The competitive approach to be: the authorities will introduce projects for NGOs in Chernihiv in six months

Thanks to the initiative and fruitful work of the Polissya Fund of International and Regional Research, as well as a number of local NGOs within the project initiated by the Odessa Regional Organization “Committee of Voters of Ukraine”, from July 1, 2016, a competitive approach in the distribution of finances from the city budget will be introduced from July 1, 2016. This decision was made by deputies during the next session on January 28.

For several months, long discussions have been discussed on the introduction of a competitive approach with representatives of the deputy corps and public activists. The experts of the project, together with public figures, have developed provisions on the competition among public organizations, prescribed the conditions of participation in the program and all the necessary technical points. In order to convey the importance of this decision and to present their work, the activists held a number of meetings and negotiations with deputies of the Chernihiv City Council, which resulted in compromise decisions, as well as eliminated shortcomings.

Finally, on January 28, 2016, most of the deputies during the 3rd session of the Chernihiv City Council supported and voted for the introduction of a competitive approach to financing measures of public organizations, which are determined by the Chernihiv Public Organization Support Program for 2016. The competition will take effect in July this year. This deficiency is associated with time shortages as well as procedural moments.

Accordingly, in the first half of 2016, funding will be carried out according to the old scheme, without a competition. At the same time, a working group whose activities will be aimed at implementing the initiative will start working during this period.

Now, as before, there is a program that covers 17 socially oriented Chernihiv organizations. The first six months of financing is expected in the amount of UAH 534 thousand 278. The largest amount of funds is included in the activities of a public organization that deals with the problems of homeless. In addition to payment of utilities, another 200,000 are salaries for employees. Other organizations are paid mainly for renting premises and communal expenditures.

The advocacy campaign is implemented within the framework of the project “Transparent budget financing of Chernihiv public organizations – the way to strengthen their capacity” by the Polissya Fund of International and Regional Research within the framework of the initiative “Civil Society and the Media – for transparent local budgets!” Partnership for transparent local budgets! With the financial support of the European Union and the Embassy of Finland in Ukraine.