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Ukraine

Awarenss Raising About Social and Economic Development (UA0074)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Ukraine Action Plan 2018-2020

Action Plan Cycle: 2018

Status: Active

Institutions

Lead Institution: MoF Treasury State institution “Open Public Funds”

Support Institution(s): NGO “Eidos Centre for Political Studies and Analysis,” Government-Civic Initiative “Together against Corruption,” other CSOs and international organizations (upon their consent)

Policy Areas

Aid, E-Government, Fiscal Openness, Publication of Budget/Fiscal Information

IRM Review

IRM Report: Ukraine Design Report 2018-2020

Starred: Pending IRM Review

Early Results: Major Major

Design i

Verifiable: Yes

Relevant to OGP Values: Access to Information , Technology

Potential Impact:

Implementation i

Completion:

Description

Raising public awareness on public funds and projects on social and economic development of Ukraine supported by international financial organizations in accessible formats Mainstreaming the principles of transparency and openness in budget process entails effective system of key performance indicators and a mechanism to raise public awareness on drafting, reviewing, approving, implementing and controlling state and local budgets. To this aim, the documents and information related to the budgeting processes and management performance indicators should be published. In addition, international organizations support projects that sometimes come short of the needs of Ukraine and contravene with the reform priorities. With this view, the CMU Resolution # 70 of 27 January 2016 “On the Procedure of Development, Implementation, Monitoring and Termination of Social and Economic Development Projects Supported by International Financial Organizations” entails monitoring of development projects in Ukraine funded by international financial organizations. At the same time, relevant information technologies and access to the respective information by the Government and citizens is necessary to adequately manage this process. Actions Responsible Timeframe Partners Indicator 1. Creating an Information Analytical System “Transparent Budget:” module “Budget for Citizens” MoF Treasury State institution “Open Public Funds” March 2019 NGO “Eidos Centre for Political Studies and Analysis,” Government-Civic Initiative “Together against Corruption,” other CSOs and international ToR for “Budget for Citizens” module development, approved, software architecture developed 10 organizations (upon their consent) 2. Beta testing of “Budget for Citizens” module -//- December 2018 – July 2019 -//- Beta testing of software launched, module is finalized/updated based on beta testing findings and feedback from the CSOs and community; operation of the module launched 3. Developing functional requirements to the subsystem “Register of Social and Economic Development Projects Funded by International Financial Institutions” (IFI) MoF Treasury State institution “Open Public Funds” December 2018 – April 2019 NGO “Eidos Centre for Political Studies and Analysis,” Government-Civic Initiative “Together against Corruption,” other CSOs and international organizations (upon their consent) ToR developed, and respective services procured 4. Developing and beta testing of software for the sub-system “Register of Social and Economic Development Projects Funded by International Financial Institutions” -//- December 2018 – April 2019 -//- Software developed, Beta testing of sub-system launched 5. Finalizing functional features of the sub-system “Register of Social and Economic Development Projects Funded by International Financial Institutions” and starting its -//- May 2019 – September 2020 -//- Sub-system “Register of Social and Economic Development Projects Funded by International Financial Institutions” is finalized/updated based on beta testing findings and feedback from the CSOs and community; sub-system put in 11 operation operation Expected results of this activity are ensuring convenient use of analytical data; comparing the dynamics of budget funds use; enabling feedback and discussion of public funds use; ensuring free public access to information on implementation of joint Government-IFI investments projects at all stages.

IRM Midterm Status Summary

5. Raise public awareness on public funds and projects

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan: [38] Raising public awareness on public funds and projects on social and economic development of Ukraine supported by international financial organizations in accessible formats

Mainstreaming the principles of transparency and openness in budget process entails effective system of key performance indicators and a mechanism to raise public awareness on drafting, reviewing, approving, implementing and controlling state and local budgets. To this aim, the documents and information related to the budgeting processes and management performance indicators should be published.

In addition, international organizations support projects that sometimes come short of the needs of Ukraine and contravene with the reform priorities. With this view, the CMU Resolution # 70 of 27 January 2016 “On the Procedure of Development, Implementation, Monitoring and Termination of Social and Economic Development Projects Supported by International Financial Organizations” entails monitoring of development projects in Ukraine funded by international financial organizations. At the same time, relevant information technologies and access to the respective information by the Government and citizens is necessary to adequately manage this process.

Milestones:

  1. Creating an Information Analytical System “Transparent Budget:” module “Budget for Citizens”
  2. Beta testing of “Budget for Citizens” module
  3. Developing functional requirements to the sub-system “Register of Social and Economic Development Projects Funded by International Financial Institutions” (IFI)
  4. Developing and beta testing of software for the sub-system “Register of Social and Economic Development Projects Funded by International Financial Institutions”
  5. Finalizing functional features of the sub-system “Register of Social and Economic Development Projects Funded by International Financial Institutions” and starting its operation

Start Date: December 2018

End Date: September 2020

Context and objectives

The Ukrainian government currently discloses only limited budget information, earning 54 out of 100 in the International Budget Partnership’s 2017 Open Budget Survey. [39] Few public fund administrators publish meaningful financial data, which makes it difficult to identify inefficiencies using public funds. [40] Also, international funds administered by the government are highly vulnerable to corruption, according to a former Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) official. [41]

The commitment’s first milestone, to create and beta test a ‘Budget for Citizens’ module was accomplished in 2018 as part of the previous action plan, [42] although a representative of the state agency, Open Public Finance (OPF), reported that this was only the trial version of the Budget for Citizens module. [43] It presents the state budget in various understandable dimensions, like classification of spending.

This commitment also aims to inform the public about development projects in Ukraine through a Register of Social and Economic Development Projects Funded by International Financial Institutions (the Register). The government launched a similar Open Aid Ukraine website in 2015 [44] with some limited information, [45] but in 2017, MEDT froze the website during multiple investigations of possible corruption around international assistance. [46] Even though the website software was developed and owned by the government, MEDT has not relaunched the website before this action plan, although the Ministry of Finance (MoF) published a 2018 report on internationally funded development projects in pdf format. [47]

The government expects that this commitment overall will ensure user-friendly disclosure of analytical data, enable feedback and discussion on public funds use, [48] and provide public access to budget data for further monitoring. [49] The Register has the potential to increase transparency of over 34 projects worth 2.4 billion USD (5.3 billion EUR). [50] According to the OPF, the interactive register’s open datasets will allow monitoring of internationally funded development projects by authorities and citizens. [51] However, the commitment text does not provide details about the level of data that will be disclosed or how the feedback mechanism will be introduced and implemented. It also does not explain how government-IFI investment projects will be disclosed and what the level of publicly available data will be. Therefore, the overall potential impact is considered moderate.

Next steps

The IRM researcher recommends the following to the government:

  • Specify the requirements for disclosing all planned data through normative-legal acts, technical documents, and the software itself. This should ensure achieving the maximum policy impact of this commitment.
  • Compare the planned budget and the actual budget spending. Due to this increased financial transparency, Ukraine can improve its score in the Open Budget Survey.
  • Establish and apply accountability mechanisms to ensure that public funds administrators provide the necessary information for the designed information analytical system.

For the fifth action plan, the IRM researcher recommends introducing mechanisms of empowering civic participation in budget planning. In particular, these might include consultations on state budget and binding e-voting for projects of national participatory budgeting. The civic engagement element would fulfil the provisions of the government Strategy of Reforming the Public Finances Management System for 2017–2020 [52] and could help improve Ukraine’s ranking in the Open Budget Survey.

[39] “Ukraine” in Open Budget Survey 2017, (International Budget Partnership, 29 Jan. 2018), https://www.internationalbudget.org/summaries/ukraine-2017/.
[40] Volodymyr Tarnay (Eidos), interview by IRM researcher, 27 Feb. 2019.
[41] Viola Gienger, “Anti-Corruption Reformer Ready for Round Two” (Atlantic Council, 3 Dec. 2018), https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/anti-corruption-reformer-ready-for-round-two.
[42] “The Ministry of Finance Presented the Open Data Project ‘Budget for Citizens,’” (Ukrinform, 17 Sept. 2018), https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-economy/2539616-u-minfini-prezentuvali-proekt-vidkritih-danih-budzet-dla-gromadan.html.
[43] Oleksandr Komareus (OPF), email exchange with IRM researcher, 7 Mar. 2019.
[45] Tarnay, interview.
[46] Gienger.
[47] “Information on Public Funds and Projects on Social and Economic Development of Ukraine Supported by International Financial Organizations” (The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, accessed Apr. 2019, Link no longer available as of Dec. 2019), https://www.minfin.gov.ua/uploads/redactor/files/850_1174343657.pdf.
[48] “The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Decree on 18 December 2018 #1088-p” on The Government Portal, The Unified Web-portal of Executive Authorities of Ukraine (Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Secretariat, 18 Dec. 2018), https://www.kmu.gov.ua/storage/app/media/17-civik-2018/partnerstvo/plan_2018%20-%202020.pdf.
[49] Komareus, email.
[50] “The Concept Paper of Increasing the Efficiency of Implementing Joint IFO Projects” (The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine) https://mof.gov.ua/storage/files/Kontseptsiya_shchodo_pidvyshchennya_efektyvnosti_vprovadzhennya_spilnykh_z_MFO_proektiv.docx.
[51] Komareus, email.
[52] “On approval of the Strategy for reforming the system of public finance management for 2017 - 2020” Order no.142-p, on The Government Portal, The Unified Web-portal of Executive Authorities of Ukraine (Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Secretariat, 8 Feb. 2017), https://www.kmu.gov.ua/ua/npas/249797370.

Commitments

  1. Expand budget transparency system

    UA0087, 2020, Anti-Corruption

  2. Transparency of public assets

    UA0088, 2020, Access to Information

  3. Create general education distance learning system

    UA0089, 2020, E-Government

  4. Open Science

    UA0090, 2020, Access to Information

  5. Online platform for patents and innovation

    UA0091, 2020, Capacity Building

  6. Audit of beneficial ownership register

    UA0092, 2020, Anti-Corruption

  7. Expand uses for e-democracy platform

    UA0093, 2020, Access to Information

  8. Electronic system for transparency in extractive industries

    UA0094, 2020, Anti-Corruption

  9. Establish National Centre for Open Data Competence

    UA0095, 2020, Access to Information

  10. Digital accessibility for persons with disabilities

    UA0096, 2020, E-Government

  11. Increasing youth participation in policy

    UA0097, 2020, Capacity Building

  12. Publish information related to road system

    UA0098, 2020, E-Government

  13. Register for infrastructure contract information

    UA0099, 2020, Anti-Corruption

  14. Publish gender-disaggregated open data

    UA0100, 2020, Access to Information

  15. Infrastructure Data Portal

    UA0070, 2018, Anti-Corruption

  16. Open Standard for e-System

    UA0071, 2018, E-Government

  17. Ensuring Openness and Transparency of Selling Public Assets and Property

    UA0072, 2018, E-Government

  18. Transparency in Public Procurement (Prozorro)

    UA0073, 2018, Access to Information

  19. Awarenss Raising About Social and Economic Development

    UA0074, 2018, Aid

  20. e-Calls for Proposals to Support CSOs

    UA0075, 2018, Civic Space

  21. Beneficial Ownership Registry

    UA0076, 2018, Anti-Corruption

  22. Anti-Corruption Training

    UA0077, 2018, Anti-Corruption

  23. Publishing Environmental Information

    UA0078, 2018, E-Government

  24. Database of Natural Resources

    UA0079, 2018, Access to Information

  25. Interactive Map of Mines

    UA0080, 2018, E-Government

  26. Priority Electronic Services

    UA0081, 2018, Citizenship & Immigration

  27. Online Platform for Executive Bodies and CSOs

    UA0082, 2018, Civic Space

  28. EITI Online Data

    UA0083, 2018, Access to Information

  29. Electronic Resources for Education

    UA0084, 2018, Access to Information

  30. Online Verification of Education Certificates

    UA0085, 2018, E-Government

  31. Free Access to National Repository for Academic Texts

    UA0086, 2018, E-Government

  32. Administrative Service Decentrilisation and Improvement

    UA0057, 2016, Capacity Building

  33. United State Portal Extension; Electronic Government Information Services Unification; Modern Tools for Electronic Identification

    UA0058, 2016, Capacity Building

  34. System for Entities Performing Government Functions

    UA0059, 2016, Anti-Corruption

  35. Free Urban Planning Documentation

    UA0060, 2016, E-Government

  36. Beneficial Ownership Verification System

    UA0061, 2016, Anti-Corruption

  37. CoST Beneficial Ownership Standards

    UA0062, 2016, Anti-Corruption

  38. Transpartent Budget System

    UA0063, 2016,

  39. Starred commitment Open Public Procurement

    UA0064, 2016, Access to Information

  40. Starred commitment Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

    UA0065, 2016, Anti-Corruption

  41. Environmental Public Monitoring

    UA0066, 2016, Access to Information

  42. Community Policing System

    UA0067, 2016, Education

  43. Draft Law on Public Consultations

    UA0068, 2016, Legislation & Regulation

  44. Development of E-Democracy.

    UA0069, 2016, Anti-Corruption

  45. Improve Government Rules on CSO Involvement

    UA0031, 2014, E-Government

  46. Financing of Charities

    UA0032, 2014, Civic Space

  47. Not-For-Profit Status for CSOs

    UA0033, 2014, Civic Space

  48. Public Participation Law

    UA0034, 2014, E-Government

  49. Establishing Rules on Processing Official Information

    UA0035, 2014, Access to Information

  50. Access to Urban Planning Documents

    UA0036, 2014, E-Government

  51. Starred commitment Access to Communist-Era Archives

    UA0037, 2014, Legislation & Regulation

  52. Starred commitment Draft Law on Open Data

    UA0038, 2014, Access to Information

  53. Starred commitment Supervisory Mechanism for the Right to Information

    UA0039, 2014, Access to Information

  54. Compliance with EITI

    UA0040, 2014, Anti-Corruption

  55. Monitoring of Infrastructure Projects

    UA0041, 2014, Anti-Corruption

  56. Adopt Regional Anti-Corruption Programmes

    UA0042, 2014, Anti-Corruption

  57. Corruption Risk Assessment Methodology

    UA0043, 2014, Anti-Corruption

  58. Starred commitment Asset Disclosure on a Single Web Portal

    UA0044, 2014, Anti-Corruption

  59. Law on Administrative Procedure

    UA0045, 2014, Legislation & Regulation

  60. Law on Streamlining Payment of Administrative Fees

    UA0046, 2014, E-Government

  61. Administrative Services Portal

    UA0047, 2014, Access to Information

  62. Draft Law on Decentralisation of Administrative Services

    UA0048, 2014, Legislation & Regulation

  63. Draft Law on Social Services

    UA0049, 2014, E-Government

  64. e-Government Laws

    UA0050, 2014, E-Government

  65. Electronic Readiness Assessment

    UA0051, 2014, E-Government

  66. Government Regulations on Open Data

    UA0052, 2014, Access to Information

  67. Electronic Democracy Development Roadmap

    UA0053, 2014, Anti-Corruption

  68. Open Budget Initiatives

    UA0054, 2014, Access to Information

  69. e-Petitions

    UA0055, 2014, Access to Justice

  70. e-Governance Training for Local Government

    UA0056, 2014, Capacity Building

  71. Laws on Public Participation

    UA0001, 2012, Civic Space

  72. Amendments to the Law on Community Associations

    UA0002, 2012, Civic Space

  73. Amendments to Resolutions on Collaboration with Civil Society

    UA0003, 2012, E-Government

  74. Training for Public Servants on Consultations

    UA0004, 2012, Capacity Building

  75. Harmonisation of Access to Information Laws

    UA0005, 2012, Access to Information

  76. By-Laws on Access to Information

    UA0006, 2012, Access to Information

  77. Guidelines for Classifying Data

    UA0007, 2012, Public Participation

  78. Public Information Recording Systems

    UA0008, 2012,

  79. Law on Public Broadcasting

    UA0009, 2012, Civic Space

  80. Public Access to Information in State Registers

    UA0010, 2012, E-Government

  81. Starred commitment Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

    UA0011, 2012, Anti-Corruption

  82. Law for Controlling Declarations of Public Servants

    UA0012, 2012, Anti-Corruption

  83. Public Declarations of Officials’ Assets

    UA0013, 2012, Anti-Corruption

  84. Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest

    UA0014, 2012, Anti-Corruption

  85. Updated Anti-Corruption Laws

    UA0015, 2012, E-Government

  86. Regional Anti-Corruption Programmes

    UA0016, 2012, E-Government

  87. Law on Competitive e-Government Procurement

    UA0017, 2012, Anti-Corruption

  88. Starred commitment Administrative Services Reforms

    UA0018, 2012, E-Government

  89. Electronic Access to Administrative Services

    UA0019, 2012, E-Government

  90. Governmental Web Portal of Administrative Services

    UA0020, 2012, E-Government

  91. Administrative Services in a Digital Format

    UA0021, 2012,

  92. Starred commitment Regional Administrative Service Centres

    UA0022, 2012,

  93. Programme for Promotion of e-Government

    UA0023, 2012, E-Government

  94. Electronic Collaboration Between Executive Agencies

    UA0024, 2012,

  95. Web-Based Petitions System

    UA0025, 2012, E-petitions

  96. One Stop Shop for e-Reporting

    UA0026, 2012, E-Government

  97. e-Region Pilot Project

    UA0027, 2012, E-Government

  98. Network of e-Government Practitioners

    UA0028, 2012, Public Participation

  99. Public Libraries as Bridges Towards e-Governance

    UA0029, 2012, E-Government

  100. e-Government Knowledge Management Portal

    UA0030, 2012,

Open Government Partnership