Over the past four months, Transparency International Ukraine (TIU) has been actively working to involve local civil society organizations in building and promoting the transparency and accountability of Ukrainian cities. It is for this reason that we have launched a second application process for sub-grants.

Significant results were achieved thanks to the efficient cooperation of 12 organisations from across Ukraine with local councils. This article briefly discusses the successes of our sub-grant recipients.

Pokrov, CSO Civic Control

During the implementation of the project, the city’s rating rose to 63.85 points, gaining 45.55 points in the Transparency Rating.

The main achievements of the project include:

  • Connecting residents to a service where they can find out about local kindergartens, including waiting lists;
  • The establishment of a webpage on the city council’s website containing information regarding procurement over the past two years.

 

Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, TIRA Center of Civic Initiatives

Over the four months of the project’s implementation, the city’s rating rose to 49.03 points (gaining 15 points) in the Transparency Rating.

During this period, the city council made a decision on budget regulation and MPs’ code of ethics; a memorandum was signed with Prozorro.Sale; and a new section appeared on the city council’s website called: “residential policies.”

Moreover, for the first time, an independent audit of the city’s communal enterprises was conducted.

 

Lyshychansk, Community Fund “Knowledge and Justice”

During the implementation of the project, the city’s rating rose to 31.45 points, gaining 14 points in the Transparency Rating.

During the four months of the project implementation, various successes were achieved such as information being made public regarding tariffs and the way they were applied for services provided, goods sold, and public works performed. Additional publications included a list of communal establishments and organisations, as well as a reference book of enterprises, institutions of Lisichansk city council, and organisations subordinated to it.

Meanwhile, detailed land registry plans appeared on the city’s official website – these were the “List of tenants with whom land lease agreements were signed (01.01.2018)”, the “List of unused land lot of communal ownership,” and the “Current list of tenants of local land lots (01.01.2018).”

 

Kropyvnytskyi, Prozoro Center for Media Investigation

During the implementation process, a document was published on the city council’s website, which contained information on the location of temporary architectural structures for the period of 2009 to 2017 inclusive, as well as including information on property architectural documentation issued by the city council in the same period.

Elsewhere, a sports map of Kropivnitsky was created, which included all health and sports recreational facilities. Information regarding the waiting list for housing was also published on the city council’s website.

 

Khmelnytskyi, “Khmelnytskyi’s Initiative”

Thanks to cooperation between the public organisation and the city council, a separate tab was created on city council’s website entitled “Monitoring of Public Procurements.” This contains links to two websites – tender.me.gov.ua and Prozorro.gov.ua – as well as information about all utility companies, procurement departments that make purchases, and information about the city council’s purchases.

An additional tab entitled “Public Utilities” was also created, which contains information on utility tariffs and services.

 

Vinnytsia, CSO “Result”

As a result of the project team’s participation, Vinnytsia city council adopted regulations to govern competitions for institutes of civil society that are financed by the city budget  These take into account the rules for resolving potential conflicts of interest between participants of funding contests and members of the decision-making bodies who are not officials of local self-governing bodies.

As well as this, Vinnytsia joined the Prozorro.Sale portal and began using this portal for sales and leases of communal property. The open data portal containing a list of unused land lots was also made public.

Finally, a list of municipal social assistance establishments (rehabilitation centers, social services, support to lonely citizens, and at-home social assistance, etc) was placed on the city council’s website. Information detailing the form of assistance or services provided, as well as who can apply for assistance, was included, as were direct links to websites and key contact information. In addition, an online form for citizens to request a spot in, or service from, municipal social assistance institutions was added to the website, and information about the audiences using social establishments and services was published.

 

Bakhmut, NGO “Development of democracy and women’s initiative ACT”

The city’s website was updated to include data that should be disclosed (in the form of open data), as well as budget information.

Additionally, an Order for the prevention and settlement of conflicts of interest in Bakhmut city council and its executive bodies was approved.

 

Nikopol, “Transparent Nikopol”

As a result of the project, information regarding the services that target audiences can receive in particular social establishments within the city is now public. Activists have also published information on the city council’s website detailing current estimates of maintenance costs for Nikopol city council and its municipal institutions.

 

Sievierodonetsk, Crisis Media Center ‘Siverskyi Donets”

As a result of cooperation between our sub-grant recipients and Severodonetsk city council, financial statements for users of public utilities, a list of companies providing passenger transportation by car and other transportation routes, and information on means of advertising have all been published.

 

Kamianske, “The Power of Community of Kamianske city”

A “Transparent City” tab has been added to the city council’s website, and information will shortly be published here.

 

Kremenchuk Anti-Corruption Center

A public information campaign, designed to increase transparency in the city, was launched.

 

Svitlovodsk. Public Television of Ukraine

The project successfully connected the city to the “Participation Budget” module. As a result, four months of project implementation are now scheduled, and TIU hopes that with cooperative efforts between our sub-grant winners and the city council, the city will become truly open, accountable, and transparent to its citizens.

 

The sub-grant application is part of TIU’s “Building Transparency in Ukrainian Cities” project, which is funded by the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF).