Expand uses for e-democracy platform (UA0093)

In accordance with the Action Plan for implementing the Open Government Partnership Initiative in 2018–2020, as approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Ordinance No. 1088 of 18 December 2020, work has begun on creating an online platform (VzayemoDiia [InterAction] online platform) for interaction between executive authorities, the public, and the civil society institutions. In particular, the following modules are in development: Open Government Partnership Initiative, Public Reports, Facilitating Development of Civil Society, Stakeholder Base, Competition for Financial Support of Civil Society Institutions, and Contacts. At the same time, the results of surveys and public hearings have shown the need for the expanded instruments of e-democracy presented by the online platform. Expanding the VzayemoDiia online platform’s functionality will, among other things, include creating modules for submitting e-petitions by the public, requests for public information, voting on the composition of public councils at executive bodies, and holding e-consultations and e-polling. Moreover, there is a need for regulatory support to ensure the operation of the VzayemoDiia online platform. Compliance with this obligation will contribute to enhanced transparency as regards composing public councils. Holding electronic consultations will make it possible to improve and unify the mechanism for submitting e-appeals, e-petitions and information requests. Steps Responsible persons Time-frame Partners Performance indicator 1. Drawing up legal and normative acts aimed at regulating the issues surrounding functioning of the VzayemoDiia online platform. Ministry of Digital Transformation Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine March 2021– October 2022 E-Governance for Accountability and Participation Programme (EGAP) (by agreement) International Charity Organization East Europe Foundation (by agreement) other civil society institutions and international the following documents have been created: regulation on the VzayemoDiia online platform; draft legal and normative acts amending legislation regulating issues of electronic consultations, composition of public councils, submission of eappeals and e-petitions etc. 21

Steps Responsible persons Time-frame Partners Performance indicator organizations (by agreement) 2. Setting requirements for the modules in the second phase of implementing the VzayemoDiia online platform (for submitting epetitions by the public, requests for public information, voting for the composition of the public councils at executive bodies, holding econsultations and e-polling etc.) Ministry of Digital Transformation Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine July–December 2021 E-Governance for Accountability and Participation Programme (EGAP) (by agreement) International Charity Organization East Europe Foundation (by agreement) other civil society institutions and international organizations (by agreement) technical requirements for the modules in the second phase of implementing the VzayemoDiia online platform have been approved 3. Developing the modules for the second phase of implementing the VzayemoDiia online platform Ministry of Digital Transformation Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine January– November 2022 —“— software has been developed and installed; sub-sections conforming with the approved functionality have been placed on the online platform 4. Putting the modules for the second phase of implementing the VzayemoDiia online —“— December 2022 E-Governance for Accountability and Participation Programme (EGAP) (by agreement) modules for the second phase of implementing the VzayemoDiia online platform have been put into pilot operation 22 Steps Responsible persons Time-frame Partners Performance indicator platform into pilot operation International Charity Organization East Europe Foundation (by agreement) other civil society institutions and international organizations (by agreement) 5. Conducting an awareness-building campaign on using the VzayemoDiia online platform Ministry of Digital Transformation Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine May 2021– December 2022 E-Governance for Accountability and Participation Programme (EGAP) (by agreement) International Charity Organization East Europe Foundation (by agreement) other civil society institutions and international organizations (by agreement) awareness-building events on using the VzayemoDiia online platform have been held

Action Plan Review

Commitment 7: Application of e-democracy instruments for interactions between executive authorities, the public, and civil society

Results Report

Commitment 7. Application of e-democracy instruments for interactions between executive authorities, the public, and civil society

This commitment aimed to develop new functionalities on the VzaemoDiia platform to support citizen participation, such as e-consultations on draft legislation, e-polls, submission of appeals, e-petitions, requests for information, and voting for members of public councils in state bodies.

Following Russia’s invasion, VzaemoDiia was closed to prevent external interference. [53] The only module that remained accessible was the grant competition module. This module was developed during the previous OGP action plan but launched during the current action plan after the Cabinet of Ministers adopted relevant regulations in August 2021. [54] It is used by a limited number of state agencies and regional administrations. For example, the Ministry of Youth and Sport collected 373 grant applications through the platform in 2021–2022. [55] The platform was the subject of a cyberattack in 2022, and the feature of submitting grant applications was temporarily suspended. [56] However, the platform continues to be used for publishing grant announcements and information about the competition results.

The government is in discussions with the Swiss-Ukrainian E-Governance for Accountability and Participation (EGAP) program [57] on the final concept of VzaemoDiia. The initial plan might be modified to account for the availability of EGAP’s e-dem.ua platform at the local level. Over 330 communities have joined this platform by July 2023, and it partly covers the functionalities planned for VzaemoDiia for local level participation. The use of the platform is not mandated by law but based on decisions of local governments. [58] At the same time, legislation to mandate public consultations by central government bodies is awaiting a second reading in the parliament. [59] This law would mandate a systematic approach to public consultations, guiding the introduction of e-consultation for the central government.

Stakeholders believe the VzaemoDiia platform is an important space for government-civil society communication. [60] The Ministry of Digital Transformation plans to complete this commitment outside the OGP framework based on the revised concept of the platform.