On 15 August, representatives of the public and local authorities discussed Melitopol’s way to smart city and the results on public opinion survey on the most necessary electronic services. Over 50 people participated in the discussion of the concept.
The project Smart Melitopol was initiated by Melitopol Development Agency and Center for Civic Initiatives “Tavria.” Activists got the idea to make Melitopol a “smart city” after a training on communication held by the Ukrainian chapter of Transparency International. To introduce digital technology in the city which would foster the authorities’ transparency and accountability, improve the citizens’ lives and render petty corruption impossible, they got the support of the local authorities and developed the concept Smart Melitopol. Thus, the city will have:
 
☑️ the city’s main portal to improve the transparency and accountability of city authorities and ensure effective communication with the citizens
☑️ dozens of electronic services which will help to make an appointment with a doctor, sign up to the waiting line for kindergartens, pay the bills or even start a business online
☑️ a powerful Big Data server which will collect and structure requests received from citizens. The authorities will be able to use those data to plan and make decisions
☑️ a unified contact center to process citizens’ requests
☑️ a “Melitopol Citizen Card,” which will give access to a personal profile on the city portal. It will contain all information on your doctor visits, your child’s grades, utilities. It will also give benefits for local public transit, discounts in certain stores and pharmacies
☑️ a mobile app for electronic services
This initiative has been fulfilled as part of the program Engage! financed by USAID and implemented by Pact in Ukraine.