On 1 November, a new Administrative Service Centre was opened in the Vasylkivska amalgamated hromada of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Together with the rayon state administration, the Centre will provide 33 thousand residents of the hromada and the entire Vasylkiv Rayon with 235 important administrative services, including residence registration, social and pension services. The new ASC is an example of effective cooperation of hromada, the U-LEAD with Europe Programme, rayon and central authorities.

Premises of the Centre have been completely renovated by the hromada. UAH 945 thousand from the local budget and UAH 505 thousand from the state budget were allocated for construction and repair works. The ASC is equipped for the needs of people with disabilities and also has a children's play corner.

Olena Lichmanenko, Deputy Director of the Economic Development Department of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast State Administration, said: “Always and everywhere people should feel respect, especially from the authorities. Today, this principle has come to life at this Centre, which will become a powerful platform for local authorities to communicate with hromada residents and an innovative focal point for social change.”

The new ASC has six workplaces. Pysmenne settlement and the Velykooleksandrivka village will be provided with remote administrative workplaces, which will significantly increase their accessibility for rayon and hromada residents, including 20 settlements.

Yulia Ivakhina, team leader of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme’s support to improved admini9strative service delivery, noted: “I am extremely pleased that the U-LEAD with Europe Programme has become part of the team efforts of the hromada, rayon and central authorities that have led us as a result to current opening of a new ASC accessible to all residents. I am sure that today's event is only the first step in the development of local self-government in the Vasylkivska hromada and its prosperity.”

With the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme, every workplace of the Centre was equipped with furniture and up-to-date IT appliances. The Centre employees completed a five-module training course developed by the Ukrainian and Swedish experts.

Olena Tertyshna, director of the Dnipropetrovsk Local Government Development Centre of U-LEAD, outlined: “U-LEAD with Europe provides strong support for decentralisation reform, assisting to develop amalgamated hromadas. The uniqueness of the ASCs of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast hromadas, established and modernised with the support of the Programme, is that the process actively involves starostas and every third starosta district through the Programme, alike the main offices of the centres, creates a structural unit or remote workplace of the ASC. And this strengthens the results of the reform and helps bring municipal services closer to the European standards.”

Serhiy Pavlichenko, head of the Vasylkivska AH, said: “I thank the international partners for their strong support in establishing a modern ASC, which will be an example of providing quality administrative services and a wonderful demonstration that any purpose can be achieved by joint efforts.”

Within the Roll-Out Phase of U-LEAD with Europe Programme’s support to improved administrative service delivery, up to 600 ASCs will be established and modernised in the hromadas of Ukraine by the end of 2020.