In March, a study and working visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Stockholm on the topic “Swedish system of multi-level governance in practice” was held, organized at the invitation of SALAR International within the framework of the Swedish-Ukrainian Polaris Program “Support for multi-level governance in Ukraine”.
The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine was represented by Inna Garz, Deputy Director of the Department of Budget Expenditures for the Humanitarian Sector, and Zoryna Peroshchuk, Deputy Director of the Department of Policy on Inter-Budgetary Relations and Local Budgets. In addition, the event was attended by representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories, the State Agency for Infrastructure Reconstruction and Development, the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service, the All-Ukrainian Association of United Territorial Communities, the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities, and the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils.
The participants focused on key issues of multilevel governance:
– The distribution of powers between levels of government;
– Expenditure powers between budget levels;
– Mechanisms for financial support of local self-government;
– Application of the horizontal equalization mechanism;
– Use of data for strategic planning;
– Approaches to forming capable networks of public service providers;
– The relationship between policy formation and service delivery at the local level.
In general, the visit covered the key links of the Swedish model of multilevel governance. The Ukrainian delegation held meetings with members of the Riksdag’s Constitutional and Finance Committees, representatives of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), the Swedish Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure, the Statskontoret agency for financial and public administration, the Tax Service, the National Government Service Centres, and the Council for Monitoring and Analysis of Municipalities. The participants were introduced to the full governance chain, from policy formulation to public service delivery.
The topics covered during the visit are particularly relevant for the further implementation of the decentralization reform in Ukraine and its alignment with European integration processes. The lessons learned will also contribute to the formulation of policies on the use of reliable, relevant, and credible data for strategic and medium-term budget planning, effective allocation of financial resources, and the development of capable networks of public service providers in accordance with the needs of the population.
The Ukrainian side expresses its sincere gratitude to the Government of Sweden, SALAR International and all partners of the Polaris Program for the high level of organization of the visit, openness to cooperation and willingness to share best practices.
Sweden is one of the most illustrative examples of effective multi-level governance in Europe due to the combination of strong local self-government, a clear division of powers between levels of government, financial capacity of communities and regions, as well as developed mechanisms for coordination and data-based planning. (Finance Ministry)