Ukraine and Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Program                

Ukraine's two-year Threshold Program aims to reduce corruption in the public sector by: 1) strengthening civil society and media's monitoring and exposure of corruption, 2) advancing judicial reform, 3) increased government monitoring and enforcement of ethical and administrative standards, 4) streamlining and enforcing regulations, and 5) combating corruption in higher education.

On December 8, 2006, USAID/Ukraine signed an agreement with Management Systems International (MSI) to implement the first component of the Threshold Program, Strengthening Civil Society’s Monitoring and Exposure of Corruption, which will focus on support of Ukrainian NGOs that will be responsible for conducting surveys, disseminating results, and ensuring the widest possible access to and utilization of the data by Ukrainian civil society, mass media and the government. NGOs that advocate for improvements in each of the MCC target areas will be assisted under this program; investigative journalism will also be supported.

The second component "Judicial Reform" aims to increase transparency in the judicial sector. The proposed activities will also contribute to fostering a more professional cadre of administrative judges, court personnel, and notaries.  

The third component "Government Monitoring and Enforcing Ethical and Administrative Standards" is being implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT). This program aims to pilot an Internal Investigation Unit (IIU) in select ministries to facilitate systematic monitoring of compliance with ethical standards and increase identification of procedural violations with imposition of sanctions and prosecutions when appropriate.

The fourth component "Streamlining and Enforcing Regulations" focuses on reforms in customs and transportation as well as simplifying the construction permit system and regulations concerning land rights. U.S. Department of Justice and International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) will be supporting development of an integrated customs database and Centers for Policy Excellence to improve accountability of commodities at the Ukrainian border. Booz Allen Hamilton, as part of USAID's Trade, Investment and Business Acceleration (TIBA) program, will facilitate the opening of 25 one-stop shop permit offices throughout Ukraine and consolidation of land and water use within a single ministry.

On April 10, 2007, USAID signed an agreement with the American Institute for Research (AIR) in partnership with American Councils for International Education to implement the Ukrainian External Testing Initiative, which is the fifth component of the Ukraine MCC Threshold Program.  The Initiative is focused on: 1) introducing external standardized testing as a mandatory criterion for university admissions; 2) reducing the level of corrupt practices associated with admissions to institutions of higher education; 3) establishing admissions standards that reflect internationally accepted norms, and help ing integrate Ukraine’s higher education into the Bologna process and promote greater equity.

Strategic Objective Agreement (SOA) - Millenium Challenge Account Threshold Program (PDF file, 81 KB)

Combating Corruption in the Public Sector (MCC) Fact Sheet (PDF file, 81 KB)