The UCF analyzes the results of 2019 competitions at the meeting with the public

On June 24, the National Art Museum of Ukraine hosted a public discussion of the results of the 2019 UCF Competition Programmes. The event was attended by the Head of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation Maryna Poroshenko, UCF Executive Director Yuliia Fediv, members of the Supervisory Board, foundation experts, representatives of various sectors of culture.

The UCF conducted a thorough analysis of data related to the number of grant applications and the percentage of their overcoming of technical selection, expert evaluation, information and advisory activities, holding of negotiation procedures. Having analyzed the comments and suggestions that were made during the competitions, the UCF offered ways to address the most controversial issues.

Thus, Yuliia Fediv, UCF Executive Director, emphasized that the Foundation aims to strengthen its presence in the regions by establishing representative offices that could become information platforms independent from local authorities, whose activities would increase the number of applications from the regions. In addition, it was suggested for public discussion questions on simplification of application package for individual projects and national and international cooperation projects, possibility of filing documents in electronic form only, changing the system of expert evaluation, etc.

All participants of the event were invited to work in groups for each discussion topic - information and consultation activities, technical selection, expert evaluation, Supervisory Board and Directorate, project monitoring - to form additional proposals for improving the UCF activities.

Work groups advised the following:

Improvement of UCF informational and consultation activity

• Divide information into several stages: for debutants; for those who have already filed last year and familiar with the Foundation regulations; for those who have questions about the competition details, or for other categories.
• Make the successful grant recipients of the previous years the Foundation’s ambassadors, especially in the regions.
• Use more infographics in news.
• Publish samples of successful estimates and applications.
• Conduct info session in Q&A format.
• Create hot line chat bot.
• Make Ratings of the Foundation’s competition programmes a separate section on the website, etc.

Improvement of the technical selection stage

• Keep the Applicant's history in his personal account.
• Clearly state which documents are mandatory and which are optional.
• Automate the date system.
• Carry out Applicant-Foundation communication, Foundation-Applicant communication exclusively through the personal account.
• Detail the purpose of the work plan, divide it into financial and calendar one.
• Enable international projects to apply for programmes by implementing projects next year.
• Consider the budget in two stages: a general review, after technical selection - a detailed review.
• Detail the notion of author's royalty and payment of fees, etc.

Improvement of expert evaluation stage

• All expert evaluations should be reasoned.
• Public servants should not be experts in expert councils.
• Form in each sector its financial council, according to its specific features.
• Conduct trainings for experts.
• Facilitate the development of expert qualifications.
• Establish an appeal procedure regarding the expert evaluation stage.
• Prepare a draft resolution for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers on the specifics of financing cultural projects, etc.

Improvement of the project approval stage by the Foundation’s Supervisory Board and the Foundation’s Directorate

• Establish the powers of members of the commission during the negotiation procedures.
• Create financial advisers who will lead the project from the stage of technical selection to the reporting stage.
• Clearly observe the terms of the negotiation procedure as it delays stage of project implementation.
• Notify of the negotiation procedure within 3 days in order to have time to prepare the required package of documents.

Improvement of the project monitoring stage

• Continue the reporting stage by the end of the year.
• Give examples of successful reports.
• Develop audit standards for international projects and coordinate them with international firms.
• Monitor the project upon completion of its implementation within the framework of the grant to make sure that the project being implemented is the one for which state funding has been allocated.
• Publish the names of lawyers, financiers, through which the project was successfully implemented and reported.
• Return the advance payment: of first 70% .

Ukrainian Cultural Foundation thanks everybody who took part in the discussion. We look forward to further cooperation with the progressive cultural community, which will improve the work of the Foundation, implement our educational initiatives, and, above all, increase the number of quality projects. All suggestions made at the event were recorded and will be subject to further consideration and implementation.

Public discussion record: http://bit.ly/2NgoI0V