EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI)

⚡️HACC Receives Over 1000 Electronic Motions Through the eCase Management System The High Anti-Corruption Court recently received its one-thousandth electronic motion through the innovative eCase system. Namely, a motion for permission to search a person's home or other property and temporary access to things and documents. 📊eCase system allows for processing procedural documents between detectives, prosecutors, and judges entirely electronically. This saves significant resources and time, significantly increasing the efficiency of pre-trial investigations. 🌍eCase system, a flagship project of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative, is not only saving the time of anti-corruption officials but also making a significant contribution to environmental sustainability. This electronic tool, developed in collaboration with NABU, SAPO, and HACC, is a testament to our commitment to a greener future. 🤝eCase has been operating in Ukraine since 2021. In 2024, we continue to work on improving the system and introducing new procedural documents in eCase together with NABU, SAPO, and HACC. #EUACIsupport National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine

🤔How do anti-corruption experts assess the level of corruption in Ukraine? Ukrainians have considered corruption one of the biggest problems of the last decade. However is it really as severe as most people believe? Since the end of 2023, the Info Sapiens LLC began to research the opinion of Ukrainians on the request of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative. ✅The survey "Corruption in Ukraine: Experts' Views and Assessments" results were publicly presented on 2 July. "The survey is one of the most important studies of key dimensions of corruption in priority areas of public life, and its results should be used in the implementation of national and sectoral anti-corruption reforms. In particular, it will aid in the development of the next Anti-Corruption Strategy and the program for its implementation," said NACP Head Viktor Pavlushchyk. The EUACI anti-corruption expert Oleksandr Komarov noted that the study's special advantage is that it provides not only a generalized perception of corruption but also focuses on specific problems, manifestations of corruption, and their causes in specific sectors. The results of the survey presented during the event included: 🔹Perceptions of changes and prevalence of corruption in Ukraine in general and in specific areas; 🔹The effectiveness of anti-corruption policy in the country as a whole; 🔹Activities of the state bodies and their independence. ☝️The survey revealed that the most effective areas of anti-corruption policy, according to the experts, include: ensuring the inevitability of liability for corruption (noted by 47% of respondents); justice system reform (47%); and automating public service delivery procedures and business regulation (45%). These findings provide concrete examples of successful strategies in the fight against corruption. ℹ️Read the full text of the survey report: http://surl.li/tnpjug

Presentation of the Corporate Governance Roadmap at ME Mykolaivvodokanal Among the priority areas of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative with Integrity cities is increasing the efficiency and transparency of critically important municipal enterprises. In collaboration with Mykolaiv, we are working on transforming a large municipal enterprises Mykolaivvodokanal. In March, the results of an Integrity Assessment were presented, based on which a Risk Mitigation Plan was developed. One of the main recommendations is to establish corporate governance according to OECD standards to optimize processes and enhance enterprise transparency. The roadmap for implementing corporate governance was presented on 28 June. "Efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of Mykolaivvodokanal’s operations not only impact the reputation of the enterprise but also the reputation of the city and, consequently, our country. Implementing corporate elements is one of the tools that can help bring standards up to European ones," emphasised Taras Sluchyk, Team Lead of the Integrity Cities component of the EUACI. The roadmap was developed by consultants from Vasil Kisil& Partners. Five key recommendations for improving corporate governance at ME: - Define the strategy and long-term goals of the enterprise. - Establish a supervisory board. - Select a professional and independent composition for the supervisory board. - Ensure a transparent selection process for members of the supervisory board. - Implement corporate governance tools, including internal control, risk management, compliance, audit. The EUACI will continue to support the city in implementing the Roadmap. "Mykolaivvodokanal is in my key focus; the enterprise is currently receiving significant budgetary support and support from our international partners. To increase trust from partners and citizens and ensure effective management of the municipal enterprise during the challenging time, we are working to eliminate any human factors that lead to corruption, by implementing corporate governance at the enterprise," stated Mykolaiv City Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych. The event also included a public discussion on Corporate Governance for Efficiency and Integrity. "Parliament is working on a corporate reform of utilities. ME Mykolaivvodokanal is a pilot project, and it is always difficult to be the first. But this is a very important step. We will be able to measure the results and evaluate the effectiveness of the reform of this pilot project and then integrate their experience into the legislation," said MP Oleksiy Movchan during the discussion. Full presentation recording: http://surl.li/hiwdiu

⚡️Enhancing Procurement Efficiency in Chervonohrad On 18 June, the executive committee of the Chervonohrad City Council approved mandatory monitoring of prices in the procurement of key materials for construction, regular and overhaul repairs. The monitoring will be conducted by the Department of Economics every 3 months. Construction materials, items, and sets with a total value of over UAH 40,000 will be subject to monitoring. 🤝The decision and draft document were developed at Mayor Andriy Zalivskyi's initiative and with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative. The new procedure will ensure that the costs of goods and key material resources are reasonable, which will reduce corruption risks in procurement processes. 🏆Chervonohrad became the second EUACI Integrity City to implement mandatory price monitoring. In May, the executive committee of the Mykolaiv City Council initiated similar procedures. 📲Read the draft decision (UA): http://surl.li/tvkaiy #EUACIsupport

📝 On 20-21 June, the NACP's Integrity Office conducted training for Integrity Hub managers. The training was supported by the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) as part of the Transparent Schools project. Participants included school principals, deputy principals, and teachers from 9 regions of Ukraine. 🤝In the welcome speech, Ievhen Romanenko, the project manager for anti-corruption prevention at the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative, emphasized the importance of training and developing Integrity Hubs in the regions. During the training, participants learned various methods of audience attention management and gamification of the training process. They practiced managing emotions, receiving feedback, analyzing students' needs, and enhancing their training skills. 📈 The training was a significant milestone, being the first one conducted by the NACP's Integrity Office for Integrity Hub managers. Now, equipped with new knowledge, they will independently disseminate information about integrity and guide their colleagues on integrating this topic into the educational process. #EUACIsupport

Assessing integrity is no place for slogans. As part of heated discussions on anti-corruption progress worldwide, USAID/FCDO Pro-Integrity and EUACI have just held a dialogue on “Sizing up (Re)Construction. Measuring Local-Level Recovery Integrity” as part of the #IACC2024. What did we focus on? ✅ Assessing integrity and corruption prevention measures in Ukraine’s recovery ✅ Seeking cases of value-based partnerships between businesses and local communities ✅ Considering the role of the media in ensuring transparency and contributing to trust-building ✅ Identifying cases that can be replicated and serve as inspiration This co-creation discussion, held in Vilnius as part of the largest International Anti-Corruption Conference, sets up a framework for a continued professional discussion and the assessment of transparency during reconstruction. Honest and clear metrics - without whitewashing or manipulations - are key to making sure that both society and international partners have continued faith in Ukraine’s ability to recover with minimal corruption risks. Stay tuned for the summary of discussions and follow-up dialogue facilitated by USAID/FCDO Pro-Integrity and the EUACI regarding lessons learned and the way forward in measuring integrity. #EUACIsupport

Good Governance in Local Government: training for representatives from EUACI partner cities   ✍ To gain new knowledge of implementing innovations in local government and to find new inspiration for further work, a training course for representatives of 6 Integrity Cities took place in Lviv on 3-11 June.   🤝 The training was organized by the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) in cooperation with the Ukrainian Catholic University.   Activities consisted of two modules, including 14 lectures from speakers in various fields.   Among the topics of the training were: ✅ Wartime leadership; ✅ Operation of internal control and audit systems in local government; ✅ Electronic procurement system “Prozorro”; ✅ Urban planning cadastre as a tool for collecting multidisciplinary data for city development; ✅ Fundraising and grant writing.   In addition to the lectures, the participants visited the City IT Center in Lviv City Council to gain experience in implementing IT projects in the public sector. Also, they visited the modern rehabilitation centre UNBROKEN Ukraine, where war victims receive comprehensive, qualified medical care. #EUACIsupport

⚡ URC results: focus on effective planning for Ukraine's recovery 🌐 The National Unified Geoinformation System for Monitoring Regional Development and Recovery (GIS) is a key digital tool for regional development policy that provides access to various regional data, including data on damages and destruction, changes in population, number of legal entities, access to social services, functional types of territories, etc. It was developed with support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI). During the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 in Berlin, the GIS was presented at a special stand of the Recovery Forum alongside other IT tools that help implement the principles of transparency and accountability in the recovery process. 🗺 The system’s data is presented as layers on an interactive map, transferring information from paper to digital format. The system consists of a public part accessible to all, as well as an administrative part for entering verified data, planning, and control, which will be available to communities, regional administrations, and government organizations. The GIS also offers a unified framework for structuring planning documents, allowing for automated definition of regional development objectives and indicators for regional development. The team of the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine presented the first two modules of the system in March (link to presentation in March). It is expected to be launched at gisrr.mtu.gov.ua and presented publicly in the summer 2024. #EUACIsupport #URC2024

⚡️ URC results: sharing best practices of Integrity Cities   🏛 The #URC2024 involved around 200 local and regional actors. Each community had the opportunity to share its achievements in the face of war, talk about international cooperation, and find new partners to implement recovery projects. The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) partners – Integrity cities Mykolaiv and Chernivtsi - presented their stands at the Recovery Forum among fifteen cities. Implementing the best integrity practices in cooperation with the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative was one of the main directions, presented by the Integrity Cities. 💬 Along with the exhibition, representatives of the City Councils joined the panels to discuss the most pressing issues: security, recovery and sustainability. Oleksandr Syenkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv, presented a model of transparent and accountable recovery during the discussion “Strong local self-government for Ukraine’s recovery.” He spoke about the implementation of pilot projects in cooperation with the EUACI, including the recording of damaged property using a GIS module, a web portal for international aid, updating procurement policies, and transforming critical infrastructure. Roman Klichuk, Mayor of Chernivtsi, joined the panel “Sustainable urban development, energy efficiency and strengthening the resilience of municipal infrastructure”. He spoke about the life of the city under martial law, the challenges and basic needs the city faces, and shared his vision of Chernivtsi's development and stressed the importance of cooperation with international partners, referring to EUACI as the main partner. In addition, Svitlana Olshanska, First Deputy Mayor of Zhytomyr, participated in the panel Ownership, Transparency and Integrity in Recovery, where she, together with the EUACI Head, Allan Pagh Kristensen, talked about the accountability and transparency of the reconstruction and development processes. #EUACIsupport

⚡️URC results: Fighting corruption - and false narratives Discussions about Ukraine’s recovery should also include discussions about anti-corruption. And URC 2024 panels proved this. ⚔️ The achievements of the anti-corruption reform in Ukraine and challenges and future perspectives were highlighted at the panel “Fighting corruption and strengthening a trustworthy environment” on 12 June in Berlin. During the discussion, the Head of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI), Allan Pagh Kristensen highlighted the main results of the anti-corruption reform in Ukraine: 🔸 Despite challenging circumstances, Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions have achieved remarkable results. High-level officials, including ministers, MPs, and judges, are now held accountable for their corrupt activities. This is a significant change from the past. 🔸 Ukraine's best-ever score in the Corruption Perception Index, which now brings Ukraine on an equal footing with some other EU candidate countries. 🔸 Ukraine has adopted numerous laws to protect the independence of anti-corruption institutions. The selection process for heads of these institutions, involving international experts, is a key example. 🔸 The EU's assistance and membership perspective have been crucial in establishing a legal framework. In this regard, Ukraine's progress since becoming an EU candidate country in June 2022 is remarkable. Allan Pagh Kristensen underlined that the numerous high-level corruption cases being revealed are a sign of successful efforts in combating it – not a sign of an increase in corruption. He also mentioned that despite the achievements, the outstanding challenges were still significant and more needs to be done in preventing and fighting corruption. Despite successes, the perception of corruption in Ukraine is often biased and has been subject to Russian propaganda. The EUACI has analyzed false narratives and put forward counter arguments by presenting evidence of Ukraine's progress in anti-corruption reforms. ➡️Learn more in Paper (https://cutt.ly/KepS8xqX) #URC2024 Martina Boguslavets Viktor Pavlushchyk Kateryna Ryzhenko Nicolas Pinaud