Even in the difficult conditions of war, Ukrainian cities do not stop: schools, hospitals, and infrastructure are being repaired. What matters is that the work is done properly, and that every hryvnia spent goes where it should. Technical supervision is responsible for exactly that: verifying the scope, quality, and compliance of construction works. In practice, however, this system often operates as a formality and the corruption risks are many.
Against this backdrop, two Ukrainian cities have begun implementing changes. Using the findings of an EUACI-supported corruption risk assessment in the technical supervision sector, they are turning recommendations into concrete policy changes.
On 11 March, the Mykolaiv City Council approved a comprehensive procedure for procuring technical supervision services. It includes establishing transparent and competitive procurement rules, non-discriminatory qualification requirements for supervision engineers, mandatory market consultations, and a tiered reporting system scaled to contract value. The new rules apply to all budget-funded clients within the Mykolaiv city territorial community.
On 18 March, Zhytomyr followed suit. The City Council launched a pilot project to improve technical supervision of construction processes. The pilot will be implemented at the municipal enterprise Zhytomyrteplokomunenerho, focusing on engineering networks, utilities, and equipment. This is an area where supervision quality directly affects both safety and the efficient use of public funds. Running for six months, the pilot will test new approaches in practice, gather feedback, and refine the methodology before broader rollout.
The decisions in Mykolaiv and Zhytomyr will serve as a basis for further policy changes in the field of technical supervision in other Integrity Cities and at the national level.
