1. PEOPLE’S VOICE (Ukraine)
BETTER GOVERNANCE THROUGH
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
March 11, 2004

2. Ukraine: Development Context
second largest country in Europe
population - 48,055,439
life expectancy at birth: 66.5 years
Literacy: (age 15 and over can read and write): 99.7%
GDP per capita: PPP - $4,500 (2002 est.)
% of people below poverty line: 29%
Major industries: coal, electric power, metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food-processing, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, beef, milk.
Source: CIA World Fact Book, December 18, 2003

3. People’s Voice Project
OVERALL GOAL
To promote public participation in building an effective, responsible and open government
Project Objectives:
monitoring of service delivery
facilitating citizen engagement
improving local governance
building NGO capacity
increasing transparency & integrity

4. Project Overview three-year project funded by Canada
implemented in 4 Ukrainian cities
focus on monitoring of service delivery and facilitating citizen engagement
improving local service delivery, increasing transparency and integrity

5. Project Rationale GREATER PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BETTER GOVERNANCE
THROUGH
PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION
INCREASED
NGO
CAPACITY
IMPROVED
PUBLIC
SERVICES

6. Project Accomplishments
raised awareness of public concerns
active local NGO communities
citizen engagement mechanisms
improved capacity of local governments
pilot projects in education, communal housing, urban transport and utilities sectors
public-private partnerships

7. Scaling Up - Local Capacity
project model replicated in smaller communities near project cities
‘third sector” capacity greatly increased
local governments recognize the importance of civil society
citizens are better equipped to identify and promote their interests

8. Scaling Up - Project Concept
part of a broader trend in consultation, monitoring and feedback
Nationwide popularization of public hearings and education advisory boards
interest in neighboring countries (Moldova, Albania, etc.)
project expansion to more cities
parallel donor programs (USAID, DFID, etc.)

9. Project Goals
increasing citizen participation in political and economic decision-making
promoting greater transparency of local authorities
establishing ongoing dialogue between the public and local governments
educating citizens about the negative impacts of corruption

10. Activities
Regional
building anti-corruption coalitions and citizen advocacy offices (CAO), including mobile offices
local hotlines
anti-corruption information campaigns
public hearings & public opinion surveys
NGO capacity building through training
National
public opinion survey
annual conference on problem of corruption in one specific field
information campaigns
publication of anti-corruption studies and research

11. Project Success Factors
willingness of local governments to cooperate and engage in dialogue
professionalism of the NGO community
combination of training and grants
relying upon local expertise and input
flexibility in project management
creative approach that requires donor support but is very much demand driven
facilitating donor cooperation to address local issues
creating local foundation for continued impact

12. Lessons Learned (Positive Aspects)
collaboration and dialogue between civil society and local governments is key
local problems require local solutions
building local expertise and capacity is crucial
information sharing and dissemination encourages replication
simplification of processes and access points

13. Lessons Learned (Cautionary Points)
need for a realistic time frame and expectations
integrity is built over time
need to work more with grassroots civil society organizations
local politics have to be taken into account

14. People’s Voice Project – Next Phase
January 2004 – June 2007
expansion to six (6) cities in Ukraine
increased use of local expertise and experience
focus on service improvement initiatives
comparative research
building networks

15. www.worldbank.org www.icps.kiev.ua/pvp www.aedif.if.ua
Project Information