Due to the start of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation and the deployment of military operations on the territory of Ukraine, public authorities have faced many challenges, the main one being ensuring the full operation of state institutions and the prompt and high-quality provision of services to citizens.

The war has become a test of strength for Ukraine and an incentive for change. The national public administration system proved to be fundamentally resilient in extremely difficult conditions and was able to adapt to wartime conditions.

Since the civil service is a link between the state and citizens and is an indicator of the level of trust in the government, it is important to ensure its effective operation both in the wartime and post-war periods. It is currently facing new challenges, the basis of which is laid down in the Action Plan for Post-War Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine.

The transformation of the civil service institution involves building a human-centred, socially oriented, service-oriented model of public service, which should be based on the use of the latest approaches to organising interaction with citizens to ensure the proper quality of public services. The civil service should be transformed into a digital, professional, honest, competitive and prestigious sector.

Highly qualified civil servants are the key to good governance and the foundation of Ukraine’s recovery. The reputation of public institutions and the country as a whole, its recovery, sustainable development and international competitiveness in the context of European integration depend on the professionalism and integrity of public and local government employees.

In today’s environment, a special role is played by the issue of forming the foundations of civic education of a public servant, in particular, his integrity, patriotism, political culture, knowledge of the legal, social and political field, and the ability to act competently in a democratic society that is constantly changing and developing. These requirements are of particular importance in the context of Ukraine’s strategic course towards European integration as a strategic course of state development, which proclaims the formation of a conscious, active, democratic citizen.

Based on universal human values and norms, civic education helps public servants to ensure that in their professional activities they uphold democratic values, law-abidingness, political impartiality, patriotism, respect for the history, traditions and culture of all nations, tolerance and non-discrimination, and take into account the needs and interests of each citizen in the formulation and implementation of public policy.

The basis for the formation of the principles of civic education of public servants is the Principles of Public Administration developed by the SIGMA programme. They are considered to be the most fully compliant with the modern requirements of society and take into account the experience of the civil service system of European countries.

Objective: to develop civil servants civic competences and the ability to adapt and apply the acquired knowledge in their professional activities to ensure the processes of recovery and European integration of Ukraine.

Dates: September-December 2024

For whom?

• civil servants
• local government officials
• students of higher education institutions in the field of knowledge ‘Public management and administration’
• postgraduate students, doctoral students in the field of knowledge ‘Public management and administration

What?

• Trainings
• Workshops
• Book club
• Meetings with opinion leaders
• Strategic sessions

What for?

• Understanding the essence of democracy and its values
• Increased readiness to use democratic tools in professional activities
• Development of leadership potential and teamwork
• Strengthening of patriotic values, beliefs and respect for the cultural and historical past of Ukraine in the minds and feelings
• Formation of a positive reputation of the civil service institution

How?

• To develop an understanding of the key aspects of the development of democratic values in times of war.
• To deepen awareness of human rights in a democratic society.
• To introduce the possibilities of civic education for the development of democratic interaction and competences for a culture of democracy.
• To develop the skills necessary for the formation of a culture of non-discrimination and zero tolerance.
• Improve general (civic, socio-cultural, leadership) and professional (information and digital, psychological, emotional and ethical, organisational, reflective, and lifelong learning) competencies.)
• Ensure the formation of integrity, patriotism, political culture, awareness of the legal, social and political field, development of an understanding of policy making and implementation, and the ability to act competently in a democratic society that is constantly changing and developing.
• To motivate the use of digital democracy and artificial intelligence tools in professional activities.

Democracy Week educational marathon

Additionally:

Since 2020, the project ‘Political Education of Civil Servants in Ukraine’ has been implemented in cooperation with the Hans Seidel Foundation in Ukraine. The aim of the project is to deepen the professional knowledge of civil servants and local government officials about the political experience of democratic states and the peculiarities of political systems; to develop an understanding of politics and the ability to adapt the experience gained to the current political, social and economic life of Ukraine.

The project has already developed a manual ‘Political Education of Public Servants in Ukraine’, an online course ‘Political Education of Public Servants in Ukraine’, and a general
short-term training programme ‘Political Education of Civil Servants in Ukraine’ (50 people took part in the training programme in 2020).

In 2023, the project will develop three more general short-term training programmes: ‘Media Education and Media Literacy: Achievements of the EU and Ukraine’, “Human Rights in the EU”, “Tools for Implementing the European Model of Civic (Political) Education”, which were successfully completed by 143 civil servants.

In 2024, the above-mentioned in-service training programmes were included in the 2024 Schedule of in-service training for civil servants, heads of local state administrations, their first deputies and deputies, and local self-government officials at the High School of Public Governance. As of August 2024, 193 people have been trained at the expense of the state budget under the programmes Media Education and Media Literacy: Achievements of the EU and Ukraine, Human Rights in the EUa – 354 people, and Tools for Implementing the European Model of Civic (Political) Education – 116 people.