Transparency International Ukraine's Transparent Cities program has released a significantly updated methodology for measuring transparency in 100 Ukrainian cities. This assessment will be another step toward enhancing the openness and accountability of local authorities while engaging citizens in decision-making at the local level.

Analysts will evaluate city councils from 21 regions based on 70 indicators across 7 areas. The program will not evaluate cities in occupied territories, areas of active military operations, or those with established military administrations with expanded powers. However, it will assess Kyiv, Varash, Netishyn, Sumy, and Chernihiv, as their city councils continue to perform their functions despite the formation of military administrations.

“The openness of city councils, their accountability, and ability to engage citizens in co-governance are crucial for building an honest and mature dialogue between the authorities and society. Right now, Ukrainians need mature partnerships and mutual trust with those to whom they have delegated authority and, in essence, entrusted part of their lives,” explained Olesia Koval, Transparent Cities Program Manager.

This year, the methodology has undergone a significant transformation, influenced by factors such as legislative amendments, European integration processes, the continuation of martial law, and the strengthening of requirements for local authorities, particularly at the local level.

•   The assessment covers 7 important areas: openness, budget and procurement, municipal property, public relations, personnel policy and integrity, services to citizens, and responding to war challenges.
•   More than 20 indicators related to strategic documents and programs, recovery efforts, interaction with veterans and displaced persons, energy efficiency, and more have been added to the transparency measurement methodology.
•   Some criteria will be assessed even if they are met online, as the safety of both citizens and city council representatives remains a top priority.
•   Alternative indicators are provided for cities that cannot meet the basic requirements due to the challenges of war. This includes cities where the Ministry of Digital Transformation has temporarily removed open data sets from public access or where creating commissions to compensate for damaged or destroyed property is unnecessary.

It is worth noting that on October 29, the program conducted a crash test of the updated methodology, with the participation of 36 city councils and representatives from public and international organizations. In December, the program plans to send questionnaires to city councils and begin assessing cities. The results of the transparency ranking of the 100 largest cities in Ukraine will be presented in the spring of 2025.

This methodology was prepared within the framework of the program on institutional development of Transparency International Ukraine, which is carried out with the financial support of Sweden.

Opinions, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and compilers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Sweden. The authors and compilers are solely responsible for the content of this publication.

Transparency International Ukraine is an accredited representative of Global Transparency International. Since 2012, TI Ukraine has been helping Ukraine grow stronger. The organization takes a comprehensive approach to the development and implementation of changes for reduction of corruption levels in certain areas.

TI Ukraine launched the Transparent Cities program in 2017. Its goal is to foster constructive and meaningful dialogue between citizens, local authorities, and the government to promote high-quality municipal governance, urban development, and effective reconstruction. In 2017–2022, the program annually compiled the Transparency Ranking of the 100 largest cities in Ukraine. After the full-scale invasion, the program conducted two adapted assessments on the state of municipal transparency during wartime. In 2024, the program resumed the creation of the transparency ranking for 100 cities and launched a new study, “Open Data Pulse: Ukrainian Cities Ranking.”

The program produces high-quality analytics on various aspects of government-citizen interaction, as well as transparency and accountability in Ukrainian cities. This includes, in particular, processes such as decolonization, housing policy, and more.