In May 2026, the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research launches the project “Good Governance of Community Public Investments”. Its purpose is to strengthen the Zhytomyr community’s capacity in public investment management by improving the governance framework of municipal enterprises and institutions in line with updated Ukrainian legislation and the standards of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Why does it matter?
Ukraine is currently implementing a public investment management reform that is reshaping the way infrastructure projects are planned, selected and monitored at the community level. This creates new expectations in terms of transparency, accountability, internal control, risk management and the clear distribution of responsibilities.
At the same time, municipal enterprises and institutions are often the key actors responsible for implementing public investments and managing community assets. Yet, at the municipal level, Ukraine still lacks a structured practice of corporate governance that would fully meet current legal requirements and international standards. This is why communities need not only strategic vision, but also practical tools that can be applied in everyday governance.
What does the project include?
The project combines analytical work, training and expert support. It will start with inception meetings and practical workshops for representatives of the Zhytomyr City Council, managers of municipal enterprises and institutions, and civic experts. Special attention will be paid to corporate governance, accountability, the role of supervisory bodies, internal control, risk management and the prevention of conflicts of interest.
A key component of the project will be the governance diagnosis of two pilot municipal entities. This analysis will help assess the current governance model, identify corruption risks, vulnerabilities to political influence, the effectiveness of supervisory mechanisms and the extent to which existing procedures meet modern requirements. Based on these findings, the project team will prepare a package of recommendations and draft documents for possible consideration and adoption by the community.
What makes the project distinctive?
The project’s distinctive feature is that OECD standards, which are more commonly applied at the state-owned enterprise level, are translated into practical solutions for the municipal level. This makes it possible not only to discuss good governance in theory, but to create tools that communities can actually use. The approaches developed through the project will also be summarised in a practical guide that may be useful for other communities across Ukraine.
Where and when will it be implemented?
The project will be implemented in Zhytomyr from May 2026 to April 2027. Its results will also be presented to other communities, allowing the developed approaches to be replicated more broadly.
The project «Good Governance of Community Public Investments: an OECD-Based Approach» is implemented by the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research within the framework of the Unity for Community project, carried out by ISAR Ednannia with the financial support of the European Union. The contents of this project are the sole responsibility of the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research and do not necessarily reflect the views of ISAR Ednannia or the European Union.
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