Ukraine National Initiatives to Enhance Reforms Activity of the USAID Civic Oversight Project Semi-Annual Performance Report 1 October 2014 – 30 March 2015

The project's objectives included implementing effective, broad-based monitoring and advocacy campaigns, expanding civil society organization (CSO) constituencies, improving media engagement and information and communication technology (ICT) usage by CSOs, and developing a sustainability roadmap. The project focused on two primary themes: European standards and values, and governmental accountability and anti-corruption. Under the first theme, Pact promoted principles and values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. The project also supported people with disabilities. Under the second theme, Pact supported coalitions and partners addressing governmental accountability and anti-corruption at all levels of government, engaging citizens throughout Ukraine in issues of national, sub-national, and local governmental accountability and anti-corruption. The project emphasized the importance of reaching out to citizens, identifying citizen needs, educating citizenry, and consulting on priorities. Pact also sub-awarded to strengthen coalition and CSOs' ability to communicate more effectively with citizens and the media. The project aimed to identify and cultivate an organization(s)/mechanisms to coordinate, facilitate, and convene other organizations around issue-based initiatives and build its capacity to administer advocacy and monitoring sub-grants to organizations that collaborate on issue-based initiatives. The political context in Ukraine during the reporting period was marked by challenging security environment, pre-term Parliamentary elections, and a new composition of the Parliament. The political transition and citizens' demand for change created an opportunity for new political leaders to emerge. However, the ability of civil society leaders to influence the decision-making process from inside the Parliament was limited, and the progress in reforms continued to move slowly. According to a polling conducted by Pact, citizens' dissatisfaction with the reform outcomes and worsening economic conditions led to further citizens' dissatisfaction and disengagement. The appearance of the Maidan-3 was widely discussed in media, and observers warned that a next mass protests might become less peaceful but aggressive from the get-go. Much of the citizens' grievances could be addressed through proper strategic communication on reform goals and progresses. However, only about one in ten citizens were well informed about reforms through media. The project's activities included implementing monitoring and advocacy campaigns, expanding CSO constituencies, improving media engagement and ICT usage by CSOs, and developing a sustainability roadmap. The project also conducted polling to assess citizens' awareness of civil society and their opinion about reforms. The results of the polling showed that citizens were generally dissatisfied with the reform outcomes and worsening economic conditions, and that much of the citizens' grievances could be addressed through proper strategic communication on reform goals and progresses. The project's geographic focus was Ukraine, and the project's activities were implemented in various regions of the country. The project's timeframes were from 1 October 2014 to 30 March 2015, and the project's recommendations included the need for proper strategic communication on reform goals and progresses, the need to strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law, and the need to address citizens' grievances through proper communication.