Kick-off Meeting

The project's kick-off meeting will be held in Kyiv with representatives of the Contracting Authority and MoFE. The purpose of the meeting will be to ensure that the project staff, the EC Delegation and MoFE all have a common understanding concerning the strategic directions, priorities and expected results of the project. Such agreement is important to unambiguously define the sphere of operations of the project, and the constraints and degree of allowed flexibility, thereby ensuring a targeted and focused approach that is consistent with, and which maximises the possibility of achieving, the agreed objectives and goals.

At the meeting, the project staff will seek to obtain the views of MoFE and the Contracting Authority about the project’s scope, approach, priorities and goals. However, in order to facilitate discussion, the project will present specific proposals for consideration regarding critical project parameters. Many of these issues are complex and will need to be informed also by further analysis, fieldwork and consultation with other stakeholders, such as NERC. Hence, resolution on all matters is unlikely to be reached at the kick-off meeting, but the intention will be to agree on some general directions, which can be revisited and further refined as the project proceeds. The working level arrangements between the project and MoFE will also be discussed at the kick-off meeting.

Steering Committee

Given the comprehensive work scope of this project (but also the need to establish and maintain momentum), it will be imperative to ensure that all management and reporting arrangements are established at the earliest time possible. This includes the formation of the Steering Committee. The role of the Steering Committee will be to:

• Guide project implementation;

• Review project progress at regular intervals (at least every three months);

• Provide guidance at key project junctures;

• Mobilise the inputs and contributions of stakeholders, if and when required; and

• Ensure timely achievement of the project outputs and results.

As stipulated in the ToR, the Steering Committee will consist of the beneficiary (as chair) and representatives of the Contracting Authority and the Consultant, plus relevant project stakeholders, such as NERC and NAER. The identity and participation of the latter will be agreed between the foregoing parties following project commencement.

Review of Monitoring Systems

The project staff will immediately embark on a diagnostic review of the monitoring functions and systems that currently exist in MoFE and assess their weaknesses, both on the demand and supply sides. As each country is unique in terms of its monitoring activities, functions and systems, and its public sector culture and environment, the diagnosis will assist in developing recommendations tailored to Ukraine’s circumstances.

The objective of the diagnosis will be to gain a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of current monitoring efforts, and to identify a menu of possible actions to strengthen the existing systems or create a new system entirely. Equally important is that the diagnosis can act as a vehicle for raising the awareness of MoFE staff and other stakeholders, and can provide an opportunity for the stakeholders to talk to each other about monitoring and reach consensus on what may be done to improve current approaches. Finally, the diagnosis can provide a baseline measure against which future progress can be evaluated, and further modifications can be made to the system as opportunities emerge or problems are encountered.

The issues that will be addressed as part of the diagnosis include:

• The genesis of the existing monitoring system (to the extent that it already exists);
• The system’s management and the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders;
• The incentives and capacity to undertake monitoring;
• The current and prospective main uses of monitoring information, including the needs of the Ministries of Finance and Economy and the systems and procedures developed under the PCA project for consolidated monitoring of aid delivered under the umbrella of the PCA and/or new Association Agreement;
• Responsibilities for collecting and analysing primary performance information and data; and
• Overall strengths and weaknesses of the monitoring system(s).

On the basis of the findings of the diagnostic review, an action plan will be developed, and incorporated in the inception report and overall project implementation plan. The action plan will be designed so as to strengthen demand, for example, by ensuring that all key stakeholders play some substantive role in planning or managing the monitoring system, and also address supply issues – provision of training, study tours, manuals, etc.

Inputs

The Team Leader will be responsible for this task, with appropriate support and input from the other key experts. The Consortium Project Director will also attend the kick-off meeting, and be present in Ukraine to monitor project establishment during the Inception period. The close involvement and assistance of both the Contracting Authority and MoFE will be essential. The inception period will, therefore, require the mobilisation of some non-key short-term experts (subject to the approval of the Contracting Authority). The input and assistance of MoFE and other stakeholder representatives in providing all the required data and information, and the approval of the Steering Committee of the work plan and the deployment of experts will also be critical for the success of the project.

Outputs and deliverables

The key outputs expected on completion of this task are:

• Agreement between the Consultant, MoFE and the Contracting Authority on the broad goals, objectives, strategic directions and priorities of the project;

• The establishment of the Steering Committee that will be responsible for guiding project implementation;

• The setting up of all required office and logistical arrangements;

• The establishment of, or specification of the requirements for setting up, working groups for the various project tasks; and

• The inception report