TAPAS program concludes in Ukraine, its unfinished projects to be placed under DTA mandate

MOSCOW. Dec 21 (Interfax) - The Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services (TAPAS) project is concluding its work in Ukraine, and the unfinished projects will fall under the mandate of the $150-million five-year Digital Transformation Activity (DTA) program, Ukrainian media quoted Anastas Boiko, head of electronic services and open data at USAID/UK Aid TAPAS project, as saying.

While TAPAS has helped make substantial progress in Ukraine's digital transformation, the funding under DTA is three times larger than that under TAPAS, he said.

"The project [DTA] provides for financing in the amount of $150 million. If you compare it with TAPAS, it's three times as much," Boiko said. "We're currently approaching a new scope and considerably more complicated tasks that involve much more responsibility," he said.

DTA was officially registered on December 6, but its operation will begin in spring 2024, Boiko said.

As reported earlier, U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink announced the allocation of $150 million to promote digital transformation in Ukraine at the Diia Summit. The funding will be allocated over a five-year period through DTA to support efficient digital ecosystems, economic growth, transparent recovery, and anti-corruption oriented e-services for citizens and businesses, Brink said.

DTA is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and UK International Development (UK Dev), as said on the Eurasia Foundation website.

DTA is designed to bolster Ukraine's digital transformation to promote three core objectives, namely economic revitalization, transparency in reconstruction, and democratic governance. Together, these objectives aim to create an inclusive, transparent, and efficient digital ecosystem, stimulate economic growth, enhance administrative efficiency, and nurture the citizen-government relationship in Ukraine, it says.

DTA is delivered by a consortium led by Eurasia Foundation and comprised of the Better Regulation Delivery Office, East Europe Foundation, Institute of Analytics and Advocacy, Kyiv School of Economics, Open Contracting Partnership, Social Boost, Transparency International Ukraine, and Women in Digital Transformation.

TAPAS has been implemented in Ukraine since November 2016. Among other things, its support was instrumental in upgrading the Diia website and mobile app and launching 17 new e-services.