Monitoring of School Food Reform

The project for the modernization of school canteens is part of the school food reform initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska. This year, the subsidy for the repair and reconstruction of school canteens amounts to 1.5 billion UAH.

All applications for modernization are submitted through the DREAM system, after which a selection committee evaluates the projects and determines the winners. The selection process began on May 22, when the Ministry of Education and Science announced a competition to form a list of objects and allocate subsidies from the state budget.

Notes:

Regarding the procurement marker on the map: Green color – procurement completed; Yellow color – procurement in progress; Red color – procurement missing or canceled
Regarding the risk level marker on the map: The procurement risk is assessed based on more than 30 criteria and marked with 5 colors from green to red, where: Green color – low-risk procurement and Red color – high-risk procurement
Regarding expenditure data: The actual amount of expenditures by territorial communities (schools) is based on payment order data from the Treasury and may not take into account some payments that are not published on the official portal for public spending transparency www.e-data.gov.ua

To enhance budget transparency and ensure public access to information about the use of state and local budget funds for the school canteen modernization project, the Fiscal Policy Research Center, with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI), has created an interactive dashboard. This dashboard provides real-time updates on the expenditures of each territorial community and all procurements, so the public always has access to up-to-date information.

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine launched a partnership with the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) to ensure transparency and integrity in the implementation of state subsidies for the modernization of school canteens. The main focus is on increasing the transparency of procurement and construction processes.

The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) implements the project in four stages:

1. Assessment of Project Documentation
EUACI experts reviewed 187 projects, identifying unforeseen expenses not covered by the subsidy, inflated prices, equipment from sanctioned countries, and non-compliance with equipment requirements. After each assessment, recommendations to eliminate violations were provided and forwarded to the Ministry of Education for further consideration. Additionally, a reanalysis of each of the 159 projects was conducted to check for changes based on the provided recommendations. As a result of the two stages of verification, expenses amounting to 132.9 million UAH, which were not foreseen by the subsidy, were identified, allowing for the consideration of additional projects. Due to the redistribution of the subsidy after the two verification stages, another 20 schools received funds for canteen modernization.

2. Recommendations for Ethical Procurement
EUACI developed guidelines for community customers to conduct transparent procurement. To ensure their effective use, EUACI experts conducted training sessions for over 180 community representatives.

3. Procurement Monitoring
The Center for Public Monitoring and Research, selected through a competitive process, analyzes procurement documentation. In case of detected violations, the relevant authorities are informed.

4. Monitoring of Construction Works
EUACI developed recommendations for technical supervision during the reconstruction and repair of canteens, ensuring monitoring of the work being carried out.

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