Kyiv, 14 April 2020 – The United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine (UNDP) and the Kyiv-based Centre for Innovations Development (CID), a think tank that promotes social innovations, digital transformation and development of networks of change-makers, signed a memorandum of understanding on 8 April to strengthen their collaboration on areas of mutual interest.

According to the text of the memorandum, collaboration will include exchanging knowledge on the electronic democracy and electronic governance development agenda, increasing the awareness and the understanding of the objectives of digital transformation of local communities, and improving the evidence base for reforms in the mentioned areas.

The aim of the collaboration is to promote ownership and responsibility for the reforms, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among the Ukrainian public, the memorandum text reads.

In particular, UNDP and the CID agreed to work together in promoting the achievement of the SDGs through digital transformation; developing the practice and conceptual thinking around the topic of collective intelligence, sharing best cases;  promoting the development and implementation of participatory budgeting practices at the local level;  and advancing data-based decision-making at the local level.

The sides also agreed to collaborate on developing and promoting data solutions and tools for communities, integrating SDGs into relevant activities, strengthening citizen electronic participation in local governance, as well as promoting the use of e-governance and e-democracy tools by citizens to prevent corruption at the local level.  

In addition, the sides will promote sustainable practices of organic waste disposal, monitoring ecosystem fires and developing mapping solutions as part of the experimental project “Don’t Burn – Compost,” of UNDP in Ukraine’s Accelerator Lab.

“This memorandum will underpin our collaboration with the CID in many important areas, with a particular focus on e-governance and digital transformation,” said UNDP’s Resident Representative in Ukraine Dafina Gercheva.

“The world faces an unprecedented threat from COVID-19, which is the most challenging crisis since the Second World War. We will get through this crisis, but only if we act now, together and in solidarity. During the period of quarantine put in place in Ukraine to suppress the spread of the virus, public authorities, service providers, SMEs, international organizations and many other entities have had to transfer their activities online by leveraging digital technologies. Digital transformation has its pros and cons, and unless properly regulated and managed could jeopardize the progress made towards the achievement of SDGs, as well as further deepen the digital divide and inequalities. Therefore, our collaboration and join work with the CID is aiming at advancing this digital transformation, while leaving no one behind.”

Serhiy Loboyko, the head of the CID, said his team was looking forward to working with UNDP in Ukraine.

“We’re very inspired by the UNDP Ukraine and Accelerator Lab Team,” Loboyko said. “We hope that together and the global Accelerator Lab, we can help more communities in Ukraine to move to data-driven decision making, e-democracy and collective intelligence.”

“We’ve successfully started our collaboration on a volunteer basis with the ‘Don’t Burn – Compost’ project, which is already supported by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection of Ukraine. The project builds on our experience in citizen engagement, and in GIS and satellite data for spatial analysis of communities. lt aims to find a solution for a national problem of Ukraine and for many other countries too.”

The memorandum of understanding is to be in effect for two years, and can be subsequently extended for two-year periods.