Ukrainian Center for EU Civil Service Standards

Strengthening of cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union in the area of civil service and public administration, improvement of the coordination mechanism for institutional ensuring of their adaptation to the EU standards, in particular through organization of activity on effective implementation of institutional building instruments Twinning, TAIEX and SIGMA Programme in Ukraine, professional development of civil servants and raising awareness on the European integration issues.

• participation in the preparation of proposals on formation of public policy and law-making activity in the area of civil service and public administration, their adaptation to the EU standards, realization of administrative reform and development of state institutions in the context of European integration of Ukraine, implementation of institution buildingl instruments in Ukraine;

• scientific, expert, informational and analytical, methodological, organizational and other support to preparation and implementation of programmes and activities in the specified area;

• improving existing and promoting to introduction of new standards and procedures for the work of civil servants and local self-government officials, the activities of government authorities and local self-government authorities taking into consideration the best international practices;

• participation in the implementation of modern information technologies in the work of government authorities and local self-government authorities;

• advisory support to government authorities and local self-government authorities, dissemination of legal, scientific and other information on the civil service and public administration, their adaptation to the EU standards, administrative reform and development of state institutions in the context of European integration of Ukraine, in particular the use of institution building instruments in Ukraine;

• participation in the implementation of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU, consulting and methodological support as well as monitoring within the limits of the powers of activity of executive authorities on fulfillment of obligations assumed by Ukraine to the EU and international organizations;

• support to the NAUCS in fulfilling its tasks and functions regarding the use of institutional instruments in Ukraine.

In 2005, the President of Ukraine signed the Decree "Issues of Ensuring the Implementation of the Twinning Programme in Ukraine" (as of 6 October 2005 No 1424), according to which functions of the coordinator of the preparation and implementation of the Twinning programme in Ukraine were entrusted to the NAUCS as well as the Twinning Programme Administration Office (hereinafter – PAO) was established. PAO coordinates training and promotes the practical implementation of institutional development projects, provides consulting and methodological support to government authorities on the preparation and implementation of projects, monitors the implementation of projects.

According to the Order of the NAUCS as of 27 September 2013, No 169 “On Activities of the Twinning Programme Administration Office”, the functions of the PAO are assigned to the Center.

The main function of the Twinning Programme Administration Office (PAO) is the disseminating information on institutional development instruments, carrying out methodological and consultative support of the government authorities on the preparation and implementation of projects, ensuring quality assurance of implemented events, organizing international cooperation in this area, etc. Furthermore, PAO is also a contact point of communication between the EU Delegation to Ukraine and the beneficiary administrations as well as between MS administrations and beneficiary administrations.

PAO Role and Functions:

• raising awareness of government authorities on the possibility of involving the Twinning instrument and Twinning projects implementation;

• support to government authorities in development of Twinning project proposals, TAIEX application forms as well as providing their quality check;

• thorough explanation of the features Twinning and TAIEX instruments implementation;

• organization of meetings of Twinning Programme Coordination Group;

• organization of meetings of the Coordination Group on the TAIEX instrument implementation;

• general coordination of Twinning projects implementation;

• general coordination of the TAIEX instrument implementation;

• coordination of cooperation with the SIGMA programme.

Twinning is an institutional building instrument that provides framework for cooperation between civil servants of Ukrainian and EU Member States government authorities. Twinning instrument provides long-term assistance with the aim to implement elements of public administration needed for adaptation of the national legislation to the EU norms and standards.

According to Decree of the President of Ukraine «Issues for the Implementation of Twinning Programmes in Ukraine» dated 06.10.2005 No. 1424 the coordinator of Twinning instrument implementation in Ukraine is NAUCS, and the implementation of the organizational, methodological and other support for Twinning programme implementation is entrusted to PAO.

The use of this institutional building instrument is regulated by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On Approval of the Procedure for Initiation, Preparation and Implementation of the Twinning Projects” as of 11 October 2016 No 700 and Interagency Order of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine «On Creation of Working Group on Coordination of the Twinning Instrument Implementation» dated 15.06.2012 No. 120/702.

As of March 2018, in the work plan: 42 Twinning projects completed, 11 projects are in the process of implementation, and 10 projects are in the stage of development of the Twinning Project Fiche; the total number of Twinning projects - 63.

TAIEX (Technical Assistance Information Exchange) is an instrument of technical assistance and information exchange, provided by the European Commission with the aim of strengthening institutional capacity, with further adaptation of the national legislation to the legislation of the European Union (acquis communautaire), its implementation and further effective use.

Implementation of external assistance of the European Commission within the framework of TAIEX instrument in Ukraine is carried out in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On Approval of the Procedure of Preparation, Approval and Realization of the Action Plan on Involvement of External Assistance of the European Commission within the framework of TAIEX” as of 13 January 2016 No 32.

The coordination of TAIEX instrument is entrusted to PAO.

TAIEX instrument is aimed at:

• approximation, implementation of the national legislation to acquis communautaire;

• institutional development of government authorities;

• professional development of civil servants.

TAIEX assistance can be implemented in three forms (seminar, study visit and expert mission), as well as cover different areas.

Since implementation of the TAIEX instrument in Ukraine (since 2006), as of the beginning of 2018 16828 representatives of the government authorities took part in the 742 events, that was organized in the framework of TAIEX instrument. 144 events were organized by the initiative of the European Commission and 598 events were organized by the initiative of Ukraine.

During the mentioned period (2006–2018) TAIEX events were conducted in the following areas:

• Justice and Internal Affairs (191 events);

• Internal Market (332 events);

• Environment, Telecommunications, Transport (128 events);

• Agriculture and Food Safety (91 events).

SIGMA Programme (Support for Improvement in Governance and Management) is considered to be one of the most prestigious analytical centers of the European Union, that was launched in 1992 on the initiative of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union.

Key Objectives of the SIGMA Programme:

• strengthening the foundations for improved public governance;

• supporting social and economic development through capacity building of the public sector;

• enhancing horizontal governance;

• improving the design and implementation of public administration reforms.

Technical Assistance of the SIGMA Programme is divided into six areas:

• public financial management, public procurement and external audit;

• public service and human resource management;

• policy development and coordination;

• public administration reform;

• service delivery;

• accountability.

Assistance of the SIGMA programme in the area of reforming of public administration system is provided by:

• administrative structures analysis;

• development and implementation of administrative system reforms;

• analysis of the suggested draft laws and programmes;

• organization of trainings and information exchange;

• preparation of technical assistance action plans.

Cooperation between the NAUCS and the OECD is a priority area according to the Action Plan on Strengthening Cooperation between Ukraine and the OECD for 2013–2016, approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of 06.02.2013 No 132-r, Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Ukraine and the OECD on Deeper Cooperation as of 07.10.2014, Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On Procedure of the Participation of Central Executive Authorities in the Activities of International Organizations, where Ukraine is one of the Member States” as of September 13, 2002 No. 137 according to which the NAUCS is the central executive authority, responsible for fulfilling the obligations, including financial arising from Ukraine's membership in the OECD Public Governance Committee. Since 2008 the NAUCS has been taking part in the Committee above mentioned as a permanent observer.

NAUCS, Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the EU together with EU Delegation to Ukraine ensure the developing and approving the Action Plan of SIGMA Programme in Ukraine based on proposals received from authorities concerned.

Since 2011 the NAUCS has been cooperated with the SIGMA Programme on the Law of Ukraine “On Civil Service” as of December 10, 2016, No. 889-VIII, the Draft Law of Ukraine “On the Service in Local Authorities”, the Strategy of Public Administration Reform in Ukraine for 2016–2020, approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of June 24, 2016 No. 474 “Some Issues of Public Administration Reform of Ukraine”.

During 2017–2018 according to the Strategy of Public Administration Reform in Ukraine for 2016–2020 and jointly with the participation of the SIGMA Programme the assessment of current state of affairs in public administration system in Ukraine has been carried out.

Since 2011 the NAUCS on behalf of Ukraine has been actively involved in the activities of the Working Group (Panel) on Governance and Public Administration Reform of the Thematic Platform 1 “Strengthening Institutions and Good Governce” within the framework of the EU initiative “Eastern Partnership”, in particular it participates in Working Group meetings and in the events organized by Eastern Partnership countries on the regular basis.

The Working Group (Panel) is focused on the following areas:

• “Civil service, public administration organizations and their functioning (human resources management, rules of recruitment, statutes)”;

• “Transparency, e-governance and data protection”;

• “Local / regional government and decentralization”;

• “Effective management of technical assistance”.

Since 2012 Ukraine has been a leading country in the area “Effective management of technical assistance”. Each year the NAUCS prepares and approves together with partners of the Eastern Partnership a Work plan for the relevant year in four mentioned areas.

Within the framework of cooperation with the EU initiative “Eastern Partnership”, the NAUCS developed a series of information-analytical and methodological materials on the civil service reform and its adaptation to EU standards, in particular:

• brochure “The local self-government in the Eastern Partnership countries”;

• handbook “Professional development of the civil servants in Eastern Partnership countries: results of comparative study of civil service reform”;

• handbook “Civil Service in the Eastern Partnership Countries”

• handbook “Development of the professional, stable and politically impartial civil service: the role of transformational leadership and organizational culture”.

As of the beginning of 2018, within the framework of cooperation with the EU initiative “Eastern Partnership”, the Center provided preparation and implementation of

17 communicative activities.

NATO–Ukraine Programme for Professional Development of the Civilian Personnel of the Sector of Security and Defence (hereinafter – Programme) – is an instrument aimed at supporting reforms in Ukraine through the training of civilian security and defense specialists who are capable of contributing to the effective functioning of the country's security and defense policy.

According to the decision of the sixth meeting of the Commission on Ukraine Partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on January 3, 2013, the NAUCS is defined as the national contact point and main executor of the NATO-Ukraine Programme for the Professional Development of Civilian Personnel of the Security and Defense.

Realization of the Programme is carried out in accordance with the Annual National Programme under the NATO-Ukraine Commission; Decree of President of Ukraine as of

July 8, 2016 No 296 “Issues of Coordination of Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine”; the Strategy for Sustainable Development “Ukraine 2020” approved by the Decree of the President of Ukraine as of January 12, 2015, No 5; Strategies of National Security of Ukraine, approved by the Decree of the President of Ukraine as of May 26, 2015, No 287; Military Doctrine of Ukraine, approved by Decree of the President of Ukraine as of September 24, 2015, No 555.

Within the framework of the Programme implementation, communicative and other events aimed at increasing of the professional competence of civil servants of the security and defense sector of Ukraine are being conducted, language training courses are conducted.

• National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service

• Official site of the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union
• Official site of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service