U-LEAD with Europe: Ukraine – Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development Programme

U-LEAD with Europe is a multi-donor action of the European Union and its member states Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and Slovenia to support Ukraine on its path to strengthening local self-government.

U-LEAD with Europe promotes transparent, accountable and responsive multi-level governance in Ukraine, improves the capacities of municipalities to carry out the newly assigned tasks and promotes citizen and private sector engagement in local affairs. It helps to provide new well-functioning Administrative Service Centres (ASCs) which greatly increase the availability of administrative services to citizens.

The Programme’s specific objective is to enhance the capacities of key actors at national, regional and local levels to further implement Ukraine’s decentralisation and related regional policy reforms, and to contribute to defining the functions for each level of government within specific policy areas.

U-LEAD with Europe has its regional offices in all 24 oblasts of Ukraine, and co-founded the EU Project Office in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, to support the Sea of Azov region. Through its powerful expert and professional network, the Programme provides advice on strengthening local self-government and regional development to the national level, improving coordination between different ministries and levels of government.

The Programme carries out most of its capacity development activities in the frame of the Thematic Support Packages (TSPs). The TSPs are a mix of training and other learning instruments, implemented through standard formats such as:

• First Steps for Newly Established Municipalities (basic important information and advice all newly created municipalities need to know in order to organise local work processes effectively)
• Steps for Leaders (specialised trainings for the heads of municipalities)
• Steps for Specialists (thematic trainings for the professionals of municipalities)

U-LEAD developed the e-learning platform https://u-learn.org.ua/ as an integral part of its TSPs. The study materials are free of charge with a certificate being provided upon completion of the training.

U-LEAD with Europe also provides advice to draft legislation and contributes to the discussions around establishing a sustainable legal framework for local self-government and multi-level governance (e. g. amendments to the Budget Code, Law on Local Self-Government, Law on Local State Administrations).

U-LEAD with Europe closely supports Professor Georg Milbradt, Special Envoy of the German Government for decentralisation, good governance and public service reforms in Ukraine in his advisory function towards a successful implementation of the Ukrainian reform agenda.

U-LEAD's contribution since 2016: укр   еng

Empowering municipalities and citizens of Ukraine: selected insights into U-LEAD contributions: укр  еng

The Inception Phase of U-LEAD with Europe’s Support to Improved Administrative Service Delivery:

Visual report 2016-2018: укр   еng

Visual report 2018-2019: укр   еng

Visual report 2019-2020: укр   еng

Partner:	Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine (MinRegion)
Supported by:	European Commission, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden
Implemented by:	Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)