Quarterly Report for January 1 to March 31, 2012 (Q2, FY 2012): Legislative Policy Development Program of the Parliamentary Development Project (PDP II)

The program is implemented by the John Glenn School of Public Administration of the Ohio State University under subcontract with Indiana University. The program focuses on Legislative Policy Development, working with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Cabinet of Ministers, the Presidential Administration, and the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The program addresses USAID's Strategic Objective 2.2 Good Governance; Intermediate Result 2.2.1: Legislative Function and Processes. Through consultations, training, and other activities, the project seeks to contribute to the following objectives and results. Objective 1 (40%): Consultative, transparent legislative processes render executive and legislative policy making more accountable to Ukrainian citizens. Result 1.1: Legislative policy development processes become more consultative and better coordinated through the expansion of the working group model. The program also focuses on Objective 2 (20%): Ukrainian institutions have the capacity and technical skills necessary to support effective, transparent legislative policy making within the legislative and executive branches. Result 2.1: Training capacity for legislative and executive policymaking staff will be institutionalized within the Government of Ukraine (GOU). Result 2.2: Legislative and executive branch institutions will develop procedures and systems for timely and accurate response to public requests for information in accordance with the terms of the new Law on Access to Information. During the period January 1, 2012, through March 31, 2012, PDP II worked on continuation of existing program elements, such as Working Groups, Parliamentary and Executive Internship Program, with introduction of new partnerships. The program's activities during this quarter included coordination of international technical assistance, legislative tracking, and project management plan report outcomes. The Verkhovna Rada closed the 9th Session on January 13, with Speaker Lytvyn presenting a summary of the accomplishments, naming significant legislation passed. The program's activities during this quarter also included the development of new communication mechanisms between the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The program's results during this quarter included the expansion of the working group model, institutionalization of training capacity for legislative and executive policymaking staff, and development of procedures and systems for timely and accurate response to public requests for information. The program also made progress in increasing the capacity of civil society organizations to participate in the oversight of the legislative and executive branches. The program's activities during this quarter were conducted in accordance with the terms of the new Law on Access to Information, and the program's results demonstrate progress towards the achievement of the program's objectives and results. The program's continued focus on Legislative Policy Development and its efforts to contribute to the achievement of USAID's Strategic Objective 2.2 Good Governance will continue to be an important aspect of the program's work in the coming quarters.