Transparency International Ukraine has presented a new digital tool for communication of city councils, communities, and CSOs in 50 cities of Ukraine.

We are responsible for the quality and comfort of life in our city, no less than the authorities chosen by us. Therefore, everyone should understand what transparency, accountability, and efficiency of local authorities are, and … monitor them. In practice, this means paying attention to ensuring that what is promised in words corresponds to what is realized.

And if not everyone can afford to attend meetings of the local council, then the online format offers many more opportunities for participation. Especially in the conditions of quarantine restrictions. We are in contact with the authorities on certain issues: support for petitions or participatory budget projects, participation in tender procurement of the city council, etc. This experience is the basis of trust in local authorities, and another reason to visit the platform of transparency and accountability of local authorities.

In addition, the online platform allows to take the first step on the way to the status of a responsible resident of the community: to identify existing problems and signal them to the city authorities as constructively and concisely as possible. For this purpose, two communication formats are provided on the online platform with the participation of city residents and representatives of local governments. The user leaves feedback or a score, and the city council can respond to it. General and detailed feedback is provided for this purpose.

General feedback: provides an opportunity to leave a “quick” comment related to one or all spheres of activity of local self-government bodies. It can relate to personal experience of interacting with the authorities online or offline and does not require supporting materials.

In what cases is this useful? For example, there is still no online queue in your city for enrolling a child in a kindergarten; you want to offer a new approach to the work of the city council with participatory budget projects; you have received a social service without problems and want to share your experience; the city council responds qualitatively to messages about procurement in the Dozorro service, and you want the same level of accountability and dialogue in other spheres of local government activity.

Spheres that can be commented on: education, land use and construction policy, procurement, budget process, access and participation, information on the work of local authorities, investments and economic development, housing policy, financial and material assistance, grants, social services, HR matters, anti-corruption policy and professional ethics, municipal property, municipal enterprises.

Detailed feedback: for “professional” residents, activists and CSOs, there is a possibility of leaving detailed feedback. It is likely to be used by those who have experience in certain issues that require participation in management processes. These are, in particular, representatives of CSOs that specialize in accountability and specific spheres. The latter may also become certified users of the platform and, among other things, check out feedback on accountability in their community.

The platform offers detailed feedback not only to leave a comment on the accountability of the authorities in the sphere, but also to evaluate it according to a clear scale, supplementing it with supporting materials. Later, this feedback will affect the position of cities in the Accountability Ranking of 50 cities of Ukraine.

In what cases is this useful? For example, you do not receive responses to requests on procurement, do not have enough information about the status of implementation of participatory budget projects or petitions. Or vice versa — you want to assess the progress of the city council in specific spheres because they are quickly and systematically reformed, and you count on the same pace and results in other spheres.

Using these simple communication formats on the Local Government Transparency and Accountability Platform, each Ukrainian can in practice influence the accountability of local authorities and clearly communicate the request for a change.

For city councils who want to cooperate with the community, the online platform allows to process all questions and suggestions through a single link in their personal cabinet, and thanks to a timely and systematic public response to feedback, signal the readiness to minimize the space for corruption, and also get to the top of the Accountability Ranking.