and mobilized the communities. Decentralized model of service provision, developed by the project, could be used by local authorities not only in DESPRO target regions. It is a universal one and fits to Ukrainian context”, - he said.

Oksana Garnets, Project Senior Coordinator in Ukraine, informed the audience on project results achieved during the Second Phase, i.e.:

Implementation of 41 projects, which amount for about UAH 30 million, ensured sustainable water supply for 25 village inhabitants, living in 13 thousands households. Contribution of Swiss Confederation amounts for UAH 8.8 million, local budget – for UAH 5 million and local communities – for UAH 15.8 million. During the implementation of decentralized model of rural water supply based on a service cooperative, 350 km of water supply network (pipes) were constructed, 30 water towers and 41 wells were constructed and/or repaired.

Three neighboring communities of Tulchyn rayon Vinnytsya Oblast in cooperation with DESPRO and UNDP Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Program (MGSDP) elaborated a Strategy for solid waste management (SWM). Thus, they’ve established the grounds for improving the quality of services and further coverage the entire rayon by the system. 

 

1.      Specialized web-portal “Inter-regional information and education/training network “The Effective State” www.derzhava.in.ua is being elaborated in cooperation with National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine.

2.      Series of manuals “Decentralization and Governance” is being developed.

3.      7 courses for local government officials and trainees of Masters Courses “Public administration” and “Public service” conducted.

4.      KM courses integrated into curricula of a number of Training and Retraining Centers and Universities.

5.      Communities of Practice “Practice of Service Cooperatives” and “Knowledge Management” are operational.

6.      Distant eLearning “Projects’ management on local and regional development” is successfully piloted (904 participants). It resulted in e-platform “Community of Practice” Innovations in local self-governance”, which is implemented in cooperation with State Foundation for local self-governance in Ukraine”.  

1.      In cooperation with MINREGION, DESPRO ensures support and expertise to elaboration and improvement of Laws of Ukraine, i.e.:

·                    Draft Concept of reforming the local self-governance and territorial organization of power in Ukraine;

·                    Draft Law of Ukraine “On local referendum”;

·                    Procedures for elaboration, evaluation and selection of investment programs (projects) and events that can be implemented at the expense of State Fund for Regional Development;

·                    Draft Law of Ukraine “On cooperation of local communities”;

·                    Draft Law of Ukraine “On the right of territorial communities to unite/establish associations”;

·                    Draft Law of Ukraine “On service in local self-governing bodies”.

 

2.      Conducting a series of round tables on decentralization and local governance in target regions.

3.      Contribution to implementation of Economic reforms program “Prosperous society, competitive economy, effective state”.

 

“Projects on communities co-financing should be considered as training and demonstration examples of the mechanisms on decentralized services provision and as a concrete contribution into local development”, - said Oksana Garnets.

 

During the Third Phase DESPRO will put the main accent on further development of effective mechanisms for qualitative public services provision on a community level and on strengthening national dialogue on reforming the local governance and decentralization.

 

The results of planning workshop will be studied in detail. Afterwards, DESPRO will start the development of Project Document for the Third Phase of its operation.

 

More than 70 persons took part in the event. These were: Pierre Maurer (Program Manager, Department of Cooperation with Eastern Europe, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation); Guido Beltrani (Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Ukraine); Juerg Christen (Project Director, DESPRO); Anatoliy Tkachuk (Director on Research a Development, Civil Society Institute); representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Ministry of  Regional Development, Construction and Housing of Ukraine, Secretariat of the Committee on State Building and Local Self-Governance of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Coordination Center of the Economic Reforms under the President of Ukraine, State Fund for Local Self-Government in Ukraine, Association of the Cities of Ukraine, Association of Small Towns of Ukraine, All-Ukrainian Association of Village Councils, Association of Rayon and Oblast Councils, National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine, Oblast State Administrations, Rayon State Administrations, communities of target regions, etc.