Kyiv, August 18, 2023 – The Summer School for Coaching Skills, a new educational initiative of the Higher School of Public Governance and the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service (NAUCS) supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and other international agencies, took place this week. 

Throughout the intensive four-day programme, over 120 participants delved into the specifics of educational innovations and new training methodologies essential for the professional training of public officials. Additionally, emphasis was placed on providing educational services for public management and administration officials who occupy political positions. 

Welcoming participants at the Summer School, Jaco Cilliers, UNDP Resident Representative to Ukraine, stressed that continuous professional development, through courses like this, is the cornerstone for innovative, inclusive, and effective democratic governance. 

"Together with the National Agency for Civil Service, we share the vision and mission to infuse human rights values within the very fabric of Ukraine’s public sector. Witnessing the Agency's strong commitment to embedding a human rights-centred approach into educational modules for public officials is just one of many reasons we are proud of this partnership," he pointed out. 

Nataliya Alyushyna, Head of the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service, noted that the launch of the annual Summer School for Coaching Skills also signifies the creation of a unique platform for the collaboration of scholars and educators in the field of professional development of public officials. 

"This is an educational space for the professional development of trainers, who will continue to work for the continuous professional development of public officials," she emphasized.

During the Summer School, a new training module was launched that covers aspects of conducting training on access to public information for state authorities and local self-government bodies. Timely and reliable public information is not just about democracy or transparency, but it sometimes can be lifesaving. In times of war, public authorities and local self-government bodies are sometimes the only source of complete and reliable information, and this imposes significant responsibility on information holders. Therefore, this kind of awareness-raising event is crucial for enhancing access to information in times of crisis. 

The issues related to access to public information have also been covered in a recently launched educational series of videos for public officials entitled “International Humanitarian Law,” developed at the initiative of the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and the national project Diia. Digital Education with the support of UNDP in Ukraine and with financial support from the governments of Denmark and Germany.

The Summer School was supported by the “Human Rights for Ukraine” project, which is being implemented by UNDP Ukraine and financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Media enquiries: Yuliia Samus, Communications Team Leader, UNDP in Ukraine; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org