Annual Report for the Development Initiative for Advocating Local Governance in Ukraine (DIALOGUE) Project 2013

The project's implementation in July-September 2013 yielded significant outcomes. Draft laws were prepared by DIALOGUE Project experts, and 36 draft legislation and ordinances were monitored. Working sessions of two AUC Professional Groups were conducted, and nine local government technical area profiles were updated. The Project also generalized responses from central government authorities to an appeal sent by participants of the Dialogue Day. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine took into account the AUC position on four legal and regulatory documents, with one document approved, two rejected, and one sent for further revisions. DIALOGUE Project experts participated in 12 working sessions of five parliamentary committees, enabling the AUC to defend its position regarding draft laws initiated by National Deputies. Of the 23 draft laws handed to the Inter-Faction Local Government Support Group of National Deputies, 15 were officially submitted to the parliament for consideration. The Project conducted 12 working sessions of Local Government regional Advisory boards in 12 oblasts of Ukraine and identified key issues to be addressed by Local Government Regional Advisory Boards in 2014. The Project also conducted working sessions of 25 AUC Regional Offices and aired three TV programs on local government issues and best practices from cities. The Project provided 127 consultations to local governments and officials and published two issues of the AUC Herald and three issues of Legislation News professional legal publication. Key achievements in the reporting period included the First National TV Channel airing a program about the city of Bakhchysarai, Autonomous Republic of Crimea, on July 3. The Project conducted working sessions of Local Government Regional Advisory Boards in several oblasts, including Luhansk, Volyn, and Lviv. The Radio Era FM Broadcasting Company broadcast a program about local government issues on July 25. The Project published and disseminated the thirty-first issue of the "Legislation News" in late July. The Project conducted expert workshops in several AUC Regional Offices, including Mykolayiv, and provided consultations to local governments and officials. The Project also published issues of the AUC Herald and Legislation News professional legal publication. The DIALOGUE Project's efforts aimed to promote local government reforms and ensure broad-based support for decentralization in Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine took into account the AUC position on four legal and regulatory documents, with one document approved, two rejected, and one sent for further revisions. The Project's participation in parliamentary committees enabled the AUC to defend its position regarding draft laws initiated by National Deputies. The Project's efforts to promote local government reforms and ensure broad-based support for decentralization in Ukraine were significant. The Project's implementation in July-September 2013 yielded significant outcomes, including the preparation of draft laws, monitoring of 36 draft legislation and ordinances, and updating of nine local government technical area profiles. The Project also conducted working sessions of Local Government regional Advisory boards in 12 oblasts of Ukraine and identified key issues to be addressed by Local Government Regional Advisory Boards in 2014. The Project's efforts to promote local government reforms and ensure broad-based support for decentralization in Ukraine were significant. The Project's participation in parliamentary committees enabled the AUC to defend its position regarding draft laws initiated by National Deputies. The Project's implementation in July-September 2013 yielded significant outcomes, including the preparation of draft laws, monitoring of 36 draft legislation and ordinances, and updating of nine local government technical area profiles.