Support to Civil Service Reform in Ukraine
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PROJECT’S BACKGROUND:
Ukraine declared independence in 1991 and, as many post-communist countries, was faced with the dual challenge of transforming its highly bureaucratic and centralised politico-administrative system while engaging into a process of economic transition from a centrally planned to a market driven economy. Though the immediate results were severe for the country (drop of per-capita incomes along with hyper-inflation), major economic indicators have been improving since early 2000.
Yet significant reforms still need to be conducted, notably to improve the operations and responsiveness of the civil service, to stabilise political institutions and create a conducive legal framework for growth and economic development.
These challenges were highlighted by the EU/Ukraine Action Plan signed on the 21st February 2005 that set out specific priorities such as:
- strengthening the stability and the effectiveness of the institutions guaranteeing democracy;
- reinforcing administrative capacity;
- continuing administrative reform.
Civil service reform remains, by and large, a work in progress. This has been recognised and the Main Department for Civil Service (MDCS), the body responsible for civil service policy, has been instrumental in shaping Ukraine civil service reform and in designing the Government policy framework in this area. It is currently applying all the efforts to create proper conditions for a new and modern civil service and put in place all necessary arrangements.
WHAT IS THE PROJECT’S MISSION:
The Project’s overall objective is to contribute to the Ukrainian Government reform programme towards a more transparent and efficient public administration, operating on the basis of EU oriented principles, as described in the Civil Service Development Programme adopted in June 2004. More specifically, it will contribute to the adoption of legislation and administrative regulations supporting these new policy developments and to building the capacity of the MDCS in fulfilling its mandate, in particular in its training and development activities.
THE PROJECT’S ACTIVITIES:
The Project consists of three sequential and incremental components with the following specific objectives:
- To sensitise selected Ukrainian civil servants and political decision-makers on the critical place of the new Law on Civil service to facilitate its swift adoption;
- To provide the MDCS the necessary tools in terms of analysis, expert advice and monitoring function to successfully conduct its mandate in driving the Ukrainian civil service reform process;
- To build the MDCS capacity 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.
Specifically, the Project’s activities include:
1. Sensitisation initiative to promote new values of EU-shaped civil service
Under this component, the project organises a number of activities:
1. A short awareness initiative focusing on the key elements of the law and at presenting its main dispositions as a necessary step in transforming the Ukrainian Civil Service into a model compatible with European best practices and minimum standards of public administration;
2. A round table with the view to expose the key stakeholders involved in the adoption of the new Law to the realities of the Ukrainian civil service and the response and opportunities presented by the draft law;
For such a complex initiative to succeed, high-level civil servants from European countries are involved to give their views together with some reputable experts (SIGMA).
2. Support to SIGMA reviews
The SIGMA programme provides expert analysis and studies on the functioning of European civil service, especially with regard to countries engaged in transition and reform programmes in an EU enlargement perspective. The SIGMA study ‘”Ukraine governance assessment” conducted in 2006 generated a lot of debates about the scale and urgency of the reform. It was agreed that at first SIGMA work in Ukraine in 2008 concentrates on providing expertise in two specific spheres: civil service reform topics, per agreement with MDCS, and the public procurement system reform.
The project coordinates activities of SIGMA in Ukraine with the view to benefit (1) from expert advice in the design and delivery of the main sequences of the civil service reform, as spelled out in the above-mentioned review and/or (2) from a monitoring function, assessing the relevance, pace and magnitude of the changes brought forward.
3. Training capacity within the MDCS
To remedy the chronic lack of professionalism of Ukrainian civil servants, it is proposed to engage in a significant capacity-building programme with a view to facilitating transfer of expert skills and technical know-how to the in-service training centre of the MDCS who, in turn, will be then able to spearhead a modern and responsive training policy for national civil servants.
To respond to the needs of time and tasks of adaptation to the standards of EU in civil service, MDCS is in the process of establishing a sustainable School of Senior Civil Service (www.school.gov.ua). The agenda tasks include: i) improvement of skills training process for the senior civil service executives; ii) introduction of the new training needs assessment methodology in work with civil service; iii) introduction of special training for civil servants on policy analysis, strategic planning, change management; iv) creation of a training centre under auspices of MDCS, v) introduction of pilot training courses, training of trainers; vi) building of sustainable institutional capacity to manage training activities and programs within the mentioned centre; and vii) improvements of legislative base, which regulates management of continuous professional training of civil servants.
Leadership Development Training Programme
Building on the above, specific training courses should be delivered to enhance the capacity of managers within the civil service, especially at top management level, to become agents of change and drive the reform agenda.
In this regard, in close relationship with the MDCS, the project will accommodate a series of training programmes revolving around four main strands:
- The manager’s own leadership capacity and style;
- A comprehensive systemic approach to change;
- The capacity to mobilise team of people to initiate change;
- The role of top management in policy design and formulation
A number of critical requirements should be observed to enhance the relevance and efficiency of the training programme:
- The training programme should aim at exposing the target group to several experiences and models in leadership and management as well as best practices of western public administrative systems in this field;
- The training programme should demonstrate a deep understanding of the reality of the Ukrainian civil service as well as of its main reform challenges;
- The design of the programme should accommodate an “equals to equals” exchange component, where high-level Western European civil servants (active or recently retired) and leading experts will share their leadership experiences and provide advices and coaching in a dynamic and conducive environment.
WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS AND DONORS?
National Execution Agency/National Implementing Partner:
The Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union - Serhiy Kucheruk (The Head of the Centre), Tetyana Kovtun (National Project Director)
The beneficiary of the project:
Main Department of the Civil Service of Ukraine (The MDCS) - Tymofiy Motrenko (The Head of the MDCS)
Donor:
Government of Ireland, contribution singed for EUR 1 000 000 (equivalent of USD 1 340 000).
