The Reform Support Teams (RSTs) are formed of professionals from outside the Ukrainian civil service and work in ministries on a temporary basis to implement priority reforms and transform the ministries themselves. The programme has first been rolled out at a small number of pilot Ministries. Teams may be expanded to other ministries and state agencies, subject to progress of reforms and availability of donor funding.
The RSTs provide:
- Technical expert support to help fill the gaps in current staff skills at the relevant Ministries/institutions;
- Experience and overall institutional capacity considered essential to support the implementation of priority reforms;
- Better coordination and consolidation of ad hoc advisory support to the ministry; and
- Strengthening of links and partnerships between the Ministry priorities and relevant donor support.
The Reforms Support Teams and other bodies of the reforms architecture of Ukraine are financed jointly by the EBRD and the European Union through the EBRD-managed Ukraine Multi-Donor Account (MDA), established in July 2014 to support Ukraine’s efforts to reform its economy, improve its business climate and return to a path of sustainable growth.