General Outlook THIS IS THE FOURTH QUARTERLY DIGEST ISSUED BY THE SECRETARIAT OF THE DONOR BOARD ON DECENTRALIZATION REFORM AT THE MINISTRY OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNAL SERVICES OF UKRAINE (MINREGION).

1. Decentralization
Reform in Ukraine
Donor Board on Digest
April-September 2018 р.
General Outlook
THIS IS THE FOURTH QUARTERLY DIGEST ISSUED BY THE SECRETARIAT OF THE DONOR BOARD ON DECENTRALIZATION REFORM AT THE MINISTRY OF REGIONAL
DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNAL SERVICES OF UKRAINE (MINREGION).
During the period of April-September 2018, the Donor Board Secretariat was focusing mainly on strengthening
inter-sectoral linkages in the work of some Working Groups (WG) under the Donor Board and the preparation
of the review of the Common Result Framework (CRF), also in the context of the upcoming introduction of the
new system of results-based reporting for the international technical assistance projects by MinRegion
(planned in December 2018).
The work of the WGs in the last six months and priority issues that require the Donor Board’s and projects’
attention in the coming period can be summarized as follows:
1
ADMINISTRATIVE TERRITORIAL REFORM
AND DECENTRALIZATION LEGAL
FRAMEWORK
To accelerate the amalgamation process and to target
specifically those rayons where municipal amalgama-
tion has not been taking place, a joint working plan
was elaborated and agreed among the key interna-
tional projects, and the practice of a monthly coordi-
nation/ plan review meeting was introduced by the
Central Office of Reform at MinRegion. To effectively
contribute to the plan’s implementation, some
projects adjusted their action plans and budgets.
LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT FINANCES
AND BUDGETING
The WG 2 discussed the issue of calculating the infra-
structure subvention for the new hromadas formed
after the elections of 29 April 2018, as well as coordi-
nation between MinRegion’s Order on social and
economic development programs, the Law of
Ukraine “On Forecasting” and the draft Law
2
“On Medium-Term Planning”. WG 2 was actively
engaged in defining the agenda and questions for
discussion for the Donor Board meeting conducted in
July 2018. The following issues requiring attention in
the upcoming year were identified: i) transparent
access to monthly reports on the implementation of
local budgets revenues and expenditures by oblasts
and budgets that have direct relations with the
national budget; ii) peculiarities of formation of the
budgets of amalgamated hromadas in the upcoming
budget years; iii) introduction of medium-term
budget planning; and iv) prospects for improving the
administration of local taxes and fees, including
interaction and information exchange between the
State Fiscal Service and LSGs on taxes and fees
administration.1
Besides, the group engaged in advis-
ing Minregion on elaboration of recommendations
for the Budget 2019 and legal adjustment priorities
related to local finance and budgeting.2
1
The DB meeting minutes see at
https://donors.decentralization.gov.ua
2
The DB meeting minutes see at
https://donors.decentralization.gov.ua

2. The WG 3 hold a meeting that focused on the intro-
duction of the practice of All-Ukrainian Citizen Budget
and expansion of participatory budgeting practices
across communities in Ukraine, as well as provision of
assistance to MinRegion in advocating legal adjust-
ments related to local democracy vis-à-vis the
Verkhovna Rada, and support to the process of elabo-
ration of municipal statute templates integrative of
local democracy provisions. The WG has actively
exchanged information and materials on approaches
of citizen engagement in municipal strategic planning
and the assessment of the state of local democracy in
some cities conducted by the NGO Laboratory of
Democratic Transformations, with the support of the
International IDEA Network (Institute for Democracy
and Electoral Assistance).3
The WG 5.1 reviewed progress of the CRF indicators
related to the establishment and functioning of
centers of administrative services (so called
“TsNAPS”), coordinated plans of various projects
supporting TSNAPs for 2018, and discussed
assistance required to meeting pending priorities of
MinRegion’s Strategic Plan 2018 - namely, the intro-
duction of changes to the Law “On state registration
of the Civil Acts” and other legal acts aimed at improv-
ing accessibility of state registration services, promot-
ing inter-municipal cooperation in establishing
TSNAPs, and providing methodological assistance to
amalgamated hromadas on TSNAP management.
Discussions also included the “administrative services
users satisfaction survey” piloted by EDGE.
5.1 Administrative Services
5.2 Municipal Services
Coordination around the issues of the establishment
of common humanitarian districts (spaces) in
hromadas between Minregion, Ministry of Education
and Science, the Ministry of Youth and Sports,
Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry of Culture, National
Deinstitutionalization Reform Office under the Com-
missioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s
Rights continues. At the same time, discussions are
held in several emerging sub-groups – one on educa-
tion lead by MinRegion and the Ministry of Education
and Science, and another on de-institutionalization of
orphanages lead by MinRegion and the Ministry
Social Policy. The sub-group on education is involved
in setting up a resources page on decentralization of
education on decentralization.gov.ua website.
5.3 Humanitarian policy
3
The assessment report can be viewed at
https://www.idea.int/news-media/events/state-local-
democracy-assessment-three-mid-sized-cities-ukraine
Inter-sectoral work on the elaboration of a National
Water Strategy is being temporary on hold. The com-
munal services sector, including aspects of energy
saving and energy efficiency (which are high on the
agenda of MinRegion and its Strategic Plan 2018) are
suggested as a topic for one of the upcoming Donor
Board meetings.
3LOCAL DEMOCRACY
5PUBLIC SERVICE PROVISION
The WG 4 has established contacts with the major
international projects and international financial insti-
tutions supporting economic regional and local devel-
opment and conducted a meeting with them with the
participation of the Ministry of Economic Development
and Trade and All-Ukrainian business associations in
July 2019. At the meeting the participants discussed
joint interests and mutual efforts of state, non-state
and international stakeholders in enhancing regional
and local economic development and creating
favorable business environment. Minregion is eager to
coordinate further with key stakeholders on the issue
of regional development planning, monitoring and
management (using the “SMART specialization”
approach); creation of business environment in the
regions; advancing public–private partnership and
public-private dialogue at the regional and local level.
Regional development is suggested as a topic for one
of the upcoming Donor Board meetings.
4REGIONAL
AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
Digest April-September 2018
Decentralization
Reform in Ukraine

3. Digest April-September 2018
A formal WG on health care has not been established,
although bi-lateral coordination between Minregion
and the Ministry of Health takes place. The creation of
such a group requires a common understanding about
the exact mandate of such WG and its composition.
6
The WG 6.1 has been coordinating efforts of its mem-
bers around implementation of the communication
measures designed in support of the joint action plan
on accelerating the amalgamation of territorial com-
munities across Ukraine in close cooperation with the
Central Reform Office at Minregion.
context of the recently adopted “Concept of Reform-
ing the System of Professional Training for State
Service Workers, Heads of Local State Administrations
and their Deputies, LSG Representatives and the
Deputies of Local Councils”. The National Agency of
Ukraine for Civil Service has been formerly included
into the WG, and now is coordinating with its
members the issue of launching a national electronic
platform that would match training demand among
local self-governments with existing training service
providers.
The WG 6.2 is working on a common vision of CRF
between the international projects, MinRegion and
the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service in the
6.1 Communication
COMMUNICATION, TRAINING SYSTEMS AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
6.2 Training System and Knowledge Management
The WG 5.5 has completed the elaboration of the
Guide on the organization and financing of integrated
civil protection and public security services at the local
level for different types of hromadas, as a result of
effective collaboration between Minregion, Ministry
of Interior Affairs, State Emergency Service, National
Police, Ukrainian Red Cross, ULEAD and UNDP. Publi-
cation of the Guide is now being discussed with
ULEAD.
5.4. Healthcare Services
5.5 Public SecuritySome WG stakeholders, in particular those focusing
on the issues of culture and de-institutionalization of
child care, asked the Secretariat to appeal to the
donors to secure additional resources for their work
on elaborating and promoting decentralization
approaches in those areas.
Decentralization
Reform in Ukraine