On 20 February, the OECD organised the first workshop on monitoring the implementation of Ukraine’s SME strategy in the framework of the EU4Business project 'From Policies to Action'.
The workshop focused on good practice tools to monitor and report progress in the implementation of SME strategies and action plans, including key performance indicators to better assess the impact of implemented policies.
It also provided an opportunity to present the assessment framework for Ukraine’s monitoring review and hear from the government about the status of the strategy implementation.
The workshop was attended by more than 40 representatives from implementing ministries and state agencies, private sector and academia representatives, as well as development partners (Forbiz, USAID, EU Delegation).
The workshop was broken down into two sessions:
•Session 1: Implementation status of Ukraine’s SME strategy:OECD presented the assessment framework for the SME strategy monitoring; Daniil Menshykov, Head of Division of Entrepreneurship Development, MEDT, reported on the status of the strategy implementation, followed by a brief discussion.
•Session 2: Improving Ukraine’s monitoring system for a better implementation of the SME strategy – focus on KPIs: Andrii Remizov, Department of Entrepreneurship Development and Regulatory Policy, MEDT, presented the monitoring system for SME strategy detailing stakeholders involved, process, financing, and targets. Janez Sustersic, international expert, provided an initial assessment of the existing monitoring system for the SME strategy in Ukraine, and shared good practice tools for monitoring and reporting on strategy implementation suggesting result-oriented KPIs for Ukraine’s SME strategy.
Building on the findings and recommendations of the SME Policy Index 2016, the Ukrainian government has taken important steps to improve its policy environment for SMEs. In May 2017, the Cabinet of Ministers approved Ukraine's SME Development Strategy for the period until 2020, and the SME Development Office was set up in October 2018 to provide full technical assistance to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) in the implementation of the SME Strategy and Action Plan. In this context, the MEDT has requested OECD support to strengthen the institutional capacity to monitor the implementation of the SME Development Strategy.
The overall objective of the project is to build capacity in Ukraine’s institutions to implement and monitor the SME strategy. In order to meet this objective, the project will focus on the following activities:
•Assess progress in the implementation of Ukraine's SME Strategy;
•Provide support in establishing a better monitoring system for the SME strategy, including the design of result-oriented key performance indicators through capacity building workshops;
•Develop recommendations for better implementation and monitoring of the SME strategy.
The main beneficiaries of this project are the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT), the SME Development Office (SMEDO), other SME stakeholders involved in the implementation and monitoring of Ukraine’s SME strategy, as well as the broader SME community.
EU4Business: From Policies to Action is a regional project implemented by the OECD, which supports competitiveness and business environment reforms in the Eastern Partnership countries, working both at country and regional level.