The USAID's Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement (USAID/ENGAGE) has released new data from a national survey on community engagement conducted in the summer of 2021. The survey includes a variety of questions from engagement to solving problems in one's community regarding corruption.

In the context of increasing the transparency and accountability of cities, the following indicators were interesting:

• Ukrainians are more willing to become engaged in solving problems in their community than in solving national issues. Over the past year, one in ten participated in the creation of a resident, street, or neighborhood committee. 6% of Ukrainians reported infrastructure problems to local authorities in person or by telephone, or attended public hearings. The least often, citizens were engaged in the discussion of draft laws at the national or local level (1%).
• Citizens attribute the success of reforms, above all, to the economic progress of the country. Among the most important problems for their families, Ukrainians name poverty (47%), access to medical services (36%), and unemployment (34%). At the same time, the respondents point out the increase in the family's welfare (55%), the economic growth (49%), and also the possibility to receive qualitative services from the state (41%) as the main signs of irreversibility of positive changes.
• Ukrainians are inconsistent in their attitude to corruption. 50% of respondents believe that corruption is the most significant issue for Ukraine. Although an absolute majority (91%) are convinced that corrupt officials should be removed from office, 66% of respondents believe that if a problem with a public official can be solved with a reward, most Ukrainians will attempt to take advantage of it. 65% agree that everyone who offers a bribe should bear the same responsibility as the one who takes it. At the same time, half of respondents believe that without a bribe, they will not receive medical care or higher education. Contacting law enforcement to report cases of corruption (1%), or openly reporting them in the media or through anonymous online publications (1%) is more of an exception to the rule than a pattern.
• Ukrainians, in general, are aware of their rights and the structure of the branches of government, but are confused about taxation and local authorities. Only 25% named local executive authorities correctly (regional, district, and local administrations). A quarter (24%) believe that executive power is concentrated in the hands of regional, district, and local councils. Another 24% believe that both councils and administrations are local executive authorities. Difficulties arise in the organization of peaceful assemblies, 62% have indicated that in order to hold a peaceful rally, you need to obtain permission from local authorities.

Read more about the survey results at this link.

The Community Engagement Survey is conducted by ENGAGE (USAID) twice a year since 2018 and explores awareness of citizen engagement and participation, attitudes toward public society, and perceptions of and participation in the reform process. In the last wave of the survey, we also asked Ukrainians about their level of civic education and willingness to financially support charities or civil society organizations.