Open Data Association and the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities join forces to develop transparency of local self-government

On 15 January, the Open Data Association, a leading expert civil society organization promoting and advocating for open data in Ukraine, held a working meeting with representatives of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities to discuss next steps of cooperation under the Memorandum signed in December last year.

This partnership aims to develop civil society and strengthen local self-government in Ukraine, build the capacity of territorial communities and introduce modern information technologies to ensure the transparency of local self-government.

“We believe that open data is a powerful tool for reducing corruption, improving governance and increasing transparency in local communities. This Memorandum marks the beginning of our joint work with the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, and we are ready to support the development of every community through the introduction of the latest technologies,” said Nataliia Chornohub, Head of the Open Data Association.

Over three years of its activity, the Open Data Association has achieved important results in ensuring broad access to open data. The organization has trained more than 5,000 local self-government officials and civil servants, 850 representatives of civil society organizations and journalists, 520 students and 650 entrepreneurs at the invitation of leading state institutions, including the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the State Audit Service.

The All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities is the largest national association of local self-government in Ukraine, uniting more than 830 territorial communities from all regions of the country, and serves as a powerful advocacy platform for protecting the rights of local self-government. The Association actively supports the implementation of the reform of local self-government and territorial organization of power, provides expert and advisory assistance to communities, and promotes their sustainable development through international technical assistance projects.

Key areas of cooperation under the memorandum include:

• Expanding access to information in the field of open data
• Introducing new information technologies into the work of territorial communities
• Organizing consultations and professional development for representatives of territorial communities
• Joint participation in grant projects to strengthen the capacity of communities

The memorandum will be valid for one year with the possibility of automatic extension, and the partnership is based on the principles of equality, openness and integrity.

“This memorandum opens up new opportunities for the development of our communities. Together with our partners, we will be able to improve the qualifications of local self-government representatives, help them integrate modern information technologies and ensure the efficient use of budget funds,” says Taras Dobrivskyi, Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities.

“It is important that our cooperation will be systemic. We plan not only to train community representatives to work with open data, but also to jointly develop new technological solutions to increase the transparency of local self-government,” added Danylo Hloba, Chairman of the Board of the Open Data Association.

[note] The signing of the memorandum of cooperation between the Open Data Association and the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities marks an important step in developing the digital capacity of Ukraine’s territorial communities. Combining expertise in open data with a deep understanding of the needs of local self-government creates a strong foundation for introducing innovative solutions that will promote transparency, efficiency and sustainable development of communities across the country.