EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI)

❓ What will be the future of Anti-Corruption in Ukraine? 👥 Last weekend, a group of 30 insightful individuals from key positions in government, parliament, civil society, media, businesses, academia, anti-corruption institutions and international organizations met in Lviv to engage in a lively dialogue about preventing and fighting corruption and promoting integrity and ethics. The workshop was part of a joint project of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development established to facilitate a dialogue between different spheres of society about the future of anti-corruption.    The public’s growing intolerance to corruption during the full-scale invasion, the well-established anti-corruption infrastructure and new possibilities stemming from the EU integration process provide opportunities for Ukraine. The next steps in countering corruption, and how to mobilize people, institutions and resources to that end, was on the agenda in Lviv. 💭 “While winning the war must be issue number one for Ukraine, there is also a need to think about the day after and how to create an even better society with less corruption. We decided to gather key persons from many different spheres of society. Because countering corruption demands a holistic approach. And the workshop in Lviv showed that this is the way to go. We gained a lot of valuable input and left Lviv upbeat and with new inspiration and good emotions” — Allan Pagh Kristensen, the Head of the EUACI and the initiator of the Future of the Anti-Corruption in Ukraine group said.   📑 This dialogue is one of a series moderated by the working group of the EUACI and OECD on this topic. Based on their results, the project will formulate a vision paper to inspire and guide decision-makers and other stakeholders.

☝🏻Ten years after anti-corruption reforms in Ukraine 📑 On October 14, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Laws "On Prevention of Corruption," "On the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine" and "On the Basics of State Anti-Corruption Policy in Ukraine (Anti-Corruption Strategy) for 2014-2017." Over these ten years, Ukraine has made significant progress in the fight against corruption: National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, National Agency on Corruption Prevention and High Anti-Corruption Court were established, and Ukraine’s place at the ranking in Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International rose from 144th position in 2013 to 104th in 2023. 🎞To recall Ukraine's path over the past ten years, we suggest watching the film "Large-Scale Corruption in Ukraine: How to Destroy the Evil?" by an educational project, Price of the State, of the analytical center CASE Ukraine. The film tells about corruption in Ukraine, progress in the fight against it, high-profile cases of exposing corruption, and refutes established myths. The authors also reflect on what may await Ukrainians in the future and whether it is possible to completely fight corruption. The video was commissioned by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI). 🎥Watch the film via the link: https://lnkd.in/eABUk7jB 🤝 The EUACI congrats the results Ukraine has achieved during this period and continues to support the country in fighting corruption.

🔔We are looking for the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) experts to launch educational products on integrity in schools EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) has launched a tender regarding expert support for launching educational products on integrity in schools developed by the NACP Integrity Office. 📑The scope of work includes: 🔹Expert support for developing an action plan and obtaining approvals necessary for the inclusion of the Anti-Corruption Course for 9 th Classes into school educational program/s; 🔹Expert and processing support for obtaining the official stamp “Recommended for use in the educational process” (including providing payments of official fees), as well as developing action plan and obtaining all other approvals for integration of provisions of Manual with cross-cutting materials “About integrity” (ПРОдоброчесність) for 5 th – 11th Classes into school educational program/s; 🔹Preparation of a priority list of school textbooks with related analytics under educational programs for 5 th -11 th Classes and communication with their publishers and other related stakeholders for inclusion of provisions from the Manual with cross-cutting materials “About integrity” (ПРОдоброчесність) for 5 th – 11 th Classes into new editions of such school textbooks; 🔹Printing of 200 copies of Manual with crosscutting materials “About integrity” (ПРОдоброчесність) for 5 th – 11 th Classes; More details are via the link http://surl.li/iheiii. 📩Submit your proposals to ievrom@um.dk by 11 November 2024, 18:00 Kyiv time.

The Role of the EUACI in the Restoration and Development of Local Communities On 21 October, the XVIII Ukrainian Municipal Forum, titled "Unity for Victory and Ukraine's Recovery," organized by the Association of Ukrainian Cities, commenced its work. This annual Forum serves as a traditional platform where all levels of government come together to address the challenges facing communities and to develop policies for local self-government. 👥 This year, the Forum welcomed over 350 participants, including representatives from local and national governments, international institutions, European municipalities, and the media. 👉 Taras Sluchyk, Team Leader of EUACI's Component Integrity Cities and Integrity Reconstruction, joined the Forum's second day. He participated in a panel discussion dedicated to exploring opportunities provided by international technical assistance projects for the communities’ restoration and development. During his speech, he shared experiences from joint projects with partner cities of the EUACI – Mykolaiv, Chernivtsi, and Zhytomyr. 🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/4f1AUek

📚"Transparent School": the NACP Integrity Office and EUACI held an event for educators in Poltava On October 23-24, the Integrity Office of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) held a two-day educational training "Transparent School: The way to building a virtuous educational environment" for the heads of departments and administrations of education of the Poltava region. 🏫 The tools that will help to implement the principles of integrity and transparency in Ukrainian schools were introduced to the participants of the training. The educators also tried various methods of implementing integrity: gamification, debates, workshops, and methodological recommendations. The heads of education departments and administrations in the Poltava region also worked on revising and improving their institutions' mission, vision, and values, mastered progressive management methodology through OKR, and discussed the issue of attracting additional funding for school development. 🤝 The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) has been implementing the "Transparent School" project together with the National Agency on Corruption Prevention so that Ukrainian schoolchildren can grow up and be educated in conditions of integrity and transparency. #EUACisupport

🤔 What is the current state of ‘open data’ in Ukraine? What challenges do businesses and the public face? What can be done  to further develop ‘open data’? These were the key questions discussed by participants at the Closed Data Conference 5.0, held on 18 October in Kyiv. The event was focused on the opportunities and threats facing the open data sphere. During his speech, the EUACI Team Leader on Integrity in Reconstruction Taras Sluchyk emphasized the importance of open data in construction and rebuilding processes: “All processes related to construction require data. The quality of construction depends on high-quality, structured, and timely published data. The more data available to the public, the more opportunities there are to attract investment, and therefore the business can develop faster. Projects can be built faster. We can receive higher-quality services.” During the event, participants discussed: ◾ The importance of open data during wartime; ◾ The threats facing the sector; ◾ The role of critical data in rebuilding and developing the country; ◾ Legal protection of open data. 📹 Watch the event (UKR): https://lnkd.in/d3M4DW8T 🤝 The event was organized by the DEJURE Foundation with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative.

🇪🇺Ukrainian prosecutors visited the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) On 14-18 October, prosecutors from the Prosecutor General's Office, Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office visited the headquarters of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Luxembourg. 🤝🏻During the visit, the participants got acquainted with the history, mission and tasks of the EPPO, the work of its structural units, the legal basis for its functioning, as well as cooperation with third countries. In addition, the Ukrainian delegation had numerous meetings with European Prosecutors, analysts and members of the EPPO administration. As a result of the visit: ▪️Practical contacts and a channel for further communication were established; ▪️The potential involvement of the EPPO in training Ukrainian prosecutors was discussed. The prosecutors also met with Laura Codruta Kovesi, the European Chief Prosecutor, who assured them of EPPO's continued support for the Ukrainian prosecution service. The EPPO representatives also expressed their readiness to strengthen the cooperation with Ukrainian authorities, especially for investigation of crimes related to EU funding in Ukraine. PGO participants were supported by the EU Project Pravo-Justice, while SAPO participants were supported by the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI).

⚖️The EUACI, NABU, and HACC representatives discussed  the possibilities of developing the eCase system with the President of the Ukrainian Advocates' Association 💭"The eCase system provides revolutionary changes for advocates, it is especially important that the defense in court can express their wishes for the further development and use of this system," said UAA President Olga Dmitrieva. The First Deputy Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, Denys Gulmagomedov, said that new types of motions and templates are being developed, particularly regarding procedural actions involving the defense side. Expert of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) Andriy Hnidec assured the EUACI's readiness to support the development of the system. ☝️ eCase Manadement System is a flagship project of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative. It enables detectives, prosecutors, and judges to process procedural documents electronically, replacing a cumbersome and inefficient paper system. The system's development started in 2019 with technical and financial support from the EUACI.

💼 Transformation of Public Procurement Processes in the Mykolaiv City Council Mykolaiv is facing many challenges due to the full-scale invasion. This includes a significant number of damaged or destroyed facilities, a decline in market activity, supply chain issues, and a shortage of qualified specialists. 👉 These challenges have prompted a renewal and improvement of approaches to conducting and planning public procurement of services and materials. In 2023, at the initiative of Oleksandr Syenkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv, the Mykolaiv City Council begun a comprehensive overhaul of procurement policies with the support of the EUACI. The main goals were to increase transparency and efficiency, ensure maximum competition, and achieve significant cost savings during the procurement process and contract negotiations. ✅ On 13 September, Oleksandr Sienkevych approved significant changes to procurement practices in the Housing and Utility Infrastructure Department and the Capital Construction Directorate of the Mykolaiv City Council. These departments will become the main customers for capital repairs and new construction in the coming years. What has changed? 🔹 Establishment of a Procurement Committee. 🔹 Modification of the approach to forming and justifying needs. 🔹 Revision of the method for substantiating the technical characteristics of procurement items. 🔹 Development of a unified approach to determining the expected cost based on price monitoring. 🔹 Simplification and standardization of tender documentation. While much improved procedures are now in place, Mykolaiv City Administration continues to suffer from lack of capacity and of expertise in the field of public procurement. 🤝 Experts from the Center for Public Monitoring and Research and the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) Integrity Support Office contributed to the development and implementation of the procurement approaches. ☝️ Earlier, in 2023, Mykolaiv became the first city to introduce mandatory publication of estimates in a machine-readable format. In 2024, monitoring of prices for basic construction materials and resources was introduced. 📌 The joint experience of Mykolaiv and the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) has been compiled into a manual that includes descriptions of practices and draft documents which can be used as a basis when reforming procurement policies in other cities (UKR): https://lnkd.in/d9W76Kva

🔎 National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine external independent audit kicks off The Commission for the External Independent Assessment (Audit) of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau's performance arrived last week for the first visit to Ukraine and began an intensive two weeks program with a number of meetings with different stakeholders. The Commission is going to evaluate NABU’s performance and identify areas for improvement. This process involves not only a thorough examination of the bureau’s internal structures and processes but also a review of its adherence to legal standards and its impact on reducing corruption in Ukraine. 👥The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) provides technical support to the Commission together with IDLO - International Development Law Organization. This support includes a secretariat in Kyiv, a group of legal analysts and logistical support to the auditors.