Our projects

Contractors: OCA Global Consulting and Technical Advisory Services S. L. U. (Spain) at the head of the consortium consisting of D. M. I. (France), Institute for Rural Development (Ukraine) and EVOLUXER S. L. (Spain)

Implementation period: 15.03.2024 – 15.11.2025

The project’s objectives are:

1) Increased MAPF and SSUFSCP capacities in designing and implementing key reforms based on the EU Acquis in the sphere of food safety, animal health and welfare, and phytosanitary and improved Ukrainian associated state control system to ensure EU compliance, follow-up, coordination and implementation of drafted legislation.

2) The functionality of Ukraine’s food safety, animal health and welfare, and phytosanitary services, and the associated state control and infrastructure system is enhanced in a gradual alignment with relevant EU and other international standards, ensuring health guarantees on animals and plants in different areas of the country and implementing a comprehensive State prophylactic programme against some infectious diseases and zoonoses.

Contractors: OCA Global Consulting and Technical Advisory Services S. L. U. (Spain) at the head of the consortium consisting of D. M. I. (France), WeGlobal (Italy), Institute for Rural Development (Ukraine) and EVOLUXER S. L. (Spain)

Implementation period: 01.09.2019 – 01.05.2024

The project’s objectives are:
The project aims to support the implementation of the provisions of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine concerning food safety, animal health and welfare, and phytosanitary. It will notably contribute to raise the capacities of the relevant Ministries and the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP) in designing and implementing key reforms in these sectors and enhance the functionality of Ukraine’s services, control and infrastructure system in a gradual alignment with relevant EU and other international standards. The reform and restructuring of the SSUFSCP is within the scope of the action, as well as capacity-building of the relevant Ministries.

Contractors: WYG International (UK) at the head of the consortium consisting of AESA (Italy), Institute for Rural Development (Ukraine) and CEL (Ukraine)

Implementation period: 01.02.2016 – 31.12.2021

The project’s objectives are:
The overall objective of the contract is to reinforce the Capacity of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food (MAPF) to implement the Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) Strategy in line with Ukraine’s commitments under the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA)”. To translate the strategy into reality requires:

• Policy-making, structural and managerial capacity building at MAPF and its subordinate bodies in support to ARD implementation and action planning;
• Improved budgetary efficiency to accompany this process;
• Reviewing and supporting the development of a large body of Ukrainian legislation and gradually approximated with EU best practices.

Implementation period: 01.12.2015 – 31.10.2016

The project’s objectives are:
Conducting a study to identify border inspection posts that should be upgraded to equivalent EU standards in terms of implementing state veterinary and sanitary control at the border, including:

• locations
• land acquisition costs,
• infrastructure requirements
• construction costs for consideration of funding by donors.

Implementation period: 30.06.2012 – 28.02.2014

The purpose of the project: - studies and consensus policy recommendations on priority policy issues:

• The role of Ukraine in world food security and food price volatility.
• Analysis of proposals for a free trade agreement with the European Union and its implications for agriculture, food processing industry.
• Analysis of social and rural development issues related to the completion of the land reform through the lifting of the moratorium on land sales.
• An assessment of the ecological state of agricultural land subjected to short-term leases during the moratorium.
• An assessment of the effects of WTO accession on Ukrainian agriculture, food processing industry.
• Proposals to improve food safety of agricultural production in order to improve national export potential.
• Proposals for defining negotiating position for Ukraine for the Doha round of WTO talks.

Contractors: WYG International (UK) at the head of the consortium consisting of ADAS Ltd, UK; Carl Bro A/S, Denmark; ACE Asesores de Comercio Exterior S.L., Spain, Institute for Rural Development (Ukraine).

Implementation period: 01.11.2008 – 31.12.2012

The purpose of the project, as set out in the Terms of Reference, is to support the application of a Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) for agriculture and rural development within the context of WTO accession and the ENP Action Plan.
The project has four components whose objectives, stated in the TOR, are:

• Component 1: Institutional Development
• Component 2: Food Safety
• Component 3: Market Infrastructure
• Component 4: Rural Development

Implementation period: 01.02 – 31.12.2012

The project’s objectives are:

• Conduct a study to assess the existing practice in Ukraine of organizing control over the targeted use of funds provided for the provision of social benefits and services to the population, summarize and analyze the needs for improving this activity;
• Conduct a review of social policy and the state of control over the targeted use of funds provided for the provision of social benefits and services to the population; summarize international experience in organizing control over the targeted use of social assistance funds;
• Prepare a Report (political proposal) on the implementation of state policy in the field of control over the targeted use of social funds;
• Prepare a bill on improving the efficiency of the work of state social inspectors, draft regulatory legal acts on the creation of the social inspectorate and the Regulations on its work;
• Prepare a financial and economic justification for the implementation of the social inspectorate, a forecast of results and criteria for assessing the effectiveness of the implementation;
• Prepare a description of the models of the social inspectorate at the central, regional and local levels, calculations of the required staffing and budgetary resources, proposals for determining time standards and staffing standards for labor rationing; identify possible risks related to the introduction of the social inspectorate;
• Prepare an action plan for the introduction of the social inspectorate in Ukraine at the central and regional levels and a set of information materials for conducting educational campaigns;
• Hold a presentation of the proposed model, two seminars to discuss it and a training seminar “Models of social inspection services and the organization of their activities using the Information and Analytical System of Social Protection of the Population (IASSP).

Implementation period: 09 – 12.2010

The goal of the Project:
Meaningful recommendations to improve the existing legislation on CSOs funding in terms of coherency and efficiency for enhancing sustainability and financial independence of the CSOs:

• new legislation on CSOs funding;
• new methods and instruments for enhancing sustainability and financial independence of the CSOs.

Implementation period: 01.2009 – 01.2010

Objective of the project is description, analyses and assessment of business processes which exist at regional level, development of standard model for organization of work in the regional subdivisions, identifying relevant financial support on implementation of such model.

1. 1. Development of standard model for organization of work of the regional subdivisions:
   - Analyses of the existing business processes in regional subdivisions.
   - Development of the standard model for organization of business processes in regional subdivisions
   - Identifying budget resources for implementation and maintenance of standard model of regional subdivisions.
   - Preparation for approval by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Ukraine the standard administrative documents on implementation of standard model for organization of work of the regional subdivisions.
2. Improvement of standard model of work of the local subdivisions.

Implementation period: 07 – 11.2009

The goal of the Project is to prepare the Study on the impacts of the global financial and economic crisis on the agro-food sector of Ukraine:

• Analysis of the situation in agro-food sector of Ukraine at the time of survey;
• Study on the impacts of the global financial and economic crisis on the agro-food sector of Ukraine.

Implementation period: 11.2007 – 07.2008

The project’s objectives are:

• Organize and hold an international conference "Social Protection of the Population: International Experience".

• To analyze the shortcomings of the existing mechanism for providing housing subsidies to the population and to identify ways to improve it, to prepare a comparative table of mechanisms for providing subsidies to the population using the existing methodology and the methodology under experimental conditions and to prepare analytical materials;

• To prepare information and distribution materials on the features of providing housing subsidies in cash for training with specialists of pilot departments of labor and social protection of the population;

• To develop texts and design of booklets for information and explanatory work among the population; to prepare press releases to inform the population through the media;

Implementation period: 06.2007 – 06.2008

The goal of the Project:
Improving Capability of Rural Population of Ukraine to Protect its Economic and Social Rights.
Overall objectives the project is to ensure protection of economic and social rights of rural population through:

• publication of relevant educational information materials the “Library of Villagers Rights” explaining rural citizens’ rights and opportunities;
• conducting a series of educational seminars on human rights protection for rural audience in 8 regions of Ukraine and a National Final Project Conference to present IRD publications and Project recommendations, to exchange best practices of rural community organisations on villagers’ rights protection;
• dissemination publications during series of presentations and press-conferences, delivery to target audiences.

Implementation period: 05 - 10.2007

The goal of the Project:
Preparation and conducting in Lutsk, Komsomolsk and Alchevsk of series of 3-day training on the following topics:

• new legislation on social service delivery;
• new methods and instruments in social service delivery;
• strategic and operational management in local government bodies related to social service delivery;
• developing a client-oriented approach in social service delivery;
• preparation and facilitation of public awareness campaigns;
• preparation and facilitation of citizen satisfaction surveys related to social service delivery.

Contractors: GFA (Germany) - head of the consortium, Institute for Rural Development

Implementation period: 05.2006 – 12.2007

The project strengthened the capacities of Ukrainian business organizations and associations by providing support to private sustainable enterprises within a regional and sector-based scope.
The SME support project had the following overall objectives:

• Helping to develop a policy environment supportive to SME growth. The project contributed to the development of the administrative environment and culture in charge of the rise of the SME sector in Oblasts, where support is specially lacking;
• Stimulate business consultancy advice for SMEs and stimulate the growth of the business consultancy sector with the aim of introducing innovative SME support tools;
• Strengthening existing facilities including training access to SME finance (credit and venture capital), comparative benchmarking of SMEs and awareness of the cluster approach.

The target groups included SME owners, managers and employees; associations of entrepreneurs and consultants; civil servants; policy makers at legislative level and government top executives; research institutions and “think-tanks”. Students, trainers and university teachers were also carefully associated to this initiative to bring about better qualified entrepreneurs.
The regional activities concentrated on three Oblasts that were considered as less assisted for SME development: Rivne, Zhytomyr and Chernihiv.

Implementation period: 09 – 12.2006

Project purpose – preparation of analytical substantiation for drafting and implementing of normative and legal acts and rural socio-economic development programmes.
It was established that over the last 5 years the rural socio-economic indicators have changed as follows:

• Formal employment reduction accelerated,
• Informal employment increased due to employment on private plot holdings;
• Rural household incomes increased but their structure changed;
• Share received at the account of the state budget is increasing constantly;
• Rural mortality is increasing.

Implementation period: 03 – 12.2006

The goal of the Project is to prepare the Draft a medium-term agricultural and rural policy framework in the context of European and international integration.
The Draft a medium-term agricultural and rural policy framework is a concise document, which aims to propose a coherent vision for rural development, land and farm reform, food safety, agricultural trade and agricultural marketing.

Contractors: LLC “Gone and Partners Consulting”, Institute for Rural Development

Implementation period: 04 – 11.2006

The project’s objectives are:

• To review the legal forms adopted by social enterprises;
• To review problematic issues in the activities of social enterprises;
• To review and analyze gender issues in Ukraine;
• To identify the existing and potential role of social enterprises in creating jobs and generating employment for the population of Ukraine; to prepare recommendations.

Implementation period: 08.2005 – 01.2006

The main goal of the project is preparing farmers and agricultural managers for building the strong market economy in Ukraine based on Polish experience.
Specific objectives:
Setting up rural marketing organisations in Ukraine; training of the leaders of these organisations; drafting juridical documentation and marketing plans which will serve the operating basis for such marketing organisations; transfer knowledge about the agricultural enterprise management in market conditions; learning Polish experience in agricultural economy sector; dissemination relevant information.

Implementation period: 11.2005 – 01.2006

The goal of the Project is increasing of rural population’s awareness about European integration, particularly concerning WTO accession and implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) tools.
To strengthen awareness on European integration, first of all, local authorities’ representatives, rural private entrepreneurs, farmers and rural development NGOs have to receive knowledge about WTO accession and how the CAP tools are implemented in the EU.

Specific objectives:

• Producing, publication and dissemination to target groups of 5000 samples of the brochure “Agriculture in WTO and EU conditions”.

• Conducting the Ukrainian seminar “Problems and prospects of Ukrainian agrarian complex on the way to euro integration: WTO accession and EU CAP”.

Implementation period: 06.2005 – 02.2006

Overall objectives to develop and promote replicable methods of improving rural potable water supply and the management of rural water and sanitation to maintain water quality and reduce contamination in rural areas.
Specific objectives:

• To develop and implement in selected pilot village communities in two oblasts, replicable and sustainable approaches for potable water supply and sanitation, and watercourse decontamination.
• To disseminate successful pilot approaches to the other URLP pilot oblasts of Donetsk and Lugansk with wider promotion at the National level.
• Working through the URLP community organization’s the project will develop and implement in selected pilot village communities in two oblasts, a replicable and sustainable approach for: potable water supply and sanitation; watercourse decontamination.
• The approaches are focused on coordinating and harnessing available community resources in partnership with oblast and rayon administrations and relevant government programmes.
• Successful pilot approaches will be disseminated to the other URLP pilot oblasts of Donetsk and Lugansk with wider promotion at the National level through the Ukraine Institute for Rural Development.

Implementation period: 06.2005

The goal of the Project was to provide technical and material provision of the workshop on the agricultural and rural investment strategy.
The agricultural and rural investment strategy (ARIS) is a concise document, which aims to propose a coherent vision for public investment in support of agricultural and rural development. It is a joint work between the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy (MAP) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), supported by the World Bank.
Its preparation has been involving the consultation of a number of stakeholders both in the government and civil society.
The role of the Institute for Rural Development was also to facilitate in the organisation and to conduct the FAO workshop.

Contractors: ADAS International ltd (UK), Rural development NGOs from 3 regions of Ukraine (Regional DFID - URLP Programme’s offices), Institute for Rural Development.

Implementation period: 03.2003 – 12.2006

The goal of the Programme is to support the development of rural areas, by design and implementation of mechanisms for reduction of rural poverty in Ukraine, ensure sustainability of such mechanisms and their implementation through the national policy and appropriate legislation.

Poverty elimination implies providing solutions for a complex of rural problems such as unemployment, absence of enabling environment for rural off-farm entrepreneurship, low productivity of personal peasant farms, problems with food safety and quality of agriculture products lack of social infrastructure, deficient market and price information, unavailability of new technology and material and technical resources, insufficient legal and economic information.

The URLP was implemented in Donetsk, Kyiv, Odesa and Lugansk. The activities were coordinated with the Kyiv based Institute for Rural Development. The way out of this situation is the development of a comprehensive system of mechanisms for solving rural poverty problems in pilot regions. These are advisory services, credit unions, service co-operatives, marketing and information systems, civil society organizations, third party arbitration courts. With these organizations in place, rural individuals and legal entities will get access to information on new technology, material resources, technical means, market outlets, economic and legal information, dispute resolution.