DEVELOPMENT
OF MUNICIPALITIES:
Kyiv, Ukraine online
Trust, Institutions, Finance and People
Online
Join us for two intensive days of discussion, knowledge exchange, and sharing bold,
innovative ideas on key regional and local development challenges, relevant for both
the Ukrainian and the international audience.
About International Expert Exchange 2020
Why now?

The local self-government and decentralisation reform in Ukraine has dramatically
changed the landscape for design and implementation of regional and local
development policy. After the October 2020 local elections, the country functions in a
new set-up where 1,469 municipalities have responsibilities & resources allowing them
to exercise their right for self-governance, and be able to plan, invest and implement
development projects.

From 2021 onwards, Ukraine will embark on its new regional development policy cycle,
based on the new State Regional Development Strategy approved by the Government in
August 2020, to be followed by its Action Plan and new regional planning documents. These
important national developments took place during a major crisis caused by the COVID-19
pandemic.

With the administrative-territorial structure of sub-national government settled, and the
transfer of powers and funding to the local level over the last 4-5 years, now is the time
to focus on how these structures and powers can be used to boost development. This
raises myriad issues about the roles of institutions, people, finance, and last but far from
least, trust in public administration.

What
to expect?

At the International Expert Exchange, we would like to focus on the topics which, in our
opinion, would be crucial for development policies in Ukraine and worldwide. We would like
to turn our attention to some of the very basic concepts of development and give
them a fresh and thought-provoking look in the light of the new circumstances.

The programme will be organised around the key concepts highlighted in the title of the
2020 International Expert Exchange. These concepts constitute the three thematic
pillars of the conference:

  • Pillar 1
    Institutions and governance
  • Pillar 2
    Finance and responsibilities
  • Pillar 3
    People and trust
Highlights
  • 3
    Keynote addresses
  • 2
    Panel discussions
  • 3
    Workshops
  • 1
    Interview
  • 12
    Countries
  • 2
    Working languages
Agenda
Thu 10 Dec
Fri 11 Dec

10:00

Opening and Welcome

  • Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine
  • Matti Maasikas, Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine
  • Bastian Veigel, GIZ Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe

10:20

Explanation of the flow of the conference, workshops, interaction and engagement facilities, online material

  • Iyevgen Dukhovych, Senior Advisor on Reform Communications and Dialogue

10:30 – 11:30

Panel discussion: “Governance for Development”

    In a dialogue format the opening panel will address the plans of the Ukrainian government and the international development partners on how they will support development of the new municipalities. The Ukrainian side will have an opportunity to elaborate plans with regard to local and regional development whereas representatives of EU and EU Member States will elaborate the focus of their support in the upcoming period.
  • Oleksiy Chernyshov , Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine
  • Matti Maasikas, Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine
  • Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine
  • Anka Feldhusen, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine
  • Tomaž Mencin, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Ukraine
    • Moderator: Bastian Veigel, GIZ Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe
    Rapporteur: Anna Bunyak. North Regional Hub Manager, U-LEAD with Europe

Panel discussion: “Governance and Institutional Support for Development”

    The panel will address the plans of the Ukrainian government and the international development partners on how they will support development of the new municipalities. MinRegion will present the plans to upgrade the functioning of the State Regional Development Fund and the upcoming process of the implementation of the State Strategy for Regional Development and its Action Plan. Representatives of EU Member States, which have been supporting the local self-government and decentralisation process through the U-LEAD with Europe programme, will elaborate the focus of their support in the upcoming period, and their expectations towards the municipalities and the government.
  • Jyrki Katainen, President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
  • Moderator: Andrej Horvat, GIZ Deputy Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe

  • Jyrki Katainen, President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
    • Mr Katainen strongly believes that the crisis has created an opportunity, and a strong urgency, to change our ways for the better. The important questions we must ask ourselves include: Can we stimulate ecological reconstruction? What means of power and use of information do we want to support? How can we reduce inequality and increase trust? How can we reform the economy to be sustainable? And on what conditions do we want to deploy technology? The answers to these questions, coming from a former Prime Minister and EU Commissioner, will certainly encourage you to think outside the box, and hopefully not only for the duration of this session
    Moderator: Andrej Horvat, GIZ Deputy Programme Director, U-LEAD with Europe

Panel discussion: “Governance and Institutional Support for Development”

    The panel will address the plans of the Ukrainian government and the international development partners on how they will support development of the new municipalities. MinRegion will present the plans to upgrade the functioning of the State Regional Development Fund and the upcoming process of the implementation of the State Strategy for Regional Development and its Action Plan. Representatives of EU Member States, which have been supporting the local self-government and decentralisation process through the U-LEAD with Europe programme, will elaborate the focus of their support in the upcoming period, and their expectations towards the municipalities and the government.
  • Jyrki Katainen, President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
  • Moderator: Andrej Horvat, GIZ Deputy Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe

    The amalgamation of villages and towns into larger municipalities introduced a set of institutional changes to Ukraine, but the challenge now is to refine them and make them work for development. Speakers will provide their views and recommendations on several aspects of this challenge. One is to make local institutions stronger and more resilient, and to clearly separate the roles of state administration and self-government institutions. If this is the 'vertical' coordination challenge, the 'horizontal' one is to encourage cooperation and solidarity between hromadas of different economic fortunes and structures. The underlying theme to both of these challenges is achieving the standards of good governance at the local level and improving the quality of services provided to citizens.
  • Reto Steiner, Dean of ZHAW School of Management and Law
  • Gregor Virant, Director of OECD SIGMA
  • Viktor Tymoshchuk, Chief Expert, U-LEAD with Europe Programme’s support to improved administrative service delivery
  • Wolfgang Drechsler, Professor of Governance at Tallinn University of Technology
  • Nataliia Shapoval, Head of KSE Institute at Kyiv School of Economics

    • Moderator: Janez Šušteršič, U-LEAD with Europe Programme expert on political economy, former Minister of Finance of Slovenia
    Rapporteur: Yelyzaveta Zhukovska, Advisor, U-LEAD with Europe

Panel discussion: “Governance and Institutional Support for Development”

    The panel will address the plans of the Ukrainian government and the international development partners on how they will support development of the new municipalities. MinRegion will present the plans to upgrade the functioning of the State Regional Development Fund and the upcoming process of the implementation of the State Strategy for Regional Development and its Action Plan. Representatives of EU Member States, which have been supporting the local self-government and decentralisation process through the U-LEAD with Europe programme, will elaborate the focus of their support in the upcoming period, and their expectations towards the municipalities and the government.
  • Jyrki Katainen, President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
  • Moderator: Andrej Horvat, GIZ Deputy Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe


    Increased responsibilities of local self-governments regarding provision of services and local development must be matched with sufficient financial resources. The session will discuss the main sources of revenues for the municipalities, their shortcomings and opportunities. This will include the own source revenues (for example, personal income tax), support available from international development partners such as the World Bank Group, and the opportunities to engage private sector financing. The speakers will provide an overview of available sources and how to make the best use of them.
  • Anthony Levitas, Senior Fellow at Watson Institute, Brown University
  • Georg Milbradt, Special Envoy of the German Government for decentralization, good governance and public service reforms in Ukraine
  • Viacheslav Nehoda, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine
  • Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive Director of Association of Ukrainian Cities
  • Iryna Ozymok, Local economic development program manager at Western NIS Enterprise Fund

Moderator: Thomas Meyer, Сoordinator of Good Governance Cluster at GIZ Ukraine
Rapporteur: Iain Mackie, Principal Strategy Advisor to the GIZ Programme Director, U-LEAD with Europe

Panel discussion: “Governance and Institutional Support for Development”

    The panel will address the plans of the Ukrainian government and the international development partners on how they will support development of the new municipalities. MinRegion will present the plans to upgrade the functioning of the State Regional Development Fund and the upcoming process of the implementation of the State Strategy for Regional Development and its Action Plan. Representatives of EU Member States, which have been supporting the local self-government and decentralisation process through the U-LEAD with Europe programme, will elaborate the focus of their support in the upcoming period, and their expectations towards the municipalities and the government.
  • Jyrki Katainen, President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
  • Moderator: Andrej Horvat, GIZ Deputy Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe


A new and better society has new and better narratives. We have to keep them in mind when we transform a country. Those narratives are nothing else but new forms of literacies much required for understanding and behaving in the modern world - a loud, confusing, constantly shifting place. This talk is about six of those narratives that should help us build a better, more equal and more collaborative world.


  • Lazar Dzamic, Xoogler, creative strategist and university lecturer

Moderator: Helge Arends, Team Leader, U-LEAD with Europe

  • Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Princesa de Asturias Professor & Professor of Economic Geography, Director, Cañada Blanch Centre, London School of Economics
  • Moderator: Angeliki Mavridou, advisor, U-LEAD with Europe

Panel discussion: “Governance and Institutional Support for Development”

    The panel will address the plans of the Ukrainian government and the international development partners on how they will support development of the new municipalities. MinRegion will present the plans to upgrade the functioning of the State Regional Development Fund and the upcoming process of the implementation of the State Strategy for Regional Development and its Action Plan. Representatives of EU Member States, which have been supporting the local self-government and decentralisation process through the U-LEAD with Europe programme, will elaborate the focus of their support in the upcoming period, and their expectations towards the municipalities and the government.
  • Jyrki Katainen, President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
    • Moderator: Andrej Horvat, Advisor, U-LEAD with Europe



    Quite often, it is said that in Ukraine there is a lack of trust. However, is this really the case? We believe that one should approach this question from a different perspective: there is a trust, however, it is not equally distributed. From time to time, Ukrainian society radically suffers from a lack of trust, as well from its radical abundance. We need to find the models of communication between citizens, institutions as well as citizens & institutions which will ensure a sufficient level of trust and a critical thinking. This balance is difficult to achieve. In this panel, we will address the challenges of trust in Ukraine as well as in other countries; we will talk about the role of trust for development: should it be a single hromada or entire country.
  • Monica Brezzi, Head of Division for Governance Indicators and Performance Evaluation at OECD
  • Sophia Opatska, Founding Dean of Lviv Business School, Vice Rector Academic Affairs at the Ukrainian Catholic University.
  • Olena Styazhkina, Philosopher, historian at National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
  • Andriy Kolomiytsev, Head of Pryuitivska hromada (Ukraine)

Moderator: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Philosopher, lecturer at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, analytics director at Internews Ukraine
Rapporteur: Tetyana Tatarchuk, Head of U-LEAD with Europe Chernivtsi Regional Office

Panel discussion: “Governance and Institutional Support for Development”

    The panel will address the plans of the Ukrainian government and the international development partners on how they will support development of the new municipalities. MinRegion will present the plans to upgrade the functioning of the State Regional Development Fund and the upcoming process of the implementation of the State Strategy for Regional Development and its Action Plan. Representatives of EU Member States, which have been supporting the local self-government and decentralisation process through the U-LEAD with Europe programme, will elaborate the focus of their support in the upcoming period, and their expectations towards the municipalities and the government.
  • Jyrki Katainen, President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
  • Moderator: Andrej Horvat, GIZ Deputy Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe




    How important is social capital for development? What is the role of culture, education, social entrepreneurship in Ukraine’s development vision? What is the power of community mobilisation, and formal and informal networks in ensuring cohesive development? In this workshop, we gathered speakers who will showcase their stories of investment into the most precious and, very often, overlooked element – people.

  • Yulia Fediv, Executive Director of Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, Head of Creative Europe Desk Ukraine
  • Yuriy Fylyuk, CEO of Promprylad.Renovation, founder of Teple Misto platform in Ivano-Frankivsk
  • Andrii Zakalyuk, History teacher and director "Lvivskyi" lyceum of Lviv City Council
  • Vladimir Prebilič, Mayor of Kočevje municipality; Vice President of the Local Self-Government Association (Slovenia), lecturer
  • Valeria Ionan, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for European Integration

Moderator: Mariana Semenyshyn, Team Leader U-LEAD with Europe
Rapporteur: Yaryna Stepanyuk, Advisor, U-LEAD with Europe

Panel discussion: “Governance and Institutional Support for Development”

    The panel will address the plans of the Ukrainian government and the international development partners on how they will support development of the new municipalities. MinRegion will present the plans to upgrade the functioning of the State Regional Development Fund and the upcoming process of the implementation of the State Strategy for Regional Development and its Action Plan. Representatives of EU Member States, which have been supporting the local self-government and decentralisation process through the U-LEAD with Europe programme, will elaborate the focus of their support in the upcoming period, and their expectations towards the municipalities and the government.
  • Jyrki Katainen, President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
  • Moderator: Andrej Horvat, GIZ Deputy Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe

  • Larysa Denysenko, Ukrainian writer, lawyer, public activist (TBC)

    • Interviewer: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Philosopher, lecturer at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, analytics director at Internews Ukraine

Panel discussion: “Governance and Institutional Support for Development”

    The panel will address the plans of the Ukrainian government and the international development partners on how they will support development of the new municipalities. MinRegion will present the plans to upgrade the functioning of the State Regional Development Fund and the upcoming process of the implementation of the State Strategy for Regional Development and its Action Plan. Representatives of EU Member States, which have been supporting the local self-government and decentralisation process through the U-LEAD with Europe programme, will elaborate the focus of their support in the upcoming period, and their expectations towards the municipalities and the government.
  • Jyrki Katainen, President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
    • Moderator: Andrej Horvat, GIZ Deputy Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe

svg
Next steps of local self-government
reform: development of municipalities
georg-milbradt
Next steps of local self-government reform: development of municipalities
Interview with Georg Milbradt, Special Envoy of the German
Government for decentralization, good governance and public
service reform in Ukraine
Read
Kyiv, Ukraine online

International Expert Exchange

Development of Municipalities: Trust, Institutions, Finance, and People
10-11 December 2020

Registration
Speakers
Andrés Rodríguez-Pose

Princesa de Asturias Professor & Professor of Economic Geography, Director, Cañada Blanch Centre, London School of Economics

Jyrki Katainen

President of Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA

Lazar Džamić

Xoogler, creative strategist and university lecturer

Matti Maasikas

Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine

Anka Feldhusen

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine

Ole Egberg Mikkelsen

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine

Tomaž Mencin

Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Ukraine

Georg Milbradt

Special Envoy of the German Government for decentralization, good governance and public service reforms in Ukraine

Olha Stefanishyna

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine

Oleksiy Chernyshov

Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine

Gregor Virant

Director of OECD SIGMA

Sophia Opatska

Founding Dean of Lviv Business School, Vice Rector Academic Affairs at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Wolfgang Drechsler

Professor of Governance at TalTech at Tallinn University of Technology

Vladimir Prebilič

Mayor of Kočevje municipality; Vice President of the Local Self-Government Association (Slovenia), lecturer

Yuliia Fediv

Executive Director of Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, Head of Creative Europe Desk Ukraine

Reto Steiner

Dean of ZHAW School of Management and Law

Monica Brezzi

Head of Division for Governance Indicators and Performance Evaluation at OECD

Viacheslav Nehoda

Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine

Anthony Levitas

Senior Fellow at Watson Institute, Brown University

Yuriy Fylyuk

CEO of Promrylad.Renovation, founder of Teple Misto platform in Ivano-Frankivsk

Nataliia Shapoval

Head of KSE Institute at Kyiv School of Economics

Oleksandr Slobozhan

Executive director of Association of Ukrainian Cities

Andriy Kolomiytsev

Head of Pryuitivska hromada (Ukraine)

Olena Styazhkina

Philosopher and historian at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Andrii Zakalyuk

History teacher and director "Lvivskyi" lyceum of Lviv City Council

Viktor Tymoschuk

Chief expert in improving the provision of administrative services to the population at U-LEAD with Europe Programme

Volodymyr Yermolenko

Philosopher, lecturer at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, analytics director at Internews Ukraine

Valeriya Ionan

Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for European Integration

Iryna Ozymok

Local Economic Development Program Manager at Western NIS Enterprise Fund

Moderators
Bastian Veigel

GIZ Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe

Janez Šušteršič

U-LEAD with Europe Programme expert on political economy, former Minister of Finance of Slovenia

Helge Arends

Team Leader, U-LEAD with Europe programme

Andrej Horvat

GIZ Deputy Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe

Mariana Semenyshyn

Team Leader, Sustainable Development Unit of U-LEAD with Europe programme

Thomas Meyer

Good Governance Cluster Coordinator at GIZ Ukraine

Angeliki Mavridou

Advisor to Programme Director, U-LEAD with Europe

International Expert Exchange Board

Board Chair:

  • Bastian Veigel, GIZ Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe

Technical Chairs:

  • Andrej Horvat, GIZ Deputy Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe
  • Mariana Semenyshyn, Team Leader, Sustainable Development Unit of U-LEAD with Europe
  • Yaryna Stepanyuk, Advisor, Sustainable Development Unit of U-LEAD with Europe

Organisational U-LEAD with Europe Task Force:

  • Organisational U-LEAD with Europe Task Force:
  • Helge Arends, Team Leader
  • Vadym Boiko, E-learning Advisor

  • Kristina Chelmakina, Local Development Advisor
  • Iyevgen Dukhovych, Senior Advisor on Reform Communications and Dialogue
  • Tetyana Fastovets, Travel and Events Coordinator

  • Roman Paliukh, Social Media & Visibility Adviser
  • Dmytro Prokopchuk, Visibility and Communications Advisor

  • Angeliki Mavridou, Advisor
  • Maksym Meshkovoi, Contract and Procurement Officer
  • Ganna Seyid-zada, Administration and Finance Officer

  • Tetyana Tatarchuk, Head of U-LEAD with Europe Chernivtsi Regional Office
  • Iaroslava Tulku, Strategic Management Advisor
  • Yelyzaveta Zhukovska, Technical Advisor on Administrative Services
  • Andriana Zmysla, Municipal Services and Citizen Engagement Advisor

  • Technical support:
  • Evgenia Skalyha, Designer

  • B&M EVENT Company
  • Svitlana Mokrii, Project Director
  • Kateryna Tkachenko, Project Coordinator
  • Vitalii Kostiuk, Designer
  • Svitlana Kisilova, Communication Project Сoordinator

Contacts
Yaryna Stepanyuk yaryna.stepanyuk@giz.de
About
U-LEAD with Europe

U-LEAD with Europe: Ukraine - Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development programme is a multi-donor action of the European Union and its member states, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and Sweden. The programme operates in all 24 regions of Ukraine to strengthen municipalities in their work to improve living conditions of their residents and service delivery at the local level under the decentralisation reform. U-LEAD provides specialised training and consultations for Ukrainian municipalities (hromadas), conducts local and international study trips and experience exchange events, implements local development projects in various sectors of hromadas' life, communicates the decentralisation reform to the citizens, cooperates closely with Ukrainian line ministries to improve regional development in Ukraine, and contributes to the formation of an efficient multi-level governance strengthening hromadas' capability.

About International Expert Exchange 2019
On 13 December 2019, the U-LEAD with Europe programme brought together policymakers, national and international experts, and academia at the International Expert Exchange conference "Empowering Municipalities. Building resilient and sustainable local self-government". The event took place at the House of Decentralisation in Kyiv and focused on the issues of the territorial reform, local self-government and socio-economic development. Furthermore, foreign guests of the conference presented a number of practical European reform cases. Overall, around 150 participants actively took part in the event.
Donors