On 25 April, a new Administrative Service Centre, established from scratch over four months, was opened in the Polonska AH of the Khmelnitskyi Oblast, with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme. The Centre was constructed using energy-efficient technologies that allow the hromada to save almost 50% of the energy consumed for heating by ordinary administrative premises.

The new ASC of the Polonska AH is a joint centre for the hromada and rayon residents.

The ASC is constructed from SIP panels with additional ceiling and floor insulation. The centre has a small-capacity electric boiler, which optimally suits the parametres of the building, and an automatic ventilation with recuperation elements. Natural eco-materials with antiseptic coating were used in the construction of the centre. The ASC has 12 workplaces for administrators, who will provide 150 types of administrative services to more than 43,000 citizens. Estimated cost of construction and equipment of the ASC is UAH 3.8 million, about 10% of this amount were financed by the hromada.

The centre is established according to the European standards of high-quality administrative services and energy efficiency. The U-LEAD with Europe Programme provided assistance in modern design development, construction, institutionalisation of the ASC, as well as provision of the centre with hardware with specialised software and furniture.

Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, said: "In the context of decentralisation, the main task is to approach the most necessary services to people and make them high-quality ones. That is precisely the aim of establishment of modern ASCs throughout Ukraine with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme. Our common goal together with the international partners is to make the administrative service a modern service that is convenient, fast, transparent and accessible to all, regardless of the place of residence."

Janis Aizsalnieks, Programme Manager for Regional Development and Decentralisation of Governance at EU Delegaion to Ukraine, noted: "The European Union is proud to support amalgamated hromadas in Ukraine by creating new administrative service centres. This ASC here, in Polonne, and 600 other centres that will receive the EU support in future, will contribute to the establishment of local governance that is more transparent, accountable and sensitive to the needs of the population in Ukraine."

Franz Scrymskyi, head of the Polonska AH, thanked the U-LEAD with Europe Programme: "Due to the cooperation with the Programme, a new ASC appeared in the hromada, and now our residents will be able to receive services in comfortable conditions in a prompt and high-quality way. In addition, due to energy-efficient technologies, we will save budget funds for the maintenance of the centre. I am also grateful to the partners for the training of the ASC administrators, because we now have really competent and professional specialists to serve the citizens."

"By this opening, we complete the Inception Phase, within which 26 ASCs have started operating in AHs of Ukraine, and we are moving on to the Roll-Out Phase, during which the best practices of the Inception Phase will be applied to all the ASCs that will open or improve their work through our Programme. This is about 600 Centres by the end of 2020," said Susanna Dellans, Project Manager of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme’s Support to Improved Administrative Service Delivery.

On the eve of the opening, the residents were informed about the features of the ASC work, its advantages, rights and obligations of employees and consumers of services. The Centre is accessible to people with disabilities and has a children’s indoor play corner.