UNDP launches new project in support of civil service reform in Ukraine

Specifically, the project will contribute to the adoption of legislation and administrative regulations supporting these new policy developments and to building the capacity of the Main Department of Civil Service of Ukraine - the project's main implementing partner and beneficiary - in fulfilling its mandate, particularly, in its training and personnel development activities.

The project is aimed at providing technical aid to the Ukrainian Government to further accelerate Ukraine's civil service development. It is funded by the Government of Ireland. According to the cost-sharing agreement signed between UNDP and Irish donor earlier this year, the budget of the two-year project is 1 million EURO.

The new project was launched by His Excellency Ambassador Donal HAMILL, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ireland to Ukraine, Mr Tymofiy MOTRENKO, Chairman of the Main Department of Civil Service of Ukraine, and Mr. Francis M. O'DONNELL, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine.

The project will contribute to increased public awareness of the role of modern civil service among selected Ukrainian civil servants and political decision-makers by promoting the critical place of the new Law on Civil service and facilitating its swift adoption. It will also help Ukrainian Government implement recommendations of the EU and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and SIGMA, specifically, with regard to good governance and institutional reforms.

"The new project will help promote civil service as a modern public institution, which is based on transparency, free access, modern information technologies as well as European standards and values. This civil service should be oriented at offering better service to Ukrainians," Mr O'Donnell said.

In Mr Motrenko's opinion, it's been symbolic that the new project was launched on a day when the United Nations entered into its 63^rd year of operations. "If to speak globally about this project, its major task is the development of civil service personnel. We have already started creating a training centre for the highest corps of civil servants. It will be a school for governors, deputy ministers, top officials from Ukraine's central executive bodies. We are hopeful that through this new resource (new project) we would be able to attract Europe's best expertise and practices, adapting those to Ukraine's needs," he said.

The project experts will provide the Main Department of Civil Service of Ukraine with the necessary analytical and monitoring tools to successfully conduct its mandate in driving the Ukrainian civil service reform process.

Ambassador Donal Hamill believes that the new project has a tremendous importance for strengthening bilateral relations between Ukraine and Ireland. He says that the project will be a success and become "a model for other projects between Ireland and Ukraine in the future".  

Moreover, the Main Department of Civil Service will receive assistance in designing and delivering relevant training modules to civil servants in order to support their role and function in the current Ukrainian civil service, on its way towards a more professional, modern and effective civil service.  Special trainings on Leadership Development and Change Management will be developed and provided by MDCS.

In 2006, the Government of Ireland offered assistance in the area of civil service reform to Ukraine. The Ukrainian counterparts, namely the Main Department of Civil Service of Ukraine, welcomed the offer with much interest and expressed willingness to act as counterpart in project's implementation.

UNDP, which takes a lead among UN Agencies in the area of democratic governance and institutional reforms, was identified as key international partner to facilitate the overall project implementation and delivery of expected outcomes and activities. UNDP brings in a considerable international experience in the area of public administration reform as well as provides a neutral platform for policy discussions and dialogue on key directions within Ukraine's reform process.

One of three pillars of UNDP Ukraine's Country Programme Action Plan for 2006-10 is the "Good Governance Programme" with its three components: Administrative Reform and Civil Society Empowerment, Access to Justice and Human Rights and Gender Equality.

The project will follow the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement signed between UNDP and the Government of Ukraine and will be in line with the UN Development Assistance Framework and the UNDP Country Programme Action Plan for 2006-10.

Moreover, the project's implementation has been specified in line with a Memorandum of Understanding on support of civil service system reform within the framework of public administration reform, which was recently [23 October] signed between Ukrainian Government and UN Development Programme in Ukraine.