This methodology was developed by a Working Group composed of representatives of the CCC Creative Center, the Department of Information and Public Communications of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Center for Adaptation of Civil Service to EU standards, the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine, and experts from other civil society organisations.

 

As experts pointed out, the assessment aims at determining the state and effectiveness of the interaction between the executive branch and society. It is to examine the level of openness and transparency of government to the public and its cooperation with civil society. According to the developers of the methodology, this assessment is not an audit or control. Requiring the involvement of professional experts, it should result in encouraging government to find new tools to improve their activities.

 

The assessment criteria includes: a) defining the quality of informing the public, b) carrying out public consultations, c) involving citizens in policy development, and d) partnership between government institutions and citizens. For this purpose, the methodology's developers proposed the matrix of indicators to measure effectiveness.

 

As noted during the discussion, the assessment should include not only quantitative indicators that may not fully reflect the real situation. There must be a qualitative analysis, conducted by both experts and a governmental body. Moreover, this assessment should not be burdensome. It can be initiated by both government and citizens, seeking the consistency of both parties to improve government interaction with the public.

 

The pilot studies being carried out to assess three government bodies and agencies will be a precursor to finalising the methodology. The assessment will result in recommendations for the further improvement of the government-citizen interaction.

 

This initiative was carried out under the Democratization, Human Rights and Civil Society Development Programme in Ukraine, implemented by UNDP and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.