Donor

U.S.Agency for International Development (USAID)

Implementer

All-Ukrainian Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC) with its 24 Regional Offices

PROJECT PURPOSE

The purpose of the Policy for Ukraine Local Self Governance (PULSE) activity is to strengthen local governance, deepen democracy, improve conditions for development of communities and promote stability.

Сomponent 1. Development of the legal framework for decentralisation reforms

Working on the legislative framework for decentralisation reforms PULSE takes the input from local government officials – practitioners who later on implement legislative initiatives – and involves them to the legislation work. The Project puts together sectoral pools of experts for legislation drafting, organises training in law-making and advocacy, and introduces a number of tool for drafting legislation and regulatory documents (including interactive tools) and platforms for expert discussions. PULSE actively makes use of the existing instruments for policy dialogue between local government officials and central agencies of the state executive. The Project conducts practical training in legislation application, introduces distance-learning courses, provides consultations, and disseminates technical recommendations on legislation application in practice.

Component 2. Increasing resources under local self-governments’ authorities

The PULSE Project focuses on expanding the tax base of local self-governance, increasing the effectiveness of property taxes, legalization of income, and strengthening the financial autonomy of institutions in the public sector. The Project promotes the environment for access to additional financial resources for infrastructure improvements in consolidated territorial communities, such as borrowings and grant resources. PULSE joins the efforts to reform funding mechanisms for the local government delegated mandate in the sphere of public education, health care, culture, and social protection by introducing a system of social service standards and financial norms.

Component 3. Increasing the capacity of key stakeholders

Understanding the implications of the reform and support to its implementation from various participants of the process, such as state executive and local government officials, technical experts, media representatives and the community are the key to the successful reform implementation. The Project identifies the main target audiences and works with them training and providing information about the process and changes taking place, thus, supporting the conditions for consultations and dialogue. The project has launched communication channels to deliver the message about the vision and implementation of the reform, as well as set up forums for regular discussions of state executive authorities and local governments with media and public activists. PULSE collects and disseminates successes of decentralisation reform and best local government practices.

PULSE provides consultants at 24 AUC Regional Offices – on budget, on legal issues, and on communications and replication of decentralisation reform successes. In addition, 6 hubs on local economic development cover communities from all the oblasts.