We continue a series of interviews with the experts of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme’s team on improved administrative service delivery. It should be recalled that with the support of the Programme up to 600 ASCs will be established in the Ukrainian hromadas. 30 June is the last chance to apply for participation in the Programme on the website https://tsnap.ulead.org.ua/

Roman Matviychuk, regional coordinator on improved administrative service delivery of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

 

Tell us about the specifics of decentralisation in the Western Region, where you work within the frames of U-LEAD. How dynamic is it?

Can certain features be identified in the process of a proper ASC establishment in this region?

Each oblast and hromada have their own peculiarities that influence the choice of administrative service delivery model. In general, the Western Region has a good dynamics of establishment and modernisation of Administrative Service Centres. The Ivano-Frankivsk, Volyn and Chernivtsi Oblasts have particularly active hromadas. In the third round, Lviv Oblast hromadas worked well, this oblast together with the Ternopil and Zhytomyr ones, have a significant potential for the next round.

The availability of a perspective plan for the formation of hromadas’ territories in the Zakarpattia Oblast would contribute even more to the participation of local AHs in the Programme. However, even under such realities, the Zakarpattia Local Government Development Centre provided significant support to interested hromadas.

In general, a pleasant feature is that many hromada leaders understand the need for ASC. From round to round, the number of hromadas willing to establish proper ASCS is increasing.

In course of the Programme’s work you have visited more than 140 hromadas in order to help them create proper ASCs. What would you advise the hromada heads, who want to establsih proper ASCs for their residents?

It is important to understand deeply the meaning and essence of local self-government, first of all, that service delivery to the residents, including administrative ones, is one of the most important local self-government powers on the ground.

The ASC is not necessarily a millionth cost or new construction, or the introduction of additional staff. Everything can be done very reasonably, at small costs, as a rule, without increasing the personnel. ASC is a service. It is an open space, comfortable conditions and attention to visitors, including accessibility for people with disabilities, and comfortable conditions for staff.

You have been reforming the administrative service delivery system in Ukraine for more than six years. What are the current challenges in this area and how can they be overcome, in your opinion?

The strategic level problem is the organisation of administartive service delivery according to life situations and related rethinking, simplification of administrative processes and procedures.

Specific issues are whether the ASCs of rayon state administration, decentralisation of services of Civil Status Registration Office, land, registration of vehicles, issuance of driving licenses, deeper integration of Pension Fund services into ASC, and more efficient provision of state aid, subsidies, etc. are proper.

It is important that ministries, central executive bodies are ready to actively support decentralisation, do not initiate establishment of departmental offices for the administrative service delivery, but focus on the integration of relevant services in the ASC.

 

The ASC of the Tyachivska AH of the Zakarpattia Oblast became the first ASC in AH to start issuing foreign passports in 2017

 

How will administrative services be provided in 10 years? How will ASCs look like in 2030 in Ukraine?

I hope that in the future, the process of organising the physical delivery of admistrative services will be as simple as possible and focused on life situations (for example, birth of a child, acquisition of real estate, marriage, etc.) and related services of different providers.

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