The analytical report “Whistleblowing Culture in Local Self-Government Bodies” examines the state of whistleblowing culture in Ukraine’s local self-government bodies and the effectiveness of existing mechanisms for reporting corruption. The study also identifies the needs of communities to strengthen institutional capacity for establishing a safe and effective whistleblowing system and outlines a general profile of a potential whistleblower within local self-government bodies.

The survey covered 4,885 local self-government employees aged 18–65 from all regions of Ukraine, excluding the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson regions, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. 

Based on the findings, the report provides recommendations aimed at addressing key institutional and organisational gaps in the functioning of whistleblowing systems within local self-government bodies. These recommendations are intended for both the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), as the authority responsible for developing and implementing state anti-corruption policy, and local self-government bodies.

The analytical report was prepared within the framework of the “Strengthening Whistleblowing Culture at the Subnational Level as a Guarantee of Integrity-Based Recovery” project, implemented by the Foundation for Institutional Development in partnership with the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, with support from UNDP in Ukraine and funding from the Government of Japan. The opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNDP, other UN agencies, or the Government of Japan.