DTA promotes government efficiency and bolsters the digital transformation of Ukraine through a three-pronged approach: economic revitalization, transparency in reconstruction, and responsive governance during the ongoing war and beyond. Together, these objectives create a transparent and efficient digital ecosystem, stimulate economic growth, enhance government efficiency, and improve the citizen-government relationship in Ukraine.

Digital technologies are essential to a resilient Ukrainian economy, both now and in the future. To drive economic revitalization, DTA champions investments in digital economic infrastructure. The program helps to simplify and digitize export-related processes, support small- and medium-sized enterprise development, and foster a favorable business and investment environment in Ukraine.

Transparency in reconstruction is also critical to the sustainable recovery of Ukraine. To ensure transparent reconstruction of wartime and post-war Ukraine, DTA promotes the digital management of recovery and reconstruction projects, using digital systems to trace every dollar spent. The program also strengthens the e-procurement ecosystem to enhance oversight of funds and ensure fairness and accountability.

Digitization is a core mechanism to advance effective and democratic governance in Ukraine. By enhancing the availability and usability of open data and leveraging digital technologies in anti-corruption efforts, DTA fosters a culture of transparency and accountability. To do so, DTA supports the Diia ecosystem to speed the roll-out of new e-services for both people and businesses.

To achieve results, DTA engages directly with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, and the Ministry of Economy as well as businesses, technology companies, local governments, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and citizens of Ukraine.

DTA is delivered by a skilled consortium led by Eurasia Foundation and comprised of the Better Regulation Delivery Office, East Europe Foundation, Institute of Analytics and Advocacy, Kyiv School of Economics, Open Contracting Partnership, Social Boost, Transparency International Ukraine, and Women in Digital Transformation. This highly capable group of Ukrainian and American partners brings decades of experience working in Ukraine and many well-established partnerships with government, the private sector, and civil society.

	This program description is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of Eurasia Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
	This material has been funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.

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Eurasia Foundation’s Community Engagement and Accountability Initiative was a grassroots approach to increase openness at the local and national levels. Designed in response to community needs and based on EF’s experience supporting civil society capacity development, this program provided organizations with the training and governance skills needed to address their organizational challenges and exercise greater influence on local decision-making. With this initiative, EF helped organization leaders be more accountable to their constituents.

The program’s three interactive online courses aimed to strengthen CSOs’ capacity to engage citizens and develop long-term community trust and involvement by facilitating productive dialogues, sustaining long-term partnerships, and providing the tools to design effective projects that reflect community needs. The online courses adopted a framework centered on amplifying the voices of the least powerful constituents.

After completing the remote coursework and exercises, CSO leaders implemented outreach campaigns that incorporated the strategies they learned, including meeting with constituents in a participatory design or co-creation process to respond to constituent-identified needs.

EF continued to coach both participating organizations and their constituents as they collaborated to implement their campaigns for transparency.

To establish a continual learning loop, the program fostered international networks of CSOs and identified and shared best practices among them. Select civil society leaders participated in a multi-day workshop in Georgia to continue learning about community organizations in other environments and establish relationships with their international counterparts.

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CODIME built a robust community of practice focused on understanding regional disinformation trends, resisting and refuting these narratives, and fact-checking best practices. This community of practice centered around CODIME’s digital hub. The platform served as a public interface for Arabic-speaking professionals to access the latest tools in fact-checking, regional trends, and open-source investigation, and hosted a range of multimedia pieces exploring contemporary issues across the Middle East.  

CODIME hosted multi-day workshops and trainings, where participants tackled a range of issues, including public health, education, culture, politics, finance, and digital hygiene. The project also supported in-depth journalistic investigations and multimedia campaigns. Pieces included fact-checking videos, podcasts, investigative reports, features, and human-interest stories, each of which was aimed at encouraging active engagement and critical thinking among media consumers. 

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Beginning in 2016, TAPAS played a critical role advancing e-governance reforms throughout Ukraine. The project harnessed the power of e-procurement, e-services, and open data to combat corruption at both the national and municipal levels.

When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, TAPAS rapidly redesigned its project activities to meet urgent wartime needs. TAPAS remained in constant, close communication with government and civil society partners to assess evolving priorities. In July 2022, USAID approved a cost and time extension to allow TAPAS to continue its vital work.

TAPAS was committed to strengthening governance and agile public service delivery during war. To support the reconstruction of Ukraine, including zones liberated from Russian forces, TAPAS also provided expert guidance on the effective use of public funds post-war. For example, in anticipation of postwar rebuilding, the program developed a comprehensive registry to record the damage and destruction of private and public property. In parallel, TAPAS supported civil society monitoring surrounding reconstruction efforts. TAPAS also enhanced the use of open data for reconstruction and economic development to ensure open data was properly collected and used for evidence-based decision making in the public sector.

Learn more about TAPAS’s wartime response here.

Prior to the war, key TAPAS activities included:

• Ensuring electronic procurement became the standard approach for most public procurements in Ukraine | TAPAS drafted amendments to Ukraine’s Law on Public Procurement, supported the creation of the Centre of Excellence in Procurement at the Kyiv School of Economics, and attracted technological investment and expansion of the IT infrastructure of the Prozorro platform and associated DOZORRO civic oversight network.
• Supporting all ministries and +35 municipalities with populations over 100,000 to publish data on a regular basis and organizing seminars and workshops for open data specialists | TAPAS supported legal reforms that tripled the number of datasets required to be published by state authorities, launched the government’s revamped Unified Open Data Portal, organized regular Open Data Challenges to cultivate innovation, and established the Open Data Leaders Network to inspire the emerging generation of open data managers and innovators.
• Providing regulatory and policy support and technical assistance to the Government of Ukraine to develop and implement an e-services roadmap | TAPAS facilitated an audit of government registries, developed an Interoperability Roadmap, supported implementation of the TREMBITA national interoperability system and the integration of state registries into this system, and launched a wide range of e-services to improve the everyday lives of the Ukrainian people.

Learn more about TAPAS here.

	This program description is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of Eurasia Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
	This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.

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EGA strove to improve government responsiveness and reduce corruption through transparent, open electronic processes. The project assisted the governments of BiH in harmonizing their e-governance legislative and regulatory framework with EU directives and international best practices. EGA also supported the citizens and governments of BiH in developing new software to ensure efficient, effective, and transparent public procurement and service delivery.

Under this activity, Eurasia Foundation built the capacity of civil society organizations to monitor and report on public procurements, including flagging high-risk, potentially corrupt tenders. Eurasia Foundation also developed a system of contractor past performance reports. Together, these efforts ensured that the rules of public procurement were being implemented transparently and objectively by all stakeholders in the process.

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The project was funded by IREX through its Regional Assistance Program and the U.S. Department of State.

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The program had four inter-related objectives:

• Foster a cohort of responsible young leaders;
• Promote greater public transparency and accountability;
• Enhance society’s ability to quickly respond to emerging opportunities; and
• Build the capacity of local organizations to be financially viable and responsive to constituents.

Results as of November 22, 2023

YOUTH LEADERSHIP

• 480 young leaders from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
• 170 youth successfully graduated CAYLA’s e-learning series
• 8 online courses
• 85 coaching sessions
• 67 Youth Leadership Grants
• 15 Social Idea Accelerator Grants

In 2020, SICA launched the Central Asia Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) for responsible young leaders who share goals, values, and passion for positive change in their communities. The inaugural cohort included 163 young leaders from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Within three years, SICA recruited 480 young leaders from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan from more than 2,439 applicants. Each cycle, launched with a CAYLA Regional Kickoff Conference, offered young leaders inspiration, training, and mentorship opportunities. CAYLA members studied foundational skills in community engagement and leadership via interactive and engaging online activities. After graduating from CAYLA, the participants applied their new knowledge and experience through community change projects, supported with small grants and targeted technical assistance from SICA. At each step, CAYLA members had an opportunity to network with their peers, local leaders, established CSOs, and government officials to share lessons about effective community initiatives.

POLICY, RESEARCH, AND OUTREACH

• 78 participants from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
• 81 professionals completed data visualization training and published compelling visualizations of issues in Central Asia
• 2 research apprenticeships funded and facilitated in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
• 20 Transparency Grants awarded
• 14 Policy Research Projects awarded

The SICA Policy Research School (PRS) offered mentoring, workshops, on-the-job training, and peer-to-peer exchanges for CSOs, think tanks, and independent researchers that build needed capacities for participation in policy development and the role of watchdogs in monitoring the public sector. PRS engaged its members in an advanced budget monitoring and public procurement transparency curriculum tailored to the policy areas of highest priority for them and aimed at improving ongoing initiatives and designing future campaigns on the budget process. SICA also awarded grants to support outreach and research projects in Central Asia that strengthened civil society’s role in promoting transparency, public accountability, and policy research.

EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES

• 107 Innovative Solution Grants awarded in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
• 18 In-Kind Grants awarded
• 3 Exchange Network Grants awarded

SICA was designed to provide civil society actors with the resources they need to strengthen their work and address the priorities of their communities. To allow civil society to identify where they see the greatest need for investment, SICA provided resources through ongoing, flexible grant competitions to solicit and support timely project ideas and promote positive citizen participation and social innovations. Projects funded promoted transparency and accountability, revitalized communities, and opportunities and protections for all. In total, SICA conducted 18 forums, reaching approximately 270,000 people.

INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

• 84 organizations engaged as members of the Institutional Development Program from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
• 24 institutional development experts trained to use the SICA Institutional Assessment Toolkit
• 6 civil society workshops

Private organizations perform varied and important tasks in Central Asian countries, and SICA developed the skills, tools, and capacities of such organizations to broaden their funding sources and increase engagement with their constituents. Organizations from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan joined the Institutional Development Program. To support an evidence-based approach for capacity building in Central Asia, SICA developed an Institutional Assessment Toolkit that its experts used to conduct tailored assessments and provide training in targeted areas for growth. In 2021, SICA began offering Institutional Development Grants to help organizations address capacity gaps and better pursue their organizational missions.

Learn more about SICA on the program’s website.

This program description is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of Eurasia Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

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With the Initiative, Eurasia Foundation helped anti-trafficking CSOs in Central Asia develop individualized multi-year strategies and plans, train and provide professional support to staff, and organize regional workshops and forums. The program also supported a robust network of civil society representatives, lawyers, and media experts across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, who met regularly to collaborate on successes and challenges in the anti-trafficking space. By uniting varied actors to tackle this intrinsically cross-border issue, the Initiative enhanced the sustainability and effectiveness of anti-trafficking efforts throughout the region.

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Launched in 2013, EF’s Online School of Social Entrepreneurship strengthened the capacity of young leaders in Central Asia to build more prosperous and stable communities innovatively and sustainably. The program fostered robust networks and professional exchanges among a broad group of Central Asian social innovators, and ultimately grew to include over 900 community leaders from across Central Asia.

The School offered courses covering business plan development, fundraising, project management, and financial sustainability. It provided participants practical, hands-on information so they were left equipped with the necessary tools to implement social development projects in the real world. The School fostered social projects focused on identifying alternative energy resources, improving access to education, and increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS among young people. Through the School, EF built a foundation for the long-term development of civil society in the region.

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CBCSOP supported four types of civil society organizations: social organizations serving vulnerable populations, organizations devoted to business networking or economic development, educational groups, and environmental organizations. Additionally, EF provided both technical assistance and financial support to six higher education institutions and one non-governmental organization to enhance the capacity and practical orientation of their business education programs. EF’s support enabled these schools to introduce new courses and innovative teaching tools and to expand their professional networks.

Within the project, the CBCSOP team developed an Organizational Capacity Assessment toolkit based on several internationally recognized institutional development tools. The structure and content of the toolkit allow organizational development experts at New Eurasia Foundation to take an individualized approach tailored to each civil society organization, provide effective guidance, and help organizations achieve results.

As part of CBCSOP, almost 100 civil society organizations participated in project design and budgeting training, and at least two dozen civil society organizations measurably improved their capacity to raise funds and manage programs. In addition, New Eurasia Foundation became a recognized leader in the Belarusian market for organizational assessment and capacity building services.

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From 2011 to 2014, EBL made legal representation more readily available for vulnerable populations in Central Asia, especially rural women, at-risk youth, and persons with disabilities. In each country, hub non-governmental organizations provided training and consultation to a broad network of grassroots organizations, community leaders, and governmental officials. The program offered pro bono legal services and supported the establishment of legal clinics at universities as well as government-sponsored legal aid centers. Through a small grants program, EBL spearheaded public awareness campaigns on access to justice issues such as violence against women and children.

EBL produced significant results in increasing citizens’ demand for justice in rural areas and in raising the practical knowledge of government representatives responsible for the protection of vulnerable groups. EBL also raised the visibility and profile of access to justice issues on the national reform agendas of each country, resulting in tangible expansion and improvement in the quality of legal services for citizens in need in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The program worked to bring national legislation and practices across the three countries in line with international standards. EBL provided commentary on new legal aid legislation in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan and offered actionable steps to the government of Kyrgyzstan to improve compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Through EBL, more than 1,700 civil society leaders and government representatives received training and support. In addition, EBL supported nearly 550 court cases on behalf of vulnerable people and held over 40,000 legal consultations across the region.

To learn about the impact of EBL’s work, watch this video:

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To ensure that YPP achieved national reach, EF and EEF partnered with the newly-created Ministry of Youth and Sports of Moldova. Together with local Ministry representatives, EF and EEF facilitated a series of youth debates in every district of Moldova. The debates highlighted the reform priorities of young people, such as increased investment in education and job training, as well as greater opportunities for young people to participate in local governance. The public debates culminated in a National Youth Forum, held in the capital city of Chișinău, where youth leaders from across Moldova had the opportunity to present their views on the national 2009-2013 Youth Strategy directly to high-level government officials.

YPP also offered a comprehensive training program for youth-focused non-governmental organizations and youth activists, strengthening their ability to design, manage, and implement community projects. In partnership with municipal governments, EF and EEF co-funded 14 youth-led projects, including initiatives to rehabilitate sports facilities, raise youth awareness of HIV/AIDS, and improve access to education.

Reaching nearly 7,000 youth across the country, YPP played a crucial role in inspiring young citizens to play a more active role in public life. One project, “Leaders for Change,” aimed to encourage a new generation of political and civic leaders. Implemented by the Association for Participatory Democracy, the project offered training in debate skills and issue identification as well as networking opportunities for aspiring youth leaders from communities across Moldova. More than 175 youth took part in the project, out of which 42 ran for town council positions during local elections in June 2011. As a result, nine participants won their races and assumed office.

To learn more about YPP and how young Moldovans engage with their leaders, watch this video:

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