The State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine (the Agency), together with the EU Delegation to Ukraine and with the support of EU4Reconstruction Stream 2, held the second meeting of the Technical Support and Capacity Building Coordination Initiative.
The meeting brought together the Agency’s Deputy Heads, representatives of international financial institutions, donor organizations and technical assistance programmes supporting the Agency’s institutional capacity development.
Building on the Initiative launched earlier this year, the Agency presented the results of its comprehensive assessment of ongoing and planned international technical assistance, identified priority areas requiring additional support, and proposed the next steps for better coordinating international assistance in line with the Agency’s priorities.
The meeting marked the first participation of Joost Möhlmann, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, as EU Co-Chair of the Initiative.
Opening the meeting, Joost Möhlmann stressed that while international partners provide expertise and technical assistance, the responsibility for defining strategic priorities must remain with the Agency.
“Today’s work will help us build a shared understanding of who supports what, identify priority needs, and better align future assistance. Thematic working groups will be the next step in matching partner support with the Agency’s priorities. The goal is to make technical assistance transparent, coordinated and results-oriented,” Joost Möhlmann said.
He also underlined the importance of supporting projects that strengthen critical infrastructure.
Ivan Lukeria, Deputy Head of the Agency and Co-Chair of the Initiative, presented the results of the Agency’s first comprehensive assessment of international technical assistance.
The assessment covered six priority areas: project management, sectoral expertise, human capital development, anti-corruption and compliance, digitalization, and strategic planning.
“Our partners are already providing substantial support to the Agency. The time has come to direct technical assistance where it will have the greatest impact on strengthening institutional capacity,” Ivan Lukeria said.
Roman Komendant, Deputy Head of the Agency and Chief Digital Transformation Officer (CDTO), outlined the Agency’s digital transformation priorities, including modernizing data infrastructure, strengthening cybersecurity and introducing digital project management systems.
Yurii Sverba, Deputy Head of the Agency, outlined priorities in compliance and procurement, including improving risk assessment methodologies and finalizing the Agency’s new Anti-Corruption Programme in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
Participants also reviewed the findings of the Rapid Implementation Readiness Assessment (RIRA), an independent assessment of the institutional capacity of key organizations implementing Ukraine’s recovery projects. The assessment was conducted by PwC and coordinated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), in cooperation with the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank.
The assessment confirmed many of the priorities already identified by the Agency, including the need to further strengthen project management, procurement, financial management and human capital.
One of the key outcomes of the meeting was the decision to establish six thematic working groups, each chaired by one of the Agency’s Deputy Heads. The groups will focus on international procurement and project management, sectoral expertise, human capital development, anti-corruption and compliance, public procurement, and digital transformation.
Ivan Lukeria thanked the international partners for their continued support and assistance and expressed confidence that further cooperation would be even more effective.