One focus of the EGAP Program is the digital transformation of Ukraine’s regions.

Our portfolio contains numerous solutions for local government agencies to improve the quality of administration, and interactions between the government and the community, to foster social innovations, and to reduce the digital divide at the oblast level.

Digitalization will also ensure speed and quality in the decision-making process at government agencies and improve the provision of services to the public.

Locally, we have been cooperating with oblast state administrations (ODAs), local executive bodies (LEBs) and community organizations (HOs), and actively supporting:

• increasing institutional capacity and competencies at local government agencies;
• activating civil society and engaging it in communicating with the government during the policy-making process, including by using e-democracy instruments;
• improving the work of the CNAPs through automation, training for employees, and the introduction of new e-services;
• developing digital technologies and digital security for communities;
• designing inclusive digital literacy programs for different population groups;

During the first phase, 2015-2019, the EGAP Program was able to pilot a number of innovative approaches and instruments at the oblast level—specifically, in Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa Oblasts:

• developed and updated oblast digitalization programs used to prepare financial plans to institute ICT;
• automated CNAPs and established interconnectivity with oblast service portals;
• trained local CNAP staff in stress management, customer orientation and administrative skills, which raised the quality of administrative services provided to the public;
• rolled out the “Mobile CNAP” project, which simplifies the delivery of administrative services to individuals who, for different reasons, are unable to physically visit a center;
• launched ATC Website Designer service platforms and the GeoInformation System (GIS), which have become useful working tools for newly established amalgamated territorial communities (ATCs);
• organized a series of political dialogs and roundtables, which improved coordination among oblast and national political initiatives.

The second phase of the EGAP Program, 2019-2023, focuses on five targeted oblasts: Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk and Odesa. 40 communities will be selected on a competitive basis to be involved in the digital transformation process.

A key component of this work is carrying out digital audits and basing detailed digital transformation plans on their results. Going forward, these plans will be implemented in cooperation with local governments and civil society. We plan to continue to work together with government agencies at the oblast level and to pilot innovations in oblast centers.

With the installation of contemporary IT, e-government and e-democracy tools, and the provision of training for both specialists and ordinary residents, transparent and open communication is growing between the government and its citizens in the selected communities, corruption is going down, and public access to administrative services has become much easier.

One important result of this activity is the emergence of digital community success stories, which encourages even more oblasts to get involved in the digitalization process.