“Parents do not place their children in institutions due to lack of care, but because social welfare issues leave them uncertain about their ability to care.”

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2,798 families saw their children returned home as fears of the pandemic spreading through institutions ignited. The SURGe team supported local government in the Lviv Region to assess the needs of those vulnerable families during lockdown so authorities could quickly respond. Research showed most of these families lived on the poverty line, with 65 per cent noting the importance of financial support in order to care for their children. The SURGe team linked 729 families in need with local social services for the first time, and facilitated packages of basic food and household items for 700 families. The SURGe team is currently working with local service providers, community organizations, social workers and local government representatives to conduct a large-scale needs assessment to understand what services exist, how these services could be improved, the needs of families with young children and pregnant women, and more.

–Community Services for Children Reform Project

“The future of Ukraine depends on quality education being available to all children.”

The Institutional Audit Toolkit is a new tool built by the SURGe team to ensure Ukrainian students have access to high quality education in all schools across the country. Using this tool, the SURGe team supported the State Service for Education Quality to organize institutional audits across the country and train experts to develop clear and evidence-based conclusions with practical recommendations. Between October 2020 and April 2021, 107 school audits were conducted with support and coaching from the SURGe team.  Auditors are gaining confidence in their work and local authorities are starting to implement the recommendations. A school audit in the Volyn Region resulted in recommendations for the local government to fund improvements to the school grounds to make them more welcoming and child-friendly. The audit took place at the school in December 2020 and by March 2021, the local government, based on recommendations of the audit, allocated sufficient funds for improvements.

–Quality Education Reform Project

“A prison term being an opportunity to access rehabilitation programs is a key step to a safer Ukraine.”

To support the focus on rehabilitation in Ukraine’s prison system, the SURGe team initiated a working group to develop the Risk and Needs Assessment Tool (RNA Tool). Using the tool, correctional staff assess risks that might cause an incarcerated person to reoffend upon release, and consider what the person might need to decrease their risk of reoffending, such as job training or addiction counselling. The SURGe team worked with prison staff to pilot the tool in 10 prisons, for both males and females at different security levels. The SURGe team also developed and piloted case management tools, designed to see incarcerated people through their time in prison and track successful strategies. The pilot program led to improvements for both the RNA and case management tools, approved by the Ministry of Justice in late 2020 – early 2021. A pilot is now underway on an updated conditional release decision making process to ensure fairness and transparency.

–Corrections Reform Project

“Transformation of the healthcare system has become a measuring stick of broader changes across Ukraine.”

When seeking medical care, Ukrainians often paid out-of-pocket to access health services and facilities, raising serious questions about how the system allocated tax dollars. The SURGe team developed the digital architecture of the State Owned Enterprise eHealth (SOE eHealth) system, creating safe and reliable management of sensitive medical data for 42 million Ukrainian citizens. The SOE eHealth system includes a database of doctors, patients and medical institutions, and a transparent health staff salary system. Patients can now choose a family doctor and healthcare facility, which creates competition and improves quality of care across the sector. As of 2021, more than 70 per cent of patients (approximately 30 million people) reported satisfaction with their family doctor and most family doctors reported satisfaction with salaries. Patients pay less out-of-pocket for health services and have greater access to medications. Additionally, electronic prescriptions are widespread, improving management of the medication reimbursement program.

–eHealth Reform Project

“Public investment is a key policy tool that affects quality of life and shapes choices about where people live and work.”

Working with government representatives in two pilot oblasts, Chernihivska and Cherkaska, the SURGe team conducted surveys to learn about citizen needs that could be met with improved public investment. The needs assessment revealed that challenges are much broader than just financing investment – public authorities also lack the appropriate governance arrangements to make the best use of funding. The SURGe team identified 85 gaps across 15 OECD-recommended capacities for effective public investment, with key gaps in strategic planning, budget alignment and lack of coordination. The research also showed that citizens are not informed about the implementation of investment projects and there is not an effective public investment monitoring and evaluation system. This process culminated in discussion about more than 200 recommendations to national, regional and local authorities on legislative, organizational and capacity building measures designed to transform public investment into a driving force for the development of regions and communities.

–Public Investment Governance Reform Project