Collection includes diverse materials that were used within the framework of the project “Community Information Centres in Vinnytsa, Zakarpattia, Lviv and Rivne regions – II phase”, which was jointly implemented by Polish and Ukrainian NGOs: “Forum of Lublin non-governmental organisations”(Lublin), “Poland – East Cooperation Centre” (Lublin) and “European Dialogue” (Lviv). On the regional level Project activities were supported by regional coordination centres at partner organizations: NGO “Podolian agency for regional development” (Vinnytsia), “Volyn resource center” (Rivne), charitable fund “Centre of public Initiatives” (Perechyn) and the second half of the Project also involved “Mykolaiv development fund” (Mykolaiv). The Project was implemented within the framework of the Supporting Democracy Programme under the financial support of the Development Cooperation Programme of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland in 2014.
Project goal:
To ensure equal access of citizens to public information and high-quality information services. Primarily – access to the state-guaranteed administrative services, through expansion of “Public information centres” network, which was created in 2013 based on public libraries and NGOs in small towns and villages in Lviv, Vinnytsa, Zakarpattia, Rivne and Mykolaiv regions.
This Project is a logical continuation of a long-term cooperation between partners in the field of implementation of modern approaches to social and state management, strengthening local government and local democracy using the positive experience of Poland.
Project objectives:
- Dissemination of information about available e-government services on the national, regional and local levels among different groups in rural areas.
- Training of local consultants, able to teach residents how to use the services of e-government.
- Develop a network of 20 community information centres based on local NGOs, rural libraries with the active participation of communities and local government at the level of small towns and villages in 4 regions of Ukraine.
The main results of the Project were: strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations in the field of e-democracy and e-governance, developing local government and democracy at the local level, improving the social dialogue mechanisms in Ukraine, which in turn create better opportunities for future projects and strengthen European integration processes in Ukraine. During the final All-Ukrainian conference “State policy on e-government in Ukraine: problems and challenges”, held within the framework of the Project on 20-21 November 2014 in Lviv were considered topics very important for Ukraine, among others current status of the implementation of electronic government in Ukraine and Poland, electronic administrative services and development of the necessary infrastructure at the regional level. Also during the conference were presented results of the study of e-governance in 100 cities of Ukraine and the “Green Book” – a research prepared by the working group on government policy in the field of e-government under the Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine, which is then discussed by the conference participants in the four working groups.
The Project was implemented in a difficult time for Ukraine, when during the war in the East it was necessary to reform all spheres of public life. We hope that the results of the Project and activity of many institutions involved in the Project will significantly contribute to the “Reforms roadmap for the future Parliament,” which outlines 20 policy documents in the key areas which requires urgent reforms, including e-governance.
Coordinator of the Polish organizations: Natalia Hmurkovska
Coordinator of the Ukrainian organizations: Igor Kaspruk
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
