About

The Decentralization for Improved Democratic Education (DECIDE) aims at providing support to the state and local authorities in the establishment of effective, transparent and participatory systems of education management on regional, sub-regional and ATCs level in targeted regions.
The project development goal is defined as follows: “Citizens of amalgamated territorial communities contribute to and benefit equally from democratic governance and high quality education”.

Project is implemented by the Consortium of the DOCCU NGO and Zurich University of Teacher Education (PH Zurich).

DECIDE is intended:

✔ Promoting the development of effective education governance models for regional, sub regional and local levels (ATCs). Support is provided to partner regions in the elaboration of regional and local development strategies, optimizing functions for effective education governance, establishing inter-municipal cooperation and developing a regulatory environment.
✔ The Swiss experience on democratic education governance at various levels will be disseminated through the expert support of the development of mechanisms and tools for quality education management in cooperation with the State Service of Education Quality of Ukraine (SSEQU).
✔ Provision of technical support in building of professional networks of leaders and employees of the ATCs` governance bodies through strengthening the institutional capacity of key civil society associations and organizations (CSOs) working with local communities.

DECIDE is aimed to demonstrate how to manage education locally and build up schools, which serve as educational hubs for local communities. This implies implementing and developing democratic, transparent and accountable governance of schools in local communities, enhancing their role in public life, involving all citizens in decision-making, including school children and their parents, teachers, heads of schools, local self-government representatives, media representatives.

The project is implemented in two components.

Outcome 1 National, regional and local authorities effectively implement sectoral decentralization with a focus on education governance.

The component is aimed at capacity building of the public authorities in implementing the decentralization reform in the sector of education.

This should result in improved potential of ATCs to design and set in practice the decentralized education management models (including education development strategies and plans and their implementation, improved professional level of ATCs and education administration staff, methods and tools of civil society and citizen engagement in education management).

Experience gained on a local level will empower regional and national level stakeholders to steer and implement the education reform across the country in a coordinated, informed and evidence-based way. This will include investing in the mechanism of evidence-based policy dialogue, a credible legal environment, and effective training and knowledge management.

Outcome 2 Schoolboys/girls and their parents benefit from inclusive democratic school governance and active civic engagement in ATC.

Component is aimed at improvement of education management systems locally and building up schools, which serve as educational hubs for local communities.

This implies ensuring democratic and accountable management of schools, on one hand, and a stronger role of schools in local public life and active citizenry and the decentralization reform.

Implementation partners

The project is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.
The project partners are the regional state administrations of Ivano-Frankivsk, Luhansk, Poltava and Odessa regions, the State Education Quality Service of Ukraine (SSSA), the All-Ukrainian Association of United Territorial Communities (OTG Association).

DECIDE is implemented in 16 communities of Ivano-Frankivsk, Luhansk, Poltava and Odessa regions.

Its first phase will last from February 2020 to January 2025.