End of Commitment Report – Providing businesses and residents with high-quality municipal services using digital technologies, rational management of community resources through open access to information.

Name of Evaluator

Romana Mykhailyshyn

Email

khmelcityagency@gmail.com

Member Name

Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine

Action PlanAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... Title

Action plan – Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, 2021 – 2025

CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action...

Providing businesses and residents with high-quality municipal services using digital technologies, rational management of community resources through open access to information.

Title

Providing businesses and residents with high-quality municipal services using digital technologies, rational management of community resources through open access to information.

Action

The commitment fulfillment provides implementation of 3 actions: integration of all document flow in the city council and its executive bodies into a unified information system;continuation of the implementation of the

Problem

The level of municipal electronic services is still quite low. Bureaucracy, poor-quality data, and difficult access to them remain a problem yet. Moreover, a low level of community awareness of municipal electronic services creates corruption risks. The current legislationCreating and passing legislation is one of the most effective ways of ensuring open government reforms have long-lasting effects on government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or r... is imperfect especially in terms of simplifying the services provision procedures.The commitment also seeks to improve the standard and quality of life of the community, which is primarily related to providing everyone with quality municipal services, strengthening public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio... in management decisions.As well, the commitment aims at creating quality access for the community to the management data of land resources and property belonging to the community, that is to promote the rational use of state and community funds, attract private investment for the development of all territories attached to the community.

1.1 What was the overall level of progress in the commitment implementation at the time of this assessment?

complete

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The Digital Development Programme for 2021-2025 has been implemented. The community’s information resources are integrated with the electronic interaction systems of state electronic information resources.
The executive bodies of the city council have an electronic document management system (more than 700 users are connected to the system). The administrative service centre has same system, including for the remote provision of administrative services on residence registration. The administrative service centre’s electronic document management system automates the accounting of administrative services, creates a register of the community, and creates a unified system of catalogues.
The Programme for the Development of the Geographic Information System of of Khmelnytskyi City Council for 2021-2025 is also being implemented. In 2021, 12 new registers were created on the GIS, and in 2022 – 2. The city council’s geoportal has more than 80 registers.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

Digital Development Programme 2021-2025

Programme for the Development of the Geographic Info System 2021-2025

1.2 Describe the main external or internal factors that impacted implementation of this commitment and how they were addressed (or not).

The realization of Khmelnytskyi City Council’s commitment to digitalization depended on a combination of external and internal factors.

Externally, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine significantly slowed the implementation of certain initiatives and limited local funding availability. Additionally, support from international partners played a crucial role. For instance, the geographic information system was developed and populated with assistance from the Support for Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions in Ukraine (SACCI) project. As part of the E-Governance for Accountability and Participation (EGAP) program, funded by the Swiss Confederation and implemented by the Eastern Europe Foundation and Innovabridge Foundation, the city’s territorial community is now connected to various services on the eDEM web platform, including e-petitions to the city council, e-consultations with the public, Open City, and the Public Budget.

Internally, the municipality faced the challenge of conducting large-scale work, as it required the involvement of over 700 users in the internal electronic document management system. The success of this system’s implementation relied heavily on the qualifications of the employees. Therefore, training users on the electronic document management system was an essential aspect that likely received significant attention.

1.3 Was the commitment implemented as originally planned?

All of the commitment milestones were implemented as planned

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment to integrating digital technologies into the management processes of the city council and its executive bodies was largely implemented according to the original plans. A significant emphasis was placed on creating a unified information system for document management, which improved the efficiency of the executive bodies. This integration served as the foundation for unifying various processes into a single system, ensuring transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More, efficiency, and ease of management.

One of the key outcomes was the development and implementation of specialized subsystems and registers within the geographic information system (GIS). The community gained access to this information through a geoportal, significantly enhancing data openness.

Provide evidence for your answer:

Information-about-implementation-of-the-The-Digital-Development-Programme-2021.pdf
Information-about-implementation-of-the-The-Digital-Development-Programme-2022.pdf
Information-about-implementation-of-the-The-Digital-Development-Programme-2023.pdf

2.1.1. – Did the government disclose more information; improve the quality of the information (new or existing); improve the value of the information; improve the channels to disclose or request information or improve accessibility to information?

Yes

Degree of result:

Major

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

The city council’s commitment to digitalization has significantly impacted the lives of residents, businesses, and the overall management of community resources.

For residents, the introduction of an open geoportal has expanded access to valuable information. The digitization of data has ensured that it is organized, accurate, and relevant. New registers and subsystems have been integrated into a single information system, enhancing the quality of existing information.

Businesses have also reaped the benefits. With the digitization and public availability of data, companies can plan their investments more effectively.

Moreover, the integration of digital tools, such as electronic document management and e-queueing systems in administrative service centers, has made information more accessible to residents. This allows them to receive services more quickly and conveniently. Additionally, the geoportal’s openness grants direct access to key community data.

2.1.2. – Did the government create new opportunities to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation inform or influence decisions; improve existing channels or spaces to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation/ inform or influence decisions; create or improve capabilities in the government or the public aimed to improve how the government seeks feedback from citizens/enables participation/ or allows for the public to inform or influence decisions?

Yes

Degree of result:

Major

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

The municipality has implemented several initiatives to enhance the channels and spaces available for citizens to provide feedback.

The electronic document management system used by the city council’s executive bodies speeds up the processing of citizens’ inquiries and enables multiple stakeholders to address these issues simultaneously. This includes executive bodies, responsible employees from villages, and heads of municipal enterprises and budgetary institutions under the Department of Labour and Social Protection.

Additionally, the municipality’s geoportal offers citizens access to information about infrastructure, land resources, municipal properties, and more. It also features a specific form for direct feedback from residents.

2.1.3 Did the government create or improve channels, opportunities or capabilities to hold officials answerable to their actions?

Not Applicable

2.1.4 Other Results

Not Applicable

2.2 Did the commitment address the public policy problem that it intended to address as described in the action plan?

Yes

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment is specifically focused on addressing the issues outlined in the action plan. The introduction of an electronic document management system (EDMS) and the automation of accounting for administrative services will enhance the availability of electronic services and reduce bureaucracy. By integrating community information resources with state systems, developing a Geographic Information System (GIS), and implementing an electronic queue system, we aim to promote openness, organization, and easy access to quality data. These measures will help reduce the risks of corruption and create a transparent environment for citizens. Overall, these efforts are designed to tackle the challenges of accessing municipal data, as highlighted in the plan.

3. Provide at least one lesson or reflection relating to the implementation of this commitment. It can be the identification of key barriers to implementation, an unexpected help/hindrance, recommendations for future commitments, or if the commitment should be taken forward to the next action plan.

The fulfillment of this commitment has highlighted several important lessons that can inform the planning of similar initiatives in the community in the future:

1. International Support: The support received from international sources not only provided funding but also facilitated the implementation of global best practices, serving as a crucial catalyst for change. However, this financial dependence underscores the importance of planning for the long-term sustainability of projects.

2. Digital Tools: The introduction of digital tools, such as an electronic document management system and a geographic information system, demonstrates that open dataBy opening up data and making it sharable and reusable, governments can enable informed debate, better decision making, and the development of innovative new services. Technical specifications: Polici... and process automation can significantly reduce corruption risks and enhance public trust in local authorities. The success of these solutions, however, relies heavily on the availability of information to citizens.

This commitment should be expanded in the next action plan, especially as the development of information technology continues to progress rapidly. Special emphasis should be placed on further broadening the range of electronic services and creating straightforward mechanisms for citizens to evaluate these services.