Involvement in the decision-making process

A healthy democracy depends on informed citizens with the freedom to participate in policy decisions being made at all levels of government. Accountability, transparency, and trust only become sustainable when citizens participate in the process and government authorities listen and take these decisions into account. This also includes rural com-munities; it is of critical importance that they too have their say in their community’s development, particularly at a local level, where the implementation of government policies are more immediately felt. It is important that a constructive dialogue be main-tained between the citizens and their governments. Rural residents must work hard to overcome the many challenges that prevent them from full participation in decisions that directly affect them.

Limited understanding among rural citizens as to how the local decision-making process works is the basis of all problems associated with this process. More than 25 percent of villagers do not know what occurs in their village councils.⁴⁰ Their confusion is justified in that political authority through the various levels of government in Ukraine is contradictory, chaotic and in desperate need of reform (see Box 13).

Box 13: The Complexity of Decision-making at the Local Level

In Ukraine, decentralization has not been a clear-cut process. Instead, it has been hindered by the shuffling of roles between local and central governments.

This confusion is embedded in contradictory constitutional provisions and leads to unclear policy development and lines of authority that negatively impact community participation.

The impact that rural NGOs have on the local decision-making process is severely hampered by both the unfamiliarity with basic governmental processes and the inherent

problems that exist between government bodies. In fact, only 5 percent of rural NGOs from the Southern and Western regions rated their influence on local decision-making as significant. Forty-one percent of NGOs surveyed rate their influence as average, 38 percent as low and 16 percent felt they had made no impact at all. The vast majority of the latter group is comprised of NGOs from Central Ukrainian regions. (See Figures 8 and 9.)

Figure 8.

Rural NGO Influence on Local Decision-making Process (%)

Figure 9.

Rural NGO Influence on Local Decision-making Process: Regional Dimensions

However, local governments are very interested in listening to the ideas of rural NGOs, and 77 percent of the surveyed NGOs said they are aware of this interest.

Nonetheless, NGOs require skills and capacity building in policy analysis, writing, and

High Medium Low Does not have

any influence 0

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

45 41

38

16

5

Center South North East West

0% 50% 100%

Low Medium High

No influence

advocacy, in order to become more actively involved in the decision-making process.

Our research revealed that 74 percent of rural NGOs attend public forums and meet-ings, whereas only 34 percent are members of advisory boards, 18 percent are involved in budget hearings, and 11 percent assist with local strategic planning. Meanwhile, an astonishing 15 percent do not participate in any such events. Results show that the latter group is made up of rural NGOs that target invalids/the disabled, ethnic minorities, and businesses.

Examples of how rural NGOs have become effectively involved in local deci-sion-making need to be disseminated to encourage others to participate. For example, representatives of rural NGOs in many regions:

• attend plenary sessions of the local council;

• discuss problems and advise on policy options to assist their local govern-ment;

• have an advisory voice in special committees of local councils, some of which are ad hoc while others are on-going.

This growing wealth of experience could be expanded to include the active participa-tion of rural NGOs in a variety of ways. Through training and consultaparticipa-tions, rural NGOs should become involved in: consultations, expert councils, public opinion surveys, the discussion and creation of draft laws, and deliberations with the media.

2.3.3.1 Conclusions

By increasing the capacity of rural NGOs to participate in the local decision-making process, local communities will be improved, NGOs will gain support, and momentum and the democratic transformation of Ukraine will be facilitated. Progress could also be made in addressing the issue of rural NGO invisibility. Active involvement would help NGOs shift from the marginalized position they currently inhabit and centralize them within community involvement. As a result, the capacity and efforts of rural NGOs in helping alleviate poverty and meeting community needs would increase.

Box 14: Odesa Establishes Mediators

Odesa has found a way to increase public participation in local decision-making by establishing village coordinator networks to facilitate cooperation among local governments and their jurisdictions. The coordinators are assigned to develop grassroots initiatives with the intent of solving social problems within the community. They also help disseminate information, consult on legal issues and facilitate trainings and seminars. The coordinator is selected through a competition and the local government and citizens approve this selection.

This individual is then sent to a training program specially developed for local coordinators. In the Village of Poplavka, for example, there was no local grocery store, and thanks to the work of the coordinator, this need has been filled.

Source: URLP Report. 2003. Kyiv. pp. 23–24.

2.4 NGO Sustainability: Financial Sustainability Recent trends in the financing of rural NGOs reveal:

• increased competition for access to financial resources;

• restrictive criteria set by donors;

• greater diversity of potential funding sources;

• skills developed for fundraising;

• potential to develop partnerships with international NGOs in order to increase the funding base.

This list contains benefits as well as challenges. Both must be addressed in order for rural NGOs to be marketable in today’s Ukraine. If NGOs are to take advantage of this situation, they will require extensive training and capacity building.