Inception Report – Action plan – Ternopil, Ukraine, 2021 – 2023
- Action Plan: Action plan – Ternopil, Ukraine, 2021 – 2023
Overview
Name of Evaluator
Mariana Zvarych
Member Name
Ternopil, Ukraine
Action PlanAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... Title
Action plan – Ternopil, Ukraine, 2021 – 2023
Section 1.
Compliance with
co-creation requirements
1.1 Does a forum exist?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive... for the OGP Local Action Plan (2021-2023) in the Ternopil Urban Territorial Community involved the active participation of non-governmental stakeholders.
- Format and Activities:
- The co-creation included a series of working meetings and consultations held in a round table format.
- An online survey was conducted among the public to gather proposals and prioritize areas for future commitments.
- The draft Action Plan was published for public discussion on the official website of the Ternopil City Council, allowing for written proposals to be submitted.
- Participants in the Co-Creation Process:
- Civil Society Representatives (NGOs): Notably, the “Educational and Analytical Center for Community Development” NGO (the civil society partner in the OGP Local initiative), as well as representatives from other local civil society organizations.
- Expert Community: Representatives from higher educationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ... institutions and analytical centers.
- Citizens and Activists: Community residents who submitted their proposals through the online survey and during public discussions.
- Ternopil City Council Representatives (responsible structural units).
1.2 Is the forum multi-stakeholder?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
Yes, the forum is multilateral (or multi-stakeholder), as it involves cooperation between representatives of the government and civil society institutions. The key role from civil society was played by the “Educational and Analytical Center for Community Development” NGO and the Association of Ukrainian Cities.
1.3 Does the forum hold at least one meeting with civil society and non-governmental stakeholders during the co-creation of the action plan?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
Consultations with stakeholders (representatives of civil society and non-governmental organizations) were held in the format of regular in-person and online meetings and discussions during the initial stage of drafting the Action Plan. These consultations were specifically focused on identifying priority areas and finalizing the commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... texts; the commitments that were included in the Action Plan were worked on collaboratively. The meetings took place at the City Council premises, online, as well as through joint document processing using comments and suggestions.
1.4 Has the action plan been endorsed by the stakeholders of the forum or steering committeeThe Steering Committee is OGP’s executive decision-making body. Its role is to develop, promote and safeguard OGP’s values, principles and interests; establish OGP’s core ideas, policies, and ru.../group?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
Yes, the plan was discussed and drafted by joint parties within the framework of the commitment. Afterward, the plan was approved by the City Council Executive Committee.
This NGO is explicitly listed in the Appendix to the Executive Committee Decision “Action Plan…” (Clause 1.1, Commitment No. 1) as a “Partner” in the implementation of the measures. The inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... More of the NGO as a partner in an official document, approved by the decision of the Ternopil City Council Executive Committee, serves as legal confirmation of the organization head’s consent and endorsement of the Action Plan.
Provide evidence for your answer:
Section 2.
Recommended practices
in co-creation
2.1 Does the government maintain a Local OGP website or webpage on a government website where information on the OGP Local process (co-creation and implementation) is proactively published?
Unclear
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
On the official website of the Ternopil City Council, the plan approved by the Executive Committee regarding the OGP process is published. This ensures transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More and accessibility of data for the public.
2.2 Did the government provide information to stakeholders in advance to facilitate informed and prepared participation in the co-creation process?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The municipality provided information to stakeholders in advance to facilitate informed and prepared participation in the co-creation process.
2.3 Did the government ensure that any interested member of the public could make inputs into the action plan and observe or have access to decision-making documentation?
Unclear
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
On the official website of the Ternopil City Council, the approved plan and documents related to the “Open Government Partnership” initiatives are published. This ensures access to information, which is key to transparency and public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio.... Citizens can familiarize themselves with the action plan and track its progress, which contributes to open and accountable governance.
2.4 Did the government proactively report back or provide written feedback to stakeholders on how their contributions were considered during the creation of the action plan?
Unclear
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
Although the documents and plans are published on the official website, which ensures transparency, they do not contain information about which specific citizen proposals were included in the final plan.
2.5 Was there an iterative dialogue and shared ownership between government and non-governmental stakeholders during the decision making process, including setting the agenda?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The cooperation between the City Council and representatives of the public was successful in the process of making key decisions and forming the agenda.
The exact number of officially documented meetings of the Working Group (which performed the functions of the Forum) was not recorded in the public domain. However, key discussions took place during online working consultations and meetings necessary for finalizing the document.
2.6 Would you consider the forum to be inclusive and diverse?
Not sure
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
Involvement in the Action Plan co-creation process included vulnerable categories such as pensioners, youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More, persons with disabilities, and other groups, as the plan’s outcome is intended to benefit diverse categories of residents.
Section 3.
Initial evaluation
of commitments
1 Commitment :
Providing residents with quality municipal services through digital technologies, expanding the list of services, reengineering urban services, and implementing a single information system of city management.
1.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment involves the creation of a single information system for municipal services—the “e-Ternopil Resident Portal”. This activity is specific and can be verified by accessing the portal.
1.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevanceAccording to the OGP Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should include a clear open government lens. Specifically, they should advance at least one of the OGP values: transparency, citizen partic... to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment is directly aimed at enhancing transparency, participation, and accountability, which are the core values of the “Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More.”
- Transparency and Accountability: The creation of a single information system, which unifies municipal services, will allow for the automation of processes and ensure easy access to information. This makes the City Council’s work more transparent and enables the public to track the effectiveness of service delivery.
- Participation: The portal provides residents with a convenient mechanism for submitting appeals and requests, fostering active interaction with the authorities and engaging citizens in city governance.
Thus, the commitment does not merely introduce new technologies but utilizes them to establish a more open and accountable system of governance.
1.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a new regulationGovernment reformers are developing regulations that enshrine values of transparency, participation, and accountability in government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or reforming ..., policy, practice, or requirement.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment involves the creation and implementation of a new system—the “e-Ternopil Resident Portal”—which did not exist before. This portal is a new practice for the City Council: a digital platform for providing municipal services.
Thus, the core activity of the commitment is the development of a new digital practice, which directly corresponds to the category of a new policy, practice, or requirement defined by the OGP.
1.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
will result in a change of the rules, practices or policies that govern a policy area, public sector and/or relationship between citizens and is binding or institutionalized across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment regarding the implementation of the “e-Ternopil Resident Portal” entails:
- Change in Rules and Practices: Prior to the commitment’s implementation, interaction between residents and the City Council involved complex and lengthy paper-based document flow. The launch of the single digital platform will fundamentally change this practice by converting all processes into an electronic format.
- Binding Nature: The portal is not a temporary project but a permanent, integrated system that will become an integral part of the City Council’s operations. This means the new practice will be institutionalized: now all relevant departments and services of the municipality will be obligated to use this system for service delivery.
- Change in Citizen Relations: Thanks to the portal, relations between the government and residents will become more transparent, efficient, and accountable. Citizens will gain direct and simplified access to services, which will increase their trust in local authorities and allow them to interact more actively with them.
1.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
The main instrument for implementation will be the “e-Ternopil Resident Portal,” which is a clear and measurable deliverable. This project will demonstrate how digital technologies can improve service delivery and make it more accessible to citizens.
2 Commitment :
Implementation of a pilot project on data disclosure for testing the standard of open dataBy opening up data and making it sharable and reusable, governments can enable informed debate, better decision making, and the development of innovative new services. Technical specifications: Polici... in infrastructure on the platform “Ukrainian Social Infrastructure” (platform “USI”)
2.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Unclear
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment’s goal is the implementation of a pilot project, which allows for its verification. This is a specific activity, the result of which should be the launch of the pilot version on the USI platform (Ukrainian Social Infrastructure).
The commitment will be verifiable thanks to the following specific results:
- Data Publication: The indicator requires that data from the pilot projects be disclosed and published on the USI platform.
- Data Format: The data must be available in a machine-readable format on the City Council’s official website.
2.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevance to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment is directly aimed at enhancing transparency and participation, which are the core values of the “Open Government Partnership.”
Specifically, the creation of a pilot project on the USI platform will allow data on infrastructure to be disclosed and made publicly accessible. This will ensure transparency regarding community assets, enabling stakeholders (citizens, businesses, investors) to access crucial information.
2.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a new regulation, policy, practice, or requirement.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment involves the implementation of a pilot project on the “Ukrainian Social Infrastructure” (USI) platform, which will be an absolutely new practice for the city.
Thus, this commitment will create a new practice—the disclosure and publication of data on social infrastructure on a specialized platform. This is the introduction of a new mechanism that aligns with the values of open government.
2.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
is a positive change to a process, practice or policy but will not generate a binding or institutionalized change across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
Since it is a pilot, the resulting change (process, practice, or policy) is not yet considered binding or fully institutionalized across the specific institution or government. Full institutionalization will only occur after the pilot phase is successfully completed and the project is officially adopted as a permanent practice.
2.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
For similar commitments in the future, it is recommended to make the following changes to their structure:
- Development of Alternative Implementation Mechanisms: It is necessary to anticipate the possibility of implementing the commitment through other existing platforms in advance.
- Involvement of a Larger Number of Stakeholders: From the outset, plan to involve several partners to ensure technical support and data publication.
3 Commitment :
Development of digital competencies of community residents in cooperation with the public sector
3.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment is verifiable because its indicators directly point to a specific result: Organization of a free basic digital literacy course.
The fact that these courses were organized and held, as well as the number of participants involved, constitutes objective data that can be verified.
3.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevance to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment “Development of digital competencies of community residents in cooperation with the public sector” aligns with key OGP values:
- Citizen ParticipationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More: This commitment directly contributes to enhancing citizens’ capacity for participation. By teaching residents (especially the older generation) digital literacy through the “University of the Third Age” project, the City Council creates conditions for these individuals to fully utilize electronic services, submit online appeals, and engage in digital forms of discussion, which are the foundation of open government.
- Accountability and Transparency: Digitally literate citizens can more effectively use transparency tools.
The commitment addresses a problem noted in the action plan: stimulating the use and consumption of digital technologies and electronic services. By removing the digital barrier, the initiative strengthens interaction between the authorities and the community
3.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a new regulation, policy, practice or requirement.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
- New Practice: The launched basic digital literacy course at social infrastructure facilities will be a new and specific educational initiative that did not exist before.
- Clear Mechanism: The commitment created a clear mechanism for providing educational services to the older generation, which is a significant enhancement of existing capabilities.
3.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
is a positive change to a process, practice or policy but will not generate a binding or institutionalized change across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment regarding the development of digital competencies through the “University of the Third Age” is a positive change and a new practice that brings direct benefit to citizens.
Positive Change: The initiative successfully teaches citizens and promotes their participation, which is a direct contribution to the OGP values.
3.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
The recommendation concerns strengthening its resilience and scaling up:
- Institutionalization of Flexibility: The structure of similar educational commitments should include a requirement to approve hybrid or fully online formats as a mandatory backup mechanism. This ensures that training will not stop, even if in-person classes are impossible.
- Creation of a Learning Base: It is recommended to institutionalize the creation of video lessons or online materials that can be used as a self-study base. This will increase outreach and allow residents who cannot attend classes to be included.
4 Commitment :
“Open City” platform. Notification of utility problems in the city in one click.
4.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment is verifiable because its final result is the creation and functioning of a specific electronic system:
- System Creation: The launch of the electronic system “Open City.”
- Functionality: The system must allow residents to report problems and receive feedback from local authorities.
4.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevance to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The “Open City” system directly implements two key values:
- Citizen Participation and Accountability:
- Citizen Participation: The system’s main function is to allow residents to “report problems in the city.” This creates a direct, accessible, and operational channel for engaging the public in city governance, transforming citizens into active co-creators of order.
- Accountability: The system requires local authorities to “receive feedback” and respond to reports. This obligates municipal services to react to complaints and problems, thereby increasing their accountability to residents.
Thus, the commitment creates a new tool for democratic interaction, making the decision-making process and city service provision more open and citizen-centric
4.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a new regulation, policy, practice or requirement.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The creation of the electronic system “Open City” is a new practice for the Ternopil City Community because there was no single, centralized platform that allowed residents to: Report problems in the city using modern means of communication. Guaranteed to receive feedback from local authorities, which institutionalizes the mechanism of two-way communication.
4.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
will result in a change of the rules, practices or policies that govern a policy area, public sector and/or relationship between citizens and is binding or institutionalized across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment regarding the implementation of the electronic system “Open City” aligns with the OGP value criterion because its implementation leads to institutionalized changes:
- Change in Rules and Practices: The launch of the “Open City” system introduces a new official practice for the municipality: now, utility services and city authorities are obligated (binding/institutionalized) to receive problem requests from residents through this electronic system and provide feedback.
- Change in Citizen Relations: The creation of this tool is the institutionalization of two-way communication with citizens. The system provides a guaranteed channel for participation and creates a requirement for government accountability, as residents can track the status of their appeals.
4.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
Enter flexible provisions into the plan that allow for the redistribution of limited resources to priority, less complex modules during crisis situations.
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