UNDP in Ukraine

The study tour was organised by a UNDP-led "Millennium Development Goals - Ukraine" Project for 10 leading policy makers of Ukrainian Government. Their Czech counterparts and human development specialists spoke about economic and social development, policy-making process and reforms implementation mechanisms.

The experience of the new Central European member-states, the Czech Republic in particular, in their gradual systemic transitions in line with the EU standards, particularly in terms of the social inclusion, made decisions and adopted policies, is enormously enlightening for Ukraine's further development.

The knowledge and practical tips on social inclusion issues the Ukrainian officials got in the Czech Republic are seen as extremely helpful for the Ukrainian colleagues, top economic policy-makers, responsible for elaboration of a number of strategically important documents related to the economic and social policy in the context of Ukraine's aspiration to the EU integration and in line with the Millennium Development Goals achievement.

This experience will be particularly beneficial for the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine which is in close co-operation with the experts of the UNDP seek to strengthen capacity building for policy development and create an efficient framework for strategic planning process based on MDGs, international experience and the best practices.

As Pavlo Onishchenko, Director of Strategic Planning Department at the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, says, the study tour exposed its participants to the new knowledge which would help decision-makers formulate, monitor and implement the evidence-based social policies.

"This, in turn, will be consistent with the EU Social Inclusion approach and Ukraine's MDG commitments - that are focused on reducing inequality and social exclusion, and enhancing human capital. Its allows better mainstreaming of pro-poor policies into the national development planning," he added.

During the study tour its participants learned about social policy development programmes and the Social Doctrine of the Czech Republic.

They found out about the Czech Millennium Development Goals and the European social inclusion agenda. According to the visit participants, they learned how social security system was transformed in the Czech Republic and how do they implement the Czech Republic National Action Plan on Social Inclusion.

Various presentations covered the wide-ranging policies of regional development in the Czech Republic, exposed comparative analysis in public and social policy and covered key strategic documents on development and improving institutional framework for policy implementation.

Ukrainian delegation members learned how to apply the European Open Method of Coordination, strategic planning in the field of social services and of social inclusion on the national/regional level. All this was supported by practical examples of community planning and social services development in Czech towns.

The special attention during the discussion was given to the strategic planning, priority-setting of the state socio-economic policy, national development goals and problems identification (in terms of policy responses and actions, as well as clarifying less urgent issues that can be addressed in the medium and longer term), development of the results achievement criteria and monitoring system.

The results of the joint work of the Czech Experts' Team and the Work Group from Ukraine will be summarized in Policy Recommendations. The paper is planned to be presented to the state executive and legislative bodies of Ukraine, other state agencies and NGOs to enable Ukrainian stakeholders' active participation in decision- and policy-making policy aimed at Ukraine's EU integration.

For more information, please, call Natalia Sitnikova, Project Manager, at tel.: +38 (044) 253 43 70.