How to make interaction between local and central authorities in Ukraine as transparent, effective and in line with the spirit of decentralization reform as possible?

On what platform should we try to look for solutions if consultations with communities and regions are not always enough due to the different levels of problems, interests and political weight of the players

How to preserve the achievements of decentralization, recognized not only within the state, but also in the EU territories, and give the reform a new impetus?

To find answers to these questions, even before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities was created under the President of Ukraine, which is now becoming a key platform for interaction.

Evolution of Congress.

When this body was first created, it was assigned only one role - a platform for dialogue where everyone can hear everyone. But this format was exhausted too quickly and needed a more rigorous system capable of identifying problems and prompting quick solutions.

That is why a regional format was created in 2023, in which meetings were held several times a month on the issues of a specific de-occupied region or territory suffering from active hostilities. This made it possible to receive real feedback from communities and quickly issue instructions to eliminate problems. This also made it possible to launch one of the projects of real regional cohesion - the Presidential initiative “Plich-o-plich”, within the framework of which 15 conditionally safe regions were involved in the restoration of settlements on the liberated right bank of the Kherson region.

Thus, a tool was found for a qualitative solution to some problems, but this did not make it possible to systematically assess the situation and begin to formulate local government policies, which received two new, seemingly incompatible challenges at once: the physical survival of territories during the war and European integration, where the leading place.

Therefore, at the beginning of 2024, they decided to form six standing commissions under the Congress, which were distributed in the following relevant areas:.

effective management;

security policy in communities;

policy of heroes and support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

humanitarian policy;

infrastructure policy;

European integration of communities and regions.

Work of commissions. Unite the impossible.

The commissions were entrusted with two parallel tasks at once: collecting information on current key problems from representatives of local councils and local state administrations (systematizing it and proposing ways to solve them) and developing strategic proposals for continuing the decentralization reform in relevant areas and spheres of the country’s life..

To balance opinions, the head and three coordinators of each commission were elected. They were supposed to represent different authorities, but with a mandatory distribution of representatives: from the Verkhovna Rada, the government, regional authorities and local authorities. This made it possible to consider each problem from different points of view, but at the same time find balanced solutions.

The range of activities turned out to be quite wide. After all, strategic products and solutions to very different issues are simultaneously needed. For example, to solve vehicle fleet problems in communities that donated their buses to the front, but cannot use those imported free of charge from international sister cities, because current legislation prohibits this (we are now looking for the right solution model). Or the need to reduce the time of special checks for positions in regional and district military administrations, which now last from two to four months due to the large migration of personnel and low throughput on the part of the NAPC, which directly affects the personnel potential of the state vertical. But the key thing is that without direct dialogue with communities and regions, many of these issues could continue to remain unattended or be resolved only where the conditional heads of communities are ready to run around all the offices of capital officials with their feet.

Priorities of public policy.

From small problems I would like to move on to systemic and priority things that decentralization will have over the next and not so many years. There are four of these priorities.

An up-to-date, universal, legislatively supported system of administrative-territorial structure that meets EU standards.

Here we must talk, first of all, about communities throughout the state and full compliance with the statistical standards of the European Union. It is unlikely that it will be news to many that some Ukrainian regions, which in 2020 were the result of political compromises, will turn out to be a weak link in working with European funds. In addition, the Ukrainian Constitution should finally recognize the community as a basic element of local self-government, and legislation should regulate all issues relating to communities and their territories.

Constant and balanced multi-level management system.

The powers between central and local authorities should be delineated at the legislative level, and money should be spent on communities in accordance with the scope of powers, and not with annual changes to the Budget Code.

All communities should have the same management model, there should be no metropolitan exceptions with the consolidation of positions.

And, of course, the consequence of changes to the Constitution should be the elimination of the subregional level of local government (district councils).

Formulated and legally enforced policies regarding certain types of territories.

A full-scale war has made significant adjustments: the conditional territory of the Lviv agglomeration and the communities of the Chernihiv region adjacent to the Russian Federation, which are completely depopulated, cannot develop equally. During the transition period after the war, the system of local self-government in Transcarpathia and the Kherson region cannot be the same, not to mention the territories occupied for ten years. A different framework for different territories, but first their adequate distribution, which will meet both the EU approaches and the challenges of the security sphere of Ukraine.

Optimal network for the provision of public services based on administrative-territorial structure.

CPAU, healthcare institutions, educational, judicial networks - everything must be synchronized with the device and based on the same approaches, which were practically reflected during the formation of the new map of Ukraine on July 17, 2020. Currently, only administrative services meet this approach, but I am very pleased with the start of the process in the field of specialized secondary education.

Each of the above points, of course, will remain only a fantasy of experts and practitioners if we do not support the Armed Forces and rally around them. But without planning and consistency, it is impossible to ensure the life of the country and overcome modern challenges. It is extremely important that the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine becomes the core that combines both cohesion and hopes for positive practical changes and a fresh breath of air for the main reform of the country.