Today, May 28, 2020, the Memorandum on implementation of the Swiss-Ukrainian project "Decentralization for Improved Democratic Education" (DECIDE) between the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ministry of Community Development territories of Ukraine was signed.

The Swiss-Ukrainian project DECIDE will be implemented in Ukraine by the NGO DOCCU in partnership with the Zurich University of Teacher Education (Switzerland).

Among the partners of the project there are also regional state administrations of Ivano-Frankivsk, Luhansk, Poltava and Odessa regions, the All-Ukrainian Amalgamated Territorial Communities` Association and the State Service of Education Quality of Ukraine.

DECIDE is aimed at support of two key reforms in Ukraine – the reform of education and the reform of decentralization. Project is directed on strengthening of the local communities’ capacity to develop and implement decentralized education management models.

DECIDE should result in the implementation of democratic, transparent and accountable school governance in partner communities, strengthening their role in public life, involvement of all citizens in decision-making in communities, including schoolgirls and schoolboys, educators, local self-government representatives, parents, media representatives.

At the national level DECIDE will facilitate the development of political dialogue mechanisms, support creation of conducive regulatory framework for decentralization of education management, provision of effective training and knowledge management.

Project will be directly implemented in 16 communities of Ivano-Frankivsk, Luhansk, Poltava and Odesa regions. Its first phase will last from February 2020 till January 2025.