USAID Participant Training Program in Ukraine, Year II Annual Report, May 2014-June 2015

The program's objectives were to transfer new knowledge, skills, and attitudes to Ukrainians to improve the political, social, and economic context in Ukraine, and to create a network of professionals that share international best practices and knowledge throughout Ukraine. To achieve these objectives, the program recruited leaders from Ukrainian civil society, the private sector, and government at various levels and exposed them to new methodologies, progressive models, and effective approaches in the US and in Europe. Training programs took the general form of study tour-style exchange visits that included workshops and meetings with leading practitioners, and for US programs included extensive homestays with US families as well. During the second year of the program, eight training programs were conducted, all taking place in the five-month period from January 2015 to May 2015. Seven programs took place in Europe, and one took place in the US. A total of 79 Ukrainian participants, including 40 women and 39 men, participated in the training programs, representing 14 regions of Ukraine and the capital city of Kyiv. The participants' age varied from 21 to 65. The majority of participants reported that they were highly satisfied with the trainings, with 97% reporting that they obtained relevant new skills and knowledge as a result of training, and 94% confirming that the exchange met most of their professional and personal expectations. A major education conference was organized in Kyiv as a PTP follow-on event by CEUME, bringing together 93 participants, including numerous PTP alumni of educational training programs, government officials, experts, academia, and professionals involved in education reform. The program also added a technical advisor component to address the urgent need of the Government of Ukraine for international expertise and policy advice. An initial advisor made several trips to support the Ministry of Agriculture, a second advisor was engaged to begin work with the Ministry of Health in July 2015, and a search for a third advisor for the City of Kyiv was launched. Despite challenges posed by the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, the program was able to accommodate participation of eight observers, including three USAID staff and five professionals working in areas closely connected to training topics. The program also established connections with European Embassies in Kyiv, which helped with timely receipt of visas and cost savings on visa-related fees. However, the program faced several challenges, including the possibility and then the reality of calling up military reserves and limited mobility of people within the country, which influenced the recruitment process and contributed to the withdrawal of several participants. Ongoing changes or the threat of changes in personnel within the Ukrainian government also caused delays in participant recruitment and program start timing. Careful scheduling mitigated these challenges. The program also experienced an increase in the number of participants nominated directly as opposed to recruited through open procedures, which simplified participant selection but made it more difficult for CEUME staff to coordinate the process and communicate effectively with participants. Some participants in this category did not demonstrate full motivation and commitment. Overall, the USAID Participant Training Program in Ukraine made significant progress in achieving its objectives during the second year, despite facing several challenges. The program's efforts to transfer new knowledge, skills, and attitudes to Ukrainians and to create a network of professionals that share international best practices and knowledge throughout Ukraine are expected to have a positive impact on the country's development.