USAID helps Ukraine become more democratic by supporting participatory, transparent, and accountable governance processes.  Working with the Ukrainian parliament, USAID improves legislative processes and increases public engagement and accountability, strengthens the rule of law by improving judicial accountability and independence, builds a foundation for decentralization and local government accountability, and supports programs that prevent trafficking in persons and help victims.

Civil society is critical to sustaining democracy in Ukraine. USAID develops the capacity of non-governmental organizations to monitor the government, protect human rights, and ensure that citizens have a voice in government decision making.  By training Ukraine’s independent media, USAID enhances journalistic professionalism, ethics, and monitoring capabilities. USAID political processes programs ensure that elections are free and fair, at the same time making political parties and elected officials more accountable to their constituents.

Current programs:

RULE OF LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS:

Justice Sector Reform Program (Nove Pravosuddya)
Chemonics International, Inc.
September 1, 2016 – February 7, 2021

Through coordination with Ukrainian partners, other U.S. Government supported programs, and international donors, this activity supports government and non-government-based efforts to establish an independent, accountable, transparent, and effective justice system that upholds the rule of law and is empowered to fight corruption.  Specifically, the activity strengthens judicial independence, increases accountability and transparency while instituting rule of law, enhances justice administration, improves the quality of legal education, and expands access to justice wile expanding human rights.  

Responding to Human Rights Violations and Empowering Citizens and Human Rights Defenders in Ukraine (Human Rights in Action program)
Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union
September 30, 2017 – September 30, 2022
http://helsinki.org.ua/

The "Human Rights in Action" program is Mission's human rights activity to respond to human rights violations and empower human rights activists through:1) Human rights monitoring and advocacy; 2) Strategic litigation on human rights cases; 3) Awareness raising and citizen empowerment regarding human rights; 4) Legal assistance to conflict-affected people. 

Global Labor Program: Ukraine
American Center for International Labor Solidarity (Solidarity Center)
February, 2016 – January 2021

The Global Labor Program (GLP) strengthens worker organizations and other civil society advocates for workers' rights, promoting access to justice for workers, ensuring equal employment opportunities for women and vulnerable groups, and building capacity to reduce trafficking in persons and labor rights violations. The GLP works with partner Ukrainian trade unions across the country on local capacity and leadership building efforts, including anti-corruption and freedom of association initiatives for IDPs, migrants, workers, and the disabled. 

Countering Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Project
International Organization for Migration
July 20, 2004 – January 1, 2018
www.iom.int

The purpose of this project is to reduce trafficking in persons in Ukraine by transitioning services for victims of trafficking, such as registration, referral and reintegration assistance to full Ukrainian ownership. This includes efforts to strengthen the national referral mechanism, increase government funding for counter trafficking efforts, and increase the involvement of non-governmental service providers in the national referral mechanism.

CIVIL SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT:

Ukraine Civil Society Capacity Building Project
Initiative to Support Social Action Ednannia (ISAR-Ednannia)
July 11, 2014 – July 10, 2019
www.isar.net.ua

The purpose of the Ukraine Civil Society Capacity Building activity is to improve organizational capacity of Ukrainian CSOs to become stronger citizen advocates and government watchdogs. To achieve this purpose, ISAR will focus on three objectives: 1) organizational development skills of CSOs improved through the NGO Marketplace (mini-grants voucher system, web-portal and regular capacity development forums); 2) NGO Capacity Building Marketplace strengthened as a tool that provides organizational development assistance to civil society; and 3) technical and organizational capacity of ISAR Ednannia increased as an Intermediary Support Organization (ISO) and the Marketplace Administrator.

Ukraine Civil Society Enabling Environment
Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR)
July 11, 2014 – July 10, 2019
www.ucipr.org.ua

The overall purpose of the Ukraine Civil Society Enabling Environment activity is to improve the legislative and policy environment to become more conducive to civil society needs and to reflect European standards. To achieve this, UCIPR focuses on three objectives: 1) to improve the quality of relevant civil society enabling legislation and policy; 2) to increase capacity of public officials and CSOs to ensure effective implementation of legislation and policy; and, 3) to increase technical and organizational capacity of UCIPR as a leader and driver of civil society legislative efforts. UCIPR’s unique approach will cover the full cycle of improvement of legislative and administrative environment for civil society development in its key areas. Namely, UCIPR will combine analysis of shortcomings and opportunities, monitoring of emerging challenges, development of proposals for improvement of legal acts and administrative practices, initiating and leading advocacy campaigns as well as offer awareness and training efforts, methodological support and monitoring of adopted legislation for civil society development.

Small Project Assistance Program (SPA) 
Peace Corps
September 28, 2012 – September 30, 2018

The Small Project Assistance Program (SPA) is a joint collaboration between USAID and the Peace Corps aimed at building the capacity of local communities and organizations. 

The purpose of the SPA Program is to encourage and support community self-help efforts by providing small amounts of funding for activities that can have an immediate impact at the community level.  The program also supports technical skills training to help local leaders improve the design and management of sustainable community development efforts.  

The Program encourages effective, sustainable development projects in sectors ranging from health to agriculture to small enterprise development. Through the SPA Program, Peace Corps Volunteers assist local communities develop and implement small community-initiated projects in such areas as health and sanitation, basic education, including non-formal education with out-of-school youth, women's organizations and other disadvantaged groups; agricultural and economic growth activities; environmental activities; and civic education and democracy building activities. 

Participant Training Program
Implementer: World Learning/Project Harmony/Consortium for Enhancement of Ukrainian Management Education
April 3, 2013 – April 2, 2018
http://ptp.ceume.org.ua/

The Participant Training Program promotes USAID/Ukraine’s strategic vision of a stable, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine integrated into Europe. The program seeks to transfer new knowledge, skills, and attitudes to Ukrainians to improve the political, social, and economic context in Ukraine and to create a network of professionals that shares international best practices and knowledge.

The Program offers practical training opportunities and internships in the United States and Europe for entrepreneurs, local government officials, non-governmental organization leaders, education administrators, as well as medical, business, and environmental professionals. The program combines seminars, workshops, site visits and meetings with American and European professionals with hands-on practical internships.

MEDIA DEVELOPMENT:

Ukraine Media Development Project
Internews Network
October 1, 2011 – September 30, 2018
http://internews.in.ua/

The five-year Ukraine Media (U-Media) Project promotes the development of a free, vibrant and professional media sector in Ukraine that provides a wide range of useful news and information, serves as a watchdog in the public interest, and defends freedom of speech. The U-Media Project seeks to achieve this goal through four key objectives designed to: (1) Support and promote freedom of speech and media independence; (2) Increase the variety of news sources and improve news quality; (3) Improve the enabling environment for media and freedom of speech; and (4) Improve organizational capacity of Ukrainian media CSOs. The U-Media program has adapted to the changing context in Ukraine by focusing activities on promoting more balanced political coverage across Ukraine through local content production, exchange visits, public discussions, and webcasts with special attention to the South and East. Local media partners monitor and publicize intimidation and attacks on civic activists and journalists and government interference in independent media coverage of Ukrainian politics. Partners provide legal aid and facilitate coordinated action in response to restrictions on press freedoms and violations of civil rights. The U-Media Project has also made a concerted effort to conduct programming that reaches the conflict areas in Donbas, where events are presenting an increasing challenge for Ukraine’s political transition and democratic future. In the lead-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections, the U-Media Project has sought to harness the energy of EuroMaidan and its demands for reform to increase the integrity of the parliamentary elections and help make political processes more responsive and accountable to the people. Specific electoral activities are designed to promote balanced and objective media reporting by increasing local media content and improving journalism skills, including election coverage, as well as Get out the Vote events to help inform citizens about the snap parliamentary elections - the candidates, issues and electoral process.

Accurately Reflecting the Ukraine-Europe Union Association Agreement in Ukrainian Media
Solidarity Fund PL
September 14, 2015 – March 31, 2019

Using Poland's experience as a model, this activity increases awareness and knowledge among Ukrainian media professionals to better understand and communicate facts about the European-Ukraine Union Association Agreement (EU/AA), what it accomplishes in practice, and how it affects citizens, communities, and the country. The goal of the activity is to increase citizen awareness of EU/AA opportunities and challenges and the EU/AA accession process, largely by increasing the availability of relevant balanced information. The Activity responds to Ukraine's dynamic political and social climate, in which the media has the potential to play an important role in promoting economic westernization through the EU/AA and similar means. The direct beneficiaries of the Project will be journalists, editors, managers, and media publishers in Ukraine that are interested in exploring the role of the media in teaching the Ukrainian public about the opportunities, challenges, and practical aspects of the EU/AA. The primary beneficiary of this project is Ukrainian society, which will receive objective information through news articles and broadcasts about the EU/AA, the related obligations and opportunities, and the impacts for everyday people.

POLITICAL PROCESS:

Ukraine Responsive and Accountable Politics Program (U-RAP)
Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening
April 1, 2016 – March 31, 2020

The USAID Ukraine Responsive and Accountable Politics Program (U-RAP) promotes political processes that lead to more representative, transparent, and accountable governance.  The program emphasizes three main areas: promoting political party accountability and inclusivity at the national level, enhancing party and government officials’ representation of citizens' interests at the local level, and improving the enabling environment for political competition.  The program equitably assists a broad spectrum of democratic parties in Ukraine and maintains a geographical balance nationwide. In select regions, the program will help local elected political actors be aware of and responsive to citizens' interests and will improve political and leadership skills among youth. The program will also support multi-level dialogues within communities on national reform issues. The USAID Ukraine Responsive and Accountable Politics Program will increase civil society's role developing and implementing election-related legislation. The program will also provide technical assistance to the Central Election Commission (CEC), particularly on the training of election commissions. It will also develop voter education materials and work with the CEC to help voters understand the new rules. The program is implemented by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES).

Domestic Oversight of Political Processes in Ukraine Program
All-Ukrainian public organization "Civic Network OPORA"
January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2020
www.oporaua.org/

The goal of this activity is to improve Ukraine’s electoral process and its corresponding legislation to better reflect the will of the Ukrainian people. The activity will achieve this goal by improving the integrity of Ukrainian elections through domestic monitoring, supporting development and implementation of relevant legislation that is inclusive, transparent and conforms to European standards, and increasing the organizational and technical capacity of the Civic Network OPORA.

GOVERNANCE:

Municipal Finance Strengthening Initiative (MFSI-II) Roll-Out
Institute for Budgetary and Socio-Economic Research (IBSER)
September 30, 2011 – December 31, 2017
http://www.ibser.org.ua/news/435/?lang=en

The purpose of the activity is to promote efficient and transparent implementation of local budgets to foster local social and economic development. MFSI-II will advance the following objectives: 1) provide legislative, methodological and organizational support to central and local government bodies to expand Performance Program Budgeting (PPB) to all local budgets in Ukraine; 2) build the capacity of 15 selected cities to develop and implement multi-year development strategies, including the introduction of financial practices that foster energy efficiency; and 3) enhance public awareness and understanding of the public budgeting process, revenues and expenditures.

Responsible, Accountable and Democratic Assembly (RADA)
Implementer: East Europe Foundation
November 25, 2013 – November 24, 2018

The RADA activity works to reinforce a more effective and independent legislature in Ukraine, and increase citizen participation into the policy-making process. Specifically, RADA will support members of parliament in building constituent relations and improving their representation function, expand citizen education and monitoring of members of parliament in order to increase their accountability, promote parliamentary independence by reinforcing the rules that govern that body.

Policy for Ukraine Local Self Governance (PULSE)
Implementer: Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC)
December 14, 2015 – December 13, 2020

This activity strengthens local governance, deepens democracy, improves conditions for development of communities and promotes stability. The activity helps the Government of Ukraine and local governments adopt and implement sound decentralization policies, beginning with decentralization enabling legislation based on local government input and by increasing resources and capacity of institutions of local self-government.

Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency (DOBRE)
Implementer: Global Communities
Project period: June 8, 2016 – June 7, 2021

DOBRE provides comprehensive assistance to local communities by making local government effective, responsive, capable of delivering tangible benefits to citizens, and able to quickly implement reforms in key sectors. DOBRE is part of a coordinated package of international donor assistance to the Government of Ukraine to implement nationwide decentralization reforms and ensure the success of newly consolidated communities.

DOBRE has two primary objectives: (1) build the capacity of consolidated communities to carry out their responsibilities and provide quality services to their constituents, and (2) increase the involvement of local residents and civil society organizations in local government decision making, while holding local officials accountable through monitoring and oversight.

FIGHTING CORRUPTION:

Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services (TAPAS)
Implementer: Eurasia Foundation
Project period: August 4, 2016 – August 3, 2021

This $19 million, five-year anti-corruption activity is funded by USAID and British government's UK aid. It provides e-governance tools to reduce opportunities for corruption within the Government of Ukraine and engages the public in anti-corruption efforts.  TAPAS features three major components: training Ukrainian officials to use software-based procurement processes reduce corruption (e.g. eliminating malfeasance, providing transparency in acquisition, and imposing accountability); an Open Data initiative disseminates standardized, accessible, and consistent GoU data for public, intra-governmental, and international oversight; and an eServices platform provides government services over a secure and user-friendly medium. 

Ukrainian Transparent Education Management Alliance (UTEMA)
Implementer: American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS (American Councils)
Project Period: May 15, 2016 – May 14, 2018

UTEMA aims to institutionalize transparent, efficient, accountable management practices in the education sphere that are visible examples of good governance and narrow opportunities for corrupt practice. UTEMA’s objectives are to establish the institutional framework for transparent E-governance at the Ministry of Education and Science (MOES), develop an electronic document processing system for the MOES, and develop and pilot an electronic system for financial business reporting by Ukrainian’s higher education institutions (HEI) and to the MOES.

Proposed project activities will ensure development, testing, and initial deployment of the e-governance systems. The proposed Alliance founding partners (MOES, Microsoft, American Councils, Inforesurs, and USAID as the initial Key Resource Partner) will ensure that all three objectives are achieved in a focused and timely fashion. Each of the founding partners brings fundamental capabilities to construct a new institutional environment exemplified by transparent, timely, and consistent Ministry documentary operations; and a pilot model for accountable, transparent, and unified financial and business reporting for Ukrainian HEIs.

UTEMA outcomes will be:

• An institutional framework for transparent and accountable e-governance management at the Ministry of Education and Science;
• An electronic document processing system at the Ministry of Education and Science;
• An electronic system for Ukrainian HEI financial business reports to the Ministry of Education and Science.

Enhance Non-governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagements (ENGAGE)
Implementer: Pact, Inc.
Project period: October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2021

USAID’s flagship Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement (ENGAGE) program is working to increase citizen awareness of and engagement in civic actions at the national, regional and local level.  The Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement program focuses on four key objectives: (1) Enhanced civic education; (2) Support for civic coalitions and initiatives at the national, regional and local levels; (3) Improved organizational capacity of partner CSOs; and (4) Long-term sustainability of civic engagement in democratic reforms.  The 5-year program will provide funding, capacity building, and facilitate networking among citizens, civic organizations, and coalitions on critical areas of democratic reform, with a special focus on anti-corruption.  The Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement program builds on the success of the former UNITER civil society strengthening project, which worked to empower Ukrainian CSOs to represent citizens’ interests and drive Ukraine’s reform agenda through more effective advocacy, monitoring, and activism.

Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions (SACCI)
Implementer: Management Systems International
Project period: June 14, 2017 – June 13, 2022

The Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions (SACCI) activity reduces corruption and increases government accountability and transparency in Ukraine. The activity has three objectives: 1) Empower key government institutions to fight corruption, 2) Increase public support for, and engagement in, anti-corruption efforts, and 3)  reduce the public's tolerance of corrupt practices.