It leads to results: well-prepared documentation that minimizes risks, transparent procurement processes, more effective use of funds – and in the end modernised canteens and healthy children. But not without challenges and difficult issues to solve on the way.
How to achieve this was explained by Allan Pagh Kristensen, Head of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative, Orest Stepanyak, Head of the School Nutrition Reform Team, and Andrii Stashkiv, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, during the meeting ‘Partnership for Integrity and Efficiency’.
The meeting took place on 22 May in Kyiv and brought together representatives of international organisations, donor programmes and experts; all interested in joining efforts to bring systemic change to school nutrition and reconstruction.
The meeting focused on the transparent and effective use of state subvention. In 2024, the government allocated UAH 1.5 billion for the school canteens modernisation, with another UAH 960 million to follow in 2025.
A model for monitoring each stage of the use of state subventions during the reconstruction of school canteens – from the preparation of documentation to the quality of the work performed – was developed and implemented by the EUACI’s experts in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and the School Nutrition Reform Team. The aim was to ensure integrity, transparency and accountability at all stages.
57 schools across the country are now modernised and ensured with high-quality equipment. More than 30 other projects are in the final stages of completion.
The monitoring identified violations, illegal activities and corruption risks. Some issues were solved with local authorities. Some were addressed by other Ukrainian authorities and a few problematic issues are still outstanding.
The established model is ready to be replicated and applied in other areas. It can work, in particular, in projects to recover and modernise social infrastructure.
Find out more about the monitoring model and the results of the cooperation via the link.
