LocationsThe Higher School of Public Administration, supported by the UNDP in Ukraine and Denmark has launched a training programme on plain language at public service.
Photo: Public Union Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv
Kyiv, 3 March 2025 — The pilot training session titled “Written Communication for Public Servants: Plain Language and Easy Reading” was held in Kyiv. The event was the start of a series of educational activities aimed at promoting the use of plain language in public service, ensuring that all written and verbal communications, as well as official documents, are clear, accessible, and informative for everyone.
Plain and understandable language is not just about convenience, but about ensuring direct access to information. During the event, UNDP Ukraine's Human Rights and Access to Justice Project Manager Svitlana Kolyshko emphasized the critical importance of information being accessible, especially during wartime.
"Clear and simple language is the foundation of effective communication,” Kolyshko said. “We’re focusing on this topic because millions of Ukrainians have been living under constant stress and anxiety for the past three years. Communicating with people affected by the war is an integral part of a public servant’s work. Therefore, speaking in simple terms is essential to ensure that every person, regardless of age, education level, or emotional state, can receive quality services.”
The training participants learned how to work with texts, structure information, and replace complex terms with plain language.
Opening the training, Nataliia Aliushyna, Head of the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service, underscored that implementing these principles was a prerequisite for effective state communication. Among other goals, it is an effort to make the state more accessible and ensure that people receive critical information without barriers, she said.
According to Tetiana Lomakina, Advisor — Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment, plain language makes it faster and easier to understand government documents, statements, and messages. Plain language is a way of writing and speaking in a way that everyone can easily understand. This does not mean that the text is simplified to a primitive level, but only that it is written clearly, logically, and without unnecessary complexity.
The training sessions are being implemented at the initiative of the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service and the Higher School of Public Administration, in collaboration with the Advisor - Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment, with the support of UNDP in Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The development team included representatives from the public union Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv and the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine. Further plans of the training event include preparing trainers who will go on to enhance the skills of even more public servants.
Media enquires:
Yuliia Samus, UNDP in Ukraine Communications Team Leader, yuliia.samus@undp.org
